The Devil's Sweetheart

The morning sun rays poured through the groves. Leena stirred from her sleep when she felt a tap on her cheek, followed by a voice. \'\'Get up, Leena, you have to resume your work from today.\'\' 

\'\'Five more minutes, Devin.\'\' She grumbled, pulling her blanket up to her chin, but in the next second, Devin yanked the blanket and spanked her bum. \'\'Go, and take a shower.\'\'

\'\'My back!\'\' Leena cried, lazily rubbing it with her hand. \'\'Dora has more freedom than me.\'\' Stretching her body, Leena got down from the bed, still yawning.

\'\'Who is Dora?\'\'

\'\'Dora, the explorer, and she is only five years old for about eleven years now.\'\' Having said that, Leena walked in the direction of the bathroom.

\'\'What did she speak just now?\'\' Shaking his head, Devin made his way out of the room. If only Devin had seen the cartoon, he would have understood Leena\'s statement.

Nick already arrived in the morning, and since he was here, Devin gladly used him to prepare the breakfast. With breakfast done, Devin then packed mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks for Leena. \'\'Make sure she eats everything I packed,\'\' Devin explained it to Nick.

\'\'Not before her work starts, she will sweep the boxes.\'\' Nick scoffed. Once done, Leena, along with Reese, will be running around the cafeteria.

\'\'Her work requires to burn loads of calories, and obviously, she will be hungry.\'\'

\'\'Here comes the henpecked husband.\'\' Nick jeered at Devin again.

Ignoring his remarks, Devin strolled into the living room. He switched on the TV to watch business news while he waited for Leena. But the girl in question didnot step out of the bedroom even after an hour passed.

Leaving Leena under Nick\'s supervision, Devin left for the office.

....

Never Devin expected to have a crowd gathering from the employees when he entered the office entryway. He felt embarrassed when the employees started approaching him, asking about his health. And his jaw, ached to utter the same dialogue repeatedly, \'I am doing good, thank you.\' 

Daniel came to his rescue and escorted him to the private elevator. \'\'I am glad you are back.\'\'

\'\'Thanks for your tremendous support in my absence, uncle. I mean it.\'\' Devin might be born rich, but he wanted to make a brand for himself, not through the lineage of his parent\'s fortune. WD is his sweat and blood he earned for himself. Devin was a little afraid his month-long absence would affect the company. But Harley and Daniel pulled it off very well without any flaws.

\'\'I am always here to support you, boy.\'\' Daniel gave him an assuring smile.

Before going into his office, Devin straight away knocked on the adjacent room and walked in.

\'\'Go to Daniel if you are still not clear, Sadie. I am busy with work.\'\' Harley replied without lifting her head.

\'\'Was it hard to manage without me?\'\' Harley was startled when the voice of her brother befell into her ears. \'\'Devin!\'\' She exclaimed, seeing him waiting at the door.

\'\'You are back!\'\' Harley hastened towards him and hugged her brother. \'\'I missed you.\'\'

\'\'I was in the home until yesterday. You never once told you missed me?\'\' He smiled, caressing her head. Jasper has been torturing Devin for a week, demanding that he get back to work as soon as possible and reduce Harley\'s burden. Now that he has seen Harley\'s sunken cheeks, he felt she has become thin.

\'\'Do you know how much burden you have put on me?\'\' Harley lifted her head and looked at him with a pout.

\'\'Now I know.\'\' He said, and both walked into Devin\'s office room side by side. When he pushed open the door, Devin was not surprised when his desk was filled with get-well-soon bouquets.

\'\'Your following has not reduced a bit,\'\' Harley giggled. \'\'I will call the janitor to clear up.\'\'

Devin hummed in response and dismissed Harley after she explained basic checks he can perform today. Since Devin came to the office unannounced, Harley didnot prepare the load to dump on him.

He engrossed in work deeply to sharpen his mind. While he was examining the turnover of the mid-quarter season, he heard a knock. Before he spoke a word, Harley was in the room.

\'\'You got another package,\'\' Harley said, looking at the sender\'s name. \'\'It\'s anonymo_\'\'

\'\'You can put it in the display room, Harley,\'\' Devin said, flipping the next page of the file.

\'\'I would have done that that if it was an ordinary bouquet. Someone delivered you Birds of paradise.\'\' Harley put the bouquet on the desk. \'\'Birds of paradise are your favorite flowers which only a few people know. I thought it must be Leena\'s work.\'\'

Leena? Can he expect flowers from his sweetheart? Devin studied the flowers for a while. When did she switch to a normal human being? But then again, last time, Leena had gifted him a watch. Only closed ones know Birds of paradise flowers are his favorites. Leena must have sent it as a welcome back gift.

\'\'Leena is so lovely.\'\' Harley squealed, clutching her cheeks like a fangirl.

\'\'She is.\'\' Smiling to himself, Devin clicked a picture of the bouquet and sent it to Leena. [To: Orthodox saint: The flowers are beautiful.Thanks, Sweetheart]

An instant reply notification appeared on his mobile.

[To: Deep-V-Diver: I didnot send those flowers. What are you? 60? Who sends bouquet as a gift(>_<)]

\'\'It\'s not Leena.\'\' Devin muttered, gazing at the flowers. 

\'\'Then who is it?\'\' Harley asked.

He picked the bouquet, and in it, he found a message card. The message read as:

[The earth delights to feel your feet, and the wind longs to play with your locks]

He has heard it before as if those words were directly spoken from his mouth. The same numbing feeling he felt again. It exploded in his head with blinding whiteness. It made his head dizzy and reel. He recalled the words when he had a dream of a girl. \'The more you try to remember, the more you will feel the pain\' Was it her memories my mind trying to block? His thoughts processed to picture it again but couldn\'t. Harley\'s voice also numbed in his ears.

\'\'Devin, Devin! What happened?\'\' Harley rushed to the chair and held him. \'\'Are you oka_\'\'

\'\'C_heck the person who sent this boqe.....\'\' That was all his reply before his head collapsed on the back of the chair.