ADELINE

It was, in fact, the best night of my life. I slept through three dreams, and somehow they were all about a certain Arctic wolf. I spent all night hugged by my warm blanket, and I have never been happier.

Maybe fancy rooms have live blankets. I swing an arm on top of my blanket and hug my face to it. So warm in such cold weather. I am sure I just felt my blanket breathe.

Huh? I open my eyes slightly, and the wolf of my dreams is staring right back at me. I must be in phase four of my dreamland.

"Hello, dream ledger." A smile breaks out on his face, and the dryness in my throat demands I find milk. I back away and stretch my arms. Suddenly, realization slaps me across the face, and I shoot right up.

My wide eyes fall on smiling Greyson being bathed in the sunlight like a Greek god. My face turns tomato red, and I look anywhere else. I spot the wall clock blinking at me. 9:15 am.

How long did I sleep? Have I been in his arms all night? I should have slept on the floor. What made me think I could play his game? I can't play his stupid games!

I step out of bed and try to recall last night's events. Maybe I wasn't in his arms. Maybe I just turned now.

I turn to look at Ledger, who is balanced on an elbow and staring at me. His eyes are laughing, I swear.

"You jerk!" I can't even be remotely polite to him. I grab a pillow and throw it at his smug face. He catches it in mid-air but I am already opening my backpack. "Did you sleep well?"

"Shut up." He chuckles, and I take out my laptop. I should have charged it last night, but I was busy staying awake. I plug the laptop and go wash my face.

By the time I am back, Greyson is reading something on his phone. "We have to go to a hospital today." I tell him. He puts the phone down and turns to me. "We need to go get me some clothes too."

I sigh and nod. It would waste my time, but arguing with him would take lots of energy from my milkless body. "I will take a shower and you get us breakfast." He doesn't object, thankfully because I am about to step on my pride. "And get some milk too please."

I practice my walk of shame to the bathroom and close the door. I can hear him laugh outside. Now both he and his model girlfriend know my secrets. Ah, how humiliating.

I take a shower and dress in a white shirt and a blue striped blazer on light blue jeans. I untangle my hair and put on a watch. Greyson walked into the room while I was putting on my boots.

He puts the food on the coffee table. Fluffy pancakes and fruits. Croissants and eggs and bakeries I don't even know the name of. I should visit more fancy hotels. I stand up and start braiding my hair. "Leave it. It looks better down."

Automatically I let my hair go and my cheeks heat. I haven't known ledger for long. He can't tell me such things and then be casual about it. We both sit down in the chairs and start eating.

Ledger likes his fork but I prefer my hands. "What is the point of it?" I ask while chewing. "Your fingers are perfectly capable of handling food."

He sips his coffee and I sip my milk. "My hands are capable of many things," His eyes run down my body and I nearly choke on pancakes. "But I prefer to keep them clean."

"You can always wash them." I bite into a strawberry covered with chocolate. Instead of answering me, he stands up and presses his thump to the corner of my mouth.

I still like a marble statue in a museum. All I could do was watch as he wiped the chocolate from my face and licked his thump. "You are right, I can always wash them."

He picks up his jacket from the bed and walks out while I stare blankly at the glass door of the balcony. The strawberry falls from my hand and onto the table.

This is a movie. My life is a movie and it is horrible. Did Greyson ass ledger just... What did he even do? He went against his clean hands rule to vex me. Ugh!! that devil. Control your woman hormones, Adeline! It was so smooth though, like in the books.

I cover my red face and scream like a 16-year-old fangirling over her favorite boy band. I huff and decide I will not let him affect me. I braid my hair just cause he didn't like it and make my way to my car.

First I will visit the hospital where Millis's private doctor works and I will personally ask him for his medical history.

⟺

I pull into the driveway and walk up to the receptionist. "How can I help you today?" The sweet middle-aged lady with bronze hair asks me. "I am looking for Doctor Albert Smith"

She types the name on her screen. "Second floor, first door on the right." I thank her and take the elevator.

