《The Devilish Assassin Meets The Angelic Detective》 Chapter 1 - 1: The Mission Elle was busy assembling her gun when her phone started to ring. She grabbed the phone and she saw that Charles was the one who is calling her. Charles was her companion. As a meticulous assassin, Elle did not directly talk with her clients. Charles was the one who is negotiating with them and then he relayed the information to her. "Catseye, I have a mission for you." Charles said as soon as Elle answers her phone "Who''s my target this time?", Elle asked "Jorge Arison, the head of Skull Gang", Charles answered "Oh, Skull Gang, the strongest competitor right now of Dark Knight Organization. No wonder, they want him dead." Elle said as a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "How did you know that it is Dark Knight who wants to eleminate him, I have never mention it yet who is our client." Charles sounds amazed. "Isn''t it obvious? Who would dare touch the leader of Skull if not them?" "Haha as expected, you are a smart one." Charles laughs as he said to himself ''as usual she is always once step ahead of me''. "Nope...not just a smart one but a dangerous one.Tell them it is quite difficult job this time so they must ensure to offer me a big amount of money in order to kill this big fish." "They offered 50 million for his head." "Hmmm.Okay...let''s forget this transaction. Bye Charles". Elle said as she was about to hung up the phone. "Wait...they are asking me how much do you want?" Charles said immediately, afraid that she would really hung up the phone. Elle smiled again as she heard Charles. 10 seconds passed before she replied "100 million...and I need half for their downpayment. Deal?". She heard that Charles was relaying her message to their clients. She continued assembling her gun while waiting for Charles response. 5 minutes passed before Charles came back and told her "Ok Catseye. They said it''s a deal!" "Good! Transfer the money on my account. I''ll check it. Once I received their payment, tell them to wait for the good news in three days." then Elle hung up the phone. After her conversation with Charles, Elle opened her laptop and she started to gather more information about her target. Aside from being skilled Assassin, Elle was also an expert hacker and programmer. Through her computer skills she could easily check the background of her targets and access vital information that can help her accomplish her mission and that is killing people. She never missed or failed her mission before. She was known as "Catseye the Devilish Assassin". Every killings that she do, she would always leave a card with printed Cats and Eye symbols. This was her trademark, it''s a way of telling people that it was her doings. She belonged to the most wanted criminals, however the authorities did not know her face. She was a mysterious assassin and her identity was unknown even with her clients. "The thought of killing this High profile target excites me. Tsk tsk... not an easy target though." Elle said as she read the profile and information about the leader and the Skull Gang''s operations. After planning her next move, she proceed to her secret bas.e.m.e.nt where all her weapons were being kept. She was getting ready for her next mission. Chapter 2 - 2: Nightmare "No!...No...Stop it!!!! Please....No please...! Don''t hurt my mother...father!!!", Elle continued to cry and shout as she watched her mother and father being beaten by men whom she didn''t know. Her plea was useless. No one was listening to her. She wanted to run and hug her parents but she was being held by one man. "Sorry child, we are just following an order and doing our job. No hurts feeling kid," the leader of the group said as he continue beating the husband and wife using baseball bat. Her mother was already unconscious while his father was hugging her mother in order to protect her. He was now very weak, his body already felt numb from the beating. Blood was already flowing from his mouth. "Please... spare my daughter." her father said. This was a heartwrecking scene for the young mind of Elle. She didn''t know why this is happening right now. Who are these people? Why are they hurting her family? Her Dad is a good man. He is a policeman. He saves a lot of people. Her mother is teacher and a loving wife and mother to her family. She also helps people. What bad things did they do to deserve this? Do good people receive punishments like this? Why God allows this to happen?These were the questions of Elle which are running in her mind right now. She felt betrayed. She was really angry right now but she was also helpless. She couldn''t do anything to protect her family. She is still a child, and a very weak person. "Please mister stop it already! I will do anything. Please stop hurting my father and mother. Please I beg you!" She continued to shout and cry, pleading them to stop. The man stopped and looked at her direction. He signalled his men to stop beating the husband and wife. The man flashed his evil smile as he said to Elle, "Are you willing to do anything just to stop us from hurting your parents?" "Yes mister! I''ll do anything." Elle answered immediately. "Ok, I will give you a chance. I am not that bad person.I heard you are a very good kid.",the man said as he look to Elle meaningfully. "Ok, here''s the deal. Since your father wanted to save you and you also wanted to protect them from us, I will fulfill both of your wishes", the man said as he signalled the person who was holding Elle to release her. Her father looked at Elle''s eyes, telling her to be strong. "Thank you mister. What do you want me to do?" Elle asked full of hope that she could save her parents. "Come here," the man ordered Elle to come. Elle tried her best to walk even though she felt weak from nervousness and fear. She stopped in front of the man. The man walked towards the nearest table and he picked up the kitchen knife. "This is what you gonna do. I want you to stab your parent''s heart using this knife in exchange you will be allowed to live just like your father''s wish and your wish about not letting us hurt and torture your parents will be fulfilled.You will be the one to save them from us and stop us from torturing them by killing them with your own hands". the man explained to Elle. The men laugh together as they heard their boss. Shock was visible in the face of Elle. Her world crumbled again. The little hope that she felt a while ago disappeared like a bubble. Elle did not know what to say. She just stood there like a statue and her mind went blank. Elle just came back to reality again when she heard her father''s voice saying "Elle, do it! Do what he say. This is the only way. We want you to live. I love you Elle. You must live no matter what happen.You must survive!" "What a loving father.Tsk Tsk", the man said as he walked over to Elle and handed her the knife. "No father! No! I can''t do it! No don''t say that. I need you and Mom to be by my side. I want to save you!", Elle said hysterically. "Please.... daughter do it! For our sake and for your own sake. Remember....what you''ve promised me during my birthday. You said that someday you will fulfill one of my request.", her father said to her. "Please father, not this!", Elle begged. " Elle be strong, for us! We will always be here for you, guiding you.We love you our princess.This is my wish.I want you to Live. This is the only way for you to survive. Remember this is not your fault. Do it! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Father no!!! I''m sorry father, mother!!!, "Elle....Elle... wake up! wake up you are dreaming!", Charles called Elle as he tapped her shoulder to wake her up. Elle opened her eyes and grabbed hands of Charles and she bent it. "Argh...Hey hey it''s me Charles! Stop. It hurts!!! Charles complained. "What are you doing here?", Elle asked him as she released his hand. "I visit you to talk about your plan to your mission. I unlocked the door since you are not responding to the doorbell and my call. Then I see you here sleeping and heard you murmuring. I wake you up since I thought you are having a nightmare. And I guess I am right, you''re sweating a lot," Charles explained as he massaged his hand that was hurt. Elle stood up and got water to drink. She ignored him and didn''t mind his explaination. ''As expected to the aloof girl, a woman of a few words'', Charles thinks to himself. "Is it the same nightmare again?", he added. "Ask me again and I will really give you nightmare", Elle warned him as she doesn''t want to talk about it. Charles closed his mouth and made a mental note ''never again wake up a devil from her sweetdreams and never talk about nightmares''. Yes, it was the same nightmare, all over again. Chapter 3 - 3: The Handsome Detective In the cemetery, a 6 feet- tall man in black was quietly standing in front of a thombstone. In front of him was a picture of a teenage girl in her uniform, smiling cheerfully. Beside the picture frame, there was a white rose and a candle. He was about to leave when one of his colleague appeared. "Inspector Lee, Hehe I am right! I know I will be able to find you here." a man in police uniformed said as he greeted him. Erick smiled immediately upon seeing him. "What''s the matter Sergeant Velasquez?", he asked Bryan as he noticed his cheerful mood. "We have to celebrate! They have been looking for you at the office but you are nowhere to be found."Bryan answered his question enthusiastically. "You solved another serial murder case and justice was served for the victims especially to this young girl." Bryan added while feeling proud. "I know but I felt sad for her. If we had just solved the case early, maybe she can still enjoy more years of her life together with her family." Erick said, frustration was evident in his dark brown eyes. "Cheer up Inspector! We should move on and do our best next time so that things like this will never happen again. I really admire you for this. You are a very kindhearted detective. You are always offering flowers and prayers to our deceased victims and make sure to visit them every time we solved the cases successfully. It became your habbit. Very few detectives are doing that nowadays." Bryan said as he consoled him. "Haha, You are really a sweet talker huh", Erick suddenly started chuckling though his eyes were filled with complicated emotions but later on it went back to being warm. "Let''s go back then", Erick said as he patted Bryan''s right shoulder. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At the office, personnel were waiting for their Inspector to arrive. They prepared a small gathering as a celebration in solving the Serial Murder Case No. 1006. After two months of assigning this case with their team, the case was solved immediately and it was a case closed, as expected of their very handsome, intelligent and very kind hearted Chief Detective Inspector, Erick Lee. Erick, in his 4 years of his service as Sergeant Detective, he had accomplished so much and was promoted as Detective Inspector at the age of 25. He is now 28 years old and still accomplishing more in the field of investigation and solving criminal cases. Many of his colleagues admired him either it was a man or a woman. He was very smart, dedicated and passionate about his work. His father who was also a police officer before was his role model. Despites all the achievement He got at this very young age, he remained humble and down to earth. He was an epitome of a perfect gentleman and a warrior of justice. Aside from his skills, talents and good qualities, many women in his Department even outside their Department have crush on him. He was the most popular and youngest detective inspector in the country. Luckily for the girls, they still have hope since they knew that Erick is still single and they have not heard anything if he has someone special in his heart. Some thought maybe he was just very hardworking and workaholic and doesn''t have time for his Love life. So many girls were trying to catch his attention, but also failed in the end. He was kind to everyone. He treated everyone equally. "Inspector Lee and Sergeant Velasquez had just arrived! Everyone quick, get ready for the surprise," someone shouted in order to warn everyone. As they heard it, everyone went to their assigned places and hide their props as they waited for Erick and Bryan''s arrival. After a few minutes passed, Erick and Bryan entered the office. They were welcomed by loud cheers accompanied by falling off confettis "Congratulations Inspector Lee!Surprise!!". Bryan couldn''t hide his big wide smile, on the otherhand, Erick was dumbfounded for seconds before he recovered from the surprise of his very thoughtful colleagues. He didn''t expect them to do this kind of surprise. A gentle smile appeared on his handsome face and he gave them a grateful glance. Chapter 4 - 4: Team Alpha Cinco Task Force "It''s been a long time since we last enjoyed our night and went out together like this again", Bryan said as he enjoyed his drink. April nodded as she agreed with Bryan "Yeah, Case no. 1006 gave us the busiest two months of this year". April (26 years old, Single) was the profiler in their team. Her role is to examine evidence at crime scenes in an effort to identify common behaviors and traits of a perpetrator. "It was a tough job. I could still remember the vivid image of the victims brutally killed by that monster. Sometimes I dreamed about it at night. I have so many sleepless nights huhu", Rose shrugged as she complained about how she suffered sleepless nights for the past two months. Rose (28 years old, Single) the programmer; she is responsible in cyber security system, information access, collection of data and anything that requires the need of computer, internet and programs. "Let''s stop talking all about it. We are here to relax and enjoy our night together," June butted in as he didn''t want to hear another complaint from the girls. He is also a police detective in the team (34 years old, Married). He worked together with Bryan, (30 years old, Single) the Detective Sergeant, in collecting first hand information in the field, talking with the witnesses and informants and collecting physical evidences and searching records that will able to help them in solving the cases. Erick is the overall in command of this team and consider as the Brain. Through the collaborative efforts and contribution from each of them, Erick would analyze all the collected data gathered by his team members and would draw conclusions as to find the true culprit and perpetrator to solve the cases. They were the members of the Team Alpha Cinco Task force also known as the "Magnificent 5". Their team was considered as one of those sophisticated team of specialists on the Violent Crimes Task force that investigates crimes and solves the toughest of cases throughout the country. It was headed by their team leader who at the same time is their Inspector Detective, Erick Lee. (They didn''t know yet but in the near future, they will encounter the toughest and most challenging case that they will ever have in their lives and their expertise and teamwork will truly be tested by their faithful encounter with the Devilish Assassin Catseye.) After their simple gathering in their office, the five of them decided to go out together for dinner and have fun. They ended up in a KTV bar and rented a private room. Bryan is the one who insisted in going there since he loves singing however singing does not love him back. The laughter erupted inside the room because of the out of tuned voice of Bryan singing the song entitled ''Survivor''. After his all out performance, the group gave him a big big round of applause accompanied by whistling. "Thank you very much for listening in my wonderful voice ladies and gentlemen," Bryan said as he bowed down his head. "Guys, do you want more?",Bryan asked them confidently. The four of them stared with one another thinking of the same thought in mind and they instantly replied at the same time saying "No more, no more, no more!". Bryan pretended to be hurt by their responses and said ''''Can''t you just act a little, as if you really enjoy my performance? You are hurting my pride and ego guys. Is this what friends are for?". His reply just gathered another laughter inside the room. "Correction, we are not friends, we are just colleagues," April rebutted in order to tease him more. Seeing his team acting like a little children teasing and joking with each other, Erick just shook his head and smiled. This was the reason why he really liked this team and glad to be with them. When it came to work they are really professional and serious and when they are outside working area they seemed to be different persons. This was the other side of his team that other people do not know. They also know how to enjoy and take it easy for a while. The laughter stopped when they heard Erick, "Thank you guys for tonight. I really enjoyed being with you. I am really happy to have you as part of my team. And because I am really proud of you, tonight''s treats is on me." The others smiled upon hearing this statement from him since they were also happy to be working with him. "Nice boss, Thank you so much. let''s do this again tomorrow", Bryan said cheerfully in which he earned a kick from April. "Ouch! What is that kick for?"Bryan complained to Ana as he massaged his leg. "For being talkative and opportunist." April replied matter-of-factly. After the 7 hours of fun, they decided to go home and rest. Luckily tomorrow will be a weekend and a rest day for them especially to those who had so much to drink. As agreement, Erick was the one who will be paying for all their expenses. Since Erick was supporting Bryan who is very drunk right now, and June was also supporting Rose who is also drunk, he gave his wallet to April and requested her to pay for their bills. April went to the cashier to pay. While waiting for the change, out of curiosity April decided to scan Erick''s Wallet. She wanted to know if she will be able to see a picture of a girl in his wallet. Just like other girls in their department, she was also one of those who have crush on Erick. She really likes him however she doesn''t want to show it because she is afraid that if he finds out it will be awkward for them. She does not have the courage yet to confess. As she was busy scanning the wallet, she didn''t notice that the four of them were already walking towards her. She saw a family picture of Eric. It was taken during his promotion 3 years ago. Eric is at the center wearing his Detective Uniform, on his left side is his mother hugging him on the sides while looking at him lovingly and his father is standing on the right side. They looked a happy family of three. She couldn''t help but smile seeing the gentleness and love visible on that family picture. She couldn''t see any other pictures. Now she concluded that Erick doesn''t really have girlfriend yet. When she was about to close the wallet, she noticed another wallet size picture in one of the secret pocket. It was a picture of a young girl at around the age of 10. "Who is this child? His sister? But he doesn''t have a sister. Is she his childhood sweetheart?, she uttered to herself as she was wondering who''s this young girl could be in Erick''s life. Chapter 5 - 5: A Taste of Devils Viciousness Elle went inside the room. The room was small, with plain white walls and gray floor. A table was in the middle with two wooden chairs, one was already occupied by a balding fat man in his mid-40''s wearing a white shirt and the other seat was reserved for her. The man was blindfolded and chained. This was the Day 1, after closing the deal with Dark Knight Organization and accepting the mission of eliminating the Skull Gang leader Jorge Arison. She promised to accomplish the mission in 3 Days right after receiving half of the payment. She walked towards the man and removed his blindfold "Hello my Dear?", she greeted him with an evil smile. The man was dumbfounded when he saw the woman in front of him, a beautiful alluring woman but emits a dangerous aura. "Who are you? What do you want from me?", the man questioned her as he tried to remember what happened before he ended up being held captive there. As far as he could remember, he was in a club, one of their clubs under Skull Gang operation, enjoying his nights drinking and surrounded by beautiful young women. It was their territory. He wondered how he was kidnap in his own territory which was surrounded by hundreds of their men. It looked ridiculous. Who was this woman? Who would dare to kidnap him; Peter Blakes, a leader of one of the branches of Skull Gang? "The people who knew my identity and saw my face are all dead. Are you sure, you wanna know my identity? You are probably thinking right now how you ended up here and who would dare kidnap one of the Branch leaders of Skull Gang, am I right?" Elle said as she could tell what is in his mind right now base on his expression alone. Elle picked up her briefcase before laying it flat on the table. She flicked open the briefcase and pick up an item. The briefcase if full of different types of weapon used for torturing a person. The man in front of her started panic. He struggled against his cuffs, kicking and pulling at his restraints. "The more you struggle, the more pain you will feel. I would stop doing that if I were you." Elle warned him. He could feel the coldness in her voice. He was helpless. He knew it was useless and he could not escape. He stopped from struggling and decided to negotiate with her to buy him some time and to try his luck. He could just wish that his men were looking for him and tried to save him from this evil witch in front of him. He made a promised to himself that once he escaped here alive, he will make sure to kill this woman in various ways. "How much money do you want? I can give you money in exchange for my life. Let me contact my men. I''ll order them to bring the money right away.", Peter said as he tried to negotiate with her. A small chuckled escaped from Elle''s lips, "Who said I want your money? I just wanted to satisfy myself right now. Do you know what I really want right now?", Peter shook his head and said "Then tell me what do you want". Elle picked up and raised the scalpel inside the briefcase, she played it in her hands and she stared intently to Peter as she gave him her answer. "What I want right now is to smell some blood and to hear someone screaming in pain while being tortured by me. I guess you could satisfy me with that". Elle flashed a cunning smile. That smiled that could make everyone shivered from fear. "You''re crazy lunatic!", peter shouted, fear was evident in his eyes. Elle laughed. She really liked to see her prey in this state of mind, feeling helpless, full of fear and uncertainty. "I am not crazy lunatic. Just call me ruthless and vicious." After saying that, Elle begun to torture Peter in order to gather information as well as to satisfy her craving for a bloodbath. Peter''s shouting and crying reverberated piercingly around the room. Elle''s initial plan was to gather more information about Jorge Arison, and his upcoming schedules through one of his branch leaders and it just happened that among the 20 Branch Leaders of Skull Gang, Peter Blakes was the first one she encountered. He really had such bad luck. She saw him at the club having a good night fun with all the girls around him. At that moment, she decided to capture her prey. She waited for the chance to approach him. She saw that one of the girls dancing with Peter a while ago went to the comfort room. She followed her and knocked her down. She changed and wore the s.e.xy dress that the woman is wearing a while ago. She did the make over, wear a contact lens, and a wig. She was in perfect disguise that is why when Peter saw her a while ago he could not recognize her. Before going back, she called Charles about her plan. Using her charm, she was able to lure Peter inside one of the private rooms of the club. Peter''s men did not suspect anything. They thought that their boss was having a good time in bed with the beautiful lady. She drugged him and Peter immediately dozed off upon reaching their room. Of course, Elle used her hacker''s ability to tampered the CCTV inside the club. Charles entered the club unnoticed and carried the unconscious n.a.k.e.d woman in the girl''s comfort room. He proceeded in the room where Elle was waiting for him. They successfully brought out Peter. His men right now maybe in chaos, wondering where they could find their big boss. They have left with no clue at all. They could not find anything unusual even in the CCTV and only the n.a.k.e.d unconscious woman was found in that room. Poor woman, she was now blamed by Peter''s men regarding their boss disappearance. She couldn''t remember anything after she was knocked down in the CR. She was not able to see Elle''s face. Even if they tortured her to talk, they couldn''t find answer from her. She was innocent but she suffered much in place of Elle. Chapter 6 - 6: The Little Girl in the Picture At XXX Crime Investigation Office April was still concerned about the little girl''s picture that she found in Erick''s wallet two nights ago. She was not able to have a proper sleep for two days now just thinking about it. "Good morning!", Bryan greeted everyone with a bright smile as he entered the office. Everyone greeted him back except April. Bryan burrowed his brows as he noticed April just staring blankly in front of her table while playing with a ballpen in her right hand. She looked like her mind was somewhere else. Bryan just shook his head. He sat down on his seat and continued observing April. His table was located in front of April''s table. After a minute passed, Bryan couldn''t stand it anymore. He walked towards April. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she failed to notice the presence of another person besides her table. A light tap on her shoulder woke her up from her deep thoughts. She turned around to see Bryan staring at her intently and looking so serious. "What?" She hissed, obviously she was not in a good mood to joke around with him right now. Bryan pouted as he sensed her annoyance in the tone of her voice "Hmm, I should be the one asking you that ''what''.... what is bothering you right now? What happened in your weekend that cause you to be in bad mood right now?''''. She just sighed upon hearing his question. She was in dilemma right now. Should she asked him right now about the picture or not? Maybe he could give her answer since Bryan is the closest to Erick among them. Bryan noticed that she was still thinking. He just kept silent and waited patiently for her answer. Rose also arrived in the office and upon entering she saw the two of them looking so serious and very quiet. "Are they having a lover''s quarrel so early in this morning?", she mumbled to herself. She decided to joined them. "Do you know who is the little girl in the picture that Inspector Lee kept in his wallet?" she asked. "Huh, What do you mean little girl?", Bryan asked her as they both heard another voice, it was Rose. They didn''t noticed that she is already standing in front of April''s Table looking at them. "What? Did you scan and search his wallet without his consent?", Rose was shocked as realization came to her. Her friend did a search operation looking for a photo inside their boss'' wallet thinking that she might uncover the truth whether their boss had hidden a photo of his girlfriend. And it was all about curiosity...-but remember curiosity kills the cat. The worst case is.... it was done without his consent. April did not respond and just smiled sheepishly and looking so guilty. Another person came to joined them. June thought that they were having a meeting early in this morning. "Is there a new tough case assigned to us?" June butted in. "Yes, our friend did something illegal. It was against the rights of privacy of our beloved Inspector Lee, haha " Rose laughed at her own joke. June didn''t know what''s going on that''s why he was confused right now. Speaking of Inspector Lee, Erick just came in also and saw his team gathered together in April''s table. The "Magnificent 5" was complete. "Hi guys, good morning! What''s the commotion here?" he greeted them. The four of them looked towards the direction of that voice. They saw Erick standing 1 meter away from them and he was smiling widely while looking at them. The four of them wore different expressions in their faces. "Good morning Inspector",only June greeted him back. "Oh right timing, You''re here, we were just talking about you", he added. Bryan "....." April "..." Rose "..." The three persons beside him were dumbfounded and became speechless. They didn''t expect that June will be that slow-witted. Why he have to say that to Erick. The three of them glared sharply at June like flying daggers. If just glaring could kill someone, June would be dead right now having thousand of daggers stabbed in his whole body. April stood up immediately from her chair and bowed her head while saying "Sorry Inspector, I did something grave this time. Hope you can forgive me". "You feel sorry about what? ," Erick asked her. He didn''t sound angry at all. "I....last Friday...Inspector Lee," April struggled in her explaination as she didn''t know how to justify her action that time. She didn''t want Erick to know that she did it because she likes him. The four of them just stared at April waiting for her response. "Inspector Lee, last friday, I accidentally saw a picture of a little girl in your wallet." She really used the word ''accidentally''. to lighten her punishment just in case. Bryan and Rose looked at her meaningfully. They didn''t know whether they will cry or laugh. April dared to lie again with their Boss. Erick chuckled "Haha.... is that the reason for the commotion this morning? Don''t worry. It,''s not a big deal." He tapped April''s head. April blushed. "Are you all curious about her?". "Yes", Bryan answered immediately. "Is she your childhood sweetheart?" That question earned another chuckled from Erick. He could see in their eyes that they were really eager and interested to know who is the little girl in the picture. "Ok, since you are all interested.I will tell you what I know about her". "Her name is Ma. Belle Elliese Falcon. She is the only daughter of Agent Cedrick Falcon and His beloved wife Jasmine Montenegro.Agent Falcon was the Former Head of Phoenix Special Task Force. He is my father''s bestfriend." Erick glanced at them and they looked like they didn''t want to interrupt him, so he continued his story. "My father used to tell me that they are a wonderful family. However everything changed after that incident 15 years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Falcon together with their helpers and security guards were massacred. It was a classified case that is why no media was allowed to release any news information about what happened 15 years ago. Their duaghter was reported missing. They never found her body. That was one of the mystery that my father was not able to solve when he took charge of the investigation." "Unfortunately, the case remained unresolve until now. 15 years had passed but they couldn''t find any clue. Ma. Belle was declared dead but my father believes that she is still alive out there. He promised to his bestfriend''s graveyard that he will find her no matter what. And I plan to help him fulfill that''s promise. "The picture that I am keeping right now is the only picture that we have. It was taken when she was 10 years old. Uncle Cedrick gave it to my father, and I guess my father also send him my photo. Every time they had a conversation, their children was their number one topic. They also planned to have a reunion in order for me and Ma. Belle to meet. But it never happened because of the tragedy. And that is her story." Chapter 7 - 7: The Birthday Party "Everything is prepared. Here look at this." Charles gave to Elle the floor plan of one of the Arison''s Mansions. They were sitting inside a black tinted car at the carpark near the Mansion. Elle studied the plan and made a mental note regarding the locations of the CCTV cameras, entrance and exits and the potential location where most of the guards will be on standby and will do their roving during the events. Tonight was the celebration of the 27th Birthday of Selena Arison, the youngest daughter of Jorge Arison. Many important people in the entertainment, politics and in business industry were present tonight. Jorge Arison in his mid 50''s, was a very influential man. He is a prominent business man and the Chairman of Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation. But in reality the reason why Arison Holdings has a good standing in the industry is because of its underground operations such as drugs, gambling, prostitution and selling of illegal firearms which were being manage by the Skull Gang. To cover these things and to avoid suspicions from the authority, he even put up foundations for the orphan children and for those cancer patients. To others, Jorge Arison, was a very generous businessman who always has compassionate heart for the needy. They could hear the lively music coming from the Mansion, then Elle said "Let''s join the party and enjoy this night. You already know what to do". Charles nodded and when he looked at her at the passenger seat, he saw her smile. It was a dangerous, predatory smile. He seldom saw her smile, but once she smiled it means another human life will be leaving in this world. In short, when devil smiles it only means death. Charles just shook his head and thought to himself ''I am glad I''m on the devil''s side. I have to serve my purpose if I really wanted to stay alive while I''m with her''. Elle left the car and went ahead. Charles stayed at the car for the time being and he would wait there for her instruction. Once he received her signal he would also act according to their plan. Both of them were wearing a very small communication device that no one would be able to notice. Through these, they could easily contact each other. He saw Elle entered the Mansion. She was in full disguised as a waitress. One day before the event, they already planned out everything. The I.D and identity that they will be using in order to enter the mansion, the in and out of the mansion, the layout, the number of guards, the lists of guest and visitors. Of course the information they had gathered from torturing Peter Blake was also very useful. As soon as Elle entered the Mansion, she proceeded at the kitchen. Every time that she would walked around the area where CCTV was installed she knew the proper angle and timing so that it could not record her face. She was very careful but if things could not be avoided she would just go to the CCTV control room and delete the records. This time Elle went inside the banquet hall while holding a tray full of lady''s drink and champagne. She immediately saw many women dressed up in different styles and the men were all wearing suites. She was silently observing everything inside the hall just like a predator waiting for her prey. Men in black uniform were also scattered inside the hall. As expected, this was not a normal gathering, many upper class and prominent people were present that''s why the place was well-protected and was especially guarded. This party was also for publicity purposes that''s why even reporters were also invited. Professional musicians were now performing at the side to entertain the guest while waiting for the host and celebrant to come down. It was a lively atmosphere. The music suddenly stopped and someone shouted "Mr. and Mrs. Arison just arrived together with Lady Selena." Everyone stopped what they were doing and focus their attention to the three beautiful persons who just arrived and were now walking inside the banquet hall. Everyone gasped in surprise as they saw the Arrison Family, admiration were evident in their eyes. Jorge Arison even in his 50''s, he was an attractive man and a confidence was illuminating in his aura. His sharp eyes swept across the entire hall, greetings all the guest with a smile. His wife Evana Arison in her mid 40''s, was wearing a silvery long white dress and she looked groomed and gracious. At the center was Selena Arison in a dark red dress. She had a gentle smile on her angelic face and she appeared elegant and beautiful. Many of the guest were impressed by her beauty. "What a wonderful family. Sorry, am not sorry for destroying it'''', Elle mumbled to herself, as meaningful smiled appeared on her face, her eyes were so dark and cold. She decided to contact Charles and gave him the signal. Meanwhile in the car park.... There was a knocking sound coming from the trunk of the black car. "Oh, our hostage is awake," Charles chuckled as he remembered that there was still someone inside the trunk. Of course it was Peter Blake. He got out of the car and went at the back. He opened the trunk and he saw Peter sweating a lot. " Haha Poor man, I was amazed, you still have the strength to knock despite the torture you have gone through,". Charles gave him a sarcasm laugh. Peter shot him a glare. His hand was tied and and his mouth was gagged to suppress him from making unnecessary sound. Charles pulled him up and brought him inside the car. He was about to enter into the driver''s seat when Elle called him through their communication device, "Target spotted. Catseye on the move." This was her go signal, means He should also move according to their plan. Charles picked up the paper bag beside him. "Peter, the show is about to start. As I said before, you have no choice but to cooperate with us." Charles looked at him and Peter just glared at him. "I am warning you, follow my direction or else I will not hesitate to kill you on the spot. And you know how vicious that woman is, one mistake and she will bring you back to that hell. If you are really smart you already know what to do. Just behave and do what you were told to do. Understood? Charles reminded him again and it was effective. Peter shivered from fear as he recall everything that happened to him in the torture room. He didn''t want that to happen again so he just nodded in agreement. Charles went to Peter to untie him. He gave him the paper bag which contain a suite. "Remove your clothes and change into these. We have to join the party!". Charles smiled at the thought of having to enter the banquet and have a chance to meet beautiful ladies inside. ''There''s nothing wrong about having fun while working right? I will enjoy the night and Elle will do the rest.'' Charles reassured himself. Chapter 8 - 8: Face to Face Arison''s Mansion "Ladies and Gentlemen, let''s welcome Mr. and Mrs. Arison together with our celebrant Lady Selena". the emcee called them in front and gave the microphone to Mr. Arison. They were welcomed by around of applause from the guests. "Thank you for coming here tonight to celebrate the special day of my beloved youngest daughter Selena," Jorge smiled and looked at his beautiful daughter. "I hope everyone will enjoy the night, please feel at home." he added. As expected to the generous man, welcoming the guests with open arms so they could feel at ease inside the mansion. The guests'' laughter erupted in the banquet hall. He signalled for the musician to start and play the music. The dance floor were now open. He guided her daughter Selena in the middle of the hall. The father and daughter duo was now dancing. Other guests accompanied them in the dance floor. They were enjoying every moments without knowing that a pair of sharp dark eyes was silently observing them on the sideline waiting for the right time to attack. Young Bachelors grabbed the opportunity to dance with Selena. Jorge Arison left the dance floor to join his wife and to entertain the guest especially those big shot in the politics and business world. Of course, they would be talking about business. Elle contacted Charles, "Where are you?" "We just got here inside", Charles responded. Elle saw him together with Peter as they entered the Hall. They both wearing a black suite. Charles appeared to be as a bodyguard. Elle smiled "Peter really knows how to act like nothing has happened to him", Charles chuckled as he heard Elle''s remarks. "I just remind him how ruthless and merciless you can be." He looked at Peter wearing a smile greeting the people inside. He looked tired but he could still manage to act naturally. "Smart move, is everything all set?", Elle asked Charles. "Yes boss, I have done everything that you asked me to do. It''s all up to you now." Charles said proudly. He saw Elle carrying a tray full of drinks walking towards a group of gentlemen. When Charles saw Jorge Arison was with them, he already knew what would happen. "Catseye is really on the move." He observed everything. A minute passed and a commotion happened. They heard a loud clank, glasses fell down and shattered on the floor. "I am sorry sir, I am really sorry. I accidentally tripped on my ankle. Please forgive my carelessness" Elle was bowing her head as he asked forgiveness to Jorge. People gasped in shocked looking at Jorge who was all wet and his white suite was tainted with the blue color of the ladies drinks. People were now glaring at the girl waitress. The few men in black (security) also appeared to them. They grabbed Elle. Jorge Arison just stared at the girl with his an indescribable expression, her uniform was also wet. He was aware that they already gathered people''s attentions and waiting for his reaction and what he will gonna do. After a while, Arison just sighed "It''s okay. Just release her. Mistakes happen from time to time. I forgive you. Call somebody to clean this mess" As soon as they heard it, the guard released Elle. ''As expected to generous man,'' this is the thought of the guests who witness everything. "Sorry for the inconvenience. Please continue the fun." After finishing his sentence Arison signaled for his wife and daughter that he would just go upstair to change. Elle and Charles had an eye to eye contact. She nodded and Charles understood what she meant. They proceeded into the next step of their plan. Elle went back to the kitchen. Of course, she was reprimanded first by the persons in charge. He went to the CR to change her clothes. She opened the trashcan and saw the black bag. Charles put it there a while ago when they arrived in the Mansion with Peter. The guard didn''t inspect him because they knew Peter Blake. She removed her clothes and change into her Assasin''s outfit. She successfully sneaked in inside the mansion. She perfectly avoided the CCTVs and the guards. She was moving towards the room where Jorge Arison was currently changing his suites. She unlocked the door and entered. Her moves were smooth and silent making no sound at all. She saw her target''s back. He was busy fixing his necktie and he didn''t notice that someone was already standing behind his back. After a while, Jorge felt something''s cold that make him shivers. It seemed that his instinct told him that something was not right. He became conscious of his surroundings, and then he felt another presence inside the room so he turned around and saw the black figure standing in front of him. He gave her a shocked and a confused look. She was wearing a pair of black tight fitting outfit that would help her move rapidly, wearing leather black shoes and a robe that hangs below the knee and with a featured hood, with a matching black mask to cover her face and identity. The black masked she wore matching her sharp beautiful dark eyes gave off a mysterious vibes, strikingly beautiful but dangerous. As soon as he saw that person he immediately understood. The person in front of him was an assassin. Someone hired to kill him. He took several deep breath to calm himself down and recovered from shocked. He smiled bitterly and shook his head. He stared at her. Elle was amazed as "she saw him stared at her with calm expression, the shock and confusion that he felt a while ago was nowhere to be found. She had come now face to face with her target. She felt annoyed, this reaction from him was not the one that she expected to see. As expected to the Leader of the Skull Gang. No wonder Dark Knight was so eager to eliminate this person. He was not an easy person to handle. Other people would be in panic if they are in this kind of situation but here he was, very calm and compose, not intimidated in her at all. "Hello Mr. Arison, It''s my pleasure to meet you." she broke the silence first. As he heard her voice, he was dumbfounded for a while. The person in front of him is a woman, a lady assassin. ''What an interesting faced off'' he thought to himself. "The pleasure is also mine."Jorge responded as he smirked and gave her a meaningful look. Chapter 9 - 9: Phantom Jorge sat down at the corner of his King sized bed facing Elle. He signaled her to sit down at the chair besides the bed. Elle complied and she leisurely sat down, crossed her legs while she played her dagger with her right hand. She called Charles "Bring Peter in". After a while, they heard the room opening followed by two heavy steps. Jorge burrowed his brows as he saw the persons who have just came in, it was Peter accompanied by a handsome man wearing black both are wearing black suites. As soon as Peter saw Jorge. He immediately walked towards him and he dropped on his knees asking for forgiveness "Sorry Boss, They leave me no choice. They would kill me if I don''t follow them. They kidnapped me and tortured me for two days." Peter explained his situation to Jorge in order to justify his betrayal. Jorge just laughed mockingly at him. "Haha, You''re a man surrounded by hundreds of guard but you let yourself be bullied by a girl, one girl. I am not sure if assigning you to be a branch leader was the right choice. Where did my fearless Peter Blake go?" "Boss you don''t understand how vicious this woman is. She''s a lunatic craving for blood. She''s a living devil." Peter cowered in fear as he avoided to look at the lady in black. Now that she was in her ''Assasin Mode'', her sullen and strong aura flowed throughout the room making everyone shiver and keep a distance from her. Even Charles could sense that danger was around the corner just looking at the girl in her Assassin outfit. However he noticed that Jorge was really calm and didn''t seem affected by the murderous aura coming from Elle. He needed to commend him for that. Charles suddenly chuckled "If you are really afraid of her, how dare you insult her in front of her?" Peter was speechless as realization came to him. He turned and looked at Elle who was already staring at him intently. Those eyes were too cold that they seemed to freeze his heart. He regretted what he had said a while ago. He couldn''t hide the fear in his face while looking at her. He felt his heart palpitate. Jorge was amazed. This was the first time he saw Peter like this. He knew Peter as a ruthless and fearsome branch leader of Skull Gang but now he was seeing him weak and coward in front of this lady assassin. His curiosity about her became deeper. It''s been a long time since he encountered someone like this before then a familiar figure of a man appeared in his mind. He smiled and looked at her again "I felt proud. You are a worthy opponent. It was really my pleasure to die in your hands." Jorge said as admiration and amus.e.m.e.nt was evident in his face. Suddenly, Elle thrown the dagger in her hand towards Peter...and swoosh....it''s a bulls-eye "Argh". It hit exactly at Peter''s neck. Seconds later the lifeless body of Peter dropped in the floor with lots of crimson blood coming from his neck and mouth. His eyes was looking at her as if questioning her "Why?". The man said that all he needs to do is follow him and he would be saved. "Oops... I forgot to tell him that you hate noisy people so much and you tend to kill them instantly when they irritate you. Hehe", Charles spoke up as if he heard the question in Peter''s mind. Elle glared and gave him warning look that says ''Talk more and you will be the next one lying together with him''. One looked and he understood Elle so he decided to retreat. He raised both his hands while saying "Ok, I think my presence here is no longer needed. I must leave." He disappeared quickly in front of Elle. Jorge laughed at the scene he just saw. "You really reminded me of someone." Elle raised her brow when she heard Jorge. He was really not afraid of her even though the death is knocking on his door right now. And she thought he was enjoying this. She walked towards the lifeless body of Peter and she picked up her dagger. Seeing the blood scattered in the floor, she was satisfied. "Phantom", Jorge said as he observed Elle. When she heard the word "Phantom", a shocked appeared in her eyes. She turned only to see Jorge was smiling brightly while staring at her. " "From the expressions of yours, I guess you know him", Jorge was observing every little reaction that he could see in her face. Elle was now standing in front of him with the dagger in her hands. She was now curious. How come he knew about Phantom? Jorge stood up and went to his study table where there was whiskey and a glass. He opened the bottle and poured some to his glass. Elle was really annoyed in the confidence that Jorge was showing her. He had the guts to drink his favorite whiskey in front of his assassin. "Don''t get a wrong idea kid. I''m old man now. I understand my situation right now. I just want to enjoy my whiskey. It would be my last time drinking this, am I right?", Charles offered her a drink but she refused. Elle chuckled "How dare you call me a kid? You really amused me. Why did you mentioned Phantom?", "You reminded me of him," he answered honestly. He continued "I hired him several times before. He was a legendary assassin. "Oh, he is just an old geezer now just like you, except that you have more money than him." Elle rebutted. She was amused to herself why she was exchanging some casual conversation with this old man. "No one could ever tracked him down except for that one man. He likes to play cat and mouse with that man. I thought Phantom will be caught but unfortunately that man died. Then he quits because he was bored. Maybe that was one of the reasons he got you as disciple,'''' He glanced at her waiting for her reaction. "Who said that I was his disciple?" she asked feeling annoyed. Jorge was getting more and more talkative now but the worst case was she was interested to what he is talking about now, about her "Master", the one who trained him to become a full-pledge assassin. Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Selena was calling her father. Elle saw a warm smile appeared on his face as he looked at the caller. Jorge gave him a meaningful glance and she nodded. Jorge answered the Phone in a loud speaker. "Dad, what it takes you so long? our guests are looking for you. Come here now." Selena pleaded. " Sorry sweetheart, I think I just got upset stomach." Jorge chuckled. " Dad are you okay? I will come up now to check on you", worries evident to Selena''s voice. Jorge stop her immediately "No need, I am okay, You''re the celebrant you must entertain our guests. I was about to go down. I am just doing some important business here." "Ok Dad, We will be waiting here for you together with Mom. I love you Dad," " Selena....." Jorge paused " My sweetheart Happy Birthday. Always remember Dad loves you too." " I will. Thanks Dad,". Jorge hung up the phone. Sadness appeared on his eyes but it disappeared quickly as he stared again to Elle. Chapter 10 - 10: Negotiation Charles came back to the banquet hall and currently having a drink while observing his surroundings. He kept on checking his watch, "I wonder what Elle is doing right now. Why is it taking so long? " Charles frown as he was getting impatient. "I coudn''t wait to see what would be the reaction of everyone present here tonight when they found out that Jorge Arison was murdered in his own Mansion." Meanwhile, the two persons upstair continued their conversation.... "I recognized your dagger. Only Phantom has this kind of dagger, this was his trademark." Jorge explained to Elle the reason why he assumed that she was a disciple of Phantom. "You are really familiar about him. You could remember even his weapon. I have to commend you for that." "How about you?" What is your alias and your mark." Jorge asked curiously. Elle picked something inside her robe''s pocket and revealed a small card with a symbol of a cat and an eye. Jorge was stunned for a moment upon seeing the card. "You are CatsEye, the devilish assassin as others are saying." Elle just responded with a smile. "He really trained you well, a killer machine who would follow his footsteps." he added. Elle suddenly chuckled "Nope, I have no plan in following the footsteps of that old geezer. Don''t compare me with him. Enough talking already. We are really wasting a lot of time now by talking nonsense, are you just buying some time so that you can escape?" "I''m not a fool. I know what you are capable of. One wrong move and you can kill me right here right now in just a blink of an eye. So before it happens....let''s talk about business first." Jorge suggested. Elle raised her brows, "Whoah, that''s an interesting topic to talk to. Are you going to negotiate for your precious life? Let me hear your proposal" Jorge stared at her intently, this time he was serious. "Who hired you? How much money they offered you?". "Dark Knight offered 50 million at first but I refused. I said I need 100 million in order to close the deal." Elle answered. A loud chuckled coming from Jorge errupted in the room. "Hahaha, you''re joking right? Do you think my head is only worth 100 million? You should have asked them to give you a Billion if I were you." Jorge sounded amused. "So are you telling me that you will give me a billion just to spare your life and abort the mission that they give me?" "Haha, No! Call them right now and demanded for more. Heh since they wanted me dead why not grab this opportunity to make them lose more money. It would be my greatest revenge for them." Another laughter errupted coming from Jorge. "Why is that so? You should convince me to spare your life by paying me a billion rather than telling me to call them and demanded for more money." Elle stared at him, observing him with her cold dark eyes. "I said I am not a fool. If I said that, we never know, you might have the urge to throw that dagger again and I will end up with the same faith with him" Jorge pointed to her the lifeless body of Peter "I know even if I offered you a billion, you will never let me go. No one knows catseye''s identity until now.You are very mysterious. Knowing your identity and showing me your card only means death. Sooner or later you''ll have to silence me. So there is no used for negotiation about sparing my life." he added. Elle clapped her hands "You are really a clever one, a smart one. I should follow the advice of a wise man." After saying that, Elle contacted Charles. "Charles... "Hey!!!Elle what are you doing now? Have you already done with the mission? Where are you? I am so bored waiting for the outcome of our mission." Charles interrupted Elle and bombarded her with questions as soon as he heard Elle call his name. "Call Dark Knight. Tell them there was a change of plan. Jorge already know about them and he offered us a billion to spare his life. Tell them if they could not gave us more than what Jorge had offered then lets forget about this mission and prepared for the counterattack of Skull Gang. I need their full payment right now." She said to Charles direct to the point. "Copy and noted Madam!" Charles picked up his phone and called the leader of Dark Knight. 10 minutes passed and then Charles called her back. "They offered us 50 Billion.....and", Charles hesitated. "and What?" Elle asked him Charles sighed "Promise me first that you will not torture me." "I promise I will not torture you but I will definitely kill you if you won''t talk right now.! Elle sounded annoyed. "They offered us 50 billion and they said you are a devil bitch that should rot in hell. They cursed you and me." Charles sighed. A sinister smile appeared on Elle''s face as if she didn''t mind what Charles just said. She was now looking at her phone when she saw that the money was already deposited to her account. Jorge was just observing the lady assasin and waiting for her final judgement. Elle glanced at him. "Judgement time I guess." Jorge smiled at her "Thank you for helping me gain more profits today. Because I am in a good mood, I will not give you a bloody death. I will not spill your blood today." Elle picked up a tiny tube in her pocket and gave it to Jorge. "I''ll give you a peaceful death through this poison. Drink this." Charles complied and drunk the poison. Elle gave him a final looked before she turned her back and started to leave the room. "Thank you." these were the last words that Jorge uttered before he died. She stopped. She was stunned and surprised when she heard those words. She turned back and saw Jorge smiling at her. He gave him a confused and questioning looked. But Jorge never talked again. 5 minutes later. Jorge collapsed in his bed. Jorge Arison was already dead. Chapter 11 - 11: CatsEye the Assassin Thirty minutes later after Elle left, the Arison Mansion was now in chaos. Police and Medics came rushing but it was too late. Selena was the one who found his father and Peter inside the room. All of them were shocked about what happened. They never imagined that the lively banquet would turned into a disaster. Two people were found dead and the worst case was Jorge Arison was one of them. Selena and her mother were hysterical. They couldn''t believe what just happened. Just a while ago Selena was having a sweet conversation with his Father but now he was already dead. Hatred was visible in her beautiful eyes. She wanted revenge to whoever did this to his father. She swore that no matter what everyone who was involved in her father''s death should pay double..no...it''s triple the amount of pain she was feeling right now. She would hunt them down and would avenge his father. ___________________________________________ At XXX Crime Investigation Office "Have you heard the news about what happened last night?" Bryan asked "Yeah, it became the talk of the town early this morning." June replied "This is a shocking news!" April said as she was reading the newspapers. "The Generous Businessman, Jorge Arison was murdered in his own mansion during his Youngest Daughter''s Birthday Banquet". "Two persons were killed in one night. Jorge Arison and Peter Blake." Rose joined their conversation. "Many people are mourning because of Mr. Arison. Aside from being businessman he also helped so many people. They were really angry, asking for justice." April sighed as she continued scanning the news report. "If he had done so many good deeds, who would dare to kill this compassionate person? What are their motives?" Bryan sounded confused. "I guess all of you are now aware about Arison and Blake Murder Case. It was not an ordinary murder case. I have just received a request from the Investigation Bureau, they are assigning this case to us." Erick said to his team. He was holding a doc.u.ment file. "Please proceed to the conference room now. We will have a meeting about this case." Erick added. All of them went to the conference room. Photos of lifeless bodies of Arison and Blake were projected in the screen. "These were shots taken by police officer Kim. They were the one who arrived first in the crime scene." Erick explained. "What are other informations they have as of now?" Bryan asked. "According to the report submitted by Police Officer Kim, Peter got a wound on his neck while Jorge didn''t have any wound. The doctor who responded that time, he suspected that Jorge was poisoned. We are still waiting for the autopsy report to confirm this." Erick said to them. "What do you think is the motive in killing those two people?" June asked the team. "It could be someone had a grudge with them and they have offended that person." Bryan shared his thought. "Or it could be one of his Business competitor?" "The autopsy reports are not yet done. They will forward it to Rose as soon as result come out. After this April and I will go to the crime scene and meet with the Arison''s family. Bryan and June, both of you will interview the people present that night and find out whether there are some witnesses and suspicious person. Rose, you need to check and examine the CCTV footage. We might find some clues." Erick said as he assigned their task. "Noted Chief", they replied. Rose raised her hand" Eh....Sir you mentioned a while ago that this is not a simple murder case. What do you mean by that?" "This murder was done by one of the most wanted assassins known as the "CatsEye". Erick said. The four of them was stunned upon hearing it. "Oh my gosh...! I heard about that Mysterious Assasin. That person was untouchable. No one knows about his true identity. Special Task Force Eagle was tracking him down. They are having a hard time catching that killer" June said. "So that''s mean we will be working together with Special Task Force Eagle with this case?" Rose was full of excitement. "Yes, we will be working with them. Before this murder happened, One week ago they already submitted a request about working with our team in catching this Assasin." "Alright! We will make another record once we catch this untouchable assassin!" Bryan was motivated "This will be another dangerous and tough case for us. I may not have good night sleeps for the upcoming months." Rose sighed and sounded worried. "Cheer up Rose! Remember we are the Magnificent 5 of Alpha Cinco Task Force. We always solve cases and catch the criminals." April encouraged her. Everyone laughed to lighten the atmosphere. They knew that this would be a very challenging and very dangerous case. Meanwhile in Elle''s place an uninvited visitor arrived..... The mysterious assassin that the Alpha Cinco Task Force is talking about was busy shooting her gun in her shooting range area when an unwelcomed visitor came to visit her. She felt the presence of another person in her side, so Elle turned around. "You killed Jorge Arison," he said. "Obviously yes and it''s none of your business." she replied. "Is that the reason you came here? What do you want?". The man chuckled "Haha Is this how you welcome your Master? You didn''t miss me.What a cold blooded woman." Elle just rolled her eyes. "Why are you here all of a sudden?" "Master Phantom you are here! Why did not you tell me that you would come?" Charles said with a delighted voice. Phantom smiled at him. "I was curious about your encounter with Jorge that''s why I am here. And besides I miss you both. How are you?" Charles gave him a meaningful look as if telling him ''She is always bullying me master. Please help me''. Phantom understood it. He just laughed. "Poor boy" he mumbled "Can the both of you leave me alone? I hate people who interrupt me especially if I am doing something." Elle glared and gave them a warning look. The two men stared with each other. "Alright we will leave." Charles quickly said. "After you finish here, come to the gym. I want to spar with you. I have something to tell you also." Phantom said before leaving with Charles. Elle nodded. She continued shooting her target. She was wondering what Phantom wanted to tell her. She knew that Phantom rarely visit her and once he did, it only means that it was really something important. Chapter 12 - 12: Wise Man At the gym... CatsEye and Phantom were having their sparring session. 2 hours had passed and the two of them were panting and sweating a lot. Charles was watching them on the side. "You improved a lot. You move very fast. I couldn''t defeat you now." Phantom praised her. "So accept it, you are just an old geezer now. Sign of aging Master." Elle smiled at him mockingly. "Haha Ok...let''s have a rest. I want to talk to you about something.", Phantom stared at her seriously. "The Skull Gang will surely hunt you down. Don''t underestimate their power. Killing Jorge Arison couldn''t weaken them. His eldest son James Arison will become their leader now." He warned her. "She is not afraid of anything.No worries master". Charles butted in. "By the way Master, Jorge Arison was a brave man. He was not afraid of Elle. He was so calm that time even though he was about to die. And did I tell you about the absurd negotiation between him and Elle?" Phantom patted Charles'' shoulder "Yeah, you already said it so many times. You are really a talkative one. I am proud of you for staying alive while being with CatsEye. Remember she really hates noisy people." "Haha It only means I am a capable one. She needed me. Without me she could not transact with the clients. No transaction, no money. We just gained 50 billion in just 3 Days!" Charles said proudly Elle gave him a sharp glare. Charles shivered and he shut his mouth immediately. Phantom laughed at them. "Jorge Arison has a cancer. It is already in Stage 4. His family didn''t know about it. It was a secret between him and his doctor." Phantom said to them. Elle and Charles were stunned upon hearing it. As realization came to them, a laughter errupted in the gym. It was Elle. "He was indeed a very wise man." Elle shooked her head. '' "That''s explain why he is not afraid of Elle. He is already dying. But....wait master...you said it was a secret and no one knows about it except him and his doctor. How come you know about it?" Charles asked him curiously. Elle also glanced at him waiting for his answer. "One week before you murdered him, he contacted me. He informed me that he has a cancer and he tried to hire me to kill himself. He was a proud man. He doesn''t want people to pity him. He doesn''t want his family to worry about him. And he doesn''t want to appear weak to his competitors. For him it was an embarrassment so he preferred to die rather than to be embarass in front of his opponents." "Haha Dark Knight really couldn''t win against him. He was always two steps ahead of them. It seemed like Dark Knight fulfilled his wish. Why you didn''t kill him?" Elle couldn''t help but laugh. "I refused his offer. I said I already retired. Since Dark Knight instigated this murder. They will surely experience the Skull Gang''s wrath." Phantom smirked at the thought of this "two powerful organization in the underground world will fight for the power. Killing Jorge meants it is the start of the war." "The two of you should be careful. You are already involved here. They will catch you and make you confess who is behind the assassination and the war will begin." Phantom warned them. "They can try....but I will make sure they will be the one to sufffer. I could just eliminate them one by one." Elle said with excitement. "Ok. I wouldn''t stay long. I will go abroad today. If you need something just call me." "Master can I tag along with you?". Charles said with a puppy eye. "No, you should stay here with Elle. You must assist her." Phantom gave him a serious look. Charles had no choice but to stay so he just nodded . Phantom bade them a goodbye and he left. ___________________________________________ At Arison''s Residence.... April and Erick were sitting on a couch. They were done checking the crime scene. They were now waiting for Selena Arison to arrive. She and her mother was busy in preparing his father''s wake while her elder brother was busy managing their company. June and Bryan were already interviewing some guards and helpers about what they saw or have observed during the incident. But unfortunately, they got nothing. "CatsEye really worked meticulously. He never left any clue at all, no fingerprints. It is really difficult to know his true identity and until now Eagle does not have a lead.", April said as she read the information they have gathered in the crime scene and the reports of police officer kim. "You are right. We didn''t even know if catseye is a girl or a boy. Rose also reported to me that she couldn''t find someone and anything suspicious in the CCTV footage." Erick was studying the card which the Assassin left near the body of his victim. "Inspector Lee, what do you think CatsEye'' gender, a boy or a girl?" They were in deep thought when Selena arrived. "Sorry officers if I keep you waiting." Selena said apologetically. Her sweet voice echoed in the living room causing the two people to look towards her direction. What catches Selena''s attention is the handsome man sitting there. She was captivated by his manly beauty. She walked over in front of them. April and Erick stood up. "I am Selena Arison, the youngest daughter of Jorge." she introduced herself while she extended her hands to Erick for a shakehands. Erick gladly received her hand. "I am Detective Inspector Erick Lee, My team is the one who will handle your Father''s case and lead the investigation." "I am agent April Dominguez." "Thank you for being here. I hope you can give justice for my father''s unjust death." a mixture of sadness and hatred could be seen in Selena''s beautiful eyes. "We will do our best Miss Arison." Erick assured her. Selena stared at him intently "Thank you Detective Lee." Chapter 13 - 13: Catch Her Alive At Skull Gang Main Headquarter.... James Arison was reading the doc.u.ment file containing all the information they got about CatsEye but nothing was significant. He is the eldest son of Jorge Arison and now the new head of Skull Gang. The dropping and sound of shattering glass could be heard inside the office. James had thrown the glass due to his anger. "Is this all that you got? You are all useless!" Five men were standing silently in front of him, bowing their heads. They did not dare to look at him in his eyes. "Sorry Boss. These are all the information about CatsEye. We even used our connection to the police and authority that is handling his case." one of the men answered. "No identity, no appearance, only lists of victims were indicated here and the causes of their death, list of weapons used and a card that signifies it was his doings. How can we track that bastard down through this information? James was giving them a sharp glare when someone knocked at the door. "Boss ,an assassin name Black Shadow is here. He said he wants to talk to you." "Let him in." A 6 foot man entered the room. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a leather jacket paired with a blue jeans pants. He was wearing a black cap. As soon as he saw James, a mischievous smile flashed in his face. "I have a solution about your problem.Do you want to hear my proposal?" James stared at him coldly, "Talk, don''t waste my time!" "If you want to lure a tiger to leave his cave, as a hunter you should give him a bait. Assign someone who will make a deal with CatsEye and pretend that he wanted to kill you. You will serve as a bait. I will gladly help you to catch him. I know how to contact someone who will relay a mission with him. What do you think?" Black shadow presented his plan. James stayed silent for a while contemplating about what Black Shadow just said. "What do you want in exchange of your brilliant plan of yours? How sure are you that they will take the bait?" Black Shadow made a soft chuckle "CatsEye really enjoy killing people. He would not suspect anyone since he is so confident to himself that he can do anything and no one could stop him when it comes to killing, a perfect killing machine, not afraid of anyone. But this bravery and confidence can also be his weakness that will lead him to us." "Why do you want to help me in eliminating that bastard?" James raised his brow. "Just simple reason, first CatsEye is my biggest competitor. I want to prove that I am the most skilled assassin by catching him and revealing his true identity. Second, I want money and I guess you are willing to pay any amount just to catch that assassin who killed your father." Black Shadow explained his reason. Anger and hatred appeared on James'' face upon hearing his father''s death. "Okay.... I agree with your plan. Catch that bastard alive, I want to know who is the mastermind behind my father''s death and I want him to experience my wrath and he will regret what he had done to my father from the rest of his life." Black Shadow smiled "It''s a deal. Consider it done." ____________________________________________ Charles was lying on the couch inside the living room and talking on the phone when Elle arrived. Elle frown immediately when she saw Charles "What are you doing here? Who gave you the permission to stay here at my house?" Charles looked at her and he put his finger on his mouth telling her to keep silent. Elle raised her brow and she complied with Charles'' request to be quiet. She sat down in another chair in front of Charles. "Who is the target this time?", Charles said The man in the phone said "James Arison, the new head of Skull Gang?" Charles frown when he heard it. ''What they want us to kill another head of Skull Gang. It was only 3 days had passed when they killed Arison. What''s happening in the world, they always targeting a member of Arison Family'' he thought to himself. He glanced to Elle and he said to the man "How much can you pay us? And may I know who are you?" "Sorry I don''t want to reveal my identity. I hope you could understand for safety purposes. I can give you any amount, as long as you kill him within two days."the man replied. "I will discuss it first to CatsEye. I will call you back." Charles hung up the phone. "Another client? Who is the lucky person this time?" Elle asked him. "Another Skull Gang Leader. James Arison, the eldest son of Jorge Arison." Charles sighed. Elle frown "What did he say?" "He wanted him killed within two days and he is willing to pay any amount. He also didn''t reveal his identity." He said as he was now in deep thought. "He''s smart. Ok accept it. Tell them we want a billion. Half should be deposited as down payment." Elle stood up and she was about to leave. "Wait...It doesn''t feel right. Are you going to accept it just like that? You have just killed his father. Are you not puzzled about this? I am sure it was not Dark Knight this time. Who could be our client and what is his motive? It is a little suspicious right?" Charles complained. "What''s there to worry about? I don''t care about his motive and I am not interested with his identity. The important things for me are money and killing. That''s all." Elle left him speechless. "''She is really stubborn. She never listen to me. Hmmp Who cares." Charles mumbled to himself. Charles contacted their clients in order to accept the mission and close the deal. "This mission worth one billion. Half should be deposited as down payment and the other half should be deposited an hour after the mission is completed. CatsEye will do this within two days as you requested. Is it deal or no deal?" "Okay, copy and noted. Wait for the money. And by the way, two days from now, James Arison will be having a transaction with one of the Mafia organizations. This will be a perfect opportunity to kill him. I want CatsEye to sabotage the negotiation." the man informed Charles. "Okay. I will relay that information to CatsEye." After hanging up the phone, Charles shook his head. He didn''t know why but something is really bothering him about this. His guts feeling was telling him that something bad is gonna happen. Or maybe, he was just overthinking. Chapter 14 - 14: Trap In an abandon warehouse in City Z, just like what their client said, Skull Gang headed by James Arison was having a deal with a mafia group. Both parties brought their elite men, 30 men from Skull Gang wearing black and 30 men from the other group wearing black suites, all of them were carrying high-powered firearms. Elle was hiding in the dark in a higher area in which she can see everything that is happening on the ground, observing all of them. Unknown to her, there was also someone hiding in the dark who is waiting for the tiger to come and take the bait. The people inside the warehouse were busy with their so-called "negotiation". It appeared like it was just a normal situation however you could feel their tension and uneasiness of every man present inside. They didn''t know where and when will their opponents will attack. They stayed active and alert. Elle pointed her sniper rifle which has a silencer to her target James Arison. Without a second thought, she fired at her target....swooosh...the bullet passed through his head. Seconds later, the man collapsed with blood flowing from his head. It happened so fast. The men were alarmed. They got their guns and shoot in various direction blindly. Some took cover. Elle''s lips curved in a smile, an evil smile. She fired another bullet and another man was killed on the spot. She continued firing....minutes passed by and 20 people were already down, covered with blood. Her hiding spot was now discovered. Many guns were now pointing at her direction. The men were now firing at her. "Oh... It''s time to leave", Elle mumbled to herself. She escaped easily and avoided those gunshots. She was about to leave the warehouse when someone attacked her from behind. "Argh..." She was shot. She stopped because of the pain. The bullet landed to her right shoulder. She turned around to see the person who shot her. "CatsEye it is nice to finally meet you". Black Shadow greeted her with a smirk. Elle frown upon seeing him. ''What is black shadow doing here''. She knew him but she never met him face to face like this. She heard about him through Charles who always talks to much. Black Shadow was also an elite assassin, he was very skilled like her. "Are you speechless? Or you just really don''t know how to talk? Oh... Is that the reason why someone is doing your transaction and negotiation in your behalf? Hahah I guess you are a mute." he laughed mockingly Elle was wearing her assassin suite. She was wearing her mask and hood to hide her face. She was just standing there silently staring at Black Shadow who is pointing his gun at her. Black Shadow was slowly walking towards Elle. He was eager to see the face of this mysterious assassin. Elle was holding her bleeding shoulder. She dropped her gun when she was hit by the bullet. "I guess it is my honor to easily catch you like this. Haha You really took the bait." Shadow said feeling so proud. Elle just stared at him coldly not making any sound, and she was observing him. ''So this was a trap'', she said to herself. ''If Charles was here,.he will be rejoicing now and praising himself while saying "I told you so, there is something suspicious about this mission. It''s your fault for not listening to me". Elle shook her head and smiled at the thought of Charles. Black Shadow was now two steps away from her. "Remove your mask and hood, I want to see your face," he commanded her, but Elle didn''t comply and she refused to move.."Are you a deaf also?" Shadow was now feeling annoyed. He seemed like he was having a conversation with the air. He was getting no response at her. He walked forward and was about to remove the hood and the mask when suddenly Elle moved and kicked his hand which is holding the gun. He was surprised by that move and was not able to avoid it. He dropped the gun and Elle kicked it again to other side away from Shadow. Black Shadow picked up his knife inside his jacket and charged to Elle, attacking her, not giving her a chance to escape. Elle moved backward and tried to avoid his attacks. Elle also picked her dagger using her left hand. Despite being injured, Elle was able to move swiftly dodging all the attacks given by black shadow. "You''re really great. It''s has been a long time that someone could stay alive after being attacked by me." Black Shadow said between his attacks. Minutes passed, Elle was losing more blood and she could feel that she was getting weaker and her movement was getting slower. She really needed to get out now in this place. She was looking for a way out and was distracted when Black Shadow attacked her. She was stab at the right lower part of her abdomen causing her to fall. "I got you!" Black Shadow smiled and satisfied. He immediately grabbed her hood and removed her mask. What he had seen in front of him was unexpected. He was shocked when he saw her face. "CatsEye is a woman", not just a woman, she has a cold but alluring eyes matched with perfect-shaped red lips." He thought to himself as he was mesmerized by the devil''s beauty. Elle noticed that he was distracted and absentminded. She grabbed that opportunity to knock him down. She hitted his neck with her barehands causing him to be unconscious. She heard heavy footsteps running toward their direction. "Oh crap! They are coming. I need to get out here as soon as possible." She stood up and tried her best to run and escape away from the warehouse despite the pain she was feeling right now. She tried calling Charles but he was not answering. Her car was on the opposite direction. Those men could catch up to her if she went to her car. She had no choice, in order to survive she needed to keep walking and running away from those people. She was now exhausted and her body felt weaker. She lost so many blood. She saw a light from a distance. A car was coming toward her direction. She needed this opportunity to ask for help in order to survive. She threw and hide all her weapons including her gloves and jacket. The car was now approaching. She gathered all her remaining strength and ran towards the middle of the road in order to stop the car. The driver successfully noticed her and he stopped the car meter away from her. She saw the man inside the car quickly got out and ran towards her. She was losing her consciousness and she collapsed in front of him. Chapter 15 - 15: The Faithful Encounter Night fell and lights filled up the road as Erick was now driving and heading home after his long tiring day at the office. They worked over time since the case of Jorge Harison was giving them a hard time. It was already 11:00 pm and the road towards the City Z seemed pretty quiet tonight as only few cars passed by. Erick was very focused in his driving when from a distance he noticed that someone ran towards the middle of the road. He slowed down and when he was meter away he stopped. "What''s happening? What''s wrong with her." He thought to himself as he saw a woman stopped in the middle of the road, blocking his way. When he had a clearer view of her, he noticed that the woman was looking pale. Sweats can be seen in her beautiful face and she looked like she was struggling in pain. She wore a black plain shirt matching with black jeans. Erick looked down at her. She was holding her sides. Then he realized ''''Blood...Bright red blood. They were all over her fingers!'' His chest suddenly tightened with an ache as his whole body turned rigid from shock. The woman in front of him was badly injured and bleeding. He got out from his car quickly and ran towards her. The woman looked at him in the eyes, relief can be seen in her clear eyes which was slowly drifting off. Then she collapsed in front of him. Fortunately, he was quick to catch her. He brought her inside his car. He drove very fast, worries was evident in his face. He rushed through a few streets until they reached the entrance of the hospital. His dark eyes gathered with endless concern and pain too as he turned and took one look at the tightly shut operating room doors. "What happened to her? Who the hell did this to her?" he mumbled to himself. ___________________________________________ Meanwhile in the Abandon Warehouse of City Z... Black shadow grunted as he massaged his neck. He was now awake. Catseye really hitted him hard in his weak point causing him to be unconscious. The true James Arison was now looking at him with disappointment. Yes, James Arison was alive. They disguised someone to pretend as him for safety purposes. And they were right, if they didn''t do it, James Arison would be dead by now. "Tsk tsk...l thought you will be able to catch that Assassin? But look at you now, " Black Shadow smiled mischievously "I know it''s my fault. I lower my guard, I was distracted when I saw her face." "What do you mean?" James frown. "Catseye is a woman! I got her and she was badly injured." James was surprised about his revelation. They never expected that the mysterious assassin would be a woman. Their men ran towards them and reported "Sorry Boss, we lost Catseye. She escaped." "F***ck! You are all useless! You couldn''t catch an injured woman! Search for her! She must be hiding somewhere. She can''t walk that far if she was badly injured." James was enraged. ___________________________________________ Back in the Hospital..... Erick was sitting in the waiting area when the sound of hurried footsteps came from the hallway ahead. It was the doctor, Dr. Gomez, with two nurses. "Chief Inspector Lee!" Dr. Gomez was his friend and he was also a doctor who helped them in some cases too. Erick nodded as he said to him "Please save her." "I will do my best. Don''t worry, My friend." Erick smiled at him as he slowly calmed the worry and uneasiness he felt. Then, Dr. Gomez swiftly entered the operating room. Erick lifted a hand to his forehead as he sit down again listlessly. He was still wondering what could have happened to the woman he had just saved. Who is responsible for this. As he recalled the memories when he found her an urge to protect her was awaken inside him. He was determined to find out what happened to her and his sense of justice motivated him more. After a long while, the doors to the operating room suddenly opened. A nurse walked out from inside. Erick quickly went up and asked worriedly, "How is she?" "The woman suffered from a gun shot on her shoulder and a stab in her right lower part of her abdomen. She lose so much blood. We need to do a blood transfusion now!" the nurse explained simply while another nurse was already delivering blood plasma over. Soon, the door to the operating room closed once again. Erick got his phone and called Bryan. It rang for 30 seconds before it was answered. "Hello Chief." "Sorry to disturb you at this hour, I know it''s already late. Where are you?". Erick asked him "I just arrived here at my apartment. How about you?" Bryan answered. "I''m at the hospital right now". "Huh? Why? What happened Chief? Are you okay? Bryan asked him with worry and shock. "Don''t worry, I''m okay. I''ll tell you everything next time. But for now I have a favor to ask." Erick said. Bryan felt relieved and at the same time puzzled as he sensed the seriousness in the voice of Erick. "What is it Chief? When it comes to our duty, I am always at your service." "I want you to investigate something. Go to this place and find out if there are some illegalities happening in that area. Bring back up if needed. Be careful." Erick gave to him the exact address where he found Elle and then he hung up. 2 hours had passed and the door of operating room opened. Dr. Gomez walked out from the inside and walked towards him. "How is she Doc?" He asked "The operation was successful. She is not in danger now. Fortunately, no vital organs were affected. She is lucky, if you arrived a little late, she might not make it due to severe blood loss. We will transfer her in a private room now and will continue to monitor her condition." Dr. Gomez was explaining to him when the other nurses wheeled Elle out of the operating room on a bed. He saw that she was sound asleep. He glanced at her face which still seemed pale and weak. "Thank you Doc!" he said to Dr. Gomez feeling relieved. Chapter 16 - 16: Joint Forces At the hospital... Erick stayed overnight at the hospital to accompany the woman he saved. She didn''t wake up yet because of the anaesthesia. He already called police officer Kim to ask for his men to be on guard while he was at the office. He already explained the situation with Officer Kim. Someone was targeting her that''s why she needed protection. Two men in uniform arrived at the hospital and proceeded in Elle''s private room where Erick was waiting. "Chief Inspector Lee, we are the one send by Officer Kim to be on guard today." Erick nodded at the two of them "Thank you. I need to report at the office right now but I can''t leave her alone. I didn''t know what happened to her. If she wakes up please contact me as soon as possible." "Copy Inspector Lee. We will do our best to protect her." "Dr. Gomez will personally come her to monitor her condition. Don''t let other people enter this room aside from him." Erick warned them to be cautious. The two officers understood what he meant and nodded. Now he could leave at ease knowing that there will be people protecting her while he is not around. He then left the hospital and went to their office. There were still lot of things to do with their current case. Meanwhile at Elle''s Residence...someone was puzzled why she didn''t return yet. It was Charles. He felt uneasy as times goes by. Elle hadn''t contacted him yet. He couldn''t contact their client also. Something was not right. "Elle where are you? What happened to the mission? Why have you not back yet.Grrrr...."He kept walking back and forth inside the living room looking at the wall clock hang in the wall. He kept on dialling Elle''s number but it was now unattended. Yesterday night, Elle had called him but he was not able to answer. He was sound asleep and he didn''t notice that his phone was ringing. "Don''t worry Charles if something happened to her. It was her fault. She was the one who insisted to do the mission alone.", Charles mumbled as he consoled himself. "Argh!!! This is making me crazy. How can I explain this to Master Phantom. Huhuhu. Elle was already a.d.u.l.t and a skilled killer why he would let me baby sit this devil." Charles felt helpless as he recalled that Phantom gave him a responsibility to take care and assist her. "Next time I will not listen to her!!!! I told her that something was suspicious about the mission but she didn''t listen to me. She never listen to me...grrrrrrh! That ungrateful and selfish devil!" Charles felt annoyed but worried at the same time. ____________________________________________ At XXX Crime Investigation Office Alpha Cinco Task Force and Special Task Force Eagle were having a meeting regarding the progress of Blake-Arison Murder Case which involves the Mysterious Assassin CatsEye. The magnificent five were present and five members also from Special Task Force Eagle were there headed by their Team Captain Jason Smith. This was really a rare event, two specialized team joint forces together in order to catch one killer, a professional assassin. Just like Alpha Cinco Task Force, Special Task Force Eagle was an elite team composed of Team Captain, profiler, programmer, agents and investigators but unlike Alpha Cinco which was handling different types of cases, their team was specialized in tracking down and catching professional killers and assassins. And Catseye was the assassin that really gave this team a very hard time. Captain Jason Smith was already in his mid 40''s but he was the veteran and respected by all. He had a good reputation in this field. In his team, he have Jane 28 years old "the programmer", Carl 30 years old "the profiler", Marie 27 years old "the agent spy", Allen 29 years old "the investigator". They were at the conference hall exchanging information and planning together to solve the case and to catch Catseye. However before they could catch Catseye, they should uncover first her true identity. To know your enemy was the best strategy but they didn''t know where to start. "These are the only information that we have about Catseye," Jason said after presenting to the group all the murder cases that involves Catseye, her various strategies in killing, her weapons, her signature trademark and it all ended there, no further clue and lead about her identity. "The card... killer''s signature trademark. Could this be mean he or she loves cats?" Rose broke the silence. "If literally means, we could say that he or she might taking care of cats as his or her pets. That is one of the possibility that we can relate to his or her personal life but we can''t be sure. We didn''t know his or her way of thinking", Carl answered her. "If we look about it''s symbolism Cats as spirited animal, they were considered self-assured, independent, wise, patient, creative and also unpredictable. These traits are suitable to describe this Assassin." Erick also shared his thought about this. The people inside the room nodded in agreement. Erick had a point, why they didn''t think about it. They all stared at Erick, as expected to this famous detective chief inspector. His deductive and inductive thinking abilities were superb. "You are right. Cat especially black cat symbolizes bad luck and impending misfortune." Jason added. "How about the symbol eye? What is it mean?" April voiced out her question. "Eye can represent clairvoyance, omniscience, or a gateway into the soul. It can be an indicator of good, evil, intelligence, light, vigilance, moral conscience, truth, protection, wisdom, knowledge, secrecy and mystery." Erick answered. "Oh! However if we talk about CatsEye''s character, then it only represents evil, vigilance, secrecy and mystery!" Bryan gasped and said matter-of-factly. Jason chuckled "Haha, we really face a very difficult and very challenging person this time. Catseye was not only a ruthless, vicious and devilish assassin who loves killing but he or she was an intelligent ,self assured, upredictable and dangerous one. We must not underestimate that person." "Cheer up guys! We can do it together. Let''s trust our own capabilities. I believe in you. We will be able to catch CatsEye." Erick smiled and encouraged them as he could see the faces of their team members who looked very concerned and demotivated. After hearing that, they felt assured and now they were motivated to work and so determined to catch CatsEye thanks to Erick''s words of encouragement. Chapter 17 - 17: Found a Lead The meeting continued in the conference room of XXX Crime Investigation Office. "Are the results of autopsy of Peter Blake and Jorge Arison out?", Erick asked. " Just like what the doctor said who examined Jorge Arison, he was poisoned. It was Batrachotixin also known as BTX. It is an extremely powerful neurotoxin. It is a steroidal akaloid produced by poison dart frogs, an endangered species native to Latin America. Just 0.2 grams are enough to kill a human. The toxin causes arrhythmias and ventricular fibrillation in heart muscles, resulting in a cardiovascular arrest and causes death within a minute.", Rose read the autopsy report submitted to her. "On the other hand, Peter Blake obviously died because of the deep incised injury on his front neck caused by the dagger or in short cause of death was cut throat. I also got nothing suspicious with the CCTV footage." Rose added. Everyone sighed. "As usual for the professional killer, Catseye left no marks and finger prints in the crime scene." April commented. "How is your interview with the guests and people present that night? Have you find suspicious person." Jason followed up question. "Nothing unusual. They were all saying that it was a lively banquet. Everyone was having fun. The security are very tights around the vicinity. They also wondered how the culprit was able to get inside the mansion. They are all shocked when they found out what happened that night." June shared to them the result of their investigation. "I was wondering, if everyone are enjoying the party, why is it Jorge went to his room with Peter Blake? Are they having a business conversation? Why do it in the room?" Carl shared his thoughts. " Oh right! I remember, some guest had mentioned that some little commotion happened. A waitress had tripped her ankle and accidentally poured down lady''s drinks on Jorge suites making him leave and went upstairs to change his suites." Bryan said. "Selena said to us also that her father told her in the phone that he got an upset stomach and was doing some business when she asked him why he is taking so long and didn''t come down immediately after changing his suites. Maybe the business he was talking to is with Peter Blake. She said Jorge and Peter were friends," April commented as she connected her information to Bryan''s statement. "Oops... one of the guards said that the person they didn''t check upon entering the mansion were Peter Blake and his bodyguard because they were already familiar with Peter." June added. "Wait! There is something suspicious about that. Have you interview the waitress who spilled the wine in Jorge''s suites? How about the bodyguard of Peter who came together with him, have you met him also?" Erick said immediately as he realized something was off with the information. June and Bryan stared with one another then shook their head. " We haven''t interviewed all of them yet especially those two." June was the one who answered. The conference room was enveloped with silence. Everyone was having a deep thought. Suddenly Erick spoke again,"That''s it. We found the clue! We have a lead now. Good job guys! We must meet this two persons and interrogate them." The mood in the conference room changed and became livelier upon hearing this. Finally, after so many days of being blind, they finally got some progress. It seemed like they were finally able to connect some dots and solving the puzzle little by little. After a while, Bryan''s phone rang. He excused himself to answer the call. Five minutes passed and Bryan came back to the conference room. He was rushing in and seemed like he got something important to tell them. Everyone focus their attention to Bryan who just came back in and look at him curiously. "Chief new information just came in from Officer Kim! According to his assistant Peter was missing for two days. They were searching for him after he disappeared one night in his Club. They were surprised when they heard the news that Peter attended the Birthday Banquet of Selena Arison and was killed in the Mansion together with Jorge Arison." Bryan informed them. Everyone were stupefied upon hearing this. