chapter 14: his treasured petals

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A few minutes later,

she emerged, now dressed in the silk gown Kenan had brought for her.

The deep blue color draped perfectly over her curves, the empire waist giving an elegant touch. She turned towards the mirror, inspecting herself.

"Not bad… he actually has a good taste in dressing." She tilted head, eyeing her reflection in the mirror.

But then, her brows furrowed slightly.

"Wait… how did he guess my exact measurements?" She narrowed her eyes.

Her fingers traced the fabric against her waist.

"Either he's a big pervert who scans women with his eyes, or… or maybe it was just a coincidence…" she sighed, but was still doubtful.

Regardless, the dress fit her perfectly, hugging her figure in all the right places. What she didn't know was that Kenan had a sharp eye—he understood her size just by a glance.

Shaking off the thoughts, she turned back to her real task. "I shouldn't waste more time. I need to do my work."

She moved towards the closet first, pulling open the doors. But after rummaging through the neatly arranged clothes and compartments, she found nothing important.

"Tch… as expected, this man is careful." She clicked tongue in annoyance.

Her gaze then landed on the window. Walking over, she slid aside the curtains, her sharp eyes scanning every corner for any hidden clues.

But then—her hands paused.

Two vases sat neatly on the window shelf.

One held red and white tulips. The other held fresh chamomile.

Her breath hitched.

The flowers were still fresh… especially the chamomile.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached out, caressing the delicate petals of the red tulips. A familiar memory surfaced—their very first meeting.

Then, her gaze moved to the white tulips.

A scene flashed before her eyes—him standing before her, desperate to talk, buying white tulips as an excuse.

Finally, she touched the chamomile.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips thinking how strangely he was surprised to know the difference between chamomile and daisies.

But there was an unfamiliar tightness in her chest. She plucked a single chamomile flower, bringing it close to her lips, a smirk curling on her face.

"I didn't expect my plan to progress this fast…" she murmured while the petal brushed over her lower lip.

But what she failed to realize was—the web of love can trap even the one who weaves it for someone else.

Suppressing the strange sensation blooming in her heart, she moved on, searching his drawers, flipping the mattress, checking every possible hiding spot.

But nothing.

"Aurgh…!! This man is not that simple. I underestimated him…!!" She clenched her fists with frustration. As she angrily shut a drawer, a book from the bedside table fell to the floor.

With an irritable sigh, she bent down and picked it up. She was about to place it back—

But then… something inside the book caught her eye.

Her fingers hesitated before flipping it open. And what she saw made her part her lips in silent disbelief.

There, pressed neatly between the pages–

Three chamomile flowers.

Her heart skipped a beat. She knew these flowers. Because she was the one who placed them in his pocket that day.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she brushed over the delicate petals.

"He still… kept these?" She felt a strange prickling sensation in her heart.

****----------****

She felt a strange prickling sensation in her heart looking at those 3 Strands of chamomile. Her gaze lifted, shifting back towards the two vases on the window shelf.

Red tulips. White tulips. Chamomile.

She stared at them, her thoughts lost in the past... Until—

A knock at the door startled her out of her trance.

Her heart pounded as she hurriedly closed the book and put it back in its place. She quickly checked the room to ensure nothing seemed out of place before walking towards the door.

She hesitated, her fingers hovering over the handle. "Who…who is there?"

"It's me. Open the door." His soft voice came from the other side.

She took a deep breath, composing herself, before unlocking and slightly opening the door, standing behind it.

Kenan entered, holding a tray of food. His steps were casual as he walked towards the bed. "Why did you lock the door?" He asked casually while setting the tray down.

She tensed.

"Umm, I… I was afraid. That's why…" She avoided his gaze.

Kenan removed the blanket from the bed, making space to put the tray on it. "I already told you, you don't need to be afraid of me." He placed the tray down. His voice was calm, reassuring. He still hadn't looked at her properly.

She fidgeted with her fingers, casting her gaze downward. "No… actually, I… I was afraid that… one of your men might come in…" he bit her lip.