On the second door on the right is Smith getting out of the room. "Doctor Albert." He looks up from his file. He has the traditional doctor look. White coat and a pen in his coat pocket. Glasses, silver hair, and a confused look. His first instinct is to examine my body for injuries. There is none unless you are talking about my dignity.

"Doctor, My name is Adeline West. I am the lead investigator in the case of Joe Windsor." we shake hands and he seems to recognize me from TV. "I was hoping we could speak about The Senator."

"Of course, follow me." He takes us to the examination room. I sit on a chair and he sits at the desk. "I have personally examined Mr. Johnson's body. There were no signs of struggle. Though I spotted something strange."

"Strange?" He leans closer as if he is sharing a secret. "I have been The Senator's doctor for six years. He always calls me when he spots signs of a stroke. Sometimes when he can't reach me or it is too late and he faints, I find bruises on his body and slight damage to the back of his head due to his fall."

I frown. What does that even mean? He must have sensed my confusion because he started explaining. "There was no damage on The Senator's body this time."

Realization hits me. The Senator didn't fall but he fainted and died. He didn't call even though he should have spotted the signs like he does every time.

I can't say for sure, but this proposes the possibility of murder. "Can I get his medical report please?" The doctor nods and gets a file from his drawer. I take it and stand up. "Doctor?"

"Yes?" This may not be a smart question but I want the answer nevertheless. "Is it possible that The Senator was murdered?"

He takes a minute to think. "Millis was diagnosed not long ago, all I can say is that it shouldn't be fatal this early without noticeable signs." So it is possible. Only the crime scene can fully answer that question.

I thank the doctor and head to my car. I can investigate the crime scene now. Greyson will go back to the hotel once he is done emptying Calvin Klien's stores.

I don't have his number but he is a grown adult. He can handle himself in a foreign state. I turn my GPS on again and head to The Senate Building.

I park the car and get out. Right as I shut the door my phone rings. I take it out to check the ID and it says 'Greyson'.

Who? I didn't save any Greyson ass Ledger on my phone. Ugh, this asshole. I pick up. "Ledger?"

"Detective." I can hear the mischief in his voice. "Care to explain how I have your contact?"

"Maybe you asked Dream Ledger for his number." This jerk. "Did you unlock my phone with your crazy stalker skills?"

"When your password is four zeros, my skills are the least of your worries." My password is indeed basic, but it isn't an invitation for him to open it. I scoff. "And what is your password? Entitled ass?"

I place my hand on my hip and wait for him to answer. I can face off with ledger now that I am fueled and not surrounded by men taller than six feet.

"Tempting, but it is 'hello, dream ledger." I knew I would never see the end of this. I sigh and rub my temple. "What do you want?"

"Just wasting your precious time, you look cute when frustrated." I can hear him chuckle and I turn to look around. "Are you here?" and then I spot him. All in black standing a bit far beside a tree. looking like a Greek god bathing in the sun like always.

"Am I where?" I can see him smile as he stares back at me. He has been watching since the beginning. This ass. I hang up and storm up to him. "Why are you here?"

God, he is so tall. "Figured I would find a certain milk lover here, did you see her?" Greyson ass Ledger woke up this morning and chose death. "Don't tell me you've been stalking me."

"Don't tell me you're stalking Millis." he has to stop guessing my next moves. How did he even find out I would be here? "I don't stalk, I investigate. That is my job."

I turn on my heel and head towards the small steps that lead into The Senate building. He follows. "You are Windsor's detective that is your job." I side-eye him. Why is he suddenly so serious?

"Can you stop being your boss self on vacations?" We walk into the building and it is absolute chaos. "Is this a vacation?"

"For you, it must be." I eye his outfit. It must cost a fortune. Even as we stand in the biggest building in the city, no one here can match him. It isn't about clothes anymore. Greyson ass Ledger is a mistake the universe will never breed again.

The world can't take more than one Ledger. "For me, it is an adventure to figure out what disaster you are plotting." This man really won't let me breathe. I was underestimating his grudge abilities when I said he couldn't do anything.

I turn to the receptionist and introduce Greyson instead of myself. Having someone from The Pentagon here is my biggest advantage. it seems Ledger isn't useless after all.

