บท 2: Meeting the Doll

"Goodness, I learned too many languages." Freiheit sighed, shaking his head at his multi-lingual dilemma. "I forgot how to speak using my mother tongue!"

"How did you get inside my apartment?" Evan said, a look of pure disbelief painted on his face.

"Easy," he said in a 'duh'-tone. "I talked to the building administrators."

"They just can't give my key card to random people!" Evan shouted. "Especially you, you bastard!"

"My brother, I know you know the skill called 'charming your way.'" He winked teasingly. "After all, you also do it during work."

This is why Evan hated women! That stupid old hag! How dared she allow herself to be fooled by his brother's looks?!

When he returns to his condo, he'll immediately go to the building administration's office and tell her to get her lawyer ready because he will sue her for her inability to do her work correctly.

"If that woman turns out to be a thief," Evan covered his face with the palm of his hand. "Forget you ever had a brother."

"You're welcome." Freiheit patted him on the back.

He rolled his eyes. "I'll send her back to you once I get home."

"And what if you liked her?"

"I doubt that."

********

The condo he lived in was a birthday gift from the company head, since Evan used to live in a cheap apartment.

"This is unforgivable, Evan." The Royal Blue Food and Beverage Company founder and his adoptive father, Blau Royall, scolded him. "You're my son and one of the top executives in Royall Blue! I can't allow you to live in such a rat hole!"

Much to Evan's dismay, he was forced to accept the gift and lived in the four-bedroom flat for about one and a half years. But thank God, Mr. Royall didn't give him a house. It would be such a pain to clean it.

When he got home, the first thing he did was check whether his brother was messing with him and not go to that old witch's office.

This wasn't the first time Freiheit brought him an unusual souvenir.

The last time he visited, three months ago, he left a grown panda from the Chinese mountains in his office. Even though Evan admitted that the panda was very adorable (he'd never say it aloud), he returned the poor thing to his home country.

But he never thought his brother was this stupid to bring him something he despised.

He didn't have to slide his card key on the door as expected.

It was already unlocked.

With a frustrated groan, he opened the door and entered his condo. Much to his shock, all the lights were out.

Evan's heart started beating fast, and cold sweat dripped from his face. He had a bad feeling about this. Evan immediately pressed all the lights open, much to his relief; all of his things were in place.

It didn't look as if someone had raided his home or something.

He inspected the living room first because it was the closest to the entrance.

Thankfully, it didn't seem like anything was touched or moved. It appeared as if no one had entered his home in the first place. Nothing looked amiss except the open door.

'But it was too early to let my guard down,' Evan thought.

The next room near the door was the dining room, and so was the next room he checked.

And that's when he saw Freiheit's gift.

Sitting on one of his wooden dining chairs was a woman.

But really, it was more appropriate to call her a girl than a woman.

He couldn't see her face because it was her back facing Evan's direction. But seeing her back was enough for him to notice small things about her.

She was so short that her feet didn't reach the ground as she sat straight on the chair. Her reddish-orange hair went past her hips. She was wearing a plain white sundress; he believed that Freiheit disgustingly chose it for her to wear.

But really, what caught Evan's attention was that she didn't have any presence.

None at all.

He broke away from his daze and shook his head.

He found it weird how he was captured in such a deep trance just by looking at someone's back. He saw all the women as the same, but he felt like this woman was weird.

"You." He cleared his throat, trying to catch her attention. She didn't bother to move, which annoyed him greatly. "What are you doing inside my place?"

The mysterious girl didn't speak; it was as if his words had fallen on deaf ears. Evan was getting even more annoyed as each second passed. When was the last time some woman dared to ignore him plaintively?

He, Evanescence Holz, of all people, was ignored by a lowly prostitute.

Unforgivable.

With that, he advanced and seized her wrist. He realized how thin she was and feared he might accidentally break her. Ignoring his unneeded concern for her welfare, he looked up and was about to shout at her to get out of his place.

But his voice got trapped inside his throat upon seeing her face.

She had one of the most beautiful faces he had ever seen in his lifetime.

Her skin was pale white as if she had no blood. Her nose was small but pointy, elegantly sculpted to fit her face. Her lips were full and pink, perfectly shaped, and just delectable.

Eyelashes were long and thick, flattering her beautiful eyes. And her doe eyes, good Lord, her big doe eyes, had the same shade of green pine trees during the summer.

But one of the most enchanting things about her eyes was that beautiful, far-away look, as if she were looking deep inside his soul. The other thing he found terrific was that, no matter how beautiful her eyes were, they were empty and lifeless.

His blue eyes widened, and he immediately let go of her. She fell to the floor like a limp body with a loud thud.

'Goodness gracious, Lord,' Evan prayed silently. 'Please don't tell me my stupid brother sent me a corpse!'

'What's better than a woman? A dead one, right?' Freiheit's teasing voice echoed in his mind.