~You don't have to save me, you just have to hold my hand while I save myself~

Evangeline's PoV

I didn't even look up as the bookcase had opened as all my attention was on my hands as I intently braided my hair. "You've missed some," Nicholas informed me as he lightly touched the strands of brown hair bringing it forward slightly before showing me. I let out a sigh as I began to undo what I had just done.

"Forget it," Enzo told me, pushing my hands away from my hair slightly.

"It looks better down," Aidan commented from out of nowhere. He wasn't even here earlier. Where on earth did he even come from?

"Come on, we gotta go," Enzo said before he ushered me out of the secret room. He closed the bookcase behind us before he pulled me out of the office and through a lot of hallways.

"I'm bored," he spoke, letting out a sigh. I didn't say a word. The only way I've ever been able to entertain myself is by talking to myself.

"Don't give a shit," Nicholas replied curtly as he followed closely behind us. It was strange. He's never spent time with us or even achknowledged me.

"Stop being an ass," Aidan lectured Nicholas only to receive a blank stare from him.

"Tell us about yourself," Aidan suddenly suggested seeming excited. I halted for a moment before we resumed our walk. "Okay, I'll go first." We stayed silent as the excitement from Aidan radiated off of him in waves. "I'm Aidan Rossi. Elias is my twin but I'm older by a minute and I have no other siblings. I'm 20 years old. Now it's your turn."

"I'm Evangeline Kingston," I began unsure. In case your couldn't tell, I was still a bit confused on the name because it's something my mother used to call me. It's not my actual legal name. I guess I don't even have a legal name, if that's possible. "I have no siblings and I'm 18 years old."

"I feel like I know you pretty well already!," Aidan exclaimed as he threw an arm over my shoulders, pulling me into his side unexpectedly making me let out a forced chuckle.

"So what was that all about?," I suddenly asked. I guess you could say I've gotten pretty comfortable around some of these guys. Tobias terrifies me, Nicholas acts like I don't even exist some of the time and Eros tends to stay away but the rest of them I get along with. I've barely received two words from Theodore though but for some strange reason I find his presence comforting. "You know, the locking me in the secret panic room?"

Enzo shrugged his shoulders as Aidan whistled, looking around. Nicholas let out a sigh. "Some dumbass came," he said simply. I nodded my head like I knew what he was talking about. Obviously, someone came but I wanted to know why I had to hide. "You had to hide because he wants you," he finished, somehow knowing that thats what I wanted to know.

From his answer, I only had more and more questions swirling around my brain but I didn't ask them. The atmosphere was tense almost like they were keeping something from me or they didn't want me to know something so I dropped the subject.

"I'm gonna quiz you," Enzo suddenly spoke seeming excited.

"Okay," I agreed unsurely.

"Don't worry. I'm hoping it won't be anything hard," he spoke trying to lighten the situation. I cracked a smile as the rest of us followed him to a random room.

Since I've been brought here, I've never wandered around on my own nor have they even given me a tour around the place. I'm either in my room, or Enzo is escorting me around the house. It's strange because it seems like I'm not trusted to be on my own.

I sat on the couch with Aidan beside me and Nicholas leaned against the wall that was the furthest from me. Enzo stood in front of me with a huge grin on his face. "I'm just gonna give you a word and you have to spell it and give me the definition. Any questions?"

I shook my head, no. "No, I'm good."

"Okay. First word. Hermaphrodite."

I paused. I've never heard of this word before. "I forgot to mention you have a time limit of 1 minute."

Oh no.

Hermaphrodite.

"Herm-af-ro-dite," I spoke breaking the word down.

"40 seconds."

I paused again, trying to imagine the letters in my head.

"H," I began before pausing again.

"TIMES UP!," he exclaimed and slammed his hand down onto open air and made a noise imitating a buzzer. "Hermaphrodite. H. E. R. M. A. P. H. R. O. D. I. T. E. It's an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs."

That wasn't very fair.

"I remember that word from that tv show, Pretty Little Liars. One of the people in it call some guy, 'Hermi the hermaphrodite'," Aidan informed us. "You ever watched it?" I shook my head, no, causing him to throw himself back on the couch and run a hand down his face.

"Okay. I'll go for an easier word," Enzo spoke. "Forecast."

Forecast?

"Fore-cast," I spoke slowly, breaking it down like earlier.

"30 seconds."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"20 seconds."

"I-I don't know," I rushed out. "I-I can't-."

"It's okay," Enzo said trying to soothe me.

"I-I can't remember the letters," I whispered on the verge of tears as my head was buried in my hands, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"That's fine," Enzo spoke. "I can teach you. Or we can get a professional or something."

"You'd do that for me?" He nodded his head.

Tobias's PoV
"She was barely even homeschooled!," Enzo exclaimed as he paced back and forth in my office. I let out a sigh and ran a hand through my hair.

I glanced tiredly at my phone only to see it was past 2am. "Go to sleep. Please," I spoke. "We'll talk more in the morning."

He let out a scoff. "She's glued to me all day. Why'd you think I'm here right now?"

"Oh for fuck sake," I said annoyed, realising he won't leave.

"We need to get her a teacher or something," Enzo demanded.

"Find one then let me know. Now fuck off." He nodded his head, flipped me off then left, thankfully.

I glanced at the file I had a guy make. It was of all the things we currently know about Evangeline so if she changes anything about her - like her age - we'll know she's lied about something.

Somehow, the guy that made the file got a picture of Evangeline. I stared at it. I cannot deny the fact that she's beautiful. She has this sort of light around her that just makes her beauty stand out even more, if that's possible.

I shifted in my seat, suddenly realising I'll have to have a very cold shower.

I shook the thoughts of her out of my head. I can't be thinking about a girl that's involved in a business deal this way. I can't be thinking about another woman this way especially if I'm engaged.

I may be an ass but I do respect people that aren't involved in my business deals.

I let out a sigh and glanced down at my phone only to realise my fiancée had sent me a text hours ago. I didn't even bother replying or reading it as I switched my phone off and threw it to the side.

Everything I do is purely for business and nothing more. The quicker everyone understands that, the quicker they can get their feelings in check.