Zara did not talk about what happened with Adrian because she needed to give him his space. They had only known each other for three months or so. But one piece of information was still pending - receiving the files. 

The two weeks were almost over and still, the secret file on her phone remained empty.

She worried that maybe....somehow....Adrian had figured out that she had hacked him and disrupted the frequency of the file transfer. Maybe that's why she hadn't received the files yet. But if he had known about it all along, why was he going along with it?

Everything seemed like a test to her now. Every word that they spoke with each other....she tried to find a hidden meaning behind it. But she did not realise just exactly what was going on Adrian's mind because if she had that entire week, she would be on her way to her second escape.

"Isn't it time for dinner?" Zara asked Marvin as he walked inside the room to check on her health.

"Dinner will be served on the roof."

Zara almost spit out the water that she was drinking. "There is a dining table on the terrace?"

"I almost assumed that you had made yourself familiar with the entire house by now. What do you do in your idle time?"

"Study! I have classes to attend and assignments to complete, you know?"

Marvin patted her head playfully. "Pulse is great. Blood pressure seems to be normal. The bruises have healed completely, I presume." She nodded. "Good! Try not to trip down the staircases then. I cannot continue to take care of you being so careless!"

Zara's lips twitched. "I will be sure."

"And don't cut yourself with anything. Bandages don't come for free."

"I know! Don't be so negative. Maybe I'll fall out the window."

Marvin looked disgusted, but he deserved it in a way. Sarcastic talks with Zara was the only reason he could remain sane. He walked into her closet and noticed how she had arranged everything only on one side.

"Please don't take out a dress for me." Zara said, giving him the open invitation by telling him not to do it.

That night, Zara walked up to the roof wearing a red off-shoulder evening gown. It was what her aunt had given to her for a cultural event in her college. She considered wearing her leather jacket, seeing how cold it was, but decided to wear the beige shawl wrap-around that Marvin had laid out for her.

Zara saw Adrian leaning against the hand railing, looking over a part of his kingdom, as she walked inside. He was wearing a black suit. Marvin had been right when he said that it was going to be a formal dinner between them.

Adrian turned around and was certain that his heart was in his eyes. He let go off the cold railing and walked towards her. This was going to be the formal dinner that both of them had promised each other to have one evening.

"Good evening, Miss Medina." He spoke, taking her right hand in his and kissing the knuckles.

"Good evening, Mr. Cardena." Zara had a shiver run down her spine when she heard him speak. His voice was still unexpected every time she heard him speak. It was definitely a strange feeling that she was not used to but once again, she was sure that she could be blushing. "This is a nice sorta change." She pulled the shawl closer around her.

"I thought we could complete that promise we made to each other in Starbucks last week." He smiled. "Please." He gestured to the dining table that was all set up under the close-roofed terrace.

Even if it rained, as the weather threatened to, it wouldn't disturb their dinner. Maybe they wanted it to rain because what could be better than hearing the pitter-patter of falling water and petrichor that followed it.

The two of them enjoyed a mostly quiet dinner together where they cracked jokes occasionally about books this time. They made fun of characters that they thought made stupid decisions in the name of keeping ahold of the truth, but maybe in those rants, they found themselves.

Both of them were lying to each other, even if they didn't know at the time that the other was too.

"Would you care for a dance?" Adrian asked.

Zara looked around her. "There's no music."

"Isn't there?" Adrian brought his phone out, making Zara hit her forehead softly and shake her head. He got out of his seat and held out his hand. "It seems like too good of an opportunity to let go."

Zara placed her hand in his and the two of them walked a few feet away from the table on which the phone lay, playing the music from the movie 'Cinderella' to which Prince Kit and Ella first danced to.

"Was this planned?" Zara asked, the movie being one of her favourites.

"Maybe. Maybe not." He said as the two of them faced each other. "May I?" He asked, indicating if he could put his hands on her waist and only when he received her consent did he do it.

Zara couldn't believe just how much of a gentleman he was. He held her close to him but not too close. She was constantly aware of his presence. She could hear them breathing against the silence that surrounded the house. She dared to catch a glimpse at him by lifting her head up and caught him looking at her - only her.

His gaze was fixed on her eyes and both of them let the tune take over. They waltzed slowly with each and once he spun her around and they took the original position, they were much closer to each other. The moon and the stars were their only company then.

Zara rested her head against his chest. She half-expected him to pull away right then because she had no idea what she was doing, but when he rested his head against the top of hers, a soft smile spread across her face....both their faces actually.

The music ended. And so did their dance.

Zara looked up once again and this time, a strand of hair blocked her gaze, which was pushed away by Adrian using two fingers. Both of them were holding their breaths. The tension between them was clear.

Adrian wanted to walk away from her, he really did. But her coffee-brown eyes were set on his and his heart melted all over again. Zara wished she could walk away but her feet seemed to have stuck to the ground because she was lost in the man before her, not knowing what had taken over her.

He leaned forward, making her heart race, but thunder clapped and startled both of them. They immediately took a step back from each other at that moment and smiled awkwardly. "T-that was a good dance." Zara spoke.

"It really was. Thank you for being my partner."

And in the silence that followed them, a million words were exchanged.

The two of them felt something towards each other.

But what was it? Well, that was an answer they had to figure out for themselves.

*****

I don't know what's going on.
Don't look at me.
But my favourite chapter is nearing!