The Billionaire Infinite Eyes

My mom told me that I have a pair of beautiful eyes. But even if I look at my own reflection a hundred times, why can't I appreciate them?

Where's the beauty in them? It's just a big dark eye. I don't find anything unique about it. I just shook my head at my thoughts and fixed my slightly messy hair.

They say I should show off how beautiful my eyes are. I wish I were just an eye, then. Damn.

How can I identify beautiful eyes from simple ones? Why do they all seem the same? They only differ in color. Okay, maybe I find blue eyes beautiful, but the rest I find simple.

I looked at myself in the mirror again before leaving the restroom. I was heading to the library to get the book that Florence, my beautiful best friend, told me about, which many men fawn over.

I looked at the paper that had "Ursula's Son" written on it. What a book? I read books, but this is the first time I've heard of this title. I find it weird.

My walk didn't take long, and I arrived. Here I was, standing in front of the library. All I can say is, Gyro Nella's library is the most isolated place here. No one ever goes in, and if you look at it, it seems like a haunted library plus there's this creepy librarian who gives students nasty looks.

"Do you have this book?" I handed her the paper Florence gave me. I now regret my choice; I should've just bought our lunch.

I don't like the ambiance here. It feels like an evil spirit could appear at any moment.

"The book is at the far end," the librarian coldly responded. The hairs on my body stood up when I glanced at the far end. Why is it so dark there?

"Are you sure? Maybe the book isn't really there..." I asked nervously. Should I just not go? I have a bad feeling about that far end.

"Do you still want to borrow that book or not?" the librarian asked irritably.

I gulped as I looked again at the far end of the library. It's almost covered in spider webs, with the light flickering. Seriously? Gyro Nella can't afford new light bulbs?

"Ahmm. Yes," I said slowly, taking careful steps forward.

"Don't make any noise," the librarian's final words to me. Her warning made me even more anxious. Is she trying to scare me?

It felt like it got darker with each step I took. I covered my mouth with my hands so I wouldn't make a noise if I screamed.

When I reached the farthest shelf, I quickly looked at the books. I can only say that no one even dusts the books here; the dust is so thick. If I had known this would happen! Florence Almero!

The books were arranged alphabetically, so I lowered myself to search. Since the book starts with a U, it must be at the bottom, so I went lower.

The titles were starting with S, so I knew the book I was looking for was further down. I knelt to see better. As I crawled along searching, I felt something on my hand. I slowly turned to see what I had touched.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" I stepped back and automatically put my hands over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. There was a dead leg!

I hurriedly stood up. I want out of here. In my rush, I bumped into the shelf, causing some books to fall on me. Ouch!

It wasn’t just a few books; a bunch of them fell on me. Damn, I might end up bruised from this. Why is getting a book so life-threatening? I noticed the long leg move slightly. Shit! What should I do? I couldn’t move.

Upon closer inspection of the moving leg, I let out a sigh. It wasn't a severed leg. I was just being paranoid. Why is it so dark here? That's why I’m thinking like this.

I fixed my messy hair slightly. I didn't expect looking for Florence Almero's book to be this stressful.

I glanced again at the troublesome leg. He was wearing black pants, and just from the look of his shoes, I could tell they were expensive.

I crawled closer slowly. A lazy student who skipped class and decided to sleep here. His family must be so pitiful, thinking he’s studying hard when he's just napping here.

I was about to come closer when I recognized him. Tristan Matteo Ferell, peacefully sleeping.

I'd be a hypocrite if I denied being attracted to him. He's gorgeous as hell, what should I expect? He's a Ferell with genes to die for. We've run into each other several times, not just on campus but also at my house when his grandfather brought him over. I find him weird.

Am I just imagining that he’s staring at me?

I shrugged. As far as I know, it’s Florence that this lazy guy likes. I looked at him again, his breathing so gentle it’s like I didn’t just make a ruckus moments ago.

"Sleeping like a log," I whispered.

I should leave now before he wakes up. Who knows what he might think of me? Yes, I find him hot and gorgeous, but I'm not desperate for a guy.

I was about to crawl back when I caught sight of the book he was using as a pillow. 'Ursula's Son'. I smacked my forehead. Why so lucky, Lina? Now how can I get that book without waking him?

Maybe it would be better to wake him up properly to get the book.

"Excuse me, I just need the book," I said a bit loudly, but he didn’t move at all. Do I have to touch him?

"Uhmm... I need that book," I shook him slightly, but still nothing. Maybe I should get the book without permission since he's sleeping so soundly.

I crawled closer to him and was about to pull the book from under his head when I froze.

