Damon smiled. He had thought the girl would give excuses or finally reveal her identity. The silence did not worry him, he lived in this silence, in this darkness. It was music to his ears.
"Then I will ask for a refund so that I can hire someone else." came a haughty reply. As if the woman was looking down on him. His lips curled further but his eyes went cold. When was the last time he had been threatened?
"If you can find my replacement, then sure." The voice was light and followed by laughter but Nora knew the mockery well.
"If I can find you, I can find others. I will wait for my refund." she cut the call, feeling infuriated. She had wasted all her savings. Though she had asked for a refund, she did not feel safe returning there. And she could not give him her bank details.
She laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She had spread many rumors and with Max and Alric in the background, they soared in the start. But they had started to lose their power when her uncle had spent a good amount in getting rid of the rumors. The police had not taken any action yet. If only she could blast his office.
His office! His office! The words started to ring in her ears and her eyes started to darken. But then she shook her head. If Alex was right and that business belonged to her father, she would not harm it.
In fact, she would make sure that she would inherit it. But for that she would need to buy shares. Shares! Suddenly a distant memory flashed in her eyes. She hastily opened the calendar in her mobile and set a reminder. Only then did she go to sleep.
—--------
Alric finally stopped his car in front of the laboratory. It was attached to his hospital’s name. And like the Hospital, it had nothing to do with his family. Everyone greeted him as he walked in.
"I want you to check the ingredients of this food." the man working on the samples frowned. He stared at the spring roll as if he did not recognize what it was.
"Alric, this lab is for checking blood samples. We do not grade food." but Alric ignored him. He rolled his shirts and took out a microscope. He dissolved the liquid in a solvent and injected it into the inlet port. Nimble hands injected the sample into the hot injection port of the gas chromatography. The other man watched with fascination as Alric did not leave even after the sample was put in test. He sat on the corner with a grave and dark face.
"How did you find it?" The man could not help but ask. "And why does it matter so much that Almighty Alric is working on it himself?" but Alric did not move as if he could not hear him at all.
"Alric, your phone is ringing." the man scratched his chin, feeling pressure on his shoulders. Alric closed his eyes. He only opened them after three hours when the process should be completed. He stood up and added the data compressor. Soon the signals started to be processed and a chromatogram was formed.
Alric stared at it with grave eyes.
"It had drugs in it! You were being so serious only to know that someone had mixed. It might be morphine or oxycodone." the man mumbled with a leisured face.
"Cain! Take the reports to the experts." Cain rolled his eyes. He did not ask experts to perform the test. But now he wanted experts to read the reports for him. But he had realized that he could not quibble about it. He took the reports and left the room silently.
Alric closed his eyes again. The distant voice started to linger in his mind.
"I will save you. It is not your mistake. You and your son deserve to live a good life." The voice was like a needle stabbed deep in his heart. A decade had passed, yet he could not get rid of this voice and the calamity followed by that voice.
His phone started to ring again. Alric inhaled a deep breath and saw it was his father’s wife.
"Mom!" the woman on the other side went silent at once.
"Where are you? Why are you so worried." a wry smile appeared on his face. She knew, she still knew.
"I am in the lab. A report has come." the woman sighed on the other side.
"Alric! I heard the news. Do you know who did it?" he would be elated to say that it was done by his competitors. But they both knew and he did not want to lie to a single woman he loved.
"I am still investigating. I am not sure about it." The woman sensed his hesitation and did not press it. She only smiled but it was so painful. He could not see it but he just knew!
"Alric came home for the night. It had been days since we had dinner together. And... Alex had left already." her voice was soothing, full of guilt and apology.
"I would love to. I will come home tonight. But... if it is possible." he paused but the woman sensed it.
"I will ask him but we both know the answer, Alric. You do not need to be so harsh on yourself." she whispered but he only laughed.
"Alright, did you try the dress I have sent for you? Wear it tonight. I will bring your favorite dessert and.." he talked to her for a long time and only when she smiled and relaxed did he cut the call. But as soon as the call was cut, his face was gloomy again. He looked at the screen again, his eyes spilling blood.
"Alex, even if you want to ruin yourself to death. I will not let you. You owe your life to me."