The lady blushes slightly when she sees Ledger and then she allows us in without even asking what for. This lady can't be serious. I roll my eyes.

He either doesn't see her or is used to people kissing the very ground he walks on. Ugh! arrogant men. We walk to the elevator and he keeps staring at me like I might bolt at any second. "I am not plotting anything!"

I sound very offended. Well, I am! Why is the entire world revolving around him? "If you were so trustworthy, I wouldn't be babysitting you." Someone save him before I attempt murder.

"Babysitting me?! I am probably older than you are." The elevator door opens and we walk in. Important offices are always on the highest floor. So, I am assuming that I will find the crime scene there, but the Binsfeld office building is huge.

So I press the highest floor and hope for the best. "You look 16" That would be a compliment from anyone else, but he makes it sound like an insult. "I size 16 but I am 27."

"I am 30." Sarcasm is my next best option. "No way, tell us the secret of your youthful appearance." He side-eyes me but goes along. "Cosmetics of course, How else will I attract the ladies?"

So he did see her. I am telling you men should be wiped out for the better good of the world. The elevator door opens and we get out. Luckily I wasn't wrong. Yellow lines are taped across the entire corridor.

I can't help but smile as I pass from under the tape. "Where are you going?" He stands with his hands in his pockets behind the tape.

I guess fancy ledger isn't a rule-breaker. Though I won't consider this rule-breaking. "To investigate. You can wait here if you want." I continue into the room and open the door. By the time I am inside the office with the white tape that mark where Millis's body was, Greyson ass ledger was behind me fixing his suit jacket.

The white tape tells me all I want to know. His body didn't fall far from the desk. He may have been leaning on his desk or just walked in. Either way, the fall shouldn't be this harmless.

I open the medical report and place it on his desk, careful not to change anything. Ledger steps on the white tape so freely as if this is not a potential crime scene.

I roll my eyes and focus on reading the report. Millis must have fainted before he died. It is not common for him to faint due to a stroke but it never happened before. He could be drugged but no sort of substance was found in his blood or on his skin.

The medical report says he died of natural causes, but something in me wants to consider the doctor's words on a higher level. If he was murdered, the culprit has to be more professional than just a classic gang member.

So it is not a gang, but then again we don't know if Windsor was killed by a gang. All this is based on the assumption that Millis was murdered. Even if I am right, we are still unsure if it is related to Windsor's death. I frown at the white tape as I try to imagine what I would do if I were to kill The Senator.

Greyson stares at me in displeasure, like he is trying to read my mind. He seems like he fits the killer mindset better than me, so I decided to ask him.

"Do you think he was murdered?" He doesn't miss a beat. "No." So finalizing. Won't he even explain? "Why not?"

"The Senator is popular for his illness, even if he was murdered. What does that have to do with our case?" I thought that too, but for some reason, his sharp tone makes me defensive.

"He was Windsor's friend."

"So was The Chairman."

"Yes, but The Chairman wasn't suspected."

"Suspected of what?"

"Treachery."

"A gang killed Windsor."

"Maybe it wasn't a gang."

"Who do you think it was?"

"I don't know." He scoffs and looks around as if I have disappointed him. Excuse me, sir, but just last week I had nothing to work with.

"You are wasting your time, detective. You won't ever catch the culprit like this." He places his hand on his hips as if he knows better. I am the detective here, not him.

"You sound so sure."

"I saw many like you."

"And how did that go?"

"Bloody." What? What is that supposed to mean?

"They barked up the wrong tree. Found themselves in the middle of gang wars. No one can save you once you are that deep." For some reason, his words ring a bell in my mind.

If the government can't save anyone from gang wars, why did the gang only kill Windsor after he resigned? Why don't gangs take over cities like they did before technology?

The idea of a gang controlling the government is unbelievable. Especially in this case where the government has a better reason to kill. This is all so confusing. I need to organize my thoughts.

⟺

Greyson and I went out for lunch and are now in the middle of an info-dumbing competition. "Did you know?" I place three French fries in my mouth. "Avocados are fruits, not vegetables? They are considered a single-seeded berry."