Kenan let out a short, amused breath, shaking his head. "They wouldn't dare. Because you're in-" he spoke while turning towards her.

But then—he froze.

For a second, it felt as if the air in the room had shifted. His words remained incomplete, lost somewhere between his parted lips. His heart did a strange little stutter.

There she stood, bathed in the soft sunlight filtering through the curtains, draped in the floral blue silk gown.

And she looked—

Breathtaking...

His eyes softened instinctively.

She was beautiful. And not just in the way that was obvious.

It was the way the dress hugged her, flowing elegantly as if it was made for her. The way her slightly damp hair framed her delicate features. The way her bare shoulders glowed against the deep blue fabric.

Kenan didn't realize how long he was staring at her with his soft gaze. His gaze trailed from her face down to the gown that hugged her frame perfectly.

Charlotte hesitated under his stare, lowering her gaze. Was she looking odd?

"Umm... Am I looking weird?" she asked, her voice uncertain.

Kenan blinked. "Are you crazy?!" The words slipped before he could stop them.

She lifted her head, confused. "Huh?"

His eyes widened. "I mean-yes! No! I mean... it's bomb!"

She frowned. "Pardon?"

Clearing his throat, he turned his back to her. "I meant... It's DIVINE.. I mean... It looks... fine."

Charlotte stared at his back, dumbfounded. 'This man is a certified pervert.'

Meanwhile, Kenan tried to regain his composure, he turned back. squeezed his eyes shut, internally scolding himself. 'Kenan, stop behaving like a stupid puppy in front of her.' He even slapped his forehead lightly.

"Anyway, I need to leave now." She spoke.

His gaze softened as he gestured to the tray in his hand. "I brought breakfast for you. Eat before you go."

Charlotte folded her arms, her expression cold. "Do you serve breakfast to every hostage you kidnap?"

Kenan exhaled, stepping toward her. "It was a misunderstanding. My men acted on false intel, and they took you by mistake." His voice dropped into something softer. "I'm... really sorry."

She scoffed. "Whatever. I just need to leave now."

He gestured toward the door with one hand, shoving the other in his pocket. "Alright... as you wish."

Charlotte walked out, and Kenan followed silently.

******----------******

As she entered the lounge, her steps faltered when she spotted Asaph speaking to a guard. A flicker of unease settled in her chest. Her feet instinctively moved backward.

Kenan, noticing her hesitation, spoke from behind. "What's wrong?"

Without thinking, she moved closer to him-so close that she ended up partially hiding behind him.

His brows furrowed. "Hey... what happened?" His tone was laced with concern.

She clutched the sleeve of his shirt. "That man... he-he dragged me into the car, and then..." She swallowed. "I... I-"

Kenan's jaw clenched as his sharp gaze snapped to Asaph. The secretary lowered his head, avoiding eye contact.

Charlotte tightened her hold on Kenan's sleeve. "I'm scared... What if he-"

Before she could finish, Kenan's warm palm covered her hand.

Her breath hitched.

For a brief moment, she stared at the back of his head, a strange sensation tightening in her chest.

Kenan didn't look at her, but his grip was firm, protective. "Secretary Asaph," his voice dropped an octave, "I think you're forgetting something."

Asaph bowed his head slightly. "I sincerely apologize, Ma'am. It was my mistake."

Charlotte's fingers twitched in Kenan's hold.

She lifted her gaze at him. "I want to leave."

Kenan's grip tightened just a little before he nodded. "Let's go."

He didn't let go of her hand as they walked out of the suite. Charlotte stared at their intertwined fingers, her heartbeat slightly irregular. 'No, Chéri. Come to your senses. This is just an illusion. You're doing your job.'

And yet, the warmth of his hand lingered.

The moment they stepped outside, she quickly withdrew her hand.

Kenan rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at her. "Umm... I'll drop you off."

She hesitated. "But-"

"You can trust me. Take it as compensation for the trouble I caused."

She nodded, climbing into the passenger seat as he opened the door for her

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To be continued

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