When the gush of fresh air touched their skin, as if the country was brought to their knees, both inhaled and exhaled taking deep breaths to expunge the suffocation they have endured since they stepped into the car while following Austin Devin and Jasper.

"Oh My! Y_ou scared me." Jasper stuttered with his words feeling terrified to see them here.

Leena and Drew glanced at each other and quietly jumped down from the car. Both were happily combatting with their silly antics in the car until the atmosphere turned chilly when the truth landed on their ears. She would be suffocated to death if not Drew aided her and supporting her silently throughout their ride. The only thing she wished right at that moment was to run into Devin's arms but she was craving to know the truth and Leena knew he wouldn't tell the truth scared that it would trigger her into vulnerability. She silently wailed churning alone in the trunk.

"We listened to everything." Drew voiced out with scorn to the person for doing such a stupid thing. He wanted to kill Kyle with his own hands.

"WHEN DID YOU BOTH STEP into THE CAR!!AUSTIN! AUSTIN! THEY HAVE FOLLOWED US HERE." Jasper screamed his friend's name at the top of his lungs. Since they were in a secluded area, his caterwauls put the screws on Devin and Austin and they immediately turned up.

Both rushed to the backside of the car and the person Devin has been putting under to not let her know the truth has overheard everything. If he was not wrong, she would have got to know about the spy cameras and also the person behind it.

When Leena looked into his eyes, she was amazed by those orbs again. It's not because of how stunning his eyes were. But they were assuring her that everything she wants right now is in front of her and he is there to protect her. She feebly walked towards him, her eyes never left him even once.

"Was everything true whatever you talked in the car?" Leena tugged Devin's shirt, her voice barely a whisper and she was on the verge of collapsing if not Devin could wield her body.

"Tell me." She cried, droplets of tears trickling down her cheek when he is keeping quiet. She couldn't imagine some has tried to step on her dignity and humiliate her again which she faced in the past.

Words we're tied to his mouth when he witnessed her picture which would be forever imprinted into his memory. Her miserable state was stabbing his chest and ripping his heart out when he began listening to her silent cries. The first time he had seen her crying and it happened right in front of him. The crazy, funny jovial girl he has always witnessed was gone, only her broken shelf appeared now.

Devin looked at his friends, watching the scene as if it was a kind of a romantic Korean drama. One heated gaze, they fled away from the place to give space to the two.

"W_as it disclosed to everyone?" Leena felt her tongue-tied to even frame her words with a lump in her throat. Like others, she has never exchanged her dignity for popularity or a man throughout her life. But why was it stripped again and again?

She has put her guards down for the first time because it was her close friend's house. Never thought she would be plotted again.

"It's not spread anywhere. Trust me, I will not let anything happen to you." He gently cupped her face and wiped her tears away. Just like he wiped her tears, he swore to wipe away the people who made her cry.

"I am scared." Leena wrapped her arms around his body tightly, resting her face on his chest surprising Devin. The first hug they had and he never thought it would be so wonderful yet emotional.

"What should I do now?" Leena was terrified her dignity would be shredded to the rags just like the night she was humiliated five years back by the person she least wanted to see and then her near-death accident petrified her the second time.

All the time she faced alone but right now, the man in front of her was giving her all the strength she wanted. It doesn't matter what lies ahead in front of her because she knew that he is standing behind her back protecting her. Can I get such a man in my life? What should I do with him? I can't let him go! Leena hugged him more tightly when her possessiveness carried to the surface.

"Just sit and watch the game!! As long as I am here, I will not let anything happen to you." He hugged her and gently patted her back to soothe the pain.

"Promise?"

"I promise to cross my heart if I don't bring the criminal in front of you by today." Be it Kyle or some other, they have to pay for her tears. Her every teardrop is precious to him and they are not worth dropping.

Both remained silently hugging there without talking, and it was all needed to melt her stress away.

When Devin sensed her uneven breathing for quite some time, he slightly shook her shoulders but her eyes were squeezed tightly. Something triggered him when she did not respond to his talks and slumped on to his chest unconsciously.

"Damn it." Devin cursed and in a blink of an eye, he lifted her in his arms and rushed towards the car.

"Speed up to the home," Devin ordered climbing up the car.

"Is something serious? Shall we take her to the hospital?" Drew grew anxious seeing her weariness. She has cried a lot in the car and combined with the suffocation they suffered, it was no wonder she collapsed.

"No. She will be fine. Let's take her home first." Taking her to the hospital would make it worse. She would throw tantrums just like she did on the other day when she got her leg treated.

Even in the car, Leena did not leave Devin's hand when she was unconscious and snuggled closer to him as if he would run away if she leaves his hand.

...historical

The moment they reached the home, he climbed out of the car and hastily rushed to their room. Reaching for her bed, He gently placed her on it as if the bed would leave a bruise if it touched her skin and securely tugged her into the blanket tightly to not let the air enter. He checked her forehead for any fever and Relief flooded him when he felt her temperature was normal.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, he was gently patting her back putting her into sleep when his phone ringed.

[KW: Meet me at Citadel hotel. I got the information you asked for. Your intuition is right all along]

He gripped his mobile tightly when he learned that it was all planned all the way. He scanned Leena's temperature one last time and quickly got up from the bed to meet his friend to settle the account fastly.. But his hand was tightly held by when he was about to walk ahead.