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile another group were also talking about catching Catseye. Black Shadow, James Arison and his right hand man were having conversation at the Skull Gang main headquarter. "Boss we searched everywhere, including the areas near our warehouse but she was nowhere to be found." James''right hand man named Spike reported to them. "I was impressed. How could she escape that far with those injuries. When she fled, there were just three possibilities I could come up with last night. First, with those injuries you might be able to catch her, second, if she was able to avoid you from catching her for hiding perfectly she might be dead right now because of severe blood loss and lastly if you could not catch her or could not seen her dead body therefore someone helped her." Black Shadow commented. "Since the first two statements did not happen then it must be the third one." he added. "Gather our men and dispatch them. Tell them to search and find the nearest hospitals in the area and find out if there is a woman who was hospitalized with gun shot and stab wound last night. Report to me as soon as possible when you find her." James ordered to Spike. "Copy boss." Spike left quickly to do the task. "Do you think she will go to the hospital? What if she contacted her accomplice to save her?" Black Shadow asked him "Just like you said, I think there were two possibilities, either her accomplice save her or a stranger save her and brought her to the nearest hospital. Remember, she was badly injured as you said. There''s no hurt in trying to search in the hospitals. It wouldn''t happen if you just did your job well in capturing her. She was already in your grasp but still she was able to slip away. Tsk Tsk Tsk." James said to him mockingly. Black Shadow chuckled and smiled sheepishly "Haha! Sorry... Yeah I admit it was my fault. I was just a man mesmerized by a beauty in front of me. How could I not be distracted? I was really shocked. If I catch her again, I will make sure not to lose her again. If you would allow me, I want to tame that devil." "What does she look like? Are you sure that what you have seen is a woman?" James frown with his reaction and asked him curiously. "Yes she is definitely a woman, a beautiful but a dangerous one." Black Shadow smirked as he remember her face with those enchanting cold dark eyes. Chapter 18 - 18: Danger XXX Crime Investigation Office... After the meeting Bryan and Erick decided to leave the office and had their lunch outside. They were now sitting inside, at one of the fastfood restaurants near the office. "Chief what happened last night?" Erick told him everything how he found the woman and saved her. "Someone is after her life. I thought we might find something if we will look into the area where I found her that''s why I asked you to go there and investigate. What did you find out?" Erick said to him "When I searched that area I found an abandon warehouse just kilometers away from the highway where you found her." Erick didn''t interrupt him so he continued. "When I arrived there I saw 4 black vans and 1 black car fully tinted leaving the warehouse. Sadly I didn''t see the plate numbers clearly. When I am sure that no one is there, so I went inside. There were bullets scattered everywhere and some blood on the floor, however no dead bodies found inside." Bryan looked at him seriously. Erick frown as he heard that, "Some big syndicates must be involved in this case." "I agree, some of the bullets found inside were from high powered firearms." Bryan added to his suspicion. Erick stood up and left the restaurant in a rush. Bryan was puzzled as he called him "Chief where are you going?" "I need to go back at the Hospital. She might be in danger now." He replied before he disappeared in Bryan''s sight. Erick''s gut feeling was right. At St. Anthony Hospital where Elle was confined there were two members of Skull Gang who were already asking the hospital admission staff whether they had received a female patient last midnight with gunshot and stab wounds. The admission staff confirmed it. "Boss, positive! A female patient was brought here last night with the same wound with Catseye." One of the two men called James to report as soon as possible. "Great! Get her and bring her to me!" James ordered. "Copy Boss." The two men proceeded to the room where Elle was staying. They disguised as nurse and a doctor. Erick just arrived at the hospital when Dr. Gomez called him. "Chief Lee, where are you?" Dr. Gomez asked him "I am at the lobby, I just arrived here at the hospital. Why? Erick answered "I heard that a while ago two persons are asking about a female patient who got gunshot and stab wound, they might be referring to the patient you brought here last midnight."Dr. Gomez informed him. Erick didn''t waste anymore time and ran towards the elevator but a lot of people were waiting in line. He decided to go with the stairs. He was running fast. Elle''s room was located at the 3rd floor. When he reached Elle''s room he saw the guards who were assigned to protect her were now unconscious and lying down on the floor. He was shocked and he felt the nervousness as his heart was running wild for beating so fast. ''Am I too late?'' He thought to himself as he slowly opened the door. He picked up his gun and slowly walked inside the room. He saw two people inside the room wearing white hospital gown uniform for nurse and doctor. They were looking at the patient who was sound asleep. One man was holding a gun while the other was talking with someone through the cellphone. "Boss we got her. She was still unconscious!" the man reported to their Boss. He was about to say something when he was interrupted by Erick."Freeze, this is police! Put your gun down." Both of them was stunned and they turned around to look at Erick. BANG! The man who was holding the gun shoot Erick and the other man also picked up his gun to shoot Erick also. Fortunately Erick was able to avoid their shots. BANG! BANG! Erick fired back at them and bullseye.... two men were hit in the head and they collapsed. Minutes later, back up arrived at the hospital. Erick called for a back up while he was running a while ago. On that same day, they decided to transfer Elle in another Hospital to ensure her safety. Dr. Gomez approached Erick "Chief Inspector Lee, you saved her again. If you didn''t arrive on time we do not know what those people might do with her." Erick smiled and said "Yeah, I would blame myself if anything happens to her. By the way, how are those two police officers?" "They were just fine. They were injected with strong sedative causing them to fell unconscious."Dr . Gomez replied. "Erick I wanted to tell you that during the operation I noticed that the patient you brought has so many old scars all over her body. Do you think she was abused or something?" Dr. Gomez shared his thoughts. Erick frown "I don''t know. We can find out once we talk to her when she wakes up." Dr. Gomez just left when Bryan arrived together with Police Officer Kim. "Chief Inspector Lee, I want to apologize for the carelessness of my men." Officer Kim apologized with Erick feeling guilty of what happened. "It''s okay Officer Kim. I should be thanking you for allowing your men to protect her when I requested you for your help." Erick politely said "Chief we found out the identity of those two men. According to the investigation, they were members of Skull Gang. The tattoo found in their wrists signified that they were member of Skull Gang." Bryan butted in their conversation "The lady you saved must be involve with that Gang or might offended members or higher ups from the Skull Gang." Bryan added. Meanwhile in the Skull Gang main headquarter.... "Boss, they had an encounter with the police at St. Anthony Hospital. Two of our men were killed on the spot." Spike reported to James "Useless Bunch!!!! All of you leave!!" James shouted. James closed his eyes trying to contain the anger he was feeling right now. ''Catseye just you wait!'' Chapter 19 - 19: Stay With Me As Elle opened her eyes. She saw the man standing beside her hospital bed talking with the phone. She carefully studied the man before her, trying to figure out his identity. ''He seems to be two or three years older than me, and tall at least six-foot three, and built like an action figure: broad, muscular shoulders, with fair skin, black, curly hair and eyes so brown they''re almost black.'' It was those eyes that capture her attention more than anything. ''He has the same eyes as my father; the kind of eyes that are full of warm and gentleness. "Stop it. Why I suddenly remember my father''". she uttered to herself. His voice was naturally deep, and when he speaks, each word seems to rumble with an spoken confidence. She guessed that he was no ordinary man. Erick turned around as he felt like someone was staring at him intently, he looked toward''s Elle''s direction and he caught her looking at him, skimming him from head to toe. They made an eye to eye contact and it seemed that no one is willing to look away. Erick red lips immediately curled up and he laughed gently "Are we having a staring contest here?" Elle just looked away pretended not to hear it. Erick told the person in the phone that he will call him back later then he focused his attention to the woman in the hospital bed. "Oh, I''m glad you''re awake. How are you feeling right now? You have been sleeping for almost 24 hours. Do you have recollection of what happened to you ". Erick said with a gentle smile plastered in his handsome face. Elle clenched her jaw and she kept on ignoring the man in front of her. She was really annoyed right now. She doesn''t want to talk to people especially if they are asking her questions about herself, she was reminded of talkative Charles. ''Oh, Charles doesn''t know where I am right now. I was not able to contact him after that failed mission.'' she thought to herself. "Black Shadow," she mumbled to herself, she was enraged and angered as she remembered what happened. She was so confident which made her became so careless. Those people were playing fire with the devil herself. They hired Black Shadow, another skillfull assassin, to have their revenge and to eliminate her. "Funny...they think that they can easily kill me" Erick noticed that the girl in front of him was occupied of something and she was in her deep thoughts. He got no response from her since he talked to her. He coughed for several times to get her attention back to him and he succeeded. Elle looked at him and she was about to get up from bed but the pain stopped her for doing so. "Careful." Erick held her quickly. He adjusted her hospital bed and helped her sit up. "Don''t worry. I am not here to hurt you. I am the one who brought you here at the hospital. I am Erick Lee, a detective." Erick introduced himself to her. Elle was startled when she heard that the man who save her is actually a detective. ''What a fateful encounter it is. The Detective saved the Assassin''. She must be careful with him so that he will not find out about her real identity. Erick was being patient with her. He was trying to do his best so that the woman would feel secured with him and for her to be able to open up with him also. Elle sighed deeply and finally talked to him "I can''t remember anything!" she said to him with the thought in mind ''I should act for now and pretend that I don''t know anything to avoid his interrogation''. Elle''s emotion changed immediately from being cold to being helpless. Erick was stunned and stared at her for a while. "What do you mean?" he asked her. "I can''t remember anything that happened last night and even my name." Elle replied as fear suddenly filled her dark eyes. "What happened to me? Why is it I can''t remember anything?" Elle took a deep breath and asked him. She looked at him as her eyes went teary. Erick was looked confused. "Calm down first, the doctor said you still need to rest for now. I''ll get your food first, you have not eaten anything yet. I will inform the doctor about your situation so that he can explain it clearly. Don''t worry okay?." Erick assured her. Elle just nodded. Erick went out to get her food as well as to talk with Dr. Gomez. Dr. Gomez went with them when they transferred Elle in the new hospital. ____________________________________________ Dr. Gomez and Bryan were talking in the lobby when Erick joined them. "Chief what happened? You looked so serious." Bryan asked Erick immediately as he noticed him looked so bothered. "She is awake". He simply replied. "That''s great. How is she? Have you talk to her? What did she tell you? how about Skull Gang, did she mention it?." Dr. Gomez bombarded him with so many questions. Erick nodded and shook his head then said "She said can''t remember anything!" Dr. Gomez and Bryan was dumbfounded. They were anticipating more for his answer but felt disappointed when they heard him say that. "No worries. It was natural. It could be amnesia. She might had a very traumatic experience that cause her to have amnesia. It might be her coping mechanism against that traumatic experience. We will do a CT scan to ensure that nothing bad happened with her brain." Dr. Gomez explained to them. Erick and Bryan nodded in agreement. "What''s your plan now Chief?" Bryan asked him "Let''s make this case confidential for now ,it''s for her safety too. I also informed officer Kim about it in the phone a while ago. Don''t mention this to team Alpha, we have so many things to do right now. Don''t want them to be involve with this and just focus on our current case with CatsEye. I will personally work with this case." Erick replied to him. "The Skull Gang will surely hunt her down. She must possess some important informations against them that''s why they wanted her dead. Too bad she can''t remember anything". Dr. Gomez shared his thought. "I will not let them touch her. I will protect her. I saved her and she is my responsibility now." Erick stated with determination "She might recover her memories if she will be exposed to new and pleasant environment. I guess Erick can provide her that if she stays with you while she is recuperating and until she recovers her memory back" Dr Gomez said to them with a meaningful smile. As if Bryan understood Dr. Gomez intention when he said "That''s a good idea doctor, that way Erick can monitor her and protect her well if she stays in his side!" "Yeah, I am also planning to do that." Erick also said in agreement to their ideas. ''I will be able to guarantee her safety if she stays with me.'' He thought to himself. Chapter 20 - 20: New Identity Charles found out that Catseye''s Mission failed. He investigated further when Elle didn''t return that day. He visited the location where the assassination was supposed to happen. Proof that encounter happened was evident in the place. He started to worry. He did not know yet the whereabouts of Elle. He also went to one of the skull gang territory with his full disguise. He became more uneasy when he found out that James Arison was very well and alive. "Could Elle really be dead? It is impossible! I couldn''t believe it", he said to himself. "Argh....I am getting a headache! It is very unusual for Elle to fail her mission. It was definitely a trap." He talked to himself as he massaged his temple. No wonder their client never contacted him again. It seemed like the transaction never happened. He balled his fist from anger. They were too careless. "They fooled us. I blame her for being too arrogant and overconfident! Haizt... how can I explained this to Master Phantom. I need to find her no matter what." He was now worried sick. ___________________________________________ Meanwhile in the Hospital, the source of Charle''s headache was currently having her meal while watching TV. Her private room had TV screen for patients entertainment. Elle''s color returned to normal. She was not pale anymore. She was recovering well. She was bored. She wanted to leave but she couldn''t because of her situation right now. She must not act recklessly especially now that police and other law enforcement authorities were involved. If she disappeared right now, she would really looked suspicious. Based on her assumption, that detective who found her would never stay put and he will do anything to investigate and dig deeper for the truth. One mistake and he could see through her lies since he looked so intelligent and smart. "I should focus on recovering right now. Until then, Skull Gang and Black Shadow will have the taste of my wrath. They should be ready for the Devil''s returned. I will make sure to make them pay for this ten times." she said as a bone-chilling smile appeared on her face. She was busy plotting in her mind a lot of ways to make Skull Gang and Black Shadow suffer when three persons entered her room, one was the detective who save her, the other was wearing a doctor''s uniform and one was wearing a same uniform with Erick. She guessed they were colleagues and almost of the same age. The three men''s physical appearances were all pleasant in the eyes however there was one who really stood out, it was Erick. The three of them smiled upon seeing her. Her sharp gaze welcomed them. Bryan stopped in his track unconsciously when he noticed her cold gaze, he could feel a chilly aura emanating from her. His smile became akward. Erick was used to her cold treatment before so he didn''t mind it at all. Dr. Gomez was the one who spoke first. "How are you feeling?" he asked her. "I''m good."she simply replied. "I heard from Erick that you can''t remember anything. Don''t worry! The result of your CT scan is normal and it seems like your head was not hurt during the incident. Your memory loss might be temporary which was caused by your traumatic experience. It is some sort of your defense mechanism to forget those unwanted and unpleasant memories. You will recover your memory, so focus on your recovery first." Dr Gomez explained to her spontaneously. "I understand doc. Thank you". she said while trying her best to smile. "Ok, if you need something and you feel uncomfortable our nurses here are always on standby and ready to assist you. Just push that intercom beside you which is connected to the nurse station and just tell them what you need. I have to leave first." Elle just nodded and Dr. Gomez bade them his farewell before he left. After a while, Erick broke the silence as he felt the awkward atmosphere when Dr. Gomez left. The natural talker Bryan was standing on his side very silent and behave. "This is my colleague Bryan" Erick introduced Bryan to Elle. Bryan didn''t know why he felt intimidated by the woman in front of him. "Hello! Nice meeting you."Bryan tried his best to sound normal despite the uneasyness he felt around her. She just nodded and smiled as her reply. Bryan felt relieved seeing her smile ''It is just my imagination. She looks friendly. I was nervous for nothing.''he thought to himself. "Sorry to disturb your rest but can you give us some time? We have something to discuss with you." Erick politely asked her. "It''s okay. Go ahead, tell me." Elle said in response. "I found you bleeding in the middle of the highway going to city Z. Based on your wound someone stab you and shot you in the shoulder. Someone wanted you dead. Since you can''t remember anything, for now we didn''t know the reason and their motives." Erick stated as he stared at her intently observing her reaction. He was concerned that she might not want to talk about it. She seemed interested to hear everything so he continued. "A day after your operation, two men were looking for you at the hospital. They disguised as hospital staff and they knocked down the two police officers that I requested to guard you. I heard that their boss ordered them to get you and bring you with them. "If Chief didn''t arrive on time, they would have successfully abducted you from the hospital. You were still unconscious that time. They fought back that''s why they were killed. We found out that those men were members of an organization called "Skull Gang." Bryan joined in the conversation. Elle was startled for a moment and frown. Skull Gang was able to track her location in a short period of time. They were really capable. She realized she was saved again by this detective. If not for him, maybe she was now being torture by James Arison''s men or Black Shadow to make her talk about the mastermind in Jorge Arison''s assassination. "Your life is in danger. They will not stop until they get what they want from you. That is why we are here to talk to you about your situation. We would like to ask for your cooperation. This is for your own sake, for you r safety and protection. Can you trust us?" Erick asked her with a concerned look in his eyes. Elle had no choice but to say yes. She must act accordingly so she nodded in agreement. "What are you going to do? What are your plans?" she asked them. "For the time being, I will serve as your guardian. I want you to stay with me for a while until your memory returned and we make sure that Skull Gang will not threaten your life again." Erick said to her. "We need to hide you, you need to assume another identity, and what happened to you last night should remain a secret and confidential from others so that they can''t track you easily. Since you can''t remember your name we should give you one. What if we call you Ericka". Bryan suggested. Erick glared at him and shook his head. Can''t he come up with a nice name? Why did he have to name her with a girl version of his name Erick.Tsk Tsk. Upon noticing Erick''s glared, Bryan smiled at him sheepishly. Erick gave him a warning look then he focused his attention back to Elle. A name... she thought for a while and came up with one name in mind "Jasmine" she said. Upon hearing it, both men smiled at her in agreement. "It''s a nice name. I think it suited you well... Jasmine." Erick looked at her with gentleness. Elle was stunned in a moment as she heard him call her ''Jasmine''. It sounded good and pleasant. She suddenly felt something deep in her heart....''Longingness''. She didn''t know why but at that moment she suddenly blurted out unconsciously her mother''s name ''Jasmine''. Chapter 21 - 21: End of the Clue Two weeks had passed after the assassination of Jorge Arison and Peter Blake. The team Alpha Cinco and Special Task Force Eagle continued with their joint investigation getting new information. "Have you located the waitress and the bodyguard?" Team Captain Jason asked the group. "According to Peter''s men they didn''t know that bodyguard. No one knew about the whereabouts of that person who accompanied Peter Blake in the Arison''s Mansion. They said that person could be the one who abducted Peter Blake upon his disappearance two days before that incident happened."June replied. "Could that person be Catseye? He used Peter to enter the Mansion without hassle and to get Jorge Arison", April shared her assumption. "Since he disappeared like that after the incident and we can''t locate him, he is the closest one to be suspected as Catseye." Jason said as he analyzed the information they got. "Chief, Captain, the waitress who spilled the wine and drinks to Jorge was also suspicious." Bryan joined in the conversation. "We got something interesting about that waitress." Allen butted in. "Upon investigating, we found her residence. We went there to interview her but that girl claimed that she didn''t go at Arison''s Mansion that night. At first we thought she was lying so we invited her to go with us at Arison''s Mansion. The kitchen staff who served that night confirmed that she was telling the truth. They did not see that girl. She looks different from the waitress who was present that night." Allen reported. "They have the same name but different appearance. We thought the girl was in disguise that''s why she looked different that night, but the girl we interview had a valid alibi and there are witness who confirmed that the night Peter and Jorge were murdered she was working as a call center agent that time." Carl added. "This means that someone used her identity, used her name and pretended to be her to apply as waitress during the event since they needed more staff. They used that opportunity to enter the mansion to avoid being suspected and pass through the security easily." Erick concluded. "Both of them, the waitress and the bodyguard didn''t have a clear footage in the CCTV. The arrival of Peter with his so called bodyguard was deleted in the CCTV records." Rose butted in. "We can assume that one of them is Catseye and the other one is his/her accomplice. They are working together. Apart from those two, no one is suspicious." Erick shared another assumption. The team stayed silent for a while. Jane sighed deeply and said "This is the end of our lead. Apart from narrowing down into two suspects who might be Catseye, we got no more clues. We know nothing about their whereabouts and we didn''t know where to start finding them both." "All we can do for now is ask those persons who saw them and had close interaction with them during the banquet and make photographic sketch of those two." Jason said as he massaged his temple. Catseye was really giving them a hard time. Meanwhile.....The Joint Task Force was not the only one having a hard time because of Catseye. In the Skull Gang headquarters, James, together with his men and Black Shadow was clueless also how to track Catseye. After that encounter in the Hospital, they lost their lead in finding the woman who they suspected to be catseye. Police authorities were also alerted about Skull Gang because of what happened. They now became more cautious with their action. "Any updates about Catseye?" James asked his men. "Boss after that incident in the hospital. It seemed that informations about what happened were being sealed. No one in the hospital talked about the incident and it seemed like it never happened." Spike reported. "We couldn''t trace that patient. Someone might be protecting her, but who could it be?"Spike added They were in a deep thought when black shadow spoke up "What if we informed the authorities anonymously about the identity of Catseye. Tell them that she was wounded and was brought to that hospital." "That was useless. We don''t have solid evidence and they would not easily believe a tip from an anonymous informant without solid proof and they would connect it to Skull Gang. Skull gang will be involved in the investigation." James Arison objected. "And what if, her accomplice already helped her."James added. The men realized he was right and just nodded. They must plan it well. It was Catseye that they were dealing with right now. "We should wait and be prepared for her counterattack. Once she recovers, with her attitude I am sure she will not just stay put and do nothing. She will get her revenge from what happened to her." Black Shadow eyes filled with excitement. James was about to say something when his phone started ringing. He picked it up upon seeing that the caller was one of the Branch Leaders of Skull Gang. "What is it?"his deep authoritative voice reached the other end. "Boss..... we failed to close the deal with Mr. Cheng. He said.... he didn''t want to collaborate with us since your father died. He thought that working with Skull Gang right now...will make him at disadvantage so he choose..... Dark Night." the man on the other end reported nervously. James froze slightly when he heard the report. A gloomy gaze revealed a flash of hostility in his eyes. ''How could he? When his father was still alive Mr Chen did his best to approach him in order to close a deal with the Skull Gang. Now that his father died, he immediately changed to the opposite side.'' "I''ll make sure that he would regret his decision." he said before he hung up. He glanced at the two men who were silently observing him waiting for his command. They knew that the call just a while ago was a bad news upon seeing James'' gloomy expression. "Black Shadow, I leave Catseye in your hand. Continue searching for her. I need to focus with the Skull Gang matters for now. Dark Night is stealing our resources since my father died. There are people who are underestimating the power of Skull Gang. I''ll make them regret turning their back on us." James smiled cunningly. Chapter 22 - 22: Discharged At Charles'' Residence Charles was having a conversation with Phantom over a phone. One week had passed but still he couldn''t find Elle so he decided to inform Phantom about what happened. Of course, he was badly reprimanded by Phantom for not informing him immediately and for not accompanying Elle during her mission. "Master Phantom...I still don''t have any news about Catseye! When will you coming back?" Charles said in a worried tone. "I warned both of you not to underestimate Skull Gang and you should be careful but see what happened now, you were trapped in their own game." Phantom lectured him. "Master.... I am afraid....Catseye is dead." "Can''t you be so pessimistic! Don''t spout nonsense. She''s alive. I am sure of it. I know her." Phantom reprimanded him again. "But a week had passed, if she is alive why is it she does not contacted me yet?" Charles asked him. "She might have a reason for that. She probably mad at you for not picking her call when she needed you! I think she is punishing you right now. You deserve it. haha" Phantom laughed at him "This is not the time to laugh and joke around master! Your beloved deciple is still missing! I know it was partly my fault, you don''t need to point it out." he sounded frustrated. "Alright! Have you investigated Skull Gang? Did you see any noticeable movement from their end regarding Catseye?" Phantom asked him. "Yes, I confirmed that her mission failed since James Arison was alive. Then upon further investigating, I learned that the day after the failed assassination attempt, some Skull Gang members were dispatched to look for someone in all the hospitals in City Z." Charles informed Phantom. "If that''s the case then definitely she got injured but surely Catseye is alive. They are still tracking her down so don''t worry to much. Elle is Elle. You know her. Her motto is to kill and not be killed," Phantom assured him. "Wait for her. She will contact you when the times come. I will not be able to come back at the moment but update me. If after three days, you still can not hear from her. I''ll come back and help you find her. For now, just continue monitoring the Skull Gang." "Ok master!" Their conversation ended and Charles'' worries lessened after talking with Phantom. Yeah, they knew Catseye. They knew her capability. She was not the type who can be easily killed. She experienced much more life and death situations other than this and she always survived. Charles did not have any idea that Elle was really in a tricky situation right now that is why she couldn''t contact him yet. Apart from it, Phantom was right, Elle was annoyed with Charles. If not for him she might not be in this situation right now wherein she was put under the care of a detective. She wanted him to suffer a little in finding her that''s why she didn''t make an effort to inform him about her whereabouts. She was sure Phantom would have scolded him if he knew that she was missing. She was recovering well at the hospital and she would be discharged today. She would continue recuperating at Erick''s home. She would plan her escape later on, for now she would just go with the flow. She would just consider it to be on vacation until she fully recovered. On the other hand, Erick was now driving, he left at the office early to fetch Elle at the hospital. When he arrived he politely knocked on the door before sliding it to enter. Upon entering, he already saw a figure standing in a distance in front of him. He took one look at her, and something flashed briefly in his unfathomable eyes. Her beautiful, long hair was already done up. She was simply pretty with her clear eyes that were like ocean and when you look at her it seemed like you are falling into the deep abyss, so hipnotizing but quite charming. She also had a pointed nose, thin red lips, and a mysterious aura around her. She seemed reserved and cold but she looked gentle at the same time. She wore a simple plain yellow dress that complemented her fair complexion. When their eyes met, they both shared a moment of absent-mindedness but they returned to their senses quickly. It was Erick who spoke first. He greeted her with a smile. "Sorry, did I make you wait that long?" ''This is it. Time to act. Let''s pretend to be kind.'' Elle thought to herself. Elle also smiled back at him "It''s okay. I know you are busy with your work. I should be the one apologizing for being a burden to you." Erick walked towards her and looked at her in the eyes. "Don''t say that. You are not a burden. Let''s go. You''ve been staying here for long I can sense that you are bored. It''s time to leave." Elle was stunned for a moment. ''He really knows that I was bored staying here and doing nothing. He is really that observant.'' "Yeah, you''re right. I am so eager to leave here. I don''t want staying at hospital." Soon, they left at the hospital to go at Erick''s place. It was already 6 p.m. when they stepped out of the Hospital. It was quite a distance between the Hospital and Erick''s apartment, so it took some time for them to arrive. The two of them did not talk on the road as he focused on driving and kept looking ahead. After passing a traffic light, Erick finally turned over to the woman beside him. She had been quiet with her eyes closed this whole time, so he decided to break the silence. "Do you feel uncomfortable staying with me?" His sudden voice stunned Elle for a moment. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Then, she replied quietly, "Not really. It''s not like it is permanent. I understand my situation right now." "Don''t worry. I promise I will protect you." "Sorry for dragging you in this. I want to thank you for saving me." Elle said to him. Erick was also stunned for a moment when he heard her. For the past few days that he spent with her he knew this woman had always suppressed her feelings, and would not express herself. He also learned that she was aloof and a woman of a few words. He just glad that they were having a casual conversation right now. "No need to thank me, I did what I have to do. I am really glad that I saved you." Erick glanced at her again and gave her a gentle smile before averting his gaze back to the road in front. They did not say anything else. Elle stole a glance at the man beside her who was now very focused on his driving. She frown and thought to herself. ''This guy always smiles. He was really charismatic. And now I will be living with this handsome detective.'' then a devilish smile appeared on her beautiful face. Chapter 23 - Ericks Place It was 7:00 p.m. when they arrived at Erick''s apartment. "We''re here!" Erick parked in his garage and got out of the car. He walked at the opposite side and opened the car door for her. Elle thanked him and also got out of the car. They walked over and entered the house. Elle''s eyes roamed around the place silently observing every detail inside. The house was very refreshing with a minimal design. There was a large TV screen in the living room. There were two rooms at the opposite sides. "Bryan helped me prepared some everyday items for you. Since we didn''t know your preferences he asked help with our woman colleagues to choose for your clothes. The bathroom is in the bedroom if you want to take a shower but be careful not to hurt your wound. Meanwhile, I''ll prepare our dinner." Erick brought Elle''s things and put them on the sofa. "It''s okay. Let me help you first." Elle felt a little uncomfortable as she looked around this strange place. She didn''t know what she should be doing. Erick turned to look at her and nodded with a smile. He did not say anything as he silently walked towards the kitchen. Elle quietly followed him from behind. He did not eat at home for the past few days because they often worked over time for the case. She glanced around and noticed that his kitchen was very clean and very organized. She didn''t expect that she would meet a man as neat and clean and as organize as him. She compared it with Charles'' place and she frown as she remember the scene every time she visited Charles. His place was always in chaotic state and untidy. He was about to take the ingredients out from the refrigerator when his phone vibrated and started ringing. He saw from his screen that Bryan was the one who is calling him. He guessed that he was calling him to report something about work, so he answered it quickly. "Chief the photographic sketches of the waitress and the bodyguard were done. I''ll send it to your email right away!" Bryan excited voice was heard at the other end. "Copy. I''ll check it later. Good job guys. Thank you for working hard. For now, this is our only way that will lead us to Catseye." Erick said to him. Elle was shocked upon hearing the word ''Catseye''. She frown and stared at Erick for a while. She couldn''t hear what the person is saying on the other line but one thing is for sure they were talking about her, about Catseye. Elle lips curled into a smile as she thought to herself ''Now, it really sounds interesting. What a coincidence, the fate seems like playing with us. The detective who saved me is also the one who is likely working on a case related to Catseye.'' She wanted to laugh but she controlled herself. She was trapped in this situation but luckily she found it out early. She must be careful not to reveal her identity. She was now living under the care of her enemy but looking at him she didn''t find it dangerous instead she find it exciting. "Let''s play hide and seek Mr. Detective. It seems like the most safest hiding place is by your side." she mumbled to herself. After the call, Erick brought back his attention to her. "Sorry, It was a call from work. Let''s make some dinner now. What do you want to eat?" Elle gave her a meaningful look and said "A steak will do." Erick nodded and he became busy again with the cooking. Elle also prepared the utensils. She looked at him from time to time. She couldn''t believe that this guy would also look attractive and s.e.xy while in the kitchen. What surprised her more was that he could really cook so well. The food he served was really delicious and tasty. This was the first time she really enjoyed the food. ____________________________________________ At Dark Knight Headquarter: A man in black suite was relaxing sitting on the lounge chair in his study room and leisurely looking out of his windows at the dark night. "Sir, I just received news from our people who are monitoring Skull Gang movements and current situation¡­" the assistant spoke carefully, afraid to disturb his boss who had maintained the exact same position on his chair for a very long time. The man opened his eyes slowly. It was a rare occasion to see his sharp eyes darken as he said, "Continue." "Jorge Arison''s passing didn''t cause so much blow with the Skull Gang as much as what we expected to happen. The new head had stabilized their situation quickly however there were some group who lose their faith and confidence with the Skull Gang. We were able to snatch their deals with Mr. Cheng." his assistant reported to him. "Don''t cause too much trouble for the Skull Gang for now. If we steal many more resources from them, they might suspect us to be involved in Jorge''s assassination." He ordered him. "Speaking of Jorge''s assassination, Skull Gang are hunting Catseye right now. They are determined to catch her as soon as possible. They were eager to know who is master mind behind the assassination." "Oh Catseye. That assassin was really skilled. I heard she profited 50 billion from us. Catseye was a wise person and dared to threaten us and connived with Jorge Arison if we didn''t raise the payment." He said as a flash of hostility appeared on his eyes. "I will not forget what she did, I should commend her for that! We should be wary for that Assassin. She is the kind who will not hesitate to stab you at the back for the sake of money." Veins popped on his forehead as he fixed his gaze on his assistant. "Don''t let Skull Gang catch that bastard. We must get that assassin first. We never know what kind of negotiation he will do with the Skull Gang once they catch him. He might also revealed that Dark Knight was the one responsible for killing Jorge. It will be a war between Skull Gang and Dark Knight if that happens. We must kill Catseye!" He ordered. Chapter 24 - First Breakfast Together! Elle couldn''t sleep well. She was thinking about the previous events that transpired for these past few weeks. She didn''t imagine that she would end up in this kind of situation. It all started when she killed Jorge Arison. So many complications happened. She miscalculated it. Skull Gang was able to lure her in a trap and another skilled assassin was involved. She was injured and her life was put in danger luckily someone saved her. However the most surprising coincidence was that person is a detective who is currently working on a case wherein she was also his target. And now she was staying with him for protection. She smiled as she shook her head and mumbled to herself ''''Even in his death, he is giving me troubles. You are really something Jorge Arison. If you could see me right now I wonder if you are enjoying this.'''' She moved her blouse. She already changed to a sleeping garment. She checked her wounds. She estimated that 2 more weeks and it would completely healed. By that time, she would start to move. For now, she would rest and grabbed this opportunity to spy on Erick regarding his plan and move in catching Catseye. She made a mental note to contact Charles as soon as possible. On the other room, there was another person who was also having difficulty sleeping. He felt uneasy for some reason. He was used to be alone in his home but now there was another person staying with him in the opposite room. However he didn''t regret it offering her to stay with him for a while. He would be more at ease if she was with him at least he could ensure her safety. He stared at the closed door thinking about her. "Have she fallen asleep already? I hope she will not feel uncomfortable." He couldn''t stop thinking about what happened to her. For now, he didn''t have answer for this question but he was so determined to search for the answer. He remembered his conversation with Dr. Gomez when he informed him that the girl have some scars all over her body. He was really curious about her identity and the reason why those people are targeting her and want her dead. These thoughts were making his mind into mess but he couldn''t do anything for now except protecting her so he just sighed deeply. He just finished checking his email regarding the photographic sketch of their suspects but his mind couldn''t absorb anything right now. It was no used planning things out tonight since his mind was thinking of something else so he decided to tidy up. He pulled the blanket aside and lay on the bed. ''''I want to know her more. I will do my best to help her recover her memory." he mumbled to himself. Finally after staying up for the whole night sleep eventually claimed him at dawn. Morning came and even though Erick didn''t get enough sleep, he was able to get up early. He took a quick shower and as soon as he left his room he proceeded to the kitchen in order to prepare their breakfast. He noticed that her room was still closed and there was no sound inside. He assumed that Elle was still asleep. Just like him Elle didn''t sleep well last night. "I''ll just wake her up later when the food is ready." he said as a gentle smile appeared on his handsome face. When Elle woke up it was almost 8 a.m. Erick was supposed to leave before 8:00 in order to come at work however he was considerate enough and he didn''t want to disturb her sleep. He was worried that she might not had a good sleep last night because of the new environment. So he decided to wait for her. He decided to call Bryan to inform him that he might be late today. "Hello Chief, good morning!" Bryan greeted him as soon as he picked up his call. "Good Morning Sergeant Velasquez! I call you because I just want to inform you that I will come at work a little bit late today. I have some matters to do. Please inform others that you can start what you are doing and no need to wait for my orders. If you have concerned just inform me. Okay?" "Understood Chief! Copy and noted. By the way Chief, how''s Jasmine? She was discharged yesterday, right?" Bryan asked him. "Yes, she was discharged yesterday and she is fine. The doctor advised her to rest, not to move around and not to carry heavy things for a while or else her stitches might open up. Two more weeks and her wound will be completely healed." Erick replied. "That''s a good news then. How''s her first night staying with you?" Bryan said enthusiastically. Erick was stunned upon hearing his question. He knew that this guy meant something else while teasing him. He giggled and just shook his head. "You shameless guy! I need to go now, I have something to do. See you later at the office." Then he hung up the phone without waiting for Bryan to respond. Meanwhile the person whom they just talked about a while ago during their conversation was already awake and just finished freshening up when she left her room. She immediately saw Erick who just finished talking with the phone sitting in the dining table. He glanced at her direction when he heard the sound of the door opening. "Good morning Jasmine!" he greeted her with a smile that can cause any girls to melt and blush, what a beautiful sight to start a morning. Elle was dumbfounded for a short moment seeing that smile but she quickly recovered. ''Elle wakes up! You are not dreaming anymore. Don''t let your guard down with this guy'', she thought to herself. "Good morning Detective Lee!" she greeted him back with a force smile. "Just call me Erick. Come. Let''s have a breakfast," he invited her to eat. She nodded in response then she walked towards the dining table. She guessed that he personally cooked the breakfast. Fried rice, omelette and luncheon meat were already served in the table. "Coffee, Hot Choco, Milk or Tea?" Erick asked her. "I prefer hot choco." She replied. "Got it!"Erick smiled at her again before he stood up in order to prepare her drink. Elle frown ''''Why is it, he is always smiling. Grrrr.... Can''t you stop smiling? I will ruin your handsome face if you won''t stop.... it is so distracting!" she said quietly. He glanced back at her as he heard her faint voice. Elle met his gazed and wondered if she accidentally said it out loud. ''Did he heard what I had just said?''''she asked to herself. She was not sure so she just asked him calmly "Don''t you have work today? Why you are still here?" " I will be leaving after our breakfast. They were already informed that I will be late" He simply replied then he continued to prepare her hot choco. After a while Erick gave her the cup of hot chocolate then she thanked him. Erick sat down and they both quietly enjoy their breakfast.... their first breakfast together. Chapter 25 - Shopping At XXX Crime Investigation Office... April couldn''t stop herself checking the time from her wrist watch while looking at the glass door of their office. She was waiting for Erick. Bryan informed them a while ago that Erick would be late today. She was wondering why since for the past few days Erick always went home early and now he was late which were very seldom and unusual for him to do. He was very workaholic and every time they got a tough case to solve Erick even stayed in the office overnight. Bryan and June did their field work. They were still searching and tracing the whereabouts of the bodyguard and waitress using the photographic sketches drawn by the expert. Special Task Force Eagle members Carl and Allen were accompanying them with the search. On the other hand, Rose and April together with the girls member of Task Force Eagle were left in the office. They were checking on the social media, internet and CCTV footage in the City whether they could see those people they were looking right now. They already used their system and sattelites to check those people but with no avail they still couldn''t find them. " Argh...! I am having a headache just looking at these monitors." Rose complained to them as she massaged her temple. "It''s no use. There is a high possibility that they disguised themselves very well before appearing at the Banquet. This was a well organized plan." Jane shared her thoughts to them. "Yeah, not just a well organized plan but also a very well prepared plan which was implemented smoothly. If they just left any fingerprints we can identify them easily." Marie said as she agreed on Jane''s statement. The three woman sighed in frustration. Rose noticed April that she seemed out of their world. She didn''t react with what they were saying. "Hey! a penny for your thoughts." Rose tapped April''s shoulder to get her attention. The two girls looked at her also and were puzzled. She was astonished when Rose suddenly tapped her shoulder. "What?" she asked them innocently. "What''s with the door and with your watch? You are checking it from time to time and keep on looking at the entrance door." Rose looked at her in the eyes. "Isn''t it obvious? She is definitely waiting for someone!" Jane teased her. "I think it was our handsome and very kind Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee." she added "What nonsense are you spouting about?!" April tried her best to deny it but her blushing face betrayed her. "You''re face is red. You''re blushing!" Marie teased her even more. "You look like a very worried girlfriend waiting for your boyfriend to come." Rose said and the three woman giggled at the same time. April just helplessly looked at the three woman who is laughing at her right now. "Can you stop teasing me or else I will inform Captain Jason that you are all slacking off. Just focus on finding the culprits okay?" she warned them which only received another laugh from the three ladies. "We are not the one who is slacking off. It was you! Instead of looking at the monitor your attention is with that glass door." Rose reminded her as she pointed her finger on the direction of the entrance door. They were still laughing when Bryan and June arrived. "What''s with the lively atmosphere here? Did you find something important? Have you track down our targets?" June bombarded them with questions as soon as they entered. The four women ignored him and focus their attention with Bryan. They knew that Bryan was the closest to Erick so if they wanted to know some updates about him they could ask Bryan directly. "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you planning to do something bad to me?" he asked them suspiciously as he noticed the meaningful stare that the women were giving him right now. The four ladies rolled their eyes when they saw Bryan''s exaggeration. "When will Chief Lee come to work today?" It was April who asked him immediately. "I don''t know. How am I supposed to know? Am I his guardian?" Bryan replied sarcastically. "Why are you overreacting? We were just asking." This time it was Rose who spoke. "I told you already that he would come late today. If you want to know what time he will be reporting at work why don''t you ask him yourselves. Why are you pestering me huh?." Bryan defended himself. "We were just curious. It was unusual for Chief to be late at work and for the past few days he also went home early. We were just worried about him. Does he have a problem?" April said. The other ladies stared at her intently and looked with each other meaningfully as if they could understand what''s on their minds. ''Did she just say ''We were worried'' Isn''t it obvious that she was the one who was really worried why involve us?'' Bryan was bewildered upon hearing this. ''Why is it I felt like I am in an interrogation room? They already sensed something. What should I do. Erick asked me not to inform them about Jasmine for the meantime.'' "You are just thinking too much. Chief was under a lot of stress right now because of our current case so he deserves to go home early if he wanted to. Besides we all know that Chief was very hardworking and he always put his best so why question him about being so late." Bryan explained spontaneously, and he was not sure if they would believe him. Thankfully June who was standing silently on the side spoke up and supported him. "I agree with him." June said Meanwhile the man whom they were talking about was still at his home together with the assassin that they were looking for. "How are your wounds?"Erick asked Elle with a concerned tone. They finished their breakfast and they were now sitting at the couch in the living room. "They are a lot better now." she simply replied. "Do you want to go out for a while? Let''s go shopping. You need some clothes and any other thing that you want to buy." Erick suggested to her. "I thought you will be going to work after our breakfast". Elle frown upon hearing his suggestion. "There''s no rush. Beside I can''t just leave you here just like that. You are my guest I should accommodate your needs. If I don''t then I am afraid you will give me a low rating. haha" Erick joked at her. Elle:"....." Elle was speechless. She didn''t know how to react with that...''Is that a joke? So lame.'' she thought to herself. When Erick didn''t get any reaction from her and felt the awkward atmosphere he regretted saying his joke. ''How ruthless. So embarassing! She didn''t give me a face and didn''t even pretend that it is not a corny joke'' He just shook his head and smiled sheepishly at her looking like a child who was guilty of doing something. He coughed to clear the awkward atmosphere and tried his best to act maturely this time. He invited her again "I mean let''s go shopping to buy you your daily necessities and some clothes. It is better if you will the one to choose base on your preferences." "I am sorry for troubling you with this. Are you sure is it okay? I don''t have money right now." "Of course I do. Don''t worry about it okay? Let me help you." He assured her. "If you really insist I will not object with that. I promise I''ll pay you back after. Thank you." she replied to him with a serious tone. "Wait for me, I will just change my clothes." she added before she went to her room ''Is she really grateful with me? Why is it I feel that she was annoyed rather than feeling thankful.The way she says Thank you is very cold. And what''s with that serious look?'' He talked to himself. "She is like hot and cold. She looks approachable sometimes but aloof most of the time. Women are really difficult to read what''s on their minds." He mumbled again as he shook his head while smiling and looking at the retreating back of Elle. Chapter 26 - Shopping (2) It was 10:00 a.m when Erick and Elle arrived at a shopping mall in City Z. They went directly to department store and proceed to the ladies'' clothes section. Elle started to roam around and checked the clothes. Erick just stood on the side observing her. While waiting for Elle, Erick decided to call Captain Jason of the Task Force Eagle. The phone rang for fifteen seconds before it was answered "Hello." Jason''s hoarse voice could be heard on the other line. "Hello Captain. This is me Erick. Sorry to bother you right now. Just want to inform you that I couldn''t report to the office this morning. I have some important matters to do right now. Hope you will understand. I''ll come at the afternoon." Erick explained to Jason politely the purpose of calling him. "It''s okay. No worries. By the way... there''s still no development so far.The girls are still looking at the CCTV footage by the satellite and we are all hoping that we can accidentally spotted them however there''s no sign of them." Jason sighed deeply after saying it. "Yeah, just like what we had expected Captain, it isn''t an easy task. Even though we have their photographic sketches but I am sure they already did a precautionary measures by disguising themselves very well. They were good at hiding their tracks. " Erick shared his thoughts. "You are right. We''ve been working on Catseye''s case for so many years now but we hadn''t find anything useful. It was our failure. What a shame..." Jason sounded frustrated. "Don''t worry Captain. We might get another clue if we focus in this case. At least we have an assumption now that Catseye was not working alone, he or she had an accomplice who is helping and assisting him or her to commit his or her crime." Erick tried to cheer him up. "Yeah that''s right. We should not felt discourage this time. We got a progress. Okay. Take your time. When you arrive this afternoon, I will call a meeting for our team to convene and plan out new strategy." Jason''s determination was back. "Copy Captain. See you later." They finished their conversation and Erick hung up the phone. Meanwhile Elle was able to pick five pairs of her undergarments, and three pieces of female jeans, three maong shorts, three blouses and three t shirts. "I guess these should be enough. I am not planning to stay longer. I will leave as soon as I am completely recovered." she uttered to herself. Then she decided to go to the counter where Erick was waiting for her. "Are you already done? You are a little bit too fast. I thought all women take all their time when they go shopping." Erick was amazed with her. "I don''t want to keep you waiting since you have some work to do." She said but deep inside what she wanted to say to him was ''Well a typical woman will do that but I am different. If you bring me to a shop which is selling different guns and weapons I will surely take my time.'' She gave the items that she picked to the cashier. Erick frown when he noticed that she only got a few clothes. He signaled the cashier to wait then he said to Elle "Get a few more sets of clothes." Elle was about to reject him when he suddenly grabbed her hands before he turned around and pulled her slowly towards the clothe''s section again. She was speechless when she saw Erick stopped and picked up a few dresses. She didn''t like wearing dresses except if she was on her mission. "This set, that one and this one too. Please wrap it up for us." he said to the sales clerk nearby who was observing them on the side. He looked so naturally happy when picking up clothes for her. In just a few minutes, Erick had already chosen the things he wanted to buy without asking for her opinion. ''''Where is the man who said that he wanted me to choose base on my preferences a while ago?'''' Elle was bewildered while she looked at him helplessly. This was also her first time seeing a man who shopped enthusiastically like a woman. She thought there was no man like that. Therefore he was not a typical guy either. Elle just shook her head. The sales clerk was slightly envious with her right now and she thought to herself ''This girl was so lucky to have a very handsome and thoughtful boyfriend like him''. The clerk mistook them as a couple. After fifteen minutes, Erick and Elle finally left the department store with several bags. They also went to supermarket to buy some groceries and other necessities. When they reached the car, Erick handed her a rectangular box and said "This is for you." Elle glanced at the rectangular box on her hand and her brows furrowed into a knot. She could not help but mutter, "I am really amazed to find out that a guy like you is a compulsive shopper. I thought all men didn''t want to spend their money for shopping." Erick chuckled upon hearing her. He was really amused by her. He knew that she really emphasized her last sentence to get back at him when he said to her a while ago that he thought all women take their time when they go shopping. Nonetheless, they just got inside the car and ready to return home. "I buy that phone so that we can contact each other especially if I am at work. I will not be at ease leaving you at the house all alone." he explained to her. Elle paused when she heard him. ''This is great, I can easily contact Charles with this.'' "Thank you. I will surely pay you back for everything." Elle said to him. He laughed softly and casually said "Alright, don''t be so calculative. Jasmine you are too serious sometimes and also cold most of the time. Just treat me like a friend, a friend who wants to help his friend... Is it okay?....Can we become friends?". Elle was dumbfounded. When he didn''t get a response from her Erick turned to his side and looked at her intently. He met her questioning gazed. She looked away first and said nothing. " A friend....?" Elle muttered softly and an indescribable expression appeared on her lovely face. After a while, she did not say anything and just turned to look out of the window. Erick was puzzled. He didn''t know what she was thinking right now. Did she just ignore him again? Did he say something wrong again that offended her? He just shrugged and then leaned over to help her fasten her seat belt before silently started the car. Chapter 27 - Unexpected Visitor at the Headquarter After they got home, Erick left immediately for work but before leaving he made sure that his number was saved in the newly bought cellphone of Elle. He wanted to check on her from time to time. He would know if she was fine. And if there would be an emergency, she could used it to contact him or the police. He also made a mental note to improve the security of the house by putting CCTVs and alarms so that he could monitor the people who walked around the area. He never knew what if one day the people who are looking for her could trace her location. That''s why as a precautionary measures he decided to heightened the security system at home. A few minutes past 1:00 when he arrived at the office. His team noticed his bright and cheerful mood when he entered the office. They greeted him. Rose whispered to April, "I think you are worried for nothing. I think Chief Lee is doing fine and he doesn''t seem to have a problem." April frown and nodded in agreement "I agree, he does not look like a stressed person just like what Bryan claimed to be." "I can''t explain but he seemed to be inspired. He has a vibrant vibe. Did something good happen this morning?" Rose was puzzled. Their conversation was interrupted when Allen called for them. "Team Alpha, Captain Jason told us to come at the conference room right now. We will be having our meeting." he told them. Everyone went to the conference room. "I will give you ten minutes to reorganize everything that you have gather regarding this case especially information related to Catseye then we will report it one by one." Jason said to them. Everyone responded "Noted Captain!" Everyone were focused with their assignments when Bryan approached Erick "What did you do? I thought you will just be a little late but you actually missed half day." "Sergeant are you done with your work? Captain asks us to prepare our reports? Go there and do it!" Erick just gave him a smirk and shoved him off. Bryan had no choice but comply and he stopped pestering Erick. "What an Ungrateful person! If you just knew what I had gone through this morning with the girls and what I did to cover for you... you wouldn''t dare to push me off like this. Hmmp. Just you wait Erick Lee. I am the one who will interrogate you later." Ten minutes passed and they were about to start the meeting when an unexpected visitor arrived. Selena Arison personally visited their headquarter to ask them about the progress of their investigation. Selena entered the conference hall together with Jane. Her posture and elegance stood out and all eyes were on her. "Miss Arison what brings you here?" It was Erick who greeted her since the other people were still starstruck when she arrived. Selena greeted Erick with her sweetest smile and said "Just call me Selena. Sorry for intruding and coming here without asking for your permission. But I just wanted to know the progress regarding my father''s case." Noticing the silence of everyone Selena apologized. Erick nodded "You came at the right time. We were about to discuss it. Please come and join us." He signaled her to sit in one of the vacant seat. After a while others recovered from their shocks caused by the unexpected arrival of gorgeous lady in front of them. Her family was known in the business world and loved by many people because of their charity works however unfortunate thing happened. The head of the family was murdered. "Welcome to our headquarter Miss Selena. By the way, I am Captain Jason Smith, the head of Special Task Force Eagle and these are the members of my team, Jane our the programmer, Carl our profiler Marie and Allen our agents on field." Jason introduced to her the entire members of Special Task Force Eagle. Selena smiled politely with them as sign of her acknowledgement. This time Erick introduced his team. " This is April our profiler, you already met her before when we visited the mansion to investigate the crime scene." Selena nodded and she glanced at April exchanged smile with her "Yes, I remember her." Erick continued to introduce the rest of his team. " This is Rose our programmer, this is Bryan and June our field investigators. They are the members of Team Alpha Cinco." "It''s nice meeting you all. Thank you for your handwork. I know you are all doing your best in order to catch the murderer of my father." Selena said to them, sadness appeared on her eyes upon mentioning her father''s death. "Team Alpha Cinco was originally assigned with your father''s case but since Catseye was involved in this, Special Task Force Eagle joined together with Team Alpha Cinco. Our task force main objective is to catch the assassin Catseye." Jason explained to her. "I think it is appropriate if Erick will the one who will share with you the progress of your father''s case since this is their focus." Jason added and he turned to Erick. "Miss Selena, actually we are planning to visit you since we would like to ask you a few questions. A few days ago we got some clue and based on the information gathered from our witnesses even though we have not gathered any substantial evidence that will confirm Catseye''s Identity we have narrowed down our suspects into two persons. They were the most suspicious people during the banquet, first is the bodyguard who accompanied Jorge and second is the waitress who spilled drinks into your father''s suite causing him to leave the hall." He said spontaneously. Selena frown as she remembered the commotion happened that night. "Yes, I could remember. Everything was going smoothly that night but a commotion happened because of that clumsy waitress." Selena gasped as realization came to her. "How could she?! My father treated her well that night. He didn''t even punish her." angered resurfaced to her beautiful face. "These are the photographic sketches of those two." Bryan gave her the sketches. She examined it. Erick continued "We also found out that Peter went missing two days before your Birthday and he appeared that night together with that bodyguard. We investigated it but no one from Peter''s side knows this person and they confirmed that Peter Blake do not have bodyguard who look like that man. We also investigated the waitress who was a new hired and we traced her." He paused to observe Selena''s reaction. He knew it was hard for her losing her beloved father. Selena was silent and she looked at him in the eyes intently telling him that she was okay and she wanted him to continue. "We went to her house but what we didn''t expect that time we would met another person with the same name of the waitress. Upon investigating further we found out that someone used her identity, used her name and pretended to be her to apply as waitress to easily enter the mansion and avoid suspicion." "We assumed that either one of them is Catseye and the other one is the accomplice. They are working together. This is the end of our lead." After Erick finished speaking, no one inside the conference room dared to make any noise. They could feel the gloomy atmosphere inside as they glanced at Selena. Selena''s shapely brows furrowed into a knot as she gripped the sketches before her. Her beautiful face could not hide the rage in her heart. She wanted Catseye to pay for her father''s death. Chapter 28 - Scared Me to Death! At Elle''s Residence.... Charles had been staying at Elle''s place for one week now hoping and waiting for her to come back. Right now, Charles just hung up the 10th call of the day. Those were calls from their potential clients. Many had called him and wanted to hire Catseye for a mission but he had no choice but to turn it down since she was still missing. He had to come up with some reasonable alibi so that they would not suspect anything. If they got a news about Catseye''s disappearance, he was sure many from the underground world would be rejoicing. Catseye was a skilled assassin. Many people would like to hire her but it didn''t meant that they don''t wish to harm her. They were afraid of her. Of course they wanted her dead because she was a big threat for them. They never knew if one day Catseye would come knocking on their doors just to end their lives. Catseye was an independent assassin which means she didn''t belong to any group or organization of hired Assassin. She didn''t follow rules and she was the most infamous assassin right now in her generation. If she wanted your life, she would claim it for sure. If she wanted you dead then wait for the grim reaper to fetch you. "Catseye where are you? We are losing a lot of money day by day. So many pending mission! Come back now please!" Charles was solemnly wishing for Elle''s return when he heard his phone ringing. He glared at his phone while saying "Oh Gosh,,,another possible millions of money that I need to turn it down." He picked up his phone and answered nonchalantly "Hello? What can I do for you?" "Did you miss me?" Elle said from the other line as she noticed that Charles was not in a good mood. She smirked at the thought of Charles having a hard time because of her disappearance. ''It served him right''. she thought to herself. "Are you kidding me?!! Do you really think that I am in the mood to do sweet talking with a stranger right now?!!" Charles couldn''t help himself from pouring out his stress to the caller. ''Did he just shout at me? I just disappeared for a week and he became bolder. Hmm You just wait Charles! '' Elle was startled and she just stayed silent for a while. ''He seemed like he was really suffering under a lot of stress right now.'' She wanted to laugh at him. Charles calmed down when he didn''t received any reaction from the other caller. ''Wait...why is it her voice sounds familiar?'' Silence remained on the other line. He glanced at his phone to check whether the caller already hung up but she didn''t. This silent treatment seemed familiar. His heart started to beat fast. "Ahemm... sorry about that. Could you... please speak again?" he requested politely trying to confirm his suspicion. After seconds of anticipation, the girl spoke again from the other line. "Hello my dearest Charles!" Charles shivered upon hearing her familiar cold voice. "Oh sh**t! It was really her. It was Elle!'' He almost dropped the phone from shock. He didn''t know what he should feel right now. Should he feel so glad and happy since Elle finally contacted him or should he feel afraid since just a while ago he shouted at her, could this be the end of his life? As if Elle had read his mind, so she said "Don''t worry. It is not your time yet. You are still useful to me. But I dare you to shout at me again, I am telling you now I don''t know what I might do to you." The face of Elle that flashes an evil smile appeared on Charles'' mind so he nodded many times as if Elle could really see it. He felt relieved now. "Why it took you so long from contacting me? How are you? What happened to you? Have you been hurt? Where are you? When will you be coming back?" He bombarded her with so many questions! He was back to his true self now. The blabbering mouth of Charles started to operate again. "It seems like I want to change my mind now." Elle said to him. "What a cold blooded woman! Can''t you be good to me atleast once? You scared me to death! Do you know that? I was worried sick about you." Charles complained to her. "It''s your fault for not answering my call." Elle rebutted. "Hmmp. No way. It was also your fault for not listening to me. I told you that the mission was a little bit suspicious but you didn''t believe me. You didn''t listen to me!" Charles sighed in frustration but he just suddenly laughed. "Haha! Admit it, admit it. I was right! I told you so. My guts feeling was right!" his voice was brimming with confidence. Elle just rolled her eyes. If she was there she could have punched him in the face already. "By the way I called Master Phantom about your disappearance." "What did he say?" Elle asked him "Of course he reprimanded me so many times. I didn''t know where to find you so I asked him for help. If you didn''t call me after three days he will surely come back to search for you. Luckily you finally called." "Oh right, before I forget, Master Phantom didn''t seem that worried when I informed him about your failed mission. I thought you were dead but he told me that you are alive and he sounded confident. He said he knew you. He even said that you might be mad at me and wanted to punish me that''s why you didn''t contact me." He spoke spontaneously like a kid who was telling her mother an interesting thing that happened to him. Elle smiled and shook her head. As expected Master Phantom had high hopes and high expectations for her. He was proud of her. He really believed in her skills and capabilities. He really knew her, he even knew that she wanted to punish Charles. "It was Black Shadow, he conspired with the Skull Gang to catch me. You are right I was badly injured. Someone had saved me." She told him what happened. "What!? Black Shadow! That bastard is really full of himself. He wanted to compete with you and he even dared to hurt you. He is really brave enough!" Charles said mockingly. "He saw my face and discovered my real identity." she said nonchalantly. Charles was dumbfounded. He didn''t know that Black Shadow was really that capable. He should commend him for knowing Catseye''s identity and for injuring her. Charles gasped as realization came to him "Oh no! It''s a big problem. Everyone will now know your identity. You are not a mysterious assassin anymore. Haha! He really broke your record!" Elle raised her brows "You really have the guts to laugh now with my misfortune?" Charles stopped laughing when he heard her warning. "Who cares, just let them know. I can just kill them one by one." Elle said with an evil smile and her eyes full of excitement and thrill. Chapter 29 - Catseye is Idle! Charles continued pestering Elle with his questions about what happened to her. To shut him out she just told him everything. He thought that the most shocking news he got that day was about Black Shadow discovering her identity but he was wrong. There would be something much more surprising in which Elle was about to tell him. "Who saved you?" he asked curiously. "A detective." she said matter-of-factly. "What!? Can you repeat it? Did I hear it wrong?" Charles was startled. He couldn''t believe what she had just said. "Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee who is handling a case related to Catseye to be exact. I think it might be Jorge Arison''s Case." She replied. Charles gasped from that shocking news "Whoah! You really had some luck this time." Elle started to feel annoyed with Charles'' blabbering mouth. "Can....You...Shut up?!" her cold voice made Charles to keep quiet. He sensed that she was really pissed right now. "I called you because I want you to do something for me." she said to him. Charles obediently listened to her. She gave him the instruction. "I got it! By the way how did you know that he is handling Jorge''s Case?" He asked again curiously. " I heard his phone call conversation with one of his colleagues talking about Catseye. Since Jorge''s case was the recent one so I guess it. And I didn''t think that he was one of those Eagles who always running their noses on my business for quite some years now. I already familiarized with those agents. I think he was assigned recently with our case." Charles just nodded on her explanation. "Haha Five years ago, they built that special task force just to catch you but until now they didn''t even have a glimpse of your shadow. They are following your track blindly! I pity them." "I have another concern, what should I do about our pending missions. A lot of people are calling me?" Charles consulted her. "Reject. I still need to recuperate. Just do what I told you to do." Elle instructed him for the last time and then she hung up the phone. He wanted to ask her more about the detective but she was not in the mood. He made a mental note to ask her next time. Meanwhile.... a group of assassins gathered in one certain place. "Have you heard?" someone spoke up. "About what?" "Catseye rejected so many missions! They are looking for another assassins to fill in the job." he said happily "Oh is that true? Hmm, it is so unusual for Catseye to reject missions! Catseye is someone who always think about money and killing." someone felt puzzled. "Did something happened with that devil?" another one shared his thought. "No one knows. They said Catseye has something more important to do right now and will not accept any mission for the time being. Well that punk is really unpredictable. We don''t know what is running on his mind." someone said nonchalantly. "How about Black Shadow? I didn''t see him here for the past few days." "He is probably busy right now. I heard he was offered a great amount of money for one tough mission. But I didn''t know who is his target this time." "Then that''s good news for us. It means we have more job opportunities! Cheers!!!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At XXX Crime Investigation Office... the meeting was still on going. Selena Arison had left already after knowing the reports of the team regarding the progress of their investigation. The atmosphere inside the conference room turned back to normal. A while ago they felt really pressured when Selena was there. They could also feel her gloominess and anger. They felt frustrated also since they haven''t found any more useful information in order to catch the culprits. The worst case was they already knew who did it but the problem was they didn''t know where and how to catch them. "Allen and Carl what is the update on your side?" Captain Jason asked them. It was Allen who answered. "There was no current movement of Catseye. It has been three weeks already after Jorge and Peter were killed. No reports of killings related to Catseye had been submitted." Other members of the Eagles were startled upon hearing the report. Team Alpha noticed their reaction so Rose asked them. "What''s with your expressions? This is a good news why is it you look so puzzled like that?" Carl searched something in his laptop and he projected some data on the screen. "These are the records of Catseye Crime for the past five years." Everyone focus on the Bar Graph presented in the screen. It represented the months and the years and the corresponding number of crimes committed every months. Team Alpha were shocked upon seeing the data. "Is that the record of crimes that Cats¨¦ye committed for the past five years?" Bryan asked. "Yes" Allen simply replied. Bryan gasped "Oh crap, that''s too many!!!!" "Catseye was known for his viciousness that''s why he was entitled the devilish assassin! Someone says that Catseye was addicted to bloody crime, killings and money. These records show that the average frequency or the average crime that Catseye committed every one month is 13. It also means that average of 13 persons would be killed by Catseye in every one month. These data only included the reported one but we didn''t know but there is a possibility that she committed more crime depending on his mood." Carl said as ex explained the data further. "However for this month, she just committed 3 crimes including the recent case of Peter Blake and Jorge Arison. This means Catseye had been idle for the past three weeks. That is the reason why we are puzzled." Allen said. Everyone was put in a deep thought after they heard the report of Carl and Allen. "The question is what could have happened after the Assassination of Jorge and Peter? Even though it was a good news that Catseye committed less crime this month but we are really bothered since this is the first time it happened for the past five years on following this case.'''' Captain Jason shared his thought. "If he is consistently doing crimes and it became lesser this month then we could say that Catseye possibly encountered a mishap in one of his missions. This could be one of the possible reasons. Catseye must be injured or something unexpected happened to him." It was Erick who shared his thought and one of his speculation. If that''s the case then who could it be. "Then I should act this time and gather more information. It''s my time to do undercover and be a spy in the underground world." It was Marie who spoke up with a bright smile and then she winked at her team members who were startled from the moment she suddenly spoke up. Chapter 30 - Reveal Her Identity After Selena Arison left the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter, she traveled back to their company and went to meet her brother, James Arison. James was examining some doc.u.ments when Selena entered his office. When James saw her, he frown as he noticed the gloomy expressions of her dearest sister. He knew very well how difficult for her to accept the death of their father. Her sister didn''t know about the underground connection of his father. Her father loved his daughter so much that he didn''t want to involve her in their illegal activities. As her elder brother, he understood his father''s intention of not letting her know about the Skull Gang. A long time ago, Jorge told him already that he wanted James to be the leader of Skull Gang and protect their company in shadow while her sister will be the one managing the Arison''s Holdings and Mining Corporation. He agreed with the set-up. He also wanted to protect his sister from the dangerous job. "What''s wrong?'''' he asked her with a gentle voice full of concern. "I went to the Investigation Headquarter to ask them about the progress of Dad''s case." she said as she walked over and sat down on the couch in front of James'' desk. "What did they say?" he stood up and walked towards her. He sat down beside his sister. Selena told her brother the information she got from the headquarters. She also brought the photographic sketches of Elle and Charles. She gave it to her brother. James examined the photographic sketches of those two. A dark expressions appeared on his handsome face. ''So these two are the possible culprits in our father''s death. According to Black Shadow, Catseye is a girl so this must be her.'' He stared at the sketch of the waitress. He glanced back at Selena and he tried to comfort her. "Don''t worry to much. Sooner or later we will get the justice that we want. Let me handle it. I will not let those people who killed our father be free. I will make sure that they will get the punishments they deserve. Just trust me okay? Selena looked at him in the eyes and nodded. After a while Selena went back to her office. James called Black Shadow and he came thirty minutes after. He wanted to confirm if the person in the sketch was the same person he saw during his encounter with Catseye. "The sketch looks different. However I am not that sure, it happened in just a split of a second and I was knock down immediately so I can''t vividly describe her but If I can see her again I will be able to recognize her. But I am sure, she is quite a beauty. Catseye is a master of disguise so she will not appear in a mission displaying her true face. " Black Shadow said. "How''s your mission? Are you able to traced her?'''' James asked him "I can''t find her. She went in ''lie low''. I pretended to be a client and called her messenger to offer some mission but he rejected it. With those injury I think she must be recuperating right now. They will not fall on the same trick again. Now they will be careful in accepting missions." Black Shadow reported. James fell silent and seems like he was in a deep thought contemplating something. After minutes of silence, he spoke again. "The man on the sketch must be her accomplice. He might also be her messenger. If we can''t find her, we must change our plan. Focus on her accomplice. Find out everything about him. Catch him. Then if you do, torture him until he talks about the whereabouts of Catseye." "Copy!" Black Shadow smirked and nodded in agreement. He was about to leave when James spoke up again. "Another thing. Reveal her identity to those who are investigating this case. Informed them that Catseye is a woman. Give them anonymous tip but make sure that if they investigate the information given they wouldn''t traced it back to Skull Gang." James said as he gave another ordered to Black Shadow. Black Shadow paused in a moment then he understood what James was trying to do. It could be better if many people would come and worked together to catch Catseye. It would be disadvantageous for her if both Skull Gang and Authorities were looking for her. Unknown to them another big organization was also looking for Elle, Dark Knight. Elle''s enemies were increasing in number each day. Many enemies were seriously looking for the assassin who was currently relaxing in the balcony of the detective who took care of her under his protection. She felt bored watching television inside the house so she decided to go out to smell some fresh air. She was observing her surroundings when she heard a beep sound coming from her phone. She looked at it and saw that there was a message. She paused when she learned that it came from Erick. After few seconds she decided to open the message. "Hello Jasmine! What are you doing right now? I know you must be bored right now. I can sense it." there was a smiley at the end of the sentence. She looked at the smiley then Erick''s smiling face popped up suddenly in her mind. She brushed it off in her mind quickly. ''What was happening to my brain. Why am I seeing his face right now?'' she mumbled to herself. On the other side Erick was looking at his phone waiting for Elle''s reply but to his disappointment he didn''t get one. They just finished their meeting. ''Did she read my message? Why is it there is no reply? Is she intentionally ignoring my message? Hmm''. A frown appeared on Erick''s handsome face. That reaction didn''t escape the observant eyes of Bryan who was approaching Erick. Erick was about to dial Elle''s number in order to call her and check on her when Bryan suddenly tapped Erick''s shoulder and said "Hey!". Erick was astonished with the sudden movement of Bryan that he almost dropped the phone in his hand. Bryan burst into laughter when he saw that. Erick gave him a serious and a warning look. "Sorry, I didn''t intend to shock you. I just want to know why are you intently staring at your phone a while ago." Bryan smiled sheepishly feeling so guilty. His plan to call Elle was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Bryan. He knew his intention. He knew that after the meeting he would surely come to him and asked him so many questions why he didn''t report this morning. Bryan was his closed friend and he knew him well. He would not stop pestering you if there was something he wanted to know. And he also loved to gossip. Erick shook his head when he thought about him. ''He really suited being an investigator.'' Chapter 31 - Could Die from Embarassment! Bryan failed to interrogate Erick since their other colleagues joined them. He was really eager to know what happened that morning. He suspected that what Erick did that morning was related to Elle. Erick was glad that he was able to escape Bryan''s questioning so he gave him a teasing smile. Disappointment could be seen on his face. "Erick Lee just you wait. If I couldn''t interrogate you now then I will tresspass in your house in order to gather information I wanted to know." Bryan flashed an evil smile. "Today was a very stressful day. This case is making me older. Look at my eyebags." Rose said as she complained. "Our case has nothing to do with your age. Hmm. You just want to remind us that you will be celebrating your birthday seven days from now!" June said to tease her. Erick, Bryan and April looked surprised. June and Rose gave the three of them a questioning look. "Oh Crap. Don''t tell us, all of you forgot her birthday?" Rose felt disappointed also. The three of them just nodded and smiled sheepishly while looking apologetically towards Rose. Rose pouted and pretended to be mad. April glared at June and gave him a look saying ''Why do you need to emphasize that we forgot''. June shrugged and laughed saying ''It''s not my fault that you forgot.'' April consoled her " Sorry Rose, we were just so busy for these past few weeks. This case is really giving us a hard time. Don''t be angry with us please." Rose just keep silent and pretended to ignore her. April stared at the two men who also forgot about Rose''s birthday asking for help. She urged them to say something. Erick nodded and gave her a gentle smile. Then he turned to Bryan and whispered something "Pacify Rose then I''ll tell you everything you want to know about what I did this morning." A bright light flashed on Bryan''s eyes as he heard Erick. As if he was motivated by Erick, he walked towards Rose with confidence. He paused and glanced at Erick once more saying ''You promised. There''s no turning back.'' As if Erick understood what he was saying by that look, he just smiled and nodded to seal the agreement. It was Bryan''s turn to appease Rose. "Forgive us Rose. Please understand our situation. We didn''t intentionally forget your birthday okay." Rose kept on ignoring them so Bryan just continued. "I''ll promise I will bring you to the mall and accompany you to shop and let you buy something that you like. It is my treat!" As soon as Rose heard him, she quickly turned back to look at him and said while smiling "Ok I forgive you! That is a promise right? I will have your word!" Erick:"..." June:"..." Rose:"..." The three people was dumbfounded.That was fast. Bryan gave the other spectators a triumphant smile. Erick suddenly remembered what happened this morning. He was right, most women love to shop. Bryan was able to pacify Rose by using that strategy "Shopping". He couldn''t stop himself from laughing when he remembered the look in Elle''s face when he invited her to go shopping. She didn''t look so pleased and excited but rather annoyed. It was the exact opposite of Rose reaction. ''She is really different from other women''. Erick''s sudden giggles attracted their attentions so they looked at him puzzled. Rose thought that maybe her childish reaction caused their chief to suddenly burst out laughing so she blushed from embarassment. "Do all women love to shop?" He asked them out of the blue. The four persons was bewildered from his question. "How about you April?" "Huh?Me...? April was surprised with his direct question. Her heart started to beat fast. ''Will Erick invite me if I said yes?'' She thought. Not sure how she would answer but in her mind ''Of course I love shopping but I would love it most if I will do it with you''. "Yes... I also enjoy shopping. Most of us women, this is one way to relieve our stress." April finally replied. Erick chuckled again as he remembered Elle who looked so stressed when he insisted her to buy more items. He caught her frowning at him when he picked up more dresses for her. Bryan sensed something was amiss with Erick''s reaction right now so he asked him "Why are you asking that Chief?" The four of them looked at him intently anticipating what he would reply. Erick stopped laughing and met the examining stare of his colleagues. "Nothing... I also love shopping. No... I mean I just started to love shopping. It was fun actually." He simply replied and gave them a meaningful smile. The four of them looked with each other speechless. There were in that state when Captain Jason stopped by their office and saw them. "What''s with this silence?" he asked. Every one turned back to normal and greeted him. "Today is a very stressful day. Let''s go out and have a dinner to relieve our stress. It''s my treat." he invited them. Everyone was happy hearing the invitation from Captain. They were excited. They were in a cheerful moment when Erick''s phone beeped. Erick checked his phone and he was amused when he saw the message coming from Elle. He immediately opened it. "SLR. I was asleep. Just read your message. I''m fine.'''' Erick smiled as he blurted out to himself "SLR means sorry late reply right?Hmmp you shopped very fast but it really took you so long to reply. I''m glad you didn''t intentionally ignore my message." Unknown to Erick that the true reason why she was not able to respond immediately was that Elle didn''t know what to reply. She typed prior message but ended up being deleted all over again. She spent two hours just thinking what to reply. And after tiring herself out from thinking, this was the only message she could come up with. "I thought you really ignored my message." he said honestly. He included a sad emoticon at the end of his message. When Elle received his message she frown again. ''''I never thought that texting someone could be this difficult! Killing someone is more easy than this. Urghh!" Elle grunted irritably. Because she was a little bit annoyed she accidentally pressed a heart-eyes smiley and it was too late whe she noticed that she already pressed the send button. She was about to type her message when she sensed something was not right. She was really shocked when she saw her phone screen! She almost dropped the phone from her hand. "Oh crap!!! Oh crap!!! Erase!!! Erase!!! Delete!! She realized that even though she could delete it in her phone Erick would still be able to read it. She was in a state of panic. This was the first time she felt like this. She didn''t know what to do. Of all the emoticons why it had to be a heart-eye smiley emoticon! Why?! If someone knew about this especially Charles she would die from embarassment. She had the urge to throw the phone right now and broke it into tiny pieces. On the other hand, the man on the receiving end was also surprised when he opened her message. "Huh? She sent me a heart-eyes emoticon?" he couldn''t help himself but giggled. "What happened to her? Is she still dreaming?" He mumbled as he typed again his replied. "Are you sure you are just fine?" he added a laughing emoticon. He was about to send it when he changed his mind. He stood up and he went out the office. He decided to call her. He knew she might just pressed it accidentally. With her personality he could already imagine her reaction. He wanted to tease her a little. Elle glared at the phone when she heard its ringing. "What the heck!!! Why is it he was calling me right now?" She calmed herself first before answering the phone. She could just said to him truthfully that she was mistakenly sent it. But she really felt annoyed committing such mistake. It was really embarassing! "Hello?" she said as she sounded awkward when she answered the phone. "Are you sure you are just fine?" Erick''s husky voice could be heard in the other line. "Sorry I just accidentally pressed it a while ago." she tried to be more calm and natural even though she felt really embarassed. She heard his softly chuckled. "Relax. I didn''t call you because of that. I wanted to ask you what do you want for dinner tonight?" He partly lied. Of course he called her because he wanted to know how would she react after sending a wrong emoticon. Hearing her a while ago, he sensed that she felt embarrassed. Unfortunately he couldn''t see her facial expression. He wanted to see what she would look like when she felt embarassed. "Will you cook tonight?" Elle asked him as she felt relieved that he didn''t mind it. "Hmmm It depends. If you want me to cook I will happily complied." He teased her. Elle rolled her eyes. This guy was shameless sometimes. "Okay.Cook for me tonight! I want to eat tasty curry and a saucy beef steak." she ordered him. "Copy Ma''am! Wait for me to come home." Chapter 32 -Dinner for Three It was already 6:00 p.m when the whole team decided to leave the headquarter. They were invited by Captain Jason of Eagles to have dinner outside. They were having conversation about where they would be having their team dinner when Erick spoke up. "Captain Jason, sorry but I can not join you for tonights dinner." Erick said apologetically. His team members gave him a confused look. Sensing the unhappy expressions from his team, he spoke again. "Sorry guys. I''ll promise I will make it up to you guys next time." Captain Jason laugh "It seems like Chief Lee has important matter to attend to. "Chief Lee can''t you set it aside for now? This is our first team dinner with Task Force Eagle. We will be sad if only you couldn''t attend it." April complained. Some of them nodded in agreement. Erick felt pressured with the gazes they were giving him. They had a point but he promised someone that he would cook for her tonight. He was put in a difficult situation right now. He didn''t know what he would say. They were looking at him with their pleading eyes, waiting for him to respond when Bryan suddenly spoke up. "Captain I also have something to do. My parents visited me and they were waiting for me at home. I am afraid I couldn''t join you." April, Rose and June gave him a questioning look. Afraid that they would seen through his lies he quickly put his hand on Erick''s shoulder as he pulled him away from them. "Alright, we will just set another team dinner so that you two can join us next time. Make sure you will come next time." Jason said to them. Erick and Bryan nodded and bade them a farewell. A few minutes they disappeared from their sights. When they arrived at the carpark Erick went inside his car. He just started it when suddenly Bryan entered on the opposite side. He looked at him and asked "What are you doing?" "Tagging along with you!" he said matter-of-factly. Erick frown "Why? I thought your parents are waiting for you at home?" Bryan chuckled "You don''t have the right to reject me. I will come with you. Because of you I ruined my free dinner tonight. Don''t you know I just did you a favor a while ago." Erick was stunned when he heard Bryan. "I lied about my parents. I just used my a-friend-to-the-rescue instinct. I know you were having difficulty rejecting the girls request a while ago so I also made an alibi." Bryan explained to him further. Erick shook his head. He didn''t imagine that Bryan would go to that extent just to help him. He smiled at him looking so grateful. "I could really count on you in times like this." Erick started to focus on driving. "That''s what friends are for! But of course, in exchange I will tag along with you tonight haha" Erick looked at Bryan who was laughing triumphantly. "Ok I will let you slide for now." "By the way, what are your plan for dinner?"Bryan asked him. "I will cook curry and beef steak. Jasmine requested it." Erick replied. "I knew it!! It was because of Jasmine." Who else could it be but her. Bryan stared at him intently. "What did you do this morning?" Bryan finally asked directly. He was really eager to know. "I went shopping with Jasmine." He simply replied. ''''So that''s the reason why you were asking the girls about shopping. And what''s with your weird reactions a while ago, laughing and chuckling like there is no tomorrow?" Bryan said with his exaggeration. "What happened between you two?" He added. "Nothing. We just shopped." Erick simply replied, eyes on the road and not looking at him. "Is that all?" Bryan urged him to talk more. He just nodded. Bryan sighed in frustration and mumbled "Boring!" " What did you expect me to say?" this time Erick turned to his side and looked at him. "I thought something interesting happened. You are being weird a while ago smiling for no reason. Tsk Tsk." Bryan said with a disappointment tone. ''Yeah there is no interesting happened but I find someone amusing'' Erick thought to himself and a gentle smile appeared on his handsome face. Meanwhile.....Elle was busy researching in the internet through her phone. She tried to look at Erick Lee''s profile in the internet. She was surprised when she read some articles about him. She didn''t expect that he would be so famous. He seemed to be humble and low profile. But he had established a good reputation and had achieved many things for his young age. He was a promising man and many people admired him not just because of his good looks but also because of his personality. She frown when she read a certain portion of the article saying "He is still a bachelor and many girls are still lining up to be his girlfriend. They didn''t heard about him having a girlfriend that''s why many girls are still hoping." ''''This article is ridiculous. Why include someone''s private and personal life. Is he an artist, is he a public figure?'''' Elle said as she hissed. She looked at the time. It was already quarter to 7:00. She decided to message him. "Where are you now? You said you will cook tonight." Erick and Bryan just arrived at the garage when Erick received her message. He opened it before going out the car. He smiled as soon as he read the message. "Count up to 30 seconds then I''ll appear in front of you." he replied. Elle shook her head as she read his message. "I couldn''t believe that this guy has this corny side too." but her other mind told her ''It''s quite cute.'' A few seconds after she heard the sound of doorbell ringing. She frown "Did he forget his key?" She walked towards the front door and opened it. A smiling face of Erick greeted her as she opened the door. Their eyes met and they both paused for a moment. Then someone''s voice ruined the atmosphere. "Hello Jasmine good evening!" Bryan happily greeted her. She was not mentally prepared when she saw the unexpected visitor who tag along with Erick. She frown and turned to Erick with a questioning look. Erick smiled sheepishly looking guilty. ''Crap I forgot to tell her that Bryan is coming with me.'' Elle gave the two men a sharp glared. Bryan shivered when he saw that kind of look. "Why is it Jasmine looks frightening? I am having a goosebumps." Erick''s smiles slowly disappeared when he saw her looking so serious. ''I think I have done something wrong again.'' The three of them entered the house. Bryan glanced at Erick as if asking him "What happened just now?" Erick just gave him an awkward smile. Erick just put his things down before he proceed to the kitchen. Bryan sat down on the couch in the leaving room. Elle came out from her room and she sat down on the opposite side of Bryan. Silence engulfed the whole living room. Bryan didn''t know how to start a conversation with Elle. He couldn''t understand but the silence was making him more uneasy. He was really nervous around her. He was stealing a glance at her from time to time. He saw her busy scanning her phone. As if he couldn''t take the frightening atmosphere around them so he decided to stand up and go to the kitchen where Erick was busy preparing food. "Eh.. Jasmine.. I''ll just help Erick ..with the cooking." He stuttered from fright just talking with her. As if Elle realized something when she sensed the nervousness of Bryan, she looked at him and said while flashing her sweetest ''fake'' smile "Okay sergeant." Bryan was dumbfounded seeing her smile. ''Did I overthink again?''. Bryan smiled back at her awkwardly then he proceeded to the kitchen. Elle stared at his retreating back intently and sighed helplessly "Should I act everyday when interacting with those men. It''s quite more tiring than killing.Hmm I should leave soon." After a while, the foods were ready and already served in the dining table. This was a dinner for three. The three people gathered together and silently started eating. Elle admitted to herself that Erick was really an excellent cook. The atmosphere turned back to normal. The two men felt relieved seeing Elle enjoying her meal. She looked like she was now in a good mood. She also joined them in a casual conversation. Bryan became at ease with her again. Bryan didn''t stay for long so he bade them farewell. He called for a taxi since he didn''t bring his car. Elle and Erick were now alone together. They were washing up the dishes when Erick spoke up. "Sorry for not informing you ahead that Bryan would come with me tonight. He helped me a while ago so in returned I treat him for dinner tonight." He explained as he apologized to her. "Are you still mad?" he asked her Elle was stunned in a moment. She didn''t expect him to explain to her besides this was his house so he could invite anyone he wanted. She realized that she acted unreasonable a while ago. She was just annoyed. She was not used to interact with other people. Asides from Master Phantom and Charles, she didn''t socialize with others. "I''m not mad. I am just hungry. It took you so long to come home." Elle replied. "I think I discovered your weakness?" Erick chuckled. Elle paused what she was doing and turned to stare at him with a confusing look. "Delicious food! If you are in a bad mood I will make sure to cook different delicious food for you." he said as he teased her. Her eyes widened. ''This guy was really something.'' She has the urged to punch his handsome smiling face but instead she splashed water into his face and she walked out quickly to escape. Erick was left stunned in his position. After a while, a sound of man''s laughters could be heard from the kitchen. Chapter 33 - 33: Anonymous Tip Three days had passed and Elle was recovering well. She had already adjusted living with the Detective. However she could not move around freely especially now that Erick had heightened the security at home by putting CCTV cameras around the place and in the nearby area. She could still remember how annoyed she was while observing the technician installed all the CCTV cameras. If just look could kill, the technician would already be dead because of her sharp glared. Elle and Charles were contantly contacting each other. They already planned out their next move and how Elle would be able to escape without trace after she completely recovered. Unknown to them, their peaceful moment would be disturb and a storm was about to happen. Their enemies already started their moves. Black shadow already prepared the bait for Charles. Dark Knight''s men were closely monitoring Skull Gang movements waiting for the opportunity to strike if Catseye would appear. An anonymous tip had been also delivered at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter. "Chief Chief, everyone look at this!" June came running into the office holding a brown envelope. Team Alpha gathered around when they heard June. "What is that?" It was April who asked first. "Some mailman left this to me in the entrance. He said I should give it to our Chief. There is a precious information inside this envelope that was useful to our current case." June said while panting because he was rushing a while ago. "Where''s the mailman now?" Erick asked him. "He left already. But I got his I.D picture." June replied "That''s good!"Erick tapped his shoulder. "Should we open this now? Bryan was about to examine the brown envelope when Erick stopped him. "Wait. Bring this to the lab first for fingerprint testing." Erick ordered. June nodded and then he left. "Bryan inform Captain Jason about this." "Ok Chief!" "Tell them we will have a meeting after the result of fingerprint checking in the lab." Erick added. Bryan nodded and left. After an hour, the result was out. Team Alpha Cinco and Special Task Force Eagle gathered in the conference room. They were all there waiting (except for Marie who went undercover)when June arrived with the result. "Only my fingerprint and the mailman fingerprint were seen." June said. He gave the envelope to Erick. Erick was the one who opened it. Everyone was very focused, anticipating what information was inside that brown envelope. They were all excited to know. They saw Erick picked up a white paper inside with computerized message. Erick brows furrowed into knots when he saw the message inside. He lifted the paper and turned it over for the others to see. Everyone''s eyes widened upon reading the four words in the paper. "CATSEYE IS A WOMAN" There was a moment of silence inside the room. Even Captain Jason didn''t know what to say. Everyone was speechless. It was Erick who broke the silence. "We need to verify and validate first this information. We are not sure yet if this information is true and reliable. This is an anonymous tip coming from unknown informant." After saying that, they recovered from their shocks. All this time they assumed that Catseye was a man. From the strength, agility, the ruthless methods, bloody killings and the way Catseye accomplished every mission they thought Catseye was a man. And now there was a tip saying Catseye was a woman. "There were two possibilities. First... if this is false, someone just wanted to mess up with our current investigation. Second...if this is true, someone really wanted to help us in this investigation. But why would they do that? After five years, why give this just now?" Captain Jason shared his thought. Every one fell into a deep thought, analyzing those possibilities. It was April who spoke again. "I don''t think someone would want to mess up with our current investigation. Besides no one knows about the progress even the media because we keep it confidential from the public. Only the family involves know about our progress." "At the same time there''s no need to mess with us since our lead and clue ended with these two persons" April pointed out the sketches of waitress and the bodyguard. "That''s right. This information was not also given intentionally by Catseye to divert our attention since we knew Catseye''s method. He won''t waste his time messing up with our investigation. For five years, I admit Catseye is underestimating us Eagles." It was Carl who supported April''s analysis. "So it could be the second possibility! If this information is true why just give it to us now? Who could it be? If the informant could just appear personally so that we can ask that person to explain further how that person discovered Catseye''s identity then the tip would become more reliable but instead he preferred to be anonymous." Captain Jason was not yet convinced whether the information was true and reliable. "He didn''t give us a proof to validate this information!" Jason added. "Let''s backtrack everything, from the start up to the informations we got, our suspects and this anonymous tip. Let''s try to connect the dots." Erick suggested. Every one nodded in agreement. "First think of the informations that we have for this two. Since we conclude that either one of them is Catseye and the other one is just an accomplice. Who among the two should be Catseye. If the information given is true then let''s look back to the incident that night that will point out that this waitress is Catseye." Every one looked back at the information gathered, from the interviews, from the result of autopsy, the chronological events that happen as well as the time of death of Jorge and Peter. Thirty minutes had passed when Bryan suddenly stood up and said "I got it! I got some clue!" Everyone''s attention was now focused on Bryan. "What did you find?"Captain Jason asked curiously. "I think it was the waitress who killed Jorge.". Bryan told them and he sounded very certain. "Why is that so?" Jason asked him again. "According to the interviews and witnesses, after the commotion happened they never saw the waitress back in the hall."Bryan said. "Agree ,when I check the CCTV recordings in the main hall that was the last time she was seen on the CCTV footage." Rose supported Bryan''s statement. "Here, this comes from one of our witness when we asked to describe the bodyguard when we are making the sketches. She was the one who vividly saw the face of the bodyguard because he was with her drinking champagne for almost 30 minutes until the chaos started. She said the man disappeared after Selena founded the lifeless body of Peter and the unconscious Jorge in the room. "If that''s the case then there is a high possibility that the waitress could be Catseye and this tip is true and reliable. But they didn''t give us a proof to support this. Who could be this anonymous informant?" Jason said Silence once again engulfed the conference hall. Then finally their remaining questions were answered when Chief Detective Inspector Lee spoke up. "I think the information given to us was true but they can''t provide us a solid proof because they didn''t have one. This could be came from one of Catseye''s enemies." Everyone listened attentively to Erick''s deduction and analysis. "He choose to be anonymous because of two possibilities they simply didn''t want to be involve with the authorities and there is something they wanted to protect and doesn''t want to implicate by giving this information. They knew that we will also investigate them. They must be involved in some illegal activities." The team nodded in agreement. "And lastly, Three days ago we talk about Catseye being idle for a while. She committed less crime compared to the past years which we find it very unusual. We are wondering what happened to Catseye. And this is the answer to that. Catseye might really encountered a problem during her mission and someone accidentally discovered her true identity. She must be injured since until now there was still no news and movement from her end or she went lie low." "They didn''t reveal her identity before because they had just discovered it recently. The person who gave us this information have the same motive with us...that is to catch Catseye." Erick finished his conclusion. Everyone was astonished. They had really connected all the dots! Now they were really certain....Catseye was a woman! This was a shocking news for them. Chapter 34 - 34: Being Followed! Things were going so hectic at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter because of the development about Catseye''s Case.Erick informed Elle that he would go home late tonight. "Something came up in the office. Are you going to cook or do you want me to order some food for you for dinner?" Despite being busy, Erick made sure to check on Elle from time to time. Elle didn''t usually cook so she choose the later. "Ahem... please order some." A soft chuckle could be heard from the other line. "What?" Elle asked him. ''Is there something funny?'' "Nothing... I guess you don''t usually cook." Erick replied. "Of course not, ...it''s just that... I am not in the mood to cook." she lied. She heard another chuckles from him. "Hmm or you just used to my cooking! Did I spoil you that much with my excellent skills in cooking? Don''t worry I will make it up to you." Erick teased her. "You''re too confident. Tsk tsk. My cooking skills is much more better than yours." she said as she sounded a little bit annoyed. "Hmm Is that so? Then can you cook for me next time? Let me check how good your skills are." He challenged her. ''Is he serious? Can I take it back?'' Elle''s eyes widened when she heard him. She didn''t know what to respond so she just stayed silent. "Your silence... I will take that as a yes. I''ll have to go now. See you later!" Erick said enthusiastically before he hung up the phone. Elle was left speechless. ''Did he just take advantage of me?Me.... the most skilled assassin of my generation...will just cook for that Detective? Should I include him in my recipe instead and slice him into tiny pieces?'' After a while, out of boredom Elle decided to go inside Erick''s room. She wanted to use his computer in order to access some information as well as to find out what evidence they have gathered already against her. One week from, she would be healed completely and she would start to move against her enemies. Fortunately, there were no cameras installed inside their rooms so she had nothing to worry. When she was about to unlock the door she noticed that it was not lock. She shook her head ''This guy can be easily fool. He trusts people easily. He didn''t even lock his door, not afraid that someone might break in and steal something.'' When she entered the room she was amazed how clean and organized it was. Everything are arranged in a nice way, from the position of bedside table, tv screen, closets and the bed. It was quite spacious compare to her room. Adjacent to his room was his small study room. The thing that she needed was in the study room so she went inside. Upon entering she saw bookshelves full of different kinds of books especially about Laws and Crime Investigations. "Did he read all of that?" she mumbled to herself looking overwhelmed. "So glad I didn''t become one. Memorizing those laws it''s so boring and will just give me a headache". She walked towards his table where the computer was also located. She wore a gloves to make sure that she would not leave any fingerprints. She was also careful not to touch or move the things inside. Erick might noticed that someone entered his study if there would be some changes. When she was near the table, something caught her attention. It was a white folder with a logo of XXX Crime Investigation and label Case # 1007 (Arison-Blake Murder Case). Upon opening the folder, Elle saw two photographic sketches, one was Charles and the other one was her. Fortunately they were in disguise. "Wow, they are really making a progress. I should give them credits for identifying us as the main culprits." Elle flashed her cunning smile. She was about to examine all the files inside the folders when her phone suddenly rang. It was Charles who is calling her right now. ''I told him not to call me without informing me ahead, what if Erick was here and he saw that someone is calling me. It would cause some suspicion.''she thought to herself. As soon as she answered it, a panic voice of Charles could be heard on the other line. "Elle! They are following me! There are lots of them." Elle frown as she heard the panicking voice of Charles. "Where are you? Who are they?" "I am driving, on my way to my house but I noticed a while ago that someone is following me. When I tried to drive faster they sensed that I already knew that they are following me. I thought there is only one but they are many. Three black sedan cars are on my tail right now!! I think they are members of Skull Gang!" Charles explained to her spontaneously. Elle stayed quiet for a while. She was thinking about something. Charles''cursing, screeching sound of cars and honking could be heard on the other line. A light flashed on Elle''s eyes. She understood what was happening right now. A smirk appeared on her face. " Like father like son. James Arison, he is a clever man." "What do you mean?" Charles asked her. "He knows something about you. Since he couldn''t find me he changed his strategy. He targeted the easy one and that is you." "Oh Crap. They are having firearms! I think they will gonna shoot! What should I do?" Charles was desperately asking her with an anxious tone. "Don''t let them catch you. Because if you do...it will be the end of your life. You have seen me tortured someone right, they will do the same thing to you." Elle warned him. "You have a weird way of encouraging someone. Elle if I die tonight.....will you avenge my death? For the sake of our long years of working together....can you do that?" After Charles said that a loud sound of gunshots could be heard at the other line. Bang....Bang! "Hello Charles?.... Hello?..." Elle continued calling Charles'' name however there was no response from the other line... Chapter 35 - 35: Charles Elle boot the computer quickly. She would try to track down Charles'' current location. She was put in a difficult situation now. Even though everyone knew her as a ruthless, vicious and devilish assassin however she was not that heartless to let her accomplice suffered from the hands of her enemies. Who dared touch her people would really pay double. To her, she was the only one who has the right to hurt Charles. Even though sometimes she really imagined many ways how to kill Charles because of his blabbering mouth but she would not let her enemy kill him tonight. "Damn, as expected he has a password. It would take me sometime to hack this." a tapping of keyboard could be heard inside the study. Elle was looking so serious at the monitor. ''Charles just be sure to be alive. This is the first time I will exert some efforts for you''. After five minutes, Elle finally unlocked the password. She typed again and she started to used her hackers ability to locate Charles location. While waiting for the result, Elle reminisced the first time she met Charles. She was 18 years old while Charles was 22 years old when Phantom introduced them to each other. She heard from her Master Phantom that Charles was an orphan. He was a street child when he was young. He was engaged to different illegal activities such as theft, robbery, gambling, and carjacking, in order for him to survive. Phantom saved him once when his life was put in danger because he robbed a gang leader. If not for Phantom, he would die from their beatings. After that night, Charles sworn his loyalty to Phantom. He said to Phantom that he would serve him as long as he live. At first Phantom didn''t take it seriously. That time, Phantom was already taking care of Elle so he could not take in another kid. They went to seperate ways. Phantom didn''t imagine that their paths would crossed again after seven years. Charles wanted to follow Phantom and he kept on pestering him. Charles changed a lot. He became an expert of his field. He had build a connection at the underground world. He thought Charles could be a great help for Elle so he decided to finally let him in. Elle was practicing her martial arts moves when Charles and Phantom came to the gym to see her. "Master Phantom who is she?" Charles asked Phantom as admiration could be seen in his eyes, watching every moves of Elle. It was perfect. "She''s my foster daughter but don''t tell her that." Phantom whispered to him. "Why?" Charles was puzzled "Because she will kill you!" He replied while chuckling. Charles eyes widened. ''My master is weird!'' "Just kidding... But be careful....she might really kill you. She hates talkative and noisy people like you." Phantom warned him. Charles was dumbfounded. He couldn''t believe what Phantom had just said. The lady in front of him was as beautiful as an angel and she looked like she wouldn''t kill anyone just because of being noisy. ''I think Master Phantom was just playing a joke with me.'' It was true that someone would only believe if they had experienced or seen it with their own eyes, just like Charles. Elle stopped what she was doing when she felt the presence of others inside the gym. She looked towards the direction of Phantom and Charles. She frown as she saw the unfamilliar face of Charles standing besides Phantom. Phantom and Charles walked towards her. It was Phantom who spoke first. "Elle, I want you to meet Charles, my friend. Charles this is Elle, my deciple." Phantom introduced the two. "Hi Elle, nice meeting you!" Charles greeted her happily as he extended his right hand to shake with her. Elle ignored him. Charles gave Phantom a questioning look. Phantom laughed at him and said "Later, you will get to used with her cold treatment." "You''ll be safe as long as you dont talk to much. So goodluck!" He added as he tapped Charles'' shoulder. As Charles didn''t mind Phantom''s warning, instead he became more curious about Elle. He wanted to talk to her. So without thinking about Phantom''s warning, he followed Elle hoping that she wouldn''t ignore him. Elle was sitting in a corner while cleaning her daggers. Charles approached her and sat down beside her. "I saw your martial arts moves.They''re perfect. I was really amazed. Could you teach me those moves?" Charles spoke up to start a conversation with her. Elle didn''t say anything and she just continued what she was doing. Charles spoke up again. "Did Master Phantom taught you those moves? Are you an assassin like Master Phantom? Are you good also at shooting? What weapons do you like most? By the way... how old are you now? Me, I am 22 years old. Single and available!!" Charles spoke one after another. He thought his cheerful personality and charisma that he used with Phantom would also work with Elle but he was wrong. Elle suddenly threw the dagger towards him. Charles was shocked beyond belief. Fortunately the dagger didn''t hit him but only grazed his right face. A blood appeared on a small portion of his face. Both his eyes and mouth were wide open. His face was pale and his heart was beating so fast. He seems like he turned into a statue. ''Did I see death a while ago?'' he thought to himself. Elle was looking at him right now giving him a cold sharp glare. Charles trembled in fear just looking with those eyes. "Get out from my sight if you don''t want me to stuck this second dagger in the middle of your head right now!" Elle threaten him. Charles stood up immediately and he ran for his life. He left the gym and ran as fast as he can far away from that deadly beauty that he just met. "MASTER PHANTOM SAVE ME!" Charles loud shouting voice could be heard coming from the gym. From that day, Charles'' life also started to change. He didn''t imagine that following Phantom would meant meeting the living Devil. It was too late to turn back. He became the helper, messenger, assistant and accomplice of the most ruthless assassin. It was a miracle.... able to survive 7 years of working with the Devilish Assassin Catseye. However, was this the end of that miracle...Charles'' miracle? Chapter 36 - 36: Code Blue! Elle''s reminiscing her past with Charles was interrupted when she heard a beeping sound coming from the computer. It was the result of tracking Charles'' location. The signal was coming from his cellphone. "He was in the 86th street of City Z. It''s far away from here." Elle saw that Charles'' signal locator started to move again. With the current situation Ellle made an adhoc plan and thought about the possible worst case scenario. She believed that Charles was still safe for the mean time even if they catched him. Skull Gang won''t kill him for now since they still need something from him. But she was certain that he would be tortured. If that happens, they would be in the difficult situation. With her current condition, she couldn''t guarantee if she can rescue him once he was inside Skull Gang territory. For plan B and back up, she informed Master Phantom about the situation. She sent an email informing him what happened. She expected him to reply after an hour. For now, she needed to solve this on her own. After a while, Elle received a call. It was from Charles. Finally he was able to contact her again. "What happened? I lost contact with you a while ago. What is your situation right now." she asked him directly. She heard a deep sighed from the other line. "I crashed into a post. They were about to catch me and get me out of my car but someone interfered. I thought someone was trying to help me but I was wrong. They are shooting the other guys and it seems like they are also targeting me as well! Luckily I was able to take cover using the body of one of my attacker." "I also saw Black Shadow in one of the Black Sedan Cars. They exchanged shots from the other group. I took that chance to escape. I carjacked someone else car. But they are still following me. What should I do?" Elle frown upon hearing his statement. ''There was another group hunting Charles right now. Who are they? I need to find out.'' "Your location is far away from mine. Even if I leave here now I can''t catch up with you. Go to my place." Elle suggested. "Ahm ok copy." He was puzzled why she wanted him to go to at her place but he still complied. "I''ll meet you there." Elle added. Charles was relieved when he heard that Elle would come for his rescue. He felt touched also since Elle was worried about him. He continued to drive fast while smiling foolishly. His life was in danger but he felt so happy. Elle checked the time. The delivery man would arrive at anytime but she couldn''t wait for him. She needed to leave now. She was contemplating whether to leave or not. "If I leave now, Erick will know that I am not at home through the delivery man but if I stay here I am not confident if Charles will be able to escape successfully. That punk..." She sighed and massaged her temple. After minutes of thinking, she came up with the decision. She shut down the computer and she left the house hurriedly. She would deal with Erick later. For now she had to deal with her enemies. Another group appeared and she needed to find out who are they. She didn''t want to be left in the dark especially if it was about her enemies. "They really have the guts to challenge me now." she said as fury flashed in her dark sharp eyes. Elle called for a taxi. She offered the driver a five hundred thousand for him to let her used the taxi. The driver laughed and was about to reject her when he noticed the dangerous aura coming from the woman who was giving him a frightening glare in the passenger seat. At the end, he accepted her offer and he left the taxi as soon as possible, afraid of the woman who could make him shivered from just one look. Meanwhile... after minutes of driving so fast, Charles finally reached his destination and arrived at Elle''s place. He soon dialled her number to inform her that he arrived already. He was rushing inside the house. "I am already in. What next?" Charles said to Elle. "Go to my room. Open my computer and turn on the security system of the house. It will buy you sometime. They will not be able to enter the house easily." she instructed. Charles followed her instruction. After a while he heard the arrival of the other cars from outside. "Oh Crap. They are here!" "Relax... Since they have arrived we must give them a warm welcome." Elle said meaningfully. "Where are you now?" "I''m still on my way. 15 minutes expected time of arrival." she replied. "Oh gosh! Arghh... I might be dead by that time." Charles said anxiously. "Just follow my instruction and you will be okay. Did you activate already the security system?" "How can I activate this. Where should I go?" "Click the icon that looks like my card Catseye and select the Code Blue!" "Alright it''s done!" "Okay. Proceed to my secret bas.e.m.e.nt underground. You can monitor their movement there. Then wait for a good show!" Elle said to him while flashing her evil smile. Meanwhile, outside Elle''s house, Black Shadow together with the other Skull Gang members were standing by, observing the surroundings. ''This must be their hiding place. But what is his motive coming here? Why choose this place even though he already know we are following him.'' Black Shadow was a little bit suspicious. "The three of you, wait here. Be on guard, we didn''t know if the group that we encountered a while ago was able to follow us here. The others will come with me to catch that punk." Black Shadow ordered. They soon walked over the house. Unknown to them, Elle''s place was highly protected by a sophisticated security system. Various traps were hidden and waiting for the unwanted visitors. The house were surrounded by movement detector and sensors and once they detected the intruders, traps would appear one after another until all the intruders were eliminated. Charles was watching them through the CCTV cameras. There were 15 men who are now approaching the house including Black Shadow. Charles glared at the monitor upon seeing Black Shadow. One guy was one meter away from the entrance door when suddenly a automatic gun appeared from the front door and targeted them non stop. They were all caught off guard and some of them were not able to avoid the shots. After a minute, Five men were down. They were shot killed on the spot. "Wow! Five people are now dead!" Charles said to Elle as he was amazed. "There''s more." After the automatic gun stopped shooting, a smoke bomb was thrown to them. "Be careful!" Black Shadow warned them. Then flying daggers were shot towards the intruder''s direction. Thanks to Black Shadow''s fast reaction and agility, only four persons were hit by those flying daggers. Of course those four were also now dead. "Back Off!" Black Shadow ordered them. ''So this is the main reason he choose to hide here. Traps are everywhere! Catseye you are really a smart one! Finally, I found your hideout. Both of you can''t escape now.'' he mumbled to himself then a smirk appeared on his face. Black Shadow was familiar with this security system. He knew that there are hidden sensors that he needs to destroy in order to stop this. He looked at the front door and he saw the moving lasers scattered in the surrounding which were preventing them from entering the house. After 10 minutes of observing, he was able to locate the hidden sensors through his observant eyes. He started to move and destroyed the sensors one by one. Charles was shocked. He couldn''t believe that Black Shadow was able to stop the traps and destroy all the sensors in just a short period of time. "Sh***t. Black Shadow successfully stopped the security which is protecting the house. Where are you now Elle?" Charles asked Elle. "I am already here. Watching them from a distance." Elle replied Charles relaxed when he heard that. "Are you coming inside the house? Black Shadow and his men were all here inside!" "Nope!" She simply replied "Why? I thought you gonna save me?" "No need. Code Blue will be the one to save you!" Elle said while laughing. "What do you mean?" Charles asked her with a confused tone. "If the Code Blue was breeched or in other word failed to stop the intruder from entering the house then the system would automatically self-destruct and would triggered bombs hidden in the different corner of the house to be activated resulting to big explosion." Elle informed him. Charles gasped from astonishment. "WHAT?! Did I hear it wrong? This house will explode!? Then what about me? Are you trying to save me or kill me? Charles complained at her. "Don''t worry, you are at the most safest place right now." Elle chuckled. Then a loud continuous beeping sound could be heard in the entire house. At first, Black Shadow and the remaining men were puzzled and confused when they heard the sound. Then later on Black Shadow realized something and shouted "Run!!! Run!!! There''s a bomb! The place will gonna explode!" They ran away from the house as fast as they can. Boooooom!!!!!! A loud sound of explosion erupted in the entire place. Chapter 37 - 37: Desperately Searching for Her Meanwhile at XXX Crime Investigation Office, Team Alpha Cinco and Task Force Eagles were organizing their file reports when Erick received some call. It was the delivery man from where he ordered the food for Elle''s dinner. "Hello?" "Hello Sir. I am already at your place right now but no one is at home. Where should I put your order?" Delivery man asked Erick. "Are you sure there was no one there?" Erick frown upon hearing the Delivery man. "Yes sir. I rang the doorbell so many times but no one responded." he replied. "Just a minute, I will call her." Erick just hold the current call then he dialled Elle''s number. An operator''s voice could be heard from the other line "The number you are trying to call is currently busy. Please try again later." Then the busy dialled tone followed after the voice. "Is she talking with someone. Why is it her number is busy?'' Erick was puzzled. He called back the Delivery man. "Sorry to make you wait, can you please try again to ring the doorbell? She might not heard it." Erick requested him, hoping that Elle would finally open the door. "Sir, I think there is no one inside. There is still no answer." He said. Erick felt uneasy now. ''Where is Jasmine?'' "Just leave the food at the door. Thank you." Erick hung up. He tried to dial again Elle''s number, however to his disappointment her phone was already unattended and he couldn''t contact her. He was now restless. He didn''t know where''s Elle and why is it he couldn''t contact her. Bryan noticed Erick''s agitated expression. ''What wrong with him?'' Bryan approached him "Hey Chief, why are you looking so troubled right now?" "Jasmine left home. I couldn''t contact her now. The delivery man was already there but she wasn''t home.'''' Erick said, concerned was evident to his voice. "She might just left to buy something outside." Bryan said that in order for him not to worry. "I have to make sure that she is safe." After saying that Erick went to Captain Jason. "Captain, there is an emergency at home. Sorry but may I leave first?" he politely asked. Noticing his serious expression, Captain Jason just nodded in agreement "Okay, you may go. Just leave it with us, we are just about to finish wrapping up the reports. Take care." Captain Jason allowed him to leave so Erick didn''t waste any more time and he went home rushing. When he arrived, he saw the food which was delivered, on the front door. He picked it up and entered the house. He searched for Elle but she was nowhere to be found. He checked the CCTV footage and he saw Elle leave the house hurriedly. "Where did she go? It''s night time already." Erick brows furrowed into knots. He checked his time. It had been two hours when Elle went out and she didn''t return yet. He didn''t know where to find her. He tried to call her again but it failed to connect. He had no choice but to request Rose a favor. "Rose, are you still at the office?" He asked her. "Yes Chief, why?" "Can you do me a favor?" Erick requested her. Rose was puzzled "What is it Chief?" "Could you locate the person having this cellphone number for me?" He gave her Elle''s number "Ok Chief.Just wait for a few minutes." A tapping of keyboard could be heard in the other line. Rose started to search for Elle. Erick was anxiously waiting. Then after a few minutes Rose spoke up. "Chief sorry, I couldn''t locate the number, the cellphone might be switched off." "Ok Rose. Thank you for the effort." Erick deeply sighed and he hung up. Rose was left wondering, who might be the person Chief Inspector Lee is looking for just a while ago. Erick decided to search at the nearby areas and the stores hoping that he could find her. He was now worried sicked just thinking about what could have happened to Elle. ''What if something bad happened to her? What if the people who are looking for her found her?'' These were the questions running into his mind right now. Bryan also helped him in the search. He looked into the CCTV cameras'' recording in the City Z. He was able to access it at the headquarter. They were both thoroughly searching for Elle. On the other hand the girl that they were desperately looking for was observing from a distance the people who are trying to catch Charles. Black Shadow and the other Skull Gang members couldn''t still recovered from the explosion that just happened a while ago. Even the other group who was hidden and silently watching the Skull Gang was shocked about what happened. "Did the guy committed a suicide? He''d rather died instead of being a captive of Skull Gang. Is that person be Catseye?" one of the Dark Knight member spoke up. "Let''s leave. We are not needed here anymore. Skull Gang should not find out that Dark Knight interfered with them from catching Catseye. They might suspect that we are involved in Jorge Arison''s assassinstion if they see us here." the leader spoke and ordered the group to leave. Unknown to them Elle saw them. "So this is the other group who also tried to eliminate Charles." "Wow, as I expected! They are members of Dark Knights. They really think that we are easy to handle. It seems like they forget who are they dealing with." Elle laughed but deep inside she was in raged. When the group disappeared from her sight, she focused her attention back to Black Shadow and Skull Gang. Black Shadow and the rest seemed that they already recovered from the impact of the explosion. Fortunately they ran fast so they were able to avoid it. If they act a little late, they would surely die from that explosion. They were careless. They didn''t expect that Catseye has that trick. They forgot that she was a person they should never underestimate. One mistake and their lives would be in perish. "Black Shadow do you think the guy we are chasing already escape or he died from explosion? Is it a suicide?" a man asked him. Black Shadow shook his head "I don''t know. But one thing is for sure, Catseye brought us here intentionally. She was alive and what happened here is her doing." "Let''s go.We need to report it to James." "Our boss would be unhappy with this. We lost many men tonight" one skull gang member shared his thought. "We should find out who are those people who interfered with us. They seemed like they were also targeting Catseye. If not for them, we already catch Catseye''s accomplice." Frustration and furu could be seen in Black Shadow''s eyes. Chapter 38 - 38: Mr Detective was Upset Elle made sure that Dark Knight and Skull Gang completely left the place before she came out from her hiding place. She looked at her ruined place. She just shook her head. She didn''t imagine that she would sacrifice her place just like that for the sake of an idiot guy like Charles. If she hadn''t injured and had her weapon with her she would just killed all those intruders. She went inside the underground secret bas.e.m.e.nt. When she entered, Charles came running towards her. He was really happy to see her. He was about to hug Elle because of his excitement when Elle stopped him and suddenly hit him in the head. "Ouch!" Charles grunted. "That was for my ruined place." she said then she hit him again. Charles grunted again. "And that one is for dragging me here." Charles looked at her with a puppy eyes while saying "Thank you for saving me!" Elle ignored him and walked towards her weapons. She picked them one by one. She missed them so much, her daggers, her gun and every weapons in that bas.e.m.e.nt. "I will give you one two days. Find me a new place and transfer all this items here." Elle spoke to Charles. Charles nodded "Copy Madam! I will surely find you a much more better house." "Elle, I was really amazed. I stayed here at your place but I didn''t know that you have such a sophisticated security system.I really thought that I was gonna die tonight!" "I don''t have time right now. I need to go now. Let''s talk about this another day." She was glad that Charles was okay. ''I thought he was a clumsy guy but he is more than capable. He escaped from our enemies unscratch. I was worried for nothing.'' Elle smiled from that thought. She walked towards the exit and then she spoke again "Be careful. Don''t let this happen again. If you do, I will kill you myself!" She warned him and gave him a sharp glare before she finally walked out from the bas.e.m.e.nt. "Hmm, She just not wanted to admit but I know she was worried at me. Haha" He mumbled to himself as he glanced at the retreating back of Elle. He was smiling foolishly. