[INSIDE OF VICTOR'S CABIN]

[Victor closed the door from inside, sat down heavily in his chair, breathing hard. He could still feel the warmth in his cheeks from the embarrassment.]

Victor: (in rage) How dare she remove my mask? Uhhhh (screamed).

[He pushed the pen stand and some notepads as the consequences of his rage. They scattered totally on the floor.]

Victor: (angrily) How could she?

[Unable to shake off the unease, Victor stood up and walked over to a mirror in the room. He stared at his reflection, the face that he so carefully hid from the world now fully exposed. He rarely looked at himself without the mask, and the sight felt strangely unfamiliar. He reached up to touch his face, his fingers brushing over the areas where Amelia's words seemed to linger.]

["You don't have any right (loudly) to hide this cute man."]

[He traced the lines of his face, his sharp cheekbones, the expressive eyes that held so much he kept hidden, the strong jawline, and the rugged facial hair. He could see something that he had never paid much attention to before. He saw vulnerability in his eyes, that contradicted the tough exterior he usually showed.]

[Anger surged within him, mingling with the confusion and vulnerability. He balled his fists, trying to suppress the conflicting emotions. His anger issues were something he had battled for years, and now, with his defenses down, he felt exposed.]

Victor: (punching at the wall by the side of the mirror) Why did I let her get to me?

[He scratched hairs and ran his fingers through them. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He knew he couldn't let his emotions spiral out of control. Amelia's words echoed again in his mind, softer this time, mingling with the curiosity she had sparked.]

Victor: (muttering to himself) How can she say that? I'm not a good person..... Not..... a...... (moving his palms from hair to neck through ears).

[OUTSIDE OF VICTOR'S CABIN]

[She already heard the continuous scream of Victor from inside. So she started pondering ways to lure Victor out of his office again. She glanced around the cafe, her eyes landed on the music system. A mischievous smile crept across her face.]

Amelia: (to herself) Perfect! Let's create another Volcanic eruption. I'll see how you handle this, Mr. Volcano.

[She quickly adjusted the volume on the music system, making it blare at an uncomfortably high level. The cafe, usually filled with a gentle hum of conversation and soft background music, was now echoing with deafening sound. Amelia stepped back and waited, her heart was racing with anticipation.]

[On the other hand Victor was suddenly stopped with shock as he didn't expect that chaos.]

Victor: (inside his office) What in the world is going on out there?

[It was almost 3:00 pm.]

[Moments later, the door to Victor's office swung open, and he stepped out, looking irritated and a bit flustered. He was still maskless. As he came out he discovered Amelia vibing and singing with the song. Without wasting a moment he rushed to the music system and pulled the plug from the socket. As a result the music was stopped and she was also stopped. She turned back.]

[He was just about to speak but he realizes that he was maskless. So, he pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket and held it in front of his lip area that no one could see him to talk and began.]

Victor: (sternly) What's going on with the music?

Amelia: (feigning innocence) Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Stark. It seems like there's something wrong with the system. I tried to fix it.

[Victor sighed, clearly annoyed. He walked over to her with a mix of frustration. Amelia watched him, trying to hide her amusement.]

Victor: (screamed) There's nothing wrong in it.

Amelia: (try to interrupt) Noooo, (dramatic) It was.....

[With his left hand he was holding the hankey and with the other he was pointing his index finger towards her.]

Victor: (harshly) See girl, don't be oversmart.

Amelia: (firmly) Oh, I'm not.

[Their voices echoed in the empty cafe. Victor's frustration was palpable, but so was Amelia's determination. The argument continued, neither willing to back down.]

Victor: (harshly) This is not a playground, Amelia.

Amelia: (defiantly) And I'm not a child, Mr. Victor (teasingly smiled).

[They both glaring at each other. Amelia turned abruptly and walked towards the kitchen, muttering under her breath.]

Amelia: (murmuring) Such a Vocano.. (Sighs)

[As she reached the kitchen, she grabbed a plastic jar and filled the flour into the top and pressed the lid but she didn't notice that the lid was not propely fixed.]

[On the other hand after their argument he went to the door where one of the workers approached him.]

Worker: Sir, we've already fixed the outside leakage and cracks as Mr. Oswald instructed us. So if you make our payment......

[Victor slightly nodded and handed him the money. Then he got into the cafe again.]

[On the other hand, Amelia took the jar and tiptoed over her legs as she couldn't reach properly to its required shelf. But alas! As she loses her balance the whole jar turned upside down and sent a cloud of flour cascading over her.]

Amelia: (gasping) Oh no!

[She stood there, covered head to toe in flour, looking like a ghost. At that moment, Victor was returning from paying the workers. He stopped in his tracks, staring at her in shock. She forgot her frustration momentarily, looked at him and her eyes became wide.]

Victor: (smiling, almost unconsciously) You... (Softly) you look like a ghost.

[For a moment, he let out a soft chuckle, a rare sound. Amelia, despite the mess, found herself smiling back. Victor's hand holding the handkerchief dropped slightly, revealing more of his face as he smiled. His smile was genuine and warm, and for the first time, Amelia saw a side of him that she never expected to see.]

[As Victor smiled continuously she noticed how different he looked with a little smile. His rugged yet boyishly cute features were now fully visible, and the intensity in his deep brown eyes was softened by his current focus on her insanity of situations.]

Amelia: (softly) Did you smile!! Wow!!

[Victor, realizing that he was smiling, quickly regained his composure. Clenched his jaw and became harsh. His expression returned to its usual sternness. He looked around for an escape. He pulled the handkerchief back up and held it again in front of his mouth.]

Victor: (awkwardly) I... I need to... check on something.

============================

Why is he hiding? What is he hiding?

Will Amelia be able to find the truth?

Stay focused for the rest of the chapters.

Thank You for reading.....