Both men were throwing daggers at each other. If it had been old times, they might have ended up duelling by now over Aselia. She awkwardly stood between them, her eyes roaming from one man to the other, it was clear they despised each other.

"Stay away from her. I don’t want anyone else touching my girlfriend," Jaguar growled in a very low voice so only they could hear him. This not only affected Xiran but Aselia too.

"Stop fighting over me, I am not a possession. And I willingly danced with him. Isn’t that the point of masquerade balls? Or am I a hostage without free will?" she turned her attention to Jaguar and solemnly asked. His anger had dissipated and was replaced by embarrassing confusion.

"Umm...no, I mean..." Jaguar was lost for words when Aselia threw one final glance at the handsome stranger, who refused to tell her anything and she was sure would disappear just like he had appeared. He was keenly watching her as if thousands of words lingered on his sensual lips and yet he kept them locked.

"Thank you for the dance...," There was so much she wanted to say and ask him but they had run out of time. Any more of this and it will create a scene.

"It was my greatest pleasure," his voice was sweeter than honey while his gaze intense and demanding.

Aselia then addressed Jaguar in dismay:

"I think I am done for the day. I am returning to my room," she turned around and began walking towards the doors.

"Wait!" Jaguar called after her and began to follow. Xiran just stood there and watched. He would wait for Aselia to sleep and then carry out his plan.

Jaguar caught up to Aselia as they exited the door, he seized her hand but she kept walking, seeming furious. None of them broke the silence until they reached her room and closed the door, away from prying eyes and listening ears, he finally twirled her around so she could face him and demanded:

"Why are you angry at me? I told you he is dangerous and yet you danced with him."

"And who do you think you are to stop me from doing what I want? Besides, didn’t you say you don’t know him? How come you know he is dangerous? Because that’s not the vibe I got from him," Aselia glared back at him while taking off her mask and throwing it on the bed.

Jaguar was taken aback by her outburst and the way she had seen through his lie. He tried to take a step towards her but her glare made him stop in his tracks.

"You are better off without someone like him. He is a vampire, I don’t want you to mingle with his kind."

"So, you do know him but you lied to me just like you did so you could bring me here. I never said I am your girlfriend and yet have been so persistent and now you are trying to control what I can do and what I can’t," she crossed her arms against her heaving chest and tapped one foot on the ground. This annoyed Jaguar beyond reason, he gritted his teeth and clutched his hand till his knuckles were white as snow.

"I wanted us to have a chance because I am in love with you and it’s becoming impossible to resist you and yet you act so cold with me. Is that a crime now to even love you?" he shouted at her, his eyes spitting fire.

"But I am not in love with you Jaguar and after today I know for sure, I never will. I wanted this to work, us to work. I wanted myself to feel something for you so I pushed myself. But it won’t happen. So it would be in our mutual interest to end whatever we have going on. It’s not working. It’s only complicating everything," she diminished the harshness in her voice, she could sense his agitation and this was going to break his heart.

His anger was quick to evaporate, tendrils of rejection enveloped him and his face fell, but he was extremely stubborn and he didn’t want to let her go.

"Please! Leia. Don’t be so heartless, just give me one more chance," he began to plead and Aselia sighed, she didn’t know how to make him realise her heart wasn’t in it.

"It has been a long day and I think both of us should rest now and think overnight before saying something both of us will regret. Because you have been my friend and I am grateful to you for that, but I don’t trust people when they lie."

"Falcon, don’t leave me. My heart won’t be able to handle that but I won’t force you anymore. I will see you in the morning," he dejectedly answered, his eyes taking in the entirety of her being. She was pissed at him and he knew he had messed up his chance with her.

Seeing how she was staring at Xiran earlier, Jaguar realised she was still in love with him. Even though he had made her forget him, her heart still belonged to him. Now he understood her reactions.

"Good night!" she murmured, her heart burdened. She didn’t want to break his heart, he had been kind to her.

His eyes lingered on her for a while brimming with emotions he couldn’t hide from her anymore, but then he dropped his head and stepped out of her door, closing it softly behind him.

He dragged himself away from her room, every step was excruciating. Deep down he knew she didn’t love him and she was always clear about it. Yet he kept pushing her that maybe the more time they will spend together her heart will open up for him.

Little did he know, her heart already had an occupant to whom she had given a permanent residence. Reaching his room, he twisted the door knob and entered and stiffened instantly. Something was off.

A harsh pair of hands grabbed his collar and yanked him so hard against the frame of the door that his head got banged and began to throb. His eyes widened at the assailant and he jerked to get himself free but it was of no use.

"How should I kill you? I have many options but first I will make you suffer," Jaguar’s blood turned icy in his very veins at the remorseless words which were thrown at him.