“Arlo?” an equally puzzled Ats called back from where he sat across Aya. What would he be doing here of all pces? Weren’t the Eos querors supposed to be in Evangels? Ats wondered.

  Aya looked back at him, reizing that was one of the members of Mars’s faming group. The orying to find her after betrayirust.

  Her eyes widened, and because Ats and Mars hadn’t spoken in such a long time it ossible he didn’t know she was hiding from them.

  Aya grabbed Ats’s hand, f his attention from Arlo to her.

  ‘Don’t tell him about Mars.’ Aya mouthed to Ats. He returned her plea with an expression of fusion but nodded heless.

  Arlo approached their table with a smirk, allowing Aya to get a good look at him up close. He was a tall silver-haired man dressed in his team's silver and blue branded jumpsuit. He wore square rimmed gsses rey eyes that stared desdingly at her.

  Arlo made no move to aowledge her only fog his attention on Ats. That didn’t bother her, she was used to such treatment after her time at Nue Corp. He reminded her of Viviana, another person who got by on status alone.

  “Are you still in touch with Mars?” he asked brazenly.

  “No.” Ats said shooting him a steely gaze. If Aya didn’t want him mentioning Mars to this guy, he would trust her. After all, Arlo didn’t look trustworthy himself.

  Aya kept her lips pressed together tensely .

  “Weren’t you two on the same team? Why are you asking me?”

  “And weren’t you supposed to be her husband or something?” Arlo shot back with his lips still curved in that infuriating smirk.

  ‘What brand of asshole is this?’ Aya thought. His presence had made her lose her appetite so she calmly sipped her tea as she watched aype of tea unfold, and it iping hot.

  Ats clicked his to Arlo’s audacity. He hadn’t even offered a greeting before he started trying to pry into his affairs.

  “Well, it looks like her of us knows where she is then.” He said, folding his arms. Arlo huffed, moving his gaze from Ats to Aya who had been sitting there quietly.

  “I see you moved on quickly.” Arlo said coldly.

  “I genuinely don’t have to expin myself to you.” Ats retorted icily.

  Arlo seemed to think Ats’s angry face was funny, he ughed loudly, attrag attention to their table. Ats gred.

  ‘This might actually e to blows if I don’t say something.’ Aya thought.

  “Hey, maybe things are getting a little too heated.” Aya said to Ats in a bid to calm him down, the man already had his fist balled so tightly his nails were digging into his palms.

  “This versatio involve you, so zip it.” Arlo said making a motion for Aya to be silent. Aya blinked.

  Once.

  Twice.

  She stood up lifting a fihe same way she did when Dyn was rude to her as Yvlena.

  “I’m Ats’s friend whose get together you ruined with your shitty attitude, so either have a donut or shut up and leave before I show you my street credibility.” Aya’s eyes burned with a fury Arlo didn’t expect to see from a nobody.

  She didn’t break eye tact as she spoke, letting him know she was serious about the beatdown she wao deliver.

  He met her threat with a stony expression but internally he pa the thought a girl this short might actually do something. Arlo found himself uo look her in the eye for much longer.

  ‘Ugh I didn’t even want to e to this city, now I’m getting threatened over donuts.’ He thought.

  “Whatever, enjoy your meeting.” Arlo said st off, the bell at the entrance ked, signifying he had left the bakery. The other patrons breathed a sigh of relief

  “Rubbish.” Aya muttered and sat back down. She released a frustrated breath, she really wao smack Arlo across the face but he left before she could raise her fist.

  “Wow, you really showed him.” Ats said.

  “No, ime he should try me. The audacity of ing into a fiablishment such as this and causing trouble. The thought of it is making me so mad.”

  “Well don’t be so mad that you ’t finish your donuts.”

  “Well I ’t be that mad, but my tea is cold.” Aya pouted. Ats sighe waitress for more tea and soon a bubbly young woman hurried over with a steaming gss jug.

  “Thank goodness you asked that guy to leave miss.” she said. “I was worried this was going to be anang thing.”

  “Oh, it’s no problem. I’ve had some enters myself.” Aya said smiling. The waitress nodded auro her station.

  “What a day huh?” Aya said.

  “What a day indeed.”

  ----------

  Arlo stormed out of the bakery into the streets of Axen city, cursing the man and his friend who had made him look foolish. Who did she think she was? If this were Moon Valley he would find her aroy her avatar!

  He fumed all the way to the ride he hailed from his phone and all the way back to the Easton Hotel he was staying at. He couldn’t wait to be done anizing the tour so he could go back to Evangels.

  Arlo turned his nose up at the sights of the city, Axen’s luxury wasn’t even a thousandth of the beauty he experienced bae.

  “Ugh, I just want to leave already!” He groaned, resting his head on the car’s headrest. He closed it for a moment to calm down and think.

  Arlo’s eyes snapped open as he recalled the girl’s outfit. He sat up wrag his brain to figure out where he had seen that bomber jacket. A style so distine would remember it if they saw it again.

  Only one person he knew had that jacket tailored and It was Mars Seelim. She had worn it a few times around the headquarters over her jumpsuit, Arlo was there when she had it made. Even without the tris, there was no mistaking the piece of attire which meant...

  That girl knew Mars and she had kept it from him.

  He growled, grinding his teeth so hard he was sure he would chip a filling. She had watched him make a fool of himself asking Ats Nue questions he clearly didn’t have the ao.

  Then she had made a fool out of him by threatening him.

  Arlo gripped his white strands tightly from the ahat coursed through him. Whoever she was, he would find her and crush her.

  Sunghost