Greyson raises his eyebrows and sips his coffee. Apparently, Ledger is too fancy for a burger and fries, so he ordered a coffee and some odd coin-sized thing. I don't know what it is, but he said it is made of sponge cake, and on top sits vanilla cream and then jelly. They even added chocolate and cherries.

It looks fancy but I didn't like it. "Fun fact. The Eiffel Tower grows 15 centimeters in summer." I gasp. "No way!"

He chuckles at my excitement. "It is because of thermal expansion." He is overestimating my brain power. "Which means?"

"This means the iron heats up, and the particles gain kinetic energy and take up more space." I make sure that my reaction doesn't convey how clueless I am. I think criminology took up too much space in my head to the point where I lost brain cells.

They said being a detective makes you smart. It actually made me lose a lot of hair back in college. "Fun fact. It is illegal to own one guinea pig in Switzerland," Since I am not science-smart, I can be law-smart.

"It is considered animal abuse since they are very social beings." Greyson scoffs. "Why would you want a guinea pig?"

"People think they are cute, like cats and dogs." I don't think Ledger is a pet person. Maybe he hates animals. "Do you have a pet?" I ask him. If my life is a movie then I can control it.

If I want him to have a pet he will automatically have a pet right? "A dog." I am right! This is a movie! Are you the villain, Ledger? "What breed is it."

"She is a beagle." Greyson ass Ledger has a 'her' as a pet? He strikes me more as a snake owner. Wait. What is a beagle? Is that even a thing? "A beagle?"

"You don't know what a beagle is?" Am I supposed to know? He pulls out his phone and unlocks it. Then he turns it so that I can see. I lean forward in my chair to have a better look.

I don't know if my heart stopped or if the world went static. A beagle, it seems, is a white dog with different shades of brown on its back. She has a white collar that says 'Daisy'

But it wasn't Daisy that made my heart stop functioning. It was the shirtless figure lying on the bed holding Daisy in one arm and the camera in another. The said wolf has a lopsided smile on and half his face covered by her ears.

My eyes look up past the phone to have a look at Greyson ass ledger and then back to...Greyson.

It is like they are two different people. One perfect, the other lopsided. One handsome, the other adorable. One fully clothed, the other shirtless. I can feel my cheeks redden and my heart starts working again. I can hear it in my ear.

Why is he showing me a picture of him shirtless? What do I do? Play it cool like I see shirtless men every day. To be fair he isn't shirtless, the camera only gets his collarbone and muscled arm, but it is the illusion of what I know lies underneath.

Get it together, woman! I smile at the picture. "She is so cute." He scrolls to the next picture without looking. My warm cheeks immediately cool again once my eyes land on this selfie. It is Scarlet taking the picture, behind her are Greyson and Daisy.

Of course, Scarlet knows Daisy. I have completely forgotten how taken this man is the day I dragged him to Michigan. You should have known Ade, just because he is sharing fun facts with you and showing you his dog doesn't mean you are special.

This time it's me who scrolls. He doesn't stop me and I am glad he didn't. A smile plants itself on my face again. In this picture, Ledger and Daisy are in a park. He is in a hoodie and his hair is longer. It covers his entire forehead in golden silk.

He is petting Daisy and she is looking up at him like he might be an angel. I highly disagree Daisy dear, but who am I to judge?

"How long have you had her?" He takes back his phone and puts it in his pocket. "I have had her for five years now."

It is sweet that Greyson may have enough affection inside his ice heart to love an animal for such a long time. I wonder how long he and Scarlet have been together. We continued eating and talking until it got dark. Then we went back to the hotel room.

I changed first into a baby pink pj. Greyson went in to shower. Now that he has an entire wardrobe, he will turn this room into a spa place. Though I haven't spotted any cosmetics yet.

I sit on the edge of the bed. On the bedside table rests ledger's iPhone. I didn't pay much attention to it as I was looking for a place to sleep.

His phone dings as a notification appears, but I don't bother. Then his phone starts ringing. I looked and it was 'Scar'.

She calls him Grey and he calls her Scar. She rings three more times and I contemplate picking up, but what sort of message would that send? Stranger woman with your boyfriend alone in a hotel in another state.