He's damn beautiful...

It's the first time I've seen him this close.

I see him around campus, but never this near. I did not expect him to be this damn beautiful, without a single flaw on his face.

It's all perfect! His well-shaped nose, thick eyelashes, and sensual lips... Shit!I didn't think a guy like Ferell could be this stunning.

I thought the girls were just exaggerating. Now, I understand why they scream whenever he passes by.

Are all Ferells like this?I don't know what came over me, but I found myself gently brushing away a few strands of hair that were covering his closed eyes.Fuck. Lina, this isn’t right, he might wake up. No, he's sleeping like a log. Just a moment, shit. Tristan Ferell...

I didn't expect this guy to capture my whole attention so effortlessly. This innocent sleeping guy, he didn't do anything, yet I feel like he cast a spell on me. Something I can't really resist...

Is this what I've heard about him?

"You can play with any Ferell out there, but not with Tristan Ferell. You'll end up captured helplessly."You're crazy, Lina, damn crazy.

With every beat of my heart, my finger slowly traced the beautiful parts of his face. My forefinger is now gliding slowly from the bridge of his nose to its tip.

I held my breath. I know what I'm doing is wrong, and he might wake up, but there's not a part of me that commands me to stop.I want to trace his face.

I continued tracing his nose until my forefinger landed on his lips. You're crazy, Lina. Crazy. Crazy. Crazy.And I felt my heart about to burst when he opened his eyes...I just saw the most beautiful pair of eyes...

A beautiful pair of brown eyes are now staring at me, and I can't read his expression. I thought only blue eyes could attract me, but I can't utter any words the moment he opened his eyes.

"I like your eyes," I was startled by what he said. I should be the one complimenting his eyes. In just a moment, he managed to switch our places. I am now lying on the floor, while he is on top of me, mockingly looking at me.

"What... are you doing?" I asked him shakily, while he just smirked at my question.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? What are you doing?" Now it was his turn to gently brush away a few strands of my hair from my face. I couldn't move. What happened to me?

"I need to get... a cer..tain book," I averted my gaze from him.

"So you needed to touch me before getting that book?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

I didn't know what to answer. I bit my lip, knowing this mess was my fault. Of course, he would wake up if I touched him.

I probably looked like a tomato from how hot my face felt.

"I need to go, please move," I tried to push him off, but he caught my hands and pinned them between the floor and his.

"You disturbed my sleep, I think you need to pay, baby," my eyes widened as his face slowly descended towards mine.

What is he going to do? Wait! I tried to move, but it was too late.He captured my lips.He was kissing me gently and slowly...

My first kiss...

I didn't expect a Ferell to be the first to claim my lips. I felt my eyes slowly close.His lips are so soft...

I never kissed back, maybe because I didn't know how? Or maybe I was just too stunned? A Ferell is kissing me?Then I felt him stop.

I slowly opened my eyes and a smiling Tristan Ferell greeted me. But before I could recover, his face was approaching mine again.

Wait? Again? Is this right, Lina? Why am I allowing him to kiss me? Is it because he's too handsome to resist?

Is that a good enough reason to give him my lips over and over? Damn. I am under his powerful spell.

I closed my eyes when he kissed my eyes. When I opened them, he was no longer smiling. He looked goddamn serious. I stared at him, clueless.

I didn't know what was happening.

"After this, you can only look at me," I didn't understand what he meant. And for the second time, he captured my lips. A conquering and dominating kiss. I responded to his kisses the best I could. I'm enjoying the softness of his lips. I'm enjoying his hand caressing my hair. I don't want this to end...

Maybe this is what they call 'captured helplessly.'

Whatever.

I know from the very start, the moment he opened his eyes on me, I'm already captured.

Captured by his infinite eyes....

I clenched my fists even tighter. Why do I feel so weak right now? What's wrong with my goddamn fist right now?

Am I just not in the mood for training today? But all I wanted was to punch his annoying face in front of me. Damn. How many hours have we been training now? Not even half an hour!

"Come on Lina, punch harder. You won't be able to knock anyone down if you punch like that," my brother, who's training me, said. I just rolled my eyes. Why is this training such a big deal to them? I can get my own bodyguards, so why do I need to learn self-defense if we can afford plenty of men to protect me? Damn. Why can't I get used to this? How many years has it been? Seven years? Sigh.

Why do I need protection? Because my parents are two of the most formidable lawyers in the Philippines. They’ve taken down numerous syndicates and drug lords. So, death threats are no longer new to our family. Death threats are part of our everyday lives. It would only trouble me if I dwelled on them.

