Chapter 268: A Stroke Of Good Luck
Ezra walked down the dark hallway of the underground Peacekeeper Headquarters, his boots echoing against the bare walls.
The place felt unusually empty, with only the faint hum of whatever they had powering the place in the background and a lone female peacekeeper sitting at the front desk. She barely looked up as he approached, focused on something on her screen.
"Can I help you?" she asked, her tone neutral as her eyes finally shifted to meet him.
"I'm here to see the captain," Ezra replied, trying not to chuckle. It seems that the bureaucrats were the same, whether humans or vampires.
She gave him a once-over, then picked up the phone, murmuring something into it. Ezra didn't even bother to listen in, knowing Helena would want to see him.
After a brief exchange, the peacekeeper nodded, putting down the receiver. "You can go through. Captain Helena is expecting you. Her office is just down the hall, third door on the left."
Ezra nodded his thanks and walked down the hallway. The Peacekeeper HQ, which had seemed more energetic during his short stay there, felt eerily quiet today. There was no one in sight.
He reached the door, which had Helena's name etched on a brass name tag and knocked lightly.
The door opened, revealing Helena herself. She looked less officious than usual even though she was wearing her white Peacekeeper uniform. Ezra fought to keep his eyebrows from rising as he saw that the top buttons of her jacket, which was undone, was responsible for giving her a more relaxed appearance.
This revealed her impressive cleavage, a soft smile spreading across her face when she saw him. Ezra could read the mixture of surprise and pleasure that lit up her face and couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.
"Ezra." Helena greeted, clearly not expecting him. "This is... a surprise."
He nodded slightly in agreement, stepping into the office as she motioned towards a comfortable seating area on one side of the room. The office was neat and orderly, but the seating area felt warmer, more personal.
"Please, have a seat." Helena said, gesturing toward the couch.
Ezra took his seat while Helena sat down beside him, close enough that their knees almost touched. Her smile remained but now, it was filled with curiosity. "I didn't expect to see you here. How have you been?"
"Busy, as usual." Ezra replied politely, keeping his tone neutral. "But I'm here to talk about your apology."
Helena's expression shifted, and she sighed softly, a mournful look crossing her face. She folded her hands in her lap, and her gaze dropped for a moment before meeting his eyes again.
"Look, Ezra, I've had a lot of time to think about what I did. I know I did a lot of things wrong. I forced you into an alliance you didn't want. And then... betrayed you to Griffin. I regret it more than you know."
She paused, her voice softer now, almost hesitant. "I can't say I've completely changed since then or something but I can say I'm truly sorry."
Ezra remained silent for a moment, letting her words sink in. This was part of the game, part of his own plan, if he wanted to appear genuine. "I'll admit, I didn't expect you to apologize." He said. "But I know people can and often do change, even if it's a slight bit. And that's why I'm here without my wives knowing."
Helena's eyebrows rose slightly, and something flickered in her eyes, something Ezra couldn't quite catch. "Without them knowing?" She asked.
"Yes." Ezra continued, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Unlike them, I know the value of forgiving. And while they might still hold grudges, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. If you're genuine about your apology, I can accept that."
A wave of visible relief washed over Helena's face. She surged forward suddenly, wrapping her arms tightly around Ezra in a hug. He was momentarily taken aback by the force of it, feeling her… bountiful chest press into him.
"Thank you." She whispered in his ear, emotion plain in her voice. "Thank you for accepting my apology. It means more than you know."
Ezra felt every inch of her body that pressed against his. The softness of her form made the embrace feel a little too personal, but he maintained his composure. This was all part of his plan, after all.
Helena wanted some kind of relationship with them. Why not let it happen?
He let her hug linger for a moment longer before she pulled back, her face lit up with a wide, genuine smile.
"Thank you, Ezra. I really want to leave the past behind us and I won't squander this chance you've given me." Helena said, her voice filled with emotion.
Ezra nodded, his face showing understanding. "I believe you." He said, marveling at his own acting skills.
Helena seemed to think for a moment before speaking again, her tone more casual now. "As a gesture of goodwill, why don't we share a meal sometime? How about dinner? It would give us a chance to talk, away from all of this," she gestured vaguely to her office, "and really start fresh."
Ezra made a show of hesitation, carefully crafting his response. In reality, he had even been about to suggest the same thing. He was here to seduce Helena, to use her for his own ends, but she didn't need to know that. Not now, not ever.
He appeared to weigh the idea of dinner, frowning slightly.
"Alright." He said after a brief pause, giving her a small, cautious nod. "Dinner. Just me and you? That sounds fair."
Helena's smile widened again, clearly pleased by his acceptance. "Great. I'll make arrangements, and we can have dinner soon."
Ezra nodded, a small smile on his face. "I'll look forward to it."
Ezra stood and Helena did the same. "See you then." He gave her a small nod and walked to the door.
Helena followed, Ezra noticing the subtle bounce in her step as she walked, her mood lifted by the outcome of their conversation. As they reached the door, he turned to face her, reflecting the smile that was still firmly in place on her face. "See you."
"See you too."
**********
With one last glance over her shoulder, Helena closed the door and returned to her office, a sense of victory swelling in her chest.
She never would have expected this turn of events. Ezra coming to her on his own, accepting her apology? It was a stroke of good luck.
Though, in the back of her mind, she knew it was possible that Ezra had his own reasons for suddenly forgiving her. Most likely he was trying to use her, maybe to recover his slush fund. But that didn't matter.
She walked to the couch, sending it back to her pocket dimension. Ity was always good to be prepared. She buttoned up her uniform and walked back to her desk, a satisfied smile still on her lips.
She'd use this opportunity to get closer to him, to worm her way deeper into his life. And eventually, if she played her cards right, into his soul bond. Whatever it took, she'd find a way to make it happen.