Chapter 85 - Something Isn't Right

Anya had no plans to spy on the three men in the open area. When running away from Alvin, she saw the third man side-eyeing her every movement. She guessed he was waiting for them to leave. Hence a quick plan appeared in her mind. She had no time to voice her plan to Alvin or show it in action as it might get those men's attention. So she just held Alvin. 

Alvin was just following her without believing his ears. His naive, innocent Little Donut turned out to be a pervert to have an X-rated imagination of him with those men. He was thinking about how to teach her a lesson when she caught him off guard. 

Seeing his lips part, she covered his mouth and unawarely pressed him against the wall while her attention was on the three men to hear them.

Alvin: "..."

Although his ears went to the men who were a few steps away behind the wall, his eyes fixed on her darkly glinting steely gray eyes. The one who was frightened to her wits on the previous night was nowhere to be seen. She was like a leopard. A stealthy predator who is cautious, sneaky, quick-witted, and patient.

'I will join your company, send my parents on a world tour and enjoy my free time.' She had cheerfully told him her plan after graduation. Her plan was as simple as her. However, she was living a wholly different life and she was more mysterious than him.

Does life go as planned?

He never even considered being an antique dealer or archeologist. Didn't he adapt to the challenges thrown at him?

He looked at her cold fingers on his lips and her petite face. He couldn't understand why she shakes if he gets close to her but she could get close to him? 

Isn't it unfair? 

He sensed the footsteps moving to the other side. He narrowed his eyes at the woman whose shoulders relaxed and looked at him. 

Her eyes widened, cautiously looking at him. She never worked with anybody, her assignments were always handled alone. So she didn't realize how she was holding him.

'The monstrous wave, why don't you sweep me away?' She thought looking at his glower. Alvin hates people who get near him unnecessarily, much less touch him without his permission.

Was she taking him for granted for the little leeway he gives her? 

Alvin was a heartless man, if he loses his cool, he will be merciless without thinking if she is a woman or an old friend. Were they even friends? She was a mere acquaintance.

Taking her hand away from his lips, she tried to pretend like it was nothing, "They have some plan against us." Her voice was a little shaky.

Alvin hid his real thoughts and emotions behind his cold face. He looked at the petite woman uneasily struggling to put a straight face. He glanced at her hand that was on his chest.

Anya stepped away immediately. Nevertheless, he caught her hand, twisted it to her back causing her to spin and her back crashed on his chest.

"Little Donut," He said through his teeth, watching her side profile. Her uneasiness was replaced with a fierce look. He already knows she hates when anybody tries to dominate her by physical strength.

Her hand repeatedly tried to get out of his clutch and she was successful too. But he was far more skillful and strong, "Alvin M…" She gritted her as she shouldn't say his full name. She could hurt him and escape but she was controlling it. He was taking care of her so well on the previous day.

"I should change your name."

Anya ignored his cold menacing voice and tried to focus on getting out of his clutch.

"Wild kitten." A fierce kitten whose paws are ready to scratch him anytime.

"..."

"Little Leopard." for being stealthy.

"..."

Why was he turning her from a dessert to a wild animal?

"Perverted Rascal suits you best."

Anya stopped struggling and tilted her head in contemplation. Why does it feel like she overthought him as angry and he was just offended by her tease?

Her mood immediately brightened. She didn't know she was actually happy to know he wasn't angry at her. She broke into adorable chuckles though he tried to scare her. "Alvin, should I bring you to a spa or salon on the ship?" To get him ready more handsomely.

Shouldn't she be angry for holding her in a deadlock?

"Are you asking for punishment?" He didn't realize his annoyance was slowly replaced with indulgence seeing her giggling, leaning against him.

"I will wait."

"..." Alvin wasn't sure if he should be happy seeing her cheerful or be angry that she truly wasn't scared of him.

"You should be disciplined." He held her ear alighted the steps as he heard her cry. 

—--

In secret monitoring room,

After watching the couple playing around on the lido deck, Berwick looked at his other two team members who lowered their heads and scratched their necks. 

Berwick clenched his teeth. He needs solid evidence to prove that the couple was ghosting them so that he could cease them for questioning. 

His team wasted his time saying they aren't behaving like a couple and that's enough to be suspicious about. However, they saw the couple hugging on the lido deck and getting intimate in the passageway. Well, that's how it appeared to the cameras for them.

Unwilling to give up on their speculation, one of the men vowed, "Sir, we will prove to you that they aren't a married couple. They are fooling us."

"Useless." Berwick fumed. He left the secret monitor room to go back to his room for some more sleep. 