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile at Erick''s Place.... Erick was sitting on the Balcony with his eyes closed and his one hand was on his forehead. Bryan was silently looking at him on the side. After he left the headquarter, he went straight to Erick''s place. He didn''t spotted Elle from those street cameras. "Erick I think you should changed first. You''re bathing with your sweats. You might get sick. Pneumonia case is rampant these days." Bryan said with a concerned voice. He knew Erick searched for Elle in the entire city but unfortunately he couldn''t find her. Erick didn''t respond to him. He just stayed still in his position. Bryan didn''t know how to deal with him. This was the first time he had seen Erick acted like this. The silent atmosphere was too deafening. Bryan could just only pray for Elle to return and it was answered immediately. After a while, someone arrived and walked towards the balcony. It was Bryan who first noticed the person who is now walking towards them. Bryan eyes widened and shouted "Jasmine!" Erick finally reacted when heard Bryan mentioned that name. He opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. His eyes caught the petite figure of a woman who was slowly approaching them. ''It was really her. Jasmine!'' He quickly stood up from his seat and ran towards her. He grabbed both her shoulders and he looked at her examining her from top to bottom, making sure whether she was hurt anywhere or not. "Where did you go? Are you okay? Why you didn''t inform me? Do you know how worried I am about you? I thought something bad happened to you." He bombarded her with questions and he sounded so worried and upset at the same time. Elle was stunned on her spot. She didn''t expect this kind of reaction from him. She wouldn''t know how to respond. Before coming here, she already prepared her alibi but seeing him like this she couldn''t utter a word. She felt pressured and a little bit uncomfortable from the stare that he was giving her right now. She could see so much emotions from his eyes- relief, concern, stress and unhappiness. Is she nervous? Why her heart was beating so fast right now? She couldn''t look at him straight from the eyes so she looked down to avoid his intense gaze. "I''m sorry." she softly mumbled. She didn''t know why but these words are the only words she could utter from this moment. Erick''s eyes turned gentle upon hearing her. Bryan was silently observing the two persons with an astonished expression. He also didn''t know how to react. He felt that he was the third wheel there and the two people there have already forgotten about his existence. At the end, he couldn''t take it anymore so he decided to inform them that he was also there, together with them. "Ahmm, I think we should go inside first." Elle was thankful that Bryan spoke up. She nodded and quickly walked inside. She didn''t know but all she wanted right now is to escape and distance herself from Erick. She thought that she would have a heart attack if she stayed longer with his side. She walked straight to the kitchen and drunk plenty of waters. Bryan followed her while Erick went to his room. "Erick told me to ask you if you already take your dinner?" Bryan asked politely. "Not yet." she simply replied. "Okay. He already prepared your dinner at the dining table. He will just take a shower right now.'' Bryan said to him. "Okay. Ahmm...Sergeant... what happened when I am gone?" Elle curiously asked Bryan. "He learned that you left the house without informing him he was worried about you. He looked for you in the entire city." Bryan informed her. Elle was dumbfounded when heard him ''He looked for me in the entire city. So that''s the reason why he looked so tired a while ago.'' "Do you think he was mad?" Bryan chuckled "I seldom see him get mad but I think he was a little upset. Please understand him. He was really concerned about your safety." Elle nodded and apologized "Sorry for the inconvenience Sergeant." "Just call me Bryan. Don''t worry, since you are here, he will be fine now. I have to go now. Take your dinner. He will really get mad if he learned that you haven''t eaten anything yet." Bryan gave him a meaningful smile. Chapter 39 - 39: Phantoms Suggestion Elle was tossing back and forth in her bed. She couldn''t sleep. Erick''s face which was looking at her with those mixed emotions a while ago plastered on her mind every time she closed her eyes. She waited for him in the living room but to her disappointment Erick never left his room. She was tempted to knock on his door but she hesitated. So she just went to her room feeling frustrated. Unknown to her, the guy on the opposite room was also having a hard time. He was also bothered of how he acted a while ago. He just realized it after calming down while taking the shower. "Gosh! Did I just overreact a while ago? I don''t know how to face her right now. I really wanted to ask her what happened to her but I don''t have the guts to confront her right now. I felt embarrassed!" he said to himself. "Argh! This is killing me!" he complained to himself. In the morning, Elle woke up late because she hadn''t sleep well last night. When she left her room she saw that the breakfast was already prepared in the dining table. Today was weekend so Erick didn''t have work but there was no sign of him inside the house. Elle frown "Where is he?". Elle checked her phone. She charged it last night. Her phone was shutdown last night because its battery went empty after the explosion. She frown again when she remembered what happened last night. She couldn''t help but curse Black Shadow, Skull Gang and Dark Knight in her heart for the hassle they brought to her last night. She saw his messages in her phone. Most of his mesages was asking her location, where is she, asking her to reply. The current message was just this morning telling her that he already prepared her breakfast and she can eat alone when she wakes up. "He was desperately looking for me last night but now he looks like he was avoiding me." She mumbled as she felt a little bit annoyed. She hadn''t finished her breakfast she lost her appetite. She was washing the dishes when Erick arrived. He went to the kitchen to drink some water. He paused when he saw her. Elle glanced at him. He looked like he went for a jog. No one spoke between them. Erick simply nodded at her as sign of greetings then he left quickly. Elle''s grasp at the plate tighten and she glared at the retreating back of Erick. "Did he just nodded to greet me. He didn''t even utter a word?" Elle said to herself with disbelief. She was not used to him acting like that. She would prefer if he would talked to her and ask her so many questions rather than this. He was surely avoiding her but why? She had the urge to throw at him the plate in her hands right now. After a while, Erick left the house without telling her. Elle was now in a bad mood. She stayed in the living room watching television when she received a call from Phantom. "Hello?" Elle answered. "Elle, I got your message, sorry for responding too late. What''s the situation there?" he asked her. "Everything is fine. Charles was safe but my place was ruined." she simply replied. "I knew it. You solve the problem immediately. I guess my help is not needed anymore." Phantom''s chuckle could be heard from the other line. "Hmm. I think you can help me if you can buy me some items that I can use to install new security system for my new place." Elle grabbed the opportunity to let Phantom buy her some new and upgraded items from abroad that she can used to replace her ruined security system. Phantom just laughed and agreed to her request. "Okay, I will have them send to Charles this week. I will be coming back next month. By the way can you give me a background of what happened last night?" "I think James Arison of Skull Gang learned about Charles through the progress of investigation about his father''s death. Since they couldn''t find me, they changed their target. I don''t know how they were able to follow Charles. I think it was because of Black Shadow." Phantom was just listening attentively to her so she continued. "They almost got him but fortunately Dark Knight members interfered. But their motive is different. Skull Gang wanted to catch Charles alive but Dark Knight wanted to eliminate him. They wanted to shut us down in order to prevent Skull Gang from discovering their involvement with Jorge''s Assassination. "They were more afraid of Skull Gang knowing the truth than me. They''d rather go against me. But that was their big mistake. They wanted to avoid war with the Skull Gang but they are not afraid to wage a war with the devil. I will make them regret attacking my back." A cunning smiled appeared on Elle''s beautiful face. "I know, you will retaliate as soon as possible. But make sure first that you are 100 percent recovered. If you need any help or assistance just inform me. Okay?" Phantom told her. "Don''t worry about us. I can manage. Just enjoy your vacation. You are just an old geezer now, you are not a legendary assassin anymore!" Phantom burst into laughter. "You are really underestimating me now. Don''t forget I am the one who trained you. I am still you Master! "By the way, I heard you are staying with a detective right now. He is the one who saved you right." Elle''s mood changed at the mention of Erick. "Yeah" she simply replied. "What are your plans about that?" Phantom asked her. ''I really wanted to punch him right now'' she thought to herself. "I am planning to leave and escape from him after one week.'' Elle replied instead. "I think, no need to rush. Just stay with him for a while. It is much more safer with him especially now that the two powerhouse of underground world are hunting you, as well as the authorities. I know you couldn''t move freely but at least you could also gather information from him. And your enemies would never imagine that of all places you are hiding under the protection of a detective." Phantom suggested to her. Phantom had some point. "Okay, I will reconsider it then. I have to go now. He might come any time. He would suspect me more if he see me talking to someone right now. I am pretending that I have an amnesia." Elle bade him a goodbye then hung up the phone. She was put in a deep thought after hearing Phantom''s suggestion. "Is it really safe to stay with him?" Thinking about it, her heart started to beat fast again. "Well I am not sure. My instinct is telling me that he could be a greatest threat to me right now but I don''t know why." she mumbled to herself. Chapter 40 - 40: A Part of her Past After Elle hung up the phone, Phantom smiled to himself. "It seems like my dearest disciple is improving a lot each day and attracting more enemies." At his table was a file about Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee. He used his connection in order to gather information about the detective who saved Elle. He investigated him right after he heard from Charles that he was the one who save Elle. Erick had a good reputation. Phantom also had a good impression of him when he first saw him in the picture, of course, it was because of his good looks and dashing appearance. He was expert on his field and had achieved many things but what was more worth-admiring for about him is that he was so generous and compassionate towards others. He was really curious how can this detective deal with his disciple who was cold blooded, aloof and ruthless. A meaningful smile flashed on his face. Phantom reminisced his moments with Elle. She was only 10 years old when he saved her and she was barely alive then. She was badly injured both physically and emotionally. At a very young age, she went through a hell of experience witnessing her parent''s death and she faced it bravely. An ordinary kid probably couldn''t take it but she survived it. What she had attained today was the fruit of her determination and her will to survive no matter what. She had undergone an extreme and very intensive training. Some of her scars were cause by life threatening trainings that she went through. She endured all the hardsh.i.p.s just to become a skilled and full pledge assassin. He could see his old self to her when Elle begged him to train her. Her eyes were full of determination, hatred and rage, it was the same eyes that he had when he hold the lifeless bodies of his wife and son who were bathing with their own blood. Just like her, his beloved family was murdered and he wanted to avenge their death that lead him to this sinner''s path. Of all people, he was the one who truly understand what Elle was feeling that time. He didn''t have the heart to reject her so he decided to train her to become like him. He took care of her. As time goes by, he didn''t notice but he became very fond of her. He started to care with her and treat her as his own daughter. He didn''t imagine that a day would come when he would feel this kind of emotions again after everything that happened to him. He started to change and later on he retired and quit being an assassin. He focused on guiding her, mentoring her and training her. At the age of 14, she did her first killing. He could still remember the look in her eyes that time, her dark cold eyes were devoid of emotion as the blood of her first victim splattered onto her body and face. No mercy.... no emotion... she was very fierce. Her first victim was one of those persons who was involved in her parent''s death. With the help of Phantom, they were able to locate him. She got her first revenge. But they failed to track the other members but they got their names. He told her to focus on her training first to become strong. Her revenge could wait for the right time. She understood what he meant so she agreed with him. She knew she was still weak and lacking abilities for now. She temporary left the past behind and she continued to move forward. She continued to train and live as Elle, her new identity. Later on, she would come to collect their debts. She continued her training and pursue her studies. She choose a course that would be helpful to her and that was computer programming. Later on, she accepted missions and Phantom introduced her to Charles who became her accomplice. She had killed so many people and became known as Catseye the Devilish Assassin. She became addicted to killings and blood. She was completely changed into a new persona. The sweet and kind little girl before was nowhere to be found. She became a perfect killer machine. Merciless, Fierce, Vicious and Ruthless were the words that people could associate with her. That''s how they describe her, a living devil. She became infamous both in the underground world and the society. She successfully followed his footsteps and even surpassed him. Even though Phantom disappeared from the limelight but another devilish killer resurfaced. Unknown to them that the legendary assassin Phantom who retired was the one who trained this Assassin. He was proud of her. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile... Black Shadow and the remaining Skull Gang members who attacked Charles were now standing in front of James to report the incident last night. James was looking at them seriously. Anger, disappointment and unhappiness could be seen in his eyes. He already knew that his men failed again. "We almost got him but some group interfered. They attacked us. They looked like they were following us secretly from behind and they suddenly fired bullets to us when we caught Catseye''s accomplice. That''s why he was able to escape." It was Black Shadow who reported to him. "Did you find out who are they, from what organization they belong?" James asked them with a stern voice. Black Shadow shook his head. "Our main focus was to capture Catseye''s accomplice so we didn''t have time to chase the other group. They were strong and very skilled also. They seemed like they also targeting Catseye and her accomplice." "What''s is your thought about this? Give me a better answer if you want me to forgive your another failure this time." James asked him. "There are two possibilities. One, that group was another enemy of Catseye that she had offended and they also wanted to get back at her. Second, they wanted us to prevent from knowing the truth about your father''s death. It seemed like they were following us from the beginnning." Black Shadow replied. "As expected... you are good in analysing situations. We have the same thought." James praised him. "It will be more difficult now to catch Catseye. They will become more careful. We found their hide out but it was a shame they blew it up in front of us. Catseye is really difficult to handle. She has many hidden tricks." Black Shadow felt frustrated. "She was waiting....waiting for the right time to strike. She has been quiet for a while but I am sure she already has a plan for counterattack. We must prepare for it." Black Shadow added. Other Skull Gang members in that room were frightened when they heard Black Shadow. Catseye was really known because of her devilish reputation. They had seen how the others were killed in her traps how much more if Catseye will be the one to act. Chapter 41 - 41: Misunderstanding It was already noon when Erick returned home. It looked like he went out to buy some things. He also brought some food for their lunch. Elle saw him walked over the kitchen after putting down those items that he bought to his room. ''I guess he is not cooking today.'' Elle was silently observing Erick. He was busy preparing the food in the dining table. When he was done, he called for her. "Jasmine, let''s have our lunch." He said to her without looking into her eyes. Elle frown when she saw his action. ''What''s with him? Now he can''t even look at me while he was talking. How rude!'' Unknown to her, Erick was avoiding her gaze since he still felt embarass about last night. Erick didn''t know that he just making the situation more difficult. Elle started to feel annoyed. They were now sitting at the dining table facing each other. Silence engulfed the entire dining area. Only the tinkling sounds of spoon and fork could be heard, no one initiated to talk. Erick had also noticed the awkward atmosphere between them. He was about to start a conversation with Elle when she suddenly spoke up. "I already said sorry but I don''t know why are you still mad at me. If you will just ask me, I am willing to explain everything to you. But instead of talking to me, you are avoiding me!" Erick was dumbfounded when Elle started to burst out her annoyance to him. This was the first time Elle spoke to him with so many words. As he all know, she was a woman of a few words. The words that he wanted to say were stuck in his throat. He was now look like a kid who had just been scolded by his mother. And he didn''t know how to refute. "Don''t worry I will not give you anymore trouble. If you want me to leave, then I will leave." Elle stood up and was about to leave the dining area when Erick grabbed her hands in order to stop her from leaving. Elle gave him a cold stare. "I am not mad at you. It''s just that...." Erick was trying to explain. He paused and after a moment of hesitation, he continued what he was about to say. "Honestly, I really wanted to talk to you but I was so embarass about how I acted last night. I didn''t meant to be upset but I can''t help it. I am just worried about you." He glanced at her with a sincere and a gentle look in his eyes. Elle noticed that his face was red. She stared at him in disbelief. ''He''s really blushing! So cute!'' She was in the edge of bursting into laugh, fortunately she was able to control herself. She was really amused seeing him act like this. ''Is he really the famous detective who solved thousands of very tough cases? Right now, he just looks like a handsome teenager who is confessing for the first time.'' He was guilty so he wanted to avoid her gaze to hide his embarassment. "I am sorry for avoiding you, I didn''t intend to annoy or upset you. I just didn''t know how to face you." "Ok, I forgive you. I understand it was just a misunderstanding." Elle said to him. When Erick heard that he looked at her. He saw her smiling while staring at him. Seeing her smile, Erick''s eyes brighten. It seemed like the thorns in his chest were removed and he felt so relieved now. His cheerful and lively attitude had returned. The awkward atmosphere a while ago disappeared and changed into a lighten one. Erick forgot that he was still holding her hands so Elle simply gave his shoulder a nudge which means he could now let go of her hands. "What will you gonna do with your food?" Erick asked her as he pointed the food she just left in the table. Elle just shrugged and said "I think I am already full." Erick stared at her and gave her a grin. "What?" Elle frown and hissed at him. "Hmm I think you just miss my cooking. Is the food not delicious enough to pass in your taste? Is only my cooking can pass on your standards and can satisfy your taste?" He started to tease her again. Elle glared at him and just rolled her eyes ''Here we go again with his shamelessness.'' Erick chuckled upon seeing her reaction. Then suddenly a light flashed in his eyes as he remembered something. "Ahem, before I forget, we have an agreement that you will cook for me, right? What if tonight, you will be the one to cook for our dinner." Elle was looking at him with disbelief. ''This guy is really something. We had just reconciled a while ago then he is now demanding me to cook for him? In situation like this he should felt embarass.'' "What do you want to cook?" Erick asked her while smiling. He really enjoyed teasing her. "Sorry, I forgot. Did we really agree on that? I tend to forget things these days. Remember, I have an amnesia, right?" Elle said to him while raising her brow. This time it was Erick who was left speechless. Elle gave him a triumphant smile before she walked away, not waiting for Erick to say another word. Erick just shook his head while observing the retreating figure of Elle. "Okay.. I will let you get away for now. But next time I won''t." ____________________________________________ At XNY Cafe, Rose and April were having a girls'' bonding since today was weekend. They decided to go out this weekend to relieve their stress at work. They shopped together and after they felt tired, they went to a cafe to have some cold and refreshing drinks. "I couldn''t really believe that Catseye is a woman." Rose said after they settled down in the caffe. "Me too. She''s really a devil. How can a woman alone could kill a lot of people in a year! This is unbelievable right!" April agreed on her. "Yeah. Imagine, she has a figure of a normal woman like us but she could kill any person at any time. What do you think why she became an assassin?" Rose asked her quizically. "She was so smart and if she became a detective or a police like us it would be beneficial for our society." she added. April chuckled "Well I can''t answer that I am not Catseye. Let''s just ask her once we catch her." "Yeah! You are right! We will definitely catch her!" Rose said with a determined voice. "By the way, did you know that Chief Lee left the office last night with a troubled expression?" April frown upon hearing that. "No. What happened?" Rose just shrugged and said "I don''t know. But I am puzzled about something." "About what?" April was really interested when it comes to Erick. "Last night, Chief Lee asked me a favor to track someone but unfortunately I wasn''t able to locate the owner of the number since the cellphone was switch off. Who could be that person?" "He didn''t mention who is he looking for?" "No. Maybe we should ask him next time." Rose suggested. Chapter 42 - Chapter: My Name is Elle Elle just finished taking a shower when she heard a knock on her door. It was Erick. She knew that sooner or later Erick would come to her and ask her about what happened yesterday especially today that they already reconciled from the misunderstanding. She knew that she should give him a realistic explanation and good alibi so that he wouldn''t suspect her. After talking to Phantom, she decided to take his advice and stay with Erick for a while. She also needed to adjust and take things slowly for now. She attracted a lot of enemies and those two organizations were not a joke. They almost got her and Charles twice so they must be really careful this time. She might be impulsive and too arrogant sometimes but she learned her lesson. She knew her limitation now. Everything would start to change right now. Her identity was revealed. She did not want to commit more mistakes. She only had one life and there were lot of things that she hadn''t do yet, the reason why she was still alive until today.....her revenge. She made up her mind and now she was ready to face Erick. She opened the door and she saw Erick standing, greeting her with his familiar smile. "Can we talk now?'''' Erick asked her. Elle nodded. He invited her to go in the living room. She followed him. They both sat down on the couch, facing each other. "What happened last night? Where did you go?" Erick politely asked her. She stared at him. He was also looking at her patiently waiting for her answer. Even though she didn''t want to talk that much but this time she had no choice but to explain herself. She said to him a while ago that she was willing to tell him everything. Of course, that was a lie. What she was about to tell him was another alibi. " Elle." she simply said Erick was puzzled. He didn''t get what she meant by Elle. He gave her a questioning look. "Pardon. What do you mean Elle? Who''s Elle?" "That''s my real name." She said. Erick was stunned in a moment. Then his eyes widened as realization came to him. "Did you remember everything now?" Erick asked her with full of anticipation. Elle paused for a while. She seemed to be contemplating about something. She was staring at him intently, observing his every reactions. After a moment of hesitation she continued explaining to him. She shook her head "I can''t remember everything but I remember a small part of my memory. I remember a scene, a place and there is someone calling my name. He called me Elle. I am certain, that was my name. My name is Elle." Erick didn''t say anything and urge her to continue. "I leave last night in order to go in that place hoping that I could remember everything there. I forgot to inform you since I am really desperate. I want to remember everything. Besides I know you are also busy with your work. You already help me a lot by saving me and taking care of me. I don''t want to trouble you again with my personal problem." Erick frown when he heard that. "I told you before you are not a trouble. And please don''t do that again. Don''t be so reckless. What if something happened to you? What if the people looking for you find you there? They won''t hesitate to hurt you." He couldn''t help himself to scold her a little. Just thinking about her going to a place alone and that bad people might do something to her making his heart so worried. "I know. It''s my fault." She lowered her head trying to avoid his gaze. She was smiling inside since she felt that Erick didn''t suspect her at all and he looked like he believed what she was saying right now. Erick sighed and looked at her helplessly. "I know I can''t stop you from leaving the house. I also didn''t intend to lock you here forever in order to protect you. But I am not at ease to let you alone knowing that the people who wants to harm you are just out there looking for you. I promise that I will help you recover your memories and I will protect you at the same time so please don''t think that you are troubling me because this is my own decision." When she looked up she met his serious but gentle gaze. She looked away quickly. She couldn''t look at him straight in the eyes. She felt his sincerity just by looking into his eyes while saying those every words. She didn''t know why but suddenly she felt a little bit guilty. She was now lying to him but here he is believing everything she says and still promising her that he will protect her no matter what. ''He was really foolish. Is he really a skilled detective? How come she could be easily fooled by someone like her.'' Thinking about this, she felt a little bit annoyed. Funny right? "If you want to go back there. I will accompany you next time. Okay?" Elle just nodded. After that Erick stood up and he went to his room. When he came back, he was already holding the paper bags that he bought when he arrived this afternoon. Elle gave him a puzzled look. " What is that?" she asked him curiously. Erick just gave him a meaningful smile before he picked the items inside the paper bag one by one. "These are for you." He told her that made Elle speechless. ''Did he shop again for me? don''t tell me these are another set of clothes.'' Elle thought to herself while silently praying that she was wrong. She was relieved when she saw that those are not clothes since those were exactly put in a small rectangular boxes. She became ore curious. She looked at him as her brows raised. Erick opened the first box and Elle was shocked seeing the first item. It looked like a gun. ''Is he giving me a gun for protection?'' She was about to rejoice inside but suddenly she heard the soft chuckle from Erick. "Relax. This is not a gun okay? I will not let you hold a true gun." Elle face started to change. She almost forgot to hide her disappointment. She shot him with a sharp glare. "This is a pepper spray pistol. It is way different than other pepper sprays as it doesn''t require to be sprayed on eyes. As this spray act as irritant affecting the eyes and skin of the person. I want you to remember that two sprays are capable to affect someone. If you spray continuously then the bottle will be emptied in 6 seconds." Erick explained to her. Elle looked at him with disbelief. ''Is he kidding me? Giving me this pepper spray pistol. I really want to shot him right now with this pistol''. But her alter ego remind her ''Remember, you are acting vulnerable victim who has amnesia in front of him. What did you expect him to do?'' Erick picked up the second item. " This is rechargeable safety torch with shock effect. This LED Flashlight with hidden electricity can shake a person very badly." What surprised Elle the most was the last item. It was a necklace with a small blue pendant. It was beautiful. "And lastly this is a Safer Smart Pendant. This pendant is not the normal pendant. As it has a small circular device known as SAFER. Whenever you feel unsafe, just double-click the safer device attached to the pendant. Then automatically an alert will be sent to me. It also has GPS function, so that I can easily trace your location once the alert is sent to me." "Please keep it by your sides always so that even though I am not with you I will feel at ease knowing that you have some protections. I will not limit you to stay here. You can go outside and enjoy the city and the scenery but promise me you will always inform me about your location and bring these items always." He said as he requested her. Elle nodded gave her a forced smile. "Thank you." "By the way, where is that place that you remember?" Erick asked her one more time. "It is somewhere outside the City Z." She simply replied. Erick just nodded "I will bring you there again next time. Do you have some more to say to me?" "Nothing. Thank you for your understanding." She smiled at him. "It''s alright. We are now friends right?" "Ahmm... yes... I think so." Elle replied to him. Erick burst into laughter when he noticed that Elle was not sure about her answer. He gently patted her head and said "We''ve been staying together for quite sometimes but you are still not sure whether you want me to be your friend or not. What a cold-blooded woman!" Chapter 43 - 43: Their Moments Erick extended his right hand to Elle. She frown but she still accepted it. "Nice to meet you Elle. Again I am Erick." he said as he shook hands with her. Elle didn''t know what to respond. She felt a little bit off when she heard him call her Elle. It was really pleasant to hear coming from him. "Starting from now, I will call you Elle. It suites you well. I am glad I get to know your real name." He really looked so happy. "And hoping that I will get to know you more." Erick added causing Elle to went blank and felt pressured. She really felt uncomfortable every time he was staring at her with that gentle look from his eyes and a charming smile plastered on his handsome face. She let go of his hand quickly. She grabbed the items that he gave her and she was planning to escape from this awkward situation of her. "Nice to meet you too. I think I should keep this first. I''ll be right back." Elle went rushing to her room. Erick looked towards the closed door of Elle''s room. His smile disappeared and he looked so serious and sad as well. ''I know you are still hiding something from me. Do you not completely trust me yet? I will not force you. I will wait for you to open up with me.'' he mumbled to himself. He was sure that Elle was hiding something from him. He asked her if she wanted to tell him something more. She didn''t know that he was waiting for her to explain about her phone call. That portion was not mentioned by Elle. He called her last time but her cellphone was busy which only meant that she was talking to someone that time. The second time he called her, she was already unattended which means her phone was either shutdown intentionally or her battery went empty. No matter what her reasons, he couldn''t deny the fact that she hide something from him. And he was unhappy about that but he was trying to understand her. After a while, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. The important thing was she was safe and she remembered something. Their interaction between each other was also improving compare to the early days. He never knew that on the coming days their interaction would really change a lot and would improve to much higher level. ___________________________________________ On the next day, Erick invited Elle to attend a Sunday''s Mass. At first, Elle really wanted to reject him but at the end she still went out with him. After that they strolled in the entire City Z. Erick wanted to bring her to the Mall to buy her some things but she really insisted not to go there. In the end, they spent their time having a road trip. Doing this, Elle felt so relaxed. She seldom do things like this. She spent most of her time planning and killing someone. At least from that she was gaining a lot of money. Except that incident with Skull Gang and Dark Knight, her past few weeks were really a peaceful one. Charles had also found a new place for her. She was planning to visit it this week. She would just wait for a right time when Erick would be busy with his work. Speaking of work she remembered something. "Erick, I am planning to look for a job." Elle suddenly spoke up with Erick. Erick who was focused on his driving averted his gaze to Elle. "Why?" he sounded hesitant. "I am bored by just staying at the house. I want to do something. And of course, I want to earn some money I don''t want to depend all my financial needs to you." Elle said to him It was half truth. Aside from that, Elle thought that she would be able to move freely without being suspected if she will used her job as an alibi. She already ordered Charles to lie low for a while and think of an alternative way on how they would continue to accept new missions for the coming days. Catseye stopped accepting missions for almost a month. People from the underground world were rejoicing. Erick was silent for a while. She was waiting for his response. She glanced at him and gave him a pleading look while pouting. She wanted to convince him with this strategy. She was silently cursing herself inside. She never did something like this before. Acting so cute just to convince someone. If she would act like Catseye, she didn''t need strategy like this instead all she need was her guns, daggers and all sort of deadly weapons. However, she couldn''t do that to the man in front. He was his savior and at the same time she was using him right now to hide from her enemies. Aside from that, he was handsome and charming and couldn''t afford to torture him. ''When did you start to be blinded by beauties?'' her alter ego spoke to her. On the other hand, seeing her act like this, he didn''t have the heart to reject her request. Who can reject someone who is pleading with those beautiful eyes in front of him, and the fact that it was Elle...the girl who was aloof and cold sometimes was now acting childish and cute in front of him for the first time. At last, he gave her a soft chuckle as he agreed on her request. "Okay. I will allow you to search for a job but first I have to make sure that you are already 100 percent recovered." Elle was really happy that he was able to convince him. She nodded and said "That''s a promise!" Erick just shook his head helplessly. He regretted agreeing to her quickly. ''I should have tease her more''. Erick thought to himself. He decided to go directly to the hospital and met with Dr. Gomez. He wanted to make sure that Elle was completely recovered from her wounds. He also mentioned to Dr. Gomez that Elle recovered some of her memory . Dr Gomez was happy to see them both. He checked Elle and he confirmed that Elle was recovering well. She also looked better now compare before. He teased them both especially Erick. "I didn''t know that you are also good at taking care of someone." Dr. Gomez said to him. Erick just laughed at him while Elle pretended not to care. "You are ready to have some wife. So start looking for one now. You have a dangerous job, you didn''t know you might die single. Tsk Tsk. It would be a waste if you will not spread your beautiful genes. Many girls are lining up for you." Dr. Gomez teased him more while also looking at Elle with a meaningful stare. "Hehe" He just laughed and simply kicked his doctor friend to remind him that they were not alone and someone was with them. He glanced at Elle looking so embarass and apologetic and he gave her a sheepish smile. She just shot him a sharp glare which indicates that she wanted to leave and go home. As if he understand her so they bade their goodbye to Dr. Gomez. They travelled back home with a silent atmosphere. Erick wanted to start a conversation with Elle but she closed her eyes during the entire journey. She looked like she was not in a good mood. He wondered what he had done wrong this time. A while ago they were just okay but now she was giving him a cold treatment. ''Maybe she was just tired.'' he thought to himself while convincing himself that he had done nothing wrong. Chapter 44 - 44: Lunch at the Famous Restaurant At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter Five days had passed since they discovered about Catseye''s Identity as a woman but the progress of investigation stopped there. They couldn''t trace her. Catseye had been inactive for a month now. Aside from Catseye''s case, Erick was also investigating about Elle''s case and the involvement of Skull Gang. He doesn''t have any lead yet. Erick was at the entrance when a car stopped on his side. He was surprised to see the person inside. It was Selena Arison. She called him. "Detective Lee, may I invite you for a meal? Are you free?" Selena asked him. Erick thought that it would be rude to reject her so he agreed. "Sure. I am about to take my lunch as well. You came at the right time" Erick gave her a soft chuckle. "Hop in." Selena smiled at him. Erick went on the opposite side and entered the car. They stopped in one of the famous restaurant in the City Z. Since there were lots of customers that time Selena and Erick chooses the area near the entrance. It is the only vacant table as of now and it was good for two. "Please order anything. It''s on me." Selena said to him. "No, don''t do that please! I am the man here so I should be the one paying." Erick objected. Selena laughed at him. "No, I am the one who invite you to have lunch with me so it''s my treat." "I would be embarrassed if I let you do that." Erick said. They were still arguing who must pay when the waiter arrived to get their orders. "Alright, let''s order our food first." Erick said when he saw the waiter already standing besides their table waiting for their orders. While waiting for their food Selena and Erick had their casual conversation. "I just want to thank you for doing your best in order to capture the.criminals who killed my father." "No need to thank me. It''s our duty Miss Arison." he softly said to her. "I told you before that you can just call me Selena. I will be mad if you call me Miss Arison again!" Selena complained. "Alright! Alright! I will call you Selena so don''t be mad. They might think that I am-bullying you." Erick chuckled as he looked to other people around them. Selena looked at her surrounding and she noticed that some people were looking at them. As expected, Erick and Selena caught people''s attention since both of them are beautiful persons, one is strikingly handsome and one is an elegant beauty. She heard that someone is talking about them saying that Erick and her look good together. She smiled at them and she blushed at the same time. ____________________________________________ On the same day, Elle and Charles decided to meet in person. They visited the new place for Elle. It was quite spacious compared to the last one. It also had small gym and swimming pool for recreation, a big courtyard and two storey house. However unlike the other, it didn''t have an underground bas.e.m.e.nt. So Elle ordered Charles to build an underground bas.e.m.e.nt for her new hide out. "It would take two months to build a secret underground bas.e.m.e.nt like the last one." Charles said to her. "I don''t care. Just do it. And make it just one month." Elle said to him with a stern voice. "How''s the thing I asked you to do?" "What thing? You ordered me to do many things so which one are you referring to?." Charles complained. Elle gave him a sharp glare. "Hehe... I am just kidding. I have done all of it." Charles said quickly, afraid of pissing her off. It had been a long time since the last time he pissed off Elle and he really suffered a lot from her beatings. Just thinking about that memory made him shivered from fear. "By the way, the package coming from Master Phantom just arrived yesterday. Do you want to check it?" Charles asked her. He noticed that Elle''s eyes brighten as she heard what he had just said. ''As expected, weapons and technologies are the two things that can brighten her mood.'' Charles thought to himself. But Charles didn''t know that according to Erick there is one more thing that can change Elle''s mood and that is....Delicious Food, delicious food that was cook by him to be exact. Elle checked the package from Phantom. As expected, they were the latest and state of the art technologies from abroad that can be used for security purposes. "Master can be generous sometimes" Elle said with a wide smile on her face. "What are you talking about, generous my ass? He said those are not free. You need to pay him half of the amounts, in short he just give you 50% discount. Haha" Charles gave her a mocking laugh. Elle frown "This old man.....! He really likes to do business now. But it''s alright, these items are worth it." Elle gave him a smirk. After checking the package and the house, Elle and Charles decided to leave. She missed riding her own car but unfortunately she couldn''t bring it at Erick''s place. So for the time being Charles was in charged of their maintenance. She has three cars (minivan, sports car and convertible) and two motorcycles. The two cars and motorcycles were being used during her missions. One car was used for her everyday living as Elle. "Give me a cash." Elle extend her right hand to Charles. "How much allowance do you want?" Charles teased her. He knew that Elle couldn''t bring a lot of money even if she wanted it since she was living with the detective. So even her finances, Charles was the one managing it right now. "Ten thousands." She simply replied. "What''s a waste, I brought 100 thousand cash." Charles was intentionally making fun of her. Elle punched him on the shoulder. "Ouch. Be careful. Remember, I am the one driving here." Charles reminded her. Elle just rolled her eyes. He really missed Elle. Even though he sometimes afraid of her getting mad but he loved provoking her. It was one way of getting her attention. Besides, he already used to being her punching bag. "Elle let''s have a lunch first. Since I brought so many cash today, let''s spend it." Charles said enthusiastically. Since she was also hungry so she agreed on Charles'' suggestion. "Let''s eat in one of the famous restaurant here in City Z." Charles added. He really wanted to spend more time with Elle right now. Before, he could just visit her place if he wanted to see her but now he couldn''t do it. After 30 minutes, they arrived on the famous restaurant in City Z. Charles was really excited to eat together with Elle. This would be their first time eating together in a famous restaurant. Elle seldom go out from her place. She preferred to stay at home, training, enhancing her martial art skills, her shooting skills, hacking information and planning her next moves. "Come on, faster! I am hungry!" Charles grabbed Elle''s right hand and dragged her towards the restaurant. The restaurant was covered by a transparent glass so that Customers could see the in and out of the restaurant. Elle and Charles were two meters away from the entrance when Elle noticed a familiar figure. Elle stopped abruptly and pulled Charles causing him to be out balance and he almost fell down. "Why did you suddenly stop?" Charles was puzzled. Elle didn''t answer him and she was just intently staring inside the restaurant. He followed Elle''s line of sights. He saw a beautiful woman who is happily conversing with a handsome man. Charles'' eyes widened when he recognized the person whom Elle is looking at. "Oh, that is Selena Arison, the daughter of Jorge Arison, the heiress of Arison''s Holdings and Mining Corporation. Hmmm, she is really gorgeous and stunning." Charles commented. "Oh, I think she is having a lunch date with her boyfriend. See! They suits each other. She looks so happy just talking with him. Oh she is blushing also. Hmm Now I believe that only true love can heal your broken heart. Her heart was heartbroken when her father died but now she didn''t look that sad anymore." Charles continued talking without noticing the changes in Elle''s expression. When he noticed that Elle was not saying anything he glanced back at her, meeting her sharp murderous glare. Charles shivered from fear. If glare could kill, he would be dead by now. ''Why is Elle very frightening right now? Did I say something wrong?'' He started to have a cold sweat. "Hehe. Elle let''s go. Don''t worry, she wouldn''t recognize us even if we sit beside her." Charles tried to convince her. "Let''s leave!" Elle said to him with cold stern voice. Charles had no choice but to comply. She''s the boss! He followed her and left the restaurant feeling dejected. Elle stared at the restaurant one last time before she left with Charles, her signature evil smile appeared on her face. Chapter 45 - 45: A Warning Charles and Elle ended up eating their lunch in a Fast food Chain. Charles couldn''t hide his disappointment. He lost his appetite. No one was talking between them. Elle was giving him a cold treatment. Charles was still wondering what''s wrong with eating at the restaurant even though Selena Arison was there. For the first place, she won''t recognize them both. Elle noticed his unhappy expression. "Why are you throwing a tantrum? We can just eat there some other time." Elle said to him. Charles looked at her with disbelief. ''Am I the one who is really throwing a tantrum here? She is the one who suddenly change her mood and giving me a cold treatment a while ago. I was frightened by her scary aura.'' "Hmmp." he pretended to ignore her. Elle suddenly kicked his leg under the table. "Ouch." Charles glared at her while massaging his leg. "Alright! I''ll take you there next time. Promise." Elle said to console him. Charles face brighten up upon hearing her but he paused as he realized something. Charles gave her a suspicious look. ''Why is she treating me better now? It was unusual for her to do this.'' "But first, I want you to do something for me." A light flashed on Elle''s eyes as she said that to him while grinning. ''I knew it! She needs something from me. She is a profiteering devil! She will not do you a favor for free, there is always a condition.'' Charles sighed. "Deal! What is it then?" He asked her. "I have a great plan." Elle said with her alluring but a dangerous smile. Charles was amused by just looking at her familiar deadly smile. ''Oh no, the devil is back! and she is plotting something.'' Later on, Elle gave him the instructions. Charles was surprised hearing her ''great plan''. It was hitting two birds using one stone. ____________________________________________ Two days after, a chaos erupted at the main office of Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation. They didn''t expect that the assassin who stayed silent for a month would suddenly move and her first target was the C.E.O and the heiress of Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation, Selena Arison. Elle was now standing in front of the 18th Floor storey building of Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation. She was wearing a short wig, an eyeglass and a cap. She disguised herself as a delivery woman. She was holding a medium size rectangular box covered with exquisite designs. She entered the building with a bright mood. She greeted the front desk with a smile and informed her that she had something to deliver to their CEO Selena Arison. She proceeded to the 15th floor where Selena''s office was located. Selena''s secretary welcomed her. "I have special delivery for Miss Selena Arison." she said cheerfully. The secretary was about to get the box from her hands when she stopped her. "Sorry Ma''am, my client asked me to hand this at Miss Selena personally." The secretary gave her a doubtful look. "You don''t believe me? Tell Miss Selena that this is from Detective Erick Lee, a thank you gift for treating him a meal last time." The secretary call Selena through the intercom. She told her about the gift. As expected Selena allowed her to enter. Elle gave the secretary a mocking smile saying ''I told you so.'' Elle entered the office. She was greeted by a sweetest smile coming from the woman who is now standing beside her desk. A light flashed on her eyes upon seeing the box on Elle''s hand. It was full of excitement and anticipation. "Hello Miss Arison, this is a special delivery for you." Elle gave her a meaningful look. Selena gladly accepted the box. "Thank you." Elle was about to leave when Selena called her again. "Wait!" Elle paused and she turned back to her. "Here, accept this!" Selena gave her a ten thousand cash as a tip. Elle was stunned in a moment. But she quickly recovered and she accepted the money. "Thank you Ma''am you are so generous!" "Your welcome. This is an important package." Selena said while her face was blushing. She really thought that it was from Erick. Happiness was evident to her face. Elle just gave her a meaningful smile before she left. After minutes had passed, a loud scream could be heard from Selena''s office. Elle glanced one more time towards the direction where the sound of the screaming is coming from. She saw the secretary came rushing inside Selena''s office with a panic look on her face. A satisfied look appeared on Elle''s face. She started to leave the place immediately. Meanwhile, the assistant of James Arison was rushing to report what happened to Selena. "Boss, something happened to Lady Selena. Catseye gave Miss Selena a death card, her signature card." Spike reported to James James came out running from his office going to Selena. When he arrived he saw Selena looking so pale. She was being comforted by her secretary. "What happened? Are you hurt?" He asked her with a concern voice. Selena stood up and hugged James as soon as she saw him. "I am okay. I am not that hurt! It was just a scratch. I was also shocked." James was relieved when he saw that she was okay. He saw the scratch mark on her fair hand and a black cat wandering around her office. James frown. It was her secretary who explained everything. "A delivery girl came just a while ago. She gave a package to Miss Selena. She thought it was from someone she knew but when she opened it she saw a black cat inside." Selena also explained as soon as she calmed herself down. "I was shocked when I saw the cat. You know I have phobia to cats. So I started to scream causing the cat to be shock and it scratched me." "There is also a card inside the box.The same card I saw beside Dad when he was killed." Selena added as she pointed the card inside the box. Fury could be seen on James''s eyes. He clenched his teeth. "LOOK FOR THAT DELIVERY GIRL RIGHT NOW! BRING HER TO ME!" he ordered his men in raged. James together with the Secretary and Selena went to the CCTV monitoring and control room of the building, looking for Elle. In just a minute all the members of security and bodyguards were dispatched all over the building. Everyone inside the building was puzzled about what is happening. They already reported the incident to the police and to the special task force of XXX Crime Investigation Office. They were expected to arrive in a few minutes. After a while, James and others spotted Elle walking leisurely inside the building. She was now riding at the elevator from the 10th Floor going down. Securities and bodyguards coordinated with each other using the walkie talkie and and handheld radio. It was James who was informing them about Elle''s location. They were now rushing to the floor where Elle was spotted. Some of them were waiting at the lower floors. Elle walked out from the elevator in the 4th floor. She walked towards the exit. This time she used the stairs instead of elevator. As if, Elle was aware that James and others were monitoring her using the CCTV camera, before she went down to the exit door, she stopped on her track. Her back was facing the CCTV camera. They couldn''t see her face since she was now wearing a mask and a cap. She suddenly picked something inside her jacket and she raised it using her right hand. She made sure that the camera could clearly see what''s on her hand. James requested the man inside the control room to zoom in. They saw the card in her hand which was raised between her two fingers. It was Catseye''s Death Card, her signature card. Selena and the secretary had goosebumps seeing that. "She knows that we are watching her right now!" Selena said with her nervous voice. James was also stunned in a moment. He looked at her intently. She was really provoking him. It was a warning! "Where are you now! Catch her already! Faster! She''s in the exit at the 4th floor." James ordered his men. "Copy Boss!". That was the last time they saw Elle in the monitor. She wanted to tell them that "I am here, Catseye is here!" before she disappeared from the monitor. A minutes had passed, James and others inside the control room were waiting for other''s report. They were anticipating that the securities and guards were able to capture her. "Boss! Negative! She was not here in the fourth floor!" "She didn''t pass here also in the third floor!" Same report came from the men on the second and first floor. They didn''t see Catseye even her shadow. "Where is she? That is impossible. There is no other way out! Unless she has super power and she became invisible! Find her!! She must still hiding there!!!" Chapter 46 - 46: Get Even People who are pursuing Elle inside the Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation were still wondering how she was able to escape and disappeared just like that. They didn''t know that Elle was able to hack their system and used a signal interference program causing a 10 minutes delay from real time projection of CCTV recordings in their monitors. That was the main reason why she was able to escape using those 10 minutes delay in the recording. Selena and her secretary went back to her office together with some bodyguards. James went back to his office as well. He was put in a deep thought. "What is her motive? She suddenly appeared and she disappeared just like that. Selena was not hurt. Is she giving me a threat and a warning?" James said to himself. James was still contemplating when one of his men approached him. "Boss someone sent you this mail." The man gave him a white small envelope. James read the content of the message. "Stop looking for me! If I were you, I would focus on guarding my sweet little sister!" "The card..it was a warning. What should we do now boss. Lady Selena''s life is in danger." Spike said with a worried tone. James crumpled the letter on his hand. He was in raged! "Catseye!" he cursed her. "Call black shadow right away!" He ordered his men. After a while, Black Shadow arrived at his office. "What''s wrong with you?" Black Shadow greeted him as he noticed the gloomy expression of James. "Change of Plan! Stop looking for Catseye! Your new mission is to guard my sister Selena." James said to him and he walked towards Black Shadow. Black Shadow was about to ask him something when suddenly James stabbed Black Shadow on the right lower part of his abdomen. Black Shadow was shocked beyond belief. He was caught off guard. He didn''t expect James to do that. Black Shadow gave him a questioning look "Why?" "I''m sorry. Catseye wanted me to pass a message for you. This is her message. She wanted to get even with you from the wounds that you gave her." Black Shadow looked at him in disbelief. After saying that, James shot him again on his shoulder. Bang! "Argh!" Black Shadow grunted in pain. He fell on his knee. "Bring him to the hospital!" James ordered Spikes. They immediately grabbed Black Shadow and helped him to stand up. They brought him at the nearest hospital. The entire message sent by Catseye to James contained a proposal aside from a warning. It was written this way. "By the way, if you want to make sure of her safety I want you to pass my message to Black Shadow. Give him the same wounds that I received from him that night. You know me, I am a man of my words. No one ever live today after they received and have seen my card of death. If you want to guarantee her safety for one month, then send my regards to Black Shadow. If you do that, then I will nullify the card of death. It will be void for one month. I promise I will not do her harm for 30 days." =CATSEYE= He had no choice but to comply besides Black Shadow would not die from that wounds. He was not sure whether he could guarantee Selena''s safety or not if he would not agree on her condition. Catseye was able to enter and leave the building without hassle. She was really capable to kill Selena any time if she really wanted to. His focus now was to strengthen the security especially for Selena''s protection. Catseye was a smart and a clever woman. She knew his weakness. She used Selena to threaten him and she was successful about that. Meanwhile, the police and some members of Special Task Force just arrived. Erick, Jason, Bryan and Carl together with Police Officer Kim proceed at Selena''s Office. They already received a report while they were on their way that Catseye had escaped. They would interview Selena, James and others to gather more information about what happened just a while ago. James also went with them at Selena''s office. He greeted the officers and he invited them to sit down. Selena was glad when she saw Erick. "Can you tell us what happened?" Jason asked them directly. It was Selena who spoke up. " Someone delivered a package." Selena pointed the box. The officers inside focused their attention on the box while listening to Selena. They saw the death card of Catseye. "There was a black cat inside the box. Maybe Catseye knows that I am afraid of cats so she used it to threaten me." "Are you hurt?" Erick asked her softly "Not so. I just got a scratch given by the cat." Selena gave him a grateful look for asking her if she was hurt or not. "Why you didn''t check the package first before giving it to Selena?" This time it was Bryan who asked the secretary. "I am sorry. It''s my fault!" Selena''s secretary said as she felt guilty. "No... Don''t blame her. It''s my fault for trusting that delivery girl." She defended her secretary. "Why?" Bryan frown. "Catseye said it was from Detective Erick Lee. She said it was a thank you gift from him because I treat him a meal." Selena said while looking down. She felt a little bit embarrass. Everyone was stunned in a moment when they heard it from Selena. They all averted their gazes to Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee. Erick felt pressured from their gazes. He was also surprised when his name was mentioned. ''What the hell, I suddenly became involve with this?'' he thought to himself. Cough! Cough! Cough! Erick cleared his throat to lessen the awkwardness that he felt. " Well, It happened two days ago. How did Catseye know about it? She might be following you." he simply said. "What is her motive this time?" It was Police Officer Kim who spoke up. Of course, it was only James who knew her true motives but he couldn''t say it to them. It was related to Skull Gang. "She was really a devil. She is now targeting good people. Out of thousands of people here why is it she is targeting you and the Arison Family? It was really infuriating!" Bryan complained to them. Everyone became silent after that. Erick nudged Bryan''s shoulder in order to give him signal to shut up. His blabbering couldn''t help them right now and just making the people felt uncomfortable. Chapter 47 - 47: Catseye vs Bryan Meanwhile...the assassin who just brought chaos in the Arison Holdings was just sitting on the lobby. She didn''t leave the building yet. She was talking to Charles through their communication device. Elle was really in a great mood right now. Their plan was a success. She was rejoicing inside seeing her enemies suffered mentally, physically and psychologically. She heard how frighten Selena just a while ago. She saw the wounded Black Shadow being carried to the car park. James didn''t hesitate and he took her proposal right away, afraid that she would do something to his sister. She knew that James was really angry right now and really mad to the extent that he was already cursing her name. She finally got even with them. "Tsk tsk, so easy! I didn''t do much effort but they were really in panic. Haha! They should be thankful, there is no bloodshed today, only mental torture!" Charles was listening on the other line. "Why are you still there? Are you not afraid that they might find you?" Charles asked her. "I am not done yet. Just want to play with them some more." Elle said to him with a cheerful tone. "What will you gonna do?" Charles asked her. "Since they are also here I might as well greet them." Elle said while chuckling. "Who are you talking about?" Charles asked her again looking so confused. "The Eagles and the special task force!" Elle simply said. She saw them arrived just a while ago. She was familiar with those four persons, Captain Jason and Carl of Eagles and Of course, Erick and Bryan. "Are you kidding me? This is not a kid''s play Elle! They might caught you! You are acting so reckless! This is so unlike you! The way you are behaving right now is not how you usually behave." Charles was now scolding her. Elle just rolled her eyes "Relax... I just want to greet them but it doesn''t mean they can catch me. What''s wrong with that? Besides, they have been working with this case for 5 years now. I just want to cheer them up!" "Elle, I will informed Master Phantom about this." Charles warned her. "Then go ahead. What do you want me to do? Kill all these people here? Do you prefer that one?" Elle said as she observed the people in her surroundings. Charles was left speechless. He couldn''t refute from that one. ''''That is not what I meant. My point is don''t create any more trouble. You are in their territory right now." "Alright. Just give me three minutes then. After talking to them, I shall take my leave. Then let''s meet on the restaurant where you wanted to eat last time. I will treat you since our plan was a success." Elle said as she didn''t want to argue further with Charles. Charles'' expression changed when he heard that. He quickly agreed on Elle''s suggestion. "Ok...please connect me to their server now." Elle ordered him. Charles was responsible in operating the computer now. He just followed Elle''s instruction in order for him to execute the right command. "Are you sure they will not be able to track our location by doing this? How about your voice. They might record it and use it in their investigation about you." Charles asked her with a concerned voice. "Don''t worry, we are totally safe. Just trust me. They will not get anything after this. They will just be pissed off by my provocation after this." Elle said with confident. "Ok then. Just three minutes!" Charles reminded her. Then Elle searched for a place where there were no people. On the other hand, the people whom Charles and Elle were just talking about were still gathered at Selena''s Office. They were still having a discussion about what just happened a while ago when the man who was assigned in the CCTV control room called James about an important matters. "Mr. Chairman, please go here at the CCTVs control room. There is some irregularities in the system. Something popped up in the monitor! I think it was a virus!" It was communicated through the handset radio so everyone in the room heard it. All of them proceeded to the control room to check it out. When they arrived, they saw the dumbfounded expressions of the staff there looking at the monitors. They were also surprised as well when they saw it. The photo on the monitors were all Death''s Card of Catseye. The most shocking one was when they heard a voice coming from the monitor. "Hello officers! It is nice that finally I get to talk to you... Captain Jason and Officer Carl of Eagles, Oh we have some new faces here." Elle was referring to Erick, Bryan and Officer Kim. They were speechless. Catseye knew them. She was familiar with the members of Eagles. "Oh, the Arison Siblings are also there." Elle mentioned them one by one. Elle could see them through the CCTV camera inside the control room. The data was being transmitted by Charles to her cellphone right now. They were the one who couldn''t see her but they could talk to her. As if they knew that she was watching them they looked towards the direction of the CCTV camera inside the room. They guess that she could see them through it. "What do you want?" It was Erick who spoke to her first. "Pardon? Can you introduce your name first before talking to me. I don''t know you!" Elle said to him with a rude tone. It was Bryan who got mad when he heard how rude she is while talking to their Chief Detective Erick. "Hey you! How come you didn''t know him?!! Did you just forget that he is the one you used in order to enter the office of Miss Selena!" Everyone in the room was flabbergasted with the way Bryan spoke to Catseye. They all averted their gazes to Bryan. But he was right and he had a point. They wanted to give him a round of applause that time. ''Good Job Bryan!'' She also realized that Bryan was right. "I am not talking to you. Can you shut up? I just want to talk to good looking guys!" She said that because she wanted to make him more angry by targeting his ego. ''Does it mean, everyone who she just mentioned a while ago were all good looking except Bryan? Then how about me? She didn''t mention me.'' Police Officer Kimthought to himself. Bryan was really mad now because of that indirect insult coming from her. "You don''t have the right to say that! Why? Are you also a good looking one? Then show us your face!!!" he challenged her. "Haha I guess you are ugly! Because you are hiding your face!! Maybe that is the reason you are targeting the Arison Family especially miss Selena. Because you are jealous of their beautiful and handsome faces!" Jason:"....." Erick:"..." James:"...." Selena:"...." Carl:"...." Officer Kim and others:"....." They were all speechless! ''Bryan''s logic was weird and a little bit off'' Erick mumbled to himself. Every one''s attentions were focused to Bryan. They were also anticipating a reply from Catseye. They really wanted to praise Bryan''s bravery. "Do you really want to see how beautiful and good looking I am? I can visit you tonight. I can also prove to you that someone as beautiful as me could also be deadly. Do you know that I am strikingly beautiful that can cause someone''s death just by seeing my face? Then a soft chuckle reverberated in the entire room. It was the devil''s laughter. This time it was Bryan who was left speechless. ''Oh crap! Did I just make the devil angry? Have I really offended her by calling her ugly?'' Bryan started to feel frighten. "Hehe Relax. I am just joking. Please don''t be mad. If you get mad I will assume that my assumption is true." Bryan softly said concealing his nervousness. ''What if Catseye was really serious about visiting me?What should I do.'' He thought of an escape plan then he saw Erick. His eyes brighten up. He went to Erick''s back and grabbed his shoulders then he pushed him forward while saying "Catseye, just forget what I have said a while ago. I will give you now the most handsome man in this room. He''s here. You can now talk to him. I will not disturb you!" Then he turned to Erick and said "Chief Lee, she was asking you. Please introduce your self! hehehe" Now everyone was now giving him a weird look and a sharp glare.They all wanted to take back what they have said a while ago about Bryan''s bravery. Chapter 48 - 48: Confrontation Elle started to regret talking to them. She didn''t expect that she would encounter another Charles in the persona of Bryan. When she was with him, Bryan was well-behave and not that talkative. He also looked so frighten and distant when she was Elle but now that she was acting like Catseye, Bryan was acting so brave and mighty, daring to talk to her like that. "No need! I changed my mind. Besides I am not interested about him." Elle said when Bryan pushed Erick to talk to her. Erick:"....." ''Why do I feel like Catseye had some animosity towards me? At first she was really rude and now she doesn''t want to talk to me.'' Erick mumbled to himself. James secretly signaled his staff to record everything there and they got what he meant. "I just want to talk to Eagles! Captain Jason and Officer Carl, since this is our first ever interaction for the past 5 years, I will give you a chance if you want something to ask or tell me, just speak your thoughts. They said, if you want to beat your enemy you should know them more." Captain Jason was mad and upset at the same time. He knew that she was underestimating them and laughing at their failures in catching her. She was arrogant. Carl and Jason were trying to keep their cool. "Are you really a woman? or not?" Carl asked her. Actually the voice that they were hearing right now was not the actual voice of Elle. She was using a voice changing application which she created by herself that could disguised her true voice. They couldn''t identify if the one speaking right now is a girl or a boy. Even though they already got some lead, they just wanted to confirm it with her. They also assumed that Catseye didn''t know yet that they already knew her identity. A loud chuckle could be heard from the monitors "I can be both. Remember a devil can be seen in many forms." She didn''t deny it or confirmed about her gender. Then suddenly another voice was heard inside the room. "Why did you kill my father?" Selena took all her courage in order to speak up. Silence engulfed the entire room after that. Elle stayed silent for a while. Then Selena asked her another questions. "Why it had to be him? He is a good person! I believe he didn''t do anything wrong. Why did you kill him? Tell me! Why?" Hatred and resentment could be seen in Selena''s misty eyes. She was trying to control her tears. She was really mad! She wanted an answer now from the person who killed their father! James shared the same feeling of rage with her. He clenched his fist. He also wanted to know. Everyone was waiting for Elle''s response. Elle was frowning and staring intently at Selena. Those questions and those eyes... she had also experience it before. Her grasp in her phone tightened. Looking at Selena right now, brought her back to a memory from her past. She saw her young self asking that similar question. "Why are they hurting my family? My Dad is a good man. He is a policeman. He saves a lot of people. My mother is loving wife and a caring mother. She also helps people. What bad things did they do to deserve this? Do good people receive punishments like this? Why God allows this to happen?" She was feeling lost and empty remembering that dark past. Elle was awaken from her memory when she heard that Selena spoke again. "Speak up!!! I guess you don''t know the feeling of losing someone you love! You are so heartless! Killing people is so easy for you! Don''t you feel any remorse? Killing even innocent people, where is your conscience?" Elle burrow her brows as she heard this question and she burst into laughter. She was laughing hard but there were no humors and feelings from it. "Yes you are right! But let me clarify to you miss Arison. There is no such thing as good and bad people in my vocabulary. To me, they are all just prey to satisfy my blood thirst. Killing people keep my heart excited and I felt more alive. And all of you are not an exception, even your father. He was just a big prey compared to some, since his head has a high price." Every one in the room were infuriated as soon as they heard her response. In their minds they really thought that she was a devil. "I killed gang leaders, police officers, politicians, prominent people in the underground world, and society. I don''t care who is good and who is bad as long as the price is right and I can kill that''s all what matters to me." Elle smiled cunningly. "Do you know what my motto in life is? Elle paused but no one dared to speak. "I guess you didn''t know. So let me share it with you." "My motto is To Kill and Not Be Killed." Elle said as she emphasized every words. Everyone was speechless. Their faces could no longer be painted because of their angry expressions. The atmosphere became gloomy and intense. They all felt sorry and sympathetic towards Arison''s Sibling. Catseye really lived with her reputation as vicious, and ruthless. She really had proven to them that she didn''t feel any remorse every time she would kill someone. She was truly a devil and deserves to be punish severely. "Catseye... In the end, You will get the punishment you deserve for all the crimes and sins that you committed! I wish you will die with an ugly death." Selena said to her while cursing her. ''I already received the worst punishment in my life when I was 10.'' Elle thought to herself. "Time is up, so I guess I have to say goodbye for now. If you want to punish me then catch me first. I will be waiting. Good luck Officers! By the way, Mr. James Arison, it is nice meeting you today. I am a little bit disappointed, I was not able to hear your voice. But I hope you will remember me." Elle intentionally mentioned James in order to remind him about her warning. James understood what she meant by remembering her. And just like that, Catseye disappeared again without leaving a trace. Their system went back to normal but the people inside have not yet recovered from the series of events that just happened that day. All of them had gloomy expressions when they left the control room. Chapter 49 - 49: Charles Walked Out! Charles was already at the restaurant waiting for Elle. He was very excited that is why he arrived there early. Elle texted him a while ago that she was on her way. After 20 minutes, Elle arrived at the restaurant. She spotted Charles immediately. Charles waved at Elle as soon as he saw her. He was really in high spirit right now. "Hey! Whazzup! I thought you will keep me waiting for too long! I am glad you are on time." Charles greeted her with a wide smile. Elle could feel the enthusiasm in his voice. She just gave him a nod before sitting on the opposite side of Charles. Charles noticed that something was off about Elle. ''What is wrong with her? Did something happen?'' Just a while ago when he talked to her, she was very cheerful and playful since her plan was a success but right now she didn''t look too happy at all. "Have you order food already?" Elle asked him while she was looking at the menu book. "Not yet, I am waiting for you." Charles simply said. "Ah okay." Then the waiter arrived and took their order. Charles was silently observing Elle. He was really puzzled. It seemed that the person in front of him was not Elle. Even though she was silent but he couldn''t feel the cold and threatening aura around her. It looked different. He was used to seeing her mad, annoyed and cold towards him but this time it was really different. She didn''t look like she was in a bad mood but rather she looked so down and absent minded. "Ahmm, Elle?" he called her to get her attention. He wanted to ask her but he was hesitating. "Yes?" She softly mumbled. "How did it go?" he asked her. He was referring to the conversation she had wit the Eagles a while ago. "It went well of course." She simply said and she gave him a timid smile. Charles was dumbfounded. ''Am I really talking to Elle right now? Is she an impostor? Did she get caught by them? Did they also sent someone to pretend as Elle in order to catch him? What is this sudden change in her attitude?'' Charles imagination started to run wild. As if noticing the intense gaze that Charles was giving her, Elle suddenly looked toward his direction. "Why are you staring at me like that? Are you really that hungry? Imagining that I am your food?" Elle said to him as she raised her right brow. Charles'' eyes widened as he saw her suspicious look. ''How can she say that I am imagining her as a food so bluntly? No! No! It was a big misunderstanding.'' He looked at Elle''s beautiful alluring face then suddenly he could feel that his face turned red. "Cough! Cough!" Charles cleared his throat. He lowered his head to hide his embarrassment. He scolded himself inside for over thinking. Getting no response from Charles, Elle spoke again. "Charles, do you know how many people have died in my hands?" Charles gave her a confused looked before he replied honestly "There were so many, I already have lost count of them." Elle let out a chuckle upon hearing it "Yeah, me too!" "Why did you ask? Have you regretted it now?" Charles asked her curiously. "Nope. I only have one regret in my life." She said honestly. Charles became so quiet right now. This was the first time that he couldn''t use his blabbering mouth. Elle was being sentimental right now. He knew something was bothering her right now. He was willing to listen. "Charles, do you believe in retribution?" She asked him again. Charles didn''t know what to answer. Elle let out another chuckle. "If you do, what punishment do you think will be waiting for me in the future?" This time, Charles couldn''t take it anymore. He was really not used to her acting like this. This was so unlikely of her. "Why are you spouting nonsense?!" "Why are you getting mad? I am just asking. Don''t worry, I will not threaten to kill you so you can honestly answer it. Besides, I know you are also cursing me every time I beat you. am I right?" She was laughing at him right now. This time Charles was looking at her seriously. "Yeah, I am fighting with you most of the time. I am afraid every time you are looking at me with your sharp cold stares. I know, you might just kill me any time if you really wanted to. But never in my life, I curse at you. I am not wishing you any harm. Elle.... for so many years that we are working together....staying together.....sticking together in every difficult missions... is that what you really think about me? Do you really think that I don''t really care about you? or... it just that.... you don''t really care about me at all. Am I just another weapon to you, that you can used any time?" Charles didn''t know why but his heart was aching right now after saying that. He was dead serious this time. He didn''t wait for Elle to respond. He just walked away with a heavy heart. Elle was left speechless in her spot. She was not able to react after hearing what Charles had said a while ago. She just noticed that Charles was already walking towards the exit of the restaurant, not looking back at her. "Did he just walk out on me?" Elle mumbled to herself. She tried to chase after him but when she got out from the restaurant Charles was already gone. At that moment, their orders also arrived. Elle went back inside the restaurant in order to get their order and settle their bill. She looked at the foods which are now on their table. Elle frown when she noticed that there were lot of foods. "What the hell, how can I finish all of this alone?" she mumbled to herself. Her eyes widened when she realized something. "Oh crap, I didn''t bring money. Charles is the one who was supposed to pay their bills right now." Elle was now in panic. She asked for the bill. After a while, the waiter came back with the bill. Elle was now thinking of possible solutions in this problem. She also considered asking help to Erick. Her eyes widened when she saw that their total bill was worth nine thousand eight hundred fifty. She was already cursing Charles right now. She was about to call him when she remembered something. "Oh the tip! Selena gave me a ten thousand cash tip!" Her eyes lit up. She could used that to pay for their bill. "Charles, how dare you leave me just like that! You moron!!! Charles.... just you wait! Don''t let me see your face or else..... I don''t know what I might do to you!" She was also mad right now. She thought that she would end up being arrested by not paying the bills in that famous restaurant. Fortunately, Selena''s tip saved her today! Chapter 50 - 50: Dejavu! At Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation, Erick together with Bryan and Eagles were still discussing with Selena and James about their safety and security. "We will assign some agents who will guard you both since we do not know when Catseye will initiate her attack again." Captain Jason said to them. "Thank you Captain. We appreciate your help." James replied. "Even though you have your own bodyguards and securities, we will also dispatch our team to monitor your safety since it is our responsibility to catch Catseye." "We understand Captain." Selena gave them a grateful look. "That''s settled then. We will arranged everything tomorrow. For now, we will make another plan and strategy. We have to go now. Thank you for your cooperation." Jason bade them a goodbye. Bryan and Erick were also about to leave when Selena approached them. "Chief Lee and Sergeant Velasquez, thank you for coming today. I would like to apologize about my action a while ago." It was Bryan who spoke with her first. "You don''t have to apologize Miss Selena! You did nothing wrong. I was amazed by your bravery." Selena smiled at him then she glanced at Erick. "You should rest Miss Selena. I know you have been exhausted for today." Erick said softly. Selena nodded. "What if we go to the hospital to let the doctor check your wound Miss Selena. We never know, what if Catseye has some trick and she injected something to the cat in order to harm you." Bryan suggested with his concern voice. "What do you think Chief Lee?" Bryan turned to Erick. Selena was also waiting for his response. "I think Bryan is right. It is better to be sure." Erick said. "We will accompany you miss Selena. Chief Lee knows a very capable doctor." Bryan said to her. Selena agreed, "Okay! Let''s go?" Selena informed James that she would go to the hospital to have her wound check. He also agreed since Detective Lee and Sergeant Velasquez were accompanying her. Soon, the three of them went to the Hospital. On their way, Dr. Gomez was already informed about the situation and he was now waiting for the three of them to arrive. When they arrived Dr. Gomez greeted them. He was glad to meet Selena Arison in person. Dr. Gomez examined her wound personally. It just seemed normal scatch and he didn''t find something harmful from that wound. He just gave her an ointment for the wound so that it would not leave a mark later on. "Hmm, it seemed that Catseye didn''t do some tricks aside from using the cat to frighten you." Bryan said to them. Everyone nodded in agreement. "Thank you Sergeant for your concerns." Selena said to Bryan while she was staring at Erick who is now having a conversation with Dr. Gomez. "Ahem, Chief Detective Lee, It seems like you are bringing a lot of beauties here lately. Are they the candidates for your wife to be?" Dr Gomez teased him "Here we go again, with your matchmaking." Erick slightly punched him on the shoulder. "I am just a worried friend here. Do you really have a high standards when it comes to women?" Dr Gomez shook his head. "You are so lucky that Uncle and Aunt do not pressure you. Other parents would have already demanded you to bring their daughter in law and would be asking you to give them grandchildren already." Dr Gomez added. "There''s no need to rush. Things like that will just come by naturally. There is right timing for that." Erick just smiled at him. "Okay, I won''t argue with you. I really thought you are an angel in disguise but I was wrong.... You are a Saint!!! But let me ask you first. Do you already have a girl in mind right now?" Dr Gomez whispered to him while simply looking at Selena. Dr Gomez caught Selena many times when she was staring at Erick from time to time. Erick was about to say something when his phone vibrated. He checked his phone and his eyes lit up when he saw the message which was coming from Elle. He moved away from Dr. Gomez before reading her message. "I already bought food for our dinner tonight so you don''t need to cook later." Elle informed him. Erick''s features softened and his lips curled into a smile. Today was a very hectic, tiring and stressful day for them, reading her simple message he had the urge to go home right now. Dr Gomez didn''t noticed that Erick already moved farther away from him. He was now occupied of something and he was very focused on his phone right now. Dr Gomez frown ''Is he avoiding my question just a while ago?'' Minutes later, Erick walked towards Selena and Bryan. "I think we need to go now. Miss Selena also needs to rest now." Erick said to Bryan. Selena and Bryan just nodded and they bade their goodbye to Dr. Gomez. "I am grateful for the both of you, accompanying me here. If you will allow me, I want to invite you for a dinner tonight at our home. Are you both available?" Selena invited them. Bryan was about to say yes when Erick cut him off immediately. "Miss Selena, Thank you so much for the invitation but I am afraid we can''t come tonight. We need to be back at the headquarters now and we might stayed over night. There are lot of things that we need to do." He politely rejected her invitation. Bryan gave him a questioning look. He didn''t heard about working over time tonight. Erick gave him a warning look. "Okay I understand. Maybe some other time then." Erick gave her an apologetic smile and nodded at her. James fetched Selena while Erick and Bryan went back to the headquarter. It was already 7:00 pm in the evening when they finished their team meeting. Captain Jason came up with a strategic plan on how they will guard the Arison Siblings against Catseye. They already identified five elite agents who will joined the security team that will be assigned to Arison Siblings. They already oriented them about Catseye. Team Alpha Cinco and Special Task Force Eagles were still bothered by the sudden appearance of Catseye. They couldn''t think what is her true motive. They also got to talk to Catseye for the very first time. What surprised them more was that Catseye was familiar with Captain Jason, Carl and the rest of the members of Special Task Force Eagles. They suspected that she already did a background check with every members. After the long tiring day, finally they could now go home. Bryan approached Erick. "Why did you reject Selena''s invitation? And you lied about working over time." Bryan complained to him. "If I agree, then Elle will have to eat dinner tonight alone." Erick said honestly. Bryan was dumbfounded. ''So he was thinking about her that is why he didn''t hesitate to reject Selena''s invitation. Well Erick has a point.'' he thought to himself. Erick entered his car when Bryan followed him. Erick gave him a questioning look. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Coming with you!" Bryan said matter-of-factly. "Why? Don''t you have your own place?" Erick was looking at him with disbelief. "What if Catseye will really visit me tonight. I don''t want to be alone. Please let me stay with you for a while." Bryan gave him a pleading look. Erick just laughed at him. "You should have thought about that in the first place before you provoke her." "Thank you Bro! I know you are worried about me and you couldn''t bear seeing me hurt." Erick just shook his head. After thirty minutes of travel, they arrived at Erick''s Place. Erick knocked on the door. Seconds later, the door was opened and Elle''s petite figure appeared in front of them. Erick greeted her with a smile. Their eyes met and they both paused for a moment. Then someone''s voice ruined the atmosphere again. "Hello Elle good evening!" Bryan happily greeted her. Elle:"...." She was stunned in a moment when she saw that familiar face again. ''Is this dejavu? It''s him again!'' She frown and turned to Erick looking annoyed. Elle gave the two men a sharp glared. Bryan shivered when he saw that kind of look. "Why is it I felt that this scene already happened before. Is this Dejavu?" Chapter 51 - 51: Who is more beautiful? The three of them once again gathered in the dining table. Erick and Bryan looked at each other when they saw the food in the table. "Wow... I''m so touched. Did you prepare all of this because you knew that I am coming?" Bryan asked Elle Elle gave him a force smile. ''Of course not! If I knew that you would come then I would have eaten this food all by myself.'' "There''s plenty of food. What''s the occasion?" Bryan commented again. Erick didn''t expected also that when she said that she already bought food, it would be this much. It would be too much for just two people. Luckily Bryan insisted to tag along with him. Elle noticed the strange gaze coming from Erick. ''Oh come on, don''t give me that look. It was not really my idea to buy all of these, it was just so happened that the Moron Charles ordered too much then left me all alone.'' Elle thought to herself. "I just don''t know what Erick''s like so I just randomly picked these food." Elle lied. Erick chuckled "You could have ask me, if you really want to know." "I don''t want to disturb you with such trivial things. I know you are busy with your work." Elle retorted "Hehe You are right. Do you know Elle, we had just a conversation with the infamous assassin Catseye today! She was really rude to Chief Lee so I defended him." Bryan said while boasting. "Oh really? What did you do?" Elle raised her brows. "Well, nothing much. I just told her that she is ugly. Hahaha. And guess what, she got mad!!! I won!" Erick let out a chuckle while Elle was smiling at Bryan but deep inside she was already thinking different ways to shut his blabbering mouth. "You really have the guts to laugh now. That was the reason why you insisted to come with me. Are you really defending me? After pissing her off and sensing her dangerous threat, you immediately pushed me forward as a shield and hid behind me." Erick teased him. Bryan smiled sheepishly because he was guilty. "Sorry Chief, I already did my best and said too much so I just gave you the chance to talk with her, besides she said she just wanted to talk to good looking guys. Even though I am also handsome but you have an edge. So I nominated you instead of James. He''s a civilian after all. What if Catseye would try to pick on him." Erick shook his head "You really have a weird reasoning." Elle nodded in agreement. ''Yeah, he is definitely weird! Thinking that I am targeting Arison family because they are good looking. How come he became an investigator?'' She gave him a doubtful look. "Alright, let''s eat first." Elle said to them Elle lowered her head trying to hide her evil smile. ''Seargeant Velasquez, since you delivered yourself to me, then I will give you a lesson later.'' After their dinner, Bryan proceeded to the living room to watch some movie. Just a while ago, Bryan requested Erick if he could stay over for tonight. He was willing to sleep at the sofa as long as they would allow him to stay. He didn''t want to go home because of the threat that he received from Catseye. At the end, Erick agreed after consulting Elle. Of course, Elle wanted him to stay because she was planning to give him a lesson tonight. Erick just went outside to buy some midnight snacks. Bryan suggested with them to have a movie marathon. Bryan already started to play the first movie. He choose an action movie entitled "Mission Impossible." Elle saw that he was so focused on the movie. She looked around and she checked whether Erick was there but she didn''t see him. A cunning smile appeared on her face when she saw the perfect opportunity to attack her target. She approached Bryan. She sat down beside him on the couch. She just came out after she took a quick shower. When Bryan saw her, he greeted her cheerfully. "Hey Elle, do you like love stories?" Bryan asked her about her movie preference. "The one playing right now is an action movie. If you dontr like it, we can change it. What do you think?" he added. "No, it''s okay." she simply said. Bryan just nodded then he averted his gaze back to the television screen. "Bryan can I ask you something?" Elle said to him. "Sure! What is it?" Bryan said to her enthusiastically. "Erick and you mentioned during our dinner that members of Arison Family are all good looking, is that true?" Elle asked him. "Yes! They are all good looking. Do you heard about James Arison? He is the new chairman of Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation. He is a young bachelor. He is very attractive and charismatic. There are many girls who have crush on him." Bryan was really talkative. Elle aske him one thing and he answered with so many words. "He is equally handsome with Erick. Then I am next. I am just one level below them. Haha" Bryan said while brimming with confidence. Elle just rolled her eyes when he heard him. Bryan continued to talk. "His younger sister, Miss Selena Arison. She is beautiful inside and outside. She is like a princess in those fairy tales, very charming and attractive. She can capture the hearts of every men just by her sweet smile. If you see her, you will want to make friends with her." Bryan''s admiration for Selena could be seen in his eyes while describing her to Elle. Elle raised her brows and thought to himself ''Hmm, is that so?'' Then suddenly Elle asked Bryan a certain question that made him shut his blabbering mouth and focused his attention to the girl who spoke up. "Who is more beautiful, me or Selena?" Bryan:"..." Bryan was dumbfounded. He was shocked from that unexpected question from Elle. He didn''t know what and how to answer her. He was puzzled why Elle is asking him about that. When Elle didn''t received an answer, she faced Bryan and she hold both of his shoulders. She repeated her question and said it in a more seductive way. "Do you think, who is more beautiful, me or Selena?" Elle was intently staring at him with her alluring eyes. She was slowly moving her face towards his face. Bryan froze on his spot. ''What is she planning to do?'' Their faces were just an inch away from each other. Their noses were almost touching. Bryan could see her face clearly. He noticed that Elle has a dark long eye lashes that complimented her sharp brown eyes. It was so captivating. His heart started to beat faster and at that moment, he seemed to forget how to breath. What makes him more nervous was when he looked at her pink kissable lips. His heart started to run wild inside and his mind went blank. Seeing his reaction Elle''s lips curled into smile that appeared so seductive. They were in that kind of position when someone from behind saw them. It was Erick. Chapter 52 - 52: Movie Marathon became Drinking Session Pak! Pak! Pak! A dropping sounds of canned drinks could be heard from their behind. It caught the attentions of the two people who were sitting on the couch who almost looked like they were about to kiss. They both turned around to see Erick standing a meter away behind them while the few bottles of canned drinks were scattered on the floor. They didn''t noticed the dark expression coming from Erick''s face since he immediately bent down to pick up the bottles. Elle pushed Bryan away from her and she quickly stood up. When Elle moved away that''s the time that Bryan was able to breath again. However his heart was still palpitating rapidly. He could feel that his ears turned red like a tomato. He felt hot but he was having a cold sweat. He still hadn''t recover from that shock. ''What the hell just happened a while ago? Is that what they call strikingly beautiful but deadly? I thought I am gonna die from a heart attack! Wait..... did Erick see that?!'' Bryan thought in panic. Elle also didn''t expect that Erick would appear so suddenly. Since she was very focused on pressuring Bryan, she didn''t sense that Erick already came back. She didn''t really have intention to kiss Bryan. She was just testing him what would be his reaction. She wanted to tease him more and suffer from severe embarrassment later on. ''Crap... I was careless! Did he just see what I had done to Bryan?'' Elle was bothered what would be the reaction of Erick. Both of them were intently staring to Erick, waiting for his reaction. Seconds after, Erick glanced at both of them with a smile. He raised the drinks that he had just picked up from the floor. "Sorry guys for that. It''s quite heavy and it slipped out of my hand. Did I make you wait that long?" He said to them calmly. He acted like he didn''t see what happened a while ago. Seeing him act like normal, Bryan felt relieved however Elle was still silently observing him feeling doubtful. Erick spoke up again. "By the way Bryan, you can take a shower first if you want. I let you borrow some of my clothes for tonight, just choose from my closet inside." This time Erick directly spoke to Bryan while giving him a You-May-Leave-Now look. Bryan just nodded in agreement and he moved away quickly, avoiding Elle. ''Yeah, I better do that now in order to be fully awaken from that shock.'' Elle sat down again to the couch and she started to focus on the movie of the television screen. She already thought that it was a mission accomplished. Erick walked over and he put down the snacks and drinks that he bought in the living room table. He sat down beside Elle. No one talked between them. Both of them just stayed silent and they were staring at the television screen. Erick bought some ch.i.p.s as well as drinks, some were beers and some were soda. He picked up a soda and handed to Elle. She accepted it even though she preferred to drink beer right now however it seemed like Erick would not allow her to drink some beer or any alcoholic drink tonight. ''He didn''t even ask me or offer me some beer. He intentionally gave me a soda! Only a Soda!'' Elle just sighed at the thought of that. After a while, Bryan had finished taking a shower. He went back to the living room and joined Elle and Erick for their movie marathon. When he arrived, he was contemplating where to sit. Elle was sitting on the middle of the couch while Erick was sitting on her right side. There was still a space on Elle''s left side. There is also a single couch on the side of Erick however it is quite on the sideline and it was not facing the television screen. Bryan was still undecided when Erick looked at him and they met eye to eye. He could felt that something was off from the way Erick was staring at him. He gave him an awkward smile. Erick just signaled him to seat beside him so he had no choice but to comply besides he also didn''t have the courage to sit beside Elle after what happened between them. Suddenly, Bryan had developed a phobia. He was really afraid of getting near with Elle. ''Elle was more frightening than Catseye. Her attitude was really unpredictable. Sometimes she was cold and sometimes she was approachable then just a while ago she did another unexpected thing. Does she have a multiple personality?'' Bryan shivered from that thought. Now, the three of them were watching the movie together. No one initiated to talk so the atmosphere became a little bit awkward. Elle succeeded in giving Bryan''s a lesson. She had really a unique way of making someone suffer. Now Bryan would started to experience mental and emotional torture because of what she did. Elle was in high spirit right now and she was really enjoying the food and the movie. Unlike Elle who were enjoying the moment, there were two persons who seemed to be out of the world. Erick was so quiet. He also drank a lot of beers already. While Bryan seemed to be bothered. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t push away the memory of Elle''s face on his mind. Later on, Bryan''s attention focused to Erick. His eyes widened when he saw the number of beers that he already drank. He was drinking non-stop. His face slightly became red, a sign that he already a little bit tipsy from drinking 10 bottles of beers. Bryan frown. His thought was very occupied a while ago that he didn''t noticed that Erick already drank too much. As if Erick felt that someone was looking at him so he turned to see Bryan. He shot him a cold sharp glare and then he averted his gaze back to the movie screen. ''What the hell? Did I see it wrong? Did Erick just glare at me and gave me a cold stare?'' He was startled and he felt some goosebumps. Why is it that the Erick beside him tonight was so different. The warm and gentle Erick was now emitting a cold and frightening aura. ''Did I just imagining things right now. Oh gosh what is happening to me.'' After a while, the first movie was finished. Elle felt tired from sitting for the entire duration of the movie and she was now a little bit sleepy so she excused herself and informed the boys that she would sleep first. They both agreed. When Elle left, Bryan found the courage to start a conversation with Erick. Bryan was about to say something when Erick noticed that all the beers were all consumed by the two of them. He turned to Bryan. "Buy another case of beers." He ordered Bryan with a stern voice. Bryan wanted to complain that he already drank too much but he stopped upon seeing the seriousness in the face of Erick. ''Is he drunk already?'' At the end, Bryan went out to comply with Erick''s order. He returned with another two dozen of canned beers. "Chief what are you planning with these?" he asked feeling so confused. "What else? Of course we will drink all of this tonight!" Erick said with a chuckle. He really looked drunk right now. Since Bryan also wanted to forget something, he agreed on Erick''s idea. The supposed movie marathon now became their drinking session. It was already 3:00 a.m in the morning when they both finished all the beers. They were now both lying on the living room because of their drunkenness. Elle was awaken. She heard that the television in the living room was still on. She checked her time and she frown. "Are they still watching a movie? Don''t they have work tomorrow? Staying up so late. '''' Elle shook her head and she decided to check those two. She was startled upon seeing the two men lying on the floor, sleeping so soundly while plenty of canned beers were scattered in the area beside them. "They finished all of these in just one night?" she was looking at them with disbelief. She was planning to ignore them but in the end she decided to transfer them to a more comfortable place to sleep. They might get sick if they would stay lying on the cold floor. "Hey, Bryan wake up! Erick wake up!" She was trying to wake them up by tapping their shoulders and faces but no one was responding. She was having an headache now because of these two. First, she pulled up the unconscious Bryan and helped him lie on the couch. She picked the blanket that Erick prepared for him and she covered him. After that Elle turned to Erick. She tried to wake him up again. She got some response from him. "Erick can you stand up?" Erick slightly opened his eyes and he nodded when he heard her but he seemed that he was just half awake because of the effect of the alcohol. Elle assisted him to stand up and soon they walked towards Erick''s bedroom. Elle was slightly struggling on their way to the room. Erick was a little bit heavy and he couldn''t walk straight because of drunkenness. When they were near the bed, Erick stumbled causing them both to be out balance. Fortunately the soft cushion of the bed caught them when they fell down. Elle stood up but she fell down again when Erick''s hand caught her and he pulled her towards him. That sudden movement surprised Elle and she was not able to avoid it. She was now on the top of Erick''s body. Elle''s eyes widened when she felt that Erick''s other hand was now hugging her waist pulling her closer. Now their faces were very closed with each other. They could now feel each others breath. She was about to struggle but she was stopped by his intense gaze. She saw his deep mesmerizing dark brown eyes. He was more attractive up close. It felt like she was being hypnotized by him. She could hear and feel her heart pounding so hard and so fast. Erick''s gaze was now focused on her lips. She bite her lips unconsciously because of the pressure she felt from his stare... as if he could see her soul. Then as seconds passed it seemed like her mind went blank and her body has mind of her own. Her lips met his....her lips brushed his.... very softly, delicately, just long enough that he could inhale her breath, feel the warmth of her skin, and the taste of her lips. They kissed! Chapter 53 - 53: The Forgotten First Kiss They were now both closing their eyes feeling each others warmth and tasting each others sweetness. The soft kiss deepened and became more sensual. This was her first kiss. No man had ever kissed her like this. She kissed him back like she wanted to be kissed, soft and moist and hot and breathy, not trying to win a battle but seeking union and closeness and the sharing of one breath, one sensation, one timeless and passionate moment. The heat rose in her cheeks as her tongue touched his tongue, quick and electric and delicious, then firmer, more determined, more curious about the heat that lay within, seeking to chase down that elusive liquid lightning that reached through both of them. But in that brief moment of passion, her rationality won over her. She stopped and she took her remaining strength to push him away from her. Her heart was running wild from within. She was now panting, chasing her breath. "Sh**t! What am I doing? Did I lose my mind in that split of seconds?'''' Elle scolded herself. She turned to look at Erick who was still lying in the bed. She was surprised seeing him lying there with eyes closed, not moving and soundly asleep as if the kiss they shared a while ago never happened. "Sh**t! This is so unfair! He was so drunk and I was in my right mind. Why did I let this happen?" She was now cursing herself inside. She immediately left his room with mix emotions. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The sun already rose up from the east filling the sky with shades of orange and pink. The bright looking milky clouds got up from sleep and started travelling around the sky visiting the wonderful environment, radiating a hope and a new beginning. It was already 10:00 a.m in the morning but the two men were still sound asleep. Erick woke up. He groaned from the throbbing pain in his head caused by the hang over. He massaged his temple. When he saw his surrounding, he was puzzled "How did I get here? The last thing I remember was Bryan and I were having a drink in the living room." When he saw the time, his eyes widened "Crap, we are now so late!" He quickly got up from the bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. 15 minutes had passed and now Erick was already dressed himself up and ready to go to work. He went to see Bryan in the living room. He was also sound asleep. "Bryan! get up! We are now late!" Erick shook his body in order to wake him up. Bryan slightly opened his eyes and gave Erick a puzzled look. He also groaned when he felt like his head was spinning. "Tidy yourself up. We still have work!" Erick said to him. When he heard him Bryan was about to cry. He didn''t feel like going to work right now. He wanted to sleep more. "Chief can I stay here longer? I am not feeling well. Can you report alone today and let me rest for a while?" Upon hearing that Erick''s expression darken. ''No way! I will not let you stay here with Elle alone. What if the event last night will happen again if I leave you two here together.'' Erick shot him a cold frightening look "Get up right now or else I will drag you myself going to the bathroom!" He said to him with a stern voice. Sensing the dangerous warning coming from Erick, Bryan stood up quickly from the couch. "Alright! Alright! Just give me 10 minutes!" Bryan immediately proceeded to the bathroom. ''Why acting so cold this morning, this was your fault. If you didn''t insist on drinking too much last night then this would not happened. Argh! This hangover is killing me!'' Bryan was complaining inside. Erick sighed deeply while looking at the retreating back of Bryan. He could still vividly remember the scene he had witnessed last night. ''What if I didn''t arrive that moment, then they could have kissed right?'' This was the thought in his mind right now. Remembering that scene, his face darkened completely. He didn''t want to get mad but he couldn''t control himself. "Why is this happening to me? Am I being overly protected of her?" He shook his head and he rubbed his forehead. Unfortunately, he could only the remember bad scene and forgot the most significant moment last night. He didn''t remember his first kiss, the soft and sensual kiss that he and Elle have shared together. If only he could just remember then he wouldn''t feel so upset. He turned and averted his gaze to the closed door of Elle''s room. "Is she still asleep?" He walked over and gently knocked on her door. On the other side, Elle was fully awake but she just stayed in her bed lying. She didn''t want to go outside. She didn''t feel like seeing Erick today. She just wished that the two men already left for work. She was not yet ready to face him. She unconsciously touched her lips and the scene last night suddenly appeared on her mind. "Gosh my first kiss was taken just like that!" And her alter ego spoke up " Admit it! You really like it! You felt wonderful and you wanted to kiss him all over again!"She suddenly got up and shook her head many times trying to clear her mind. She was in a deep thought when he heard someone knocking on her door. She was startled. She sensed that it was Erick. She was hesitating to open the door. "Damn, what should I do?" She tried to calm herself down first before opening the door. She should act normal and natural. Don''t let him sense anything. "Did he remember everything or not?" She needed to find out. She opened the door and Erick''s handsome face which wearing his sweet gentle smile greeted her eyes. "Good morning! Did I wake you up?" He said. Elle was just looking at him absentmindedly. Why is it he became more dashing now to her eyes. He was so attractive from the depth of his eyes to the gentle expressions of his voice. She was silently observing his features. He had tousled dark brown hair, which was thick and l.u.s.trous. He had deep dark brown eyes and dark eye brows which complimented his strong and well-defined face. Elle couldn''t help but blush when she focused her sight on his perfect lips ripe for the kissing. She quickly turned around to hide her reddened face from him. "Good morning too. I am already awake but I am just tidying up my room. Please come in." Elle lied to him. "Sorry about last night." Erick said to her. Elle stopped on her track. ''Did she remembered what happened last night, that''s why he is now apologizing?'' "What do you mean about last night?" She asked him trying to confirm something. She started to feel nervous. "I think we gave you trouble last night for getting drunk. I am sorry about that. Are you the one, who transferred us from bed and couch? We were totally knocked down in the living room, I couldn''t remember what happened after that. Again I would like to apologize for giving you a hassle." Erick was a little bit embarrass asking her. He already knew that she must be the one who helped them last night since both he and Bryan got so drunk. Elle was looking at him in disbelief ''It seemed like he does not remember about the kiss!'' She didn''t know what she should feel right now, should she feel glad or be mad that the man who stole her first kiss doesn''t remember anything?! Chapter 54 - 54: Do You Like Her? Erick and Bryan were now on their way to the headquarter. They were silent in the entire journey. Bryan felt that something was wrong. ''Chief Lee was really silent since last night. Is there a problem? He look so serious. Is this the result of hang over.'' Bryan thought to himself. He was silently observing him from time to time. After the long silence, he couldn''t take it anymore. Bryan initiated a conversation with him. "Chief, are you okay? Do you have a problem? I am your friend, you can tell me anything." Erick didn''t expect Bryan to ask him that. ''Am I really look problematic right now?'' "It''s nothing. Sorry, maybe I am just tired and it''s just a hang over I guess." Erick gave him a timid smile. "Why on earth, you had to drink so much beer last night!?" Bryan wanted to scold him. "Are you mad at me? Did I trouble you too much by coming with you last night and insisting to stay over night?" Bryan asked him feeling dejected. "It is not like that." Erick was trying to console him. "Then why is it I felt like you are upset with me. Did I offend you. You seemed annoyed with me and giving me a cold treatment since last night. Chief Lee, talk to me so that I know what I did wrong." Bryan lamented. Erick sighed when he saw Bryan who felt like crying right now. ''Did I go overboard? Should I really talk to him?'' Erick was still contemplating. In the end, Erick decided to talk to him about last night. Besides it might be an misunderstanding. Bryan was his friend so if there was a problem between them, they should fix it. "Honestly, I saw what happened between you and Elle last night."He calmly said to him. Bryan was startled when he heard him then the memory of the scene last night flashed into his mind. ''Sh**t, Erick really saw it.'' He felt so embarass. Getting no response from Bryan, Erick spoke again. "Do you like her? Do you like Elle?" Bryan''s eyes widened. "No!No! Chief Lee that was a big misunderstanding! Please let me explain!?" Bryan said in panic. "Is that the reason why you are mad at me?" Bryan asked him. "I am not mad!" Erick denied it. "Chief It was all misunderstanding. I like Elle but not in a romantic way. I like her as a friend. Don''t think that I am taking advantage of her last night! I did nothing! It''s not my fault. It was her who approached me first. She was the one who grab my shoulders...and then..and..." Bryan was now struggling to describe what Elle did to him last night. He was still having a goosebumps every time he remembered it. Erick frown when he heard Bryan''s explaination. He was unhappy when Bryan was saying that Elle initiated the move. He was defending himself and trying to put all the blame to Elle. His face darkened. Upon noticing the changes in expressions of Erick, Bryan thought again if he had said something wrong. So he started explaining again. "Chief I admit Elle was beautiful and attractive but I don''t have feelings for her. Honestly I am starting to be afraid of her. I really felt uncomfortable sometimes when I am with her. She is unpredictable. She was cold sometimes and friendly the next time. After last night, I even think that maybe she has multiple personality!" Erick became more unhappy with his explaination. Erick had a serious look in his face. Bryan was about to cry seeing his reaction. He was in panic. "Chief Lee, please believe me. I did nothing. It was her. Maybe Elle had a crush on me and she noticed my appeal that''s why she did that last night!!!" Bryan continued putting the blame to Elle. Erick was now emitting a dangerous aura. Giving him a cold sharp glare. Bryan didn''t know that the more he was pushing the blame to Elle the more he was making the situation worsened. As if he realized something Bryan tried to rephrase his statement. "Hehe Chief I am just kidding about Elle having a crush on me. I think she was just teasing me. It all started when she asked me about James and Selena Arison. I just told her that they were so handsome and beautiful then suddenly she asked me if who is more beautiful between her and Selena." Erick frown and then he asked him. "Then what did you tell her?" Bryan:"..." Bryan was flabbergasted by his question and gave Erick an Are-You-Serious look. ''Of all the things I have said Chief why are you interested with my response about her question?'' he thought to himself. "I didn''t answer her. I don''t know what to say. Then how could I think clearly on how to answer if she was pressuring me like that and she was moving closer to my face. I thought I am gonna die from heart attack that time." Bryan complained to him. Then suddenly Bryan asked him. "If you are in my position, what will you do? What will you tell her? Who do you think is more beautiful... Elle or Miss Selena?" Erick was caught off guard by his question. ''What would I do if I was in his position that time?'' Erick was put in the deep thought.Then the memory of that scene replayed to his mind but this time it was not Bryan who was an inch closer to Elle''s face. It was him. Then suddenly his heart skip a beat. Then his alter ego spoke up ''If I were him, I will pull her closer and kiss her passionately.'' Just thinking about it, his face turned red and he felt hot. Then suddenly a vision of him kissing Elle flashed into his mind. However, this time it was not in the living room but in his own bedroom. He was lying on his bed while Elle was on his top. He was hugging her waist and pulling her closer to him. They started kissing each other. First it was just a soft kiss then later on it became so sensual and passionate. Elle was responding to him and returning his kiss with the same intensity he was giving her. The memory was interrupted when Bryan shouted "Chief watch out!" They almost hit the car in their front. Fortunately, Erick was fast to react and able to step on the brake. Bryan was frightened while Erick felt an indescribable emotions, not because of almost getting into the accident but because of the thought in his mind. "Sh**t, why am I imagining things like this. I am not a pervert! But why is it that it felt that it really happened. Am I losing my mind now? Is this cause by hang over? Then I will not drink too much in the future." His heart was beating so wild. Chapter 55 - 55: Help Me When Erick and Bryan arrived at the XXX Crime Investigation headquarter, they caught people''s attention inside. Something was off between them. They were also puzzled why those two were so late today. Erick and Bryan went inside their office. Team Alpha noticed that there was something amiss with those two. "What happened with those two? Are they fighting?" Rose asked April. They were both observing Erick and Bryan''s action. April just shrugged. She didn''t have idea as well. "Yesterday before they left the office, they were just fine." "Let''s just ask them later." June suggested to them. They nodded in agreement. Erick was now leaning on his chair. He closed his eyes while massaging his temples. He was suffering from headache cause by hang over. Furthermore he was still bothered by his thoughts. Now he couldn''t forget that vision a while ago. It felt so real. "This is so wrong. Why am I thinking about that. I should be thinking about protecting her and not taking advantage of her." he scolded himself. But his other self was wishing that it was real and it really happened. He was thinking how would it really felt by kissing Elle''s soft delicate lips. He shook his head, trying to brush the thought off out of his mind. He needed to focus on work right now! At the same time Bryan felt dejected. He was not in a good mood. He didn''t know if Erick accepted his explanation a while ago. Erick seemed to be occupied by something when they arrived and Erick never talked to him again. April, Rose and June approached him. They were observing the gloomy expression of Bryan. "What''s wrong between you and chief? Did you get into fight? Rose directly asked him. Bryan gave them a cold glare and giving them a warning look saying that he was not in the mood for gossips right now. "Why did you came late?'''' It was June who asked him ignoring his glare. "You did something wrong right?" April started to interrogate him too. Bryan couldn''t take them from pestering him now. He wanted to be alone. He stood up and said "I Did Nothing Wrong!" he emphasized every word before he walked out and escaped from them. The three people were left speechless. ''''Where is he going? He had just arrived." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At Erick''s Place Elle was thinking whether to visit Charles today or not. She needed to talk to him and ask him about his action yesterday. She was also have something to tell him about her next moves. She was about to leave the house when someone suddenly appeared. It was Bryan. ''What is he doing here? He and Erick just left for work an hour ago.'' Elle was bewildered seeing Bryan in front of her. "Did you forget something?" she asked him while looking at his gloomy expression. "Elle I am begging you please help me explain to Chief Lee what happened last night." Bryan asked her in a desperate and pleading tone. "What are you talking about?" Elle looked at him so confused. "I think Erick had misunderstood something. I think he was mad at me. He saw us last night in that position. Why on earth did you do it? Why?" Bryan lamented to her. He was blaming her. ''Of course I did that to give you a lesson.'' Elle thought to herself. Hearing no response from Elle, Bryan continued to convince her. " Please explain to Erick. I have nothing to do with that. I am not taking advantage of you. You are the one taking advantage of me! You are the one who approached me first! Do you like me? Do you have crush on me? I know you are pretty but sorry Elle I don''t have feelings for you! I like someone else." Bryan spoke spontaneously. Elle:"....." Elle was dumbfounded with the last four sentences of Bryan. She didn''t know if she would cry, get mad or laugh. ''There was really something weird from the way Bryan''s speak and think. How could he say that straight from my face without getting embarrass. He was also shameless thinking that I like him and telling me that he like someone else.'' She shook her head. She really needed to clarify something before Bryan''s thought became more wild and imaginative. After a few seconds, Elle spoke up. "Alright! Alright! Calm down first! Please keep quiet first then let me explain." Bryan nodded in agreement and he finally shut up. "First of all, the feelings is mutual between us." Elle said that made Bryan frown. "What do you mean?" Elle rolled her eyes. It was really hard to speak with this talkative person. She said to him to keep quiet for the mean time then now he was talking again. "I mean, I don''t have feelings for you. I am just teasing you last night since you didn''t answer my question right away. I didn''t expect that Erick would suddenly appear and saw that. Don''t worry I will explain to him. Did he really get mad? But he looked like he was fine last night." Elle was confused. Bryan felt relieved after hearing that. He knew it, Elle was just playing and teasing him last night. "Please don''t do that again. You might kill me from a heart attack!" Bryan complained to her. Elle just let out a giggle and soft chuckle. "Don''t laugh, it''s your fault that Erick got upset with me." Bryan scolded her. "But he doesn''t look upset to me." Elle refuted. "That what you think since you never experience how he was giving me a cold treatment since last night. That was a first time he looked frightening to me." Bryan shivered from the mere thought of it. Elle raised her brow looking so interested ''Hmm is that so?'' "I want to see what he looks like if he is mad and angry." Elle said feeling delighted. She wanted to see Erick mad since every time she saw him he was very calm and compose and always smiling. She flashed her cunning smile. Bryan gave him a doubtful look. " Elle you are creeping me out with your smile. What are you thinking? You are really weird. If I were you I wouldn''t want to see Erick get mad and serious." Bryan said to her honestly. "Relax, I am not planning anything. You are overthinking. Ahem By the way, you said you already like someone. Who is she?" Elle changed the topic. Bryan froze when he heard her question. ''Crap, did I really said too much?'' Elle was now pressuring him with her stare. Bryan face turned red. "Are you referring to Selena Arison?" Elle asked him again. "No! It''s not her.... She is one of our colleagues." Bryan admitted. Elle burst into laughter after hearing that. Bryan gave her a questioning look "What''s funny?" "Then I have to warn you, If you don''t want to be misunderstood by someone especially by the girl you like, stop talking about how beautiful other girls are. Last night, when you described Selena Arison, your eyes couldn''t hide your admiration to her. I thought she''s the one you like. " She gave him an honest advice. Bryan was left speechless. Elle had a point. "Alright, leave now! They might be looking for you now. What would Erick think if he knew you came here alone without telling him." Elle teased him while she let out a soft chuckle. Bryan eyes widened as he realized something then he quickly bade her a goodbye. Chapter 56 - 56: A Surprise Visit At Charles'' Place Someone was walking back and forth in his own living room. He was uneasy. He regretted his action yesterday. Now, he didn''t know how to face Elle. He overreacted yesterday. Now he was having a headache for the possible consequences. Charles also reprimanded himself yesterday. He realized that he left Elle without giving her the money. He was supposed to pay for their bill. Actually he went back to the restaurant however Elle already left and she was able to pay their bills. He was so guilty for his action. He didn''t know how to justify and explain it to Elle. ''If I could just turn back time.'' he thought to himself. ''''How can I pacify the devil? I know she was mad right now. Arhhh, Damn! I can''t think clearly!" He was in that crisis when he heard someone ring the doorbell. He walked over in order to check who it might be. He thought it was just another delivery from Master Phantom. When he opened the door, the beautiful face of Elle wearing her most sweetest evil smile greeted him. Charles froze on the spot with his eyes opened wide. ''Sh***t! Speaking of the devil, she is now here! Charles suddenly dropped on his knees and bowing his head while asking for Elle''s forgiveness. "Elle I am really really sorry about yesterday! Please let me get away this time. Please give me another chance." Elle smirked while observing Charles who was pleading on his knees. "You should have thought that before leaving me and not paying for our bills." She walked towards him and she hit him on the head. "Alright, stand up. As long as you already reflected on your mistakes." Charles was bewildered by Elle''s action. He thought she would beat him to death this time but she just hit him on his head then he was now forgiven. ''Why is it she was being more gentle these days?'' Charles gave her a puzzled look. Elle entered the house without waiting for Charles. She went to the kitchen and picked some drinks from the refrigerator and then she came back to the living room. Charles was silently observing her. She was definitely in good mood today. "We need to establish another hide out aside from my place." Elle said to him. Charles sat down on the chair facing Elle. "Find a space in the City Z where we could put a Cafe. Used our fund to buy more computer sets and monitors. I will be needing it during our operations. Change your number. We will not use our previous strategy from dealing and negotiating with our clients. You will act as my Boss in the newly establish Cafe. We will put a secret hideout on that Cafe." Elle said to him. "By the way, I will continue staying with that Detective. Skull Gang matter was fixed for the mean time. They won''t make a move against us. Now, I will focus my attack on Dark Knight. I should gave them a taste of their own medicine." A sinister smile appeared on her face. "Okay... By the way... how many days are you giving me to establish a Cafe? What name do you like? Catseye''s Cafe? I think It will become popular in just one day and can attract more customers. Eagles and members of Skull Gang and Dark Knight will surely check it out. We can put poisons on their orders. HaHaha" Charles said to her trying to annoy her. Elle shot him a glare. "Do you like to taste the food first if it will be effective before serving it?" Charles stopped laughing. "Alright, I am just joking! Kidding aside, what do you want me to name the Cafe?" He asked her properly Elle also thought for a name. "Falcon Cafe" she simply said but there was a faint light coming from her eyes when she mention the word ''Falcon''. Charles sighed "Sometimes you are simple-minded also Elle and lack some creativity. Tsk Tsk" He was not satisfied with the name but since it was Elle''s decision then he had to follow. Elle raised her brows "I don''t want to waste my precious energy in thinking of a creative name for just a cafe besides you are the one who ask me. I just answered your question." "Then give me three days. Haha After that I will be your Boss." A sly smile appeared on his face. He was rejoicing inside. He was excited that this time he would get the opportunity to order her around. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After finalizing their plan at Charles'' place, Elle went back to Erick''s Place. She was 3 meters away from the balcony when she saw two figures standing outside the door. Elle frown and she became alert. "Who are they?" She mumbled to herself. She was slowly approaching them. She also prepared the items given to her by Erick for protection. Of course, she was not worried. She was fully healed already and very confident with her martial arts skill. She was now very near at the balcony. She was already mentally prepared to strike any time. But to her surprise, the two persons waiting outside were two middle aged a.d.u.l.ts on their 50''s, one was a woman and the other one was a man. The two persons also noticed her arrival. They were also surprised seeing her. Both of them have a questioning look in their eyes. "Hello, may I know you?" The middle-aged woman who spoke first. She asked her politely while giving her a gentle smile. She looked beautiful even in her age. She was caught off guard with that warm greeting and gentle vibes she was giving Elle. Seconds later, Elle finally spoke up. "Hi, I am Elle." She felt a little bit awkward. The middle-aged man just observing the two ladies. "Hi Elle, Do you know Erick?" She asked her again. ''Why do I feel that I am being interrogated here. Should I be the one asking them right?'' She thought to herself but still she answered her question. "Yes, I know him." A light flashed to the beautiful eyes of the middle-aged woman upon hearing it. "May I know what is your relationship with him?" She asked her enthusiastically. "I am his friend?" Now Elle became more uncomfortable being question by her. The woman let out a soft chuckle. Her gazed focused on the key that Elle was holding. "Do you live here?" She asked again. "Yes Ma¨¢m." Elle simply replied. This time the woman''eyes widened and gasped from her answer looking so shocked. Elle was now confused ''Wait... did I say something wrong? I felt like I am started to get nervous.'' After the woman recovered from shock. She asked her again. But her last question made Elle to be dumbfounded. "Are you a girl?" the woman asked her seriously. ''What the heck with that question? Do I look like a man to her? Isn''t it obvious that I am a girl? Now I am started to question my physical appearance.'' Elle looked at her so confused. This time the middle-aged man nudge the shoulder of the middle-aged woman. It seemed that he was telling her that she asked the wrong question. The woman burst into laughter. Then she looked at her with a gentle smile while admiring her. She looked so happy. ''Wait...can someone explain what is happening here?'' Elle thought to herself. Then the woman spoke to her again. "You''re name is Elle. You know Erick and you said you are his friend. You also said that you are living here. And you wonder why I asked you if you are a girl. Sorry Darling if I gave you a shock from that question. I just want to make sure. From your responses, therefore I conclude that..... You are my son''s girlfriend! Nice to meet you Elle! I am Sarah, Erick''s mother and your future mother in law!" The woman immediately hugged Elle without waiting for her response. Elle:"..............?" ''Wait... Wait!! What the heck is happening here!? Did I heard it wrong? What girlfriend? and she.... she''s Erick''s mother?'' Elle was shocked beyond belief. She just answered a few questions then suddenly she became someone else girlfriend and she met her boyfriend''s mother who soon to be her mother in law. These kind of logic reasoning seems familiar to her. Chapter 57 - 57: A Big Surprise at Home At Erick''s Place... The two unexpected visitors were now sitting on the living room. Elle was busy preparing their drinks at the kitchen. "Erick Lee, why you didn''t mention that your parents are coming over today?!" She was complaining to herself. Erick''s parents mistook her as his girlfriend. As expected, who would not assume with their right mind that she was not his girlfriend since for the first place she said to them that she was living in that house which is owned by their son Erick. And seeing their shocked expressions, this might be the first time that Erick let someone stay in his house without his parents'' knowing. She didn''t have the chance to correct it since she was really mentally unprepared meeting his parents and couldn''t think of a good alibi. Of course, she was not in good position to tell them the truth that their son just save her and decided to take care of her because she was hunted by some gang. Just three persons were enough to know that she was being hunted by Skull Gang besides she didn''t want to frighten his parents and be involve with this also. She was also thinking about what would be their reaction if they knew that? And lastly, seeing the joy and excitement from the reactions of Erick''s mother while hugging her a while ago, she didn''t have the heart to disappoint her. That was also her first time being hugged like that after a long time. She didn''t know why but she felt at ease and relaxed in her presence and suddenly she was reminded of her mother''s warm hug. She glanced at the couple in the living room. They looked good together. She could feel the love between them. They were now having a casual conversation and they seemed like they were enjoying their moments together. She picked up her phone and she was about to inform Erick about his parents'' sudden visit and their wrong assumption about her but she stopped when she remembered something. She remembered the article she read about Erick... "He is still a bachelor and many girls are still lining up to be his girlfriend. They didn''t heard about him having a girlfriend that''s why many girls are still hoping." She recalled also the day they went to the hospital to have her check up and Dr. Gomez told something to Erick.... "You are ready to have some wife. So start looking for one now. You have a dangerous job, you didn''t know you might die single. Tsk Tsk. It would be a waste if you will not spread your beautiful genes. Many girls are lining up for you." Of course how could she forget the scene she witnessed at the Famous Restaurant in City Z where she saw Erick and Selena having a nice conversation in which they both looked so happy and so closed with each other. And just recently, Erick just stole her first kiss and then he didn''t remember. Her first kiss was taken just like that but the person who did it forgot everything about it. It was so unfair! Elle grasp on her phone tightened. She was smiling but deep inside she was in raged. "Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee! It seems like the fate is on my side right now, giving me the opportunity to get even with you and it is telling me that I should also give you a lesson just like what I did to Sergeant Velasquez." She mumbled to herself. Then a sly smile appeared on her beautiful face as she started scheming an evil plan against Erick. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile.... at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter Erick''s team and Special Task Force Eagles were having short meetings about the progress of their investigation to Catseye. This time Marie who had undergone undercover mission in the underground world had discovered something. "There is a rumor circulating in the underground world that Catseye''s hide out was discovered and was attacked. It was the same day when we received the anonymous tip about Catseye''s identity." Marie told the team about what she found out during her investigation. Everyone was listening attentively so she continued. "And the one who was responsible with the attack is also an assassin with an alias of Black Shadow. In the underground world, Catseye and Black Shadow was considered the most skilled assassins. So there is a competition happening between them. Here.... Check this out. This is the address of Catseye''s hideout that was attacked by Black Shadow and his group." Marie showed them the address. "Good job Agent Marie. We will go there tomorrow!" Captain Jason said to them. After a while, their meetings was adjourned. They left the conference room. "Guys, the day after tomorrow is the celebration of my birthday. Let''s celebrate and have a dinner together!" Rose invited them. Captain Jason as well as the other members of Eagles accepted her invitation. That will also be their first team dinner together. "You can bring your friends and partners if you want." Rose added. "I am so excited!" April said. "Hey Bryan don''t forget your promised about shopping." April reminded him. "Yeah. I know, promise is a promise!" Bryan replied. Everyone laughed at him. "Chief Lee, this time please make sure that you could attend. Free your schedule!" Rose said to Erick. "Of course yes... it is an important occasion. Then I promise you all that I will make it up to you." Erick assured them. "Yey... That is settled then!" June joined the conversation. Erick was happily talking with his team without knowing that something big was waiting for him at his home. He didn''t have an idea that his parents were already having a casual conversation with his so called ''instant girlfriend''. He was about to leave the office in order to go home when Bryan followed him. "Why are you here again?" Erick asked him "Chief Lee, please hear me out! Let me come with you tonight. Promise I will not stay over. I just want you to talk with me and Elle, and explain everything to you." Bryan was trying to convince him. Erick sighed and said "Okay, let''s go!" Bryan''s gave him a grateful look and he immediately went inside his car. At around 6:30 p.m. Erick and Bryan arrived at his place. As usual, they rang the doorbell and knocked on the door and waited for Elle to open the door. Elle''s eyes brightened upon hearing the bell. "I think Erick just arrived." Elle told the husband and wife who were busy preparing the food in the dining table. Erick''s mother insisted to cook for dinner so they went shopping an hour ago, then when they came back Elle assisted the husband and wife in cooking the food for tonight. "Both of you, go and greet him. Just leave me here, I will prepare everything." Erick''s father told the two ladies. They gave him a smile. Then Elle went to open the door while Erick''s mother was following on her behind. The two men were patiently waiting outside, wondering why it took her so long from opening the door. Then after a while, the door was opened. Erick and Bryan was greeted by Elle with her most sweetest smile ever. The two men looked with each other puzzled. This was the first time Elle greeted them with that gentle smile. They didn''t know that the most shocking one was just about to happen. Elle stepped forward towards Erick, her sweet smile never leave her face. She stopped in front of him then she suddenly tiptoed and kissed him on his right cheek and said "Babe welcome home!" Erick:"..." Bryan gasped, both his eyes and mouth were wide open from shock. ''Sh**t! Is this Elle''s strategy on how to explain everything to Erick!'' He couldn''t believe what he had just seen and heard a while ago. Meanwhile....Erick froze on his spot like a statue. His mind went blank. It seemed like the time stop and the only thing that he could registered to his mind was Elle greeting him with her sweetest smile, kissing him on his right cheek and saying "Babe welcome home!". ''Damn! Am I imagining things again?'' The scene and the words kept on repeating on his mind. Elle''s kiss and ...."Babe welcome home!". Elle''s kiss and ...."Babe welcome home!". Elle''s kiss and ...."Babe welcome home!". Unknown to the two men outside, there was another figure behind Elle who saw everything. She was smiling widely and happiness could be seen in her eyes seeing her son arrived and being welcomed by his beautiful ''''girlfriend" with a kiss. So sweet! Chapter 58 - 58: Dinner with the Parents Erick was not aware what is happening. It was his mother voice that helped him recovered from that shock. "Welcome home my dearest Son. I miss you so much." Sarah said to Erick. "Mom?!" Erick was surprised seeing her mother behind Elle, looking at him with her loving eyes.This time his mother walked towards him and hugged him. "Why you didn''t tell me that you are coming?" Erick asked her. His mother let out a soft chuckle. "Actually we planned to surprise you but I didn''t expect that we will be the one who will be surprised when we arrived. How long are you going to hide from us this lovely girlfriend of yours?" Sarah teased him. Now, he understood what just happened a while ago. Elle was pretending to be his girlfriend! That would explain her action a while ago. He turned to Elle and gave her a questioning look. Elle just shrugged and smiled at him. Erick didn''t say anything but he just gave his mother an apologetic smile. Bryan also entered the house and greeted Erick''s mother. Bryan and Erick''s parents already knew each other. Bryan was now also aware of the situation. Then after a while, Erick''s father, Raymond called them for dinner. They were now all gathered in the dining area, eating together and having casual conversation. Erick''s parents started to ask questions about Elle and Erick. "My darling Elle and my dearest son can you tell us how did you met? I am really curious. My son never introduced us to a girl before." Sarah asked both of them feeling delighted. Erick and Elle paused when they heard the question while Bryan was looking at them. He was waiting who would reply first. Erick began to felt uncomfortable seeing his mother''s excitement. He felt guilty. He didn''t want to lie with his parents. He really wanted to talk with Elle why did she lie with his parents without even consulting him. "We met by accident. He almost hit me with his car." Elle suddenly replied. Erick and Bryan automatically shot her a strange look. ''If I could remember, Chief Lee told me that she was the one who ran at the middle of the road to block his car.'' Bryan''s thought. Erick''s mother laughed and said "Oh, what did you do after that? Did you scold him? Erick, I told you be careful when you are driving! You almost hit someone! What would happen to Elle if she was hit." Sarah slightly scolded him. Erick:"..." ''Mom, I am always careful. That''s not what happened.'' Elle laughed from Sarah''s reaction. She even scolded Erick in front of them. "It''s okay Ma''am. He is now careful with his driving because he is afraid that I will get mad at him." Sarah nodded at her. "So by the way what happened after your first meeting. Did you get mad at him?" It was Erick''s father who spoke up. "Hmm, I didn''t have the chance to scold him that time. Hehe I lost my consciousness and fell on his arms. I think it was because of his charm." Elle said and let out a chuckle. The four people inside the dining area had different reactions after hearing that. Sarah gasped while Raymond''s eyes widened from Elle''s bluntness. Bryan almost choked on his food while Erick''s face turned red from embarrassment. He couldn''t look straight into his mother''s eyes. ''What are you trying to do Elle.'' Cough! Cough! Erick''s father cleared his throat. He could see how embarrass his son after hearing that. Raymond was amused by what he is witnessing right now. It was seldom he could see his son''s reactions like this. "Elle where are you from? Did your parents know that you are staying with Erick right now?" he decided to change the topic. "Actually, when I first saw you, I think you look familiar to me. I just couldn''t remember." Raymond added. Elle didn''t know how to answer. ''Damn, I wasn''t prepared for that question.'' She looked at Erick to ask for a help but he was not looking at her. In the end, she kicked Bryan''s leg. She was sitting in the middle of Erick and Bryan. As if Bryan understood her gestures, so he spoke up. "Hehe Uncle, Elle is originally from State, she was just on vacation here now that''s why for the mean time she is staying with Erick." Elle felt relieved for that. "Oh really... then how long will you be staying here?" Sarah asked again. "I think, just one more month if Erick will allow me. If not, then I can move out tomorrow." She said jokingly." Erick frown upon hearing that. He turned to her with a questioning look. "Don''t look at me like that Love. I am just kidding. Hehe. Besides I need to stick with you since I heard many girls are still lining up for you. It''s your fault being strikingly handsome." Elle said while pouting and sounded like she was a little bit upset. Erick''s parents burst into laughters. Erick:"...." Erick was speechless because of her. He was just looking at the girl with disbelief. ''Why is she acting like this today? If she still continue acting like this, I might begin to believe her.'' Cough! Cough! This time Bryan really choked on his food and he excused himself to go to the bathroom. ''Damn....I couldn''t believe that Elle was capable of doing something like this. She is a great sweettalker.I guess Erick became her target.'' Bryan shook his head while pitying Erick. "Ahemm, of course, he is my son! Like father like son!" Raymond felt proud. "Hmm He is my son also!!" Sarah also said. Only Erick was quiet in the entire duration of dinner. Elle did a lot of talking. She was really teasing Erick and making him more embarrass. She was really enjoying it. They really had a happy conversation together. Elle became at ease and comfortable talking with them. Erick''s parents were so kind and loving. They were also easy to deal with. Before they finished their dinner, Erick''s mother once again asked them a difficult question that made Bryan, Erick and Elle to be caught off guard. "My darling Elle and my dearest Erick, tell me honestly. I am really curious. Who fell in love first between the two of you?" Sarah said softly while anticipating their answer. Erick:"...." Elle:"...." Bryan:"....." "That''s one tough question!" Bryan mumbled to himself while looking at those fake couple who are pretending to be in love. Elle''s brilliant mind which is expert in planning and scheming couldn''t respond immediately with that question. Erick''s expertise in logical reasoning and generalization couldn''t come up with the best conclusion to answer that question. They turned to each other, meeting eye to eye, asking one another... "Who will deal with this question?" Elle was giving him a look that saying "You are the guy between us...you should answer it!" Erick returned her stare with "You are the one who started this so you must finish it until the end." The husband and wife were now looking at them intently waiting for their response. Then suddenly Erick and Elle both turned to Bryan who was also anticipating their response. Upon sensing their stared Bryan''s eyes glared at the two of them as if saying. "Why are you looking at me like that. Are you asking me to answer that question? Am I your spokesperson? No way! I don''t want too. Clean up your own mess! I am just a spectator here." Chapter 59 - 59: Tension After the dinner and having interrogated by his parents Erick went outside the balcony to get some fresh air. He needed to clear his mind right now. He looked up at the night sky. The moon was shining bright and the stars were glittering and shimmering in the dark. It was a peaceful night, but for Erick it doesn''t. There was something in his mind that keeps bothering him. He couldn''t also explain his feelings right now. He was in a deep thought when Erick approached him. "Hey penny for your thought. What are you thinking right now Erick? Are you in shock right now? hehe I told you so Elle has multiple personality..." Bryan said when Elle suddenly appeared. "Hey why are you defaming my name? You traitor!" Elle complained Bryan just smiled sheepishly and said "Please explain now to Erick what did you do last night. You promise me." Elle let out a soft chuckle "Too impatient? Remember you are the one who needed my help here! Erick was just observing on the side the interaction between Elle and Bryan. They seemed to closed now. They didn''t noticed the changes in Erick''s Expression. "Hey it was your fault!" Bryan blame her. "Now you have the guts? Who is the one begging me this morning to help him explain?" This time Erick reacted upon hearing that. He frown. ''When did Bryan beg her to help him? Did he come alone this morning to talk to Elle?'' "Please miss beautiful. Can you now explain so that I could go home?" Bryan said to please her. He couldn''t wait anymore. "Alright! Alright!" Erick gave them a confused look. Elle walked towards him in order to clarify the scene that he saw last night. "Erick Sorry about last night. Don''t take it seriously. Bryan had nothing to do with it. I am just teasing him. I just want to prank him." Elle explained to him. Bryan also nodded in agreement. This time Erick stared at them intently. He looked unhappy. There was a moment of silence before he spoke. Elle and Bryan were both anticipating his reply. The smiles on their faces disappeared upon noticing the serious expression that Erick was giving them. After a moment, Erick finally spoke up with a cold stern voice. "So this time, you are pulling a prank on me and my parents?" Suddenly a tension arose among the three. No one spoke after him. Bryan and Elle were just looking at him with disbelief. They didn''t expect this kind of reaction from him. When he didn''t get any response from Elle, he just walked out and went inside the house leaving the two persons with a stunned expressions. "Is he mad?!" she asked Bryan with a triumphant smile Why you seems so happy that he was angry? Elle he is mad at you , and,,, this time its for real." Bryan said to her. "But Why?" she asked "It''s your fault. You don''t listen to me. I told you not to provoke him. I wouldn''t want to see him mad. He was really frightening." He blamed her. ''''Why is he over sensitive this time?'''' Elle asked curiously. "Of course, he was over protective of his family. You are pretending as his girlfriend right now in front of his parents. Telling them some lies. What do you expect him to feel. You are deceiving his parents in front of him. Besides you never consult him about this. That is also the reason that he is mad. Your giving his parents a false hope." Bryan lectured her. "Elle, I think you went overboard this time." Bryan said to her honestly. Elle couldn''t believe it. Erick just left without asking her how it started. He already concluded something. She also realized that he was really upset because she lied to his parents. "It would be better if you will talk to him. You have another explaining to do. This time do it properly and sincerely! Good luck in pacifying Chief Lee. You can do it!" Bryan encouraged her before he decided to leave. Elle just glanced at the retreating back of Bryan then she turned to the spot where Erick was standing in front of her a while ago. "What do you expect me to say with them. From the very start I am also deceiving you. How can I be true to them. Even I, myself, I already forgot my true self before.I am now a kind of person who can''t live without so many disguises. It''s my only way of survival in this world." "He really loves his parents. Lucky for him, they were still with him." Elle said while sadness appeared on her eyes. ____________________________________________ After a while Erick and his parents had a catching up. They informed him that they would be staying for a while since they missed him so much. Due to his work for the past few months, he was not able to visit his parents that is why they are the one who initiate to come over. Her mother noticed the gloomy expression of Erick. "Where''s Elle? Did Bryan already leave?" She asked him. "They are at the balcony. I think Bryan is about to leave." He replied while trying to act normal. "Ah ok. What''s wrong?" She signaled Erick to sit beside her. "Nothing Mom. I am just tired from work." "Ah ok. By the way, since we only have two rooms here, is it okay if me and your father can used the other one while you and Elle will used the other one." Sarah said and a playful smile appeared on her face. Erick was startled. He forgot about that. Last time, every time his parents would come over, they were the one who are using Elle''s room. But since that Elle was here, then there was no vacant room for his parents. He was unsure how to deal with this. He and Elle just had a tension between them a while ago then now they needed to sleep together and share one room. He was hesitating. He had the urge to tell his mother about the truth between him and Elle but in the end he couldn''t say anything. "Hmm, but I am warning you. Don''t do any shameless act. Remember, me and your father are just on the opposite room. Hehe but if you really want to give us a grandchild then I will not forbid you." Sarah said to him while teasing him. "Mom?!" Erick''s eyes widened upon hearing that. His face turned red. His mother burst into laugh seeing his embarrass expression. She tapped his shoulders while saying "Alright! I am just kidding. I know my son. You are a truly gentleman. But sometimes I wish that you are not so that you will not be a single anymore." "Mom?! How can you treat me, your son,like that?" Erick complained to her. Sarah just laughed at him. The mother and son duo were having a happy conversation when Elle entered the house. She witnessed how loving and how good they treated one another. She envied them. She wondered if her parents was still alive, could they also be like this? She felt empty after thinking about that then she smiled bitterly. Sarah saw Elle smiling while looking at them. She called her. Elle walked towards them. She didn''t look at Erick. She felt uncomfortable with him after what happened in the balcony. "My darling Elle! Sorry but I will be troubling you for a while. Is it okay if we will use your room for the mean time while we are here and you will sleep together with my son?" she asked her directly. Elle was stunned in the moment after that. She turned to Erick, hoping that he could do something about it. But Erick was avoiding her gaze. ''Eh?! Damn Erick look at me!? Sarah spoke up again. "I hope it will not a problem, since you and my son is in a relationship. So it is not a big deal sleeping together right?" Sarah was not giving her an option to object. She was smiling and looking at her meaningfully. In the end, she just nodded as agreement. Erick didn''t object so she also had no choice. Erick mother''s was so happy after that. "That was settled then! Thank you darling." she hugged Elle before leaving her and Erick. ''I think my plan backfired at me?! Damn!'' Elle thought to herself with so much worry while staring at the serious and handsome face of Erick. Chapter 60 - 60: She is Alive! Erick just finished taking a shower when Elle knocked on his room. She brought some sleeping garments. Erick let her enter. There was an awkward atmosphere between the two. They couldn''t look to each other''s eyes. Erick already changed into his sleeping clothes. She could smell his faint intoxicating masculine scent mixed with the soap he just used. He was so dashing with his fresh-from-shower look. ''Damn...Am I realy staying with this handsome Adonis tonight?'' "You can take a shower now. The bathroom is on the left. There is also a clean towel hang inside." Erick spoke up first. "Okay. Thank you." She simply said before going to the direction of the bathroom. Of course she already know where it is. She already visited his room many time without his knowing. Erick sighed when Elle left. He must be calmed outside but deep inside he was a little bit nervous. ''''I guess I have to sleep in my study room tonight. It will surely be uncomfortable with us if we will sleep in the same bed.'''' he mumbled to himself. After 20 minutes Elle got out from the bathroom. She didn''t see Erick inside the room so she felt a little bit relieved. Elle was drying her long black hair which was still wet from shower, using the towel when Erick entered the room coming from his study. There were still small water droplets scattered on her forehead. She looked so fresh and smelled so nice. Erick stopped on his track upon seeing her. As Elle felt the presence of another person in the room, she turned around to see Erick standing there on the side staring at her. Their eyes met but both of them look away quickly. Elle was standing in his bedside and Erick walked over. "You can sleep here on the bed. I will sleep in my study." Erick said to her. Elle glanced at him after hearing that. She was glad that Erick was really considerate even though he was still mad at her. "Erick..." She called his name. Erick stared at her, waiting for her to continue what she was about to say. She wanted to explain however she didn''t know how to start. Seeing him looking at her intently, the words were stuck in her throat. In the end, she couldn''t say the words. She unconsciously bite her lips due to her uneasiness. She tend to do that every time she felt uncomfortable with his presence. That action didn''t escape the observant eyes of Erick. It triggered a memory in his mind. Suddenly a flashback appeared on his mind. It was the same vision he saw this morning. In this same room, he was lying and she was on his top. He was also staring at her intently when Elle suddenly bite her lips. Her simple action like that awaken the strong desire inside him. He pulled her closer and finally claimed her soft delicate lips. His heart skipped a beat. He looked at her and the bed besides them. He suddenly frown, this time it really felt so real. Elle noticed the changes in expression of Erick. She followed the line of his sight. He was now looking at the bed besides them, frowning. Elle''s eyes widened. ''Sh**t, did he remember something!'' Erick was about to ask her something when they heard a knock on the door. They both turned around. Erick was the one who opened the door. It was Erick''s father, Raymond. Raymond smiled at both of them. "Sorry to disturb you both. Elle may I borrow your boyfriend first?" Elle just nodded and smiled at him in agreement. ''Yes, please take him before he can interrogate me about something I don''t want to talk about.'' Elle thought to herself. After that, the father and son left in order to talk about something. She decided to sleep early so that when Erick comes back, he wouldn''t be able to ask her something. When she saw him looking at her and in the bed, her instinct was telling her that a while ago Erick was about to ask her what happened last night between them. Elle shook her head then she tidy herself up in the bed. She dropped her body on the soft bed. ''Hmm this felt so good and relaxing. Let''s sleep without worry for tonight.'' She said to herself. ____________________________________________ On the other hand, the father and son duo was talking at the living room. They were also drinking some beer. "How''s mom?" Erick asked his father. "She was already asleep. I think she was tired from our travels." Raymond said while a gentleness appeared on his eyes. Erick smiled at his father. He could see how much his father loves his mother. There''s a glow in his eyes every time he mentioned his wife. "Your mother was really happy today especially she met Elle. She likes her a lot even though she just met her today. Hmm, why did you hide us from us." Raymond said to him. Erick gave him an apologetic smile. "I didn''t have the chance to do that." "Yeah, I know. You are currently taking a tough case right now. I understand you. I''ve been there." His father tapped his shoulder. "By the way father, what do you want to talk about." Erick asked him curiously. "Hmmp. You are too impatient! We haven''t talk much because of your mother but now that I have this chance it seems like you are eager to finish our conversation quickly. Are you already missing your girlfriend and you wanted to be with her already?" Raymond teased him. Erick''s face flushed from his father statement. Raymond laughed at his reaction. "Oh no! My son is already a.d.u.l.t but just a mere mention of Elle, he blushed right away like a teenager. Tsk tsk." Raymond chuckled while teasing him more. "Dad!? You and mother are really alike. Tsk tsk. Did you talk to me just to make fun of me?" Erick felt helpless from his father''s teasing. "Alright! I will tell you something." This time Raymond became serious. "After so many years, I found out something." Erick looked at him curiously. "Ma. Belle is alive! It was confirmed. This time I have a proof that she is alive, not dead!" Raymond said to Erick happily. "That''s good to hear Dad. How did you confirm that she is alive." Erick asked him. "I found a witness who saw her before. She was certain that the child was Ma. Belle Eleise Falcon. I showed her the picture. Her descriptions was matched with Elle." Raymond explained to him. Even though Erick''s father retired from being an agent, he didn''t stop looking for the missing daughter of his best friend. "Did the witness know where is she now?" Erick asked his father. Raymond shook his head. "It was a long time ago. And Ma. Belle stayed there only for a month. She remembered her because Elle stood out in that neighbourhood because she was very smart and very lovely kid." "She also mentioned that Ma. Belle was with someone. She thought it was his father. They didn''t know his name and she couldn''t remember his face since he seldom go out." Erick was also puzzled. "Do you think, who is that person? Is Ma. Belle kidnap by the person who killed her parents?" "No, she said, she didn''t look like she was kidnapped since Ma. Belle could roam around in the neighbourhood freely. What caught her attention was that Ma. Belle doesn''t talk too much." Raymond continue to tell Erick the informations he got. "This became more complicated now. If she was alive but why she didn''t go to the police to ask for help. She was the only witness about what happened to her family." Erick looked confused. Then there was a moment of silence between them. They were in a deep thought. What really happened that day? Who helped her?Why Ma. Belle did not go to the police? It seemed like Ma. Belle Elleise was the missing link in the mystery of her family''s death. Only her could gave them the answer, but where is she? Why she didn''t appear after all this years? They couldn''t traced her. Dis she changed her identity? But why? Those were the questions running in their mind right now. But the most important thing was they knew that she was still alive. They would find her no matter what. Chapter 61 - 61: Comfort and Warmth It was already late at night when father and son finished their conversation. They lost track of the time. They decided to get rest and sleep. Erick returned to his room. When he was already inside, he heard a whimpering and crying sound. Erick felt puzzled hearing that sound. "Is Elle crying?" He rushed forward to see what was happening to Elle. He saw Elle thrashing in her sleep. The sheets were twisted around her limbs. Through the light coming from the lampshade beside his bed, he could see Elle''s face were wet and her body was bathed in a cold sweat. "She is having a dream, probably a nightmare." Erick mumbled to himself. He immediately ran towards her to wake her up, his eyes full of concern about her. He grabbed her shoulders and shook them while calling her name. "Elle wake up!" Erick''s voice and his touch awaken Elle out of her nightmare. She opened her eyes to see the handsome face of Erick painted with both worries and relief. Her heart pounded against her chest. Elle trembled. The remnants of her nightmare still clung to her mind haunting her. She was back in her personal hell. Every time she woke up, she remembered that her nightmare was both real and worse than the fragmented reenactment of her past. This time she got to see her father looking at her with love and gentleness as he pulled an eight-inch knife from his lower back. They both fell on their knees and her father touched her face to wipe her tears while smiling at her. Then her father hugged her and said "My princess, everything will be okay. Promis me that you will stay alive no matter what. Even without us, you must survive!" Elle tears were dropping on her face like a rain. She couldn''t speak and she was in shock. Her heart seemed like it would explode any moments from the various emotions within. After a while, her father collapsed in her arms. Her arms were now covered with her father''s blood and then laughters errupted in the entire house. Elle took all her remaining strength to curse and scream against those persons who were enjoying the tragic scene of father and daughter in front of them. Remembering those unpleasant memories, Elle let out a frightened cry and burried her face into her hands. Erick was able to see every reaction of Elle. Seeing her like this it seemed like his heart was being squeezed. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to ease the pain she was feeling right now. His expression darkened. He was in rage as he clenched his fist. Who the hell did this to her? Did she remember anything? What happened to her to have this terrible nightmare? He couldn''t take it anymore. He pulled her into his embrace. He wanted her to feel that she was not alone in this battle, that he was with her, willing to protect her no matter what. Erick was hugging her, tapping her back while he was letting her to cry. Elle was lost in that moment. She broke all her defense. At first, she wanted to push Erick and hide from him. She didn''t want him to see her terrible state, her weakness. All this time she acted to be strong but right now she couldn''t explain but she let this man see her in this state. She felt tired of acting so brave and now she acted vulnerable in front of him. It felt like she wanted to be comforted by him, and it was all she needed right now. His warmth, his scent and his gentleness were making her calm. They stayed in that position for a very long time. Erick was hugging and comforting her while she was leaning on his chest. She could hear the beating of his heart. It was like a music in her ear. Finally, her trembling heart calmed down. She was now more relaxed in his arms. Erick didn''t want to end this moment but he was afraid that he might not be able to control his self. His heart was beating like crazy right now. He could feel her warmth and her scent was starting to intoxicate his mind. When he noticed that Elle stopped crying and she calmed down already, he spoke up. "Elle do you want water? Wait... I will get it for you." he softly said to her. She just nodded in agreement. After one minute, Erick brought a glass of water. He gave it to Elle. She gladly accepted it and drank from it. "Are you okay now? How do you feel?" Erick asked her with a concerned and worried tone. "I am fine now. Thank you." Elle felt grateful to Erick. "Okay. Rest and go back to sleep now." Erick picked the glass from her and he assisted her to lie down. Erick was about to leave when Elle grabbed his hand. Erick stopped and he turned to look at her. "Erick...can you please stay with me for a while until I fell asleep?" Elle requested. After what she dreamed tonight, she was afraid that when she closed her eyes, memories would come flashing into her mind. She didn''t know where she got her courage to ask him this request. She knew that he was still mad at her so she didn''t know if he would agree. She wanted him to be around because for the first time after having those nightmares, she felt safe and protected with his presence. Meanwhile, Erick was stunned in a moment after hearing her request. Of course, he wanted to stay with her for a while but he didn''t expect her to willingly ask him to be with her. "Okay. Don''t be afraid. I wil guard you while you sleep." Erick softly said while he gave her a gentle smile. He grabbed a chair and put it beside her bed then he sat down. Elle gave him a confused look. ''When he said that he will guard me, did he really mean that he will sat down beside the bed and watch me until I fall asleep? It will just tiring him out.'' Elle sat up and signaled him to lie down in bed beside her. Erick was dumbfounded. Seeing him not moving in his spot Elle spoke up. "Erick don''t just sit there, you will eventually tiring yourself out. Come here, lie beside me." Erick gave her a puzzled look. "Did she really meant what she just said? She wants me to lie with her in the same bed. Erick gave her an Are-You-Sure look. Seeing his hesitation, Elle became impatient so she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bed. "Don''t worry Mr. Detective, I won''t do anything to you so just lie down here and relaxed." Elle lips curled into smile. Erick:"....." Erick was speechless. ''Hey Miss Beautiful don''t tease me like that. I am not afraid of you doing something to me but I am more afraid of myself, doing something to you.'' He wanted to say that to her that moment but he just kept it in his mind. In the end, both of them lie down in bed together. Later on, They both fell asleep while Elle was leaning on his chest and Erick was embracing her. Elle''s nightmares didn''t come again. They both had a peaceful night sleeping together in one room and in one bed for the very first time. Chapter 62 - 62: His Revenge Sunlight shines and peeked through the windows. The curtains added an orange glow to the morning light. A new day began. He felt a little of those golden rays soaked into his skin. Erick was awakened. Seeing the person by his side, he breathed in deeply. A sleeping beauty greeted his sight. Elle was sound asleep lying on his arms. A gentle smile appeared on his handsome face. He stared at her intently, observing her silently with his deep dark brown eyes. He had the urge to touch every part of her face...her perfect arched eyebrows, her eyes with dark long eye lashes, her soft fair cheeks, her cute pointed nose, and her delicate kissable red lips. However, he stopped himself from doing it, afraid that he might awaken her. Even though he wanted to stay in the bed, feeling her warmth but he needed to get up now. He slowly lifted her head to slide his arm out without waking her up. He fixed the blanket covering her. Then he walked towards the bathroom. He could still smell her faint scent in his body. He sighed deeply. "I think you''re driving me crazy Elle. You made me feel many emotions in just one night." Erick stepped into the shower. His mind was in shreds. He never get that picture of Elle out of his mind. He turned on the shower releasing thousands of cold drops, dampening his hair and trickled down his back. His eyes fell closed, reliving the moment over and over. He really needed this cold shower right now to stop the burning fire within him. He made a promise to himself. He will protect her from any harm. He wouldn''t let her experience again that pain he saw last night. He will do his best and make her happy. ____________________________________________ After 30 minutes of staying at the cold shower, Erick got out from the bathroom. He was now wearing his detective''s uniform. This time, Elle was already awake. She sat up on the bedside then she averted her gaze to Erick. Erick met her eyes. Elle felt embarrass about what happened last night. She looked down to hide her reddened face. Erick lips curled to a smile seeing her. "Good morning Elle! How do you feel?" Erick greeted her. "Good morning too. I am fine." She simply said. "I am glad to hear that. I have to go to work now. I leave you with my parents okay. If you need something don''t hesitate to call me." Erick said softly. Erick was about to leave the room when Elle suddenly called him. "Erick wait!" Erick automatically stopped on his track. He turned around and waited for Elle to speak up. "Thank you about last night....and I also want to apologize to you sincerely. I didn''t ask your opinion. I didn''t inform you about your parents'' sudden arrival." Elle started to explain her side. Erick stayed silent and just listened to her attentively. He wanted to know her reasons. "I was also shocked with their sudden appearance. Your mother asked me some questions then suddenly she hugged me and mistook me as your girlfriend." "I was caught off guard. I didn''t know what to do. I also wanted to correct her wrong assumption but I saw how happy she was that time. I didn''t know how to tell them the truth that I was just staying with you because you save me and someone wanted my life." Elle continued her explanation. "I also thought that it was not necessary for them to know about my situation. I don''t want to be involved in this. What if their life will also be in danger if they knew about me? I wouldn''t let that happen to your parents, beside they are your parents, the parents of the person who save me." "So for the time being, I decided to pretend to be your girlfriend, besides once I leave we could just tell them that we broke up. I am sorry if I didn''t consider your feelings. We can tell them the truth right now if you felt uncomfortable with our situation." Elle said to him while looking down. There was silence after that. Elle couldn''t look at him straight in the eyes. She felt so guilty. She regretted it now. Erick was always considerate and kind with her. Why did she think of playing him around? Erick walked towards her. He lifted up her chin so that he could see her eyes. Elle was startled with his sudden act. They were now facing each other. Elle''s heart started to beat so fast. Erick was now intently looking at her with a gentle gaze. "Alright! I forgive you. I am just waiting for your explanation besides I am not mad at you anymore." a sweet smile flashed in his handsome face that melted her heart. She unconsciously bit her lips again. Elle was dumbfounded. ''Damn, he is really gorgeous with his sweet killer smile!'' Erick grabbed that opportunity when Elle was lost in her thoughts. He quickly kissed her in her right cheeks. This action made Elle froze like a statue in her spot. It was a sneak attack from the detective. She was not prepared. "So please don''t disappoint my parents and just continue to be a loving and faithful girlfriend to me My Love." Erick said to her emphasizing every words he says. He gave her a meaningful look. He turned around with a triumpant smile on his face. A playful smirk appeared on his face. He was rejoicing inside. He just did what he was dying to do to her since last night and this morning. She made a wrong move biting her lips in front of him. He lost his control when he saw that. Too bad, it was just a smack kiss on her cheek. Of course, he doesn''t want to scare her. He left the room just like that and Elle was left speechless. Her eyes widened from shock and disbelief. "What the hell just happened a while ago?" She grabbed her pillow and buried her face on it. Her heart was pounding like crazy from within and her face flushed, as red as a tomato. "Damn you Detective Erick Lee!" And just like that....Erick got his revenge on her...his sweet revenge! Chapter 63 - 63: The Hideout Today was the time when Special Task Force Eagles and Team Alpha Cinco would visit the address of rumored hideout of Catseye base on the intel that Marie got during her undercover in the underground world. They were divided into two team, 1 van was for the forensic experts and 1 van was for the members of joint forces of Eagles and Alpha. While on the way, Bryan didn''t leave Erick alone. He pestered him all throughout the journey, asking about Elle and him. Before they left the headquarter he made sure to sit beside Erick. "Chief Lee, how are you? Did you talk to Elle? Have you reconcile already?" Bryan asked Erick in a tone that only both of them could hear. Bryan had observed that Erick was really in a good mood today unlike yesterday. He wondered if Elle and Erick already made up. "Why do we need to reconcile? We didn''t fight in the first place?" Erick replied to him. Bryan stared at him with a doubtful look. ''Weh, he is saying that they didn''t fight... then what''s with his serious face last night while saying to Elle "So this time you are pulling a prank on me and my parents? Hmmp Liar!'' Bryan mumbled to himself while raising his right brows. "What did you say?" Erick asked him as he noticed that Bryan was mumbling something. "Nothing Chief! hehe I said that you look so handsome today. You are emitting a positive vibes." Bryan lied and just gave him a force smile. Bryan still couldn''t believe him. Erick let out a chuckle and just shook his head. Bryan was using his sweet talking skills again. ''See.... I think they already reconciled. He is back to his normal self. Tsk Tsk... I should commend Elle for that.'' Bryan thought to himself. "Ahem, By the way Chief, how will you deal with your parents. Are you going to tell them the truth between you and Elle true relationship. You looked unhappy last night because Elle pretended to be your girlfriend." Bryan just whispered to him, making sure that other''s couldn''t hear them. Luckily they were seating at the back. Erick paused upon hearing that sudden question from Bryan. He really loved to gossips. "Nope. We will continue to pretend. It is better this way. I respect Elle''s decision. She doesn''t want my parents to know her situation and she thought it will be safer for them not to be involved in her personal problem." Erick said to him honestly. "Hmm, Okay! I understand." Then Bryan suddenly gave him a meaningful smile. "Why are you smiling foolishly like that?" "Nothing Chief. I am just happy that finally you find an instant girlfriend. I wonder how both of you will act in front of your parents. I am afraid that they can see through your lies. Hahaha!" Bryan couldn''t help but laugh just imagining how awkward they would act in front of his parents. Erick just looked at him helplessly. Bryan really had a unique way of thinking. "Ahem... Let''s have a bet Chief Lee!" Erick gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean?" "I bet that Uncle Raymond and Aunt Sarah will able to find out that both of you are just pretending in just 5 days. hehehe" Bryan said to him with confidence. "Hmm is that what you think?" Bryan nodded vigorously while smiling at him. He was certain that he would win the bet if ever Erick accept it. Erick suddenly hit him on his head. "Ouch!" Bryan grunted. "Ok deal. Don''t regret it! I will not go easy on you. Remember, you are the one who provoke me first." a smirk appeared on Erick''s face. After one hour of travel, they arrived on Elle''s previous hideout. Sign that explosion happened was evident to the place. Windows shattered, pieces of glass and steel scattered on the place. A huge part of the wall had been taken out of the side and the roof of the house was in wrecked. They also saw bullets and daggers scattered on the place. There were aslo mark of blood stains which was already dried on the dirt and sand. Forensic experts already collected some blood samples. Marie, Carl, Jason, Erick and Bryan roamed around the area. They were careful and vigilant. Everyone was hoping that Catseye left behind trace evidence that can be used to identify her identity. They were looking for fingerprints, hairs and fibre, and other trace evidence. "Chief, what do you think happen here? Is Black Shadow wanted Catseye dead so they blasted this place?" "I am not sure. But seeing this, I can say that those daggers and bullets were aimed towards the intruders. Catseye installed a sophisticated security system to her place." Erick said as he analyzed every details that he could see right now. Erick and Bryan were now inside the ruined house, checking everything when Erick noticed a secret passage under the floor. They tried to open it and they succeeded. "Wow, there is an underground secret bas.e.m.e.nt!" Bryan gasped in surprise. " Marie...Carl! Captain Jason! Come here! You need to see this!" Bryan called for them. Marie, Jason and Carl came rushing as they heard Bryan. The five of them went inside the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. But to their disappointment, the room was already empty. "We are too late. We can just hope that our forensic team can find something." Captain Jason said while feeling frustrated. "Catseye....she is really something. I think Catseye was the one who set the bomb to explode. We also brought here one bomb expert. He was now checking what kind of bomb caused explosion here." Marie said to them. "Tell the forensic team to come here, they might also find something here like Catseye''s hair and fingerprints, or anything useful in tracing her using her DNA samples." Captain Jason ordered Carl. Erick was silently observing the whole room. He was in a deep thought. Seeing Catseye hideout, he could analyze something regarding Catseye ways of thinking and how she worked. Suddenly, Erick got a phone call. It was from his mother. "Hello Mom?" Erick said as he answered the phone. A few seconds, Erick''s frown. "Mom...calm down. I can''t understand what you are saying. " Erick was now looked confused. "Hostage?? What do you mean Mom? Calm down first and speak clearly. What''s wrong?" Erick started to feel nervous. Jason, Marie and Bryan were now staring at Erick. Their attention was caught when Erick said the word Hostage. Then after a while, series of emotions appeared on Erick''s expressions. He asked the person on the other line "Where are you right now Mom?" Then suddenly, without wasting any more time, Erick came out rushing from the bas.e.m.e.nt with a dark serious expression from his face. Erick left in hurry without saying where he is going. The three people were puzzled what was happening. It seemed that it was something bad and really serious. That was the first time for Marie and Jason seeing Erick with those expression. Then they heard a screeching sound of car which was leaving the place in a full speed. Chapter 64 - 64: Hostage An hour ago... Sarah invited Elle to stroll around the city Z downtown. She wanted to spend time with her and have a girls bonding. Elle gladly accepted her invitation and they roamed around the City Z. After they got tired from walking around the city''s downtown, they decided to stop by in one of the nearby restaurant. They were now sitting inside the restaurant having their lunch. "Elle I am really happy to meet you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have a bonding moment with you today. Did you still feel uncomfortable with me?" Sarah softly asked her. "It''s ok Mrs Lee. It''s also my pleasure." Elle said to her with a smile. She didn''t expect that she would also enjoy her company. Sarah was very sweet and considerate like Erick. "Hmm, Don''t call me that. I preferred if you will call me Mom. You can call me Mom!" Sarah requested her. Elle paused upon hearing that. It was really a long time since she used the word Mom. Seeing her hesitation, Sarah spoke up again. "Elle I will be mad at you if you don''t call me mom! Before, I really want to have a daughter but unfortunately it didn''t happen. I only have one son. And now that you are here, you can fulfill my dream of having a daughter." "Even though it is not yet official since you and Erick are not yet married but I really want you to call me Mom right now! Can you do that Elle? Please?" Sarah was trying to convince her. In the end Elle just gave in with her request. "Okay Mom." She said and smiled at her awkwardly. Hearing that, Sarah was now satisfied. "Darling what did you like about my son? Aside from his good looks." Sarah asked her directly. Elle:"....." ''Eh? Am I being interrogated again?'' Sarah was staring at her waiting for her response. She looked so interested. "He is very kind and caring. As you know Mom, any girls would really like him. Until now many girls are admiring him so it does not impossible to fall for him also." Elle simply said. Sarah giggled after hearing that. "Does it bother you that some girls admire him? Are you jealous?" "No. What I mean is you don''t have to worry about him being single, he could easily find someone who will like him." Sarah frown "Hmm, Why are you saying that Elle? Are you planning to leave my son? You sound like you didn''t see yourself living with him as husband and wife." ''Crap. I think I answered wrong. But she is right, I didn''t see myself married to him or to someone else. Things like that never cross my mind. Besides Erick and I are just pretending.'' she thought to herself. "Sorry to say that Mom. We can''t really say what will happen in the future. I just thought that as of now we have our own priorities and we haven''t reach that level yet." She smiled at her apologetically. ''Besides I think it is really impossible for us. I am an assassin and he is a detective.'' Sarah smiled at her honesty. "I understand my Darling. Hmmm but I will really scold him if he will let you slip away. I really like you for my son. And I could feel that my son really cared about you." After their lunch, they decided to go in a boutique shop. Sarah wanted to buy her something. She noticed that Elle was really simple and she didn''t wear any accessories. If Elle learned about her intention, she would really stopped her from going inside the Boutique. They were currently checking the items inside the shop when a commotion happened. A man holding a gun suddenly entered the Boutique frightening the customers and the clerks inside. The man shouted at them "Don''t move, if you don''t want me to shoot you!" Everyone inside was frightened and in panic except one person. It was Elle. She was just standing there frowning while looking at the man with a gun. She turned to Sarah who froze on her spot looking so shock and frighten. "Mom, calm down. Don''t worry I am here. I won''t let anything happen to you." Elle assured her. Sarah held her arms and nodded. The man locked the door of the boutique store. And he turned to the people inside. There were a total of 10 persons, 1 cashier, 3 sales clerk and 6 female customer including Sarah and Elle. After a while, a siren of police cars could be heard from the outside. The man became restless hearing the arrival of the police. He was trying to escape from them. Just a while ago, police officers caught him during the buy bust operation. He was selling illegal drugs. Luckily he was able to escape and now he was here inside a boutique and had taken 10 persons as hostage. He would used them to negotiate for his freedom from the police. "All of you, gather together and drop to the floor!" He ordered them. Afraid that he would do something, everyone complied. All the hostage were now sitting together on the side. Some of them were crying. "Are we going to die?" the clerk asked them "Huhu, my family...what will happen to my family if I die today. I am the only bread winner in the family." another clerk mumbled as she cried. "Can you shut up! Or else I will shoot you!" The man shouted at them. He was now nervous since the police already arrived and he felt uncomfortable with their cries and noises. On the outside, police officers already set up inner perimeter around the area where only police and tactical persons were authorized to go. "What the situation here?" Officer Kim asked the team. "The criminal that we are pursuing a while ago entered that boutique shop. According to our witness, there were people insides who were held captive by him." one police reported. "Is our negotiator arrived?" "He will be here in 15 minutes." "Okay. We need to act wisely. There were civilians there. Saving them is our priorities." Officer Kim said. Inside the boutique, Elle was leisurely observing every thing. A smirk appeard on her face. ''He is afraid of the police but he didn''t know that someone who is more frightening than the police was here inside.'' Elle shook her head. Then she turned to Sarah. ''I need to get her out here first before giving this criminal a lesson that he deserves.He dares to hostage a devil like me. Then I will show him the true fear.'' The criminal was now walking back and forth. As time went by he became more restless and impatient. "It''s been a while but police didn''t send someone to talk to me. Do they not want to negotiate with your lives? Haha I think I should show them how serious I am." he said to his hostages that made them more frightened. Then he pointed his gun at one of his hostage. It was Sarah. Elle''s expression darken. She really had the urge to kill this man, right here and right now. "Wait!" Elle stood up and she went to front to hide Sarah from the man''s line of sight. The man was stunned in a moment when he saw Elle''s beautiful face looking at him seriously. He didn''t notice this beauty since his thought was occupied by the police. "I didn''t tell you to stand up. Do you want me to give you a lesson so that you will listen to me?" The man said to her with a mocking smile. He walked towards her. Sarah''s eyes widened. She held Elle''s hand and she pulled her "Darling Elle, please sit down, don''t provoke him." Elle gave her an assuring look. "Don''t worry mom I can handle this." The man was now standing in front of Elle. "Are you not afraid of me Miss?" The man said while grinning at her. "Of course, I am afraid of you but I need to protect my mother against you." Elle simply said. She already came up with a plan how to handle this guy. "Oh, so she''s your mother." He pointed again his gun towards Sarah''s direction. Elle clenched her fist. She was almost lossing her control. ''Do that again or else you will regret meeting me today.'' "Release my mother. I will do anything for you." Elle started to negotiate with him. The man eyes brightened "Give me a good reason that will benefit me from releasing your mother." "I said I will do anything you want. Second, you can use her to communicate with the police. She will convince them to cooperate with you to save us here especially I am still here, her daughter." Elle said. "Elle don''t say that. I won''t leave you here alone." Sarah objected with her idea. Elle frown ''Don''t make the situation difficult for me. I can''t move freely if you are here.'' she thought to herself. The man sinister laugh echoed in the room. "I agree with your suggestion. But you need to convince your mother first. I will give you 3 minutes to talk with each other." "Mom listen to me. You need to get out here ok?" Elle was trying to convince her. "No, I can''t." she said stubbornly. "Mom, think of Erick. He will be worried about you." "That''s also one of the reason I can''t leave you here alone. He will also be worried about you." "Mom it is better if one of us will be safe. Please trust me. I can handle this. You are the most precious person for Erick, I will not let him suffered if something happened to you. I will blame myself if I didn''t do something." "But..." Sarah was about to say something however Elle cut her off. "Mom, just do it please. The police will save us. Convince them. Our lives are in your hands. Please do this for us." Sarah turned to look at other hostages, fear and panic were evident to their faces. In the end, Sarah agreed on her request. Elle felt relieved after that. After a while, Sarah left the boutique. The police ran towards her immediately. "Please officers, save my daughter! She is still there." Sarah pleaded to them while crying. "How many people are being captive?" Officer Kim asked her. "9 persons, my daughter, 3 clerks, 1 cashier and 4 female customers. The man said if you will not negotiate with him, after 5 minutes he will kill one of the hostages." "Don''t worry Ma''am, we will do our best. Our negotiator just arrived. Sorry for keeping you wait." Officer Kim assured her. Sarah nodded. After that, Sarah immediately called Erick to inform him what was happening right now. She was now really worried about Elle. Chapter 65 - 65: Provoking a Devil The negotiation started. The man asked them 50 million in exchange for the hostages. Erick just arrived in the place. Some police stopped him from entering the perimeter they thought he was a civilian. "I am Detective Lee, please let me talk to the officer in charge." Erick showed him his I.D. They shocked seeing the famous detective so they let him entered. He saw her mother beside police officer Kim. He ran towards them. His mother hugged him as soon as she saw him. She burst into cry. "Erick, Elle was still there." Erick tapped her back trying to comfort his mom. "Don''t worry Mom. I will not let anything happen to her. We will save her." Erick said to her softly with a serious tone. Officer Kim was surprised seeing Detective Lee. He didn''t know that one of the hostages was his mother. He was relieved that she was safe now. Officer Kim and Detective Lee greeted each other with a nod. "What happened mom?" Erick asked her. Sarah told him everything from what they did before and how they ended up in the boutique. "Elle negotiated with the hostage taker to release me. She promised to him that she will do anything for him. Son, I am worried about her. What if the man do something bad to her? Erick frown and a gloomy expression appeared on his face. He felt relieved that her mother was already safe right now but he was now worried-sick about Elle. Meanwhile...inside the boutique, the man ordered Elle to tie the hands and feet of the other hostages. Elle followed his order. The man was now leisurely sitting on a couch watching Elle doing his order. He was enjoying it. He was observing Elle with his eyes full of l.u.s.t. ''Today is my lucky day. I will get 50 million, then escape here unscath. And her.... hmm I think it is not a waste to have a taste of her.'' he thought to himself. Elle already done and now standing in front of the other hostages. The man suddenly stood up and hugged her from behind. Elle gritted her teeth from that sudden contact. "Very good babe. Hmm now do my second order." He said to Elle. He was still holding his gun. He smelled the hair of Elle from the back. The other hostages were shocked. In their thoughts they pity Elle. Elle reminded herself that it was not yet time to move. There were still many witnesses looking at them. "What do you want this time?" Elle asked him. The man let out a chuckle. "I want you! Right here and right now!" he whispered to Elle''s ear. Elle''s eyes darken with a murderous glare coming from her. A sinister smile appeared on her face. The hostages froze on their spot seeing those eyes and that smile from her. The man didn''t know that he was running out of luck, provoking the devil in front of him. Death was now knocking on his door right now. He was still thinking about how exciting it is having s*x with a beautiful lady while the police were just waiting outside trying to catch him. He couldn''t control it anymore. He was now aroused just thinking about that. He started to move his hand to explore Elle''s body but she grabbed his hand and stopped it immediately. The man frown. He was about to get angry when Elle spoke up. "Wait. This is my first time. Can we do it privately? Since I promise you that I will do anything for you I am willing to do it but I can''t do it with people looking at us." she pretended to be shy. The man laughter reverberated in the entire boutique after that. The other hostages were speechless. "Okay. Your wish is my command. Let''s move to the place where they couldn''t see us." Since he believed that Elle was just a weak woman he didn''t suspect her anything. "All of you, behave! Don''t do anything. It will be quick so don''t plan on escaping. If I catch you, I will shoot you on the spot." The man warned the other hostages. They just nodded in agreement. Soon, He and Elle walked towards the fitting room. A light flashed on Elle''s eyes. The two of them were now alone inside the fitting room. She could do anything to him right now. She also didn''t see any CCTV camera inside. The man pointed the gun at her. "Now remove your clothes Babe! I want to see your everything. I promise I will give you your most memorable first time." He ordered with full of excitement and l.u.s.t. Elle flashed her sweet evil smile. Then she suddenly grabbed his hands and twisted it causing him to drop the gun. She was able to snatch the gun from him. The man grunted from the pain. He was caught off guard. Everything happened in a split of seconds. Elle acted so fast. Elle now pointed the gun at him. The man was shocked. "Who are you?" he mumbled. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing right now. The girl in front of him was like a new person. She has a murderous aura. She was glaring at him with a cold sharp stare. "You just provoke a devil!" she smiled cunningly. The man shivered from fear. Elle kicked his most sensitive part. The man collapsed, suffering from a great pain. It was a strong kick from Elle. "That was for touching me." He kicked him again five times in his abdomen. The man whimpered in pain. "Please stop!" "That was for pointing a gun at my mother." Elle shook her head. She didn''t want to waste any more time with this guy. She hitted his head with the gun causing him to be unconscious. She dropped the gun. The man was now lying there unconscious. Elle bent down and stared at the man with a cunning smile appeared on her face. ''Time for payback Mr. worthless guy!'' She was about to twist his neck in order to kill him when she heard a loud thud from behind, the door of the fitting room was broken from the strong kick of the man who just entered. It was Erick. Elle''s eyes widened from shock ''Sh**t, what is he doing here?!'' Erick was now looking at her direction with a dark expression. He looked like he was ready to kill someone anytine. ''Damn, did he caught me trying to kill this man?'' Panic appeared on her beautiful face. ''Elle do something! Think of something to escape this!'' Elle stood up immediately and run towards Erick. She thrown herself to him and suddenly hugged him, so tight. Erick''s frightening expression a while ago slowly disappeared and came back to normal upon feeling her warmth from her sudden embrace. He smelled her familiar scent that caused him to calm down. He glanced at the man lying on the floor. His fist clenched, he wanted to beat him to death right now. His anger came back when he remembered what the other hostages told him a while ago. Erick saw the opportunity to enter the boutique without the man''s knowing. He couldn''t wait outside doing nothing. When he successfully entered the boutique secretly, he didn''t see the man. He saw the other hostages sitting on the side while they hands and feet were tied. He slowly approached them. He frown when he didn''t see Elle among them. The girls saw him. Their eyes brightened with admiration upon seeing a handsome man trying to rescue them. He signaled them to stay quiet. "Where is the man who hostage you? And where is Elle?" he asked them. As if they understood who was the girl he was looking, someone spoke up. "They went to the fitting room. I think the man was planning to do something with her. I am afraid she is about to get **** by that criminal." Erick was dumbstruck upon hearing that but he quickly recovered. Series of emotions flashed on his handsome face, panic, worries, anger, and rage. It seemed that all his rationality left him. He quickly dashed toward the fitting room without thinking the consequence of acting rashly. Right now, he wanted to hurt the man in front of him. He was about to walk towards the man when Elle stopped him. He forgot that Elle was still hugging him. He looked down towards her. Elle was hugging him so tight. Her face was burried on his chest. Elle spoke up. "Erick...please let''s leave here. I am afraid!" Erick realized something after hearing that. His rationality came back to him. He glanced at the girl in front of him with a gentle look in his eyes. "Alright, don''t be afraid. I am here. I will not let anything happen to you." Erick comforted her. Elle felt relieved after that. ''It seemed like he didn''t suspect me of anything. I need to act so vulnerable right now. Haizt,, too bad I was not able to kill that man! He''s lucky that Erick came. If not, he will be dead right now.'' Elle sighed with frustration. Unknown to her, if she didn''t stop Erick, he will be the one beating that man to his death. Chapter 66 - 67: A Little Bit Brutal The police officers entered the boutique after they got the go signal of Erick. He informed them that the criminal had been apprehended. Some of them released the other hostages from being tied down. Officer Kim and others went to the fitting room to arrest the unconscious suspect. Elle and Erick were also there and they were just about to leave. Officer Kim was surprised seeing Elle there. Now he understood why Erick convinced them to let him infiltrate the boutique secretly. Aside from his mother and other hostages, Elle was one of the reason that explained Erick''s action a while ago. Erick and Elle were about to go out when the other hostages ran towards them. Elle frown seeing their faces with full excitement and admiration. Each one of them spoke up to Erick, hoping to get his attention. "Officer thank you for saving us!" "We are indebted to you. Tell us how can we pay you in return." "We really like to thank our savior!" The other police officers shook their head. The atmosphere here become livelier, it seemed like that the hostage taking situation didn''t happen. It''s like fans meeting their idol. "Detective Lee is really famous with girls." one of the police officer commented while observing those girls surrounding Erick. Erick just smiled awkwardly at those ladies. "Actually, I didn''t do anything. She was the one who save you. She knocked down the suspect by herself." The girls turned to look at Elle. She just gave them a cold stare. They were speechless. "She is more frightening than the man who take us as hostage." one girl whispered. Others nodded in agreement. "But police officer, may we know your name?" Someone asked Erick again. "Yeah, can we have your number also, so that if there is emergency and something like this happened we can ask you for help." Elle was becoming impatient. ''Duh, these girls are shameless! Asking for personal number? They could just dial 911 emergency number.'' Erick was about to say something when Elle spoke up. "Just call 911" she said to them with a serious tone. The girls became speechless again. Erick looked at her and he noticed that Elle was staring at him with her eyebrows raised as if telling him ''are you going to stay here and entertain them or are you leaving with me right now and meet your mother outside who is waiting for us?'' As if, he understood what she meant by that look Erick just smiled at her apologetically and he just bowed his head to the ladies as acknowledgement to their gratitudes. "Let''s go, I think Mom is waiting for us." he said at her while smiling sheepishly. Then he grabbed Elle''s shoulder and guided her outside the boutique. The ladies just look at their retreating back feeling so envious. "She is lucky. Are they couple?" "Maybe, you saw how worried he was a while ago and his action when he is trying to save her. He came to save her." They sounded frustrated. When Elle and Erick got out from the boutique, Sarah came running to them as soon as she saw them. She hugged Elle immediately. "Elle my darling, how are you? Did he hurt you? Did he do something to you?" Sarah bombarded her with questions. "I''m okay mom. I was able to protect my self. I told you don''t have to worry about me besides Erick came to save me." Elle softly said to her. Erick was dumbfounded when he heard that Elle called his mother Mom. They were getting along really well. "Thanks God your safe. I am really worried about you. I regretted leaving you there alone." Elle could feel her warmth and gentleness. She really sounded like a mom worrying about her daughter. Elle was grateful for that. After a while, the suspect was being carried to the ambulance. He was still unconscious. Officer Kim and some police officers walked towards Elle. "Miss can we talk to you for just a few minutes. We would like to get your statement as witness in this hostage taking situation and regarding the suspect. Are you okay with that?" the police officer beside officer Kim said to her. Erick and Officer Kim were looking at her waiting for her response. If she was uncomfortable to talk right now, they would not force her to talk right now. "Ok sir." Elle said to the police officer. Elle told him everything about what happened from the start. Of course she omitted some truth and twisted her statement how the man was beaten by her inside the fitting room. "I used the safety torch with shock effect that Erick gave to me that''s why I was able to knock him down." Elle said confidently. She was really sounded convincing. Erick, Officer Kim and Officer Kim were just nodding and listening to her. "Is that only what you did?" The officer asked her again trying to confirm something. Elle paused for a while. Observing their reactions. Then suddenly she smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I did something more to him." Erick, Officer Kim and the other police officer were now very focused on her, waiting for her answer. "I gave him a very hard kick on his balls and five kicks on his abdomen. And I hit his head using the gun. Just want to make sure that he won''t be able to stand up besides I am really nervous and frighten that time so I do that by impulse. He deserves it." She giggled after saying those things. Erick:"....." Officer Kim:"...." Police officer:"...." They were all dumbfounded upon hearing Elle''s statement. They didn''t think that she was brave enough and a little bit brutal, assaulting and beating an unconscious man. They imagined how painful it was luckily he was already unconscious. Well, that''s what they thought but they were mistaken. Erick smiled at her feeling so proud. ''Ahem, very good. That''s my girl. He really deserves it.'' Erick thought to himself. The officer thanked her for her cooperation before leaving them. Erick noticed that Bryan and Captain Jason had so many miscalls. He was not able to answer their calls. He tapped his forehead "Crap, I forgot to tell them about the situation. I even used our service coming here." He looked really guilty right now. He turned to look at her mother and Elle who were having a conversation. "I couldn''t leave them right now after what happen." Erick mumbled. Then a light flashed on his eyes when he saw Officer Kim. He approached him. "Officer Kim.... can I ask you a favor?" Erick smiled at him sheepishly while scratching his head. Officer Kim gave him a confused look and then he chuckled. "What is it? Just tell me, no need to be embarrassed." "I can''t leave my Mother and Elle right now. Can you fetch Captain Jason and the rest using that van? I left them a while ago without informing them about the situation." Erick pointed the location of van that he used when he drove to this place. Officer Kim was astonished upon hearing him. "Did you leave them during your field investigation without asking permission? You hurriedly drove to this place upon hearing the news?" Erick just nodded at him. Officer Kim shook his head feeling amused. ''Detective Lee was also capable of doing action rashly. I didn''t think that he could be aggressive sometimes.'' In the end, he agreed on his request. Chapter 67 - 67: Birthday Erick didn''t returned to work that day. He choose to stay with the two woman and they went back home. His father was shocked upon hearing what happened to them. He was a little bit upset that no one informed him. His mother was now busy pacifying his father. Erick and Elle were left alone together in the living room. "How do you feel right now?" Erick want to make sure if she was really fine and she didn''t get trauma because of the incident. "I am fine now." "Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?"Erick asked her with concern. "Before he could do something to me. I was able to protect my self. Thanks to the items you gave me for protection." She smiled at him Erick sighed with relief. "Thank you for protecting my mother." "No need to thank me. I know she is very important to you. I just want to return the favor by saving her. I will never forgive myself if something happen to her and I did nothing to protect her." "But I will blame myself also if something happened to you. You almost get assaulted and abused by that man." Erick clenched his teeth from that thought. ''I will kill him first before he can do that.'' she thought to herself. "Don''t worry, I will not let that happen. He needs to kill me first before he can do that." Elle smiled at him meaningfully. Erick''s expression changed after hearing that. He became quiet and serious. Hearing no response at him, Elle stood up and was about to go to the kitchen to get some drinks when she felt that Erick grabbed her hand. He was now also standing beside her. She was about to ask him when he suddenly pulled her towards him and engulfed her into his embrace. Elle was stunned in a moment for that sudden action from him. Elle was confused. "Erick what are you doing?" she asked him and she was about to push him when he hugged her tightly. "Shhh! Don''t struggle, just stay like this for a while. Mom and Dad are looking at us. I am just comforting my beloved girlfriend who had just encountered a very traumatic experience." Erick whispered to her. It sounded seductive. Elle was dumbfounded. She didn''t know if his mother and father were really looking at them now. Her face was burried on his chest. In the end, she just complied and didn''t struggle. Erick lips curled into smile when he felt that Elle stayed still and hugged him back. ____________________________________________ On the next day, everything went back to normal. Erick came to work and he had so much explaining to do. He thought that his colleagues would never let it pass without being interrogated especially by Bryan. He told them what happened yesterday. He just didn''t mention Elle since only Bryan knew her. His colleagues understood his situation since his mother was involved in the incident so they never asked him further besides they were busy talking about Rose'' Birthday. Everyone greeted Rose. "Guys make sure to come at XGEN Restaurant at around 7:00 pm. I already rented some spaces exclusive for us." Rose said to them. "Are we going to go straight at the restaurant after work?" Bryan asked them "I will bring my wife. hehe so I need to pick her up before going there." June said. "How about you Chief?" Bryan said "Why don''t you bring your parents Chief. It has been a long time since we last saw them." April suggested "Okay. I will ask them." Erick replied. "How about Elle?" Bryan whispered to him. "I am not sure. I''ll try but It depends on her." Erick simply replied. "I don''t think she would come." Bryan commented. "Why?" Erick asked him. "She was aloof. She doesn''t want to interact sometimes. hehe She will refuse your invitation." Bryan teased him. Erick pinched him on his side. "Ouch. Chief!" Bryan complained. Erick just gave him a warning look. "Don''t forget to bring your gifts Hehe" Rose reminded them. "Aye Ma''am!" ____________________________________________ It was already 6:00 pm in the evening and the duty hours ended. The birthday celebrant and April left already for the preparations and make over. "Chief are you coming with me?" Bryan asked him. "Nope, I need to buy gift first. You go ahead." Erick said and Bryan just nodded before he left. Erick decided to call at home. His mother answered it. "Mom, today is Rose Birthday, we will be having a small gatherings at XGEN Restaurant. She also wanted to invite you. Are you and father would like to come?" Erick informed his mother. "Why are you inviting us instead of Elle? Don''t tell me, you didn''t introduce her yet to your friends?" Sarah asked him in disbelief. Erick was speechless. He didn''t know how to answer her question. "Hmm son, be honest with me. Are you not serious about Elle? Why are you hiding her from your friends? At first, you didn''t also inform us about her. Are you two timing?" His mother was now suspecting him and she sounded upset. Erick''s eyes widened. ''Don''t judge me Mom. It is not what you think. It was just a misunderstanding.'' Erick scatched his head. "Mom, don''t jump into conclusion. I am not like that. Besides Bryan already knew her. I am also planning to invite her tonight and introduce her to others but I am afraid she will refuse me. Mom can you help me convince her?" Erick asked his mother a favor since he was not sure if Elle would like to come with him or not. He also said that in order to stop his mother for being suspicious. Sarah smiled widely upon hearing that. "Okay Son, just leave it to your mother. I will make sure that you will have a date tonight when you attend that birthday party. You should be proud that you have a very beautiful girlfriend like Elle. Many will get envious of you." Sarah said to him with excitement while feeling proud. Erick chuckled upon hearing that. His mother was really fond of Elle and she was very supported with them. Erick shook his head and sighed deeply ''Too bad, we are just pretending.'' "Okay Mom. I will be home after 30 minutes. Tell her I will pick her up. Are you coming with us?" Erick asked her. "No Son, just enjoy the night with Elle and with your friends. Your father and I will also have a dinner date. Just greet Rose for us and send to her our regards." Sarah refused his invitation. After the call, Sarah looked for Elle immediately. She was in the kitchen helping Reymond with the cooking. "Elle darling! Come here, I have something to tell you." Sarah said as soon as she saw Elle. Elle walked towards her. "What is it Mom?" Sarah grabbed her shoulders and pushed her towards Erick''s room. "Go take a quick shower first. I will prepare your dress." Elle gave her a questioning look. "Go darling. I will explain everything to you after!" Sarah pushed her directly to the bathroom. She closed it without waiting for her response. ''Why am I starting to get nervous? Erick''s Mother is acting weird. What is this all about?'' But in the end, Elle just did what Sarah told her. Sara was now scanning her closets. Her eyes brightened when she saw a dress that would be suited to Elle''s image. Sarah was very excited tonight. She wanted to do a make over for Elle. When Elle got out of the bathroom wearing a robe, Sarah quickly pulled her towards the mirror. "Elle just sit back and relax. Let your mother do your make over tonight!" Sarah said to her while smiling widely. Elle was dumbfounded. ''What the hell is happening here?'' Sarah let out a chuckle upon seeing Elle''s confused expression. "Elle, you will attend a birthday party tonight with Erick. You will gonna meet his friends and colleagues." Elle:"...." ''Why am I not informed ahead? Damn, I didn''t remember when did I agree to attend this party?'' Elle frown at the thought. However, she just kept it inside all her protests and complaints. After 30 minutes, the two woman were done with their make over. Erick also arrived just on time. When he entered the house, his mother welcomed him full of enthusiasm. "Finally, you are home!" Erick smiled at her. Sarah pulled him quickly to the living where Elle was waiting for him. Erick stopped on his track when he saw Elle who was now standing just a meter away from him. Erick was astonished seeing the beauty in front of him. Elle was wearing a plain casual off shoulder dress which is two inches above her knee. It was pure as white as her innocence. The dress really fitted her. It was tight enough to emphasize her s.e.xy figures. Her long dark hair was curled in a braided bun like a princess in Disney characters. Pearl earrings were fastened to her ears complementing her hairstyle. She wore a simple make up. The black eyeliner and mascara made her eyes looked more alluring. And her lips... her soft delicate lips was painted with a rosy pink lipstick that made it looked more kissable. She was simple but strikingly beautiful. It seemed like Erick forgot to breath. He was really mesmerized by the gorgeous lady in front of him. Elle''s looks tonight was really different. She was really feminine. Sarah was very satisfied with his son''s reaction. She giggled. She was excited for these two. Sarah coughed to awaken Erick from his deep stupor. Erick sensed it so he just looked down to hide his embarrassment. "Both of you should go now. You might be late. Don''t keep the celebrant wait for you!" Sarah said to them while laughing. Elle stared at Erick with a helpless look as if asking him ''Do I really need to go with you?'' Erick walked towards Elle and gave her a gentle smile. He extend his hand to her and Elle accepted it. They bade Sarah and Raymond a goodbye. When they were already outside the house, noticing her hesitation he leaned towards her and whispered "Don''t worry Princess. I got your back." And when she thought that he was done talking, she heard him say another words. "My love, you look so beautiful tonight." It was faint enough for her to hear and it sounded very seductive. Elle''s eyes widened. Her face automatically turned red and she felt goosebumps around her body. Erick saw her dumbfounded expression so he let out a soft chuckle. That made Elle glared at him and punched him on his side. Erick groaned from that punch. Chapter 68 - 68: Who is She? Everything was busy in XGEN Restaurant. Different departments and team under XXX Crime Investigation Office were presents. It was a lively occasion. The birthday celebrant was also there with her family greeting everyone. Her boyfriend was also present. "Thank you guys for coming tonight and celebrate this special day of our lovely colleague." It was April who served as the host for tonight. Cheering could be heard inside the restaurant. "We would like also to thank our superiors who are also with us tonight. Please give them the loudest cheers tonight." Laughter and cheers echoed inside accompanied by applauses. "Okay guys, let''s eat, let''s drink and enjoy the night! By the way, later we will sing a happy birthday song for our celebrant, so prepare your voices." Team Alpha Cinco and Special Task Force Eagles gathered in one table. Dr. Gomez was also there. He was also considered as part of the team since he was helping them on some cases related to medicines and autopsy reports. "Where is Erick?" Dr. Gomez asked Bryan "He is not here yet. He said he will buy gift first." he replied "Call him already." Rose ordered Bryan "Why should I?" Bryan complained. "You are his sidekick."April said that caused everyone to laugh. "Captain Jason, thank you for coming." Rose said to him. "Of course, we need to be here. It''s your birthday and besides this will be our first team dinner together." Jason said while other members of Eagles nodded in agreement. "Why Chief Lee is taking so long?" April asked. She kept on checking her time waiting for Erick. "Is he not coming?" Marie asked "Of course not, he promised that this time he would come. I will be upset at him if he doesn''t." Rose said. "Hmm there were lot of things happening with Detective Lee for past few days." Carl commented. " Yeah I agree. He also missed some of our team dinners and he always went home early." June said. "Hmm last time, he was always rushing to go somewhere without telling us. It seemed like there is always emergency happening." Carl said. "Ah, I remembered, last week he also asked me to track someone using a cellphone number. I wonder who is that person?" Rose shared to the group. Everyone was wondering then they focused their attention to Bryan. Sensing their strange gazes, Bryan spoke up. "Why are you looking at me like that?" "Ahem, tell us! What do you know?" They were pressuring Bryan to talk. "How would I know?" Bryan tried his best to avoid their question. "You are always with him. You even slept at his house right. I bet you know something that we don''t know." April emphasized her words. Everyone was waiting for Bryan''s replied. "I will tell Chief Lee you are talking behind his back.Hmmp" Bryan was now sweating. He didn''t know how long he could keep his mourh shut. Bryan was in the difficult situation when the person they were talking about arrived at the venue. "Oh! That''s Chief Lee!" Someone said that caught their attentions. They looked at the entrance. However the next scene that they saw made everyone silent and shock beyond belief. Chief Inspector Detective Erick Lee arrived and he was not alone. He was with a beautiful lady wearing white dress. They looked good together, a handsome man partnered with a gorgeous lady. All eyes were focused on them. Erick smiled at everyone as a greeting. Noticing the silence and strange gazes that people inside were giving them Elle stopped on her track. She pulled Erick arms and she tiptoed to whisper on him. "Why are they looking at us like that. It feels weird and awkward." Elle said to Erick. Erick let out a soft chuckle. "It''s your fault." he simply said. Elle looked confused. "Why?" Erick whispered back to her "Because you look very gorgeous tonight with your dress, hair and make up. Are you trying to impress my colleagues for me?" He teased her. Elle frown upon hearing that. She pinched him on his side. Erick groaned and he laughed after that. "Don''t assume! This is your mother''s work. I just did what she told me. Hmmp "Elle glared at him. "Alright! Alright! Don''t be mad. I am just teasing you. Let''s go to my team, I''ll intorduce you to them. Bryan and Dr. Gomez were also there. You know them already and besides I am with you so just relax." Those action didn''t escape the eyes of the spectators. Their eyes widened more. They were now really curious about the girl beside Detective Lee. What is their relationship? Are they couple? They looked so sweet just a while ago. Erick and Elle walked towards the table where Eagles and Alpha members were gathered. Among the people there, only Bryan and Dr. Gomez knew about Elle. But they were also not expecting that Elle would come tonight. Bryan and Dr. Gomez almost didn''t recognize her since she looked really different tonight. Rose gave April a concerned look. She didn''t feel good about this. All of them were wondering who is the girl that Erick brought tonight. Erick and Elle now arrived at the table. Everyone was silent. It was Bryan who spoke first to greet the two persons who had just arrived. "Hehe, hi Chief Lee, why it took you so long to arrive." Erick just nodded at Bryan. Dr. Gomez also felt the awkward silence so he decided to greet Elle. " Hello Elle, it is nice to see you here." He smiled at them. " Hello Dr. Gomez!" Elle gave him a timid smile. Other persons in the people glanced towards Dr. Gomez with same expressions. ''Dr. Gomez knew her!'' ''Funny right? I am now face to face with team Eagles and Alpha who are very eager in catching me.'' A playful smile appeared on her beautiful face. Elle initiated to introduce herself to them. " Hello everyone, I am Elle, Erick''s friend. Nice to meet you all." Everyone was stunned upon hearing her. So they were just overthinking too much and had a wrong assumption a while ago. They thought Erick and her were in a relationship. Rose and April were also felt relieved after hearing that. Bryan also smiled thinking that Erick and Elle were not pretending to be a couple today. It is better this way, he could now relax hoping that their colleague would stop pestering him about asking many questions related to Erick. The gentlemen around were also rejoicing upon hearing that and they were looking at Elle with admiration. Erick frown upon noticing their intense gazes towards Elle. Erick suddenly extend his arms around Elle''s waist and pulled her closer to him. "Yeah She is Elle my girlfriend." Erick emphasized the last two words. A smirk appeared on his handsome face. Elle eyes widened and turned to glance at him with a questioning look. Erick gave her a sweetest killer smile that could melt anyone''s heart. "Am I right, Love?" Erick said to her with his husky seductive voice. Silence again engulfed the entire restaurant. This time everyone wore diffrent expressions of shock, surprise and disbelief. Chapter 69 - 69: Dinner with Eagles and Alpha "Yeah she is Elle my girlfriend." "Am I right Love?" April''s world crumbled upon hearing those words coming from Erick. Her heart immediately got broken. Her expression changed. The light in her eyes disappeared. Rose observed April''s reaction. Rose turned to Bryan and gave him a sharp glare. Bryan felt nervous seeing those dangerous glare she was giving him. ''Why are you looking at me like that. I have nothing to do with their revelation.'' Bryan thought to himself. A smirk appeared on Dr. Gomez face. ''Hmm, so this is the answer to my question before. Hmm It sounds interesting.'' Captain Jason coughed to clear the awkward atmosphere. "Cough! Cough! Cough! Alright! so Chief Lee and Elle please have your seat now. You both have just arrived but it seems like you are planning to stuff us with dog food tonight. Hehe" Captain Jason said while teasing the couple. Elle just nodded and gave them an awkward smile while Erick let out a chuckle. "Sorry Captain." They were now sitted in the middle of Dr. Gomez and Bryan. Erick was on the left side of Bryan while Elle was on the right side of Dr. Gomez. Some of them were still quiet and hadn''t recover yet from the shocking news that Erick just told them a while ago. Erick stayed low profile about his private life. They didn''t heard about him dating or courting someone. And tonight, he just suddenly brought a gorgeous lady and introduced to them as his girlfriend. They were still giving Elle and Erick a strange look. Erick was so attentive to Elle. He was giving her food, asking her what she wants. He was so accommodating and never let her feel that she was an outsider. Some people were envious just seeing them, some were amused how Erick was so caring about his ''girlfriend'', some were uncomfortable seeing their sweetness. ''Gosh, If I didn''t know the truth, I would really think that they were a couple. They are so good in acting. Are they really acting? It looks so natural.'' Bryan was silently observing from the side feeling so amazed. As times goes by, April didn''t look so good. She lost her appetite. Her cheerful mood a while ago already disappeared. Rose was looking at her with worries and concerns. Bryan also noticed April''s indifferent. She was so focused in drinking beer. Bryan frown. "Hey, are you okay? You haven''t eaten much and you are now drinking too much.'''' Bryan asked April with concern. "Just mind your own business!" She said to him with an annoyed tone. Bryan just kept quiet and shut his mouth. He didn''t want to annoy her more. He knew that she was not in a good mood. Elle excused herself and she went to the comfort room. Bryan decided to follow her. He needed to talk to her. When Elle got out from the comfort room, she was surprised when she saw Bryan standing outside. It seemed like he was waiting for someone. Bryan''s eyes brightened when he saw her. "What are you doing there?" she asked him. "Waiting for you?" he said honestly Elle frown at him "Why?" "Want to talk to you about something." He replied "What is it?" "Can you act like you don''t know me?" Bryan asked her pleading. "Why should I do that?" "I don''t want my colleagues to know that I already knew you. They will be pestering me if they knew that I know something about you." Bryan was pleading at her desperately. Elle looked at him with her brows raised "Hmm, so that''s the reason why you only greeted Erick a while ago and pretended that you didn''t know me at all." Bryan nodded vigorously. "Okay, I know what to do." Elle said. Bryan felt relieved after hearing that. He didn''t see the evil smile appeared on Elle''s face. They both returned to their table. Bryan was about to sit down when Elle called him. "Hey Bryan, it''s been a long time, when will you come and have dinner again with us together with Erick." Elle was smiling widely. Bryan:"..." Bryan froze on his spot. A cold sweat instantly covered his body. Everyone in the table was now giving him a suspicious look. ''What the heck! Elle you f*cking traitor!'' Bryan gritted his teeth. He shot Elle a sharp glare. Elle just gave him a teasing smile. "Chief Lee, stop me. I might do something to that fake girlfriend of yours." he mumbled to Erick. Erick gave Elle a questioning look. Elle just returned it with a shrug. She cheerfully sat down to her seat. "What is that all about?" Erick whispered to Elle. "Don''t mind him. I just give him a lesson."Elle replied with a soft chuckle. Erick just shook his head helplessly. Elle had her childish side sometimes. Bryan should prepare after this. He would surely be put in a hot seat, being interrogated by his colleagues. He regretted asking Elle that favor. He didn''t expect that she would sell him out just minutes after they talked. ''Elle just you wait! I will make sure to punish you!'' Bryan was cursing inside. He turned to look at Elle. Upon noticing Bryan''s glare, she gave him a cold sharp glare also. She was challenging him. Later on, a cunning smile appeared on her face. Bryan looked away first. He shivered from fear. He didn''t know why but Elle could be really frightening sometimes. Then he changed his mind. ''Never mind. If I can''t do it, I will just let Chief Lee do the revenge for me. Elle just you wait! I will make sure that Chief Lee will give you the punishment you deserve!'' Other members of Eagles were now having a casual conversation with Elle and Erick. They were interested to know how they became couple. Bryan was just sitting and drinking there silently, not in his mood since Elle just betrayed him a while ago. Dr. Gomez was also silent on the side, so interested to hear the couple''s responses. Rose and April were also quiet and just listening to them. "How long have you known each other?" Carl asked them. "More than a month I think." Elle answered truthfully. Everyone was confused after hearing that. They just knew each other for just one month? They looked at Erick feeling so amused. ''How he was able to court this lady in that short period of time while they were busy handling Catseye''s case?'' Then a realization came to them. ''Is that the reason why Erick was leaving from work so early, why he was late sometimes and why he was rushing and leaving without telling them.'' Erick just gave them an awkward smile. He knew that his team were imagining and overthinking right now. "Elle, if you don''t mind. Can you tell us how Chief Lee courted you?" Marie asked her enthusiastically. "Hey that question is too personal. You don''t need to answer that.'' Erick complained. He was a little bit embarrass. He didn''t know how Elle would answer that beside no courting happened between them. Everyone laughed at Erick''s reaction. "Actually, he doesn''t know how to court so I am the one who make the first move." Elle said and let out a soft chuckle. Yes, it was true. She was the one who really made the first move. She pretended first to be his girlfriend. Everyone was dumbstruck with her bluntness. Bryan almost spat out his drinks. Dr. Gomez nodded in agreement. He also believed that Erick didn''t know how to make a move for girls. Erick''s face turned red from embarrassment. Elle noticed him and she burst out into laughter. "Oh no, your face is heating up my Love!" Elle teased him. "See, I told you so. He looks like he is the girl between us. My Detective Lee is blushing!" Everyone in the table laugh at them except April. Rose smiled awkwardly. She couldn''t take it anymore so she stood up and excused herself. Rose followed her. Erick became the center of teasing. He felt helpless. He turned to Elle who was enjoying the moment. He needed to do something to boost his reputation now. This girl beside him was intentionally making fun of him in front of his colleagues. "Stop making fun of me or else...." He warned her with a serious tone but it didn''t sound threatening. Everyone stopped laughing, observing the couple. "Or else what?" Elle challenged him with a teasing smile. "I will kiss you, right here right now, in front of them!" he emphasized every words to her with a husky and seductive voice then a playful smirk appeared on his face. The smile on her face disappeared. This time, Elle''s face turned red like a tomato. The devil was blushing! The other persons in the table were now dumbstruck, where their eyes and mouth were wide open. They regretted teasing this couple in front of them, now they were eating dog food. They saw another side of Detective Lee that they seldom see. Every woman who could see this side of him would really fall for him immediately, no need of flowers, chocolate or any kind of courting. Chapter 70 - 70: Confession Some of the guests already left after giving their gifts and last greetings to the celebrant. Members of Special Task Force Eagle also bade their goodbye. "Happy Birthday again Rose. Guys see you tomorrow at work." Captain Jason and the rest said. Now, only team Alpha Cinco remained in the restaurant together with Elle, June''s Wife, Dr. Gomez and Rose boyfriend. Elle, Erick, Dr. Gomez and Bryan were having casual conversation together with June and his wife while April, Rose and her boyfriend were drinking. April was already drunk. She was now becoming more and more talkative. She was now spouting and venting her resentment for tonight''s happening. Rose was comforting her friend. She felt helpless. Rose didn''t expect that her supposedly lively celebration would cause heartache to her friend April. She knew how long April hide her affection to Erick. She liked him since the start. She was still hoping. She was just waiting for the right timing. She didn''t expect that her one sided love would gonna hurt like this. "Friend! It hurts! I regretted it. I should have told him sooner. Now it''s too late! He had already a girlfriend." April said to Rose while her tears were falling from her eyes. "Shhh! They will think that I am bullying you if they see you crying. Stop drinking, you are already drunk." Rose stopped her from drinking another bottle of beer. "I need to tell him now or else I will regret it forever." April said with determination while looking towards Erick''s direction. Rose frown "Hey what are you saying? What are you planning to do?" She started to felt nervous for April. It seemed like alcohol really affected her mind now and she lost her rationality right now. "April don''t do something that you will regret tomorrow. You are just drunk right now." Rose warned her. As if she didn''t hear her warning, April stood up and tried her best to walk towards Erick''s direction. Rose was late to react. April already caught the attentions of other persons inside. "Hey Chief Lee!" She shouted. Everyone was now looking at her. As if she didn''t see others, her attention was focused only to Erick so she didn''t mind their reaction. Rose ran towards her to stop April but she pushed her away with all her strength. Everyone was now looking so confused including Erick. April was now standing in front of Erick. "Hey, you already drunk! What do you think you are doing." Bryan spoke up. She just ignored him. April grabbed Erick''s shoulder and she was now facing him. Elle also raised her brows now looking at April''s action. "What''s wrong? Why are you so drunk?" this time Erick asked her with concern. He grabbed her hands to steady her. April giggled after hearing Erick''s voice. "This is your fault Chief!" April blamed him. Everyone was now dumbfounded. "Why her? Why her Chief? You just met her. You only knew her for a month!" April pointed Elle''s direction without looking at her. Now everyone could feel the tension. Bryan couldn''t believe what he was seeing right now. Dr. Gomez, June, his wife, Rose and her boyfriend were now silently observing on the side. They didn''t know if they should stop April for further talking but no one dare to step up. They were also staring at Elle waiting for her reaction. They started to worry whether there will be a fight between the two ladies. Would the girlfriend react violently and slap April? However, Elle was just standing there on the side, very calm and composed. "Chief Why her? Is it because she is beautiful? But you didn''t even glance at Chlarice, she is also beautiful and a famous actress. Even, Ara the journalist who is known as the queen of media, you didn''t entertain her. Agent Sophia, the sweetheart of Task Force Wolf, Katherine, the Lady C.E.O of Arian Group of Companies. All of them, showed you their motives and did their first move on you but you rejected all of them." Erick:"...." Elle:"...." And everyone:"...." They were amazed that she could still remember those girls who became involved with Erick for the past. They were also amazed how Erick was able to avoid those temptation. If it was just another guy, he wouldn''t think twice and he would surely take advantage of those beautiful ladies. ''Damn, why am I look like the bad guy here? Is it a mortal sin not responding to the affection of those girls?'' Now, Elle''s expression started to change. She was now giving Erick a dangerous smile. Even though her lips was curled into a smile but she was staring at him with her cold sharp eyes. Erick''s heart skipped a beat, not because of excitement but he sensed some danger. April continued to speak. Erick tapped her shoulders. "Ahem.. Hehe April I think you are really drunk now. You should rest and go home." "No. I am not done here yet." Erick started to feel nervous. What if April would speak another thing. She was putting him right now in a difficult situation. He turned to look at Elle who was now raising her brows to him. Erick gave her an apologetic smile. Erick turned to Bryan to ask for help but Bryan ignored him. Bryan also had a grim expression on his face now. He averted his gaze to his doctor friend but Dr. Gomez just gave him a smirk and a nod. He seemed like he was enjoying the show. Erick was now cursing his two friends right now in his heart. "Erick...do you really prefer that girl will do the first move? If I just know that then I shouldn''t keep quiet for long! Erick I like you! I really really like you! I hide it for so many years now hoping that someday you will notice me. I had my hope ups when you rejected those girls." "I thought, if I will wait for the right time, you will eventually notice me, you will eventually like me! We''ve been working for years now. I thought our friendship will progress and develop to the next level. But I regretted not telling you sooner. I am too late now! You already have a girlfriend!" "If I confess to you before, will you notice me also? Will you give me a chance? Do we have a chance?" The entire restaurant became more silent after that shocking confession. Erick didn''t expected it. He was shocked. Bryan was shocked. June was shocked. The five of them in Alpha Cinco worked for so many years now but they had no idea about April''s feelings towards Erick except Rose. Erick didn''t know what to say. He knew that April was hurting now. It was not his intention. He didn''t know how to console her. Elle didn''t also expect this kind of confession. She didn''t imagine that coming here tonight would triggered someone to confess her long years of hidden affection towards Erick. Elle started to feel annoyed. ''Erick was a fool, not noticing it after all these years! This girl was a fool, why only confess now, now that the guy he likes introduce someone as his girlfriend.'' Then Elle noticed Bryan''s expression. ''There is another fool here. I guess this foolish girl who just confessed her feelings to Erick is the one whom Bryan likes. He was referring to her when he told me that he like someone else and she was one of their colleagues.'' "A bunch of fools." Elle mumbled while shaking her head. Elle couldn''t take it anymore. She started to walk away and leave the restaurant. She didn''t want to see another foolishness. This was getting on her nerves now and she didn''t like it. She was in rage but she didn''t know why. Erick just awakened from his shock when he saw Elle walking towards the exit of the restaurant. Everyone was anticipating to Erick''s reply so they didn''t notice that Elle already walked away. Erick panicked. He looked to the retreating back of Elle and to April who was now crying in front of him. He was contemplating what to do. Erick sighed deeply. He grabbed April''s shoulder and said "Sorry April, I didn''t mean to hurt you. I am really sorry. We will talk about this when you are sober, okay?" Erick softly said to her. Then he turned to Bryan and said "Please take care of April." He left rushing after saying that. He ran to follow Elle. Others were left speechless. There were lots of shocking and surprising drama happened tonight. For Rose, it would be one of her memorable birthday ever. Chapter 71 - 71: A Night of Passion "Elle wait!" Erick called her while running towards her. Elle stopped and turned to look at him "Why are you here? Are you done there? Are you done sorting your feelings there?" Elle said to him which sounded sarcastic. Erick didn''t know what to say. "It is not what you think..." Erick would like to explain but Elle cut him off immediately. "Coming here tonight was a big mistake. It''s your fault. Why did you tell them that I am your girlfriend? I told them that we are just friend." Elle blamed him and she really sounded annoyed. "Why are you mad at me? I brought you here since I promised my mother that I will introduce you to my friends and colleagues. How would you expect me to just tell them that we are just friend? Besides it was you who started this." Erick said this in impulse. He was upset when Elle sounded mad and she didn''t like the idea that he introduced her as his girlfriend. Elle was dumbfounded when she heard him say that. Erick realized his mistake. "Elle, I am sorry, I didn''t mean..." "Stop! You don''t need to explain. Can we just go home now if you already done here?" Elle said to him with a stern voice. Erick didn''t speak anymore. They just went to the parking area. When they were already inside the car. No one spoke again. Erick just focused on his driving. Elle closed her eyes during the entire duration of their travel. When they arrived at the house, Elle continued ignoring him. Fortunately Erick''s parents were already asleep. They didn''t see the tension going on between Elle and Erick. If they saw it, they would ask them about what happened during the birthday party. Of course, no one between them would like to talk about it right now. Elle slumped her body on the bed after taking a quick shower. Everything happened tonight made her exhausted physically and emotionally. She massaged her temples. "Why you didn''t control your self Elle? This is so unlike you!" She mumbled to herself as she thought about her argument with Erick before they left the restaurant. Erick stayed on his study. He was so stressed right now. He was scolding himself. April''s confession really shocked him. And now Elle was also mad at him and it was really affecting him right now. His head seemed like it would gonna explode any minutes from thinking too much. Tonight would gonna be a sleepless night for him. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile..... Bryan and April already arrived at her apartment. Bryan stared at April with a mixed emotions. "Why him? Why it had to be him?" he softly mumbled. He helped April and guided her going to her apartment. She couldn''t walk straight because of drunkenness. "April where is your key?" Bryan asked her. He put her down and let her lean on the wall for a while "In my bag." Bryan searched for it and after a while he found it. He opened the door and he helped April again to stand up. "You stupid girl, how will you face Chief Lee tomorrow when you are sober?" Bryan scolded her while they were going towards April''s bedroom. April just giggled. "Hmm I don''t think if you can still laugh tomorrow after what happened tonight." Bryan shook his head. "Hey April, can you behave? Stop moving so much. You are a little bit heavy." Bryan complained. April hitted his head. "Ouch!" Bryan grunted. "Don''t ever tell a woman that she is heavy." April said while giggling. Finally, Bryan was able to put April in bed. He looked for a towel and when he came back he was already holding a towel and a bowl with warm water. He put down the bowl on her bedside table. Bryan was about to wipe her face using the towel when April suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her. He was caught off guard so he was not able to avoid her. He was now leaning his other elbow to the side of her head, afraid that April would be pinned down by his heaviness. However he was now facing April. Their faces was very close from each other. "Hello handsome." April was grinning in front of him. Bryan froze on the spot. ''April was really too drunk this time. She didn''t know what she was doing. If this is the sober April, she will already be pushing me for getting too close.'' What surprised him more was the next thing April said to him. "Handsome Kiss me!" She demanded with a hoarse voice. ''Damn, April wake up! You are driving me crazy. Stop it.'' Bryan was now sweating. He felt hot. His heart was beating so fast. He closed his eyes trying to calm himself down. Closing his eyes was a wrong move. April grabbed that opportunity to hold his face and pulled him closer. Then Bryan felt his lips touched something soft. Bryan automatically opened his eyes. His lips was now touching April''s soft lips. (WARNING: HAVE MATURE CONTENT BELOW- SUITABLE ONLY FOR 18 Yrs. Old and ABOVE) He knew that this was wrong but all his control, all his restraints disappeared after that. He couldn''t take it anymore. His inner desire was awaken. His lips started to move, exploring her lips. April m.o.a.ned from the sensation. When she opened her mouth from that m.o.a.n, his tongue was able to enter and explore her inside. He could taste the beer from her mouth. It was sweet and intoxicating. April was returning his kiss with the same intensity. Bryan lost all his rationality. He was thrown into this deep passion. They started to remove their clothes. Bryan was now topless while April was now only wearing her bra and underwear. He was now planting soft kisses on her entire body, from her face, going down to her neck, to her shoulders. His hands started to roam around her body, exploring every part of her. His touch and kisses were sending her waves of sensations. She was now m.o.a.ning from pleasure. He finally removed her bra. His right hand was now massaging her right b.r.e.a.s.t, his mouth was kissing and licking her other b.r.e.a.s.t, playing with her n.i.p.p.l.e. His other hand traveled south, touching her most sensitive part down there. April was now so wet ready to accept him. She couldn''t take it anymore. She wanted to feel him come inside her. "Please, I want you now!" Upon hearing her, Bryan started to unbutton his pants. They were now both n.a.k.e.d, panting and bathing with their own sweats. He grabbed April''s leg and positioned himself in the middle. Bryan wanted to stop but he couldn''t. It''s too late now to stop. How could he stop if the woman in front of him was the woman he likes? How could he stop if she was responding to his touch? How could he stop if she was the one who initiated it, she was the one who pleaded him to do this? He kissed her again before he started to push himself into her entrance. He started to thrust in and out. At first, he was still moving slow, gentle and careful not to hurt her. He could feel that this was April''s first time. "F*ck, you are so tight April. Argh....You feel so good." Bryan groaned both from pain and pleasure. "Oh...Oh, yeah, just like that...move faster Erick! April said. Bryan froze when he heard her mentioned Erick. It seemed like he was being washed by a cold water and he woke up from his wonderful dream. He was the one giving her pleasure right now but she was thinking of another man. Bryan''s expression darkened. April noticed that the man stopped from moving. So she wrapped her legs around his h.i.p.s and moved her h.i.p.s upward to meet him. Bryan groaned from that sensation. "Ah, too impatient Babe!" This time Bryan''s moves became so rough until they both reached their climax. Chapter 72 - 72: Blame the Alcohol The morning sun rays entered through the crack in the windows blind. April slowly opened her eyes. She blinked and closed her eyes again as the sunlight was blinding her. She massaged her throbbing head. She looked up and stared blankly at the ceiling, shedding herself of the remaining glimpse of last night''s memory in which she thought it was just a dream. Her face automatically reddened from that memory of her dream. She had a passionate night with Erick in her dream. She moved a little and she felt that her body was aching especially on her lower part. She frown. She removed her blanket and she was very shocked to find out that she was n.a.k.e.d underneath. She started to panic. "Why am I n.a.k.e.d?" she mumbled. Then she turned to her side only to find out that there was a man who was soundly asleep, his back was facing her. April''s heart started to beat rapidly from nervousness. She gasped from shock. ''Who is he? Damn... Don''t tell me... Last night..it was not a dream? Is he Erick? No it''s impossible.'' She was really confused right now. Her heart was beating like crazy in her chest. She was still contemplating what to do when the man suddenly moved and he turned around. He was now facing April. April was shock beyond belief seeing the person next to her. It was Bryan! "Ahhhhh!" April screamed and kicked Bryan with all her strength causing him to fell down the bed. ''Thud.'' It was the sound of Bryan''s falling off the bed. Bryan was awaken from the scream of April and the impact of falling off the bed. Bryan stood up and didn''t still realize what was happening. April let out another scream when she saw him n.a.k.e.d. She thrown pillows towards him while she closed her eyes. "Damn Bryan! Cover your body! What are you doing here! What did you do to me! F*ck I will kill you! I will kill you!" April was shouting at him. Bryan''s eyes widened as realization came to him. He immediately grabbed his boxers and pants to wear it. ''Sh*t! Sh*t! April was now awake and sober. I am now a deadmeat!'' April covered her body using the blanket then she picked her gun on her drawer and pointed it to Bryan. "You Assh*le! What did you do to me!" April was in raged. "Wait...April calm down... put your gun down! please let me explain!" Bryan''s voice was in panic. "Talk! I won''t hesitate to pull this trigger!" "I will take responsibility of everything that happened last night! Please put the gun down first. Let''s talk this out." Bryan pleaded while trying to get near her. "Stop. Stay there! Don''t come near me! I hate you Bryan! I really hate you! Why did you take advantage of me?! I thought you are my friend? Why did you do this to me." April started to cry. Bryan''s expression change. Seeing her like this, it was like his heart was being squeezed. He was now cursing himself from not controlling his self last night. He didn''t regret doing it with her. Last night was the most memorable night in his life. However seeing her like this, he couldn''t take it. He didn''t talk but he started to walk toward April with a mixed emotions in his eyes. When she saw him approaching towards her she warned him again. "I told you to stay there. Don''t come near me! Bryan I will really shoot you. Stop." Bryan didn''t listen to her warning. He just walked towards her. "Shoot me April. Shoot me! If this is the only way to satisfy your anger and your hatred towards me. I will not stop you. I will not blame you. Just shoot me, if that will make you happy. Just shoot me, if that is the only way you can forgive me." Bryan said to her with so much emotions. April was stunned when she heard it. Her hand which was holding the gun was trembling. She couldn''t do it. She couldn''t pull the trigger. Bryan was now in front of her. He hold her hand which was holding the gun. He was staring straight into her eyes. "I''m sorry April. I am really sorry." This time, April dropped the gun and she punched him with all her strength. She was now punching Bryan non stop, hitting him on his chest. Bryan just let her do it in order to vent her anger. After a few minutes, April stopped. Her hands were now hurt from punching Bryan. She felt also weak and tired. Silence engulfed the entire room, only her whimpering cry would ve heard inside. When she already calmed down she asked him again "What happened last night? Why did you do it?" Bryan sighed deeply. "I don''t know if you could remember. Last night, you were very drunk. You confessed your feelings to Erick in front of us." Bryan said to her. April''s frown then she remembered some blurred memory when she approached Erick last night. April''s eyes widened as realization came to her. ''Sh**t! Why did I do that! Sh**t you are stupid April, very stupid! How can I face Chief Lee after what happened.'' She scolded herself. Bryan continued to tell her what happened. "Chief Lee asked me to take care of you so I brought you back here at your apartment. Last night, you were really drunk. Believe me or not I didn''t have any intention to take advantage of you or do you any harm... but last night, you were really drunk." "You pulled me and suddenly kissed me." April''s couldn''t believe it. "Don''t lie to me Bryan." "I am not lying. It was the truth." Bryan insisted. "Ok... let''s say I really did it but you are in your right mind that time. You should have stopped it!" Bryan paused for a moment before he spoke again. "But I couldn''t stop it." April was now glaring at him "Why?!" Bryan sighed deeply and looked at her feeling helpless. "Because it was you April! I lost all my control because it was you!" April was now so confused. Bryan continued what he wanted to say. He looked at her eyes. "I know it was wrong but I was not able to stop my self. I am sorry April but I want you to know that last night was the greatest night in my life. I didn''t regret doing it with you because.... I like you April. I have feelings for you. So how can I stop if the woman in front of me was the woman whom I like? I am just a man April. Last night, your initiative awaken my desire and I couldn''t control it." Bryan said to her with his sincerity. April was dumbstruck upon hearing his revelation. ''What did he say? Bryan likes me? He had feelings for me?'' She was now speechless. She didn''t know how to react. "I know I am not the man you like. It was Erick. Even last night, while we are doing it, you were still thinking about him, calling his name." Bryan said while feeling hurt. He smiled at her bitterly. He could still remember how April softly called Erick''s name last night. April was shocked from everything that happened. She stayed silent. She could feel Bryan''s pain. She knew the feelings of loving someone one-sidedly. "April, I want you to know, I am willing to take the responsibility of what happened last night. Please give me a chance. I want to prove to you how serious I am about you." Bryan said to her. April couldn''t absorb everything as of now. She needed time to think. She needed to be alone. "Bryan, can we talk about this some other time? Please leave... for now I want to be alone." Bryan understood her so he just nodded. After wearing his clothes, Bryan left her apartment. April burried her face with her both hands. ''I met Erick''s girlfriend. I get drunk. I confessed to Erick in front of them. At the same night after I confessed to the person I like for so many years, I slept with another guy. It was Bryan. Then the next morning, after finding out what happen he also confessed that he has feelings fo me! Sh***t my life was so f*ck up right now! I should blame the alcohol for this mess! Argh! Stupid girl!'' Chapter 73 - 73: Change of Plan At XXX Crime Investigation Office.... Erick came to work so early. He left the house early. He wanted to avoid his parents from noticing the tension happening between him and Elle. After a while, June and Rose also arrived at the office. They greeted Erick but after that no one spoke again. Rose was looking at April''s table, wondering if she would report for work today after what happened last night. She was now worried about her friend. The entire office was engulfed of awkward silence. No one spoke about what happened last night. April and Bryan didn''t arrived yet. They were wondering what would happen today. June and Rose were also silently observing Erick. It seemed like he didn''t look good today and he seemed that he didn''t sleep last night because of his eyebags. They were wondering whether Erick and his girlfriend got also into fight last night. When members of Eagles came to visit their office, they also felt something was a little bit weird about the atmosphere inside. But they couldn''t point out what was happening. Last night, they were all enjoying the night so what''s with this kind of vibes this morning. After a while, Bryan also arrived at the office. "Hey why are you late? How''s April last night? Rose asked him directly as soon as he entered the office. Bryan didn''t answer her. He has a serious look in his face. He ignored her and Bryan immediately went inside Erick''s office. Rose was shocked with Bryan''s cold treatment. ''What happened to him?'' Erick looked up to see Bryan who had just entered his office. "Chief Lee, can we talk for a moment?" Erick was confused when he noticed was Bryan was looking at him seriously. Erick just nodded in agreement. "What is it?" Erick asked him. "What can you say about April''s confession last night?" He asked him direct to the point. Erick was stunned to hear that. He didn''t expect for Bryan to speak about it as soon as he arrived. "What do you mean?" Erick said to him. "Ok let me rephrase it. How do you feel about April? We all know that you and Elle are not really in a relationship. So how do you feel about April''s confession?" Bryan asked him curiously. Erick stayed silent for a while. "Do you have any feelings for her also? You know that she confessed to you last night because she was jealous with your fake girlfriend. She was really hurt last night. I think you should clear this misunderstanding. I think we need to tell them the truth about Elle. She is not your girlfriend and she is just some girl whom you saved and currently staying under your protection." Bryan said to him with a very serious tone. Erick frown upon hearing it. He was not happy with the tone of Bryan like he was saying that Elle was just an insignificant person. He didn''t also like the way Bryan emphasized that Elle was just his fake girlfriend. "Don''t speak like that about Elle. If you are angry with me don''t involve her with this." Erick said to him with a stern voice. Bryan realized his mistake. "Sorry Chief. I didn''t mean that. It''s just that I am worried about April." "I understand if you are worried about April. I am also concern about her. I felt guilty upon hearing her confession last night. I admit I was also shocked. No need to tell her about the truth about Elle and me. But it is better this way. I don''t want to give her another false hope. I can''t return her affection. I like her but as a friend only." Bryan felt relieved after hearing that. Erick just confirmed to him that he didn''t have feelings for April. Now he gained more confidence to pursue her. He would do his best to make her forget Erick and make her fall for him. "Okay Chief I understand." "Don''t worry, I will talk to her personally. I hope that every thing will come back to normal. I don''t want this incident affect our relationsh.i.p.s." Erick assured him. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile.... Elle was meeting Charles today. She just made an alibi to Erick''s parents before she left the house. She was still upset about last night so she wanted to divert her attention and she knew the best way to do that. It has been a long time since she acted as Catseye. She missed those things already. She wanted to do things and make a move against her enemies as Catseye. That was the reason she decided to meet Charles. Charles already accomplished what Elle ordered him to do. Falcon Cafe was all set for the opening. He would just wait for Elle''s final instruction. Their another hide out had been established. Falcon Cafe had a hidden bas.e.m.e.nt where Catseye''s weapons and technologies were being kept. Elle visited the place. Charles and her was now sitting inside the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. Elle was satisfied with everything. "Good job Charles! You never disappoint me when it comes to these kind of work." she praised him. "Hmm, well, that''s me Charles. You cannot find accomplice as capable as me!" Charles said while brimming with confidence. "So when we will start to accept missions?" He asked her. Elle face became serious after that. "That is one of the reason why I am here. I want to inform you that we have a change of plan." "What do you mean by that?" Charles looked confused. "We will no longer accept missions." Elle simply said. "What? So why did you ask me to establish this hide out? Are we changing our career now? From being assassin to a Cafe vendor?" Charles asked her with exaggerated expression. "No... I think this is the time to collect some debts." A grim expression appeared on Elle''s face. Charles was stunned in a moment after hearing her serious tone. He knew what she was referring to. Charles expression became serious too. "What are you planning to do?" Charles asked her. "I am done playing. I will hunt them down one by one. It is payback time! I will uncover the truth about my family''s death." he could feel her pain and her rage after saying that. He would gladly help her with her revenge. Staying and spending time with Erick''s parents, she was reminded of the feeling of warmth of having a family. Meeting them opened up the wound of her past and awaken the furry in her heart. She was now ready to face her own hell. "But first, I need to give Dark Knight a lesson for attacking us in the back. What do you think?" Elle said to Charles while grinning. She was playing her dagger on her hand. Charles was happy to hear that. He also wanted to get his revenge. "I really love your plan Catseye!" Chapter 74 - 74: A Persistent Mother At Erick''s place..... Erick''s parents were busy preparing their dinner for tonight. Elle also helped them in the kitchen. "Elle, it was a little bit late, can you ask Erick when will he return home? Ask him if he will join us for dinner." Sarah requested her. Elle stopped what she was doing after hearing that. ''Why should I? Mom can you ask him yourself.'' Elle thought to herself. After last night, she didn''t talk to Erick yet and now his mother was requesting her to ask Erick something. Elle sighed deeply. ''I didn''t think I will be forced like this to talk to him.'' "Ok mom, I''ll message him." she replied. "Just call him darling, he might not noticed your message immediately." Elle:"..." She had no choice but to comply. She picked her phone and dialled his number. Meanwhile, Erick was so focused in checking the reports they had on Catseye when his phone rang. He was a little bit shock when he noticed who was calling him. It was Elle. He looked confused. He didn''t expect her to call him this time. For the whole day, they didn''t interact. He didn''t message her also since he was afraid that he would be just ignored by her. He answered it quickly. "Hello?" There was silence on the other line. Then he heard Elle''s deep sigh. Erick frown, he sensed that Elle didn''t plan on calling him but she was just forced to do it. Maybe it was related to his parents. "Love, mom want to ask if when are you going home tonight. Are you joining us for dinner?" Elle said to him. He was right. Elle was just forced to call him because of his mother. Erick stared at the food he ordered a while ago. He was planning to stay late at the office tonight since he didn''t want his parents to know about him and Elle having a fight. He sighed. He realized that avoidance could not fix things. He wanted to talk to her. He didn''t want her to get mad at him. He really wanted to reconcile with her. "Tell them, I am coming home right now." Erick said to her softly. "Ok.Bye!" Elle hang up without waiting for Erick to speak another words. Elle turned to Sarah who was waiting for her to inform her what Erick said to her. "He said he was coming Mom. He might be on his way now." Sarah smiled upon hearing that. "Elle my darling hope that you can understand that Erick has a difficult job like this and sometimes he would stay at work so late." Sarah said to her. "Don''t worry Mom I understand." "But darling sometimes you should not let him stay at work so late very often. You should also be strict to him and remind him that there is someone waiting for him at home. Demand him to go home and spend quality time for you." Sarah said to her while laughing. "Your Mom is right Elle. We had experience that when I am still working. Hehe when your mother asked me to go home, I would immediately stop what I am doing at the office then I would hurriedly come home." Raymond joined their conversation. Elle just gave them an awkward smile. ''Of course, it''s just natural for the both of you to do that. You were already husband and wife. Did they forget that I am just a girlfriend right now. What are they thinking?'' Elle thought to herself. "Hmm and every time he comes home, I would noticed how tired and stressed he was so I give him extra care. I would immediately hug him and kiss him." Sarah told her while smiling widely. Raymond let out a chuckle. "Your mom''s action was really effective in relieving my stress and my tiredness just disappeared. You should try doing it." Raymond suggested. The husband and wife gave her a meaningful smile. Elle was speechless. ''Oh please don''t look at me like that. Don''t expect me to do that.'' She just nodded at them and gave them a forced smile. Then after a while Erick came home. When he arrived they saw his parents and Elle were talking at the living room. He walked towards them to greet them. The three person stood up upon seeing him. "Oh Son you are here." Sarah said enthusiastically. "Yes mam, sorry for keeping you wait." Erick gave them an apologetic smile. He simply glanced at Elle who was just standing there silently. "Son, how''s your work?" Sarah asked him. "It was just okay Mom. We have so many things to do that''s why I stayed a little bit late." Erick responded. Sarah''s eyes brightened upon hearing that. Then a playful smile appeared on her lovely face. "Ahmm. Son I am sure you very tired, aren''t you?" After saying that Sarah glanced at Elle meaningfully. Raymond just let out a chuckle upon sensing that his wife was planning something. "It''s ok mom, I am a little bit tired but I am just fine." Erick said unaware of the hidden motive of his mother for asking him that. Elle started to get nervous when she noticed the meaningful glance Sarah was giving her. ''Hey Hey... Mom what are you trying to do here?'' She saw Sarah giving her a signal. Elle was dumbfounded. ''Damn... is she telling me to do what she just mentioned a while ago?'' Elle avoided her gaze, pretending that she didn''t get what she meant. "Ahmm, since Erick is here. I think we can have our dinner now. I am a little bit hungry. Hehe." Elle was trying to divert their attention and escape from this situation. Erick just nodded. Sarah frown. She gave her an unhappy look. She was now pressuring Elle with that kind of look. Elle would like to cry seeing Sarah like this. ''Why do you need to force me like this today? Erick and I were not yet okay. This is so awkward.'' But Sarah didn''t plan to let her get away with this. Sarah whispered to her "Go Darling, comfort your boyfriend. He really needed it right now." Elle:"....." ''Damn! Erick why did you have a very persistent mother like her?'' Erick was about to go to his room in order to drop his things when Elle called him. "Love wait..." Erick stopped on his track and turned around only to see that Elle was now walking towards him. When Elle was already standing in front of him, she wrapped her arms around his body and leaned her head on his chest. Erick was surprised with this unexpected hug. The arms that held him were soft. The feel of her body so close to his soothed him more than he had expected. The stresses and heaviness in his heart that he felt since last night disappeared, it was dominated and erased by the feeling of her body pressed against his. He could feel her warmth, appreciative of the simple gesture. It was just one night and one day they hadn''t talk but it seemed like it was so long that he missed her more. His mother was right. This hug was all he needed right now. Elle felt that Erick pulled her closer and hugged her back. She sunk into the warmth of his body. Elle was also surprised. At first she thought that it would feel so weird and awkward but at this moment she felt so comfortable in his arms. She didn''t know why but all her unhappiness about last night just disappeared with this one hug. Sarah and Raymond just smiled on the side. They looked so happy and satisfied with the scene they were both seeing right now. Chapter 75 - 75: Provoking Him The family dinner went smoothly. Sarah and Raymond didn''t suspect them. After that intimate hug, the tension and awkwardness between Elle and Erick lessened. Now they were now alone in his room. Erick took his courage to approach her and talk with her. "Elle you don''t need to act against your will just to obey my parent''s request." Erick softly said to her. He was referring to the call she did last time and even though he was not sure of her motive about hugging him a while ago he was sure that his parents especially his mother was involved in that. But deep in side he was really glad and happy about her gesture a while ago. Seemed that all his worries disappeared after that hug and he felt so good. Elle rolled her eyes after hearing that "Who told me not to disappoint his parents before?" Elle said to him while raising her brows. Erick:"...." Erick was speechless. He glanced at Elle with an amused look. He had the urge to laugh. Elle just used his words before against him. Erick was not able to contain his laughter. Elle frown and shot him a sharp glare. ''Now he had the guts to laugh?'' However she admitted to herself that Erick''s laughter helped lessen the tension between them. Elle was now more comfortable to talk to him after their argument last night. Noticing her glare, Erick stopped laughing and tried his best to be serious right now. He coughed to lessen his awkwardness. "Ahem, sorry about that." He smiled at her apologetically. "Elle I just want to say sorry about last night. Please don''t get mad at me anymore." He pleaded. Elle just stayed silent. "I didn''t expect that something like that would happen. I am sorry for involving you with this but promise I will fix it." Erick assured her. "Tsk Tsk... you are really stupid." She couldn''t help herself but mumbled. Erick:"....." Erick was speechless as he heard her. ''Did she just really call me stupid? She is hurting my ego.'' Elle noticed his strange look. ''Uh oh! Did I say it out loud?'' Elle looked away and pretended that she didn''t said anything. "Are you still mad at me? Can''t you forgive me?" Elle ignored him and stayed silent. "Are you jealous?" He asked her again. Elle''s eyes widened upon hearing his last sentence. "Of course not! Are you insane? Do you want me to kill you?" She shouted at him as she quickly reacted and denied his accusation. She turned only to see him grinning at her. She was confused. Erick let out a chuckle after that. "I am just kidding. You are ignoring me so I said that. I knew it! You would react after hearing it. See... you just talk to me." Elle kicked his legs. He grunted from pain. He thought ''She could really kick so hard.'' Then he remembered the hostage taker who suffered from Elle''s strong kick. He chuckled again. "Love stop assaulting me, I will tell mom about it." He teased her. Elle was now really annoyed with this shameless guy in front of her. "Are you really apologizing to me or you just want to annoy me?" Elle glared at him. "Alright! I will behave now. Are you still mad at me? Hmm if you still mad at me then I will assume that you are really jealous." Erick smirked at her. "In your dreams! I am not mad at you! Are you happy now?" "Really?...why do I feel that you are lying? Hmm" "Ok. You want the truth? I am mad at you not because I am jealous. I am mad at your stupidity! How can you not notice someone that she likes you for a very long time. Tsk tsk... you are also stupid rejecting those girls.... Chlarice, a famous actress, Ara the queen of media, Agent Sophia, the sweetheart of Task Force Wolf, Katherine, the Lady C.E.O of Arian Group of Companies." Erick was dumbstruck upon hearing it. ''Did she really need to mention those girls again? Did girls really had a great memory?'' Even him, he can''t remember those girls'' name anymore if not for April mentioning it again. "Are you a gay?" This time Elle was teasing him. She was now laughing at him. Erick expression changed after hearing the last sentence from Elle. She was getting even at him from teasing her a while ago and she was really successful about it. She just called him stupid and now she called him a gay. Erick stared at her intently. "Ahmm, Did you just ask me if I am a gay?" Elle nodded as she continued to challenge him. Instead of getting mad, Erick just smirked at her. Elle raised her brows upon seeing his smile. "Elle, do you want me to prove to you right here and right now if I am really a gay or not? Are you really that curious?" Erick warned her with a playful grin appeared on his face. He started to walk towards Elle direction. Elle stopped laughing. She was now staring at the man who was now approaching her. ''Hey...what he will gonna do? Is he mad? Is he going to hurt me?'' Elle stepped back as she sensed some danger. Every time Erick stepped forward, Elle just moved backward until her back touched the wall. ''What is he doing?'' Elle was wondering. She started to feel uneasy with the intense gaze he was giving her right now. Elle couldn''t move backward since her back already touching the cold wall. Erick was now standing close to her. Elle could smell his masculine scent mixed with his cologne which was pleasant to her nose. It was now affecting her brain to think right. She felt the temperature inside the room suddenly increased some degrees and became hot. Erick trapped her by putting both his hands on her both sides. Elle clenched her fists, ready to strike back if ever Erick would do something. Erick spoke again. "Elle do you really want to find out if I am a gay or not?" he whispered to her in a husky seductive voice. His eyes never left hers. Elle''s heart skipped a beat after hearing those words from him. She felt goosebumps in her entire body. ''F*ck, I regretted saying those words to him. I really provoked him this time.'' She bite her lower lip because she was a little bit nervous from this closeness. She often do that every time she felt uncomfortable in his presence. It didn''t escape from Erick''s observant eyes. He smiled triumphantly. Erick leaned closer to Elle. Their faces were now just an inch away from each other. Elle''s heart was pounding like crazy in her chest. And it seemed like there were butterflies in her stomach right now. She wanted to get away from him but she froze on her spot. She forgot her plan to fight back. As Erick''s face was getting closer and closer to hers, she just involuntarily closed her eyes. Then after a while Elle felt something soft and warm touched her. Erick kissed her. He kissed her on her forehead. When she felt that, she automatically opened her eyes. Then she saw Erick grinning at her, rejoicing inside. Her mind went blank seeing his handsome face. He was really more attractive up close. He could really melt anyone''s heart with his smile. "Am I already forgiven Elle?" Erick asked her softly like he didn''t do something to her a while ago. Elle just nodded at him feeling lost. She hadn''t recover yet from what Erick just did to her a while ago. He was able to snatch her a kiss again. He was always doing things like this every time he wanted to get revenge at her. Erick felt happy and satisfied right now. It''s okay if Elle called him a gay. He knew that she was just trying to annoy him. The important thing was Elle was not mad at him anymore and had forgiven him already. "Okay. I will take a shower first." Erick left her after saying that. Elle stared at his retreating back and made a mental note to her mind ''Don''t ever mention to him about ''gay'' thing ever again. He will really give you a heart attack.'' then Elle put her right hand on her chest, slowly tapping it, trying to calm her racing heart. Meanwhile Erick just entered the bathroom. He was also trying to calm himself down. "Whoah, Elle is right. I am stupid. I am stupid for doing that dangerous thing a while ago. I almost lost control back there." he sighed deeply. He was planning to give her a lesson for doubting his manhood and masculinity but it backfired at him. He wanted to kiss her but if he did, he doubted if he could still stop himself from doing something that he might regret in the end. He shook his head trying to push the thought out of his mind and started to turn on the shower. He thought that this cold shower might helped him a little. Chapter 76 - 76: Acceptance On the next day, Elle and Erick together with his parents had breakfast together. Erick was wondering why Elle also woke up early and dressed herself up. "Erick, Mom and Dad, I have good news. I already found a job. Starting today I will be working at one of the Cafe in the City Z." Elle happily said to them. Erick was not really sure about this. He was still worrying about her being found out by the people looking for her but still he congratulated her in the end. "I thought you were just having a vacation here? Are you not planning to go back at the States?" Sarah wanted to confirm. Of course she was happy if she would stay here for good living with Erick. "Ahem, no Mom. I will still go back at the States but not now. Hehe Besides I just want also to work and gain incomes. I am ashame of just staying here and doing nothing." Elle explained to her. "Okay, but I am sad. You will now be busy with your work just like my son. Our bonding time will be lessen." Sarah said while looking a little bit sad. "Don''t worry Mom. You and Dad can visit me there if you want. We can still bond with each other during my working hours." Elle assured her. "Then how about me? Will you not invite me to visit you at your work place? Only mother and father are allowed to come?" Erick said to her, pretended to be jealous of his parents. Erick''s parents laughed after hearing that. "Of course, you can come also. You can also bring your friends and colleagues so that we will have more customers. So make sure to bring them there." She said to him sarcastically. Erick just chuckled upon sensing her sarcasm. "By the way Mom and Dad, do you know that Elle is a good cook?" Erick said to his parents enthusiastically while looking at Elle meaningfully. "Oh really?" Sarah gasped in surprise. Raymond just smiled at Elle. Elle was dumbfounded after hearing it. ''What is he trying to do this time?'' She glanced at Erick and gave him a warning look. Erick ignored her and just continued to praise her cooking skills in front of his parents. "Yes Mom. I am sure with it. Maybe that was one of the main reasons why she got her job quickly. So Mom and Dad do you want to taste her specialty? Do you want to try her recipe?" Erick was smiling widely. "Of course yes!" Sarah said excitedly. "Hmm I also agree with the idea. I am also curious about Elle''s skills in cooking." Raymond said. Elle shot Erick a cold sharp glare. She knew what he was trying to do. He was now forcing her to cook using his parents. He didn''t forget what she said to him before. But she didn''t really mean it. She was just annoyed to Erick that time when he said that she really was spoiled by his excellent cooking. She really wanted to hit him right now, forcing her and putting her in a difficult situation like this. The truth was she was not confident with her cooking. She seldom cooked food but right now Erick left her with no choice. "Ok Mom and Dad, I will cook for you on weekend." She said it so that she could still have time to prepare. She would ask Charles to teach her at the Cafe. Erick smiled triumphantly. At last, he would be able to taste Elle''s cooking. He wanted to accompany Elle to her work and planned to drop her there but Elle insisted that it was still early to go to work. So Erick left the house alone but still he was in a good mood. ____________________________________________ At XXX Crime Investigation Office Rose, Bryan and June were already at the office when April arrived. She couldn''t look at them in the eyes. She felt so embarrass. She didn''t also know how to face Bryan after what happened between them. She was also worried how she will face Erick. She really felt like dying from embarrassment. She was still cursing herself inside. Rose approached her. "Hey.. I am so worried about you. You didn''t return my calls. Are you okay?" She felt like crying right now when she heard Rose. "I am not okay. I don''t know how to face Chief Lee after what happened." she said truthfully. "Don''t worry. I think Chief Lee could understand you. He didn''t seem mad, instead he was concerned about you. Just talk to him okay." Rose comforted her. April just nodded at her. Bryan was staring at April. Ever since she arrived she never look at him. He could sense that she was avoiding him. Bryan felt sad about that but he understood her. It was really awkward for her to face him after that night. Bryan just let her be for a while. He wanted to give her time and space for a while. He understood if she was not yet ready to face him right now. After a while, Erick also arrived at the office. He paused when he saw April. Everyone greeted him as soon as they saw him. April also greeted him but she didn''t look at him in the eyes. He gladly returned their greetings. Then he turned to April and asked her "April can we talk for a moment inside my office?" Everyone knew how decisive and straightforward Erick was when it comes in making a move and a decision concerning their team. So they were not surprised when Erick asked April immediately in order to talk to her. April nodded in agreement. Erick walked ahead while April was following him behind. April was so nervous right now. She didn''t know how she would justify her action. She was really ashamed of what she did. She confessed to him in her drunken state in front of her colleagues and in front of Erick''s girlfriend. They were now alone in the office. Erick spoke up first. "How are you? Bryan told me yesterday that you couldn''t come to work since you are not feeling well." Erick said to her with a concerned voice. She expected him to scold her and be mad at her right now but hearing his concerned voice she had the urge to cry. "I am fine now Chief. I want to say sorry.....about what happened during Rose Birthday." she was struggling in saying those words. She was looking down while saying those words. She couldn''t face him. "I should be the one apologizing to you. I didn''t have any idea that I am giving you a hard time. But April, I didn''t mean to hurt you. I am really sorry about that." Erick said to her looking apologetic. This time April looked at him with disbelief. Erick was the one who is apologizing to her. As expected to their gentle detective. This was one of the reason why she really fell for him. "Chief you don''t need to be sorry. It is not your fault. I fully understand if you can''t return my affection. I was really drunk that time. I didn''t intend to confess especially in front of your girlfriend. I am really sorry Chief. Did I give you a hard time after that?" Erick''s lip curled up as he remembered Elle. ''Yes, I was put in a difficult situation after that night. I got into an argument with my girlfriend.'' He wanted to tell her but he just kept it to himself. He was really happy right now. He couldn''t help but smile as he remembered how they made up last night. April just looked at him feeling confused. Erick suddenly smiled but she didn''t know why. "April let''s forget what happened that night. I hope that our relationship with not be affected after that incident. Always remember, I treat you as my friend. I am really sorry if I can''t return your affection but I do really hope you can also find someone who will really love you and cherish you everyday and for the rest of his life." April was really sad after hearing that. It was not easy to forget him. It was really hard to stop her heart from liking and loving him. "Chief Do you really love her? What do you like about her? What did you see in her that the other girls who approached you before didn''t have?" April asked him curiously. Erick was put in a deep thought after hearing her questions. Then suddenly the beautiful face of Elle appeared on his mind, her serious face, her cold and aloof face, her sharp glare, her nervous and annoyed expression, her timid smile, her playful smile ,her sweet smile and her most alluring eyes. He couldn''t help but smile. He thought that Elle was still a mystery for him. Despite being a very aloof and cold-blooded girl sometimes, something was keeping Erick to be protective of her. As time goes by, he wanted to know her more each day. "April you do not need a reason for liking and loving someone. Sometimes, words are not enough to explain or express how you truly felt for someone. You just feel it with your own heart." "As for Elle I couldn''t really explain it, but every time I looked at her, I felt like I was being drawn to her. I didn''t feel it with others, only to her." April could feel the sincerity in every words that Erick said. She could see in his eyes how much he really cared for Elle. She realized that Erick really liked her and she should really give up this time. Accept everything that Erick already have someone in his heart and move on. "Now I know Chief. I truly understand you. Don''t worry Chief I will handle my own feelings. Let''s forget everything and go back to how we used to be... a friend and a colleague." Erick was glad to hear that. He felt relieved now. He smiled at her. Their conversation ended and April went back to her table. She glanced at Erick''s office one last time and she smiled bitterly. Chapter 77 - 77: Opening Day Elle arrived in the Falcon Cafe. Charles was already there waiting for her. "Ahmm. Welcome to Falcon Cafe." Charles said to her. Elle just nodded to him. "Is this how you greet your boss? You just give me nod. Do you want me to fire you on your first day?" Charles said to her trying to annoy her. Elle shot him a sharp glare. Charles smiled at her and made a peace sign. "Hehe I am just kidding!" "I am excited today because I thought I can now order her around but I am just mistaken." he mumbled. "Let''s go to the bas.e.m.e.nt first!" Elle said to him while she was already walking towards the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. "Are we not going to open the Cafe today?" he asked her while he followed her behind. "It is too early. Just open it around 10:00 am." After entering the bas.e.m.e.nt she went to the computer immediately. "Do you have any relevant information about Dark Knight?" she asked him. "Nothing much. I just learned that they will have a transaction tonight at around 8:00 p.m. in the evening." Charles informed her. "Do you know the exact location where the transaction will happen?" Elle asked her again while searching some information in the computer. "I heard it will happen in one of the abandon building outside City Z. Why are you asking?" Charles asked her. "Today is our opening day, right?" Elle simply replies. "Yes, so what are you planning to do?" Charles asked her confusedly. "It means it is also our first day to start a move. Time to give Dark Knight a lesson. Let''s sabotage this transaction!" Elle said to him enthusiastically. Charles looked at her in disbelief "Are you serious? You will attack them tonight?" "Yes! This is the best opportunity to do that." Elle said with certainty. "Okay... but their transaction will happen tonight. How would you do that? You are supposed to be at home by evening." "Hmm I know what to do." Elle smiled meaningfully. Charles just shook his head. Catseye was really unpredictable. She would act as long as she wanted. At exactly 10:00 am, they opened the Falcon Cafe. They also put some promo for their grand opening. They also got lots of customer for the first day. Their location was very strategic and could attract different types of customer such as employee, students and others. They never expected that this would be so tiring. Elle was now giving Charles a sharp glare. He just smiled at her sheepishly. ''I asked him to just pick a space for our another hideout but I didn''t said to him to choose a good location that could attract more customers. Charles really choose a great location for business like this. Is he planning to make this cafe big later on and run this cafe in the future?'' Elle thought to herself while blaming Charles for this very tiring day. Elle decided to close the Cafe at around 4:00 p.m. She was now really tired accommodating those customers. Charles was also tired. Elle walked towards him and hitted him on the head. "Do you really want to make this Cafe successful? Why did you choose this kind of location. I said we will just used this as our hideout not to conduct a real business." She was now scolding him. "Elle I think you changed a lot." Charles suddenly mumbled. "What do you mean?" Elle frown. "You are not the woman of a few words anymore. You are now becoming more talkative. Hehe Before you will just gave me a dangerous look every time you are upset and annoyed with me but now you are scolding me. You were also very approachable while talking with our customers." Charles let out a chuckle while feeling amused. Elle wanted to hit him again but before she could do that Charles ran towards the bas.e.m.e.nt to escape from her and locked it. "Charles come back here if you don''t want me to beat you!" Elle shouted to him. In the end, after chasing and beating Charles, the two of them started to prepare for tonight''s mission. ____________________________________________ Evening came. Everything was all set in the part of Elle and Charles. Meanwhile... Erick already came home. He didn''t see Elle so he asked his parents. "Mom, Dad do you know where''s Elle?" "Son, she just informed me a while ago that she would come home late. She said they were busy at work since today was their first day of opening." Sarah said to him. Erick frown. Elle didn''t inform him. "Today is just her first day and she had an over time already. Do you know Mom where she is working? I will fetch her." Sarah laughed upon hearing the unhappiness and concerned in Erick''s voice. "You are really very protective of her. I am really happy to see you care that much for a girl. Hmm just call her, she didn''t mention the name of her workplace." Erick dialled her number but to his disappointment she was unattended. ''Did she forget to charge her phone?'' Seeing his expression, his mother asked him. "What''s wrong?" "Her phone is now unattended." he said. "Son, Elle is an a.d.u.l.t. She is a brave and a smart girl. She knows how to protect herself. She proved it already when we were taken as hostage so don''t worry too much. She will come home later. Just wait for her." Sarah comforted him. Erick just sighed deeply. Her mother didn''t know about the danger that Elle''s might encounter since Skull gang is looking for her that is why he was really worried about her. But his mother was right. Elle was a strong-willed woman and an intelligent one. He should just trust her, besides she always brought the things he gave her for protection and she promised him that she would follow his instruction if ever something bad happened to her. It was already 8:30 p.m but Elle didn''t come home yet. Erick started to feel uneasy. "Tomorrow I will definitely visit her workplace." he mumbled to himself. After a while, his phone started to ring. He answered it. It was a call from the headquarter. There was a change in his expression after that call. "Mom, I need to go somewhere. The headquarter just called me a while ago. There is some emergency. Please update me if Elle comes home." Erick said to his mother. "Okay son. I will inform you as soon as she comes back. Take care of yourself Son." His mother hugged him before he left. Chapter 78 - 78: Birthday Gift James Arison was one of the most handsome successful bachelors in his generation. Many girls were going crazy about him. Aside from being the leader of Skull Gang and the Chairman of Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation, he was also known as a lady killer, in a sense that he was a Casanova. Once he set his eyes on a girl, that girl would always end up in his bed. Now his victim was the famous actress in the business entertainment, Chlarice. They just met two days ago in a charity event which was organized by Arison Holdings and Chlarice was one of the invited guests. And now they met again in one of the luxurious hotels in the City Z. "Oh..Oh..Ah! Oh James! You are so great James!" Chlarice was shouting his name from pleasure he was giving her. James was licking and sucking her b.r.e.a.s.t like a baby feeding for his milk. His hand was playing her other b.r.e.a.s.t, pinching and nibbling her n.i.p.p.l.e. His other hand was pleasuring her most private part. She spread her legs widely to welcome his expert hand. He pushed his index and middle fingers on her entrance, thrusting in and out. His thumb was massaging and pinching her c.l.i.t.o.r.i.s while his other fingers were going in and out in a very fast pace. Chlarice convulsed with those sensations. She m.o.a.ned from pleasure. James was satisfied seeing her melt and got weak in his arms. He kissed her downward from her navel going to her entrance. This time, James grabbed her thighs and spread it wide open. He started to lick her womanhood which was now so wet. He kissed it, licked and sucked it. Chlarice couldn''t help herself from lifting her h.i.p.s up to meet his expert tongue. "Oh yeah, it so good, Oh I think I am gonna come!" She grabbed his head and pushed it closer to her womanhood. Then her orgasm came. James sucked all of her juices. "Sweetie It''s your turn to return the favor." James said to her in his husky voice. The girl gladly complied to what he wanted. James sat up and leaned on the cupboard of the bed. He spread his legs and the girl positioned herself in the middle. She grabbed his now very hard manhood. It was bigger and longer compare to other man. She started to massage his shaft up and down. James started to groan from pleasure. She bent down to kiss it. She started to lick it from the head going down, kissing, sucking and licking every part of it. James closed his eyes from the pleasure. He grabbed her b.r.e.a.s.t, massaging and squeezing it while she was sucking him. Chlarice started to put his thing in her mouth giving him a blow job. They were in this position when James'' phone started to ring. He picked up his phone in the bedside table. He answered it. "Boss I''ve got a news for you." It was Spike his righthand man who spoke on the other line. "What is it?" James said trying to sound normal despite the pleasure he was feeling right now. Chlarice was moving her head up and down. "Mr Chen and his team together with some Dark Knight members were killed." "Ah, Oh!" James was not able to control his groan when the girl started to move faster. Bringing his thing deeper into her throat. "Boss, are you okay?" Spike asked him with a concern voice. "Yeah, just continue." "Someone sabotaged their transaction and killed them in the process. They lost a hundred million during the incident. The people who did this were still unknown." James smirked after hearing that. "It serves them right. That was the price he paid after turning his back on us." "But Boss, we need to be careful. Mr Chen''s men suspected us that we are the one who did this. They thought we have the motive from doing it." Spike informed him with a worry tone. "We have nothing to fear. They were just a bunch of weaklings." James assured him. James was trying his best not to make an unnecessary sound but the girl was teasing him more. "Oh f*ck! ah!" "Boss what''s happening? Are you sure you are just ok?" Spike asked him curiously. "I''ll call you back later." James hang up the phone. Now he turned to Chlarice in front of him. "Stop it sweetie. I think I am gonna come. Put the condom and I will fill you now." he ordered. Then the girl put the condom on his long very hard thing now. After that the girl straddled him. They did it in a sitting position. He grabbed her waist and guided her movement from pushing up and down. He was also lifting his h.i.p.s up to meet her. They were now moving very fast. Their groan and m.o.a.n reverberated inside the room. They both found their release. ____________________________________________ This was the happenings 3 hours ago.... Mr Chen and his group met with Dark Knight members in an abandon building outside city Z. They were exchanging money and weapons. Mr. Chen became the supplier of weapons for Dark Knight after he refused their collaboration with Skull Gang. They were just about to finish their transaction when suddenly someone attacked them. They had no idea that the devil assassin Catseye was already there before they arrived. She already found her nice hiding spot and positioned herself while observing them do their transaction. She brought her favorite M40A5 sniper ripple equipped with silencer. She started to shoot with high accuracy hitting her targets in their head. Her opponents didn''t have time to react and retaliate. In just a few minutes, everyone was all down bathing with their own blood. A sinister smile appeared on her face. Then minutes later Charles arrived with her sports car. Elle and Charles went to check their victims, 30 lifeless body scattered on the ground. "Tsk tsk so brutal! You don''t really have mercy. You didn''t left anyone alive. What are we gonna do with these?" Charles asked her. "Do we need to leave your death card here?" he added. "No! Let''s keep them on the dark. Let them wonder who did this. This is how we get our revenge to Dark Knight." she said while smiling cunningly. "How about these weapons? Should we bring all these?" "No, just get the brief case. The money is our main priority." Charles nodded in agreement and then he picked up the brief case. "Let''s go?" Charles asked her. "Wait. Call the XXX Crime investigation Office. Give them the tip about this." She ordered. Charles frown upon hearing it. "Why?" "Few days ago, I attended a birthday party of one of their members. This is my gift to her." She let out a chuckle and she moved to her car leaving the speechless Charles. He followed her instruction. 20 minutes after Elle and Charles left the place, members of XXX Crime Investigation and Police arrived. Chapter 79 - 79: A Shoulder to Lean On Police Authorities and Members of XXX Crime Investigation were shocked to see the scene in front of them. There were around 30 dead bodies scattered bathing with their own blood. "This was a surprise attack. They were not able to fight back. Base on their wounds, a sniper did this, whoever did this, that someone is definitely a very sharp shooter. They had no time to retaliate." one of the investigator said. "The bullets, it''s some kind of M40 sniper ripple. This is a merciless killing." June said as he looked around the lifeless body of the victims scattered around. "What is the motive? A robbery? Do you think Chief it was an inside job?" Bryan asked Erick. Erick was silent, he was very occupied of his own thoughts. "If this is a competition, I am wodering, why they left these high powered weapons, if their motive is to sabotage the transaction? Are they just using some kind of diversion here?" June was doubtful. "There should be money involved here but we couldn''t find any. The other party took it for sure." Bryan shared his thoughts. "I think this is a warning or some kind of revenge." Erick finally spoke up. June and Bryan exchanged glances as they nooded in agreement. "But, who might be responsible for this? They were so brutal. They killed so many and all of them have same wounds. They were shot on the head. Whoever did this, they really want to make sure that no one will stay alive." June said. "I am glad we didn''t bring the ladies here. I am sure they won''t be able to take if they see this." Bryan felt relieved. Erick expression darkened. Even thought these people were considered as bad guys and criminals but he was not happy seeing there were lots of bloodshed. This was not the justice he wants. He was frustrated about it. One police investigator approached them. "Their affiliations to any group of syndicates was still unknown. We will investigate it further. Thank you for your cooperation and informing us ahead." he said to them. "No need to thank us. It is our duty to coordinate and work with each other. It just happened that we are the one who received the first hand information about this incident." Erick responded. "We were receiving a lots of anonymous tips these days." Bryan mumbled. After taking pictures, wrapping up and clearing the area, the dead bodies were transferred to morgue. They would also conduct further investigation to identify those persons and find out what syndicates they were belong. Reporters were also arrived at the scene. It was a big scope for a news story. This would be one of the hottest headlines for tomorrow. Erick was about to leave when he got a message from his mother that Elle already came home. Now he could already be more at ease. Tonight''s incidents bothered him so much. He really wanted to go home now and relieve his stress. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile, Elle just arrived at home. She was in good mood since their plan was successful. "Darling Elle, you really went home late tonight. Erick was worried-sick about you. Hmm You didn''t inform him about your overtime work. He was a little bit unhappy about it." Sarah said to her and immediately hugged her to welcome her. Elle was getting used of her being so gentle and warm towards her. Sarah was really acting like her own loving mother. "Don''t worry Mom. I will explain everything to him. Besides if he is really upset, I can still handle him. Just trust me." She smiled and winked at her. Sarah let out a soft laugh after hearing that. "Yeah, I know. But Erick was not yet here. He was already home when the headquarter called him for an emergency. I am worried about him. This job is very dangerous. I am restless every time he will be on the field catching criminals." Sarah shared her concerns and worries. "Don''t worry Mom. Nothing bad will happen to him. He was expert in this field. This is part of their job. Even though we didn''t like it but we don''t have a choice. I think he really loves his job. Of course it was just second. He loves you more." Elle was trying to cheer her up. "Hmm, you know how to sweet talk Darling. Hehe Thank you. But I think you''re wrong about one thing." Sarah was back to her lively mood. "About what Mom?" She asked her. "I think his job should be third only. He loves you more, now that you are here." Sarah teased her. Elle was speechless. ''Mom, you are really expecting too much from us. We are just pretending.'' She just gave her a timid smile. She didn''t know why but seeing Sarah so happy like this right now she felt a little bit guilty about lying to her. They were still chatting with each other when Erick arrived. "Oh, here comes your prince. I have to go now. I don''t want to disrupt your moments. Goodnyt my dear." Sarah kissed her on the forehead before leaving. She also welcomed his son with a hugged and bade him a goodnight kiss on the cheek. "Hey." Erick greeted her as soon as he arrived. "How are you?" Elle asked him. "I am fine." Erick replied and smiled at her. But what Erick wanted to say is ''I am now fine since I already see you.'' Elle frown since she noticed that Erick''s was a little bit listless tonight. She was thinking if it was because of the incidents tonight. Erick sat down beside her. Elle turned to him. "You look so tired, what happened? Mom told me that you were called by the headquarter a while ago." Elle asked him even thought she already knew about it. It was her idea to inform them. "Hmm. I should be the one asking you. What happened? Why did you work over time on your first day. Bring me to your Boss tomorrow, I will scold him." He was now back to his normal self, joking with her. "Yeah, he deserves a scolding. I am very tired today. There were lots of customer because it was our opening day." She complained to him like a child who was bully by her playmates. She was playing along with him. Erick chuckled seeing her act like this. She was so cute saying those complaints then pouting afterwards. "It''s just your first day and now you are complaining. Who is the one asked permission to me to search for a job feeling so determine?" He gently tapped her head and messed her hair and he let out a chuckle. "Hey, don''t mess with my hair. I''ll punch you! I thought your unhappy that I work over time, now that I complained to you but you are lecturing me instead." Elle glared at him. Erick burst out into laugh. Elle never failed to amuse him. This was what he needed to lighten his mood. Erick suddenly went silent as he remembered the incident a while ago. He was still feeling down about it. He was really upset and frustrated. He really hatea killings. Elle noticed the changes in Erick''s expression. She wanted to ask him but the word was stuck in her throat. She just kept quiet. There was a moment of silence between them. Then suddenly Erick leaned his head on her shoulder which astounded her. "Elle can I borrow your shoulder for a while?" Erick softly mumbled. Elle could feel the conflicting emotions that Erick was having right now. Elle just nodded in agreement. "Thank you." He mumbled before closing his eyes. He could smell her scent and feel her warmth. Elle didn''t say any words but letting him lean on her shoulder it was really comforting him right now. They forgot how long they stayed in that position. No one was talking but it seemed that they just understood one another. Chapter 80 - 80: Driving her to her Workplace Erick was now feeling better compared last night. He could still remember how Elle comforted him by lending her shoulder for him to lean on. If only him could decide he wanted that moment not to end. Then a thought suddenly flashed on his mind. He was sleeping in his study for the past few days now. He missed sleeping on his bed together with Elle. He sighed deeply as he remembered that one time he slept together with Elle. It only happened once when Elle had a nightmare. He was wondering if Elle would allow him again to share the bed with him. Erick shook his head and laugh to himself. He knew it was impossible. He was in this thought when Elle entered the kitchen. She saw him cooking breakfast but he seemed like his mind was occupied by something. "Hey, the food will gonna burnt if you keep doing that." Elle said to him that caught his attention. Erick''s eyes widened as he realized his mistake. He immediately turned off the stove. Elle frown at him. She moved closer to Erick and put her hand on his forehead trying to check his temperature. Erick was astonished with that sudden action. His face automatically turned red and his temperature rose up suddenly. "Are you not feeling well? You are hot!" Elle said to him with a concern voice. Erick:"....." ''It''s your fault.'' Erick thought to himself as he stared at her with disbelief. Erick immediately removed her hand and said "I am fine. It''s nothing." He gave her an awkward smile. Elle was looking at him suspiciously. She knew that something was bothering him since last night. As he noticed her doubtful look he spoke up again. "I''m fine, I am just tired from work and I haven''t got a good sleep for the past few nights." he said as an alibi. Elle realized something after hearing that. ''Maybe he was not used sleeping at his study and he would be more comfortable sleeping on his own bed.'' She felt guilty towards him. Erick smiled as he saw her looking convinced with his explanation. "Let''s have a breakfast. You also have work today. I''ll call Mom and Dad to join us." Erick said before leaving the kitchen to call his parents. After breakfast, they both left the house. Erick would drive her today going to her workplace. He really insisted today so Elle had no choice but to agree. She was just a little bit worried about Erick meeting Charles today. Hope that Charles would not blow her cover. She would really punish him if he do so. During their journey, Erick noticed her uneasiness so he asked her. "Are you okay? Is there something bothering you? Elle turned to answer him."No, I am just worried about you. Are you sure you are going to work today? You seemed like you are not feeling well a while ago. You should rest at home." She also felt worried about him since last night. Erick''s eyes turned more gentle when he heard that. He was glad that she was concerned about him. "Ahmm, I am happy that my girlfriend shows some concern about me. If you really worried about me can you update me what''s happening on your end in order to lessen my worries. You are the one giving me a headache just thinking about you being in danger." Erick said to her with a teasing tone. Elle just rolled her eyes hearing him. Erick chuckled seeing her reaction. "Then why don''t you hired some bodyguard for me if you are really concerned about my safety? He could follow me around all the time and would report to you just to make you at ease." She said to him sarcastically. "Why should I hire someone if I can do that myself. Hmm do you want me to resign on my current job and to apply as your bodyguard?" Erick said to her while joking. He was grinning at her. Elle couldn''t tolerate this shameless guy beside her. She didn''t want to lose and need to fight back. A cunning smile appeared on her beautiful face."Hmm, well my dear are you really sure you can do that for me if I really ask you to resign at your work? I would be really happy if you do that. I will have to spend more time with you." She played along with him. This time Erick was left speechless. He stopped the car as he saw the red light was on. He averted his gaze to see Elle smiling widely at him. She was rejoicing as she saw him became speechless. She thought she won the argument since she knew how Erick was serious when it comes to his work. Erick smirked at her. "Really my dear? If you just told me before then I should have done it long time ago. I should have really made you happy. Hmm spending more time with you is a very great idea. I would love to do that also." This time Elle was the one who was dumbstruck with his reply. Elle was mistaken. Erick didn''t became speechless when she asked him to resign from work but because of the last sentence she said. Elle looked away immediately and she turned to look at front. "Okay you win! Let''s forget it." Erick burst out into laugh. Elle glared at him. She couldn''t win once Erick used his shamelessness. Elle just shook her head. Erick couldn''t stop laughing. He was really amused everytime Elle was trying to get even at him but in the end she would end up the one being annoyed. "Hey stop laughing! Green light is on. Move!" Elle reminded him and he complied but Erick continued laughing. Elle got infected with his laughters so in the end she couldn''t help herself from laughing also. "Hey stop laughing already!" Elle hit him on his shoulder. Erick tried his best to stop "I am sorry. I couldn''t help it. It''s your fault. You are very cute while looking so annoyed." "Do I look like a clown to you?" Elle looked at him with disbelief. She frown at him. Erick was able to contain his laughters. He stopped laughing already. He averted his gaze to Elle and look at her intently. "No my dear. In my eyes, you look so beautiful whatever expression you wear." He said to her softly while his eyes was full of gentleness and admiration. Elle''s heart skipped a beat after hearing it and seeing his intense gaze that he was giving her. Her face turned red and now blushing. She immediately extend her hands to cover his eyes that was looking at her. "Hey..."Erick complained "Stop looking at me!" Erick stopped the car and held her hands. "Hey, why did you do that? I am driving. We might get into an accident." Erick said to her with a questioning look. "Then stop staring at me. Put your eyes on the road and just focus on driving!" Elle complained to him. Erick let out a chuckle. "All right! Just don''t do that again. What if you get hurt if accident happened? I will blame myself." he softly said to her and then he squeezed her hand that he was still holding. "Okay. I am sorry." Elle said as she realized her mistake. She was not thinking right. She acted on impulse. Erick sighed and gently tapped her head. He was not blaming her. "It''s alright. Don''t misinterpret, I am not blaming you." Erick assured her. Elle just nodded. Chapter 81 - 81: Erick met Charles After 20 minutes of travel, Erick and Elle arrived at Falcon Cafe. When Charles heard the sound of the glass door being opened he knew that it was Elle so he immediately stood up ready to greet her. "Hi Elle..." the rest of the words that he was supposed to tell her were stuck in his throat as he saw her warning look and the man behind her. Elle was not alone. Charles gave Elle a confused look. Erick stared at the guy who was so excited to greet Elle when they arrived. He thought tp himself that this guy might be Elle''s Boss and the owner of this Cafe. Erick was silently observing Charles. He estimated that he was 6 feet tall, had a good body built and a definition of a mestizo beauty with a blonde hair. Just one look at him and he could say that he has a vibrant personality. Charles was doing the same. He was observing Erick and taking notes of his good features. He felt uncomfortable the first time he saw this guy. He had a warm and cool personality that made him to dislike him apart from the truth that he was really a very good looking man. He felt threaten with this man''s presence. Elle spoke up noticing the silent and awkward atmosphere. "Good morning Boss!" She greeted Charles politely. "Good morning Elle, who is this guy?" Charles asked her directly. Elle shot him a glared upon noticing the unhappiness in his tone. It was Erick who spoke up. "I am Erick Lee, Elle''s guardian...and her boyfriend." Charles'' eyes widened upon hearing that and he automatically turned to Elle gaving her a questioning look. Elle gave him a meaningful look and a warning telling him not to overreact. But Charles was not able to control his emotion and his blabbering mouth. "What boyfriend!? Elle didn''t mention it to me!" Erick frown with Charles reaction. ''Damn Charles! I will kill you if you say another word.'' Elle had the urge to cut his tongue so that he couldn''t talk anymore. "Ahem Boss it was not part of the interview that''s why I never mentioned it to you." Elle emphasized every word to him hoping that he could understand her warning. "Ah okay. By the way, nice meeting you Erick. I am Charles Del Rios, Elle''s Boss." He invited them to sit down. "Elle can you please make us a coffee?" Charles ordered her since he wanted to be alone with Erick. Elle glared at him. She didn''t want to leave them alone because she was worried that Charles would say anything that could raise suspicion from Erick. However she didn''t have a choice but to follow his order. In Erick''s eyes Charles was her Boss so it was just natural to follow his order. Elle left both of them to prepare their drinks. Charles was intently staring at Erick with a serious look. "Mr. Lee, I will be honest with you. I know about Elle''s condition." Charles suddenly spoke up. Erick frown upon hearing that "What do you mean Mr. Del Rios?" "I know that she had an amnesia. She told me about it when she was looking for a job. I accepted her despite the fact that she didn''t know her identity and she couldn''t give me her background and profile. I trust her capability." Charles gave him a mischievous smile. Erick didn''t like it. In Charles'' mind he wanted to say to him that he knew Elle more than what he knew about her. "Hmm, is that so Mr. Del Rios? Then I should be thankful to you for doing that." Erick just smiled at him. "So don''t worry about her. She was doing fine here." Charles gave him a meaningful smile. ''What is he trying to imply by saying this?''Erick thought to himself. Then Elle came back with their drinks. She saw Charles smiling while Erick had an indescribable expression on his face. ''What did Charles tell him?'' Elle was puzzled. She gave them their coffee while silently observing Erick. "Thank you for the coffee Mr. Del Rios but I am afraid I can''t stay longer. I have to go now." Erick said as he stood up getting ready to leave. Charles stood up also and extended his hand to Erick to offer him a shakehand. Erick accepted it. "Ok Mr. Lee. You are very welcome to come again here at Falcon Cafe." Charles smiled at him. Erick just nodded. "Are you leaving already?" Elle asked him feeling so relieved. Erick turned to face Elle. Erick looked at her with a gentle gaze "Yes, I need to be at the headquarter before 9:00." He was about to leave when he stopped on his track. He turned around and walked towards Elle. "Elle I forgot something." Erick said to her. "What is it?" Elle asked him. Erick smiled at her and then he kissed her on the cheek while Charles was looking at them. Elle and Charles were shocked and became speechless. "Tell me what time you will be out later, I''ll pick you up." Erick said to her before leaving. Elle just nodded. Charles clenched his fists. ''How dare he kiss Elle in front of me? No need to act so intimate with her, I already know that he was just a FAKE boyfriend.'' Charles was in rage. After Erick left, Charles didn''t waste anymore time and he interrogated Elle. "What is that all about Elle?" Charles sounded unhappy. "Hey Why are you so worked up today?" Elle asked him while raising her brows. "You are asking me why? That detective just introduced himself as your boyfriend and he just kissed you a while ago. What the hell Elle? What are you thinking? Are you into him?" Charles was acting like a father who just caught her daughter having a boyfriend. Elle just rolled her eyes. "Relax. You are thinking to much. I have my reason from doing that. By the way, why are you mad? Do I have to explain to you all my actions?" "Of course yes! I am your accomplice. How do you expect me to deal with situations like that if I didn''t know about it? What if I blow your cover without realizing it? Then I will be the one who suffers from your furry." Charles scolded her. Elle was dumbfounded. Charles was also thinking sometimes. Elle burst out into laugh. Then she patted his shoulder. "You are becoming more intelligent these days. I am proud of you partner." Elle praised him. Charles blushed after hearing that. His mood automatically changed. His rage a while ago disappeared with just one praise from Elle. Charles coughed trying to calm himself down and to act normal in front of her. Now he was back to his cheerful mood. "Elle, if I and Erick will be in danger, who will you save?" "Who else? Of course it''s you!" "Really? Why?" "Because you are my one and only accomplice." Charles was rejoicing and smiling foolishly. He didn''t know the true reasons why Elle answered she would save him. Elle thought that Charles was an idiot and the weaker between them. Erick could save himself so she didn''t hesitate to choose him. "Hmm how about who is more handsome between me and him?" Charles asked her again. "Do you really want me to answer truthfully?" Elle raised her brow. Charles grunted and regretted asking her that question."Argh! Never mind. Just forget that I asked you that question." Elle let out a chuckle after that. "Elle move out already. Leave his place. You can stay with me or with Master''s Phantom villa. You can also move to your new place." Charles suggested. Elle just shook her head. "I am serious Elle. I feel that you are not safe with that Detective. He may discover your identity anytime." Charles said with a concern tone. "I know what I am doing Charles. Don''t worry." Elle assured him. "But that Detective is so handsome!" Charles suddenly mumbled. Elle frown. "So what?" "What if he will seduce you?" Charles asked her. Elle:"....." ''Charles is over thinking too much. I want to take back what I said a while ago that he is becoming more intelligent these days.'' Elle hit his head. "Do I look like a woman who can easily seduce by any man?" A cunning smile appeared on her beautiful face. Charles stared at her alluring eyes and then a thought flashed to his mind. ''Yeah you are right. But thinking about it, you can be a woman who can easily seduce any man if you just really wanted.'' Chapter 82 - 82: The Spy At a certain Club where group of assassins often gathered.... Black Shadow was silently drinking, alone in an isolated table inside the club. One of the assassins noticed his presence. He decided to approach him. "Hey Black! Long time no see brother." He sat down beside him and wrapped his arm around Black Shadow''s shoulder. Black Shadow grunt from pain since the man had touched his not yet recovered wound. Black Shadow glared at the man beside him and he removed that man''s arms from his shoulder. The man gave him a confused look. "Oh! So the rumor was true! You have been hurt?" The man let out a chuckle. "Black who did this to our most skilled brother?" the man added. Black Shadow''s expression darkened as he remembered how he was shot and got stab by James Arison because of Catseye''s doing. "It''s Catseye." Black Shadow mumbled as he gritted his teeth. The man was shocked upon hearing Catseye''s name. "So it is true that the secret mission that you accepted was related to Catseye? You are hunting him down?" the man whispered to him afraid that someone else might heard them. Black Shadow just nodded and he spoke up to correct him."It is her not him. Catseye is a woman!" The man chuckled again looking at him with amus.e.m.e.nt and disbelief "So it was also true that the rumor that Catseye is a woman came from you? Have you really seen her face? How did she look? Is she ugly? Does she have some scars in the face that is why she didn''t show it?" Black Shadow paused after hearing his question. "Your assumption is wrong. Catseye is a true example of a beauty." Black Shadow smirked at him. The man laughed out loud. "Are you really serious? How sure are you? Can you describe her to me? I really want to know." "She has an alluring black eyes. Once you look at her it seems like you are being hypnotize." Black Shadow describe her eyes since it was the only vivid memory he had about Catseye before he was knocked down. "Ahem, Are you already under her spell? Have you been charmed by your mortal enemy? Have you change your mind about catching her?" The man teased him. A michievous smile appeared on his face. "Of course not! I am now more motivated to catch her." The man patted his head "Congrats Black! You discovered Catseye''s true identity. And good luck in catching her. It is really difficult to deal with a devil like her. Be careful!" the man warned him. "Hmm, we are now even. Let''s see who will score in our next encounter." Black Shadow smiled cunningly. "However, did you know that Catseye is still inactive? She didn''t accepted any mission for quite some time now. That''s why we have so many job opportunities right now. Her silence is advantageous for us. What do you think is she planning to do?" he asked Black Shadow. Black Shadow just shook his head. He didn''t have any idea. He was also wondering why Catseye didn''t move until now. The last time she moved was during her surprise visit at Arison Holdings main office. After that she became idle again. Unknown to the two men who were still having deep thoughts about Catseye, there was a pair of eyes already watching them from afar since they entered the club. It was Marie. She was drinking a c.o.c.ktail at the counter. She went undercover again and spying was her expertise in the field. Marie was just waiting for the right time and right opportunity to get near and approach Black Shadow without raising any suspicion. She took her 3 days and 3 nights before she was able to gather an intel and relevant information about black shadow. Since Catseye was still untraceable, they changed their strategy and plan. They would find her through indirect method and Black Shadow was their target this time. When she saw Black Shadow stood up and seemed like he was going to the comfort room, Marie also stood up and brought her c.o.c.ktail drinks with her. She was planning to intentionally bump Black Shadow so that she could able to interact with him. She was wearing a dress tonight and did a make over for tonight''s mission having the thought that pretty girls were always the weakness of men. And Marie''s plan was successful. She bumped to Black Shadow in the hallway going to the comfort room. She almost fell from that collision but fortunately Black Shadow acted fast and was able to hold her waist. Black Shadow was now staring the her. Marie flashed her sweetest smile and spoke to him. "I am sorry for that and thank you for catching me. I really thought I am gonna fall." Marie pointed his clothes which was not stained by the c.o.c.ktail drink that spilled when they bumped into each other. