บท 20: Captured

Kristofer was left to stare at the closed door of Anna's condo.

He couldn't believe what had happened and how he had just punched the stranger in the face. The stranger who was still there, too, dabbing at his bloodied lip with a checkered handkerchief.

"Are you two dating?" Kristofer turned towards the man he had just punched. He smirked and placed his hands in his pants pockets.

"And what does that have to do with you?"

"Even though you punched me, I should tell you to stay away from her right now. That girl is crazy."

Kristofer scoffed.

"Now, that's not a nice thing to say to someone who just told you to go to hell. I think if anyone is crazy, that would be you."

"You don't believe me? Fine. You will find out soon anyway."

Kristofer smirked once again as he carefully came close to the other guy. He leaned in to whisper in his ears despite not needing to. The hallway was relatively quiet, and no one else was there to hear what he was about to say.

"Watch me," he said, dusting off invisible dirt from the stranger's shoulders with his left hand. "Don't let your jealousy be too obvious, mate. It doesn't suit you."

Kristofer did not want to waste a single breath for him after he had said that.

He turned and walked towards Anna's condo. He was unsure if she would open the door for him, but he wanted to take that risk.

With uncertainty, Kristofer pressed the red button on the right side of her front door.

Kristofer stared at the small camera, which he knew was showing his face to her viewing screen inside. Kristofer then smiled bashfully.

"I came here with clean intentions," he stated.

Anna let out a frustrated sigh. She contemplated briefly before opening the door and letting Kristofer Almodiel in.

When the door to Anna's condo slid open, Kristofer glanced at the other man.

He found him staring right back at him. A skeptical look was plastered on his face.

Kristofer gave him a mock salute before stepping inside Anna's condo. He made sure to drop the smug look still on his face when he teased the other guy, whom he would like to assume was probably Anna's ex-boyfriend.

"The first thing you should do after a break-up is either move to a new place or prohibit your ex from visiting you."

Anna could not believe her ears. She glared at Kristofer Almodiel.

"You have five minutes to tell me what the hell you are doing here, and for crying out loud, quit stalking me!"

Kristofer gave her place a once-over. It seems cozy enough. The white and gray theme complimented the few plants on every corner of her small condo unit.

There were medium-sized paintings on the walls arranged symmetrically. Everything was neat, and Kristofer found himself liking it.

"I wanted to remove my curiosity about you and discover your identity. You have me very interested in you, Anna. And guess who was to blame for that?"

Anna let out a sarcastic laugh. She clapped her hands, applauding Kristofer Almodiel for giving her such an incredulous excuse. After which, she went back to glaring at him.

"That doesn't answer what the hell you're doing here."

"If I did not come, that jerk would have done something to you, and I can't let that happen."

Anna shook her head in disbelief. She placed her left hand on her hips, pointing her right hand towards the door.

"That jerk would not have been able to do something because I wouldn't have unbolted that door. He could die waiting outside for all I care. But you suddenly came into the picture and left me with no choice."

Kristofer stared at Anna. He was left to think how it would have done her better if he had not followed the guy. But then, he didn't know that. How could he have known that she wouldn't open her door?

Instead of admitting his mistake, Kristofer played it cool, placing his hands inside his pants pockets again.

"So, you came out because of me. I feel deeply touched, Anna. Does this mean that my feelings for you aren't unrequited?"

Anna's mouth had almost dropped open to a wide O. She had to use all her willpower to stop that from happening lest she would only end up embarrassing herself further.

"I never said anything of that sort."

Kristofer raised a speculating brow towards Anna. He leaned a little closer to her. She smelled of lavender and something else.

It was evident that she was freshly out of the shower. Kristofer realized that she looked better without makeup; her natural eyelashes were cute enough, and she was even beautiful without trying.

"You did not have to say it out loud. I read the message from what you said. It was more than enough, Anna."

Anna took a step back. The proximity to Kristofer made her think of unwanted thoughts, and she could feel her heart drumming inside her chest.

Her entire body started to feel warm, and she had to ensure that her cheeks weren't red.

Getting flustered in front of Kristofer Almodiel was the last thing that Anna would wish to happen. She had already had a rough night. It was the last straw she needed before the day would come to an end.

Kristofer cleared his throat. The palpable tension hanging in the air was not oblivious to him. He needed to ignore it, though. He wanted to stay true to his words. His intentions were pure, and he had no plans of ruining it.

"You should try to put on some proper clothes next time. And refrain from going out like that."

Anna wanted to glare at Kristofer Almodiel for the nth time. However, she now felt conscious and knew that he had a point.

"If you're done talking, you can now leave."

"Actually," Kristofer perked up, an idea coming to his mind. "I have an offer to make."

Anna narrowed her eyes towards him.

"I'm not interested." Anna immediately replied, working on pushing Kristofer Almodiel towards the door.

But before she could even lay a hand on him, Kristofer beat her to it, holding her hands locked with his.

"I know what you did, Anna. You tried to sabotage me for reasons I could not understand. I have solid proof to get you behind bars for a while. I could sue you for defamation. But I won't do it if you agree to my proposal."

Anna's heart had skyrocketed. It was beating so hard that she could almost imagine her ribcage getting smashed little by little.

Yet, she knew that she had to feign innocence. To add, she was doubtful if he genuinely found such evidence.

"You're bluffing," she remarked, countering his claim.

Kristofer smiled, his eyes boring into hers.

"Am I?"