The phone dings about 23 more notifications. She must be texting him. The bathroom door opens and I turn to ask Greyson to pick up the phone, but my entire being freezes and the world stops.

A droplet of water falls from his wet hair and runs down his naked body. It passes by his toned abs and gets absorbed by the towel hanging around his hip. It is a bit low. Too low.

My eyes slowly make their way up again to his eyes. Going over his lean yet muscular figure until it lands on his face again. He is staring right back at me through wet lashes and parted lips.

I don't have enough mind to react. I just turn my face away slowly like I am in shock. Which I am. My little heart can't take this roller coaster. I blink rapidly and it settles in.

I just saw Ledger naked. I just saw ledger naked. Not naked, shirtless, and in a towel. He just walked out shirtless and in a towel? What is wrong with him? My eyes glance towards his phone. What are you doing Adeline? He has a girlfriend.

"You should answer that." I can't see him but I know he is putting something on. "Answer what?" I shut my eyes for a moment. I don't know what is wrong with me. There is no way I am upset because he is taken. "Your girlfriend. She called a lot."

At that, I turn to look at him and he is in black sweats and a hoodie. Seriously, he never takes a break. Why does my heart stop every time he is in view? Is this how Ledger kills his enemies?

"My what?" he approaches and picks up his phone confused. When he sees the notifications he gets even more confused. I don't have time for this. I gotta get a hang of myself. Where will I sleep?

Can I make an entirely new reservation in another room? But I am leaving tomorrow anyway. I guess I will have to figure it out.

"This is not my girlfriend." I look up at him confused and he mirrors my expression. Did I read the ID wrong? "Isn't that Scarlet?" He nods and frowns even deeper. "Scarlet isn't my girlfriend."

Silence...

What?! She is not? "Wait what?" He puts the phone down. "You thought she was my girlfriend?" Well, yes. I mean, I saw you both...

I didn't see anything. They never even called each other romantic names. Scarlet didn't object when Ledger's nose almost touched mine and Greyson didn't object when Scarlet almost gave Matheo a heart attack.

Why did I assume they were together? Because she walked out of his office? He starts laughing all of a sudden and pats me on the head. I glare at him and he chuckles his way to the other side of bed and lays down.

So he has been single all this time? I feel a weight left off my shoulders. I no longer have to loathe myself. Why was I loathing myself? Because they were together. Thankfully it turns out they are not.

Wait. Why am I happy? So what if he is single? I don't care. I stand up. I will not sleep here. My pride can not. I eye the two armchairs. I have a disastrous idea, but an idea nonetheless.

I push the coffee table away and join the chairs together in a way where they form a small bed. That is of course if I can keep them from parting. "What are you doing?"

"Inventing a solution." I grab the chairs one by one and place them on the soft carpet. They won't move an inch now. "Solution for what?" he has a hand resting behind his head and the other runs through his hair.

"I am not repeating history." He sits upright. "History always repeats itself, plus what are you even doing?" I grab the blanket from the bed and a pillow. He is warm enough for a thousand ovens. He doesn't need a blanket.

I drop the pillow in one of the chairs and climb in. Even for someone my size, the place is limited. I can fit if I bend my knees. He keeps watching me like I am an alien force invading a planet.

I twist a little until I am comfortable in my chair bed. "Turn the lights off." He sighs and turns them off. The last thought I had before drifting off to milk land was shirtless Greyson and I playing with Daisy.

Bonus

At one point during the night, I feel strong arms wrap around my torso. It is too dark and I can't see, but even if I could my mind is too foggy with sleep.

I press my hand to what I suppose is a face. If I didn't recognize him from his sharp cheekbones and defined jawline, then I would recognize him from the warmth of his skin and the softness of his hair.

I bury my hands in his golden locks as he lifts me. I don't have a chance to miss my pillow before I am placed back on a much softer surface. "Ledger?"

"Adeline." I am too out of it to fight the smile. "I like it when you say my name," I mumble absentmindedly.

He brushes a strand behind my ear. "Me too." I turn around and hug another pillow to my body. He covers me with a blanket and I drift off to sleep immediately.