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile at Falcon Cafe.... Elle just finished talking with Erick over the phone when she informed him that she needs to stay for another 2 hours at the Cafe before she could go home. She just made some alibi that it was work related. However, the truth was Elle wanted to stay in order for her to ask Charles to teach her how and what to cook since she promised Erick''s parents that she would cook for them this coming weekend. "Hey Charles, have you done what I requested you to do?" Elle asked him regarding the cooking utensils that she ordered him to buy and prepare. "Yeah, I already brought them yesterday. What will you gonna do with those things?" Charles asked her suspiciously. He was wondering why Elle would request him to buy some cooking utensils given from the fact that Elle didn''t like to cook and she seldom cooked. "Of course, what else? We will used it for cooking." Elle just simply replied. Charles looked at her with disbelief "Are you serious? You? Are you going to cook?" Elle smiled at him and nodded. "Yes, and you will teach me tonight!" She said matter-of-factly. She didn''t give him a chance to object. "When did we agree to do that?" Charles asked her again. "Whether you like it or not, you must teach me tonight!" Elle smiled at him cunningly. Charles was shocked and dumbfounded. ''Is this how Elle ask for a favor? She is not giving me a choice. I haven''t said yes! A devil was really a devil! Forcing someone to do what she wanted him to do.'' "Why do want to learn cooking now? You don''t like cooking! Are doing this for the fake boyfriend of yours?" Charles said as he sounded angry. Elle rolled her eyes. ''Here we go again with the ''fake boyfriend'' issue.'' "Who said I don''t like cooking? I just didn''t have time to cook because I am busy gaining millions of money by killing someone and don''t forget you also benefited from it." Elle defended herself. "No! It''s a no! Even if you kill me now I won''t teach you! You will just cook for that Detective! No way!" Charles said stubbornly. Elle just stared at him intently. Elle was now frowning and becoming impatient because of his stubbornness. Charles noticed the dangerous stare that Elle was now giving him. "Ahem. I will teach you but in one condition!" Charles said immediately after sensing the danger. A light flashed on Elle''s eyes and she smiled "What is it?" "Invite me during the time you will be cooking for them! I want to be there." Charles demanded. Elle was dumbfounded at Charles shamelessness. He wanted to be invited. ''What is he thinking?'' Elle didn''t like the idea but in the end she agreed on his condition. "Ok fine. Deal!" Elle said. Charles gave her a triumphant smile after that. "One more thing, you will be the one buying the ingredients for tonight cooking session. Hehe. Please Elle, I am tired for today for accommodating our customers. I did all the work while you were just relaxing on the side." Elle laughed after hearing that. It was true. She gave him all the works for today. She acted as the boss after Erick left the Cafe. So she just nodded in agreement. After Charles listed down the ingredients, Elle went out to buy everything on the list. She was on her way when a collision happened on the highway 5 meters away from her location. A black sedan car cut in front of another red mercedes benz car that caused the latter to crash in a post. Elle witnessed everything that happened and she was about to ignore it however the driver of the black sedan car came out while holding a gun. He walked towards the red mercedez benz car. "Oh Well well well! What we have here?" A meaningful smile appeared on Elle''s face as she saw the person inside the red car. It was James Arison. Chapter 83 - 83: Elles Decision Elle was just observing on the other side of the road as the man opened the car from the driver''s side. She could now see James Arison clearly. His head was bleeding. It was caused by the impact of the crash. He either bumped his head or some broken crystals of the car windshield hit him. He was wounded and it seemed like James Arison was about to get killed by this gunman. Elle was thinking whether to turn a blindeye on this and just go on with her plan to buy the ingredients for their cooking session or to interfere and save James Arison from getting killed today. A smile appeared on her beautiful face as she weighed up the pros and cons of her action before she decides of what to do in this kind of situation. If James Arison die today, Skull Gang would just appoint another leader and they might forget about Catseye and stop hunting her down. It was a good thing for her. One of her enemies would just disappeared. But on the other sides, if she let James Arison survive today she thought that there is nothing wrong in making one of her enemies be indebted to her. If she save him right now it might be useful to her in the future. It would also be a win-win situation for her. After contemplating for a minute, Elle arrived in one condition. Meanwhile, on James Arison''s side, he hadn''t recovered yet from the impact of the crash. He didn''t expected that he would be put in this very bad situation right now. He was just finished having a date and he was unaware that someone was following him. He was talking on the phone with one of his business partner when the black sedan cut him off in the front. Since it was very sudden so he acted on his impulse to avoid bumping the car in front however he didn''t notice the post on the other side, so instead, his car crashed on the post. He regretted that he didn''t bring his assistant and his righthand man Spike. He saw the driver of the black sedan came out of the car and now walking towards his direction. The man was holding the gun. James was now feeling weak and was about to lose consciousness. The man opened his car door. "It''s payback time Leader of Skull Gang! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." the man said to him. A sinister smile appeared on his face. He was now pointing the gun at James. "F*ck, am I going to die today!" James was now cursing inside. It was too late to move. He couldn''t get his gun on time and he already felt really weak right now. "Adios my friend!" the man said to him before he pulled the trigger. James just closed his eyes waiting for the bullet to hit him. However seconds passed but the sound of a gun being fired was never heard. James frown and he slowly opened his eyes and the face of a beautiful lady with dark alluring eyes, staring at him with her lips curled up appeared on his sight. For him, her smile shined like a light turning on in the dark. ''Am I already in heaven?'' James thought to himself before he lose his consciousness and finally collapsed. ____________________________________________ At the Hospital.... Elle was now standing beside the hospital bed where James was lying down. He just woke up. Even though he bled a lot but it was just normal since head often bleed heavily. It might be alarming but it was not severe injury. He only had minor cuts in the head and concussion that caused him to lose consciousness. Elle wanted to leave when James was still unconscious but the doctor asked her to stay while his guardian have not yet arrived. So she just used her hacker''s ability to access his phone and unlock his password in order to inform one of his family so that she could leave already. Since James was now awake Elle planned to leave already. James was now staring intently at the girl who just save him. He assumed that the girl in front of him has an ordinary background because of the way she dressed. She was wearing a white tshirt which was tucked into her high-waisted blue jeans, paired with her white rubber shoes. She wore simple clothes but it didn''t make her less attractive instead it complimented her more. "Since you are now awake. I have to go now." Elle spoke up first. "I should give you a reward. How much do you want from saving my life?" James ignored what she said and offered her a reward. ''Hmm so arrogant.'' Elle thought to himself. "Just give me two hundred." "Two hundred what? Two hundred million?." "No, just only two hundred. I paid two hundred to taxi in bringing you here. But you can also include my fare going back to my workplace. I have to go now. My boss is waiting for me." James grabbed her arms to stop her from leaving. "Let go of my hand." Elle ordered him, sounded displeased. "No one dared to turn her back on me while I am still talking to her." Elle started to feel impatient just talking to this egocentric person. "I repeat... let go of my hand. I don''t give a damn even if you are the president of this country so please don''t waste my time here. Saving you is enough already." "Why are you mad at me?" "I hate people who are so arrogant and full of themselves." James let out a chuckle feeling so amused with her. ''This girl is very straightforward.'' "I am sorry. I didn''t mean to offend you." James apologized to her as he let go of her hand. Elle was about to respond when suddenly Selena arrived and ran towards her brother while calling him. Spike was following her behind. They rushed as soon as they heard the news about what happened to James. "Brother!" ''Oh here comes another nuisance.'' Elle thought to herself. "Brother are you okay? What happened to you? Who did this? Is it Catseye?" ''Why am I the one being blame here? If I did that, your brother won''t be breathing right now. He will be dead already! I am the one who saved him.'' "No it was not Catseye." James knew that the people who attacked him was accomplice of Mr. Chen. They targeted him since they believe that Skull Gang was responsible in the death of Mr. Chen. "Oh ,who is she?" Selena asked him as she noticed the presence of a lovely lady on the side. "I don''t know her name yet but she is my savior." James replied. A light flashed in Selena''s eyes. She was happy to know that her brother was saved by her. Now she wanted to befriend her. She extended her hand and introduced herself to Elle. "Hello! I am Selena Arison. Thank you for saving my brother." Selena said to her as she extended her hand for a shakehand. She accepted it and smiled at her. "I''m Elle. I just did what I think was the right thing to do that time. I am sorry Miss Selena but I have to go now." Elle turned to James. "Mr. Arro.... I mean Arison, just keep the reward for me. I will tell you what I want when the right time comes so make sure to grant me my reward when I need it." Elle gave him a wink before turning around and left. The siblings didn''t see the sly smile that appeared on Elle''s face. A smirk appeared on James handsome face as he stared at the retreating back of that amusing girl he just met today. "Hmm Well, what is that smile all about my dearest brother?" Selena asked him with her eyebrows raised as she noticed how her brother was looking at Elle. James just chuckled. "My dear sister can you talk to the doctor first. I want to leave this hospital right now." James asked her to do that because he needed to be alone with Spike. Selena complied with his request. Now Spike and James were left alone together. "Spike, follow her and find out where she is working then come back after that. I have another task for you." James ordered. Spike nodded and left the hospital immediately to follow Elle. Chapter 84 - 84: Her Generous Offer "Where have you been? Why it took you so long just to buy those ingredients? Don''t tell me even in buying things you are having a difficulty." Charles asked Elle as soon as she returned at Falcon Cafe. Elle scowled at him. "Do you want me to include you as one of my ingredients?" Charles let out a chuckle. "I''m just kidding! Don''t take it personally. Let''s get started!" He was also excited doing this tonight. He didn''t imagine that moment like this would come. A bonding moment where he and Elle had a cooking session together, he was the teacher and Elle was his student. Soon, they both prepared the ingredients. Charles taught Elle the step by step procedure of how to cook a pasta. They choose it because it was easy to cook and could prepare it with just 10-15 minutes. The two persons were occupied with their cooking that they didn''t notice that someone had followed Elle and that person was standing in a corner a few meters away from Falcon Cafe. "Boss, she is working at Falcon Cafe at #145 XCY Street here in City Z." Spike called James immediately to inform him about Elle''s workplace. "Ok got it! You can now leave and investigate the whereabouts of the person who attacked me. Get rid of him as soon as you find him. He might come back and target Elle since she saved me." James ordered Spike from the other line. Spike left immediately after the phone call. Elle didn''t kill the man who attack James. She just hit him on the back of his neck just to knock him down. Then after that Elle reported the accident at the police. She knew that James was not badly injured as she monitored his situation so she didn''t call for a Medics or ambulance, instead she called for a taxi to bring him in the hospital. Elle miscalculated something. She didn''t know that saving James would give her headache for the coming days, indeed it was like father like son. ____________________________________________ It was almost 8:00 p.m when Charles and Elle finished their cooking session. Erick picked her up at Falcon Cafe and they arrived home after 30 minutes. Elle greeted Erick''s parents upon their arrival. Elle already told them before that she couldn''t join them for dinner. She had already eaten her dinner at Falcon Cafe. Charles and Elle ate the product of their cooking session. She was also satisfied with the result. It tasted delicious. Elle was also easy to teach and she learned very quickly. After taking a shower, Elle slumped her very tired body into the soft bed. She closed her eyes and her lips curled into a smile while feeling the comfort of the bed. Now that she was at home, she felt more relax. This was the scene that Erick saw when he entered his room. He couldn''t help himself from smiling. Elle really looked so comfortable lying down on his bed. ''She must be really tired for today.'' he thought to himself. Seeing her like this, he had the urge to lie down beside her. He didn''t know if he should envy her for occupying his bed comfortably while he was spending his night in his study. However, he thought that he envied his bed more because his bed always accompany Elle every night. Even though Elle''s eyes was closed, she could still notice another presence inside the room and she felt that someone was staring at her. She was always alert and her sixth sense was very active since she developed this skill being an assassin. However, she couldn''t sense any danger. She knew that it was Erick. She opened her eyes only to see Erick''s smiling face staring at her with his gentle eyes. She met his eyes. ''Damn. I was caught!'' Erick just smiled at her sheepishly. He cleared his throat. "Ahm. How''s your day? You look very exhausted." He asked her, trying to divert her attention and hid his embarrassment. "You want to lie down beside me?" Elle asked him directly. Erick choked with his saliva upon hearing her straightforward question. He was at loss for words to say. ''How did she know that? Can she read my mind? Am I that obvious?'' He was fl.u.s.tered and didn''t know how to respond. Elle smiled mischievously. She was fascinated seeing Erick''s fl.u.s.tered expression. "Ahmm, I mean if you want to sleep in your own bed. You said you are having difficulty sleeping for the past few nights. I guess you are not used sleeping somewhere else aside from your bed. Sorry for causing you discomfort." Elle explained to him. Erick felt relieved after hearing that. He was nervous for nothing. He really thought that Elle really found out through his expression that he wanted to lie down beside her a while ago. "Don''t worry about me. I am just fine. How can I sleep well if I let you sleep in my study while I am the one sleeping in my bed comfortably." Elle sat up and let out a chuckle after hearing him. "Who said that I will sleep in your study while you sleep here comfortably. Of course I am not that generous to sacrifice for you Mr. Detective." Erick looked at her feeling so confused. Elle laughed at him again. "I mean we could share this bed. Besides your bed has a big space. And also we already slept together once." Elle explained to him what she really meant. Erick was at loss for words again. He didn''t expect her to offer him and asked him to share his bed with her and sleep together again. He wanted to say yes but the word was stucked in his throat. "Hmm, what do you say Mr. Detective? Decide now, I will only be generous this time. Hmm I might change my mind and let you suffer and let you continue sleeping in your study." Elle threaten him. She really liked to call him Mr. Detective every time she teased him. "Then I shouldn''t waste your generosity." Erick said to her as sign of his agreement to her generous proposal. Elle let out a soft laugh. "Okay. Don''t worry Mr. Detective I won''t eat you. You can sleep comfortably now. We can also put pillows in the middle as our boundary." Erick didn''t like the thought of putting pillows in the middle. But he just nodded in agreement. Elle really put pillows in the center of the bed. She fell asleep quickly because she was really tired for today. Erick also lay down beside her however he couldn''t sleep. "I think you are mistaken when you say that I can be able to sleep tonight comfortably. How can I do that? If your presence is driving my heart crazy like this." He softly mumbled as he stared at the girl beside him who was already sound asleep. Erick put his right hand on his chest, slightly massaging it to calm down his heart which was beating so fast inside his chest. Time had passed. Sleep just visited Erick during dawn. Atlast he drifted off into a deep slumber and a sweet dream. In the morning, there were two persons who were still sleeping so soundly. Didn''t know what occured last night but the pillows that were supposed to seperate the two of them at the center were scattered on their feet. Elle was sleeping in his arms, laying her head in his shoulder, facing him and her face was buried into his chest. Erick cuddled her in his sleep. This was the position they ended up this morning after their efforts of putting three big pillows in their middle. Chapter 85 - 85: The Culprit Erick woke up with the same sight before when they first slept together. Elle was comfortably sleeping in his arms. His other hand was wrapped around her waist cuddling her. He would never get tired waking up in the morning and the first thing that would greet his eyes was her beautiful sleeping face. A gentle smile appeared on his face. He wanted to stay like this for a while however his mind was telling him to get up already before she woke up and saw them like this. He didn''t know what will be her reaction if she woke up seeing this position of them. He sighed deeply and then he turned, laying his back on the bed and he was now facing the ceiling. Elle''s head was still lying on his other arm. As if Elle felt that the warmth which was wrapping her before like a blanket on a cold night suddenly fade, she moved her body closer to Erick and wrapped her free hand to embrace his body. Erick was slightly shocked with her sudden movement. He turned his head to look at her. She was still soundly asleep. He tried to remove her arm but Elle hugged her tight and squeezed his body more thinking that he was a pillow. She sunk into his side wanted to feel his warmth. Erick looked at her helplessly. "What am I gonna do to you Elle?" he softly mumbled while thinking how he would escape her embrace without waking her up. Then seconds after, Elle slightly loosened her hold to his body. Erick breathed in relief however right after that Elle moved again her hand towards his abdomen. Erick gasped in his breath. "Hey Sleeping Beauty what are you doing? Are you dreaming?" Elle frown. She was half asleep, when she noticed that her arm was touching a soft but a little hard thing. It felt different from a pillow. Unconsciously, her hand travelled over his body, exploring and caressing his abdominal muscles. Erick groaned from the sensation that her touch was giving him right now. "Oh Damn, don''t do this Elle. You are torturing me!" Erick''s heart was pounding like crazy. Erick cursed himself when he felt that his little friend down there was now also fully awake. The temperature suddenly rose up in several degrees. He needed to do something before he lost all his self control. Elle''s hand moved again this time it''s direction was going down. Erick''s eyes widened and he began to panic. "Oh Elle... No! Don''t! Not there! Not down there!" Erick grabbed her moving hand immediately before she could touch something that she was not supposed to touch. Elle grunted in her sleep, not happy when she felt her hand was stopped by something. She moved closer and nuzzled her face toward his body. Erick seemed like he wanted to cry. He thought that it was really hard to be a gentleman in this kind of situation. Erick had no choice but to wake the girl up while he was still in his right mind and his self control was still hanging on the edge. "Elle wake up!!!Elle!" Erick gently patted her to wake her up. "Hmm?" Elle finally woke up. She slowly opened her eyes only to see Erick''s indescribable expression. At first, it didn''t register yet to her mind what is happening so she closed her eyes again. Then seconds later, as if she realized that something was not right. She immediately opened her eyes and she saw Erick was still looking at her very seriously. Elle frown and she was shocked to find out that she was lying in his arms while her other hand was wrapped around his body. Her body was really closed to his. Elle''s eyes widened and now she was really fully awake. She removed her arms away from his body and she sat up. She couldn''t look at him straight in his eyes. ''Sh**t, what did I do? What''s with his serious expression. Is he mad?'' Erick could finally breath normally now that Elle distanced herself from him. The atmosphere became so awkward so to break the silence Erick spoke up first. Seeing her embarrassed expression, he couldn''t help himself from teasing her. "I didn''t know that you are a little bit aggressive in your sleep." Erick said to her before he let out a soft chuckle. Elle became more fl.u.s.tered after hearing him. ''What did he mean by that? What did I do?'' She was confused and at loss for words. Erick got up from the bed. He leaned down and gently patted her head "Good morning sleepyhead. Next time my dear, can you behave well while you sleep? You almost made me commit a sin so early this morning." Erick said teasing her more. Erick left after saying that. Elle was left speechless. ''Damn! That was so embarrassing! He might think that I am taking advantage of him. Stupid Elle, why are you hugging him?" she mumbled as she was scolding herself. She could now imagine and guess what did she do this morning. She was half asleep and she thought that the thing she was hugging and touching a while ago was a pillow. ''So dumb Elle! It was not a pillow! It was Erick''s body! How come you didn''t know how to differentiate between the two!'' She pulled her hair as if she was having a headache. She was blaming her foolishness. Then she saw the three big pillows in her feet. She shot those innocent pillows with sharp glare. "The three of you! You traitors! I put you in the middle, how come you are down there?!" Elle grabbed the three pillows and started punching them one by one, venting her anger and embarrassment to the three poor pillows. Meanwhile... Erick was now inside the bathroom, asking again the cold shower to help him control the burning desire that was awaken inside him. Erick shook his head and his lips curled into a smile as he reminisced what transpired last night until this morning. Elle was like a drug to him. Her presence was so addicting. Erick couldn''t sleep last night even though how hard he tried. He counted 1 up to 100 many times to calm himself down but to no avail, it was all useless. He just gave in to his desire and he turned to his side to watch over the sleeping beauty beside him. The moon shined brightly last night and he could see her face because of the faint light coming from outside. He sat up in order to see her face clearly. He had the urge to trace and touch her face. She was really beautiful even in her sleep. His hand started to move and he touched her lovely cheeks. Her skin was so soft. His heart was beating so fast, afraid that she would wake up anytime but still he couldn''t stop himself from doing that. Then after her cheeks, he traced her perfectly arched eyebrows, her cute pointed nose, and her kissable lips. He was really careful not to wake her up. "Hmm, you sleep like a baby." He chuckled softly. "Why did you offer to sleep together? Are you not afraid that I might do something to you? Did you trust me that much? I am still a man Elle." Erick softly mumbled as he talked to the soundly asleep Elle. Erick couldn''t take his eyes off her. At that very moment, he had the urge to kiss her and taste her soft delicate lips. He bent down in order to kiss her but at the last seconds he changed his mind. His lips that was supposed to touch her lips ended up in her forehead. Erick sighed deeply. "Fortunately, I don''t want to break that trust that you are giving me. Good night Elle." In the end he lay down again beside her. He wanted to watch her until he falls asleep but the pillow in the middle was a hindrance in his view so he decided to remove it and tossed it down. Seconds later, he was not yet satisfied, so he removed the second pillow in the middle. He moved closer to her. But it was not enough, so he put the last pillow again down to their feet. Lastly, he slightly raised Elle''s head and he insert his arms so that she could now lay her head in his arm. Erick was now satisfied with this and he smiled, rejoicing inside. He was really glad that Elle sleep like a baby. Then finally, the shameless detective who was the true culprit, drifted off to sleep with a victorious smile on his face. He wanted to stay away from her but he couldn''t. The more he restrained himself the more he was being drawn to her like a magnet. Chapter 86 - 86: Troublesome Boss Today was the day Elle promised to cook for them. She also agreed with Charles that he would visit today however Elle didn''t inform Erick about his visit yet. She was thinking how she would tell him without getting suspicious with her relationship with Charles. Furthermore, after what happened this morning, she was still embarrassed and couldn''t face Erick. It was a little bit awkward for her. Sarah noticed that Elle was occupied of something. She approached her to talk with her. "Do you have problem my dear? You seem like you are thinking something. Do you want to share it with me?" Sarah asked her. Elle smiled at her. "I want to tell Erick something Mom but I am not sure how to tell him. I am afraid that he will misunderstood something and be unhappy. I also committed some mistakes and I don''t know how to face him right now." She answered truthfully. Sarah laughed after hearing that. "There''s nothing to worry darling, besides it was you. Erick is an understanding person so just tell him." Sarah noticed that Elle was still hesitating. "I will give you a tips. Every time I want to ask favor to my husband or if I want something I will just do something that he will have no choice but to agree and surrender to me. Do you want to know how I do it?" Sarah smiled at her mischievously. Elle was not sure about it but she just nodded. Sarah smiled at her and she whispered something to Elle. Elle was dumbfounded upon hearing her advice, thinking whether she could do it herself. After some time, Elle took her courage to talk to Erick. ''Elle, you are Catseye and you are not afraid of anything! Forget about what happen this morning. You can do it!'' she told herself. She looked for Erick and she found him in the balcony reading some book. She walked towards him. She cleared her throat to get his attention. Erick turned to look at her. He smiled as soon as he saw her. "Hey!" He greeted her. "Are you free? Can you accompany me today to buy some ingredients? I promised your parents that I will cook something for them." Elle said to him. "Yes, of course! I am glad to accompany you today beside I also want to taste your cookinga." Erick said happily to her. "Anything else?" Erick asked her since he noticed that Elle had something more to say. Elle stared at him intently. She bit her lips not sure how to tell him about Charles. Erick felt her hesitation so he let out a soft chuckle. "What is it? Tell me." "Honestly, I have done something wrong." Erick looked at her confusedly. "Hmm, what else did you do aside from this morning?" Erick said to tease her. Elle shot him a glare. ''Why did he have to mention it? I am trying to forget that embarrassing moment just to talk to him today and now he brought it up again. I want to punch him!'' "Forget that I ask you today." She said with an annoyed tone and then Elle turned around to walk out from him. Erick quickly grabbed her in order to stop her from leaving. "Hey, where are you going? I am just teasing you. Don''t be mad." "Just sleep in your study!" Elle kicked his leg. Erick grunted. He burst into laughter. "Miss...You are becoming more aggressive and violent." "Alright, kidding aside. What do you want to tell me a while ago?" Erick stopped teasing her. He didn''t want to annoyed her more, he might really end up sleeping at his study again. He didn''t want that idea. Elle was about to speak when they both heard a voice calling Elle. They both looked at the direction where the voice was coming from. Elle''s eyes widened when she saw the person walking towards them. ''Damn Charles! What the hell is he doing here? It is too early and I hadn''t inform Erick yet about his arrival.'' "Elle! Elle!" Charles was waving at her. He was smiling widely. Erick was also shocked to see Charles. ''What is he doing here? How did he know their address?'' Erick turned to look at Elle. Elle met his questioning look. Erick didn''t look so happy. ''Sh** t, I think he is upset. How will I explain this?'' "Hello Mr. Lee, good morning!" Charles greeted him as he was now standing in front of them. Charles saw the sharp glare that Elle was giving him. He just smiled at her and shrugged. "Good morning Mr. Del Rios. Why are you here?" Erick asked him directly. "Elle invited me." Charles said matter-of-factly. Elle balled her fists. She had the urge to silence someone right here right now. Elle felt the intense gaze coming from Erick. She started to feel uneasy. ''Why do I feel like I committed a mortal sin here from the way he was looking at me?'' Erick''s cheerful mood a while ago suddenly disappeared. He became silent. And you don''t want a silent Erick. Charles told her that once Erick became silent, either he was really thinking something or he was mad or unhappy about something. Elle darted her gaze back and forth to Erick''s serious face and Charles'' smiling face. She was now put under pressure. ''Think Elle! You are smart. Think of a way how you could escape this!'' Elle was telling herself. Unfortunately, she couldn''t utter any words. She couldn''t welcome Charles as what he expected her to do right now because of Erick''s unhappiness which was really evident to his face. At the same time, she couldn''t send away Charles and denied what he just said a while ago to Erick because of the agreement they made between each others. She was in this dilemma when another person arrived and spoke behind them. It was Bryan. "Hello guys. How are you?" Bryan greeted them unaware of the tension happening among the three persons. A light flashed in Elle''s eyes as soon as she saw Bryan who just arrived. She immediately walked towards Bryan''s side and hold his left arms. "I also invited Bryan." She blurted out suddenly. She smiled at them sheepishly. Bryan turned to her looking so confused. ''What is she saying?'' Elle simply squeezed Bryan''s arm to give him a signal. Elle turned to Bryan with her meaningful smile. "I invited you to come today right? Did you forget?" Bryan didn''t get it but sensing that Elle wanted him to cooperate with her he just nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Elle invited me to come today." Bryan said and gave them an awkward smile. Elle felt relieved that Bryan cooperate with her. She needed to reward him later for that. "Ahm, what are you standing there. Let''s go inside first." Elle said to them. Erick entered first followed by Charles, then Bryan and Elle followed them from behind. "What is that all about? I came here on my own accord. You didn''t invite me." Bryan whispered to her. "Hmm just go with the flow. I promised , I will reward you later." Elle said to him. "Hmmp. I shouldn''t doing this. I didn''t forget how you betray me during Rose birthday. I will tell them the truth." Bryan realized that he should not help her after betraying him before. Elle chuckled. "Hmm, Ok I apologized about that. But I warned you, if you betray me today, I will tell Erick that you love April." Elle smiled at him cunningly as she threatened him. Bryan was dumbfounded. "How did you know that?" He asked her with disbelief. "It was obvious in your expression when April confessed to Erick in front of us. You told me that you like someone and she is one of your colleagues. I confirmed it that time." Elle laughed at him. Bryan looked at Elle helplessly. He couldn''t win against her. He had no choice but to cooperate with her. "I regretted coming here." Bryan mumbled. "Haha but I am glad that you came!" "By the way, who is the other guy?" Bryan asked her. "He is my troublesome boss!" Elle said to him as she was annoyed. "Entertain him later. I bet, you will like him." Elle said to Bryan as she thought that Bryan and Charles had similarities in their characters. ''I need to explain things to Erick. I''ll deal with him later when we are alone.'' Elle told herself as she watched Erick''s back. Chapter 87 - 87: His Feelings Upon entering the house, they met Erick''s parents inside. "Oh we have visitors." Sarah said as she saw Bryan and the other guy who she just met for the first time. It was Charles. She turned to Charles "Hmm May I know who is this gorgeous young Blondie man here?" Charles smiled at her and he felt good about himself after hearing that. "Hello Ma''am, I am Charles, Elle''s Boss." he introduced himself. Sarah was a little bit bewildered. She didn''t expect that Elle''s boss would be visiting today. Raymond greeted Bryan. He was glad to see Erick''s friend and colleague. "Nice to see you here also Bryan." Bryan also smiled at them "Hehe Elle invited me to come over Uncle." he lied. Elle turned to look at Bryan. She looked happy as he was cooperating with her. ''Hmm Good Boy!'' Sarah noticed that Erick was silent. She bet that he didn''t have any idea about the arrival of this two men today. She turned to look at Elle. She somewhat grasped what was happening here. She laughed inside. ''Hmm I think I can smell some vinegar here. Haha Oh my, my Son is capable of being jealous despite of his advantage. He is becoming more possessive of Elle.'' Sarah invited them to sit down. "Honey and my dear son could you grab some drinks for our two visitors here?" The two men complied. Sarah approached Elle. "Hmm Is this what you are worrying about this morning. You haven''t informed Erick about them?" Elle nodded. "Hmm, Bryan is okay. He knew him. But your Boss arrival today is what really bothers him." Sarah knew her son very well. "Sorry Mom. I was about to tell him but I didn''t expect my Boss to come this early." Elle looked at her apologetically. "It''s alright. I know you can handle my son. Go and get your boyfriend. Explain to him. Show him that he is the only guy that matters to you. It was just natural for a man to act like that especially if he sensed some competition. I think Erick was jealous." she advised her. Elle was speechless upon hearing that. ''No Mom, you misunderstood something. There is no way that he is jealous. We are not actually in a relationship.'' she thought to herself. "Okay Mom, I will explain to him. Can you entertain our visitors for us while we are out?" Elle requested her. "Of course. Don''t worry. Just leave them to me and just focus on Erick. Just remember what I told you before. Trust me. It will also work on Erick." Sarah winked at her. Elle just gave her a grateful look. Erick and Raymond brought some snacks and drinks. After giving the snacks to Charles and Bryan, Elle walked towards Erick. Elle got closer to him and suddenly took his hand. She slide her hand under his and she intertwined her fingers to his, fully clasping their hands. Erick was bewildered with her sudden moves. "Sorry guys but I need to take my boyfriend first. He promised me that he will accompany me today to buy some stuff. Could you excuse us?'' She emphasized the word boyfriend. Elle pulled him towards the door not waiting for others response. Bryan and Charles were at loss for words when they saw the scene. Elle just held Erick''s hand in front of them acting so intimate. Sarah was satisfied and did a thumbs up sign at the reatreating back of Elle and Erick. Erick just let the woman pulled him. He was looking at their hands which were intertwined together. His unhappiness a while ago was slowly dissipating. His mouth twitched, and he was fighting a smile. He didn''t want her to see him smile. ''Hmm if she thought that holding my hand was enough to cover up for what she did today, she was mistaken. I will not let her off that easy. She should exert more effort and explain to me, inviting her boss without telling me.'' Erick reminded himself. They were now inside the car. Erick didn''t say anything and he stayed silent. Elle was secretly observing him on the passenger seat. She cleared her throat before she spoke up. "Erick?" she called him "Hmm?" He simply answered. "I know you are upset. Can you hear me out first?" Elle softly said as she looked at him. Erick stayed silent. He didn''t turn to look at her because he was afraid that once he saw her apologetic face he might let her off easily. Elle continued to explain. "I was about to tell you about my boss visit however I didn''t expect him to come this early." "Why did you invite him today? For what reason?" Erick asked her with a serious tone. Elle didn''t know how to answer. She couldn''t tell him that Charles taught him how to cook that''s why they had an agreement that he would visit today. "I didn''t invite only him. You see, I also invited Bryan. I thought the more the merrier." She lied. She used Bryan as an escape goat. "I thought you are cooking today for my parents then why did you invite those two?" Erick really sounded unhappy. "I want to thank those two. Aside from you, Bryan also treated me well. He also helped us a lot. My Boss also treated me well. Despite my condition, he accepted me and hired me. I just want to express my gratitude to them from doin this." Erick frown upon hearing this. "But when I asked you to cook for me you didn''t agree. I even have to use my parents just to force you to do it. And now you are willing to cook for them." He really sounded like a jealous boyfriend now. Elle was at loss for words when she heard Erick''s complaint. ''Hmm, I think explaining like this won''t work. I should try Sarah''s advice.'' "Erick stop the car!" Elle commanded him. Erick was confused. He averted his gaze toward her. He saw Elle removed her seatbelt. "Elle what are you doing? Fasten your seatbelt." Erick frown. "No, stop the car!" She said stubbornly. Erick had no choice but to stop the car. Elle got out from the car immediately and she walked towards the other side of the road. Erick''s eyes widened. He got out from his car also and quickly followed her. "Elle! Stop! Come back here!" Erick called for Elle. He ran towards her and grabbed her as soon as he reached her. Erick looked at the girl helplessly. He panicked after Elle left the car and started to walk on the other side of the road. They were on the highway and cars were driving so fast. "Are you planning to get yourself killed?!" Erick reprimanded her. He sounded mad but very concerned at the same time. His grasp which was holding Elle''s hand tightened. His heart was still beating fast from nervousness. Elle thrown herself to him. She wrapped her arms around his body. She hugged him tight. "I am sorry. I didn''t mean to upset you. Promise I will make it up to you. Just tell me what to do. Please don''t be mad anymore. I am more grateful to you than any one else. You saved my life not only once but twice. You take good care of me even though you didn''t know my true identity. You also promised to protect me. I can even sacrifice my life just to express how thankful I am to you." Erick''s world seemed to stop when he heard those words coming from her. Every words she says touched his heart. Now his heart was racing not because of nervousness but because of Elle''s presence, her warmth, and her words. Elle really had a different effect to him. It was now different from how he felt towards her before when he saved her. At first, he thought he was doing this and wanted to protect her because of the justice that he believed in, that it was his responsibility to do that. He thought it was because of his sense of duty. But now, he was not sure about it. It felt different. He thought that his personal feelings was now involved. He felt uneasy every time he couldn''t see her. He always think of her. He didn''t want to see her close with other men. He didn''t want to see other men look at her with admiration just like what happened during Rose Birthday. He wanted to possess her. He wanted to be with her, talk to her, spend time with her. He wanted her, all of her, more each day. Erick hugged her back. He squeezed her, he wanted to feel her more. Elle could now hear the beating of his heart. They already caught the attentions of some commuters, bystanders, passersby, and drivers. They stood out in the crowd. Two beautiful persons hugging intimately in the road side. Some even stopped to continue watching them. Others took some pictures. They really looked good together, a very sweet couple. Someone shouted "Kiss! Kiss!" Other people also joined them. "Kiss her already!" Other shouted "Say yes! Just get married!" They were cheering and teasing the two persons that they thought were a couple. They even clapped their hands and whistles. Erick and Elle were awakened from their own world and came back to the real world when they heard the crowd''s cheering. ''Damn. Why there are so many people here!'' Elle was astonished. Her face blushed when she heard what they were shouting. She burried her face to Erick''s chest to hide her embarrassment. Erick was also fl.u.s.tered seeing those crowds who were now teasing them. He just smiled back and nodded at them. He looked down to see Elle hiding her face to the crowd. He let out a soft chuckle. He whispered to her as he noticed that someone was also taking picture of them."Come. I think we have to go now. Before we became viral in the social media." Elle nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think so. Let''s go? Btw, am I forgiven? Are you not mad anymore?" Erick burst into laugh. "Yes! So don''t act like that. You''re so cute. I might comply with their request and kiss you here." He pinched her cute nose. "Aw!" Elle''s face reddened furthermore. She ran quickly towards the car to flee from him and the pressuring eyes of the crowds. Erick followed her behind while wearing a gentle smile. "Wait! I think I saw that guy, he looks familiar. Oh! I remember! He is the famous detective. Erick Lee!" One of the bystanders said. "Yeah! Look at the picture! He really looks like him. It''s Detective Lee!" "Yeah, I thought he doesn''t have girlfriend." "Oh, it''s a bad news for other women who are still hoping for him. Now he already found the girl. They look good together. She''s also beautiful. Too bad, I didn''t get a clear shot of her." "Who''s that lucky girl, who catch the heart of the famous detective?" Chapter 88 - 88: Picnic Erick and Elle returned home with the ingredients. Charles wanted to follow Elle however Charles and Bryan were being watched and entertained by Erick''s mother together with Raymond. She didn''t want them to distrurb Erick and Elle in the kitchen. They washed all the ingredients. Erick was now in a good mood after what happened to them. Elle really knew how to pacify him. "Are you going to cook Beefsteak?" Erick asked her. "No." She simply replied. Erick frown "Then why did you buy this ingredients?" Elle grinned at him like a Cheshire cat before she answered "Because I want you to cook it for me. I miss your cookings." Elle pouted after saying it. Erick laughed out loud. He couldn''t help himself but pinched her face because she was acting so cute in front of him. "Aw!" Elle hit his hand and scowled at him. "Don''t give me that look.You are the one who deceived me!" Erick just let out another soft chuckle. Elle pouted again. "But it''s true, I miss your Beef Steak. It was my favorite. Please can you cook it for me? If you don''t want I ask the two boys to just grill the meat. Hmm You want that?" Elle threatened him. "Alright! Don''t bother, I will cook it for you." He answered right away. This time, it was Elle who laughed out loud. Charles could hear the laughing sound from the kitchen. His brows furrowed. He wanted to barge in the kitchen and find out what Erick and Elle are doing. Bryan also turned in the direction of the sound. He was also curious why they are laughing. Sarah noticed the curious looks of the two men so she spoke up. "Ahem, Charles and Bryan can you buy us something to drinks and some desserts too. We will be having a picnic outside this lunch time. And I know boys love to drink. Can you do that my dears?" Sarah requested them so the boys didn''t have the heart to reject her request. So they both left to buy for their drinks and desserts. A playful smile appeared on Sarah''s face. Her husband just looked at her helplessly and shook his head. He knew what his wife was doing. He just laughed from the thought. Sarah looked at her husband who was now laughing at her. She just feigned ignorance and shrugged as she convinced herself that she did nothing wrong from asking those two men to go out for a while. Meanwhile in the kitchen... Elle started to slice the ingredients. Erick was observing him on the side. His lips curved into a smile. He was amazed how Elle slice and chop those vegetables and the meat. "Ahmm. Elle you really have talent in cooking. You are good in handling a knife." Erick commented. Elle laughed inside ''Yeah, I am good with a knife, different kind of knife, I am also good with guns and martial arts but cooking is not my forte.'' "Hmm, do you believe me now that my cooking skills is as good as yours?" Elle asked him. "Hmm not yet. I should taste it first!" Erick smiled at her widely. "All right. This italian pasta is for you. I will also make a Caesar salad for us. Hmm You will be the one to taste those first." She winked at him. Erick was happy to hear that. Elle chuckle to see his happy face. "Don''t rejoice first Mr. Detective. Are you not afraid that you will get upset stomach from eating the food that I cooked?" "Hmm It doesn''t matter to me, as long as I will be the one to taste it first." he said to her while grinning. Elle looked at him with disbelief. "Hmm don''t regret it later." "I will never regret trusting you and entrusting my life to you." Erick said meaningfully. Elle stopped what she was doing after hearing it. She turned to look at Erick. He has a gentle smile on his face. He was certain and sincere when he said those words. "What?" Erick asked her as he noticed that Elle was staring at him intently with indescribable expression. "Nothing." Elle''s soft lips stretched into a smile but didn''t quite reach her dark eyes. They were lit with mixed emotions such sadness, guilt and uncertainty. Elle looked away so Erick didn''t see her complicated emotions. "Erick don''t trust me! All of these are fake. Nothing about me is genuine. You will just be disappointed in the end. I am just using you.'' Elle didn''t know why but she felt suffocated just thinking about it. Is she starting to feel guilt towards Erick? It seemed like her heart was being squeezed right now. ''Don''t worry Erick. I know I was indebted to you. I promise that I will surely pay that debt and return the favor to you someday, even if I need to exchange my life for it. I won''t hesitate.'' ''I mean it when I said that I am willing to sacrifice my life to express how grateful I am to you. You have my word. But before that I''ll just finish what I have to do.'' ____________________________________________ On the other hand, Bryan and Charles already returned with the dessert, beers, and other beverages. Erick''s parents already prepared the picnic blankets and the utensils at the court yard. They choose a spot under the maple tree. Charles and Bryan joined them. Minutes later, Erick and Elle also brought the food that they cooked together. Everyone was excited to taste Elle''s cooking. Of course, Erick tasted those first and he was very satisfied. Elle asked him many times if he was telling the truth. Elle was worried whether Sarah and Raymond would like her cooking. But since Erick assured her, she was now confident about it. "Hmm, darling Elle. You are really good in cooking. This pasta tastes really delicious. I am so proud of you Darling." Sarah praised her. Elle just smiled at her. She was a little bit embarrass. "You can put up a restaurant." Raymond suggested. Elle smiled at him while thinking ''Dad, I am fine with managing one Cafe. I don''t need to put up another restaurant business.'' "Wow...I can''t believe it. You can really cook well Elle." This time it was Bryan who praised her. Charles butted in. "Hmm I think it was because her mentor is also a good cook!" Charles blurted out. The five people was now looking at Charles. Elle shot him a dangerous glare. She was now holding a bread knife and a fork. It seemed like she was ready to throw those things towards Charles just to shut him up. Charles sensed the danger. He shivered from fear. His body suddenly covered by cold sweats. "Hehe, I was referring to Erick. I think Erick was her mentor and also a good cook." Charles said trying to save his life from getting killed on the spot. "Hmm Buddy, how did you know? You are right! Erick is a good cook." Bryan said. "Ah, Elle told me. She told me that Erick loves to cook and she really likes it." Charles was relieved when Elle dropped the knife. Erick''s unhappiness towards Charles lessened after hearing what he said thinking that Elle was praising him in front of her Boss. After their lunch, Sarah and Raymond decided to leave the young ones to bond with each other. Bryan, Charles, Elle and Erick were left. Erick and Elle still acted as a couple in front of the two men, feeding them dog food. Elle''s head was on Erick''s lap while reading some book while the three men were drinking beers. Erick and Elle were also holding each hands. Bryan was giving them a suspicious look. ''Are they just really acting or is it for real now?'' On the other hand, Charles was giving them a sharp glare. He was in rage inside. He wanted to pull Elle away from Erick. ''Elle stop acting like a couple. Only his friend is here! No need to act so intimate in front of us! I will inform Master Phantom about this and I will ask him to give this detective a lesson from taking advantage of you.'' But it seemed like Erick and Elle were trapped with their own world, not minding the two single men in front of them. "Buddy, let''s go drink over there. We will just be hurt if we stay here longer." Bryan said to Charles. Charles didn''t have a choice but to join Bryan and leave the fake couple alone. It seemed like they were intentionally displaying their intimacy in front of them. Erick was now playing with her hair. "Erick?" Elle called him. "Hmm." Erick replied. "Stop doing that, I might fall asleep." she put down the book that she was reading and she looked up to Erick. "Then sleep." Erick softly said to her. Their hands were still intertwined with each other. She squeezed it before she closed her eyes. There was a spark in Erick''s eyes when Elle did that. He stared at her face with so much gentleness. Chapter 89 - 89: Arrogant Wealthy Customer Three days after that incident happened to James, Chlarice heard the news about it so she visited him in his company. They took their lunch together and they ended up checking in the nearest hotel. Their clothes were already scattered in the floor of the hotel room. M.o.a.ning, panting and heavy breathing could be heard inside the room. James was having s*x with Chlarice when suddenly Elle''s beautiful smiling face appeared on his mind. He paused what he was doing. After Chlarice noticed that James stopped moving, she looked at him confusedly. "Hey why did you stop? Don''t stop Babe....Stop teasing me." Getting no response from James, Chlarice felt impatient. She wrapped her legs around his waist and she lifted up her h.i.p.s to meet him. James yelped from that sudden movement from her. "Ahh! F*ck. That feels good!" Chlarice gained confidence after hearing that. She repeated what she did all over again. James returned the same intensity she was giving him. But to James'' mind he could no longer see Chlarice. The girl in front of him was now look like Elle. He was now imagining that he was doing it right now with Elle, the girl who saved him three days ago. James became more aroused from the thought. His moves became more rough and quicker, sending Chlarice to her ecstacy. "F*ck! F*ck! I really want you! Oh... I want you!" James mumbled as he was at the edge of his climax while thinking about Elle. "Oh...yeah...I want you too. I want you more James." Chlarice was also screaming from pleasure. She was unaware that James was fantasizing another girl while having s*x with her. After that intense passion, James left the hotel hurriedly. He needed to go somewhere. "F*ck, what did she do to me? Why am I imagining her? I can''t forget that face. I needed to see her, now! I want to see her again." He mumbled to himself as he typed to his car''s GPS the address given to him by Spike. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile...in the Falcon Cafe, Charles was being punished by the Devil. Elle didn''t let him off after giving her some trouble last weekend when he visited earlier than what she expected him to come. "Elle promise I won''t do it again. Please forgive me." Charles'' tears was falling one after another. Elle was watching him on the side, not saying anything. "Elle please... I cannot do it anymore. My eyes are now hurting so much." Charles said as he pleaded. "Stop talking! Just do what I told you to do. Finish that before we close our Cafe today." Elle gave him a cunning smile. "How am I supposed to finish slicing these ten thousand pieces of onions in just one day???! Just beat me Elle, just beat me!" Charles complained to her. Elle was just becoming gentle to him these days because she didn''t beat him like before however her punishment became more unique and harsher from before. "Boss don''t worry. I will accommodate our customers today so just continue what you are doing." Elle said while laughing at him mockingly. Charles was really literally crying and he wanted to cry more seeing the sack of ten thousand onions in front of him. He was now reflecting to his mistake. Coming over last weekend, he should have stick with the agreed time. Elle went back to the counter and left Charles in the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. There were customers on the line. The devil now transformed into a sweet staff of this Falcon Cafe wearing her gentle smile as she greeted the customers. "Welcome to Falcon Cafe. What is your order Ma''am?" "Miss give us two slices of blueberry cake and two large Milk Tea." "Ok Ma''am, your bill is 600." Elle was busy preparing the orders of her customers that she didn''t notice the arrival of someone. Some girls inside the Cafe was mesmerized by the handsome guy who just arrived. He was 6 feet tall, wearing a black suites and he looked so dashing with his charming smile. His gaze automatically locked on Elle. A mischievous smile appeared on his face as soon as he saw his target. He was now the next customer to be entertained by Elle. "Welcome to Falcon Cafe....." The rest of the words that Elle was supposed to say were stucked in her throat when she looked up to see her next customer. Her smile died faster than wisps of smoke dissipated after a candle flame has been snuffed out when she saw James Arison standing in front of her wearing his arrogant smile. "Hello Elle. Nice to see you again!" ''What is he doing here? How did he know where I am working? Sh*t, I was followed by his men last time. I was careless not to notice.'' She was cursing inside. "What are you doing here?" Elle asked him with a frown. "Is this how you deal with your customers?" James raised his brow. "No. You are the only exception." Elle said to him straightforwardly. James let out a chuckle "Hmm, I am so glad. Thank you for the unique treatment." "Could you tell me your order so that I can accommodate my next customer?" Elle said to him feeling so annoyed. James turned to look at the other customers lining up behind him. A sly smile appeared on his face and he spoke up. "Sorry Ma''am and Sir, sorry but could you leave and go find another Cafe today?" Elle''s eyes widened after hearing that. "You don''t have the right to send away my customer. Who do you think you are?" Elle was at the edge of her patience. "Don''t get mad. I am doing you a favor here. You asked me what I want to order. Now I will tell you. I will buy all your cakes and drinks that are available today." James said to her with a smirk. Other customers gasped upon hearing that. Elle was also at loss for words. "Now, can you send them away and talk to me?" James was anticipating her response. ''He is really challenging me. James Arison just you wait. I will make you regret coming here today.'' "Ma''am and Sir sorry about that, since this arrogant guy here wanted to display his wealth, just let him off today. Please come back tomorrow." Elle said to the other customers apologetically. The other customers just complied and left the Cafe. Elle didn''t have a choice but to close the Cafe so early this afternoon. The other customers inside were intrigued about the handsome guy who just buy all the food inside the cafe just to have a private talk to the Cafe Staff. "Mr. Arison our rule here is pay as you order" "Ok how much is my bill?" "Wait sir, I will compute it first." 15 minutes had passed but Elle hadn''t finish computing the bill. James was still standing and waiting for her. James was starting to get impatient. Elle smiled seeing the changes in James'' expression. "Are you not done yet?" James said impatiently. "Not yet sir. I also included the other stocks here so computing all of these would really take some time." "You are doing this intentionally!" "Hmm who is the one who said he will buy all the available food and drinks here? I am just doing my job here. I might get fired if I didn''t follow the protocol." Elle said to him while mocking him. ''This girl! She was really like going against me. She is getting on my nerves!'' "Where is your boss? I want to talk to him." James asked him. "He was busy Mr. Arison. He was not here that''s why I should really follow the rules." James leaned over and said to her "You don''t need to do that. If your boss fired you, I can just offer you some work. I can guarantee you a high salary. Do you want to be my secretary?" James said to her seductively, trying to buy her with money. Elle let out a chuckle "No thanks, Mr Arison. The salary that you will pay me cannot cover up for the stress and headache that you will give me if I work as your secretary." "How sure are you that I will just give you stress and headache? With my capability, you never know, I am good at giving someone pleasure and happiness. I can surely satisfy you." He said to her while brimming with confidence. James was talking about something else. Elle could sense his ambiguous meaning and she shot him a sharp glare. James just shrugged and feigned ignorance. She just ignored him. "Stop counting. I will just give you two hundred thousand. Here''s my card!" James gave her his credit card. "Sorry Sir. We are not accepting cards. We are only accepting Cash!" James was stunned in a moment after hearing that. She was really making it difficult for him. James picked up his phone to call his assistant. "Bring me two hundred thousand here at Falcon Cafe, asap! He hung up after giving his order to Spike. He turned to Elle. "Now can I have your time?" "Sir I need to pack first all your orders. Are you planning to eat all of these here?" she said to him while smiling widely. "Are you serious? You will pack all of these alone? How long will you finish packing and preparing all of these?" James was looking at her with disbelief. "More or less three hours I think." Elle gave him a triumphant smile. James was now annoyed and she was enjoying it. "Do you want to help?" Elle was teasing him. James sighed deeply and looked at her helplessly. "Ok, then tell me what to do." Elle was a little bit shocked. She didn''t expect that James would really help her in packing those things. She just only wanted to tease him. In the end, the two of them worked together to pack all his orders. James couldn''t believe in himself why he was doing this right now. This was the first time that someone like Elle made him do menial job like this. But what is more amusing was he was not pissed off about it but instead he was enjoying doing it with her. Spike arrived at the cafe and was shocked to see his Big Boss packing those cakes and those drinks. He couldn''t believe it. Chapter 90 - 90: I miss you "Mom, Dad, where are you going? Are you going back home today?" Erick didn''t sound so happy. If his parents go back now, then Elle would also go back on her room and they would go back to the way they used to be. Sarah laughed after hearing his son''s unhappiness. "Don''t worry Son, we will still come back tomorrow. It seemed like you are taking advantage of our presence just to be with Elle." Sarah teased him. Erick was embarrassed after hearing that. He couldn''t really hide something from her. She knew him very well. "Son, we will just go and visit your uncle Cedrick and aunt Jasmine and Ma. Belle''s grandparents'' tombs today. We will stay there at City X for one night." Raymond explained to him. "Today is their 16th year death anniversary." Erick said. "Yes." Everyone became silent after that. They were still sad about what happened to the wonderful Falcon family. "Please tell Elle. She looks like she still soundly asleep." Sarah said. Erick just nodded. "I will also check whether Ma. Belle will come to visit her family''s tombs." Raymond said. Then they bade their farewell. Erick entered his room to wake Elle up. "Elle, are you not feeling well?" He asked her. Elle rubbed her eyes and blinked many times before she got a clearer view of Erick''s face. "Morning. I am just fine. I am going to work a little bit later. You can go ahead." Elle smiled at him. Erick nodded and prepared her breakfast before he left. Elle was now left alone at the house. She was now fully awake and just staring blankly at the ceiling. She was really not feeling well today. Today was the day when her nightmare 16 years ago started. Today was the day when her life started to change and her happy days were stolen from her. The day when she lost the most important persons in her life 16 years ago. The tears that she was trying to suppress suddenly poured down one after another. She was missing them, missing her family, her mother, her father, and her grandparents. "Grandma...Grandpa...Mom...Dad!" She pressed her chest. The pain was suffocating her. Longingness, sadness, hatred, and rage could be seen in her dark eyes. She wanted revenge! She wanted to kill! She wanted to shed the blood of those people responsible to her misery! Elle''s phone started to ring. She saw that it was Master Phantom who was calling her. She wiped her tears and cleared her throat before she answered it. "Hello Master!" Elle said trying her best to sound normal. "Where are you?" Phantom said from the other line, there were worry and concern in his voice. "I am at the detective''s house right now. Why master?" Elle said. There was a moment of silence between them. Phantom knew that Elle was hurting right now. Even though she didn''t want to show them but he knew all along that she was suffering, especially today. He wanted to comfort her but he didn''t know how. Elle was acting so brave and she didn''t show her weakness even in front of him and Charles. She was fighting her own demons alone. "Hmm, do you want something? Like weapons or anything? Just tell me." Phantom said. Elle let out a soft chuckle. "Hmm you are being so generous now master. Are you going to give me 50 percent discount again this time?" Phantom laughed also. "No, I will give it to you for free." "Hmm, I want a new set of personalized daggers and weapons made by you master. I am starting to collect some debts." Elle said to him meaningfully. Phantom''s expression became serious. "Are you sure you are now ready to face them? face your own demons?" Elle stayed silent for a while. "I am done playing. It''s now the time that I become serious and take the path that I should take. This is my destiny and It is my own choice. This is the reason why I am still alive today." Elle said to him feeling so determined. Phantom understood her feelings. He sighed deeply. "Alright, just give me one week. I will send those weapons to you right away." Elle smiled after hearing it. "Thank you master." "Are you not going to visit them today?" "This is not the right time master. I don''t have the right to face them yet." Sadness and bitterness could heard in her voice. "Elle... just remember, I am here for you. Just call me if you need my help. You are like my daughter to me. Even if you don''t consider me as your father but believe me, in my heart you are already my daughter." Phantom said to her with so much sincerity. His words sent warmth to Elle''s heart. She felt grateful meeting Phantom. He saved her, took care of her and treated her as his own daughter. He gave her hope. She wanted to die but Phantom gave her the reason to live, to live for her family, to give them the justice that they deserve. Elle''s tears fell again from her eyes. She nodded and hung up the phone immediately. Phantom heard her. He knew that she was crying. It was the first time she heard her silent cry and his heart was like being torn into pieces. He promised to himself that he would guide her, assist her and accompany her in this journey. "Don''t cry my daughter. You will win in this fight. I will make sure that you will get the revenge that you want and the justice for your family." Phantom mumbled as his grasp on the phone tightened. After her conversation with Phantom, she received another phone call coming from Charles. He knew that today was the death anniversary of her family so he knew that Elle was not feeling well. "Hello." Elle answered her phone. "Are you going to Falcon Cafe today?" Charles asked her. "No." She simply said. "What is your plan today?" Charles asked her with concerned. "I am going to spy our first target." Elle simply said. "Do you need my help? I want to come with you." Charles said to her. Elle smiled "Thank you Charles. Thank you for being there for me all the time despite the fact that I am being harsh on you most of the time." Elle was now being emotional this time. She knew that Charles called her today to check on her. Charles was speechless. It was the first time Elle thanked him sincerely. Elle spoke again. "Don''t worry about me. I can handle it. Just stay at Falcon Cafe today." Elle hang up the phone after that. Just like what Elle''s plan, she went on the field to spy her next target. This person was one of those who were involved in attacking their home 16 years ago. Jefferson Gong, 48 years old. He was not a small time member of a gang anymore, he was now running a business, a Casino to be exact. Elle gathered more information about him. After the whole day of spying, Elle went back home. Erick''s parents were not at home. He informed her that they went to visit some friends and they will be back tomorrow. The house felt so empty now that she was just alone. Elle looked at her watch. It was just 4:00 p.m. Erick would be home at around 6:30 or 7:00 pm if they don''t have over time work. Elle felt bored. She also felt sad and lonely. ''Erick can you come home early?'' she wished to herself. She wanted to see him and talk to him in order to forget the pain that she was feeling right now. She picked up her phone and started to type a message [Erick, what time are you going home tonight?] But after typing, she erased the message before she could send it to Erick. She typed again.... [Erick can you go home early? ] Then she erased it again.... then typed another one.... [Erick I need you here right now. Come home ] She deleted again and typed another new message [ I miss you ] Elle glanced at her last message that she typed in her phone. "Erick.... I miss you." She softly mumbled. In the end, Elle didn''t send Erick any message. She stood up and went out to buy some cold beers. She badly needed it right now. Meanwhile, Erick didn''t know why but he felt a little bit uneasy. He remembered Elle''s face this morning. She didn''t look so well. He was really bothered as if he sensed that Elle needed him right now. He was thinking about her. He was always looking at his watch, wishing that he could fast forward the time so that he could now go home. He wanted to see her already. Chapter 91 - 91: It was Real! Erick arrived home and saw Elle in her drunken state at the living room. He immediately walked towards her. "Hey, what happened to you? Why did you drink so much?" Elle giggled when she saw Erick''s handsome face. She extended her hand to touch his face "Oh, here comes my handsome savior!" she was smiling and giggling in front of him. Erick was looking at her helplessly. She turned to grab another can of beer but Erick stopped her. " Stop drinking. You are drunk already." Elle pouted after hearing Erick''s disapproval. "Why are you stopping me? Do you think that only men have the right to get drunk? Women could also do that! Don''t be so bias!" Elle was now spouting nonsense. She really lost her rationality. Erick helped her to stand up and made her sit down on the couch properly. "Elle can you behave? Look at yourself, you are now totally wasted." Erick softly said to her. He was being gentle and patient to this drunk girl. Elle just giggled. Erick was holding both her shoulders to steady her. "Mr. Detective, you don''t have the right to lecture me. I also took care of you when you were drunk. Did you forget about that?" Elle was really acting so childish right now. Erick chuckled. "I am not lecturing you. Yeah I remember it all. Thank you." Elle raised her finger and pointed it to Erick''s face. "But do you know that you are more dangerous when you are drunk?" Erick was really amused to see Elle''s drunken state. She was now really talkative and he liked to entertain her and play along with her. "Hmm Why did you say that I am dangerous? What did I do?" Elle shook her head "Tsk Tsk...You tend to kiss someone when you are drunk. So don''t get drunk if you are with other person especially girls." Elle laughed again after saying that. Erick was dumbfounded when he heard her. He was now confused. Is Elle was telling the truth or she was just spouting nonsense because she was drunk. "What do you mean by that?" Erick asked her curiously. "Hmmp. I hate you. You didn''t remember it! You snatched my first kiss and then you forgot about it. Where is the justice in that?!" Elle punched his chest. Erick''s eyes widened. He couldn''t believe what she just said. He grabbed her arms that was punching him "Wait Elle! Can you repeat... what you just said? What did I do?" Elle pouted again while looking at the man in front of her. Erick was anticipating her response. "I said you kissed me when you were drunk! I was generous enough to transfer you going to your bedroom but you fell and suddenly grabbed me and seduced me! You kissed me! It was my first kiss but you forgot all about it!" Elle complained to him. Erick asked her again just to make sure "Elle do you know who are you talking about? Did you remember any part of your lost memory?" Elle hit him again. "You fool! I was referring to you. Chief Inspector Detective Erick Lee. It was you who kissed me..." Erick was at loss for words. He was astonished with what he discovered tonight. The drunk Elle confirmed it. They had really kissed before. Erick realized something. He remembered the memory of her and him kissing on his bed. He thought it was just his imagination and his fantasy. He thought it was just a dream. But he was mistaken. It was not an imagination, not his fantasy, not his dream but it was real. It really happened. That passionate kiss that they shared was real. "Damn! How stupid I am to forget it. It was also my first kiss. My first kiss with Elle! Our first kiss!" He was scolding himself. Erick turned to Elle and he caressed her face. "Thank you for telling and reminding me that! It was also my first kiss. I''m so sorry for not remembering it at first." His lips lifted upward showing his joyous and victorious smile. His eyes brightened like there were fireworks in them. He could feel that there were butterflies in his stomach. He couldn''t hide the happiness and excitement that he was feeling right now. ''Yes!!! It was real. The feeling was real! I tasted her lips! I kissed her! It was me who really kissed her that night.'' Erick was rejoicing inside. His smile shone like stars after dark, with very bright lights that nothing could dim them. For that moment, time stopped and Elle couldn''t help herself but to stare and admire his adorable and charming face. She blinked several times and the image in front of her was so tempting. Elle was mesmerized by the handsome guy in front of her. She raised her hand to touch his face and she leaned over to claim his lips. Erick was caught off guard with Elle''s sudden action. He was not prepared for that. Erick''s eyes widened. His heart started to run wild in his chest. His mind went blank. Elle''s soft warm lips brushed his. Elle kissed him. This time, Erick started to respond. They were now tasting each other''s lips. It was a gentle kiss. They could inhale each other''s breath and feel the warmth of each other''s lips. Erick was now sucking her lower lips. Elle m.o.a.ned between their kiss causing her to slightly open her mouth and Erick grabbed that opportunity to explore her inside. He let his tongue touched hers. He could taste the beer and her sweetness. It was really delicious. He couldn''t get enough of her. His other hand was now hugging her back and his other hand was gently grabbing the back of her head pulling her closer to him. Elle wrapped her hands arounds Erick''s neck. Her other hand was now also at the back of Erick''s head caressing and pulling his soft hair. After a while, they broke their kiss to catch their breaths. They were now both panting. They stared at each other''s eyes with so much emotions. Their hearts were both racing inside their chests. "That... was amazing! I like it. It was really delicious." Elle suddenly blurted out. Erick burst into laughter after hearing her. He looked at her with so much love and he caressed her hair. Elle spoke up again "One more time." Erick was dumbstruck upon hearing her. He couldn''t believe what she just said. Getting no reaction from him Elle pouted "I said kiss me again!" She commanded. Erick smirked at her before he gladly complied with her request. Once again, Erick claimed her lips. This time it became more demanding and intense. His lips mashed against hers, as if he was really a hungry wolf devouring his prey. He gently bit her lower lip that caused her to yelp and open her mouth. His tongue explored her inside again. This time their tongues battling back and forth like wrestlers, each trying to pin each other. He caught her tonge and sucked from it. Elle m.o.a.ned from pleasure. Erick was a great kisser. He was now kissing her with so much eagerness and passion. They broke their kiss again to gasp for air. Erick''s eyes were now burning with desire while staring at Elle''s beautiful blushing face. Elle suddenly buried her face against his chest and wrapped her arms around his body. "Erick..." She softly mumbled. "Hmm?" Erick was now confused while looking down at the girl who just awaken his burning desire. ''Is she going to request another kiss? If she didn''t stop doing that, We might ended up with more than just a kiss.'' "My head is spinning like a ferris wheel!" Elle complained to him like a child. Erick:"...." He was at loss for words. Erick let out a chuckle after a few seconds. He hugged her back and caressed her back. "I told you to stop drinking. Who told you to drink so much and get drunk tonight?" Elle giggled after hearing that "It''s your fault. You came home late. I was bored and felt really really lonely and very sad today so I get drunk." Erick looked at her helplessly ''Oh Elle, what am I gonna do to you?'' "You should have called me." Erick said. "Will you come to me right away even if you are at work if I just call you?" Elle asked him childishly. Elle looked up to see his face. She was now pouting and acting very cute like an innocent child. Erick burst into laughter. Thanks God Elle was now acting like this. She was also able to control his burning desire a while ago. Erick felt relieved because of that. He didn''t want to cross the boundary with Elle while she was under the influence of alcohol. "Yes. I will run immediately and come to you!" Erick pinched her nose. "Aw! You liar!" " I am not lying! So if you feel lonely and sad again just call me right away. Okay?" Erick insisted. Elle just nodded and giggled after hearing that. She burried her face again in his chest. "Erick...?" "Hmm?" "You smell so good!" Erick laughed again because of Elle''s honest comment. "You too. You smell nice and delicious." Erick replied. "Erick...?" "Hmm?" Erick was now grinning widely. He loved to hear her calling his name. "Your body is so warm. I think... I am sleepy." Elle softly mumbled. She really sounded like she was about to sleep. "Then just sleep in my arms Elle." Erick said with his gentle voice. Erick pulled her closer to his body and hugged her tight. He caressed her hair and her back. Minutes later Elle didnt speak anymore. She fell asleep in Erick''s warm hug. Erick''s lip curled upward. "Goodnight my sleeping beauty. Sweetdreams Elle." Erick bent down to kiss her head. He stayed in that position for a few more minutes before he stood up and carried her towards his room. Chapter 92 - 92: Didnt get drunk enough! Elle woke up in the morning with the chaos in her mind. "Oh no! Oh no! What I have done??! What have you done Elle?! Damn!" "Sh**t! Why can I remember everything that happened last night?! I was drunk, I was not supposed to remember it just like Erick when he got drunk." ''Because you have trained your mind as assassin. You conditioned your mind to remember even a little bit of information that you can see and experience.'' her alter ego answered her. "No...that is not real! It was just a dream." Elle was denying it. She was convincing herself that last night didn''t happened. "Sh**t, I didn''t drink that much, I didn''t get drunk enough to make myself forget everything. Damn you Erick for stopping me to drink more." Elle started to wail like a child. "Sh**t! Stupid Elle! It was real! It really happened!" "Blame your blabbering mouth Elle! You betray your own self!" She gently hit her mouth several times. She could remember everything clearly about what happened last night, from the time Erick arrived until she fell asleep in his arms. "Damn. Why did I remind him about our first kiss?" she hit her head. "You ruined your reputation Elle! You are totally ruined. Where is your sense of pride? Getting seduced easily by that handsome detective?" Elle was scolding herself. Her face heat up and became red from embarrassment as she remembered what she did last night. "Oh no! I can''t blame Erick! I am the one who initiated the kiss and I demanded him for more." { That... was amazing! I like it. It was really delicious. } { One more time. } { I said kiss me again! } { You smell so good. } "Elle? Are you for real?? Did I really say those words! Sh**t I could really die from embarrassment!" Elle buried her face in the pillow. She wanted to shout. She started to punch the pillow thinking that it was her stupid self she was punching. She already said different curses for today. Elle stopped what she was doing when she heard the opening of the bathroom door. She started to panic. She didn''t know how to face Erick. She lay down and immediately grabbed the blanket to cover her entire body, from head to toe. She could hear his footsteps walking towards her. ''Elle calm down! Just close your eyes and just pretend that you are still sleeping.'' she told herself. She was silently praying that Erick would leave her. She was now sweating a lot because of the heat. It was already warm in the morning, plus she was now covering her whole body with a blanket. She was starting to feel discomfort. And to her disappointment, Erick didn''t leave and he stayed there looking at Elle who was under the blanket. ''What''s wrong with her? Does she feel cold? Is she still not feeling well?'' Erick thought to himself. Erick went closer to her. "Elle?" Erick called her. He got no response from her. He decided to remove the blanket that was covering Elle so that he could see her face. Elle could feel Erick''s presence. ''Sh**t, he''s going to remove my blanket. Think Elle. What should I do next?'' Erick removed the blanket only to see Elle sweating a lot. Her eyes were closed but she was breathing heavily. Her face was also red. Erick''s expression change and his face was now painted with worries. ''Damn! I''m so dead!'' Elle thought to herself. Erick gently patted her to wake her up. "Elle wake up. Elle!" Elle had no choice but to face him. Elle slowly opened her eyes to see Erick''s worried expression. "How do you feel? Are you not feeling well? You are sweating a lot and your face is red." Erick extend his hand and put it to her forehead to check her temperature. "Ahmm, Erick can you please get me a glass of cold water?" Elle requested him. Erick nodded and left immediately to grab her some water. After Erick left, Elle sat up. She removed and tossed the blanket immediately. "Sh**t, today''s weather is so hot. Stupid, why did I cover my self with the blanket." She adjusted the temperature of the aircon using the remote control and she fanned herself using her hands. She also wiped her sweats in her face with her barehands. "Whoah, Inhale! Exhale! Inhale! Exhale!" "Elle!" Erick rushed in with a glass of cold water. Elle jolted in his sudden appearance causing her to be out balance. "Elle careful!" Erick shouted. But it was too late. Elle fell off the bed. "Ouch!" Elle grunted in pain. Erick ran towards her. "Hey are you okay? Why are you so clumsy and jumpy early this morning?" Erick didn''t know whether he would laugh or cry at this girl. He assisted her to stand up and let her sit down on the bed. "I think... it was because of my hangover." Elle lied. Erick stared at her intently, observing her reaction. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Elle asked him, feeling uncomfortable with his intense gaze. "Did you remember anything about last night?" Erick asked her. ''Oh no! Here comes the confrontation.'' "Hehe Actually I totally went black out last night. You know, women have low tolerance when it comes to alcohol." Elle tried her best to sound natural. Erick stayed silent after hearing that. He was just staring at Elle. ''Sh**t, do I not sound convincing?'' "Ahem, did I do something wrong last night?" She asked him nervously. ''If he decides to tell you the truth, just say sorry and you are out of your mind and pretend that you really don''t remember anything. Be firm!'' she told herself. Erick chuckled and said "Yes and No." Elle was confused. "What do you mean yes and no?" "Yes you did something and No because it was not wrong." he replied to her. His face lit up and wore his charming smile. ''Damn, this is the kind of smile that put me under his spell last night. Stop smiling like that, or else I will kiss you again right now.'' Elle''s heart started to race again. She inhaled deeply and exhaled, trying to control herself not to commit another act that will make her more embarrass. Her face started to heat up again and blush. "Hey are you okay?" Erick asked her as he noticed that Elle''s face became red. Elle cleared her throat. "Cough! Cough! Ahem Erick can you pass me the water? I am so thirsty right now." Elle tried her best to calm herself down. Erick gave her the glass of water and Elle drank from it. "I think I should bring you to the doctor today. You are not feeling well since yesterday." Erick suggested. Elle choke on her drinks. "Hey. Careful! Drink slowly." Erick patted her back. Elle shot him a glare. ''For real Erick? Doctor? What I need right now is for you to leave. You are the cause of this.'' Elle put the glass down on the bedside table. She stood up and walked towards Erick''s closet. She grabbed his jacket and his bag. Erick was just looking at Elle puzzled. Elle walked towards him and pulled him to stand up. She helped him wear his leather jacket and she put his bag on his shoulder. Then she pushed his back going outside the room. When Erick was already out, Elle turned him around so that he was now facing her. Erick was still staring at her confusedly. Elle gave him a force smile. "Erick just go to work and do your best to catch catseye. I am just fine. I want to sleep more and don''t disturb me okay? Go and get those bad guy Detective. Fighting! Goodluck!" Elle was smiling at him while waving her hands. ''Go and leave Erick before I lock you here in this room and do something to you and make you my breakfast this morning.'' Erick was speechless. Did Elle just want to send him away just like that? He looked at the girl helplessly. He just shook his head. ''Elle looks fine but she is just a little weird today. Is that the effect of her hangover.'' Erick just let out a soft chuckle. ''I will let her off today. But I will make sure that she will remember what happened last night.'' A mischievous smile appeared on his handsome face. Then Erick left for work. Finally, Elle could now relax. She frown to see the can of beer in the trashcan. She gave those beers a sharp glare. ''I shall report and file a complaint to the manufacturer of this beer. It has a low alcohol content, not enough to make someone get drunk and forget something!'' "Hmm never mind. I won''t buy this kind of beer ever again." She mumbled as she changed her mind. Chapter 93 - 93: An Advice for A Friend Erick came in the headquarter with a vibrant mood. He hadn''t recover yet from the event that happened last night. Other agents and employees inside the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter were greeting Erick with their meaningful smile. Erick wondered why they were giving him some strange gazes. Every man who greeted him was smiling from ear to ear. Erick just shrugged and didn''t mind it. He proceeded to his office. When he arrived at the office, his team members were also looking at him with indescribable expressions in their faces. Bryan was looking at him suspiciously while April, Rose and June were looking at him with disbelief. "Hey what''s wrong? Why are you giving me such strange gazes early this morning?" Erick asked them curiously. "Chief, I couldn''t believe that you are such a very sweet boyfriend!" June blurted out. Rose let out a soft chuckle. "Ahem Chief Lee, I am also shock to know you are bolder when you are inlove." "Chief we didn''t expect that you can display your affection in a public. I thought you like having a private life." April also joined the conversation. She could now also joke about it. Captain Jason suddenly appeared and pat Erick''s shoulder "Hmm, Are we hearing a good news now? When will you give us your invitation? I can be your godfather." Captain Jason said while smiling widely. Other Eagles members also entered their office to greet Erick. They didn''t let Erick to react and speak first. Erick was really puzzled. "Chief Lee, congratulations! Best wishes!" It was Allen who spoke up. "Hmm Chief can you share with us your secret so that we can used it in wooing a girl." Carl teased him. Erick laughed. "Wait, can you enlighten me first what is happening here? I don''t have any idea what you are all talking about." Everyone laughed at him except for Bryan who was giving him a serious and suspicious look. Bryan walked towards him and show him a picture from his phone. Erick accepted it and he looked at it only to see an article having his picture hugging a girl in the middle of the road. Erick''s eyes widened when he saw the title of the article [ Famous Detective Erick Lee proposes to his Girlfriend at the middle of City Z highway! ] There were also related articles attached [ Our nation''s most handsome detective finally found his love of his life. ] [ Who''s the lucky mysterious girl that catches the Heart of our Loving Detective Lee? ] [ Thousands of ladies in the country are now mourning hearing the news that Detective Erick Lee was already in a relationship ] "Ahmm, you went viral Chief Lee with your girlfriend!" Bryan emphasized the word girlfriend in which he also meant "fake girlfriend". Erick was at loss for words. He didn''t imagine that just one picture of them would go viral in the internet. He sighed with relief when he saw that Elle''s face was not seen clearly in the picture. He didn''t like the idea that thousands of people will be feasting their eyes on their picture and he was sure that men would go crazy if they saw how beautiful Elle is in the picture. Besides there were still people who are searching for her and want her life. Displaying her picture in the social media could put her life in danger. "Your title as the Nation''s Most Handsome Bachelor Detective was now ruined detective. You broke so many women''s heart because of that." June teased him more. "Hmm I don''t mind that as long as Elle''s face didn''t appeared on the internet." Erick said seriously. The people inside were speechless. Erick was very protective of his girlfriend even in time like this. Captain Jason cleared his throat. "Cough! Cough! Okay. Let''s go back to work and stop pestering Chief Inspector Lee. Let''s just wait for his good news. Hehe" Everyone agreed so they went back to their assigned areas. Erick let out a chuckle. ''Then I should start working hard for that.'' He thought to himself. Erick went inside his office and Bryan simply followed him. "Why did you follow me here Sergeant Velasquez?" "Ahem, I am not here as Sergeant Velasquez. I am here as your friend Bryan." "I smell something fishy here. Be honest with me, what is the true score between you and Elle? Is your relationship with her now for real?" Bryan asked him seriously. Erick couldn''t help himself from grinning as he remembered everything that happened to him and Elle for the past few months. Bryan shook his head. Erick didn''t need to answer his question. His expression already spoke up for himself. "You already fell for her!" Bryan spelled it out for him. Erick was at loss for words. He just glanced at his bestfriend Bryan. Bryan smiled at him "I am happy for you Buddy. This is the first time I saw you so happy with a girl. You really care so much about her." "Am I that obvious?" Erick asked him. "Yeah! You even fed us dog food during our visit last weekend. Tsk Tsk It seemed like I and Elle''s Boss were invisible during that time. You were both acting so sweet and intimate in front of us." Bryan complained to him. Erick chuckled upon hearing him. He didn''t intentionally do it but that moment he was just really happy spending time with Elle that he didn''t mind others. "But Erick, I just want to give you an advice, please take your time and think more about it. Elle has amnesia. We didn''t know her identity yet. What if her family is looking for her? What if she has someone she loves before she lost her memory? There is also a possibility that she is married." Bryan said to him truthfully with a concern voice. Erick''s expression suddenly changed when he heard Bryan. He was right. He had a point. What if Elle had someone she really loves before she lost her memory? What if she was really married? Then what should he do with his growing affection towards her? Bryan spoke up again "Either way, no matter what will be your decision is, I will always support you! If you want to run away with her and spend a new life with her, I am willing to help you. Goodluck buddy!" Erick''s mood went back to normal when he heard Bryan''s joke which he also meant it. "Just follow your heart and what makes you happy. This time you should also think of your self. You already sacrificed so much for others. Sometimes you also need to be selfish Erick. That''s one of your weaknesses, you are really too righteous and generous to others that sometimes you often neglect your own happiness." Bryan winked at him before he left his office. Erick looked at the retreating back of Bryan. His words really made sense to him. Chapter 94 - 94: Part One of their Plan "Hey dude! We are still close. Please come back later at around 9:00 a.m" Charles said to the young man who just entered the Cafe. The man didn''t badge in his position and he remained standing there staring at Charles. Charles brow furrowed "Are you deaf? I said we are not yet open." The charming guy flashed his playful smirk that made Charles to be more annoy with him. Charles walked towards him. "Hey Dude!? What is your problem? Are you a gay? Staring at me like that." Charles said to him with annoyance. "Perfect! You can''t recognize me." Charles'' eyes widened when he heard that familiar voice coming from the young man in front of him. "Elle!?" Charles said with disbelief. "Yeah! It''s me Elle but call me Elias for today. Change into these clothes. We will collect some debts today!" Elle said to Charles. Now Elle cross-dressed as a man. She was wearing a navy blue blazer with a plain white polo shirt inside and blue jeans down paired with leather shoes. She looked like a young charming boy version of Elle with a blue eyes and mid length blondie hair with bangs on the side. Charles was still shocked to see Elle looking like these. She had the s.e.x appeal of a true man. She could seduce any girl with her looks today. "Hey Charles...are you coming with me or not?" Charles was awaken on his stupor. He grabbed the outfits and disguise that Elle gave him and immediately changed into it. "We will be using Mike today." Elle was referring to her power cruiser motorcycle. Charles eyes widened when he heard her. "Ahem, Elle can I used my car?" Charles knew how Elle drives her motorcycle. She drove really fast and she acted like she was the king of the road. Elle rolled her eyes. "Come on! Don''t be such a coward. I guarantee you that Mike will be really useful to us today. If anything happens, we can escape easily using Mike." "Okay. I will entrust to you my life." Charles sighed deeply. "Don''t worry Dude! I got your back." Elle sounded like a real man. "Where are we going?" Charles said. "GONG''s Casino. We will try our luck today! Let''s show them your skill as the King of Gabling." Elle smiled cunningly. Elle handed him his helmet. Charles smiled foolishly as he heard her praising him. Charles gladly accepted his helmet and wrapped his arms around Elle''s shoulder."Let''s go Dude! We will show them what we got." And soon, they arrived at Gong Casino. Charles heart was still beating fast. He was literally hugging Elle''s waist afraid that he might fell off during the duration of the ride. Elle was really a devil and a bad girl especially when it comes to driving. "Damn you Elle! I will not die from motor accident but I will die because of a heart attack!" Charles complained to her. Elle just laughed at him and patted his shoulder. "Charles see you are still alive and kicking. Don''t worry I won''t let anything happen to you!" Charles'' face reddened after hearing Elle''s comment. And now he was back to his self. He was now eager to show her his skills and not to disappoint her. They both went in. Elle proceeded with the slot machine while Charles played poker. They were planning to make this Casino lose so much money today. After just one hour of playing, Elle and Charles caught the attention of people inside most especially by the management of the Casino. Elle already won and hit so many jackpot in the slots machine that even people beside her couldn''t believe it. "Gosh! He hit another jackpot! What a lucky guy!" Someone commented. She already won two hundred million in just one hour. Elle was smiling from ear to ear. Unknown to them, she used her hackers skills to tamper with the machine, causing her to win and always hit the jackpot. Meanwhile, Charles didn''t disappoint her. He was a different person once he started gambling. He was truly a King of Gambling. He was also winning hundred of millions already. Because of these, the Casino''s management had already set their eyes on the two people. They were not happy about them winning a large amount of money in just one hour. If this would continue, they might lost billions in just one day. And Charles and Elle didn''t disappoint them. They really won billions already in just two hours of playing. The Casino management had to stop them and so they mobilized their men to invite those two people inside the office. Elle already expecting their move. Elle and Charles met eye to eye and they gave each other a meaningful look. They knew already what they have to do next. Now they were now sitting inside the luxurious Casino office. There were men guarding them. The Casino manager spoke to them. "Sorry sirs to interrupt your game but we need to stop you. It seemed like you are both so lucky today. You already won fifty billion." He was straightforward and didn''t go around the bush to tell them his motive of inviting them. Elle let out a chuckle "Hmm Okay Manager, we understand your concern so we will stop playing already and just let us leave. Could you do that?" Elle could already sensed that they were already plotting something against the both of them. The manager stared at them intently and just nodded. Elle smiled at him "Sir we would like to get our money. Can you give us hundred million cash and the rest will be written in cheque." The Casino Manager complied with her request. They soon got out from the office. Charles was holding the brief case full of money and cheque. "Charles proceed to the lobby right away and wait for me. They will start to move once we get out from here. Be careful!" Elle warned him. Charles understood the situation so he just nodded. After Charles and Elle left the office, the manager instructed their men. "Follow them and when they are out from here get back the money from them. I don''t believe that it was just a mere luck, there is a cospiracy here. Big boss won''t be happy if he will know what happened here today. If they refused, just used force. If they fight back, just eliminate them. Is that clear?" "Copy Boss!" The men followed Elle and Charles right away. Elle and Charles went separate ways and they were aware that there were men watching and tailing them. The men divide their team into two, one was following Charles while the other was following Elle. But just a moment later, Elle disappeared from their sight and they reported immediately to the Casino Manager. "Boss, we lost the other guy!" "Just forget him, follow the other guy, he is the one carrying the brief case. The money is with him." "Copy Boss!" Unknown to them, that the man they were looking for was already transformed into a new disguise. The cross-dresser Elle was backed to being a girl. She went to the CR to change. She was now wearing a leather jacket with a plane yellow blouse inside and a black fitting jeans. She wore a cunning smile as she watched those men followed Charles. Meanwhile Charles was already outside. He was at the parking lot, waiting for Elle, when ten men surrounded him. "You can''t escape now. Give us the money and you can leave here safe and sound." the leader of the group spoke up. Each one of them were holding guns. ''F*ck! I am cornered. What should I do? Elle told me to safeguard this money. I know she had a plan. But where is she now.'' Charles thought to himself. He was not that nervous since he trusted Elle''s word. "Hey dude, why are you doing this? Are you robbing me? I won this! Your manager already give it to me, why are you taking it back now?" Charles was trying to buy some time. "This is his order. We are just following him. If you don''t want to get hurt, just give it to us." The leader gave him a sly smile. "Dude do you want to negotiate? I can give you the half, just let me go. Tell your boss that I escape. Just take the money and dont tell him about our deal. What do you think?" Charles tried to negotiate with them. The man laughed after hearing him. "You are not in the position to negotiate. We already surrounded you. Just one click with my gun and you will be dead." Charles didn''t feel threaten instead he smiled at them mockingly "Okay, I''ll take that as a no. I hope you will not regret it!" Charles was so confident when he heard a sound of motorcycle coming from their direction. He knew that it was Elle. Everything happened very fast. The men who were surrounding Charles were shot one after another. They were caught off guard when a motorcycle rider suddenly appeared and started shooting them one by one. After a minutes passed, those men were already down. "I knew it, that you will come on time. By the way, what did you use against them?" Charles ask her as he pointed those men who were lying on the ground. "A sedative." she replied. "Wow! This is so unlike you. You''re being gentle here." Charles commented. "I don''t want to waste my precious bullets on them, besides they are not my target here. Let''s leave. We will now proceed to the second part of our plan. Time to catch the big fish." Elle gave him a meaningful smile. "Yeah, we should now leave. We are protecting billions here! Hahaha" Charles rejoiced as he hugged the brief case containing their money. Chapter 95 - 95: Second Part of the Plan As soon as Elle and Charles left the Casino, they went to Elle''s new place. They kept the money there for a while. After settling down, Elle contacted someone. "Hello?" Someone answered her call. Elle smirked after her call got connected and someone answered immediately. "Hello Casino Manager!" Elle replied. "Who are you?" As usual Elle was using a voice changer application. "Who am I is not important. I have a proposal to you." "What are you talking about? What do you want? Don''t waste my time here!" The Casino Manager was already in rage. "You lost billions today. Do you think your big boss Jefferson Gong will let you get away with this?" Elle said that made the person in other line be stunned for a moment. Just a mention of his boss name made him nervous and frighten. Elle spoke up again. "Hmm, He was ruthless and he cares for his money a lot. How will you escape his wrath when he found out that you let someone take his billions. You will be punished by him surely." Elle was frightening him and she was successful. "What do you want? What is your proposal then?" The Casino Manager was now interested to her proposal. "I will give you back half of the money that we won today, save you from your big boss wrath and I will give you the opportunity to own that Casino in exchange.... bring to me your Big Boss, Jefferson Gong." Elle said to him. The guy on the other line once again became speechless. Elle chuckled "If you don''t want to then just forget it." Elle was about to hung up the phone when the man spoke up again. "Why do you want my boss?" he asked her curiously. "Mind your own business. You don''t need to know my motive. Just decide whether you want this deal or not." After some thought, the man spoke up and told her his decision. "Okay. What do you want me to do?" A sly smile appeared on Elle''s beautiful face. Everything was going well on her plan. "I don''t care how you do it but I want you to deliver to me Jefferson Gong alive this afternoon 1:00 pm at this address." Elle gave him the address of the place where they would meet today. "What?! You want it to be done today! That is impossible!" the guy complained to her. Elle laughed "Are you not afraid that it would be too late for you if you won''t act today? Once he find out the incident this morning, you will surely be fired and be punished by him." The man cursed on the other line. He had no choice. He needed to save his life also and her offer was really advantageous for him. "Okay, consider it done. Let''s meet this afternoon. I will deliver to you Jefferson Gong." "Good! Don''t betray me. If you do, I will kill you. That is a promise." Elle warned him before she hang up the phone. After the conversation, Elle turned to Charles who was silent beside her. "Prepare the white room for our guest this afternoon." Elle gave him a meaningful smile. Charles just nodded and left right away to follow her order. A faint light appeared on her dark eyes. She had mixed emotions. In just a few hours, she would be able to meet one of the people who were responsible to her family''s death. The agreed time came and Elle was already at their meeting place. She was wearing a cup and a mask. She was holding the briefcase that contains the money. Then a few minutes after, a car arrived. She saw the Casino Manager got out from the car. He was alone. "Well... where is Jefferson Gong?" Elle asked him. "He is lying unconscious at the passenger seat." He simply replied. Elle clapped her hands. "Well done! I thought you can''t do it. How are you able to lure him?" "I lied to him. I told him that someone wanted to offer him some business proposal. You knew that when it comes to money, he never refuse. I drugged him while going here that''s why he was unconscious. Where''s my money?" ''People like them had no loyalty. They won''t hesitate to betray each others for one''s own gains.'' Elle shook her head. She handed the briefcase to him. He gladly accepted it. He was about to leave when Elle stopped him. She suddenly throw him a punch at his face. "Aw. F*ck!" the man grunted with pain. His lips was now bleeding from that punch. He had not yet recover when Elle kicked him on his stomach that caused him to fell on his knee. "Why are you doing this?" Elle laughed "You need to sacrifice a little so that Jefferson''s men won''t suspect you. They knew that you left with him. I am doing you a favor here. Just pretend that Jefferson had been kidnapped and you are not involved with this." Elle explained to him before she gave him another strong kick. "Argh!" He grunted from pain. "Okay. We are now done here. Give me your car key. I shouldn''t waste my time here." Elle got the key from him. Elle turned around to walk toward the car. But before she entered the car she spoke again. "Make sure to keep your mouth shut about this. I will not hesitate to kill you if you spoke about this to others." Elle shot him a cold sjarp gaze that made him shivered from fear. He could feel the bloodl.u.s.t in her cold voice. He just nodded in agreement. She gave him an evil smile before she left with Jefferson Gong. Elle didn''t look at the person at the back of the passenger seat. She was afraid that once she looked at him, she won''t be able to control her bloodl.u.s.t and kill him there right away. That would ruin her plan. She was now driving towards her secret hideout where Charles was waiting for her. The white room was the place where she tortured her victims. Everything was now all set. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile at Elle''s hideout, Charles received a call from Master Phantom. "Charles where are you both?" Phantom asked him directly. "I am at Elle''s hideout, in the white room to be exact, waiting for her. Why master?"Bryan replied. "What are you doing there? Where is Elle?" Phantom asked him again. "I think she was on the way here now master together with Jefferson Gong, one of the persons who attacked them before." Bryan said to Phantom. There was silence on the other line after Bryan said that. He heard Phantom cursed before he immediately hang up the phone. Bryan was puzzled after that ''What''s wrong with Master Phantom?'' He thought to himself. Then he just shrugged in the end. Chapter 96 - 96: She Lost Control Charles heard the arrival of a car. He knew that it was Elle. He went outside to see her. Charles frown seeing her got out from a different car. "Where is my car?" Charles asked her. "I already hired someone to bring your car at Falcon Cafe. Get the person inside the car and bring him in the white room." Elle told him before she entered the house. Charles complied with her and he brought the unconscious man inside the White Room. He tied him also in a chair. Elle went to retrieve a doc.u.ment from her personal safe. She sighed deeply before encoding the password. The doc.u.ment inside contained all the report about her family''s case. It was given to her by Master Phantom during her 18th birthday. She hadn''t open it for 7 years now after she received it from Phantom. She was not yet ready and had the courage to open that doc.u.ment before. And now that she was determined to collect the debts of those persons, she had to face her fears and her own hell. Seeing things that could connect her to her past was like being put into her own hell all over again but she had no choice but to do it. The safe was opened. She picked up the doc.u.ment inside. She sat down on a chair. She was still hesitating to open the doc.u.ments. Her heart was pounding fast in her chest. Her hands were trembling. She closed her eyes and she inhaled and exhaled deeply trying to calm herself down. Finally, she found her courage to open the folder. She flipped through the pages. She stopped when she saw the pictures of the victims. Hostility appeared on her dark eyes. Her eyes were now looking intently at the picture of one of the victims, it was the lifeless body of their security guard in his mid 30''s. According to the report, he died because of the head injury that he received from the perpetrators. His head broke from the strong impact when he was hit by the baseball bat. Elle could still remember how hardworking their security guard was. His name was Manuel. She was closed to Elle when she was a child. She could still remember one of their conversations when he was still alive. [ "Uncle Manuel are you not tired of guarding us while standing there for such a long time day and night?" Little Elle asked him innocently ] [ Manuel laughed at her and patted her shoulder. "Little Miss it is my job and responsibility to guard you and your family so it was just natural to do that. Besides I won''t get tired. You treated me as one of your family not just a mere security guard. I want to guard you with my life." ] [ Elle smiled at him sweetly "Thank you Uncle Manuel! Be careful always and don''t get sick. You should stay healthy because you have a tough job. You and my Dad are my idols. You are protecting the lives of everyone." Elle gave him the snack and Manuel gladly accepted it and thanked her.] Her flashback ended when Charles called her. "Elle, everything is all set. The man is also awake." Elle just nodded and stood up to follow Charles going to the white room. Elle glanced one last time to the folder she left at her desk. ''Uncle Manuel, I will not waste the sacrifices that you did for my family.'' She mumbled to herself before she left the room. Elle already wear her gloves and brought some of her weapons especially her favorite dagger. She gave Charles one last instruction before they entered the room. Upon entering the white room, she saw her prey struggling in his seat. He was tied down. He shot Elle and Charles a glare as soon as he saw them. "Who are you? What do you want? What am I doing here?" Jefferson bombarded them questions. Elle''s expression changed when she saw the man''s face and she balled her fists. Even though he looked older from before but she couldn''t forget his face, one of the faces responsible to her misery. She was trying her best to control her fury. "F*ck you! Who are you people?!" Jefferson shouted at them with his hoarse voice. Elle walked closer to him. "You are here because you have some debts to pay." "What debts? I don''t remembered having a debt from you people. This is the first time I see you both. Who order you to kidnap me? You want money, I can give you that. Just name your price." Jefferson looked at them with disbelief. Elle looked at his eyes intently with so much hatred. The man was bewildered to met her gaze. He sensed some kind of fear that he couldn''t explain. He was intimidated by her with just one stare. "It was a debt 16 years ago and so many years had passed and I believe your money couldn''t pay that debt. The interest was also big. I am afraid only your life could pay that debt." Elle said to him emphasizing her every words. Charles was just silently standing on the side watching Elle and her prey. Jefferson frown upon hearing her. He didn''t want to admit but he started to feel nervous and frighten. The girl was so serious. "What are you talking about? What do you mean by debt 16 years ago?" He didn''t know what she was referring to. "You committed a crime and you forgot all about it. Tsk tsk, you really deserve to die. You don''t feel guilt and have no conscience." she sneered at him. "I will just ask you once and I hope you can give me an answer that will satisfy me." Elle added. "Who asked you to attack the Falcon Family 16 years ago?" Elle asked him directly. The man frown hearing her question. After sometime, he remembered something and he was bewildered after that. "So it was related to Falcon Family? Who are you? What is your relationship with them? How did you know about my involvement that day?" He asked her. "I am the one asking you a question here." "There is no witness. All of them died, how come you knew about it?" He was really curious. "Who told you that everyone died? How sure are you that there was no survivor?" Jefferson''s eyes widened as realization came to him. "You are the daughter of Agent Falcon! How did you survive? You were severely wounded and in the blink of dying that time." He couldn''t believe it. "Do you know that the Devil let me live just for this day to come? So just answer my question!" Elle was now becoming impatient. "I won''t answer that. Why should I? Haha I am really surprised to see you, you are such a cry baby 16 years ago. Haha Now you are pretending to be brave. You are just confident because someone is helping and backing you." Jefferson laughed at her. He was referring to Charles. He continued to laugh out loud, trying to annoy and provoke her. When he found out that she was the child before his fear disappeared. He was underestimating her. He didn''t know that the girl in front of her was the infamous assassin that everyone was afraid of. Elle suddenly felt distress hearing his familiar laughters. She lost her mind. A flashback appeared on her mind, reliving her traumatic experience, her nightmare 16 years ago, as if it were happening again. [ She could hear the men''s laughters around her. They were laughing, cheering and shouting. "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" the voices were telling her. "Stab him already! Kill your father to save your life!" someone shouted again. "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"] The man was still laughing. Charles noticed Elle''s reaction. His face was now painted with worries and concerns.This girl in front of him was nos emitting a murderous aura. Elle suddenly picked up her dagger and charged toward the man sitting in front of her. She stabbed him. Jefferson and Charles were shocked with her sudden action. Charles frown, this was not part of the plan tha Elle told her before. He was stunned in a moment. The man who was just laughing a while ago was now grunting from pain when he felt that the dagger in his stomach. He looked up to see Elle''s cold eyes full of hatred and fury. What surprised the two men most was when started to stab Jefferson multiple times. The man was shouting in pain. "Sh**t, She really lost control of her self" Charles mumbled as he panicked. This was the first time seeing Elle like this. She was stabbing the man non stop. Elle seemed like she was possessed. Her eyes were on fire. Elle''s face hands, face and body were now covered with the blood of Jefferson whom she was still stabbing non stop. The man aready lost consciousness and he seemed like he was already in the blink of dying. Charles ran towards her to stop Elle. He hugged her from behind and grabbed her hands. "Elle stop! Stop already, his dead!" Charles told her. But Elle seemed that she didn''t hear anything. She was able to push Charles. Elle was strong. She turned to face Charles. He was shock to see Elle''s face. She was staring at him blankly, devoid of any emotion. A sly smile appeared on her face. "Kill.... Kill!" Charles heard her mumbled the word. Charles frown. The Elle in front of her was different. This time, Elle charged towards Charles. She also attacked him. Charles was now shocked beyond belief. Fortunately he reacted quickly. He caught her hands which was holding the dagger. He was stopping her but she was strong. The dagger was just a few inches away from his face. He was fighting her with all his might. "Elle stop it! Wake up! I am Charles! I am not your enemy!" Charles told her but to his disappointment Elle looked like she couldn''t hear him. Charles was now sweating a lot. He thought that Elle would able to stab him also. "Sh**t, I couldn''t win against her. She''s strong." Charles mumbled. "Elle you told me this morning that you won''t let anything happen to me. Did you just lie to me? See what you are doing right now. Please wake up!" Charles was still trying his best to wake her up. But still, this was not working. Charles sighed deeply in defeat. "Elle, It''s fine. I won''t blame you. I just want you to know that I truly care about you." He looked at her beautiful face. He smiled at her, trying to accept his ending today. Charles closed his eyes and decided to stop fighting her. But before he could do it, the door of the white room was suddenly opened. Someone ran towards Charles and Elle and he hit Elle at the back to knock her down. "Master Phantom!" Charles blurted out as he caught Elle in his arms while looking at the man who just entered the room. Chapter 97 - 97: Her Burdens Charles was once again saved by Phantom. "Master Phantom! What are you doing here? When did you arrive?" Charles was still couldn''t believe what he was seeing right now. "I already arrived since yesterday. If I hadn''t come, you will be stabbed to death just like him." Phantom said to him as he pointed the dead body of Jefferson. "Thank you master. But how can you hurt Elle like that? You can just snatch away the dagger from her why did you knock her out?" Charles said to him while trying to carry the unconscious Elle in his arms. "Elle was strong. She lost her mind in that moment do you think she won''t fight back? I am already old and can''t fight her." Phantom explained to him. Phantom turned to look at the unconscious Elle. He caressed her face. "Sorry my daughter for doing that. But I know you will suffer more if you wake up and find out that you hurt Charles." Phantom softly said to her. "Is this why you sounded so worried when you called me a while ago? Do you know that this gonna happen?" Charles asked him curiously. Phantom nodded. "I am not sure that this would happen but I felt uneasy. So I decided to come and check on her. Thanks God, I came on the right time. Bring Elle to your place. I will follow you after I clean this mess." Charles nodded in agreement and he left together with Elle. After knowing Elle''s plan through Charles, Phantom immediately followed every thing and proceeded according to her plan. He cleaned up everything after two hours and he followed Charles. He arrived at Charles'' Place together with his most trusted doctor friend Dr. Clara who also diagnosed and treated Elle before. Elle was still sleeping. Charles already wiped the blood stains in her face and hands but he hadn''t change the clothes of Elle which was still covered by the blood of Jefferson. "Let me change her clothes." Dr. Clara volunteered. The two men just went outside and talked with each other. Charles hadn''t recovered yet from th scene he witnessed. Phantom knew that Charles was still bothered of what just happened today. Phantom patted Charles'' shoulder. "If you want to back out right now, you can still do that. I won''t stop you. You almost die in Elle''s hand today. Sorry for giving you this responsibility to assist her. I can do it so don''t worry about it." Charles frown when he heard Phantom. "Master Phantom, don''t misunderstand. I am not afraid of dying, even if it I die in her hands I will not runaway from her. I won''t leave her." Phantom laughed "Hmm, who was the person who came running to me and runaway from Elle while shouting "Master Phantom Save Me!" when he first met her." Phantom teased him. Charles let out a chuckle as he remembered the first day he met Elle. He almost died from heart attack that day. Elle really frightened him when she shot him using a dagger. "That was before Master. I didn''t runaway today. I am ready to accept death a while ago. If it was for Elle, I am also willing to offer my life." "Master before I promised to serve, follow and offer you my life because I was indebted to you. Master, can I break that promise? Now, I want to follow Elle and serve her. I only have one life Master Phantom so I can''t offer it for the both of you. This time, can I just offer it for Elle?" he said to him meaningfully. Phantom burst out into laughter. "Ahem, I don''t mind that Charles. Elle is my daughter and I am glad that someone is willing to offer his life for her just to protect her. At least I am not the only one now who truly cares about her." "I know sometimes Elle was ruthless and harsh towards you but I was amazed with your patience. You are able to stay with her for this long." Phantom said to Charles with an amused look. "Master Phantom, I actually truly cares about her. I don''t know why but even though she is frightening most of the time I still really want to stick with her." Charles said to him truthfully. "Charles I want you to know that even though Elle is treating you cold sometimes but deep inside she treasures you as a friend and a family. She was not expressive with her feelings but I knew her. After she lost her family, we are the one who serve as her new family. She cared about us also." Charles smiled at him. He also believed what Phantom just said to him. He just nodded in agreement. " Master, about what happened to Elle... She seemed so different and was possessed..." Charles wanted to know why Elle acted like that. Phantom understood him. "After witnessing what happened to her family, it had a big impact to Elle. She suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after that tragedy. As you know, sometimes Elle suffered from nightmares about her traumatic experience." Phantom started to share to Charles what happened to Elle and her struggles after her family''s death. Charles was just listening to him attentively. He wanted to know her burdens. "Do you know that after she woke up and recovered from her severe wounds, she suffered more from thinking why she was still alive. She had an overwhelming guilt. She preferred that she also died that day." There was a moment of silence after Phantom said it. "She had suicidal thoughts. She attempted to kill herself but fortunately I discovered about it and successfully stopped her. I saw myself in her that''s why I couldn''t stop myself from worrying about her. I told her my story. I gave her reason to live. I instill in her mind the word revenge so that she would choose to live. I encourage her to live to avenge her family." "She was smart and she understood what I meant. She used her hatred as her courage and strength. She asked me to train her as a full fledged assassin just like me. She found the reason to live so I trained her." Phantom continued to tell Charles about Elle''s past. "Her training helped her to cope her PSTD. Her life went back to normal. She conquered her negative thoughts about herself and her suicidal thoughts." "I thought she could handle her own emotions, but I witnessed how she lost control just like what happened today. It happened when we try to catch one of the persons who was involved in her family''s death. He was the first person she killed as a trained assassin." "She had an outburst and became aggressive when she killed the man. I thought it would be dangerous for her if she couldn''t control her emotions so I advised her to focus on her training first to become strong. Her revenge could wait for the right time. That''s why when you told me about her plan this morning, I became restless. I was afraid that what happened 11 years ago will repeat and now this happened." Phantom smiled bitterly. Now Charles understood everything that happened today. "What will happen to Elle after she wakes up? What we should do to help her?" Charles asked him with concerns. "Don''t worry she can handle this. She was just triggered by meeting that man. Dr Clara told me to observe her and if we suspect that Elle''s suffered again from PTSD, we can just call Dr. Clara for her treatment." Phantom assured him. Dr Clara just got out from Elle''s room. Phantom and Charles walked towards her. "Dr. How is Elle?" Charles asked her. "She was still sleeping. She has a fever but don''t worry this is a normal reaction. She just need to rest for now." "Thank you Clara." Phantom said to her "It''s okay. Just follow my advice and call me if anything''s happen to her. Okay?" The two men just nodded and Dr. Clara bade them her farewell before she left. Three hours after Dr. Clara left, Elle was still sleeping soundly. Charles took care of her, trying to cool down her fever. Phantom just entered the room to inform Charles that he bought food for dinner when Elle''s phone started ringing. Charles and Phantom looked at the caller I.D and they saw that it was detective Erick Lee who was calling her. Chapter 98 - 98: You Should Have Call Me Erick got out early from his work so he decided to pick up Elle at her work place. However, when he arrived at Falcon Cafe, it was already closed so he decided to went home. But to his surprise, when he arrived at home, he didn''t see Elle inside. Erick frown. He wanted to see her badly that''s why he went home early but to his disappointment he didn''t see her. "Elle, where are you?" Erick mumbled. He picked up his phone and dialled her number. It was ringing on the other line. Erick was patiently waiting for her to answer. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile.... Charles and Phantom were now looking at each other. "Master, that was the detective I told you about." Charles told him. Phantom just smiled at him and nodded. Phantom already knew about Detective Erick Lee. He even investigated him. "Master, he is now looking for Elle. Master can you talk to Elle and just convince her to leave this Detective. She doesn''t need his protection. We can protect her." Charles requested Phantom. Phantom just smiled at him awkwardly. Charles didn''t know that he was the one who suggested to Elle to stay with the detective. "Ahem, I couldn''t decide for that. It will still depend on Elle if she wanted to leave him already." Elle''s phone stopped ringing. But seconds after, it started to ring again. "What are you waiting for? Don''t you want to answer it?" Phantom asked Charles. "Master, if I answer that he will know that Elle is with me and he will come to pick her up. I don''t want to return Elle to him especially after what happened to her." Charles said stubbornly. "But he will keep on searching for her. He might suspect something about Elle if she didn''t return tonight." Phantom said to him. "Just let him be Master. Elle doesn''t need him. She has us by her side already." "Have you talked to Elle regarding this?" Phantom asked him. Charles nodded. "What did she say?" Phantom asked him Charles looked down "She didn''t agree with me." "If that is the case, then you should answer that call. Don''t go against her. She might get mad at you if she wakes up and find out that you did something she doesn''t want." Phantom advised him. "But master, what if Elle wakes up and her emotion is not yet stable. He might discover her true identity." Charles continued to refuse to answer Erick''s call. Phantom was put into a deep thought. "Let''s just observe what will happen when he comes. We also expect Elle to wake up sooner. If anything happens we can just attack him here." Phantom suggested. Phantom was not sure also whether Elle would be back to her normal self when she wakes up. He was also curious to see that Detective in person. Phantom picked up the phone and gave it to Charles. "Here....answer it." Charles sighed deeply as he accepted the phone. "Hello?" He finally answered the phone. On the other hand, Erick was shocked to hear Charles voice on the other line. This only meant Elle was with Charles. ''Where are they?'' "Hello Mr. Del Rios, that is Elle''s cellphone. Why did you answer it? Where is she? I went to Falcon Cafe a while ago but it was already close." Erick said to him. Charles rolled his eyes. Phantom had the urge to laugh when he saw his reaction. "She is here at my place." He answered matter-of-factly. Erick frown when he heard him. He didn''t like the idea that Elle was with him and they were at Charles'' place right now. ''What are they doing there?'' "What is she doing there?" Erick asked him. "She is currently sleeping at my bed." Charles smiled wickedly. Then suddenly Phantom hit his head. "Aw!" Charles grunted and he turned to look only to see Phantom''s warning gaze. Phantom knew what Charles was trying to do. Erick became speechless after hearing Charles. Now he had a gloomy expression on his face. Charles was successful in giving Erick a wild imagination. "Give me your address right now Mr. Del Rios!" Erick told him with his stern voice. Erick''s grasp to his phone tightened. Charles told him his address and Erick immediately hang up. He hurriedly went outside and got into his car. He drove really fast going to Charles place. The supposedly 30 minutes drive going there, he got it in just 15 minutes. He got out his car and hurriedly ran towards the house to knock. Charles and Phantom were also shocked when someone knocked. They already knew it was Erick. ''He is fast.'' Phantom thought to himself as he smirked. Charles opened the door and he saw the serious face of Erick. Charles smiled at him widely "Welcome to my house Mr..." what Charles wanted to say was cut off when Erick suddenly punched him in the face. Then he entered the house hurriedly. Erick didn''t mind entering Charles'' place. He didn''t plan to be courteous tonight. All he wanted to do was to find Elle and see her. Erick began to search Charles house to find Elle. Phantom witnessed everything. He was laughing inside. He was amused when he saw Erick punched Charles. ''Hmm. He was not bad. If I am in his shoes I will also punch Charles. He deserves it. haha.'' Phantom told himself while watching Erick. Charles was already mad. He didn''t expect Erick to act like that and suddenly punched him. Erick finally found Elle. He ran towards her. Series of emotions appeared on his face but he felt relieved when he already saw Elle who was still sleeping soundly. Erick walked closer to her. He frown to see the towel in her forehead. ''Is she sick?'' He thought to himself. He removed the towel and he touched her forehead. Charles followed him inside. He was still massaging his face. His lips bled from that punch. "What happened to her?" He asked Charles. Charles shot him a sharp glare. "You still have the guts to face me after punching me. Did you forget that you are inside my house right now? I can sue you of trespassing!" Charles was in rage. Erick ignored his threat. "What happened to her?" he repeated with his stern voice. Charles was bewildered. In the end, he decided to answer his question. "She was sick and collapsed in the cafe. I took care of her. I brought her here since she told me this morning that your parent''s didn''t come home yet. I am afraid to leave her alone and you are at your work that time." Charles tried his best to come up with his good alibi to cover up for Elle. "You should have called me instead." Erick said to him. "I don''t know your number, besides her phone has a passcode. I couldn''t contact you." Charles replied. "You should have brought her in the hospital instead." Erick said to him. Phantom was really enjoying this scene. Charles didn''t know what to respond. This time Phantom decided to help him. "I just want to apologize for my son''s action. I admit he is just really slow sometimes when it comes to decision making." Phantom butted in. At this moment, Erick just realized that there was another person aside from Charles. "We already invited our personal doctor a while ago to check on her. She said she just have a fever and she just need to rest." Phantom said to him again. "Thank you for taking care of her." Erick said politely. Phantom just smiled and nodded at him. Charles wanted to say something more but Phantom stopped him. Erick turned to Elle. Worries was evident to his face. He sat down and tried to wake her up. "Elle, wake up!" Erick tapped her shoulder. Charles and Phantom were just looking at him while he was waking Elle. "Elle." Erick continued to call her. Elle was awakened by Erick''s voice. She slowly opened her eyes. Erick''s handsome face welcomed her sight. Charles and Phantom were anticipating Elle''s reaction after waking up. They were silently observing on the side. A light flashed on Elle''s eyes upon seeing Erick''s familiar face. She smiled at him but she didn''t speak. Charles and Phantom were dumbfounded when they saw her reaction. ''Is her emotion stable now? Is she back to her normal self now?'' They both had the same question in mind. Erick looked at her with his gentle eyes. He smiled at her. "Can we go home now?" Erick asked her. Elle just nodded. She felt really weak right now. She couldn''t speak also. "Can you stand up?" Erick softly said. Elle didn''t have the strength right now so she shook her head to answer him. Erick just let out a soft chuckle. He was back to his normal self. "Alright. Just stay put. I will just carry you." The two spectators on the side couldn''t believe what they were witnessing right now. It seemed like they became invisible. Elle didn''t notice their presence. Her attention was focused only to Erick. Erick carried Elle using sweetheart carry. Elle put her right hand on his shoulder and she burried her face in his chest. Erick just nodded to the two persons before he left the room. Charles and Phantom followed them behind. They watched Erick as he gently put Elle inside his car. He wrapped her using his jacket. Phantom felt relieved to see Elle was now emotionally stable. But when he turned to Charles, he saw his gloomy expression. He shook his head while laughing inside. "What''s wrong? You don''t look good." He teased him. "I hate that Detective! Now he is worried about Elle but I don''t think that he will still feel the same once he find out Elle''s true identity. I bet he will turn his back on her as soon as he find out and he will just hurt her. He is just a fake. He will not be able to accept Elle''s identity and soon he will betray her." Charles said before he walked out. Phantom stared at the directions of Erick''s leaving car. He was also curious what the detective will do once he found out Elle''s true identity. He knew that the detective truly cares about Elle as he observed him a while ago. He was also surprised the way Elle interacts with him. This was the first time he saw Elle''s gentle eyes as she looked at the detective face. He could also feel that Elle was really comfortable with the detective''s presence. Chapter 99 - 99: A News Report On the next morning, Erick filed an emergency leave so that he could take care of Elle. She was still not feeling well. Upon their arrival last night, Elle continued her sleep. She felt really exhausted and weak. His father told him that they would not be able to come back today. Something came out and it was related to Ma. Belle''s case. So Erick couldn''t leave Elle alone. Elle woke up with a headache. She went to the bathroom to freshen up. She washed her face and she was now staring at the mirror blankly. She was trying to remember what happened yesterday but she couldn''t. She totally went black out after she heard Jefferson''s laughter. All her memory stopped there. She wanted to ask Charles but she couldn''t see her phone. Besides Erick was there and he decided not to work for today because of her. She went outside to see Erick was cooking. Erick turned to her direction as soon as he felt her presence. "How do you feel right now?" Erick asked her with a concerned voice. "I still have some headache I think. But I think I will be fine after taking a medicine." Elle answered him truthfully. Elle walked closer to him. She saw that he was cooking a porridge. Elle frown to him and she looked disappointed. Erick noticed her expression "Hey what''s wrong?" "Why are you cooking porridge?" Elle asked him. "Because you are sick." Erick replied matter-of-factly. "You should have cooked my favourite Beef Steaks instead of cooking a porridge!" Elle pouted as she complained to him. Erick laughed out loud after hearing what she said. "Oh sorry, I didn''t know that you prefer to eat Beef Steak rather than porridge when you are sick. Now I know that you have a unique appetite for a sick person." Erick stared at her with an amused look. Elle smiled at him sheepishly. "Hehe... well I need to eat more so that I can recover faster." Erick couldn''t help himself but pinched her cute nose especially when she was acting like a spoiled child in front of him. "Aw!" Elle hit him. "Why are you always targeting my nose?" Elle complained to him. Erick let out a soft chuckle. Erick leaned closer to her. "What do you prefer? Should I target your lips instead?" Erick said to her meaningfully while he was staring at her intently. Elle was reminded of the passionate kiss they shared the other night. Her face started to heat up. She turned around before Erick could see her blushing face. "Whatever! Just finish your cooking. I am now hungry." She said before she walked out to flee from him. "Yes Madam Big Boss!" Erick shouted before he burst out into laughters. Elle was now drinking her hot choco in the living room when Erick finished his cooking. He brought her the porridge. "Special Delivery Madam!" Erick said to her. Elle just laughed at him. "Thank you!" Erick sat down beside her. "You want to have a taste?" Elle offered him her hot choco. Erick darted his gaze back and forth between her smiling face and the cup of hot choco in her hand. ''Elle, I prefer to taste your lips again.'' he wanted to tell her but he just kept it to himself. Erick smiled at her and he accepted the cup. "Sure. Thank you!" He said as he sipped the hot choco. "How is it?" Elle asked him. "Hmm, It tastes super sweet. Did you put tons of sugar here?" Erick teased her as he smiled playfully. Elle didn''t notice but Erick intentionally sipped on the portion where she had left her lips'' mark. Elle rolled her eyes "Tons of sugar your face!!Give me back my hot choco!" Erick laughed at her annoyed expression. "Alright! I am just kidding." Erick gave her back the cup of hot choco. They were in the middle of teasing each other when Erick''s phone rang. It was a call from the headquarter. "Hello?" Erick said as he answered the phone. "Erick turned your television on this chanel, you need to watch this news." It was Bryan who spoke from the other line. Erick complied and he turned on the television in the living room. Elle was just observing on the side. She knew it was related to Erick''s work. When the tv was already on. A news report flashed on the tv screen. [ "Catseye, the devilish assassin strikes again. This time her victim is another businessman who own a Casino. The dead body of Mr. Jefferson Gong was found at the parking lot of his Casino. ] [ Beside his body was the death card of Catseye. The police authorities were puzzled about Catseye''s new style of killing this time. Mr. Gong was wearing a security guard uniform and he looks like he was hit hard by a baseball bat on his head. The investigator also found out that he was stabbed multiple times. ] [ What was more surprising is that, beside his lifeless body, doc.u.ments that contains proof of all his illegal activities was found by the investigator. Now they are really puzzled what is the true motive of Catseye in killing the victim. ] [ Mr. Jefferson Gong was reported that he was kidnapped yesterday by his Casino Manager. According to his manager, they were travelling when someone stopped their vehicle and kidnapped Mr. Gong. ] The news report ended. Erick was so focused on the news that he didn''t notice the shock and the changes in Elle''s expression. The hand that was holding the cup of hot choco was trembling while she was watching the news. So before she could drop the cup, she put it down at the table. Erick continued his conversation with Bryan. Elle couldn''t believe what she just saw. Jefferson Gong was already dead and every thing happened according to her plan. However she didn''t have recollection of what happened. She really wanted to know the truth and what happened when she black out. Charles was the only person who could answer her question. However she couldn''t see him right now especially that Erick was with her. She also didn''t know how she was able to return home. Erick didn''t ask her anything or mention anything to her about last night. She couldn''t also find her bag. Unknown to her, her things were still at Charles'' place. Erick also forgot to bring her things since his thought was already occupied by Elle and he wanted to bring her home badly last night. "Erick go to work now. They need you there. I am okay now. You can leave me here." Elle spoke to Erick as his conversation with Bryan ended. "No! I am not leaving you here. What if you suddenly collapsed again? Besides I already talk with Bryan. He will just update me of everything." Erick assured her. ''Damn, he was really determined to stay with me today. There is no way I can leave this house today.'' she thought to herself. "Ahem, Erick where''s my phone? and my other things?" Elle asked him. "Your things were probably left at Charles house last night." he simply replied. "What? You went to Charles'' house last night?" Elle was asking him with disbelief "Yes. I went there to pick you up. You didn''t remember what happened last night?" Erick asked her back. "Hmm your big boss really cares for you. He said you collapsed yesterday at work that''s why he brought you at his place." He said to her and he sounded annoyed. Erick was still annoyed with Charles last night for intentionally making him to misunderstand every thing between him and Elle, and their relationship. He knew Charles was trying to provoke him. "I am at his place last night?! and you came to pick me up?" Elle asked him again. Erick just nodded. Elle didn''t remember that she was with Charles last night. As she tried to concentrate she just remembered a little. She remembered seeing Erick asking her to go home then he carried her to his car. Then she fell asleep again. Now she was really curious to know what happened yesterday. "Ahem Erick... Can I borrow your phone? I think I need to thank my boss. Hehe" Elle smiled at him sheepishly. Erick furrowed his brows when he heard her. "No! You are ban from using any gadget today. Just stay at home and rest." Erick didn''t agree with her request. Elle:"....." Elle was at loss for words. ''Why is it I felt like I am a child being grounded for today? What I have done that made him look upset and unhappy?'' Chapter 100 - 100: The package Erick''s parents remained at the City X since there was some progress in Ma. Belle''s case. They were supposed to leave today however Raymond got a call from the wife of Manuel, the security guard of Falcon''s family. He went to visit them at their house after the conversation. "Mr Lee thank you for coming. Please sit down." Manuel''s wife said as she welcomed Raymond and invited him inside the house. " How have you been Mrs Mendell?" Raymond asked here. " We are fine but we are still missing Manuel. Two days ago was their death anniversary." she said with her teary eyes. "Yeah. That was also the reason why I am here. I also visited Falcon family''s graveyard. Mrs Mendell I want to apologize for my incompetence. Until now, we haven''t find the culprit." Raymond said, frustration could be heard in his voice. " Don''t blame yourself Mr. Lee. I know you have done your best. By the way Mr Lee this is the reason why I called you here ." Mrs Mendell said then she showed him the briefcase. Raymond looked puzzled when he saw the briefcase. " What is this Mrs Mendell?" he asked her. Mrs Mendell opened the briefcase and Raymond''s eyes widened when he saw what was inside the briefcase. It contained money and cheques. He glanced back to Mrs Mendell with a questioning look. "Someone delivered this package to me yesterday. I was also shocked when I found out what''s inside the briefcase. At first, I thought the messenger had mistaken and delivered me a wrong one but I found this letter inside." Mrs Mendell gave him the letter. Raymond accepted it and he read it. [ "Starting today we will collect their debts. Rest assured that those people responsible for their death will surely pay. We will get the justice that we deserve for our family who passed away." ] [ Use this money Mrs Mendell and live well. Mr. Manuel is guiding your family in heaven. ] Raymond was really puzzled right now. "Who send this?" "I don''t know." She said as she shook her head. " Ma. Belle Elliese Falcon." Raymond blurted out. Mrs Mendell looked at him confusedly when she heard Falcon''s daughter. Raymond noticed her that she was confused when he mentioned Ma. Belle. " Ma. Belle is alive." He said to her. Mrs Mendell gasped in surprise " Is that true? Little Miss is alive?" She asked him again to confirm. He nodded. " Oh, I am glad to hear that! Have you found her? Where is she? I want to see her." She smiled as she was happy to know that Falcon''s daughter was alive. She was missing for so many years now. " I didn''t know where is she right now. I waited for her at her parents'' graveyard. I thought she would come to visit them but she didn''t come." Raymond said to her while feeling disappointed. Mrs Mendell was also saddened with his news. " I suspect that she is behind this. She might be the one who sent you this." He said. " Why?" She asked him. " She is the only witness and she knows who are the culprits." he replied. " Oh my God! Is she trying to get revenge against those people? It was dangerous. She should report it to the police authorities instead." Mrs Mendell commented. Raymond became serious. " I am afraid she didn''t want to do that. Because if she do, she should have already appeared long time ago and reveal what happened 16 years ago." ''Ma. Belle what are you planning? Are you putting the justice in your own hand? I have to find you sooner. I should stop you from doing that. Your parents would not like you to do that. Please be safe Ma. Belle.'' Raymond thought to himself. Worries appeared on his face. _____________________________________________ Meanwhile...at Erick''s place, Erick and Elle just stayed at home for today. Erick didn''t let Elle to call Charles. She was really curious nd wanted to find out what happened yesterday however she was being guarded by Erick. They were both sitting in the living room. Elle was watching Television while Erick was reading book. In her mind, she was thinking how to make Erick leave the house. She stole glances at him from time to time. As if he could sense her, Erick put down the book he was holding and he averted his gaze to Elle. He caught her looking at him. "Are you enjoying the view?" Erick smiled at her mischievously. Elle cleared her throat as she looked away and just feigned innocence. " Yeah, the movie is good." Erick let out soft chuckle. " Oh really?" he asked her while raising his brows. Elle just nodded to confirm. Erick stood up and walked towards her. He satdown on the couch beside her. " Erick are you not planning to buy some groceries today?" "Nope. Mother and father just went to buy groceries before the left to City X." "Aw!" Elle grunted. Erick turned to look at her. She was pressing her stomach. " Hey, are you okay? What''s wrong?" Erick asked her with so much concern in his voice. " Erick can you go out and buy me some medicine for stomachache?" Elle requested him. " I think it will be better to bring you at the hospital." "NO! I don''t need to go to the hospital. I will be fine if I take medicine." Elle objected. " Okay. Wait for me. I''ll come back after five minutes." Erick stood up to get his car key. Elle smiled after that ''That''s great, 5 minutes is enough for me to call Charles.'' Erick came back from his room with the car key in his hand. He was about to leave the house when he stopped and grabbed his phone. Elle''s eyes widened when she saw him bringing his phone with him. ''Damn, he will just buy medicine in the nearby drugstore. Why he has to bring his phone? How am I suppose to call Charles?'' " Erick wait!" She called him. Erick stopped on his track and turned to look at her. "Why?" Elle wanted to ask him why he is bringing his phone however she thought that he might find out her motive if she asked him so in the end she changed her mind. Erick was still waiting for her reply. ''Haizt, forget it.'' Elle told herself as she sighed deeply. " Don''t leave, just stay here with me. I think I am okay now. My stomach doesn''t hurt anymore." "Are you sure it doesn''t hurt anymore?" "Yeah!" Even if Erick leave, she couldn''t still call Charles so she decided to let him stay. Erick walked closer to her with a confused and concerned look. "How do you feel right now? Tell me." Erick asked her softly. Elle felt guilty to see Erick''s face which was painted with worries and concerns. She bit her lower lip. Erick was now sitting beside her, looking at her and waiting for her response. "I think my head just hurts a little." These were the words she could tell him right now. Erick looked at her helplessly. He moved a certain distance away from her and he signalled her to lie her head on his lap. Elle looked at him confusedly. "Come, lie here. I will massage you head so that I can ease your pain a little." He softly said to her. Elle complied and she lay down on the couch, her head was on Erick''s lap. Erick started to massage her head. He gently rubbed her temples. Elle closed her eyes. "Mmmmm" Elle was enjoying his massage. " Mmmm, It feels good. I didn''t know you are also good at massaging." Elle commented. Erick chuckled when he heard her comment. " Thank you. By the way, my talent fee is a little bit high, can you afford it?" Erick said as he joked at her. Elle frown "You profiteer! I thought this is free, you are the one who offer me your free service! You deceived me!" Erick let out another chuckle. He continued to massage Elle but Elle opened her eyes and grabbed his hands. "Why?" Erick asked her. Elle just smiled at him and said " How much is your talent fee? I think I can afford it now. I will have my salary next week." "Hmmm, then just treat me a meal next week, just you and I." Erick said to her. " Ok, deal! I will treat you in the most expensive restaurant in the City Z!" Erick just laughed at her. He didn''t ask her to treat him in an expensive restaurant. All he wanted to do was to be with her. Elle let go of his hands and she closed her eyes again while smiling. Erick stared at the girl on his lap with his gentle eyes. He continued massaging her head. After sometime, Erick spoke up again. "Elle?" he was trying to confirm if she fell asleep or not. " Hmmm?" she answered him. She seemed like she was about to fall asleep. Erick paused for a moment before he spoke again. " Elle.... are you hiding something from me?" Erick asked her out of the blue. Elle who was about to drift into sleep suddenly opened her eyes when she heard that unexpected question from him. She met Erick''s dark brown eyes which were staring at her very intensely. Chapter 101 - 101: The Truth "Elle... are you hiding something from me?" this simple question put Elle''s mind into chaos. Her system awakened and became alert. Her sleepiness that she felt a while ago disappeared like a bubble. She was staring at Erick''s dark brown eyes. Her body tensed up meeting his gaze. ''Did he discover something? Did he find out my identity? Did he notice something when he went to Charles'' place? Did Charles tell him something or did I tell him myself last night and I just forgot about it?'' These were the questions running in her mind right now. Erick was observing all her reaction. "I guess, I am right. You are definitely hiding something from me Elle." Erick spoke up again. Elle didn''t know what to response. Her expression betrayed her already. She forgot that she was put under the observant eyes of Erick right now. "Tell me Elle. What are you hiding from me?" Erick urged her to speak up as he noticed her nervous expressions and silence. "Erick..." Elle was still hesitant to talk. She didn''t know what to say. ''Did I blow up my cover? What should I do? Attack him and knock him down right now then flee and escape.'' Elle clenched her fist. She had a conflicting emotions right now. Can she really hurt Erick? "How did you know?" Elle finally spoke up with her serious tone. "Hmm. You told me the truth yourself. I want to confront you again since I think you forgot about it." Erick answered matter-of-factly. "What are you going to do now Erick? Are you going to catch me and send me to prison?" Elle was now ready to fight back when Erick suddenly laughed at her. "Hmm, I should be the one asking you that." Erick told her in between his laugh. Elle stared at him with a confused look. "What are you talking about?" "I know the truth now. You told me everything when you were drunk that I kissed you before. Why did you hide it from me? You should have scold me." "Therefore I should be the one asking you what are you going to do with me. Will you put me in prison for stealing your first kiss?" Erick explained to her what he really meant. He wore a mischievous smile on his handsome face while looking at her amusedly. Elle was stupefied after hearing him. She was at loss for words. ''Sh**t, this guy was talking about our first kiss! He didn''t discover my identity but he was talking about our kiss! I was worried for nothing.'' Elle didn''t know whether to cry or to felt relieve because of this. Elle just stared at him with disbelief. "You don''t have plan to tell me what happened, right? You plan to hide it from me!" Erick was accusing her. "Why should I tell you that? It was your fault that you forgot. If I didn''t get drunk, you will never know it ever." Elle shot him a glare and she punched him in the shoulder. "I am sorry, I was drunk that time. But I actually didn''t completely forgot about it." He told her honestly. "What?! Did you just pretend that you didn''t remember?" Elle was starting to get annoy with him. She was about to punch him again but this time he caught her hand. "Hey don''t misunderstand. I didn''t pretend that I forgot. It''s just that I have some recollection of what happened but at first I thought it was just my dream." Erick smiled at her sheepishly as he explained to her. Elle rolled her eyes. But deep inside, she felt relieved right now. It is better this way having confrontation about their kiss rather than having confrontation with him regarding her true identity. She didn''t have to lie and deny it since Erick already learned the truth about their first kiss. What he didn''t know right now was that she also remembered their passionate kisses that they shared when she was drunk. She stood up and wanted to flee from him in order to avoid further confrontation with him. But before she could do that, Erick grabbed her hand immediately to stop her from leaving. "Hmm, where are you going? We are not yet done talking. Hmm don''t think that you can escape right now." Erick said to her with a playful smile on his handsome face. He pulled Elle and she sat back on the couch beside him. Erick held her hand and he didn''t plan on letting her go. If this was just someone else, he already received a hard punch from Elle. But the one holding her hands right now was Erick. Elle sighed deeply and just stayed put in her position. "You said you don''t remember what happened last time when you were drunk." Erick spoke again. "Yes! Definitely!" She nodded and lied. ''Then I will make you remember.'' Erick thought to himself as he smiled playfully. "Are you not curious? You can ask me. I can tell you everything if you want to. I am not like you, hiding from me what happened when I was drunk, but I won''t do that to you." Erick said while teasing her. Elle wanted to punch this shameless guy. ''Is he trying to tell me everything so that I will be embarrassed in front of him? He wanted to tease me! Argh! I promise to myself I won''t get drunk again if he is with me!'' Elle told herself. "Okay, you can tell me everything." Elle said to him while raising her brows. Erick chuckled before he started to tell her what happened. He was like a mother who is reading her child a bed time story and Elle was just listening to him with her poker face. She wanted him to believe that she really didn''t remember anything. "When I arrived from work, you were sitting on the floor and leaning your back at the couch. You already drank so many beers. You were totally wasted." Elle bit her lip since she really admitted that what he was saying was true. "Then I ran to you and you hold my face while saying ''OH, here comes my handsome savior!'' Erick immitated the way how she told him those words. Elle''s face started to heat up from embarrassment. Elle glared at him ''Why did you have to immitate even the way I said it! It was really embarrassing!'' Erick laughed when he saw her sharp glare. She was annoyed. Erick continued telling her the story. "When I stopped you from drinking another beer, you got mad at me and you said that I don''t have the right to lecture you since girls have also the same right to drink and get drunk." Erick laughed again as he remembered how Elle acted when she was drunk. "You even remind me how you took care of me when I am drunk. That was the time you told me everything about our kiss. You told me how dangerous I am when I get drunk. You also said that I tend to kiss someone that''s why you warned me not to get drunk especially if I am with other girls." "You also complained to me how you hate me for not remembering our kiss. It was your first kiss and I stole it. You even asked for Justice since I forgot all about it. You were really talkative that time." He stared amusedly at her before breaking out into laughter. This time, Elle couldn''t hide her embarrassment. Her face was now blushing, as red as a tomato. She was gritting her teeth. ''Why did you have to be detailed in telling those things?!'' Elle was trying to maintain her cool. She just smiled at him awkwardly and let out a forced laugh. Erick was enjoying the moment. He was observing all her reaction and he noticed something from Elle. He was laughing inside, seeing Elle''s blushing face like this. He wanted to know what will be her reaction if he told her how she kissed him and how she demanded for more. "Did you know what happened next?" ''Damn! It looks like he is about to tell me about how I kiss him. Elle just calm down and just feigned innocence. You didn''t remember anything!'' Elle reminded and convinced herself. Erick was about to tell her what she did when in the last minute he changed his mind and he tried to twist some of the details about what happened. He smiled wickedly inside. He wanted to tease her more. "Do you remember when you asked me whether you did something wrong and I said yes and no. YES because it was true you did something and No because it was not wrong. Now I will tell you what you did." Elle just nodded. She already conditioned herself how to react once Erick mention to her their kiss for the second time around. Erick leaned closer to her and whisphered to her ear using his husky voice "You wanted justice and you wanted to get even with me so you pinned me down on this sofa. And like a hungry wolf you attacked me and kissed me passionately. You bite my lips as my punishment for forgetting our first kiss." Elle''s eyes widened as she heard what he just said. She didn''t expect that and so she forgot all the reactions in which she already conditioned herself to do. She lost her cool. She suddenly pushed Erick and said "You are a liar! A great liar! That is not what happened. I didn''t pin you down in this sofa! I just hold your face and kiss you! WHO''s the hungry wolf? You are the one who bite my lips, not me!" Elle said to him without thinking. She was really annoyed with him. It was too late when she realized that she committed another mistake as she acted on impulse. Erick was dumbfounded with her sudden reaction. He didn''t expect her to react like this. But when he realized something, he recovered quickly from shock. Now he was grinning at her widely. "So that''s mean, you remember everything. You are just pretending that you forgot about it but the truth is you clearly remember everything about our kiss last time!" This time Elle froze on her spot as she realized her mistake. Erick smirked at her as he stared at her intently. ''Damn! I am doomed!'' Before he could further ask her, she stood up immediately and ran towards Erick''s room and locked it. Erick just stared at the closed door of his room before he burst into laughter. "She remembered everything! She didn''t forget our kiss." He mumbled as he was rejoicing inside. Chapter 102 - 102: Reunited As a result of Erick''s teasing and the discovery of truth, Erick ended up sleeping in Elle''s room while Elle stayed at Erick''s room. Elle tried her best to avoid Erick since she was really embarrassed to face him. On the next morning, Erick knew that Elle felt a little awkward so he never mentioned to her about the kiss. He stopped teasing her so that Elle would talk to him just like how they used to before. Since his parents told him already that they were coming back today and Elle wouldn''t be alone at the house anymore so Erick came to work today. Unknown to Erick, Elle left the house as soon as he left for work. Elle was eager to know the truth since yesterday and she was glad that she was free from Erick''s watch today. Elle went straight to her place before coming to Falcon''s Cafe. The folder she left last time was still on the desk. She picked it up and put it back to her safe. The briefcase which contained the remaining money was also nowhere to be found so she assumed that Charles already delivered it to Manuel''s family just like how she told him to do so. She went to the white room only to see that it was already empty and clean. No traces of blood or any mark that Jefferson Gong was there before. She was about to leave in order to go to the Falcon Cafe when she stopped on her track. She remembered the CCTV footage inside the white room. So before she left, she went to check the CCTV recording of that day. She was now watching the recording on her laptop. She forwarded it to the moment she blackout and she was astonished when she saw what happened that day. She gasped in surprise when she saw her own self lost control in the video. She saw how she suddenly charged and attacked Jefferson and stabbed him multiple times until he lost his life. What shocked her more was when she saw what happened between her and Charles. Charles stopped her and she struggled against him. Then she turned to face Charles. She also attacked him. Elle couldn''t believe what she was seeing. ''Oh no! This is not me! I didn''t remember anything. I really lost my mind this time. I even attacked Charles.'' Elle was having conflicting emotions right now. She hated herself. She felt really guilty towards Charles especially when she heard what Charles said to her. She knew how hard Charles fought her. { Elle stop it! Wake up! I am Charles! I am not your enemy! } { Sh**t, I couldn''t win against her. She''s strong} { Elle you told me this morning that you won''t let anything happen to me. Did you just lie to me? See what you are doing right now. Please wake up! } She saw how Charles tried his best to wake her up. But it did not work. "Was I able to stab him? Gosh, did I really hurt Charles?" She mumbled to herself. She felt uneasy while watching the video. It looked like Charles would be stabbed at any time. Elle clenched her fists as she saw Charles sighed deeply in defeat. { Elle, It''s fine. I won''t blame you. I just want you to know that I truly care about you. } He looked and he smiled at her before Charles closed his eyes. Then suddenly the door of the white room was opened. "Master Phantom! He came back." Elle blurted out as soon as she saw him. Elle watched him as he ran towards them. Phantom hit her at the back and knocked her down. Elle felt relieved now. It seemed like she had just watched a suspense movie. After watching the CCTV recording, Elle hurriedly left her place and went to Falcon Cafe. She really wanted to see Charles. Elle arrived at the Falcon Cafe. She saw Charles at the counter. Elle rushed in as she entered the Cafe. "Elle!" Charles blurted out as soon as he saw Elle. He didn''t expect her to come today. And he didn''t expect what Elle''s did and her action as soon as she entered the Cafe. Elle ran towards Charles and when she was in front of him, Elle suddenly hugged Charles. He was frozen on his spot. His eyes widened from shock and disbelief. ''Am I dreaming? Elle is hugging me right now! Did I just imagining Elle since I miss her?'' he thought to himself. "Charles thanks God you are safe!" Elle said to him. This time Charles believed that the one hugging him right now was really Elle as he heard her voice. He was at loss for words. Then after a while, Elle let him go. Now, Charles was staring at the girl standing in front of him with disbelief. He finally found his voice so he spoke up. "Elle is that you? Are you still possessed?" Charles asked her as he couldn''t still believe what had just happened. Elle frown after hearing his question. Then she realized that this was the first time she hugged Charles. That explains Charles''s reaction. Elle let out a soft chuckle and she hit Charles in the head. "Yeah, fool! This is me, Elle!" "Aw!" Charles grunted and said, "Now, that was really you." Charles chuckled also. They were both laughing when a person entered the Cafe. They both turned around only to see Phantom looking at them with his gentle smile on his face. He saw what happened just a while ago. He noticed Elle''s changes. She was becoming more open and expressive with her emotions right now unlike before. And it was a good sign. "MASTER Phantom!" Both Charles and Elle shouted as soon as they saw him. "Good morning!" Phantom greeted them as he walked towards them. "Master Phantom thank you. If it hadn''t for you, this dumb person beside me would be dead already." Elle told him. Charles and Phantom both frown. "How did you know?" Phantom said. "Wait! Did you remember what happened?" Charles asked her curiously. Elle shook her head. "No, I don''t remember anything after I blackout. I found what really happened when I watched the CCTV recording of the white room." Phantom and Charles stared with each other. They forgot about the CCTV. They planned not to tell her so that she wouldn''t feel guilty but in the end, she found out the truth. "Don''t blame yourself, Elle. I understand it. It was not your fault. It was my fault for being weak." Charles softly said to her. He was worried about Elle. Elle just nodded and smiled at him. She knew that Charles said it in order for her not to feel bad about herself. "How do you feel about it?" It was Phantom who asked her. "Honestly Master, I was shocked when I saw myself doing it. It was a long time ago when I last experienced it. But promise, it won''t happen again in the future." Elle reassured them. Phantom smiled at her. He knew her well. If she put her mind into it, she could do it. And even if an event like that would happen again, he would be by her side to stop her and protect her. "Alright! Let''s forget about it and eat first. I brought some food." Phantom said to them. They sat down together to eat. This time the three of them have reunited again and happily having their meal together. While eating, Elle noticed something on Charles''s face. "What happened to your face Charles? Did I beat you also? You have some bruises on your lips." Elle asked him. Phantom burst into laughter after hearing her question. Charles'' expression immediately changed as he remembered what happened to his handsome face. "Your FAKE boyfriend did this to me!" Charles said with an angered tone. He gritted his teeth. He really emphasized the word fake. Elle frown after that "Erick did that to you? Impossible. What happened between you two?" "I don''t know. He just suddenly punched me." Charles complained to her. "Hmm. He is not the type of person who will just punch someone without a reason. What did you do this time Charles?" Elle asked him again. "I am your partner Elle. You should believe me. I didn''t do anything. I just told him that you are at my place and resting. And when he arrived at my place he suddenly punched me." Charles insisted. Elle couldn''t believe it so she just gave Charles a suspicious look. Now, Elle turned to Phantom who was enjoying his meal and smiling widely while listening to them. "Master did you know what happened between Charles and Erick?" "Hmm, I think Charles had said something that made the Detective mad. I think you should ask him yourself." Phantom suggested. "Master! You also? You should support me instead. Why do I felt like you are both in favor of that detective rather than me? I am the one who was beaten here!" Charles said feeling so upset. "Hmm, it''s your fault for being weak that is why you got beaten by him." Elle used what Charles had said to her a while ago to tease him. Charles looked at her with disbelief. Elle and Phantom burst into laughter as they saw Charles'' ugly expression on his face. Chapter 103 - 103: Can We Become Friends? Charles: "Master, are you sure?" Phantom: "Yes!" Charles: "How about what you want, traveling around the world?" Phantom: "I can still do that. Besides I just came back from traveling." Charles: "No backing out Master!" Phantom: "I know!" Charles: "Haha Hmm. Then you can start working here at Falcon Cafe as of today!" Elle: "Yeah, it is a good idea to have additional manpower." This time Elle joined in their conversation. Charles: "Thank you, master, for volunteering!" Phantom: "Ahem, you still need to pay me. My service is not free!" Charles: "Master, you don''t need money. You are already rich!" Phantom: "But I need that when I travel abroad." Charles: "Okay fine Master!" Elle: "Speaking of salary, give me my money." Charles: "Both of you never change, you still love money! Let''s accept missions again so that we can gain more income. The money that we won in the Casino, you asked me to give it to the Mendell family." Elle hit Charles in the shoulder. "You are the one who loves money. See...you are suggesting to accept missions just to increase our income! You are not an exception also!" Elle shot him a glare. Phantom just shook his head while giving Charles a disappointed look. They were in this state when an unexpected visitor arrived. It was Selena Arison. Charles and Phantom were dumbfounded to see the youngest daughter of Jorge Arison while Elle gave her a confused look. "Hello, Sis Elle!" Selena greeted Elle with so much enthusiasm. Phantom and Charles stared with each other with the same question in mind. ''Did we hear it right? Did Selena Arison just call Elle, Sis Elle? They both turned to Elle. She met their questioning looks but Elle just shrugged at them before she went to entertain Selena. "Hi Miss Selena Arison, what''s bring you here?" Elle asked her politely. "Just call me Selena or Sis. I came to see you. I want to spend time with you. I am really thankful to you for saving my brother''s life." Selena said to her. "I told you no need to be thankful. I just did what I thought was right at that time. By the way please have a seat first. What would you like to drink?" Elle invited her. Selena nodded at her before she sat down. "I want to drink Honey Lemon Tea." After a few minutes, Elle gave her the tea. "By the way Selena, I want you to meet my boss, Charles and his father Phan... I mean Mr. Tom Del Rios." Charles and Phantom waved and smiled at Selena. "Hello, nice meeting you! Can I borrow Elle for a moment?" Selena asked them politely. "Sure, take your time and have a talk both of you." It was Phantom who answered her. Phantom smiled as he saw her. Selena had a similarity with Jorge. They were both friendly and approachable. Too bad, Jorge Arison was already dead and it was Elle who kill him. "Master, what do you think is her motive coming here? Did she discover something about Catseye?" Charles whispered to Phantom. "I don''t think so. She looks like she is very fond of Elle. Maybe she just wants to befriend Elle, no ulterior motive at all." Phantom rejected Charles'' suspicion. Charles just nodded ''''Hmm If she knew that Elle was the one who killed her father, I am sure she wouldn''t be able to smile like that while looking at Elle.'''' Phantom gave Charles a warning look which says ''Quiet! Just keep your mouth shut!'' Charles understood so he just kept quiet while observing the two girls on the side. "By the way Elle, I didn''t know your complete name, what is your surname?" Selena asked her curiously while she sipped on her lemon tea. Elle didn''t expect her question so she paused for a moment to think for a surname. She couldn''t say that her surname was a Falcon since the name of the Cafe was Falcon. So, in the end, she just used her surname given by Master Phantom. She also used this surname when she introduced herself to Erick''s parents when they were having dinner at their first meeting. "I am Elle Claveria." "I am glad to know you, Elle. I hope we can be friends, can''t we?" Selena extended her hand to Elle for a handshake. She smiled very sweetly towards Elle. Elle felt hesitant at first but in the end, she accepted Selena''s hand. "Sure, Selena." She smiled back at her. "That''s great! My brother will be glad if he finds out that you and I are already friends. I want to praise you, Elle. I was really amazed by how you deal with my brother. His assistant told me everything when my brother visited you here last time." Selena chuckled as she remembered it. "I was really shocked when James came back to the office and he brought so many cakes, bread, and drinks. Hahaha. Then I found out what happened. He really bought all your products here in the Cafe and he even ended up wrapping those food items. My brother never in his life that he does such a menial job and you are the only one who was able to make him do it." Selena continued laughing as a result, Elle was infected by her humorous laugh so she ended up laughing also. Phantom and Charles were dumbfounded seeing the two ladies getting along so well and now they were both laughing. "He deserved it. Your brother was so arrogant." Elle told Selena truthfully. "Yeah, you are right. I want to apologize on his behalf." Selena was now able to control her laughter. "It''s okay. You don''t need to do that." Elle gave her a half-smile. "Hmm, Elle can we go out next time? I want to know you more. Honestly, I admire you for your bravery. And you are different from other girls that I know. If you are like others, I am sure you will not treat my brother in that way. Girls are going crazy about him and you are different from them. You are not blinded by his beauty and I really commend you for that. Hehe. I am happy that he found his match." Elle just smiled awkwardly at her. She didn''t plan to get close to her but Selena was the one who was insisting to befriend her. So Elle just decided to go with the flow. "By the way, Elle, do you have any message for my brother? Just tell me, I will pass it to him." Selena asked her. "Hmm, none. I am not interested in him" Elle simply said while smiling at Selena. "Okay. I will tell him that." Selena let out a soft chuckle. Elle just shook her head. After their conversation, Selena decided to leave. But before she leave, she bought some cakes and drinks. She was planning to give it to her brother. She also wanted to tease him and boast to him that she and Elle were now close unlike him who was hated by Elle. When Selena was already gone, Charles immediately approached Elle to gossip. "What did she say?" Charles asked her curiously. "She wanted to make friends with me and she invited me to go out next time." Elle simply replied. "Oh Really? Then what did you say to her?" He asked her again. "I agree." "WHAT? Do you also want to befriend her? Elle, remember she hated Catseye. And you are Catseye." Charles said with disbelief. "I said I agree but it doesn''t mean I wanted to befriend her, besides it will be rude if I refuse her generous offer. It is better this way as the saying goes, keep your friend close and your enemies closer." A mischievous smile appeared on Elle''s face _____________________________________________ At Arison Holding and Mining Company..... James just finished his meeting and he was now leaning on his office chair when Selena went inside his office. Selena was smiling from ear to ear as she entered his office. She put the cake and the drink she bought at Falcon Cafe down to his desk. James looked at her confusedly. "What is that?" He asked her. "My dear brother, are you blind? I brought you some snacks." Selena replied. "I know, what I mean is it was unusual for you to buy me some snacks. Why are you in a good mood?" James asked her as he noticed her cheerfulness. Selena ignored his question "You don''t want this?" "Just give it to my secretary. I am not hungry." James said as he was not interested in the food that she brought. "Hmm, are you sure?" Selena asked him and he just nodded. Selena picked up the snacks and she turned around but before she left, she spoke up again. "It came from your favorite Cafe. I stopped by at Falcon Cafe and bought it for you. Elle was the one who prepared and packed these snacks." James'' attention was caught when Elle''s name was mentioned. "Wait! Did you meet Elle today?" James asked Selena with so much interest in his eyes. Selena turned around and grinned at him. "Yeah, I met her. So my dear brother since you don''t want this snack, I will just give this to your secretary." Selena turned around again and walked towards the exit door of his office. But before she could leave, James stood up and ran towards her to stop her from leaving. "What?" Selena asked him. James cleared his throat before he spoke again. "Give me that snack." He said. Selena smiled inside. "I thought you don''t want this." "You bought it for me so it is just natural for me to have that snack my dear sister." Selena raised her brows "Liar. I just told you that it was prepared by Elle and now you change your mind and you want to have these snacks." But in the end, Selena gave it to him. "By the way, why did you visit her?" "Because I like her. And you know what we are now friends! We had a nice conversation." Selena said to James happily. James just smiled at her. "Good to hear that. By the way, did she mention anything about me?" "Hmm, yup!" Selena was looking at him meaningfully. A smirk appeared on James'' handsome face when he heard his sister''s reply. "What did she say about me?" "She said you are arrogant!" Selena chuckled James frown. "Is that all?" "Nope. Before I left, I also asked her if she had anything that she wanted to say to you." "Then what is it?"James was anticipating her reply. He was curious about Elle''s message to him. "She said NONE! She also said she is not interested in you! Hahaha. Sorry brother, your charm didn''t work on her." Selena burst into laughter as she teased her brother. James''s eyes widened when he heard her. He was now wearing a gloomy expression. He gritted his teeth as he thought about Elle. ''Elle just you wait. I will make sure that you will fall for me. You will not be able to resist my charm.'' he thought to himself. Chapter 104 - 104: Elles Unique Suggestion At Dark Knight Headquarter... "How is the result of your investigation? Did you find out who is responsible for sabotaging our negotiation with Mr. Chen? Is Skull gang involve with the surprise attack?" the man in his mid 40''s spoke up to his henchman. He was one of the leaders of Dark Knight. "Boss, it is negative. Skull gang had nothing to do with the attack." the man replied. "Dark lord won''t be happy with this report. We lost billions in that incident. Assign someone who is capable enough to solve this case. We need to find out who is our enemy! " "Noted Boss." "How about Catseye. Any news about that assassin?" "Catseye hides so well. We cannot trace her. Even Skull Gang already stopped finding her. However Boss, we just heard that Catseye killed someone. His name is Jefferson Gong, the owner of Gong Casino. He was found dead in the parking lot of his own Casino." The man was put in deep thought after hearing the report regarding Catseye. He stayed silent for a moment and he stood up to get a whiskey and drank it. "Continue following Skull Gang and monitor their movement. Assign another team for tracking Catseye. Dark lord will be visiting the headquarter and we need to ensure that no problem will arise during his visit. You can leave now." The man said as he ordered his henchman. "By the way, bring me a copy of the police report regarding Jefferson Gong''s murder case." He added When the henchman left, the man sat down with a complicated expression on his face. "Jefferson Gong, my friend, I didn''t expect that you will become a victim of Catseye. I wonder, what is her motive by killing you? Who did you offend this time that someone even hired a very skilled assassin like Catseye just to end your life?" he mumbled to himself. _____________________________________________ At Falcon Cafe.... After Selena left, another unexpected visitor came. This time it was Bryan. Upon entering the Cafe, Bryan noticed Charles who had just served one of the customer''s orders. Bryan walked towards him in order to greet him. "Hey, Buddy!" Bryan called the attention of Charles. He turned around to the direction of that voice. Charles''eyes widened when he saw the man who had just entered the Cafe. "Hey Bro! It''s nice to see you here! Welcome to our Cafe." Charles greeted Bryan back with enthusiasm. "Thank you, Bro." Bryan smiled at Charles. "By the way, why are you here?" Charles asked him. "I came from the field. I decided to visit your cafe since it was near and along the way." Bryan explained to him. "Ah okay. Please sit down. I''ll get you some drinks." Charles said before he left to prepare Bryan''s drink Elle noticed the presence of Bryan. She frowned when he saw him. "What is he doing here?" she asked Charles. "He came from the field. He drops by to see the Cafe. I told him last time that he can come here at any time." Charles replied to Elle as he was preparing for Bryan''s drinks. Bryan saw Elle looking at his direction so he smiled and waved at her. Elle smiled back and nodded at him. Charles came back with the drinks. He sat down on the other side of the table, facing Bryan. "What''s wrong bro? You look so stressed and haggard." Charles asked Bryan as he noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "Do I really look haggard?" Bryan asked him. Charles nodded vigorously. Elle raised her brows as she watched the two men acting so close while having their conversation. ''Hmm birds of the same feather flock together!'' She thought to herself as she was laughing inside. Elle''s lips curled up as she decided to join those two men with their serious conversation. Elle sat down beside Charles. "Where is Erick? Why are you alone?" Elle asked Bryan. "Chief is at the headquarter right now. I want to unwind for a while. Things are hectic in the office especially now that Catseye became active again with her killings." Bryan replied as he sighed deeply. Elle and Charles simply stared with each other upon hearing Catseye. Elle''s lips twitched a little, trying to hold her smile. She decided to change the topic. "How''s April?" Charles and Elle noticed the changes in the expression of Bryan when April''s name was mentioned. "Oops. Did I say something wrong? You don''t look, good Sergeant." Elle teased him. "Actually, that girl is one of the reasons why Bro is looking so stressed right now." Charles was the one who answered Elle. Charles let out a soft chuckle. ''Bro? When did Charles and Bryan become bro? And how did Charles know about April?'' Elle thought as she wondered. Elle didn''t know but Charles and Bryan became close during their last visit at Erick''s place. That was the time that these two single men were ignored and fed by dog foods by her and Erick as they unknowingly acted so intimate in front of them. Charles and Bryan got to talk and bond with each other that day. "April''s was avoiding me after Rose''s Birthday and until now," Bryan said to them truthfully. He always kept this within himself for almost two weeks now. This time he was glad that Elle and Charles were there to listen to him. He felt comfortable sharing his problem with them. "What did you do? Why is she avoiding you?" Elle asked him again. "Because they slept together! Hahaha," It was Charles who answered. Elle was dumbfounded when she heard it. "How did it happen?" She asked Bryan again with disbelief. "He was not able to control himself. The girl initiated the first move! She kissed him and they ended up sleeping together. Hahaha," Charles answered again. Bryan just stayed silent while feeling so depressed. This time, Elle was not happy. She shot those two men sharp glare and she hit Charles in the head while she kicked Bryan on his leg under the table. The two men grunted in pain and turned to look at Elle who stared at them angrily. The two men were just staring at her with a confused look unaware of the reason why Elle was looking at them like daggers. "Charles I am not asking you! Why are you the one answering my questions? And why are you laughing? Is that funny?" she scolded him then she turned to Bryan. "And you Bryan! How could you share that information with someone whom you just met? Are you the kind of guy who kisses and tells? Do you think if April learned about it, she will still talk to you?" Elle shook her head as she stared at him looking so disappointed. The two men looked down as they felt so guilty. They were now being lectured by Elle. "We are drinking at that time and having a good conversation. I didn''t notice that I began to open up with him and accidentally told him what happened between me and April. Besides I really need someone whom I can talk to in order to vent and share my problem, it just so happened that Charles was there at that time. I went to visit Erick that day because I need someone to talk to however he was busy with you. How am I supposed to talk to him? Bryan justified his action. ''Is he saying that it was my fault that he was not able to talk with Erick?'' "Alright, We can''t do anything about it. It was already done. So what are your plans?" Elle asked him. "I want to court her but I don''t know how to begin. She was avoiding me right now. What should I do? Elle what can you suggest. You are also a girl so you know what girl''s like." Bryan said to them sounded so problematic. Elle thought for a moment before she answered him. Charles shook his head ''Oh Buddy, you ask the wrong person. She is not like an ordinary girl. She could not give you a good suggestion about wooing a girl.'' "Give her a flower! Girls like flowers!" Charles suggested. "I don''t think that is a good idea. That''s is a very old and common strategy. If I am April, I will be turned off right away." Elle didn''t agree on Charles''suggestion Bryan was just looking at the two persons in front of him, waiting for their good suggestions. "Give her a gift, a necklace, a bag or a teddy bear, or serenade her. Girls like gifts and they want to be serenade." Charles suggested again. Bryan nodded but Elle spoke up again to contradict Charles''s suggestion. "Can''t you come up with a better suggestion? It''s so common and so corny. No wonder you are still single Sir." ''You didn''t know but girls like my suggestions. Elle you just don''t appreciate it because you are not a normal girl!'' "Then what can you suggest then?" Charles asked her as he was unhappy because Elle kept on opposing his suggestion. Bryan was just staring back and forth between Charles and Elle. A sly smile appeared on Elle''s face as she said "Just simple. Threaten her life!" Bryan: "...." Charles: "...." Bryan and Charles were dumbstruck upon hearing her suggestion. They were speechless. ''I told you so Bro. You ask the wrong person. This girl in front of you is an assassin and she knows nothing at all about courting or anything concerning with normal girls!'' Charles stared at Bryan while pitying him. "What do you mean by that? Threaten what? Did I just hear it wrong?" this time Bryan spoke up. "Send someone to attack her. Then you will come into the picture. You will appear at the right time and rescue her. Believe me, she will talk to you after that, especially if you will be hurt while protecting her. So what do you think of this suggestion?" Elle smiled at Bryan. The two men became speechless once again. Elle really had a unique suggestion and the funny thing was both of them were convinced that her suggestion might really work. ''Whoah. Why I didn''t think about it? Elle was really something.'' Charles was feeling amused right now. The two men were still thinking when Elle spoke up again. "Do you need help? I have a plan." a playful smile appeared on her beautiful face. Chapter 105 - 105: Girls Bonding Two days after Selena visited Elle at Falcon''s Cafe, as Selena promised, She invited Elle to have a girl''s bonding. So that day Elle applied for a day off. "Hi Elle, did you wait long?" Selena asked Elle as she arrived at the Cafe to pick her up. "Nope, you are just on time," Elle said as she smiled at her. Selena giggled "Let''s go?" Elle nodded before she went inside the car. After that, they left the cafe. "Where do you want to go?" Selena asked her. "Hmm, nothing in particular. You decide." Elle simply replied. "Hmm okay, let''s go shopping then!" Selena said excitedly. Elle just gave her a forced smile while pretending that she wanted the idea. 20 minutes after, they arrived at the biggest shopping Mall in City Z. They started to roam around the mall. The two women caught the attention of different men inside the mall. Two beautiful women were walking side by side, strolling around the mall. They really stood out in the crowd, one is elegantly beautiful with her radiant vibes while the other is strikingly beautiful with her alluring aura. The two women walked inside the lady''s section wherein there were lots of clothes and accessories being displayed. Selena started picking up clothes for both of them. Elle just standing there while looking at her. Selena noticed her. "Hey Elle, don''t just stand there. Pick something. This is my treat!" "No, I am just fine. I am not fond of these types of clothes anyway." Elle politely refused her offer. But Selena insisted on buying her clothes. In the end, Elle surrendered to what Selena''s wanted to do. Selena picked several dresses and they both tried and wore those clothes in the fitting room. Selena was enjoying the moment. After an hour of taking their time in the clothes section, they left and proceeded to other stores. They were now holding several paper bags containing different kinds of lady''s dress. They were now strolling inside the men''s section. Selena''s eyes brightened when she saw those accessories for men. Then she pulled Elle towards the stall where men''s watches were being displayed. "What are we doing here Selena? Are you going to buy some things for your brother also?" Elle asked her, trying to hide her impatience. She felt bored and she didn''t enjoy shopping. She was also a little bit tired from following Selena as she shopped non stop. "Nope. I am not thinking about my brother. I have someone else in my mind." Selena told her truthfully as she giggled. She picked up one of the watches being displayed. Elle was just observing Selena. She noticed some emotions in Selena''s eyes while looking at those items. Elle just shook her head and stayed quiet on the side. "I have someone I wanted to thank that''s why I decided to give him something," Selena spoke up again. Elle just nodded at her. "Actually, I like him. He is so handsome and a true gentleman." Selena said as she shared with Elle her feelings. Elle just stayed quiet while listening to her. "How about you Elle? Do you like someone? Or do you have a boyfriend?" Selena asked her suddenly. Elle was taken aback with her question. She didn''t know what to respond to. Selena was staring at her, anticipating her answer. Then suddenly Erick''s handsome face popped up in her mind. "Someone I like?" she mumbled unconsciously. Selena heard her that''s why she replied. "Yes, someone you like. I think you should buy him a gift also!" Selena suggested. Elle was put in deep thought. She was now thinking about Erick. She blushed as she remembered her last confrontation with him. It had been 3 days since she started avoiding him because she felt embarrassed. She was glad that Erick was busy in his work that''s why every time he arrived home, she was already asleep. But deep inside, she missed him. They were just talking through the phone. Erick was texting him when he was at work. He didn''t mention to her again about their moments when she was drunk. He knew that she would still feel embarrassed. Her thought was interrupted when Selena spoke up again. "Hey, Elle. Are you thinking about him? You are blushing!" Selena said as she teased her. She let out a soft chuckle. "No, I am not thinking about someone." she denied it. Selena just laughed at her. "Hmm, you didn''t answer my question yet. Do you have a boyfriend?" Elle didn''t know what to answer. She was hesitating to tell her yes or no since Erick was not her true boyfriend and they were just pretending. "Yes, I have a boyfriend," Elle said yes in the end. Selena paused in a moment after hearing her. "Is that true?" She asked her again to confirm it. "Yes," Elle said as she smiled at her. Then Selena burst into laughter. Elle just looked at her confusedly. "Now, I know the reason why my brother''s charm doesn''t work on you. You already have someone in your heart." Elle frown at the mention of James. She was really annoyed every time she thinks about him. "Poor Brother. It looks like he really doesn''t have a chance for you." Selena said in between her laughter. Elle just smiled at her. "By the way, who is he? I am now curious to meet your boyfriend." ''Actually, you knew him already. You also met him already and had eaten lunch with him in the famous restaurant here in City Z.'' Elle wanted to tell her but she just kept it in her mind. "Sorry I can''t tell you right now. He is a low profile and a shy-type person. Don''t worry I will ask him first then I will introduce you to him." Elle said to her. "Hmm, it''s okay. I can wait." Selena said then she turned to walk towards the sales clerk nearby to give the watch that she choose to buy. ''Should I buy Erick a gift also? Will he like it?'' Elle thought to herself as she looked at the watches in the display. She just shook her head and walked away. She was about to leave the store but at the last minute, she turned around and went back to the stall. She immediately picked up the simple watch then her lips curled into a smile. _____________________________________________ Meanwhile, the man whom Elle was thinking a while ago just got out from their conference room wherein they had finished their team meeting. The entire team really looked stressed right now. Catseye killed another businessman after a month of being idle. The way she did it really bothered the joint task force. The victim acquired multiple stabs in his abdomen and his head was hit by the baseball bat. Another confusion right now was that why is it Catseye provided evidence of the illegal activities done by the victim. They thought of the possibility that someone was imitating and pretending that it was done by Catseye. However, their assumption was rejected when they confirmed that the death card of Catseye found beside the victim''s body was genuine and not fake or imitation. Erick was now leaning on his chair with his eyes closed as he massaged his temple when he heard someone spoke up. "Chief we got some message from agent Marie." It was Bryan who spoke to him. Erick opened her eyes as he focused his stare at Bryan. "What did she say?" "Her mission was successful. She was able to interact with Black Shadow." Bryan said to him excitedly. "That''s good to hear. Did she find out something related to Catseye?" Erick asked again. "Not yet. According to her, she is still in the process of getting close to Black Shadow." "She should be careful. She was dealing with another vicious assassin." concern appeared on Erick''s face as he said it. "Don''t worry Chief. She said she will contact us if ever something bad will happen." Bryan assured him. Erick just nodded and smiled at him. "Ehem... Erick?" Bryan said as he was hesitating. Erick glanced at him. He knew that Bryan was about to ask him something but this time it was not related to work since he called him by his name. "What is it? Don''t hesitate. Tell me." Erick asked him as he let out a soft chuckle. "How can you win a girl''s heart?" Bryan asked him while feeling so embarrassed. He couldn''t look at Erick''s eyes. Erick didn''t expect that question. After a while, a soft chuckle could be heard inside the office. "It looks like my friend here is also in love with someone. Who''s the lucky girl?" Erick asked Bryan as he teased him. "Chief!" Bryan reacted as he blushed from embarrassment. "Alright, I won''t ask you for now if you are not yet ready to share it with me. But concerning your question, I think June can give you a piece of good advice. He has a lot of experience when he was courting his wife." Bryan pouted as he heard him. "He will just tease me. I won''t ask him. Besides he is not reliable sometimes. He might tell other people." Erick chuckled again. "Alright. If I were you, I will just be true to myself and show her how I care about her." "What will you do if she is ignoring you?" Bryan asked him again. Hearing his question, he remembered Elle. He knew that Elle was avoiding her for these past few days. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he thought about Elle. He missed her but he was giving her time to adjust. He knew Elle was just embarrassed to face him. He was not upset but he was really happy especially he discovered that Elle didn''t forget what happened when she was drunk. "Hmm, just give her space and time. But make sure, after that you should not let her continue avoiding you. You should do something that will make her talk to you again no matter what." Erick suggested to him. "Thanks, Bro. I understand. I know what to do." Bryan smiled at him before he left his office. Erick shook his head while looking at the retreating back of Bryan. "I should also follow my advice. Elle your time is up. I won''t allow you to avoid me again." Erick mumbled as he smirked. He was in this thought when his phone vibrated and he heard the beeping tone. It was a message from Elle. [ What time are you going to leave work later? Meet me tonight at 6:30 pm at XY Restaurant, as promised, I will treat you with a meal. ] When Erick had read her message as if all his stress and tiredness for today just disappeared. He was now grinning from ear to ear. Chapter 106 - 106: Dinner Date It was already 4:00 pm when Selena and Elle finished their shopping. They decided to take a break and have snacks inside the restaurant. They were eating their snacks when someone approached them. Both Elle and Selena were astonished when they saw the person standing beside their table. "What are you doing here Brother?" It was Selena who spoke up to James. James was grinning at the two girls in front of him. "I thought I saw you a while ago so I followed you here just to confirm if it was really you." He answered Selena but his eyes were focused on Elle. Elle just stayed silent and averted her gaze to the milkshake that she was drinking. "Ah okay. Come join us!" Selena invited James while giving him a suspicious look. James nodded at her before he sat down to the chair beside Elle. "Hello, my savior! How are you?" James said to her as he greeted her. "Hello, Mr. Arison. I am fine. Thank you." She just said casually. Selena was trying to hold her laughter when she saw her brother frown upon hearing the emotionless reply of Elle. "You are too formal. You can just call me James." "Did you go shopping for both of you? Why you didn''t invite me? I could have treated you both." James added as he saw the paper bags. Elle just rolled her eyes. She didn''t like James'' arrogance. "Why should we invite you? This is what we called Girl''s Bonding!" Selena answered him. "Hmm, let''s go watch a movie. It''s too early!" James suggested. The two girls just looked at him with disbelief. "Oops. I won''t take no for an answer!" James said as he saw the hesitation of the two girls. "Elle, what do you think? Are you okay with his suggestion?" Selena asked her while looking apologetic. Elle looked at her watch. She messaged Erick a while ago that she would treat him a dinner tonight and would meet him in the restaurant at around 6:30 pm. The movie hours would be finished in two hours. She still had time so in the end, she just went along with the Arison siblings. As they were walking towards the movie theater James snatched the paper bags that she was holding. "Let me carry it for you," James said to her while smiling. Elle frown at him. ''Hmm, trying to be a gentleman huh.'' Elle thought to herself as she raised her brow while looking at James. Selena saw it so she reacted. "How about mine, brother?" She raised her paper bags and pouted at James. James just gave her a warning look and he didn''t plan on carrying it for her. Compare to Elle, Selena had bought a lot of things. Seeing the situation, Elle decided to get the paper bags from Selena. "Let''s go," Elle said to them. James looked at her with disbelief so in the end James was forced to hold the paper bags that the two girls were holding a while ago. He looked like the assistant of the two ladies. James was the one who bought movie tickets for them. With a motive in mind, he chose a horror movie. "Hey, why horror movie!" Selena complained to her brother. "It is the only available, the other two are already sold out. Besides, it looks exciting." James explained, however, Selena just gave him a doubtful look. Elle didn''t mind about the kind of movie they would be watching. Elle just wanted to have pastime as she waits for Erick to leave for work. They soon entered the movie theater. James made sure to sit down in between the two women. Expectation versus reality, James thought that watching this horror movie would make Elle depend on him since he believed that girls can be easily scared. During the entire duration of the movie, it was Selena who was shouting and clutching his arms while Elle was simply eating popcorn and sitting there so relax. The entire movie ended and none of his expectations happened. "Elle I didn''t know, you are really brave," James commented. "Yeah, you didn''t even shout. The movie was so scary!" Selena said feeling so amused. "The movie was scary but I think there is something scarier than that. Besides it is not true, they were just fiction." Elle just simply replied. But unknown to them, Elle''s mind was occupied by something during the duration of the movie. They thought she was focused while watching but the truth was Elle was thinking about Erick. After avoiding him for 3 days, tonight they would meet and have the chance to talk again face to face after that awkward moment. She was also planning how she would give him the gift that she bought. She didn''t want to admit but she felt nervous. "Selena and James, thank you for today. I enjoy it. By the way, I have to leave now since I have an important appointment tonight." Elle said to them. "Thanks also Elle for giving me your time. I hope we can do this again." Selena smiled at her. Elle just nodded. "Where are you going? Let me drop you there." James suggested to her. "No need. I should go now. See you again next time." Elle bade them a farewell and she walked away not waiting for their reply. The Arison siblings just stared at her back as she vanished from their sights. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After 15 minutes, Elle arrived at XY restaurant. She checked her watch. She was on time. She also checked her phone to see whether Erick had messaged her or not. No message from him. She decided to text him. [ Erick where are you? Are you on your way now? Text me what time you will arrive. By the way, take your time. I can wait for you. ] Seconds after she sent her message, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Erick. [ Turn around Miss ] Elle frowned when she saw his message and unconsciously she turned around only to see the most handsome man she had ever see, standing one meter away from her spot. He waved at her while wearing his sweetest smile. Elle was surprised to see him. Erick walked towards her. "Did you just arrive?" Elle asked him. Erick shook his head. "How long have you been there?" Elle asked him again. "Hmm, 10 minutes I think." He lied. When Erick received her text this afternoon, he made sure to finish everything at work so early. He was so excited about tonight. He didn''t want her to wait for him. So when Elle was watching a horror movie while thinking about Erick, he already arrived at the restaurant one hour before the agreed meeting time. Of course, he would not tell her that. "Let''s go inside," Elle said. "Sure." Erick nodded. So he guided Elle as they entered the restaurant. The waiters inside were giving them a strange look. They were also smiling at Erick while greeting them politely. Elle didn''t know but in waiters'' minds, they were thinking ''Oh finally, his date had come. He waited for her for an hour!'' They were now seated inside. They choose a less crowded area. "Hmm order what you want. It''s my treat tonight." Elle said to him happily. Erick let out a soft chuckle. "Sure, as you wish." Then the waiter came to get their order. "Seafood pasta and a roasted pork belly, and a bottle of champagne," Erick said and the waiter noted it. "How about you ma''am?" He asked Elle. "I want a sizzling shrimp, chicken corn soup, and a seafood pasta also. Please give us also two blueberry cake." "Is that all ma''am?" "Yeah, I am good with that. How about you?" She asked Erick. "I am good also," Erick said. Then the waiter left. "Hey, are you always eating here?" Elle suddenly asked Erick out of the blue. "Nope. Why?" Erick asked her confusedly. "It looks like the waiter here already knew you. I noticed how they glanced at you when we entered a while ago." Elle commented. Erick let out a soft chuckle. ''Because I''ve been here for an hour. That''s why I look familiar with them.'' "Never mind it. They might think that I look like someone. By the way, did you go shopping?" Erick was trying to change the topic. "Yeah, I bought some things." She smiled awkwardly as she remembered that she also bought him a gift. "I miss you." Erick suddenly blurted out. Elle was taken aback when she heard him. Erick laughed when he saw her surprise expression. "You were avoiding me for three days now! I am glad that you invited me to dinner." Erick said truthfully. Elle looked down. "I am sorry. It''s just that I am so embarrassed to face you." Erick lifted her chin so that he could see her eyes. "You don''t have to. I understand. I won''t bring it up again. Please Elle just don''t avoid me okay?" Elle was staring at his gentle eyes. They were in this serious conversation when the waiter arrived to bring their food. He was hesitating to disrupt this sweet moment between them so the waiter just stopped on his spot holding the tray of foods while looking at them. "Aw, they are so sweet." "They look good together." They caught the attention of other customers and waiters as they noticed that the waiter who supposed to deliver their food was just standing there watching the couple. Minutes passed as they noticed the strange gazes from other people inside. Elle''s eyes widened to see many eyes were looking at them so she kicked Erick''s leg as she turned to hide her blushing face from them. Erick averted his gaze to see the waiter standing on the side. Erick let out a chuckle. He cleared his throat. "Ahem, sorry we didn''t notice you. You can now serve the food." Erick said to the waiter apologetically. The waiter just smiled at them as he put down the food in their table. Erick and Elle began eating their dinner without minding the numerous pair of eyes which were watching them. Chapter 107 - 107: Dinner Date 2 Erick and Elle had a nice dinner together. In the end, it was Erick who paid for their food. He didn''t allow Elle to do it. "Hey...why did you do that? I said it''s my treat tonight." Elle complained to him. They were now inside his car. "Hmm, inviting me for dinner is enough. Besides it is embarrassing for me if the girl will be the one who will pay for the bill." Erick explained to her. "Hmmph! Then why did you let Selena Arison treat you for lunch last time? You told me that. Did you forget? And now, you won''t allow me to pay for our food." Elle glared at him. Erick looked at her helplessly. ''Why did she have to mention another girl?'' Erick didn''t know how to reason out. "Is it because she is rich and I am not? Are you looking down on me?" Elle spoke up again when she didn''t hear his response. "Hey, it is not like that. I am not looking down on you Elle. Please do not think like that, I am sorry for making you upset. The truth is... it''s just that I think I should do it and I won''t let my girl be hassled with that. I didn''t mean to upset you. I won''t do it again. " Erick said as he felt desperate right now. He didn''t want Elle to misunderstand. Meanwhile, Elle was at loss for words when she heard Erick. ''What? Did he just say my girl?'' Suddenly, her anger dissipated slowly but her heart started to run wild in her chest. She bit her lips and she stayed quiet. Erick didn''t notice the changes in Elle''s expression. He thought Elle kept silent because she was really mad at him. "Elle I am really sorry. Please forgive me." Erick continued apologizing to her. This time he stopped the car. He couldn''t focus on driving knowing that Elle was upset about him. He averted his gaze to Elle. She suddenly picked up something inside the paper bag and gave it to him. Erick was so confused when he saw the square box in Elle''s hand. "Okay, accept this and I will forgive you." Elle didn''t sound mad anymore. Erick was puzzled and he was just staring at her. Elle had the urge to laugh when Erick didn''t react. Actually, Elle was really looking for the right timing to give him her gift but she could not find the right moment for that. And at this moment, she decided to finally give him her gift. She sighed deeply and took her courage to tell him. "I bought you a gift. If you won''t accept even this then I won''t give you a gift ever again." As if Erick realized something, his face brightened and his lips curled into a vibrant smile. "Did you really buy this for me?" He really wanted to confirm if it was really for him. Elle nodded. Erick excitedly accepted her gift. "Thank you, Elle! I promise I will treasure it with my own life!" he sounded very happy. There was a spark in his eyes as he stared at the gift given by Elle. He was smiling from ear to ear. Elle let out a soft chuckle as she saw Erick''s reaction. ''He is so cute. He looks like a child who had just received his favorite toy.'' Erick was about to open the box when Elle stopped him. "Don''t open it for now okay. You are so excited. Just drive and check it out when we get home. Mom and Dad might be waiting for us already at home." Erick just nodded then continued driving. Erick averted his gaze to her. "You are not upset with me anymore?" Erick asked her. "Hmm, as long as you keep your words. It is not that expensive but I hope you like it and you will treasure it as your promise." "Hmm, of course, the price is not important because the person who gave it is the most important to me that''s why I will treasure it no matter what! Even if this is the cheapest gift in the world but for me it is priceless." Erick said to her with so much sincerity. Elle giggled upon hearing his words. "Mr. Detective, I didn''t know, you are also a sweet talker!" "Why? You didn''t believe me?" Erick asked her innocently. Elle just laughed at him. "Hey, I am telling the truth!" Erick insisted. "Alright! Alright... I believe you now." Elle said as she tried to control her laughter. Erick just smiled at her, satisfied with her answer. "Hey, why are you staring at me like that? Focus on driving," she asked him as she noticed how he was looking at her intently. Erick let out a soft chuckle before he focused his eyes again on the road. "Hmm, I am just glad that you are now smiling and laughing more often compared before." Elle was also surprised to herself when she heard it from Erick. He was right, Elle was changing little by little without her knowing. "Well, I think it was because of you. Good thing you are a good influence." Elle chuckled after saying that. "Hmm, it is my pleasure to hear that. I guess I am doing great." Erick also chuckled. "By the way, before I forget, let me ask you something first," Elle remembered something so she changed their topic. "What is it?" "I heard that something happened between you and my boss. Did you punch him? Why?" Elle was really curious why Erick did that to Charles. Erick was taken aback by her question. ''How will I explain it to Elle that I get mad when her Boss told me that she was sleeping on his bed?'' he thought to himself. Elle was just looking at him intently, patiently waiting for his response. Erick sighed deeply before he answered her. "I am sorry about that. It was just a misunderstanding. Did your boss get mad at you because of that? Did I give you a hassle because of my action?" Erick asked her with a concerned voice. Elle had the urge to laugh but she controlled herself. ''Hmm, Charles won''t ever think to give me a hassle. He was afraid of me.'' Elle shook her head. "He is not mad at me. He was actually mad at you!" Elle burst into laughter after saying that. She could still remember what Charles looks like when that topic was brought up. Erick felt guilty about it. "Don''t worry, I will apologize to him." "Hmm, it''s okay, don''t feel so guilty. I believe you did that because my boss might have provoked you at that time. What happened really?" Elle asked him again. "Well... I was looking for you at that time. I was calling you when suddenly your boss answered your phone. I asked him where are you and then he said you were with him. I asked him what are you doing and he said you are sleeping in his bed. I thought..." Erick paused since he was hesitating whether to continue or not. "You thought what?" Elle urged him to continue. Erick sighed deeply before he replied, "I thought... something happened between you two." Erick knew she was looking at him but he couldn''t look straight into her eyes so he just focused his gaze on the road. Deep inside he felt guilty and embarrassed at the same time. On the other hand, Elle was silent for seconds when she heard his reply. She didn''t know whether it was funny or not. She was at loss for words. She was trying to process the information in her brain. ''Erick thought something happened between me and Charles that is why he punched him as soon as he arrived at Charles'' place. Well, that was really a big misunderstanding! Did Charles do it intentionally so that Erick would misunderstand something? If he did, then he really deserved that punch.'' Elle thought to herself. Then Elle noticed that the man beside her was becoming so red. His face was blushing from embarrassment. ''Erick is blushing!'' Elle burst into peals of laughter while looking at him amusedly. "I didn''t know you also have a wild imagination Mr. Detective and you turned to be aggressive sometimes. I thought you always have a wholesome mind and a good self- control and tolerance!" Elle teased him that made Erick''s face to become redder. "Hey stop teasing me. It was your Boss'' fault for making me misunderstood everything." He glanced at the girl who was having difficulty in holding her laughter. Elle just continued laughing at him. Erick looked at her helplessly. He again stopped the car, unfastened his seatbelt and he moved from his seat and leaned over so that he would be closer to Elle. Elle''s laughter automatically stopped when she felt his presence. She could now smell his masculine scent mixed with his cologne. It was intoxicating her mind. She looked up to see Erick who wore an evil smirk on his face. Their eyes got connected and then in just a split of seconds, Erick sealed her lips with a kiss. Their lips touched against each other for a few seconds before Erick released her lips. Elle froze on her spot with her eyes are wide open from shock. She felt disoriented and lost in that moment. Chapter 108 - 108: The Gift ''What happened just now?'' Elle asked in her mind. Erick was now grinning at her, satisfied with what he had just done. "Hey, why did you do that?" Elle asked him with an accusing tone as she recovered from the shock. She didn''t know if she was angry because of that sudden act or she was angry because he left her hanging since the kiss happened for just a few seconds and she wanted more. "To stop you from teasing me. See... It was effective!" Erick said as a matter of fact. ''Effective your as*! Erick, you are really shameless sometimes!'' Elle thought to herself as she stared at him with disbelief. Erick laughed at her as he saw Elle''s face with her conflicting emotions. Now Elle was the one who is blushing. Elle glared at him. "Why are you just kissing someone??!!" Elle complained to him. "Hey, you are not just someone! You are my girlfriend right now remember. Besides, we already did it so many times. You also said before that you like it." Erick said as he teased her. He let out a soft chuckle as he remembered their kiss when Elle was drunk. She was now looking at him like daggers. ''That time was different. I was drunk! Well...actually he''s right but still... Argh!! Erick you are driving me crazy!'' Her mind was in chaos. Part of her was saying she likes it but there was also part of her saying it is not right. "We are just pretending! Did you forget?!" Elle punched him on the shoulder. Erick just let out another chuckle. "Yes, I forgot! It is your fault. I tend to forget something when I am really happy. I am just very happy right now because of your gift." Elle: "..." She was speechless because of this man''s shamelessness. Now he was telling her it was her fault. ''Erick Lee, Just you wait! I''ll get even with you.'' Elle just stayed quiet and let him get away this time. Erick continued to focus on his driving with a victorious smile on his face until they got home. He was dying to kiss her again and he missed her so much. He was successful in his mission for tonight. When they arrived home, Erick went to his room right away to open the gift given by Elle. He saw a black automatic watch inside the box. It has a 40 mm black ceramic case with an engraved titanium case back paired with black leather straps. Erick was smiling from ear to ear. He picked up the small card inside. There was also a message. [ All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.