That wasn't their work. Their task was to make sure nobody on the ship is trying to sabotage Harper's plan. They don't have any proof to say the Collins couple were on the ship with some motive or their identity is fake.

However, the two men sat and planned how to shed the couple's mask and bring them under the charge of Berwick. 

—--

Breakfast and Lunch completed peacefully while Alvin and Anya were expecting people to attack them. They could only think as they postponed their plan.

Anya again tried to hack the device that used to send pictures to Harper's men. But the device was switched off with no hopes of getting it on the network. Hence, Anya wasn't able to check what kind of picture was sent and how the picture was sent.

If her estimations were right, she was certain, Harper would have already got to know that the ship wasn't under his control. What confused her more was, The shore communication centre still didn't make the radio call to the captain yet.

Alvin was doing some of his work on the laptop to pass some time. He saw her silently standing and watching the ocean. He looked outside. There was nothing to see, the ocean surface was calm, and how far they gaze, they could see nothing but dark blue water. 

Judging as she was worried about the situation in the country, he thought to keep her mind occupied, "Wild Kitten!?" He tested.

"Hmm!?" Anya turned around and then furrowed. Why the hell did she respond to the Wild Kitten nickname? Then she glared at him, seeing his smug smile.

He cued her to get close to him. Seeing her standstill, "My dear wife, come here." He annoyed her for not listening to him.

Facepalming in her mind, she went and sat next to him. Before he could speak, she saw the laptop screen and picked it from his lap, "What is this!?... This is so beautiful and unique." She exclaimed.

It looked like a table clock. There was a connected glass globe on top of the clock that had a mini solar system. That's what caught her eyes and made the clock special.

To read about it, she moved to the next screen and a video appeared. Her lips gaped in surprise looking at the planets in the globe moving. The planets were revolving on their axis and rotating around the sun.

Alvin's lips curled to a pleased smile looking at her interest in an item that is related to his work. He unhurriedly explained, "The Planetarium table clock. It's a 1775 timepiece. It doesn't only track the passing of time, we can see the travel of the planets."

He heard her exclaim under her breath before asking her first question, "Does the rotation and revolution of the planet are the same as the real planets?"

"Yes."

Anya recalled Zane had requested to take him to the planetarium after he learned all the planets' names and interesting facts about it. He would love to see this planetarium table clock and study. 

She eagerly looked at Alvin and asked, "Do you have thi-…" She paused. Even if he has, she was going to vanish after reaching the port. Taking her son to Alvin was out of the question.

Alvin noted her excitement for the antique and sensed she didn't complete her question. Anyway, he responded without over-thinking. "I don't have it… Yet."

Anya generally asked, "Are you buying it?" 

"It is the rarest, only one timepiece in the world. Money can't buy it."

Anya was confused without understanding what he meant by it.

Alvin saw her head tilt, waiting for him to continue. He clicked on a button and the screen changed to a picture of a handsome man.

Anya guessed the man, "DJ Prince… Shawn Rivas." Krstyle's favorite DJ and she had been to his music show.

Alvin hummed, "He is the current owner of the timepiece."

Anya nodded in understanding. Shawn Rivas doesn't need money so selling it was of no use to him. Alvin or his team needs to convince Shawn Rivas and get them something they love. Unfortunately, he is capable of getting what he wants so Alvin was in a deadlock.

Alvin closed the laptop on her lap and put it away. Placing his hand on her back, he gently pushed her up as he stood up, "Let's go, I will show you the real ship." She knows the skeleton or structure of the ship but doesn't know why the cruise ship was called luxurious. 

Alvin introduced the cruise ship. They were meeting a lot of people who were greeting them as collins.

Some time passed without trouble until somebody purposely and roughly bumped into her. That man fell while Alvin caught her and heard her grimace in pain.

Before he or she could chide that bumped man, another man joined him and apologized to them, "We are so sorry. We were a little careless. Miss, are you alright? Should we bring you to the infirmary?"

Both men's faces were new to them. Anya forced a smile seeing them worried, "It's alright. Be mindful." She pressed her shoulder as she took steps, tugging Alvin away. 

Alvin was a type who would break the person's face even for mistakenly bumping into her. Hence she clutched his left arm while his right arm was still around her shoulder.

Alvin clenched his teeth looking at her pleading face. He glanced at the two men. The man who bumped into Anya was scolding his friend for pushing him. 

"Something isn't right." He doubted as he turned to Anya.. He was about to ask if she was fine when she yelled out in panic, "Watch out."