Considering those multi-millionaire killers? Smugglers? Politicians and even commoners who are now rotting in jail? I wonder how many people want our family turned to ashes. Damn.

I punched him hard with my right fist, but he blocked it with his sparring gloves.

"Harder. Come on little sis, don't you have any more strength?" he taunted as he blocked my left punch too.

Why can't I hit him? This time, I quickly gave him a side kick to his left side. I thought I would finally hit him, but he blocked it again. Damn! Why can't I hit Kuya today? This is so frustrating.

"Fuck! I quit. I'm tired!" I quickly went to the side of the ring, taking off my boxing gloves.

"Dad will be angry, Lina. You need an hour of training," he said, but I just rolled my eyes. I'm tired. There's nothing he can do about it.

"I'm tired," I replied shortly.

"Come on, Lina, you know you need this," he insisted.

"I'm not in the mood, Ace!" I stormed out of the boxing ring. I need to get out of this creepy training ground. Fuck! Why am I so irritable today? Maybe I'm about to get my period.

"Where's your 'Kuya' Linnalyn Isabelle Hidalgo going?!" he yelled at me as I walked out of the gym.

"Come on, Kuya... I'm tired. Let's train later," I lied. I quickly left the gym, ignoring my brother's calls. Since I was a kid, it's not new to me that Dad makes me do all these things as if I'm going to compete somewhere. From different kinds of martial arts, gun shooting, and I even tried fencing! What's still missing?

I was heading to the kitchen when I ran into Mom, who was holding a caramel cake.

"Oh, Lina dear... hurry up. Fix yourself, we have guests," she said cheerfully, as if these guests were something special.

"Mom, I'm tired. I have nothing to do with them," I said, passing her and heading to the refrigerator.

I thought she would ignore me and go straight to the guests, but she came back to the kitchen and put down the caramel cake.

"Come on, dear! There's a handsome young man with your Dad's client. Come on, you'll like him," she said excitedly, making me scowl.

"Wait... wait... are you trying to woo me with that client? No, Mom," I said firmly, opening the refrigerator to get an energy drink.

"Dear, just show up at least. I already told them I have a daughter," I just rolled my eyes.

"Alright," I lazily left the kitchen. They're probably in the living room. I noticed my hand wraps were still on, so I removed them while walking.

"Lina dear, wait," Mom called out. I ignored her, fearing what else she might say. I already agreed.

Suddenly, my hair tie came off. Damn. I held the removed hand wrap with my lips while I gathered my loose hair. I kept walking until I saw Dad sitting with his back to me, so I called him.

"Dar... d" I called out, struggling as I held the hand wrap and tied my hair. When Dad turned to look at me, his eyes widened. What's wrong?

"LINA!" Dad shouted. What the fuck? What did I do now?

I lost my focus on Dad when I heard one of his guests coughing repeatedly. The old man was patting the back of the young man with him, who seemed about my age.

"Are you okay, grandson?" The old man asked, but the grandson couldn't respond as he kept coughing. What's wrong with Mom's tea?

"Lina, dear! Go change your clothes!" I looked at myself. Shit! Damn. I forgot I was just in my gym attire. Fuck.

I'm just wearing a sports bra and cycling shorts. Shit! How stupid of you, Lina.

"Atty. Hidalgo, please forgive my grandson. Tristan always reacts like this when he sees a beautiful young lady," said Dad's elderly client. I felt my cheeks heat up at his words.

"LG!" his grandson protested. The man named Tristan glanced at me again. I hurriedly let go of my hair and turned around. Damn. What's wrong with him?

"I should apologize, Don Ferell, for my daughter's behavior," my dad said. I pursed my lips at what Dad said and quickly walked away from them.

Mom met me with a furrowed brow.

"I called you! Hurry up and fix yourself. Face them properly," she said as she walked past me.

"Mom, I can't. I don't want to," I replied, but she turned back and glared at me. Damn. With that look, I better not complain.

I went straight to my room to take a shower. Unlike most girls, I don't take long in the bathroom. Five to eight minutes will do, especially since I knew Mom would knock on my door any moment. And just as I expected, when I came out of the bathroom, Mom was already sitting on my bed with my outfit ready.

"Mommy, are you trying to set up some creepy arrangement with that client of yours?" I took the blue dress Mom had prepared for me.

"That's not our thing, hija. Fixed marriage is the last thing we'd do to you. We just need to welcome them properly because the Ferell family is no joke. They're respected and looked up to. Your Dad and I don't even understand why they chose us to be their family lawyers," I rolled my eyes again.

"Seriously? Do you even need to ask, Mom? You and Dad are good lawyers. Even prestigious families would scramble for your services," I quickly took off my towel and dressed without paying attention to Mom's presence.

"But, dear, did you see his grandson?" Mom said mischievously, grabbing the comb from me and starting to brush my hair.

"Yes," I replied indifferently to show her I wasn't interested.

"What do you think of him?" she asked, and I sighed.

"What, Mom? I thought you—" she covered my mouth.

"I'm just asking for your opinion."

"Okay. Okay. He's handsome," I admitted, and Mom pinched my side.

"Mom!"

"So you do know how to recognize a handsome guy. Now let's go," I didn't argue anymore and let her lead me out.

With each step, my heart pounded harder. Shit! Why am I nervous? What should I be worried about? Damn. Why am I acting strange?

"Leo, honey," they all turned to look at Mom and me. Here we go again. Why does my chest feel tight? Why is he staring like that?

"Your daughter really is beautiful, Atty. Hidalgo," Dad's elderly client said happily. I didn't know why I felt my cheeks heat up. I'm not used to compliments.

"Lina, you must be familiar with Don Ferell. We've seen him at various events," Dad said to me. No wonder this old man looked familiar. I gave him a sweet smile.

"And this is one of his grandsons, Tristan Ferell," Dad said, nudging me gently as I remained silent. Tristan extended his hand to me, which I stared at for a few seconds before shaking it. I was shocked when he stood up and my heart pounded even harder as he brought my hand to his lips without taking his eyes off mine. What's with his eyes?

"Hi, Miss Hidalgo. It's nice to meet you," he said with a faint smile.

"Hi," I replied awkwardly.

"What a sweet boy..." Mom said happily as 'Tristan' let go of my hand. I was about to sit in the nearest chair when he stood up and pulled out a chair for me.

"Thanks," I said, managing a weak smile. He gave me a brief smile in return. I couldn't even muster a smile. There is something about him. They started talking again about things I didn't understand. Sometimes Tristan joined in, while I stayed silent.

"By the way, hija, haven't you met my grandson? You attend the same university," Don Ferell said. I furrowed my brow. He goes to GyroNella too? Why haven't I seen him? I just shook my head in response.

"LG, we just transferred yesterday," he said, and even though his voice was new to me, I could sense his laziness in the way he spoke.

"Oh, my Lina can tour you, hijo," Mom suggested brightly. Oh great! She's playing matchmaker! What did she say earlier?

"That's a nice idea, Attorney," he quickly responded to my mom. Why don't I find his words convincing?

"Yeah, very nice," I replied sarcastically.

"Why don't you two have some time alone? We have some things to discuss," Don Ferell smiled at me in a way that left no room for refusal. Great!

"Go ahead, Lina, you can bring him to our garden," Mom said with an even sweeter smile. Sure, Mom, keep pushing me.

"Sure! Why not?" I smiled back, but reluctantly. I stood up, and so did Dad's client's grandson. I started walking, and I knew he was following me. When we reached the garden, he spoke immediately.

"How I hate this..." he said, stretching slightly.

"Hate what?" I replied quickly.

"Acting, just to please my grandfather..." See? I knew something was off about his behavior.

"Then don't act. Problem solved," I said seriously.

"That's a bigger problem," he replied shortly. I stayed silent. I don't like him.

"I know you're smart... having your parents? You must know what's going to happen between the two of us," he said. So we were thinking the same thing.

"Yes. I know," I said. Arranged marriage. I didn't believe what my mom told me earlier. This whole setup is just part of this upcoming marriage agreement. Damn. My mom is a lawyer; she can twist words any way she wants. She tried to convince me that 'arranged marriage' isn't in their vocabulary, but here they are doing it in another way. I'm the daughter of two famous lawyers... you can't fool me, Mom and Dad. Oh well, they are the famous lawyers I'm talking about.

"You know, Miss Hidalgo... I'm not into girls who show too much skin. The way you showed yourself a while ago? Sorry, you're not my type. I can't decline my grandfather's request, but I hope you put effort into declining yours," his words sent shivers through my whole being. What a sinful mouth for this best actor!

Bastard!

I turned to face him, eyes narrowed. He was about to speak again when I greeted him with a punch to the face.

A straight punch it is.

He stumbled back several times, holding his nose. It was bleeding. He looked shocked. Naturally. My fists are quite skilled after years of training. It comes in handy with arrogant men.

"Go to hell," I glared at him and quickly walked past him.

Now I know why I couldn't hit Kuya earlier.

Someone else was more deserving of my punch today.

Damn that Ferell and his nauseating act.