- J.R.R. Tolkien ] "Elle has also a sweet side. And she had nice handwriting too." Erick chuckled as he was staring at the notes given by Elle. He knew Elle was not vocal so instead of writing him a message she just wrote a quote of J.R.R. Tolkien about time. ____________________________________________ At Falcon''s Cafe... Another day had passed and Elle was now back to work after her day off. Things at the cafe were not that busy compared before especially now that Phantom was there. Elle was preparing the shake ordered by one of their customers when Charles approached her. "Elle, are you really going to help Bryan with his problem? Why did you suddenly volunteer to help him?" "No reason. I just got bored." Elle simply said. But the truth was, Elle was still bothered when she remembered the moment April confessed to Erick. She didn''t know why but she had the urge to push Bryan to April so that she won''t bother Erick again. Of course, she would not tell this reason to Charles. "Why are you so reckless by giving him that suggestion? He might suspect you of something. How will you help him? Remember, you are pretending you have amnesia and if you act like not a normal girl you might give away your identity and he will notice something." "Hmm, you have a point. As expected to my partner." Elle patted his shoulder. Charles smiled foolishly after hearing that. "And as my partner, then I think you will be able to help me with that if ever Bryan agrees with the plan. Let''s just pretend that you will be the one who will do the groundwork." Elle smiled at him before she left to deliver the shake she prepared for the customer. Charles was now frowning. "I was fooled by her once again." An hour later there was a special delivery arrived at Falcon''s Cafe. A delivery boy went inside the cafe holding a bouquet of red roses. "Is Miss Elle here?" the delivery man asked. Elle, Charles, and Phantom just stared at him. "I am Elle. Why are you looking at me?" Elle spoke up. The man smiled upon seeing her. He walked towards her. The customers inside were also looking at the delivery man, curious about what was happening. "Hello Miss Elle, this bouquet of red roses is for you." The man said as he gave her the bouquet. The customer cheered when Elle accepted the flower however Phantom and Charles including Elle looked with each other with an astonishing expression, completely clueless who was responsible for giving Elle a bouquet of red roses. "Who the hell sends that bouquet to Elle. Is this from her fake boyfriend?" Charles blurted out with annoyance. Phantom just laughed at Charles''s reaction. He looked like a strict father who just seen her daughter received a flower from her suitor. Charles also looked like someone who was ready to snatch the flower in Elle''s hand and throw it to the trash bin inside the Cafe. ____________________________________________ Meanwhile... An unexpected visitor also arrived at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter. It was Selena Arison looking for Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee. Her presence made the entire headquarter alive because of her elegant beauty. They seldom see beautiful women visiting their headquarter so the task force especially the men were really inspired right now. "Hello, Lady Selena why are you here?" It was Bryan who welcomed her. "I came here to give you these invitations. This coming Friday we will celebrate the 29th Birthday of my Brother James. Hoping that the joint task force will come to celebrate with us." Selena gave Bryan the invitation cards. "Thank you, Miss Selena. We will find time to attend Mr. Arison''s Birthday." Bryan said to her as he assured her that they will come. "Thank you, Sergeant Velasquez. Can you pass these invitations to others?" Selena requested him politely. "Sure. No worries." Bryan said. "Sergeant, Is Erick here, I mean Chief Lee?" "Yup, he is at his office right now. Do you need anything from him?" "I want to give this invitation to him personally. Is he busy? Can I see him ?" "Yes, he is a little bit busy right now but I think Chief won''t mind that. You can go to his office to see him. Come let me escort you going there." Bryan replied. Selena thanked him before they proceeded to Erick''s office. Bryan knocked on the door before he opened it. They both heard Erick''s voice on the inside. "Come in!" Selena entered the room and Bryan left after that. Erick was looking at the doc.u.ments about the Police Reports regarding Jefferson Gong''s murder case when Selena spoke up to get his attention. "Hello, Erick. It''s been a long time. It is nice to see you again." Erick looked up as soon as he heard the familiar voice of Selena. He was a little bit surprised to see her. "Hello, Miss Selena. I apologize for my rudeness, I didn''t know it was you who just knock a while ago. Please sit down." Selena giggled upon hearing his apology "It''s alright, I know you are busy. But I won''t forgive you if you keep calling me Miss Selena. I had told you many times that you can just call me Selena." Erick just nodded and gave her an apologetic smile. "By the way, are you here to get some update regarding your father''s case progress?" Erick asked her directly. "No, I know you are having a hard time. But I trust in you. I don''t want to pressure the task force. I am here for a different agenda." Selena said as she assured him. "What is it?" Selena gave him the invitation card "I am inviting you and the other members of the task force to attend the Birthday Party of my Brother this Friday. I hope you are available." Erick gladly accepted the invitation "Thank you for inviting us. We will try our best to come." "I will expect you there Erick. Please don''t disappoint me." Selena said happily. Erick just smiled at her. Selena''s heart skipped a beat every time Erick smiled at her. This was the first time she felt attracted to someone. She had so many suitors however she couldn''t feel anything from them. Erick was different. He was like a prince charming. He was her ideal man. She wanted to possess him. Erick was a little bit busy but he couldn''t send away his visitor right now. Erick didn''t know what to say to her so he was just patiently waiting for her to speak up. It seemed like Selena had something to tell him. After a few seconds, Selena picked up something inside her bag. Then she glanced at Erick. She was a little bit hesitant at first but she took all her courage. "Erick I want to give you this as a token of my gratitude for your hard work in my father''s case. Please accept it." Selena said as she extends her hand which was holding a square box. Erick was looking at her and to the small box in her hand. He didn''t expect her to give him something. He didn''t know how to react. He did not want to accept it however he did not know how to reject her. It seemed like he was put in a difficult situation right now. He was still in that dilemma when suddenly Elle''s face popped up into his mind. He remembered Elle''s upset expression last night as she mentioned how he let Selena treat him a meal while he did not allow her to do that. At that moment, he was able to make up his mind. "I am sorry Selena, I can''t accept that. Besides, you don''t need to thank me because I am just doing my job. I have to work hard for your father to receive the justice that he deserves." Erick finally found his right words to refuse her gift. Selena felt disappointed but she was able to hide it by smiling at him. Chapter 109 - 109: Invitation Card At Falcon''s Cafe... Charles di not recover yet from the moment the delivery man gave Elle the bouquet of roses. He was staring intensely at Elle who was examining the flower. Phantom and Charles approached her. They saw her frowning. "I have a weird feeling about this flower," Elle mumbled. Phantom:"..." Charles:"..." Elle saw the card in the middle of the bouquet. She picked it up and read the content. When she saw the content Elle immediately frown. ''I knew it! It came from him.'' After reading it, she put the card back in the bouquet then she gave the flower to Charles. The two men were puzzled. "Why are you giving me this? This is for you." Charles asked her curiously. "I don''t like flowers. You can throw it if you want." Elle simply said before she left and went to the counter. Phantom just laughed at Elle''s action. Charles felt relieved when Elle didn''t like the flower. ''Haha, Poor Detective.. he thought Elle can be tamed by giving her flower. It was a mistake.'' Charles was rejoicing when Phantom suddenly picked up the card and read it aloud. "Elle, my savior! I want to invite you to my Birthday Party this coming Friday at 7:00 pm at RZ Imperial Hotel. I hope you can come. I will be waiting for you there. James Arison." Charles'' eyes widened when he heard it."Master Phantom, what did you just say? This flower did not come from that detective, instead, it was James Arison who sent this?" "Yup.. why? Did you smile foolishly a while ago thinking that Elle didn''t like the flower given by the detective?" Phantom asked Charles with disbelief. Charles nodded. Then a peal of laughter erupted inside the Cafe. Phantom laughed out loud because of Charles. He shook his head "You are not surprised that James Arison gave Elle a bouquet of flower but you were more surprised that the flower didn''t come from Erick. You were just rejoicing a while ago and now, you look so disappointed. You don''t really like the detective huh!" "But I guess, there is another competitor. Good luck Pal!" Phantom patted Charles''s shoulder before he went to follow Elle at the counter. Charles was left speechless on his spot while holding the rejected bouquet of red roses in his hands. "Hey, Elle are you not attending the party?" Charles shouted as he asked her. "No! I won''t!" Elle replied immediately. "Then what if Selena will ask you personally and she will invite you. What will you do?" Charles asked her again. "I will just make some alibi! Either I get sick or we have overtime work here at the Cafe." "Okay! Then I will now throw this bouquet along with the invitation card in it!" "Just do it. I don''t care." Charles looked at the bouquet of flowers one last time before he threw it in the trash bin inside the Cafe. "Poor Flower! If you are just money or a weapon, I wonder if Elle will just throw you away. Tsk Tsk" he said to the flower. _____________________________________________ Meanwhile, at a certain Studio, Chlarice was having a conversation with her co-artist. "Sizy I heard you are dating James Arison, the Chairman of Arison''s Holding and Mining Company." One of her friends wanted to confirm it from her. "No comment." She said but she smiled sweetly at her. "I guess, I am right just seeing your smile like that it means yes. Hmm, You are a lucky girl! How is he?" "Hmm. He is sweet and...yummy!" Chlarice giggled at the thought of James. But she frowned afterward when she remembered that it had been a week after they last have seen each other and James did not make any effort to meet her. She missed him already. She also had on-going shows that''s why she did not have time to visit him. She tried calling him but only his assistant answering his phone and he was always saying that James was busy. She thought he was avoiding her but she rejected that thought when she received an invitation card this morning from his assistant for his upcoming birthday party. "By the way, Chlarice did you see the trending article regarding the detective you fancied before?" the girl asked her. "What do you mean article? Are you referring to Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee?" "Yes, Sizy! Some time ago, he became trending. Some netizens took his photo while he was hugging a girl in the middle of the high way in City Z. Can you believe it? The famous detective already had a girlfriend!" Chlarice frowned after hearing that. Erick Lee was someone she couldn''t forget. She really liked him. She even lower her pride as a girl just to approach him and show him her motive that she likes him. But in the end, Erick did not return her feelings. She first met him in a studio where Erick was invited for an interview in one tv program. Erick was the most famous young bachelor detective in the country. She got attracted to him when she first saw him. "May I see the article? Can you send it to me?" Chlarice was still curious about him. "Sure." then the girl forwarded the links of the article to Chlarice. She opened it. She raised her brows as soon as she had seen it. She couldn''t see the girl''s face but it was clear that it was really Erick in the picture. "Who is she? She just looks ordinary. What is great about her for Erick to like her? I can''t believe it. I think this is fake news." Chlarice commented as she based it on Elle''s simple clothing. She was looking down at Elle. The girl chuckled "Why don''t you ask him? He might attend the birthday party of James Arison. According to my source, Selena Arison invited the task force members who are handling their father''s case. And Erick Lee is one of them." "Really? Then I will get to see him at the party!" She said excitedly. "Hey, Don''t do anything there. Remember you are dating James Arison. Don''t think of flirting with the detective." Her friend warned her. "Relax friend. I will just test him to confirm if he has a girlfriend now. Besides, I have a new strategy. I am not that innocent like before. I want to try something, like seducing him. Let''s see if how he will react." Chlarice giggled after saying that. "Hmm What if he will bring her girlfriend to the party?" "Then that is good. I will be able to see myself what is great about her. Hmm, I want to see her face and how she will react when she sees me and her boyfriend having a sweet moment." Chlarice laughed as she was confident that her evil plan will be successful. After losing her first time to James Arison, she believed that she could use her nice figure to seduce Erick. She didn''t try it before when she was trying to get his attention. Erick was a gentleman and a wholesome guy that''s why she did not think about this kind of strategy before. Besides she thought before that a kind, reserve, conservative and very refine girl was his ideal girl. "Then what will you do about James Arison?" her friend asked her with a concerned voice. "Don''t worry. There will be a lot of guests and he will be busy accommodating those guests. I will be fine." Chlarice assured her. "Honestly Sizy, I feel uncomfortable about this plan . Can you just behave during the party and enjoy the company of your man, James? Just be contented with him and forget about the detective. Besides, James is also wealthy, a billionaire compared to that detective. He is also a very good looking man just like the detective. " Her friend suggested. Chlarice rolled her eyes. "If you had just seen Erick in person I don''t think you can still say that to me." Her friend just sighed deeply "Alright! I won''t stop you. Just be careful." __________________________________________ In the evening, Elle was watching television in the living room when Erick arrived. Erick''s parents already went back to their hometown yesterday. Erick''s father was also occupied by something. She heard that he was investigating personally related to his friend''s case but she didn''t ask him further. Now the two of them were left in the house. Elle missed Erick''s parents already especially his mom. She really got along well with Sarah. She acted like her real mother. She was thinking about her when her phone vibrated. It was Sarah who was calling her. Sarah: "Hello Elle my dear." Elle: "Yes mom?" Sarah: "I can''t contact Erick. Can you relay a message to him? Is he there? Elle: He just arrived Mom. He is in his room. Wait I will call him. Sarah: Please ask him, dear, if the green flash drive of his father is with him. Your father is becoming more forgetful because of aging. Elle: Okay Mom. Got it. Wait for a moment then I will call you back. Elle hung up the phone and she went to knock at Erick''s room. He didn''t answer so she just went inside. Erick was not in the bedroom so she went to his study but he was still not there. He was probably in the bathroom. She went to the bathroom. The shower stopped. He might be done showering already. "Erick are you there?" Elle asked him. "Yes, I''m just wearing my clothes," he replied. She stared at the closed door of the bathroom. She didn''t know why but she suddenly became curious how Erick would look like without his upper clothes. She thought he really had a good body built. She already touched and explored his strong abdominal muscles before when she thought it was just a pillow. She blushed upon thinking about that embarrassing moment. She could also feel it every time she was hugging him. ''Hey, what are you thinking Elle?'' she scolded herself. "Your mom just called me a while ago. She wanted me to ask you if you have seen the green flash drive of your father. It seems important." "Okay wait. By the way, you can check it inside my bag if it is there." "Okay." Then Elle went to check his bag. While searching the flash drive inside his bag, she saw a card. It looks familiar to her. It had the same design with the invitation card that James sent to her this morning. She picked it up to confirm if it was the same invitation card. And it was confirmed. The invitation cards were the same. Elle''s frown as she mumbled to herself "So Erick was also invited to this Birthday Party. Maybe they also invited other members of the task force Eagles and Alpha. They will surely attend this party. " Seconds later, Elle went out of his room and she dialed Charles number. It was answered by him right away. Charles: "Hello Elle!" Elle asked him directly "What did you do with the invitation card?" Charles was a little bit confused when he heard her question "I throw it along with the bouquet of roses." "Get it back right now!"Elle ordered him. "What?" Charles couldn''t believe what he just heard. ''Why is she calling me this time and telling me to get that invitation card.'' "I said get it back and give it to me tomorrow!" "Why? I am already at my house now. You said you won''t attend the party and besides, I already throw it at the trash bin what if the garbage collector already collected the garbage today. Just ask Selena for another invitation card." Charles suggested. It would be embarrassing if she would ask Selena for another invitation card. Elle was now being impatient with Charles'' stubbornness. "I said get that f*cking invitation card right now or else you will experience the worst punishment I can give you!" Elle said with her cold stern voice. Now, this was the type of Elle that he was afraid of. Charles was now in panic when he heard her warning."Okay, I am now on my way to the Cafe!" Elle didn''t reply. She already hung up the phone. ''''Damn! What''s wrong with her? Just this morning she said she won''t attend that party no matter what but now she called me at this hour, ordering me around just to retrieve the invitation card which I already threw away." Charles mumbled to himself as he wondered why Elle changed her mind. "I just wish that the garbage collector didn''t work today or else I will be forced to steal a f*cking invitation card just to save myself from the worst punishment of Elle." Chapter 110 - 110: Mock Robbery Three days after Bryan visited Elle and Charles at Falcon Cafe, now he was back with his decision. After contemplating for three days, Bryan finally decided to agree with Elle''s suggestion. The three of them were sitting in a corner table of the Cafe. "So can you tell me how we will do this plan?" Bryan asked Elle. "Do you know someone who can pretend to threaten her life?" Elle asked him also Bryan shook his head. April was also familiar with some of his friends. They also had common friends. "Hmm, I can help you! I also know someone who can help me do it. She is good at martial arts." Charles suggested. He was referring to Elle. "Really? Do you think she will agree?" Bryan asked him feeling doubtful. "No worries, she needs extra income so I think she will agree as long as the price is right," Charles assured him. "How much fee is needed here?" Bryan asked him again. "One million I guess. Hahaha," Charles proudly said. Bryan''s eyes widened after hearing the amount. Elle shot Charles a warning look. "Hehe, I am just kidding buddy. Don''t worry about the payment. I will shoulder it for you." Charles said while smiling sheepishly. "April is also a good fighter do you think she can handle her? And I don''t want April to be hurt." Bryan said with so much concern. "I think Boss Charles can help you. His friend will be standby and Charles will do the act since he is also good at fighting." Elle pushed the responsibility to Charles. "Really? I did not know you are also good at fighting. That''s great!" Bryan praised him. "Hehe, I trained in a martial arts training center for self-defense." Charles smiled awkwardly. "So what''s the plan?" Bryan asked them. "First Rule, Charles and his friend should hide their identity. If anything does not go well, April will surely put you in prison or else Bryan will be blamed with this." "If that happens, I am not sure if April will ever talk to you again," Elle said which made the two men cowered from fear. "Second Rule, as Bryan said April should not be hurt in the process. However, we all know that April is also a good fighter and she will surely retaliate." "Therefore, fighting with her cannot be avoided. But the attacker should make sure that she will not receive any fatal attack." The two men just nodded in agreement. "The third Rule, the plan should be implemented when the target is alone." "And the last Rule, no one should know about this plan except for the three of us and Charles'' friend. If anyone here talks about this plan to anybody then let''s forget about this." "After this plan is successfully done, no one is allowed to talk about it. Is that clear?" Elle was looking at them seriously. The two men just nodded at her like an obedient child. "Hmm, I think we should act at night time when April is alone in her apartment or on the way to her apartment," Bryan suggested. "Okay, we will just disguise it as a robbery attempt. If everything does not look good on April''s part, it will be the time that you, Bryan should appear for her rescue. "If this will be done in her apartment, make sure that the CCTV camera in the streets near her apartment as well as the CCTV of her apartment should be disabled during the attack." "So that is the plan. I will leave it all to you guys. Good luck." Elle said as she smirked at them. "Okay, I brought communication devices here. Charles, please give it to your friend. And this one is for you." Bryan gave him the devices and he taught them how to use it. Unknown to him, Charles and Elle were already very familiar with this kind of device. "Okay! let''s do this tonight. Lunchtime is over. I need to go back to the headquarter. Thank you, Elle, for your help. Hmm, Buddy, I will be counting on you with this. My love life depends on you now." Bryan said to them. "Don''t worry Buddy. I will perform well!" Charles assured him. Then Bryan left the Cafe. "Elle I thought you will be the one doing this?" Charles said to her while feeling worried. "Why are you so worried? I will accompany you as well. There is no fun if I will be the one doing this." "Besides you know me, I am not sure if I can control my strength for April not to be hurt. I will help you in case you need my help." "Liar! I know you can handle her without hurting her. Are you just trying to make me as bait here before you strike?" Charles complained to her. Elle just laughed as Charles had read her mind. "Haha, Charles I just want to see you fight this time. Use your skills. Master Phantom taught you some moves so I am confident you can do it." Charles just sighed deeply. He just accepted his fate tonight. _____________________________________________ Evening came, Charles and Elle were now ready. Everything was set. They were in the darker corner of the streets, waiting for their target to come. They both wearing a black leather jacket, cap, and mask. Elle brought her favorite motorcycle. She also informed Erick that she would come home late tonight. This should be done quickly and as soon as possible before Erick picked her up in the Falcon Cafe. Bryan was also on the move. He was following April as she went home. He was constantly communicating with his two accomplices. They saw the target walking towards her apartment. Luckily there were no bystanders around. Elle would serve as a lookout while Charles would be the one to attack April. Elle signaled Charles to move now so he walked towards April. April was trying to open her apartment''s door using her key when she felt someone else''s presence. She turned around to see a man wearing a cap, mask, and jacket, pointing a gun at her as he spoke up. "Don''t move, don''t shout or else I will shoot you! Give me your bag!" he warned her. April frown but she remained calm. Elle was just observing on the side. She shook her head. "Charles you are too close to her. If you are not careful she can snatch that gun from you." Elle mumbled to herself. Elle''s assumption was right. April raised her hands as a sign of her submission. But Charles did not realize that April''s hands were now closer to his gun. April suddenly turned right to avoid the aim of the gun away from her and she grabbed his arm, thus neutralizing the threat. What she did next really surprise both Elle and Charles. She bit his hand which made Charles released the gun that he was holding. "Ouch!" Charles grunted from pain. Elle chuckled in her spot. "D*mn! Haha, She really bites him." Bryan also saw the scene. He had the urge to laugh at him but he controlled it. He felt sorry for Charles. April kicked the gun away from them. Charles was still occupied by the pain in his hand that''s why he did not anticipate the next attack of April. April charged towards him with a balled fist. Unprepared, Charles recoiled from a punch to his jaw with a wince. Elle couldn''t stop herself from laughing at Charles'' situation right now. She decided to walk towards them and interfered before Charles would be beaten further. April prepared again for another strike and she hit him on the shoulder with a hard fist. Charles fell backward with a loud thud. "How dare you rob a police officer?" April said to him. April was so focused on him that she did not notice another presence. Elle was already holding the gun which was dropped by Charles. She clapped her hands three times in order to catch April''s attention. April turned to see another figure wearing a jacket, cap, and mask. She guessed that it was a girl based on her petite figure. Elle was now pointing the gun at April. This time, April felt a little bit nervous. The girl was standing far away from her. She could not grab or snatch the gun from her with this distance. She frowned. She didn''t have the choice but to cooperate and negotiate with them. "What do you need? You want my bag. Here! Come and get it." "No, I changed my mind. You have beaten my partner so I will just shoot you. I will count one two three. You have three seconds to say your prayers." Elle said to her. April''s eyes widened. The girl in front of her was really serious and she was not joking. ''Damn! Am I going to die tonight?'' April thought to herself. Elle started to count "One...Two..." April just closed her eyes waiting for the gun to be fired at her. Meanwhile, the reason why Elle started counting was in order to give Bryan a signal. As if he understood it. He came out from his hiding place and ran towards them. He was not sure what the girl was trying to do. He thought maybe she was just bluffing that she would shoot. April did not see Bryan''s arrival since she already closed her eyes. Bryan went in the middle of Elle and April. He was blocking the gun which was aimed towards April. Then seconds later they heard the sound of a firing gun. Elle grabbed Charles right away, leaving the place where Bryan and April were left. "Hey, why did you shoot?! Is that part of the plan?" Charles asked Elle. He was shocked beyond belief. Elle just gave him an evil smirk and she did not answer him. They both flee using the motorcycle. Meanwhile, seconds after April heard the sound of gunfire, she opened her eyes. She felt weird. She was confused about what just happened. She didn''t feel hurt anywhere so this only meant that the bullet did not hit her. Her eyes scanned the surrounding and the two robbers already disappeared. What surprised her was when she saw a familiar figure of a man, lying on the ground. "Bryan!!!" She exclaimed as she ran towards him. ''What the hell is he doing here?'' April''s face became pale as a realization came to her. "Oh no! Did he sacrifice his own self to shield me from the bullet?" Chapter 111 - 111: Chance ''Calm down April. Don''t panic!'' She reminded herself. April was now staring anxiously at Bryan. She tapped his shoulder while calling his name. "Bryan! Bryan!" He was not responding. He was lying there unconscious. April looked at her surroundings but she couldn''t see any car passing by. She didn''t waste any more time. She grabbed her phone and she called for an ambulance. After the phone call, she focused her attention back to Bryan. She checked his vitals. She felt relieved when she felt his pulse and he was breathing. Then she searched for his gunshot wound. April''s brows locked when she didn''t see any wound. "In what part of his body he was hit by the bullet? I can''t see it! There is no blood!" April mumbled as wondered. She continued looking for his wound but she couldn''t find one. Minutes later, April found a small dart buried in the left side of his neck. April''s eyes widened as she saw it. "Tranquilizer! The robbers did not use a real gun but instead, they used tranquilizer pistol! This explains why Bryan fell unconscious right away." April exclaimed as she discovered something. She couldn''t believe it that those robbers brought a tranquilizer gun instead of a real gun. Now she felt more relieved. She looked helplessly at Bryan. "You were lucky! I was also lucky that you came." Then the ambulance arrived. She decided to bring him to the hospital to make sure if the tranquilizer used is not fatal for his health. ... Meanwhile, Elle and Charles already arrived in the Falcon Cafe. Phantom was also there, waiting for them. Charles had a gloomy expression when he entered the cafe while Elle couldn''t control herself from laughing. "Are you that happy Elle? I just got beaten by that girl and still, you are laughing at me." Charles complained to her. He was looking at her with disbelief as he was massaging his face. "By the way, why did you shoot Bryan? It was not part of the plan right?" Charles asked her curiously. Elle rolled her eyes at him. "Because you ruined my plan. Our original plan is for you to attack April then Bryan will come to her rescue. "You will lose to Bryan in the fist-to-fist combat then swoosh... he will become a hero saving the girl he likes. Then I will come to the picture to help you escape from them." "However, we are still in phase 1 and you already got beaten by April. April did not look like she needs Bryan''s help." "So I revised the plan and execute plan B wherein I needed to help you. Of course, I won''t waste my time pretending that I was losing to Bryan in a fight so I decided to shoot him." "Different method but the same outcome. He was still a hero for catching the bullet for her. Besides the gun I gave you was just a tranquilizer pistol." Elle explained to him. "It won''t happen if for the first place you are the one doing my role!" Charles rebutted. They were both arguing when Phantom approached them. "How is your mission? Did it go well?" Phantom welcomed them with a smile. "Everything went well except for Charles who got beaten by the agent." Elle laughed out loud. Phantom joined her from laughing at Charles. "It''s all up to Bryan now, how he can gain April''s sympathy after what happened," Elle added. Phantom nodded. "This is your fault. You know you can do the job but you push everything to me! You did nothing. You just stood there and held the gun." Charles mumbled as he vented his unhappiness. "Blame your foolishness. You waste your advantage when you got closer to her. You fool, you are holding a gun not a knife." Elle said as she gave him the icepack. "Here, use this to cool your self down. Haha. I mean for your bruise." Charles''s unhappiness disappeared when he was touched by Elle''s thoughtfulness. He gladly accepted it. Phantom just shook his head seeing Charles''s reaction. "He has simple happiness," Phantom mumbled to himself. "Master Phantom, train Charles again. It seems like he forgot everything that you taught him." Elle requested Phantom. "Sure, why not. Since I am here. I can do that." Phantom said as he agreed on her suggestion "I don''t want to! Master Phantom is really strict when he trains someone. His method is brutal!" Charles exclaimed as he didn''t agree on the suggestion. Elle stared at him intently which made Charles keep quiet. "You need to enhance your combat skills. I don''t want you to be beaten again like this. Remember also what happened in the white room. You need to train for your survival and protection." Elle said to him with a serious tone. "Besides, how can you assist me if you can''t even protect yourself? We have so many enemies right now, Dark Knight, Skull Gang, Black Shadow, and even the task force. Aside from them we will about to face my true enemies." "As my partner I want you to be prepared and ready. What if in the end, I am the one who needs to be rescued? What will you do if you can''t fight them?" After Elle said that, the atmosphere became silent. Charles and Phantom could feel the weight of her every word. Elle was right. After a few seconds, a soft chuckle could be heard inside the Cafe. "Hey, what''s with the serious faces here? I am just trying to encourage and motivate Charles to train." Elle laughed at the two men. Charles and Phantom looked with each other. Both men were thinking the same. ''Elle has a very unique way of encouraging someone!'' They were having this kind of conversation when someone entered the Cafe. It was Erick. He came to pick up Elle. "Good evening!" Erick said as he greeted the three persons inside. Charles''s unhappiness was evident to his face as soon as he saw Erick. "Good evening to Mr. Lee. We meet again!" It was Phantom who greeted him. Erick nodded at him. After that, he averted his gaze to Elle. They smiled at each other as soon as their eyes met. "You came on time. I am about to call you." Elle said to him as she was glad to see him. "When it comes to you I will always be on time. I won''t let you wait that long." Erick softly said to her. Phantom was just smiling while watching the interaction between Erick and Elle. On the other hand, Charles wore a sour expression in his face. Charles rolled his eyes before he cleared his throat to catch the attention of the two persons in front of him who were still staring at each other. "I don''t know why you can still come here after what you did to me, Mr. Lee. You don''t feel ashamed?" Charles said sarcastically. Elle shot him a sharp glare after she heard it. Erick turned to Charles and he just smiled apologetically. "I came here also to apologize to you, Mr. Del Rios. I know I did wrong. I acted on impulse. I am just thinking about Elle at that time. Please accept my apology." Erick explained as he apologized to Charles. He also extended his right hand to offer him a handshake as a sign of reconciliation. Phantom and Elle were just staring intently at Charles. They were both giving him a warning look. As if he understood, he had no choice but to accept it. He sighed deeply before he accepted Erick''s hand. "Okay, I forgive you. Let''s forget it." Charles said forcefully. Erick frown when he noticed the bruise on Charles''s face. "Did I hit you that bad Mr. Del Rios?" Erick suddenly blurted out. Charles gave him a questioning look. "The bruise in your face..." Erick pointed the red mark on Charles'' face. Elle and Phantom had the urge to laugh, fortunately, they were able to control themselves. That bruise was caused by April. "Ahem, someone did this to my son. He often finds enemies because of his mouth. No wonder, you hit him before. Please forgive my son for the way he speaks. Sometimes he is really weird and just spouting nonsense." Phantom said to Erick with a sense of humor. Erick just went along and smiled awkwardly. Charles decided to keep quiet. Elle didn''t want this to drag for too long so she grabbed Erick''s hand and she bade Charles and Phantom a goodbye. "Boss Charles, Sir Tom I think we should go now. Thank you for today. See you tomorrow!" Elle didn''t wait for their response as she pulled Erick towards the exit door. Erick was just smiling as he followed her while staring at their entangled hands. ____________________________________________ At the hospital... April just finished talking with the doctor. The doctor assured her that Bryan was in good condition. The tranquilizer didn''t have a bad effect on his body. He advised her to wait until the patient woke up. Bryan finally opened his eyes. He felt disoriented at first but seconds later he remembered what happened. Charles''s friend shot him. He immediately sat up and surveyed his body for any wound. He felt relieved when he saw nothing. However, he felt a stingy sensation on the part of his neck. He gently massaged it. April came back to see Bryan''s finally awake. April quickly walked towards him. "How are you?" April asked him. Bryan looked up to see the worried expression of April. "I am just fine. How about you? Are you hurt anywhere? Did the robbers hurt you when I was unconscious?" Bryan bombarded her with questions. His face was painted with concern and worry. April was a loss for words. He was the one hurt but he was still concerned about her. "What are you doing there?" Instead of answering his questions, she asked him instead. Bryan paused for a moment before he answered. ''Lie Bryan lie! You can do this buddy. There is no turning back now.'' Bryan told himself. "April I want to talk to you. That''s why I was there. I couldn''t take it. You were avoiding me for a long time now." Bryan said to her. Even though it was planned but what he said was the truth. He wanted April to stop avoiding him. "Are you fool? Why did you have to use yourself to shield me from the bullet? You are lucky enough that the robbers just used a tranquilizer gun!" April started lecturing him. ''Now I get it. It was just a tranquilizer gun, no wonder I did not have any wound.'' "I just wanted to protect you!" Bryan replied. April hit him in the head. "You are really dumb! No need to shield me. You should have shot the attacker, you have your gun with you!" ''Yeah, I should have done that also. But that is not our plan.'' "But when I saw that robber pointed a gun at you, my body just acted on impulse. I wanted to run to you and protect you away from that bullet." Bryan said as he reasoned out from her. April just sighed deeply and looked at him helplessly. ''This guy is really something.'' "Alright. It was all done. Thank you for saving me." April thanked him sincerely. "April are you still mad at me? I miss you April. I miss talking to you just like how we used to." Bryan said to her with a serious tone. April didn''t respond to him. She just kept silent. "You are driving me crazy April. Please stop avoiding me, please! Please give me a chance. I want to prove to you how much I care about you." Bryan pleaded. "April please talk to me! Have I not proven to you just a while ago how much I truly care about you? I am willing to sacrifice my self and my life just for you." Bryan continued to speak while feeling so desperate. "If you will just continue avoiding me and treating me coldly then I wish that it was a real gun so that my heart can be saved from the pain that I am feeling right now." "Taking a bullet is nothing compare to being avoided by someone I really care about." Bryan sounded sad and hurt. "Hey don''t say that! Your life is important!" April said as she didn''t like what Bryan just said. April could feel his sincerity. She knew how it felt to like someone who did not feel the same. She somewhat saw herself to Bryan. She also realized how Bryan''s protected her. She was grateful to him. After thinking about it, April came out into a decision. She sighed deeply before she spoke up. "Alright, I want to apologize if I made you felt like that. I just felt uncomfortable after what happened between us. I promise I will not avoid you." April paused before she continued and said: "I want to give you a chance." Bryan''s dull eyes suddenly brightened up when he heard her. "What... did you just say April?" Bryan wanted to confirm if he heard it right. He was staring at her intently, anticipating her response. April couldn''t look straight in his eyes but she just said it again "I said I want to give you a chance." Because of extreme joy and excitement, Bryan could not stop himself from hugging April. "Thank you, April! Thank you! I will make sure that you will never regret it!" Bryan assured April who was shocked by his sudden action. Chapter 112 - 112: Night of the Banquet Elle and Erick were now heading home after Erick picked her up at the Cafe. "Elle..." Erick called out to her. "Hmm?" Elle simply replied. "Someone invited me to a birthday party this Friday," Erick said to her. "Ahuh." She just nodded "Should I come or not?" Erick asked her out of the blue. He sounded like a boyfriend asking for his girlfriend''s approval. Elle frowned when she heard his question. ''Yeah, I already knew about it. But why is he asking me if he should come or not?'' Elle thought to herself. "Hmm, It depends on you if you want to attend or not. Why are you asking me?" Elle replied as she let out a soft chuckle. "Well... I am asking you because if I will attend it, I want you to be my date. Can you be my date again?" Erick asked her directly. Elle paused and stared at him for a moment before she spoke again. Erick was waiting for her response. After a few seconds of silence, Elle smiled at him sheepishly. "Ahem... Erick, actually I have something to tell you." Elle said to him instead of answering his question. Erick gave her a questioning look. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?" "Actually, for the past week, I met Selena Arison and we became friends," Elle said to him truthfully. Erick was a little bit surprised by her revelation. But he was happy to hear that Elle made friends with someone. He knew Selena Arison so he did not ask her further how they met and became friends. "I am glad to hear that. So... what is the connection between you being friends with her and my question about asking you to be my date? You have not answered me yet." Erick said to her as he laughed softly. "I also got an invitation to this birthday party," Elle said matter-of-factly. She did not mention that the invitation she got was from James Arison. "Really! And so?" "I will be glad to be your date at this party. I thought you won''t ask me and I am planning to ask you instead." Elle chuckled after she said it. Erick burst out into laughter after hearing her. "Then I should have wait for you to ask me to become your date. It was really rare for you to do that." Erick teased her. "Hey... I thought you are a gentleman. Why will you let the girl invite you if you can do it yourself?" Elle complained to him. Erick let out another chuckle. "Because I find it cute when you do it yourself." Elle just shook her head as she looked at him helplessly. "By the way Erick... there is another thing I wanted to tell you." "Hmm... okay, just tell me. I won''t bite you." He said as he smiled at her gently. "The truth is I told Selena that I have a boyfriend. She said she wanted to meet him. I said I would ask him first." "Do you think I went overboard by saying that to her? Don''t worry I did not mention your name to her." Elle said to him, unsure whether she did something wrong or not. Erick averted his gaze to the girl in his passenger seat. There was a spark in his eyes as he stared at her. He was really glad that Elle was still thinking of him as her boyfriend even if they were just pretending. "Why you look like you did something wrong? You did the right thing." Erick chuckled. Elle gave him a confused look. "Then I should be your date! Make sure that you introduce me to your friends as your boyfriend. It is unfair for me if you won''t do that." "I already introduced you as my girlfriend to all my friends and colleagues. You should be responsible for me!" Elle was at loss for words. Sometimes she could not comprehend Erick''s way of thinking. "Hey, why did you become so silent suddenly? Did I say something wrong." Erick asked her as he did not receive any response from her. "I do not know whether you were serious or you were just joking just a while ago," Elle said to him truthfully. "Of course I am serious!" Erick insisted. This time Elle was the one who burst into laughter."Alright! I believe you. No need to be so worked out about it." "Hmm Very good!" Erick commented as he was satisfied with what she just said. "By the way, can you ask for a day off tomorrow?" "Why?" "Hmm. The party is the day after tomorrow. Let''s go buy our matching clothes as proof that we are a couple." Erick said to her with full of humor. He was trying to tease her a little. Elle was speechless and just staring at him with disbelief. Seeing her expression, he could not contain his laughter. "Now, that is how I joke. Can you differentiate now if I am serious or I am just joking?" Elle shot him a sharp glare. She had the urge to hit this handsome guy beside her. ---------------------------- The night of the Birthday Banquet There were already a lot of guests when Erick and Elle arrived at the RZ Imperial Hotel. The theme of the party was White and Black Masquerade Ball. Everyone was dressed up in their black and white fanciest clothes matching with different types of masks. Elle wore a white floral lace off-shoulder dress which is two inches above her knee paired with white ankle strap lace-up high heel sandals. Beside her, Erick wore a black tuxedo paired with black leather shoes. He looked so gorgeous in all black which also made him the perfect action man in that tuxedo. Of course, Erick did not forget to wear the watch which was given to him by Elle as a gift. And as what Erick had planned, both of them were wearing a silver metal masquerade ball couple mask. They met with the other task force members at the entrance of the ballroom hall. They greeted each other as they saw each other. They were not surprised compared before when they saw Erick and Elle together. They noticed right away that the two were wearing a masquerade couple masks. This made them teased the couple. "Oh here is our matching couple!" June commented. "Hey Chief Lee, did you both plan to feed us dog food again tonight?" Carl said as he teased the couple. Everyone just laughed at the comment of those two. On the other hand, Bryan and Elle met again after the mock robbery incident. Bryan gave her a grateful look. Elle understood that her brilliant plan succeeded so she just smiled at him meaningfully. "Hi, Elle! We meet again. I am sorry about last time." April approached Elle. This was the first time they met again after the event wherein she confessed to Erick in front of her. She felt embarrassed facing Elle after what she did. Elle just smiled at her and said, "Don''t worry about it April. Let''s forget it." April smiled back at her. She was glad that Elle did not mind it anymore. "Hey Elle, we are glad to see you again. Hope we can all be friends here." It was Rose who spoke up. Elle greeted her with a smile. "Let''s go inside. Captain Jason, Jane, and Allen are already inside. Only Marie cannot make it tonight." Carl said to them. Selena and James were already entertaining the guests when Elle and Erick together with the other task force members entered inside the hall. They proceeded to the nearby table wherein they saw Captain Jason and the rest were sitting. Selena noticed the newcomers right away. Even with their mask, she could still identify them most especially Erick. Her eyes brightened up as soon as she saw Erick. She whispered to James. "Brother, Chief Detective Erick Lee and his team members are already here. Let''s go and greet them." James nodded in agreement so the Arison Siblings excused themselves with the other guests whom they were just having a conversation. They started to walk towards the table wherein the Task Force seated together. "By the way, Selena have you talked with Elle. Is she coming?" James asked her. "Yeah, I visited her yesterday and she said she will come tonight. Don''t worry brother, you will see your savior in a while. Be patient okay." Selena let out a soft chuckle as she teased her brother. James was excited to see her. He often saw her wearing simple pants and t-shirts so he was curious about how she would look like if she is wearing a formal dress. Now, Selena and James were standing in front of the task force. The task force members stood up and greeted them as soon as they saw James and Selena. "Hello everyone. I am really glad to see you all here." Selena said to them in a cheerful tone. "Thank you for inviting us here." Captain Jason said. "Please enjoy the party," James said to them. They all greeted James a happy birthday. James returned their greeting with a grateful smile. Then Selena turned to Erick. "Hey, Chief Lee I am really happy that you fulfilled your promise of coming here tonight." ''Promise? So he made a promise to her that he would come tonight? Then why bother asking me if he should come or not.'' Elle thought to herself as she heard Selena. The Arison siblings did not notice yet the presence of Elle. They did not recognize her since she was wearing her mask and she was just silently observing beside Erick. Erick just chuckled with Selena''s remark. The truth was he did not make any promises but the girl beside him already gave him a guilty verdict. Erick was unaware of it so he just went along with Selena. "Well, the task force could not refuse your generous invitation." Everyone nodded in agreement. Who could afford to refuse her? Selena was always quite the beauty. She was also generous, kind and easy to approach with. So they did not have the heart to refuse her. This was what the other members think. Unknown to them, there was someone who can refuse her and that someone was their Chief Detective Erick Lee. Selena felt touched when she heard Erick. She smiled sweetly at him. It did not escape the observant eyes of Elle. "Ahem, I am the one who has a birthday today but it seems like you just came here because of my sister," James commented, he pretended to be hurt. They all laughed except for one person and it was Elle. She did not find it funny. She stared at Erick who was also laughing with them. She raised her brows as she looked at him with daggers. As if Erick felt her dangerous glare, he turned to the girl beside her who was very silent since the Arison Sibling arrived to greet them. "Hey, are you okay? What''s wrong?" Erick asked her softly. ''What''s wrong your as*! You are the problem here!'' Elle thought to herself as she ignored his question and gave him a sharp glare. Erick was stupefied when he saw her cold stare and sharp glare. ''Hey, why is Elle looking at me like that? What did I do wrong this time?'' Erick asked himself quizzically. Elle moved away from Erick and she walked towards the Arison Siblings. ''Now it''s my turn. I could no longer stay silent on the side.'' As everyone was still laughing, they did not notice that Elle was already facing Selena and James. Selena and James were now staring at the girl who just appeared in front of them. She flashed her signature evil smile before she removed her mask and said "Hi!" Elle just did a simple action and said that one word but Selena and James were both astounded as they saw the face behind that mask and as they heard her familiar voice. They both exclaimed her name. "Elle!" Except for Erick, the other members of Task Force were also shocked when they heard Selena and James called Elle''s name. They all had the same question in mind. ''They knew each other?'' Chapter 113 - 113: Meeting Her Boyfriend There was a moment of silence. Members of the task force kept darting their gaze between Arison Siblings and Elle. They were all curious about how they knew each other. It was Bryan who spoke what is in their mind. "You know each other, aren''t you?" "Yes! What a coincidence? Does it mean that Taskforce also knew Elle? This is a small world indeed." Selena said amusingly. Meanwhile, James Arison was staring at Elle intently. A wide grin appeared on his handsome face as he glanced at Elle. He could not hide the admiration in his eyes. His attention was focused on Elle. He was really glad to see her. She looked so stunning tonight. Bryan was about to ask another question when James suddenly grabbed Elle''s hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand. This gesture gathered a shock from others including Elle and most especially Erick. James was not able to control himself from doing that. He was mesmerized by the beauty in front of him. "I am glad to see my savior tonight on my special day. Did you like the roses I send you?" His voice took on the same suave tone he used when he wanted to impress some girls. Elle had the urge to roll her eyes on him but she controlled herself from doing that. It would look rude if she does that. She simply took her hands away from his. She tried her best to smile at him. "Yes! Thank you for the flowers." she simply said. Of course, she lied. The flower he sent ended up in the trash bin. Erick''s expression changed when he heard James as well as Elle''s response. ''What flower are they talking about? Did James give her a flower but when? How come she knows James as well?'' "I am sorry I did not give the invitation personally. I was quite busy at that time. But I am really glad that you made it tonight." James explained himself to her. Other people were just looking at them as they looked so interested while listening to James and Elle''s conversation. Selena was smiling sweetly. His brother did not waste time to make a move on Elle as soon as he saw her. "It is alright Mr. Arison. No need to apologize. It is my pleasure to be invited to this banquet." Elle was trying her best to sound more polite. Erick was now frowning on the side. He could not believe what is happening right now. Elle and James were having a casual conversation as if they had known each other for long. As curious like others, Bryan did not mind butting in as he asked them "If you don''t mind Mr. Arison, what do you mean by saying Elle is your savior?" That question caught their attention. Bryan was right. James just mentioned a while ago that Elle was his savior. Now they were looking at James waiting for his response. James let out a chuckle before he answered his question. "Ahem, I know it was so embarrassing to be saved by a girl but since you are all curious then I should consult first this lovely lady here if she will allow me to share it with you." Then James glanced at Elle waiting for her go signal. "I don''t mind." She simply said. "Well, there was an incident when someone tried to take my life. I crashed my car then someone with a gun approached me." "I thought I would be killed on the spot but Elle witnessed everything and interfered. She came to my rescue and she knocked the man down by hitting his head using a stone." James told them as he looked at Elle proudly. Everyone gasped in surprise. They did not expect Elle to be that brave to save someone from a man who was carrying a gun. "Wow Miss Elle, You are really brave! You are great!" June praised her bravery. "If other girls have seen that, I bet they would just cower in fear and they will run away as far as possible from that scene." Carl also commented. "Right, they will also hide to keep themselves safe from the attacker. Because if the attacker happened to see her. He might attack her as well. She is a witness!" Allen also joined in the conversation. "Hmm, I think Miss Elle here is different. It looks like she is an angel sent by heaven at that time." Captain Jason also praised her. "That''s why I admired her the first time I saw her. She saved my brother''s life and she did not demand anything." Selena also shared her thoughts. "Now I know why Chief Lee likes her. She is unique in her way. She is not just a pretty face." Rose whispered to April. April nodded in agreement. Everyone had happy and bright expressions in their faces except for one person. Erick was not happy at all when he heard the story. He had no idea that something dangerous like that happened to Elle. Erick could not stay silent so he spoke up. "Why did you do that? It was so dangerous. What if the attacker had seen you before you knocked him down? Then your life will be endangered also." His face darkened from that thought and he sounded upset but worries and concern were also evident in his voice. Everyone became silent when they heard Erick. They sensed that he was not happy at all and it looked like he had no idea about what happened. Elle turned to look at him. She saw his very serious expression. ''D*mn! I forgot about him. Erick looks mad. What should I do now?'' Elle panicked for a moment. Selena and James were looking at Erick with a confused look. ''Why he looks so affected?'' James was about to speak up to defend Elle''s action when Elle suddenly walked towards Erick and wrapped her hands in Erick''s waist. "Hey Don''t be mad! I am sorry I did not tell you about it. I know you would be upset. It was in the past. Look I am here beside you safe and sound. Please forgive me." Elle was trying her best to pacify the angry detective. Erick kept silent as he stared at the petite girl who was hugging his waist right now. Seeing his reaction, Elle pouted and gave him cute puppy eyes look. She tightened her grip on his waist. She held him close, her body pressed again his side. Erick could now feel her warmth and smell her fragrance. When he met her gaze the negative emotions he felt a while ago suddenly disappeared and he was lost in her beautiful alluring dark eyes. Some of the spectators on the side had different expressions while looking at them. Those who knew that they were a couple wore a smile on their faces as they saw how Elle acted so cute and sweet just to pacify her upset boyfriend. Of course, others were not used to seeing them act intimately especially to those single persons who were now eating dog food. They were anticipating what will Erick do to Elle''s action. Carl and Allen also made a bet. One thought that Erick would give in right away and let her get away easily while the other bet the opposite. On the other hand, Arison''s siblings could still not comprehend yet what was happening. They were still in the denial stage and could not believe what they were witnessing right now. Both of them had the same question in mind ''What is the relationship between Elle and Erick?'' After his long silence, Erick finally reacted. He sighed deeply as he looked at the girl helplessly. He knew the fact that he could not bear to get angry at her for too long no matter what. Just a sweet simple act from her and he would raise his white flag right away and just surrender to her. It seemed like he just discovered his new weakness from this moment. "Alright. Just don''t act recklessly again. You are making me worried every time." He finally smiled at her as he pinched her cute nose. Elle wore her sweet victorious smile as she nodded at him. "Yes, I won! Chief Lee gave in right away. Hahaha!" Carl blurted out suddenly as he turned to Allen who just lost in their bet. Selena and James were still in disbelief. Erick whispered to Elle "Hey Beautiful, we still need to talk later. By the way, I thought you will introduce me to them as your boyfriend. You made me wait for too long. Did you change your mind?" Erick complained to her as he sounded impatient. Elle chuckled because of his remarks. She let go of his waist which made Erick felt a little bit disappointed. But Elle grabbed his hand and pulled him towards Selena and James. "Selena as I promised you before, I would like you to meet Erick. He is my boyfriend whom I mentioned to you before." Elle said to her as she introduced Erick as her boyfriend. Both Selena and James had astonished expressions in their faces. Chapter 114 - 114: First Dance "Selena as I promised you before, I would like you to meet Erick. He is my boyfriend whom I mentioned to you before." The revelation passed through Selena like a hurricane. She did not know how she would react. She was at loss for words while looking at the entangled hands of Erick and Elle. She also saw the watch Erick was wearing. It looked familiar to her. It was the same watch Elle bought when they went shopping the last time. On the other hand, James''s mind was laid waste also by that news. He did not know that Elle already had a boyfriend and the worst case was the guy was Erick Lee. However, it would not change anything. Once he set his eyes on someone, he would not let her get away from him until he gets what he wanted. And Elle was that someone he wanted to possess. He turned to look at Selena with concern. He knew that his sister has feelings for the detective. This news might also be a big blow to her. Selena was looking pale but she tried her best to smile at Elle and Erick. "Oh, It was him!" Selena managed to say after she recovered from the shock. She sounded normal like she did not feel any disappointment and hurt. They both had a suspicion especially when they saw Elle acted so sweet with Erick just a while ago and how Erick reacted when he heard the story about Elle saving James. Now, Elle really confirmed it. "Yes. Now, do you believe me when I told you that he is a low-profile and a shy type person." Elle let out a soft chuckle. Selena just gave her a forced smile. Selena did not know how long she could hold her emotions. Fortunately, Mrs. Arison came. "Oh, here they are! Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you are doing good right now. Please enjoy the party. Could you please excuse my son and my daughter for now since the party is about to start and host for tonight is already looking for them." Mrs. Arison said to them. She greeted them with a bright smile. They returned her greeting with a smile and a nod. Then soon the Arison family left their table. After they left, Elle and Erick together with the task force members took their seats as they waited for the program to start. Just like when Selena celebrated her birthday, many important people in the entertainment, politics and the business industry were present tonight. Girls were wearing different styles of white dresses while boys were wearing black tuxedos. Of course, securities were also scattered in the venue. The host started to announce the start of the banquet. Musicians were also invited to perform. Chlarice also arrived at the venue. She went to James to greet him. He also greeted her but the way he treated her tonight was just like she was just a normal guest and nothing more. It was different when there were just the two of them in a close room having a passionate make-out session. Tonight he did not act intimately with her which made Chlarice felt upset and disappointed. This made Chlarice feel more determined in implementing her evil plan and targeting Erick. She scanned the venue to see whether Erick was already there or not. Meanwhile, the man whom Chlarice was searching for was sitting leisurely on their assigned table while having a serious conversation with his so-called girlfriend. "Hmm, why did you not mention to me that you also knew James Arison?" Erick started to interrogate Elle. "Well, I don''t think he is important anyway. It is not worth mentioning. Selena is the one who became my friend not him." She replied truthfully. However, Erick was not convinced by her answer. "Not important? You even accepted the flower he gave you. And you did not tell me that he was the one who invited you to this party, not Selena." His voice sounded accusing. Elle looked at him with disbelief. ''Why do I felt that I was being interrogated by this detective?'' Instead of answering, she also asked him a question. "Hmm, who is the one who promised Selena that he would attend this party no matter what? Why did you still bother to ask me if you should come or not? You already decided to attend." "I said to her I will try my best but I did not make any promises to her. You should believe me. I think you are just avoiding my question." Erick explained to her. He sounded sincere so Elle believed him. "Alright, regarding James, I did not tell you anything about him because I felt like he is not worth mentioning besides you never ask me." "And about the flower which James sent to me, I gave it to Charles. It is rude to say in front of him ''Oh the flower, it was not me who received it. It was my Boss." He believed her so he burst out into laughter when he heard her answer. "Very good! From now on, you are not allowed to receive flowers from any guy. I am the one acting here as your boyfriend. You should accept mine alone. Is that clear?" She gave him a weird look but she still agreed in the end. "Okay!" Then Erick made a mental note ''I should start making a move also. What flower does she like?'' Soon, the host for tonight announced that the dance floor was now open. The birthday celebrant James Arison together with his gorgeous sister Selena went in the middle of the ballroom hall. The sweet and soft music began to play and the brother and sister started to dance and sway on the music. Other guests stood up with their partners and accompanied them on the dance floor. Erick stood before Elle, in all his grandeur. He extended his right hand to her. "May I have the honor to dance with you, my lady?" Erick said as he invited her. He was grinning gleefully. There was a soft glimmer in his dark brown eyes as he gazed at her. As she stared back at him she could feel herself become hypnotized by the power behind those breathtaking eyes. "But... I don''t know how to dance!" Elle said as she was hesitating to accept his invitation. Erick let out a soft chuckle and he bent down to whisper something to her. "Don''t worry, they won''t recognize us. We are wearing our mask! Besides I don''t know how to dance also." "But I want to spend my other first with you just like how I shared my first kiss with you. This is also my first dance." Elle''s face heated up when she heard Erick. Her dark alluring eyes shone behind the mask as she placed her hand in his. A gentle smile appeared on his face as soon as their hands touched. Elle stood up from her seat and he guided her on the dance floor. Erick placed his hand on her waist while Elle put her hands on his broad shoulders. Their eyes never left each other. They never talked but their eyes were communicating with each other. They said that the eyes never lie and they were the windows into someone''s soul. Both their eyes shined with so many emotions. They could no longer deny the attraction they felt towards each other. The sweet and gentle smile never left their faces as their body and feet moved along the music mimicking each other. Erick pulled her closer as he whispered to her ear. "Elle, did I tell you that you look so stunning tonight? I was really captivated." Erick said with his husky seductive voice. Elle''s face flushed red as she blushed because of his words. "You too Mr. detective. You look so gorgeous. You are the most handsome guy here tonight." Elle returned his compliment with another compliment. Erick smiled as he was satisfied with her reply. "Hmm, Thank you. I did not know you are also good at complimenting someone." "Hmm. I seldom give a compliment to someone, so be proud of it." Erick burst out into laughter. "Yeah, I am very proud right now because you are my first dance, my lady!" "Hey, I am talking about a different thing." Elle gently hit his shoulder. Erick let out another chuckle. "I know." From a distance, 2 pairs of eyes were watching the sweet interaction between Erick and Elle. "Brother, do you really like Elle?" Selena asked James. "Hmm, I was attracted to her beauty so I guess I like her. Why?" James gave her a questioning look. "I like her too. But... I am not happy when I learned that Erick is her boyfriend. I think I already fall to Erick." Selena said to him truthfully. Sadness was evident to her eyes. James did not know how to console his sister. Selena spoke up again. "Brother help me. I really like Erick. He is the only guy I really wanted for the first time." Selena pleaded him. "What do you want me to do?" James asked her. "Help me break them apart brother. I want Erick and you also want Elle. Steal Elle from him. I will help you. Just make her fall for you." Selena suggested to her brother. A sly smile appeared on James''s face. "I am also planning to do that. Don''t worry my dear sister. I will help you get the man that you like." James promised her. ''I will also make Elle mine.'' Aside from Arison''s siblings, there was also someone who had an evil plan tonight. It was Chlarice. She was also staring at the direction of Erick and Elle. "Hmm, so it looks like he brought his girlfriend tonight. This will be an exciting night. Wait for me, my dear detective." Chlarice mumbled to herself. Chapter 115 - 115: Sweet Talker After the dance, Erick and Elle went back to their table. Different menu and drinks served per table. There was also a buffet on the side corner of the venue where the guests could grab another serving of any food that they wanted. While the guests were having dinner, there was a live band performing. Some famous musicians and singers were invited to perform. "Do you want any desserts? I will get it for you." Erick asked Elle when he noticed that she already finished her food. Elle thought for a while before she nodded. "I want some fruits and a cake," Elle replied afterward. Erick chuckled before he stood up to get her the food she mentioned. "Wait for me." "Thank you, Love! " She said that made Erick laughed cheerfully. Bryan felt a little envious when he saw how Erick and Elle treated each other well so he couldn''t help himself from staring at the girl beside him with a hopeful look. "Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" April asked Bryan as she noticed his intense gaze. "Hmm, how about you? Do you want to eat something more? I will get it for you." Bryan asked April also. April looked at him with disbelief. She knew that Bryan was trying to do the same thing Erick just did for Elle. "Are you really asking me that? You knew I am on my diet." April glared at him. Bryan just smiled at her sheepishly and he leaned towards her. "No need to be conscious of your figure. I like you just the way you are." Bryan whispered to April. April was taken aback by his sudden action. His closeness made her heart skipped a beat. She didn''t know when did she start to be affected by his presence. On the other hand, the other guys just shook their heads, regretting that they didn''t bring any dates tonight. They envied their Chief tonight as he was enjoying the company of his lovely girlfriend. Meanwhile, Chlarice''s eyes scanned the venue with determination to search for Erick when she saw him in the buffet corner. He was standing there alone, very handsome in his black tuxedo. "He is really the best looking man in this party. I really want to have him for myself, just for me. Let the game begins." Chlarice mumbled to herself. Chlarice had a taller frame and a slender body like a catwalk model. She also had a face that rendered her irresistible to men. That was one of the reasons she was confident tonight that her plan to seduce Erick would be successful. Now, she found the opportunity to approach him. Erick was busy picking up desserts for Elle. When he was about to pick the apple, a delicate hand touched his. "Sorry, you can get it first," Erick said as he turned to look at the lady who also wanted to get the apple. "Thank you, Detective Erick," Chlarice said with her sweetest voice. Erick was a little bit surprised when he heard her call his name. This lady knew him. Chlarice was rejoicing inside seeing Erick''s surprise reaction. Chlarice giggled and she removed her mask. "Hello Detective Erick we meet again... it has been a long time since I last saw you." Chlarice was now looking at him in the eyes with her sweetest smile. Erick didn''t remember her so he just smiled at her awkwardly. "Sorry Miss, it seems that I am forgetful sometimes. May I know your name?" Erick said politely. Since the girl knew him and greeted him first so it was rude if he would just ignore her so decided to engage in a simple conversation with her. On the other hand, Chlarice was disappointed since Erick didn''t remember her. "I am Chlarice, you don''t remember me?" Erick frowned and tried to remember this girl. After a few seconds, he could just remember the girl a little. "Ah ok, now I remember, you are the actress Chlarice," Erick said as he smiled apologetically. Erick was about to excuse himself to leave but Chlarice kept on talking to him. So he couldn''t find the right timing to leave her without offending her. "By the way Erick, how are the members of Alpha? I missed them so much. I enjoyed their company when I used to visit your team at the headquarters." Chlarice said to him cheerfully. "They are also here. Do you want to see them?" Erick said it so that he could now leave. He thought that Elle was now waiting for him. Chlarice''s eyes brightened when she heard it. "Sure...let''s go to them." ''Nice...This is going according to my plan. I''m gonna meet his girlfriend also.'' Unknown to them, there was already a pair of eyes watching them for a while now. Elle was frowning as she asked Rose, "Do you know that girl who is having a conversation right now with Erick?" Rose turned to look at the direction of Erick. Her eyes widened when she recognized that girl. "Ahem, that girl is Chlarice, the famous actress that April mentioned before when April got drunk," she said to her truthfully. Rose had a worried expression on her face. It looked like Chlarice was pestering Erick right now. She was observing Elle''s face, anticipating her reaction. "Hmm... so it was her." Elle was looking at them intently then an evil smile appeared on her face. Rose looked confused when she saw Elle''s smile. She didn''t expect that kind of reaction from her. Erick and Chlarice were now walking towards their table. Chlarice saw that someone in the table was already staring at them. Then suddenly she moved closer to Erick and wrapped her arms in Erick''s free hand. His other hand was holding a plate with desserts and fruits. Erick stopped on his track because of the sudden advances of Chlarice. She looked at him and said "Sorry I have to hold your arms, Erick, you walked really fast." She reasoned out. Erick looked helplessly at the girl. They already caught the attention of other guests nearby. They recognized Chlarice and Erick since they were both not wearing a mask. She heard that other guests were now talking about them. They thought Erick was her date for tonight. Someone also said that they matched together, handsome and pretty. Erick whispered to her. "Ahem, Chlarice, I think some people are talking about us. Can you let go of my hand?" "Hmm, I don''t want to." She said stubbornly as she pouted at him. Erick was speechless. "Let me hold your arms detective. I will let you go once we arrive at your table." Chlarice requested him. Erick was put in a difficult situation right now. He didn''t want her to hold his arm but he didn''t know how to reject her without being rude. He asked her already but she refused to let go. He couldn''t remove her arms since he was holding a plate in his other hand. "Okay, I will let go of your hand but promise me you will dance with me tonight," Chlarice suggested. ''I don''t think that is also a good idea. Should I need to choose between two lesser evil? D*mn, this girl keeps on delaying me for too long.'' "Alright, you can let go of my hand now," Erick said as he agreed. Chlarice smiled victoriously before she let go of his hand. ''Finally! Elle is waiting for me!'' Erick sighed deeply. Then Erick continued to walk along with Chlarice. When they were near the table Chlarice made another move on Erick. "Ah! Erick!" She called Erick''s attention as she faked her act. She made it look like she accidentally tripped on her ankle and directly falling to him. Erick was quick to move to catch her. With his strength, he managed to catch Chlarice waist using his one arm while the other was still holding the plate. "Thank you, Erick, for catching me!" Chlarice was smiling widely because of his action. She was now very close to Erick and she grabbed that opportunity to kiss his lips. However, before her lips landed on his lips she heard someone called Erick that made Erick turn at the direction of that voice. Erick was staring at Elle''s dark eyes which looked like sharp daggers when he felt something soft and warm touch his cheek. As if Erick''s body had a mind of his own, he gently pushed away from him the girl in his side. His eyes were still focused on Elle. Elle''s lips already formed a thin line on her beautiful face while her brows were locked together which indicates that she was now upset and unhappy. Chlarice was rejoicing when she saw the girl who was looking upset in front of them. ''This is it. His girlfriend looks mad already. Haha. Come at me and make a commotion so that you will embarrass yourself.'' Other members of the task force also saw what happened and they were waiting whether Elle would slap the girl who just kissed her boyfriend in front of her. Elle walked towards Erick and Chlarice. She stopped in front of Erick. Erick was silently observing the girl. He knew he did something wrong. Elle raised her hand and wiped the area where Chlarice had just kissed Erick using the tissue in her hand. "Love, be careful. Don''t let anybody touch or kiss you. There is a virus spreading these days. It is quite alarming. We didn''t know if someone here is already a carrier of that virus." Everyone was astonished. What they expect her to do did not happen. And d*mn, she just wiped Erick''s face where Chlarice''s kiss landed! And she just said indirectly that Chlarice might be a carrier of a virus. It looked like an insult to Chlarice. Chlarice was now very furious at her. ''How dare she call me a virus carrier?!!'' Erick didn''t also expect her to do that but he played along with her. "Sorry Love. I understand. It won''t happen again. But... if you are the one carrying the virus, I don''t mind even if you kiss me so many times." Elle:"..." Chlarice:"..." Rose:"..." Bryan:"..." April:"..." Other task force members:"..." Everyone had different surprise expression because of Erick''s remarks. ''D*mn our Chief Detective Inspector is also an expert at sweet-talking!'' Chapter 116 - 116: A Great Pretender "Sorry Love, I understand. It won''t happen again. But... if you are the one carrying the virus, I don''t mind even if you kiss me so many times." Erick had a mischievous smile on his face as he was staring at Elle''s lips intently after he said those words. Elle unconsciously bit her lower lips as she met his intense gaze. She gulped as she saw something in his eyes...was it desire? Elle looked away and she cleared her throat. People around them were also speechless after hearing Erick. Meanwhile, Chlarice was cursing Elle in her heart. She was trying hard to control her anger and keep her calm after the insult that she received from Elle. Everyone could feel that there was a tension going on between Elle and Chlarice. June was signaling Bryan to interfere. But Bryan refused to interfere this time. He didn''t want to be involved in this girl''s fight. April was his only concern and priority right now. June turned to Rose but she just shrugged at him. June was left with no choice so he was the one who spoke to break the awkward atmosphere. "Ahem, Miss Chlarice, it is nice to see you again. Can we have your autograph just like the old days?" Carl and Allen also started to join the conversation to divert the attention of everyone. "Me too Miss Chlarice, can we have your autograph also?" Carl requested also. "Me too!" Allen said with enthusiasm. Chlarice''s unhappiness disappeared when she saw these men were eager to have her autograph. "Sure gentlemen!" She smiled sweetly at them. Then she glanced and smiled provokingly at Elle. She wanted to tell her that she was the one famous here and men couldn''t resist her charm and Elle was just no one. Elle rolled her eyes, she knew what this girl was thinking. She pitied her level of thinking. If she thinks that she was intimidated by her, then she was mistaken. She didn''t care who''s famous and who''s not. For Elle, she was just a fly who keeps buzzing around and following Erick. Her presence was just insignificant to him. After June successfully diverted their attention, he was also generous enough to invite Chlarice to join them. Chlarice made sure that she would be seated next to Erick. However, as soon as Chlarice already sat down in her chair, Elle simply moved toward the vacant seat next to her so Erick ended up sitting on the chair where Elle was sitting before. Now Erick was in the middle of Rose and Elle. Chlarice frown when she saw their current sitting position. How could she make a move on Erick if he was sitting away from her? ''This girl is really a hindrance to my plan!'' Chlarice was cursing Elle in her mind. "By the way Miss Chlarice, we know that you are already familiar with us so I would like you to meet Elle, she is our Chief Lee''s girlfriend." Rose was the one who introduced Elle to Chlarice. "Oh really, nice meeting you Elle! Sorry I did not know that Chief Lee already had a girlfriend. It was a piece of shocking news!" Chlarice pretended to be shocked. Elle ignored her and she just continued eating the dessert that Erick got for her. She did not want to waste her time with the girl beside her. Others noticed the awkwardness between the two girls so they just entertained Chlarice so that she would not bother Elle who obviously did not want to talk to her. But Chlarice did not plan to leave Elle tonight. She wanted to provoke her and show her the difference status between Elle and her. She wanted to brag her good points and pointed out Elle''s lacking. She wanted to make Elle feel insecure because she thought she was better than her. "Elle where are you working?" Chlarice asked her. Elle finally talked to her. "In a cafe, I am a cashier and a waitress." Elle simply said. Chlarice laughed at her answer. She knew that aside from her pretty face, Elle had just an ordinary background. "You are also beautiful Elle, do you want to audition and become an artist? I know someone who can help you. Do you want me to recommend you?" Chlarice suggested. June, Allen, and Carl looked at Elle and they agreed on the suggestion of Chlarice. They thought Elle had the potential to be famous. "I agree with her!" June said while Carl and Allen nodded in agreement. April and Rose did not comment. They shook their head as they looked helplessly to the boys who don''t have any idea that Chlarice was not sincere when she told those words to Elle. April and Rose could sense that Chlarice was looking down at Elle when she heard that Elle was just a cashier and waitress. On the other hand, Erick shot the three boys a sharp glare. Erick did not like the idea of Elle becoming an actress in the entertainment industry. If she becomes an actress then she will work with the different guys as her leading man. Then he imagined Elle had a kissing scene with some of her leading men. This made Erick frown from the thought and gritted his teeth. ''No way! I won''t let her do that!'' Erick was about to say something when Elle suddenly spoke up. "Thank you for the generous offer Miss Chlarice but I prefer to sell some cupcakes and shakes in a Cafe rather than sell myself to a lot of people just to be famous," she said with sarcasm in her voice. Now everyone could feel the tension between Elle and Chlarice. April and Rose had the urge to laugh but they were able to control themselves. The boys were just staring at the two ladies silently. "What did you just say, Elle? What do you mean I am selling myself? We are actresses, a professional one. Don''t look down at our work." This time Chlarice was not able to hide her unhappiness and dislike towards Elle. She was now clenching her fist under the table. ''You are the one who first looks down on my job, now that I gave you a taste of your own medicine and now you couldn''t control yourself from barking at me.'' Elle was laughing inside. ?lle just feigned innocent. "Sorry... Did I offend you by saying that? I apologize for the wrong choice of words." "What I mean is I don''t have the confidence to present myself to others just like what an actress is doing so I just prefer to sell cupcakes and shakes." Chlarice was at loss for words. She did not know that this girl knows how to twist her words. She knew that Elle was also provoking her just like what she was trying to do a while ago. But it seemed like Chlarice''s plan backfired on her and she was the one losing in the end. She did not expect Elle to be this bold and confident to fight back at her. Elle stood up and excused herself from the group. An evil smile flashed on her face as she walked towards the comfort room. She knew that her prey tonight just took the bait. If she calculated it right, then Chlarice would surely follow her in the comfort room to confront her. Minutes had passed and she was right. Chlarice followed her. Elle did not enter the Comfort Room. She was just standing in the hallway, leaning on the wall as if she was waiting for someone. Chlarice approached her. "Well, now we are alone here. You can tell me anything that you want to say." Elle directly said to her not beating around the bush. Chlarice was taken aback by her very straightforward confrontation. She smirked at her as soon as she recovered from the shock. "I think, you are not good enough for Erick!" Chlarice said to provoke her. Elle just raised her brows. "And you think that you are the one suited for him?" "Of course yes!" Chlarice said with so much confidence. Elle laughed dryly as she shook her head while looking at the girl in front of her. "You are pretending to be a sweet and gentle girl in front of him. I can sense that you are fake! You are here to confront me since you don''t want Erick to see your bad side." Should I inform him about your attitude Elle? I am sure he would be disappointed with you when he found out about your bad side. Hahaha," Chlarice challenged her. Elle was at loss for words when she heard it. Chlarice was somewhat right. She was pretending to be innocent in front of Erick but the truth was she was an assassin. "Now you are silent because you knew I am right. I wonder what spell did you use to make Erick fall for you? You just look so ordinary for me, a cashier and waitress. Tsk Tsk." Chlarice kept on provoking her. Elle just kept silent with a serious expression on her face. Chlarice was rejoicing. "Do you want a bet? I think you and Erick won''t last forever and sooner or later you will break apart. Hahaha. I can make him fall for me, you wanna see it? I could try it tonight. "Chlarice continued to challenge her. "Okay go ahead. Try if you can. Let''s go back there?" A sly smile appeared on Elle''s face. "Sure let''s go!" Chlarice could not believe it. She agreed just like that. ''Watch me, girl. Your boyfriend will forget you after tonight!'' Chlarice mumbled to herself. Then they both went back to the venue. Chlarice was walking confidently. She was occupied with the thoughts about the things she would gonna do to seduce Erick when suddenly something obstructed in her way causing her to trip and fall on the floor with a loud thud. "Ouch!" Chlarice grunted in pain. She caught the attention of the other guests. She literally fell forward and now she was facing the floor. It really looked embarrassing. Elle bent down to offer her a hand. Chlarice accepted it and Elle helped her to stand up. Elle was grinning widely at her. She leaned over and whispered to Chlarice. "Hmm don''t be embarrassed. You are already used to it. How does it feel to reenact that scene? But this time, there is no Erick who catches you as you fall." "You are very naive if you really think that I will let you seduce my man in front of me. He will never be yours. He is mine alone." Elle emphasized her every word. Chlarice''s eyes widened as the realization came to her. It was Elle who made her fall. She was really furious right now. She caused her this kind of embarrassment. "How dare you!" Chlarice pushed Elle away from her. Then she saw the lady''s drink in the table nearby. She picked it up and she splashed it to Elle. Every guest who saw this scene gasped in surprise. They did not understand what is happening between the two ladies. They saw Elle helped Chlarice after she fell down on the floor and then suddenly Chlarice pushed Elle and splashed some lady''s drink to her. They were criticizing her actions. Meanwhile, Elle acted as if she was shocked by her action. "Why did you do that? I am just helping you." Chlarice was glaring at her. She was really mad and furious. This girl knew some tricks. Elle made her look like she was the bad person here. "You are a great pretender! You are the one who made me trip on the floor." Chlarice shouted. This time, Erick together with the task force members as well as James, and Selena found out about the commotion. When they arrived, they saw Elle and Chlarice having a confrontation. Then they noticed that Elle''s white dress was now wet and had stains. Chapter 117 - 117: That is Her "What the hell is happening here?'''' It was James who spoke up and went to the middle of those two ladies. He looked so unhappy when he saw Elle''s ruined wet white dress. He turned to Chlarice with his angry look. "What did you do to her?" Chlarice was looking at James with disbelief. ''Why is he treating me like this? I am the one who got hurt here. Why is it he looks like he is favoring Elle?'' "It is not my fault. She is the one who started it. She is the one who is responsible for this. She blocked my way using her feet that''s why I tripped and fell." Chlarice said as she blamed Elle. Erick frowned also when he saw Elle''s appearance. He walked towards Elle. He removed his tuxedo and he used it to cover Elle''s body. "What happened here?" Erick asked Elle softly. Elle was about to say something when Chlarice spoke up. She turned to Erick since James looked like he did not believe her. "Detective Erick, please believe me. I am the victim here. You should not judge right away! You should look for the truth, right?" Chlarice said with a desperate voice. She knew what other guests were thinking. "Someone, I guess someone out there saw what happened. If there is a witness who can support my claim please come out now." Chlarice pleaded in the crowd. But no one stepped up to support Chlarice. Elle was laughing inside. She made sure that no one saw what she did. "What can you say about this Elle?" James asked her since Elle just stayed silent on the side. "I agree with her, if there is any witness there please speak up now so that everything will be clear." Elle simply said. "If there is no witness then it is okay if you want to put the blame on me. Besides I am just no one compare to Miss Chlarice, she is the nation''s famous actress here." Elle successfully got the sympathy of others after saying that. This time Selena spoke up also. "I think there is no witness so we can just check the CCTV camera to find out who is telling the truth," Selena suggested. Chlarice''s eyes brightened when she heard that. "Right, there is CCTV camera here, you can validate the truth with that. Thank you, Selena." Erick was not interested in knowing the truth. His primary concern there was Elle. "Shall we go home? Your dress was ruined and wet. You might catch a cold if you stay like that." Erick softly said to Elle with his concerned voice. Selena and James both frowned when they heard Erick''s suggestion. Chlarice did not want that to happen also. She had not proven yet that this girl was the true culprit. "Ladies and Gentlemen I apologize for the commotion here. Please continue to enjoy the night" James told the other guests so that they would just forget what happened there and move on. "Detective Lee, it''s too early for you to leave please stay for a while. regarding Elle''s dress, she can change for a while. My sister has a spare dress, she can change to one of the hotel rooms here." James suggested. "Don''t you try to run away Elle. I have not proven yet that it''s your fault." Chlarice said to her. James was starting to get impatient with Chlarice. She kept on attacking Elle. "Don''t worry I am not running away. Erick, I am fine. Wait for me, I will just change my dress." Elle gave him back his tuxedo. Erick just nodded at her. "Okay, Selena please assist Elle while I go to the CCTV control room to check it." Then he turned to Chlarice and whispered: "We need to talk later, after this." Then Elle and Selena left the hall while James proceeded to the CCTV control room. Chlarice was left speechless on her spot. She was the one who got hurt but James looked mad at her instead of defending her to Elle. She was his girl but why was he doing this to her? When James arrived at the CCTV control room, he requested the staff assigned there to check the recordings. He watched everything. Seconds after watching the recordings, a burst of laughter reverberated inside the control room. "Oh Elle, you never fail to amuse me. I did not know you have a naughty side too." He was grinning widely. The staff was puzzled when he saw James''s reaction. "Sir, what should I do next?" "I want you to delete all the CCTV recordings tonight and stop recording further. Made sure that tonight''s recording would not be retrieved." James ordered. He needed to erase the evidence. The man looked at him with disbelief. He did not know what his boss was trying to do. But he needed to follow his instruction besides RZ Imperial Hotel was owned by Arison so James had the right to do whatever he wanted. "I just did you a favor tonight Elle. Now I need you to compensate me for tonight." James mumbled to himself as a wicked smile appeared on his face. Then he grabbed his phone and texted someone. Meanwhile, Elle and Selena just entered in one of the hotel rooms near the venue. "Elle you can wash here. I will get you the dress first. Is it okay if I leave you here for a while?" Selena asked her. "Sure, no worries. You can leave me here. Thank you, Selena." Elle smiled at her. Selena nodded before she left. She went inside the bathroom and watched herself in the mirror. Her beautiful dress was ruined but it was all worth it seeing how Chlarice was embarrassed just a while ago. She looked so pitiful. She shook her head as she laughed at herself. "It is a big mistake provoking me Chlarice." She heard someone entered the room. Thinking that it was Selena who brought her dress she went outside to see her. Elle frowned as soon as she saw the person. James Arison was standing in front of her. A mischievous smile appeared on his handsome face. Elle could not deny the fact that James was indeed a very attractive and good looking man. But still, she did not like his attitude. He was so full of himself and very arrogant. "What are you doing here Mr. Arison?" "I saw the CCTV recording." "So?" "Chlarice was telling the truth. It was you who blocked the way that caused her to fall." "Then you should go to her and apologize for not believing her. Clear her name. Why are you here?" James let out a soft chuckle. "Why are you saying that instead of begging me not to reveal the truth. Just say the words and I will do it for you, Elle." This time Elle laughed dryly. "I don''t care about that. Besides, I will lose nothing even if the truth will be revealed. I am just no one here. She is famous so she needs a good name and a good reputation." "Hmm, is that so? What will Erick do if he finds out it was your fault? Are you not concerned about that? His friends are also there." "I have nothing to worry about. I can just tell him the truth. I did that because of him. I can just say that I got jealous. And a man like his woman gets jealous so I don''t think we will have a problem because of that." James was taken aback by her words. Elle was very unique to all the girls he met before. She did not care about others. She would do what she really wanted. Now, he was really eager to possess her, and to have her as his own. He envied Erick for that. "The truth is, I deleted the recordings because I am thinking about you." He said as he smiled at her. He was relieved that he made the right decision deleting the video. He could not use it to threaten Elle. She did not care about the video. Elle was a little bit surprised when she heard it. She did not expect him to do that. "I will be honest with you Elle. I want to get to know you more. But I felt sad why you are treating me so cold." He told her truthfully. "Why do you hate me so much, Elle?" James asked her with a serious tone. Elle was not used to having a serious conversation with James like this. After her long silence, Elle spoke up. "Because of your arrogance and narcissistic behavior." Elle simply said James burst into laughter. "I am sorry I was raised to be like this. But I am willing to change for you. Just don''t hate me, Elle. Give me a chance." He said with a hopeful expression in his face. Elle just looked at him with disbelief. ''Is the person in front of me really James Arison?'' "Please give me this chance as your birthday gift to me. Elle, I want you to be my friend." Elle just sighed deeply. "Alright! No need to be so dramatic. I will give you a chance." James''s eyes brightened after he heard that. Then he saw someone just arrived out of the corner of his eye. ''Great timing my dear sissy!'' He immediately pulled Elle into a hug while saying "Thank you, Elle, for giving me the chance. I am so happy. I like you a lot!" This was the scene Erick and Selena witnessed as they entered the room. James was hugging Elle so tightly while saying those words. Elle frowned because of James''s sudden action. She did not like it so she pushed him right away only to see two pairs of eyes were already watching them. Elle''s eyes widened "Selena... Erick." She mumbled. She knew something was wrong when she saw Erick''s darkened expression. His expression sank faster than a penny on a pond, his face became icy and pale as white as itself. Every thought in his mind was silenced into denial and grief. "Thank you, Elle, for giving me the chance. I am so happy. I like you a lot!" these words kept on repeating in his mind while James was embracing Elle. Erick clenched his fist. There was a momentary flare of anger in Erick''s face. Without saying a word, he left the room as soon as possible before he could do something to James. Selena called for his name but she was just ignored by him. He continued to walk away. Elle, on the other hand, felt puzzled when she saw Erick''s reaction. Without wasting any more time, she ran to follow Erick. Selena and James were left in the room while looking at each other meaningfully. Their plan worked. "D*mn he walks faster," Elle mumbled with annoyance. She paused for a moment to remove her high-heeled sandals. Then she continued to follow Erick in the hall. There were a lot of people dancing already on the dance floor. She saw Erick walked out from the other exit. She ran to follow him when suddenly she bumped into someone. "Sorry!" She said without looking to the man then she continued to follow Erick. "Catseye?!" The man blurted out as he stared at the back of the girl who bumped into him just a while ago. Shock and disbelief were evident in his eyes. He ran to follow her but because of the people dancing on the floor, he lost her from his sight. Everyone was wearing white dresses and he could not identify which one was her. "I am sure... that person is her. That person is Catseye." Black Shadow said in frustration as he could not find the girl. He scanned the venue desperately searching for her. "We meet again Catseye. Why are you always doing this to me? Letting me see your lovely face in seconds then you will disappear again in just a blink of an eye." Black Shadow let out a soft chuckle. Chapter 118 - 118: Lets Stop Pretending "What is she doing here at Arison''s Birthday Party? Is she planning to do something again with the Arison Family?" Black Shadow could not stop himself from wondering after seeing Catseye. James invited him also to this party however he was very occupied early this evening by the girl whom he just met in a club before. After meeting her, they started to go out and spend time together. For him, his interaction with her was just a pastime as of now since he was still recuperating from his injury. "I need to find James and warn him about Catseye." Black Shadow said as he gave up on searching for Catseye for now and he went to look for James. Meanwhile, James and Selena were still in the room talking to each other. "You have great timing my dear little sister. Good job!" James praised her. Selena and James had planned everything. It started from the time Selena received James''s message and she left Elle in the room. She knew that after she left her brother would enter the room. Selena went back to the banquet hall while holding the white dress. She came to look for Erick. She asked him to accompany her from going to Elle. She said to Erick that Elle might be shaken up because of the commotion and she needed Erick. Since Erick was concerned about Elle, he followed Selena right away without suspecting anything. "I thought you would do something more rather than hugging her," Selena said to James as she sounded a little bit disappointed. "Why you sounded so upset? Are you not happy? Erick looked so mad just a while ago." James asked her. "It is natural because he was jealous. He saw his girlfriend hugging a guy. But they will still reconcile after this. What Elle will have to do is to explain it to him." Selena complained. "So what are you saying is you want me to force Elle and do something intimately with her?" James asked her with disbelief. "Yes!" "My dear sister don''t be too impatient. Even if I do that, she will just say that I force her and Erick will still listen to her. And he will become more protective of her and he will make sure that I will stay away from his girlfriend." James explained to her. ''Besides Elle just gave me a chance to become her friend and I won''t waste that chance. I can''t do that to her even if I really wanted to do it with her. I should control myself.'' James thought to himself. "If you really want to break them apart then I should win her heart and make her give herself to me willingly and not by force. Do you understand Selena?" James had a serious tone this time. Selena just nodded as she realized that her brother had a point. "Let''s go back in there. Guests must be looking for us. Besides I need to deal with Chlarice." James said to her. Then soon, the Arison siblings went back to the banquet hall. Along the way, James saw a familiar figure of a man standing in the hallway wearing a suit and a mask. He frowned. Seconds after, he recognized the man. It was Black Shadow. "Selena, go ahead first. I have to talk to someone first." Selena just nodded and complied. "Happy Birthday Boss!" Black Shadow greeted him with a meaningful smile. "How''s your wound. Can you start working now?" James asked him. "Hmm, I am recovering well. Thank you for the bullet that you gave me." Black Shadow said sarcastically. "I already told you that the circ.u.mstances left me with no choice. Blame it to Catseye." James said as he justified his action. "Speaking of Catseye... I saw her just a while ago inside the banquet hall. She is here." Black Shadow said to him. "What?! Did you just say Catseye is here?" a shocking expression appeared on James''s face. Black Shadow grinned widely and nodded to confirm it. "Then what are you doing here? Where is she?" "I lost her in the crowd. The guests are wearing all white dresses, I can''t tell where is she now. Let''s check the CCTV monitor to find her." Black Shadow suggested. "F*ck!" James cursed at himself. "What''s wrong?" "I already ordered the staff in the CCTV control room to delete all the records for tonight. And I asked them to switch off the camera for the meantime." "Huh? Why did you do that?" Black Shadow was looking at him with disbelief. "Because of certain someone," he mumbled as he thought about Elle. Black Shadow burst out into laughter. "I think Catseye is very lucky tonight. Haha" James shot him a glare. "Black Shadow go protect my mother and my sister. I need to warn all the security personnel." ___________________ Meanwhile, the girl they were just talking about was finally able to catch up with Erick. "Erick! Wait!" Elle shouted at him. They were both outside the hotel already. Erick heard a familiar voice calling his name. It was Elle. He was contemplating whether he would stop and turn to look at her or he would continue to walk away. He chose the first one so he stopped on his track and he turned around to see the girl. He was still enraged of what he had witnessed but the time he turned around and he saw Elle, his icy expression shifted immediately. He saw Elle panting. The sweat droplets on her skin began to run down her face. She was drenched in sweat, it soaked her already wet white dress. Elle felt relieved when finally Erick stopped. The perspiration lay cool on her skin and it cooled further by the breeze and she began to shiver. Erick saw her reaction so he walked briskly towards her. He removed his tuxedo and he wrapped her body using it. Erick''s brows locked further when he noticed Elle was not wearing anything down her feet, she followed him in barefoot. ''D*mn! Did she run and follow me without wearing her sandals?'' "Why?" Erick asked her as he looked at the petite girl in front of him. She knew he was talking about why she was walking barefoot. "To catch up with you. I can''t do that if I am wearing my high-heeled sandals." Erick felt guilty for her. "Why did you leave? Why are you mad?" Elle asked him right away. She could feel it. Erick was furious. Erick didn''t answer her questions right away. He was just staring at Elle intently with his serious expressions. Elle stayed silent and waited for his answer. Her eyes never left his eyes. After his long silence, Erick finally spoke up. "Elle... let''s stop pretending," Erick said to her. Elle looked confused when she heard his remarks. When she heard it, she felt something stings in her heart. ''Why is he telling me this out of the blue? Is he tired of pretending that he is my boyfriend? Did he believe Chlarice?'' Elle looked away from his gaze. She looked down so that she could avoid his intense gaze. "Do you... do you hate me now Erick?" Elle asked him. "Of course not. I don''t hate you, Elle." Erick said right away after hearing her question. "Then why are you telling me this? Are you tired of pretending as someone that you are not?" Elle asked him again. "Yes." Erick softly mumbled. Elle looked up only to see the sadness in Erick''s eyes. Elle did not know what she should feel right now. She was about to walk away when suddenly Erick grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug. "Elle I am sorry. I cannot stop my feelings anymore. I know I am now becoming greedy when it comes to you." "Every time I saw you with other guys I felt really restless and threaten. I got jealous of your Boss and I even got jealous of my friend Bryan." Elle was at loss for words. She could not comprehend yet what Erick was trying to say. And now, hearing all of these, she wanted to laugh. ''Seriously??! Erick was jealous of those two dimwits... Charles and Bryan?'' "And just now, I got really jealous of James. Elle calls me greedy and selfish but I just don''t want to see you close with other men except me." "Elle I want us to stop pretending. I want us to be real... a real couple. I like you, Elle. I think I''ve already fallen for you!" Erick finally took all his courage to confess to her. His hug tightened as if he was afraid that Elle would be taken away from him anytime. Elle''s eyes widened. She could not believe what she just heard. She was shocked beyond belief. Erick just asked her to stop pretending and now he confessed that he likes her and he already falls for her. Erick released her from his tight hug. He wanted to see Elle''s face. He held both her shoulders and he glanced at her dark alluring eyes. "Elle I love you!" Erick said once again. Elle could feel his sincerity in every word that he said. His words were like music in her ears that soothes her heart. His eyes also spoke for his feelings right now. Elle''s mind went bankrupt at this moment. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She tried to speak but the words were stuck in her throat. Erick knew how shock Elle was feeling right now. He could see it in her expressions. When he said those words it seemed like he had relieved himself of something heavy which had weighed in his heart for too long. Now the anger and jealousy he felt a while ago were overpowered by the nervousness he felt as he waited for Elle''s response. He was afraid that Elle would reject him. Every second passed seemed like torture for Erick. Elle remained silent and it seemed like she already froze on her spot. Erick was left with no choice. His heart was about to explode from nervousness and his mind was about to go crazy just waiting for her response. So Erick bent down to claim her lips. He started kissing her with light and gentle motions. Seconds passed Elle''s lips also started to move. Erick smiled in between the kiss when he felt Elle started to respond on his kiss. This was the only alternative way he could think of to confirm whether he had a chance for Elle or he had not. Erick put his hand at the back of her head while the other hand was cradling her back as he pulled her closer. Elle also raised her hand and put it at the back of his neck while her other hand was on his face. He parted his lips slightly and went for her lower lip, gently sucking and nibbling on it. Then he moved to suck her upper lip and gently placed his tongue underneath. The pleasure he was giving her could not stop her from m.o.a.ning in between their kiss. As the kiss became fiercer and hungrier they pulled each other closer until there was no space left between them and they could feel the beating of their hearts against each other''s chest. As they broke away after what seemed like ages he looked at her with so much passion. Elle saw Erick''s eyes sparkled and his lips curved up into a smile. Then, Elle felt lost once again at that moment. ''Wait... What just happened again?'' Erick moved his head closer to Elle as he held her face using both hands, his thumb caressing her cheek. He leaned in, so his forehead rested against her. They both closed their eyes. "You don''t have to answer me right away. I will wait when you are ready. This kiss is enough to give me assurance that I have a chance and perhaps I have a place in your heart." His voice was low and husky. He planted a kiss on her forehead once again before he said: "I think, it is time to go home now my lady, shall we?" Chapter 119 - 119: Give Me Time After knowing that Catseye was present during the party, James immediately warned the security personnel in the venue. He also instructed to switch on the CCTV cameras of the hotel especially those cameras installed in the venue. Black Shadow went back to the hall as he was instructed by James to protect Selena and his mother. He also tried to scan the venue once again to search for Catseye. On the other hand, Selena proceeded to the table where members of the joint task force were sitting. "Ahem, did you guys see Erick and Elle?" Selena asked them. "No, you were with Erick just a while ago. We thought both of you will go to Elle." It was Rose who answered her. "Hmm, We got separated just a while ago. So I thought they came back here." Selena lied. Selena was about to leave when Bryan suddenly spoke up. "Ahem... Miss Selena, I just got a message from Chief Lee. He said they are heading home now." Bryan informed her. Selena was a little bit disappointed when she heard it. "Thank you, Sergeant," Selena said as she gave him a forced smile. "Hmm, as expected to our Chief Lee. After what happened tonight, I know he was very worried about Elle so they decided to go home early." Rose commented. "He really dotes on his girlfriend, Elle," June said as he chuckled. "Hmm, Elle is very lucky, a man like Chief Lee is hard to come by. He is smart, very protective, so handsome and very thoughtful. He is a complete package." Rose said with her envious tone. "I think Chief is really in love with Elle. We can see it the way he looks at her and how he treats her." June also joined the conversation. "We can''t deny the fact that they are a good match also. And the chemistry between them is so strong. Just looking at them, I thought my eyes would bleed from too much dog food." Carl said which made others burst into laughter. They all agreed with him. Hearing those comments from Erick''s colleagues, Selena could not take it anymore. She was really jealous of Elle. Now, she wished that Elle and Erick got into a fight because of the scene between James and Elle that Erick saw in the hotel room. Meanwhile, Chlarice was still waiting for James and the result of checking the CCTV footage. When she saw James entering the banquet hall, she approached him immediately. "James, did you see it? I am telling the truth right! I am your girl but why are you defending her? Elle is the one at fault here. She should apologize to me." James''s expression darkened when he heard Chlarice''s nagging. He could not help himself but compare her to Elle. With this kind of behavior, James thought that Chlarice was really no match with Elle. She really deserved it. Elle gave her a lesson tonight. Seeing that James just stayed silent, Chlarice continued to vent her anger and distaste about Elle. "She is good a pretender and a liar. I wonder how she was able to make Detective Erick Lee fall for her. She doesn''t even have a good background. She is just a waitress in a Cafe. I wonder if she even graduated in College." Chlarice continued spouting negative comments about Elle without noticing the grim expression of James. As James could not listen anymore to her nonsense, he spoke up. "Can you shut up?!! You know what, she is much better than you. Can''t you see? You are nothing compare to her." James said to her with his cold stern voice. That was the breaking point of James''s patience. Hearing the insults which she was throwing towards Elle, James started to hate the girl in front of him. Chlarice was dumbfounded when she heard James. She could not believe it. James did not want to waste his time with Chlarice as he still needed to focus on Catseye tonight. He was about to leave when he stopped on his track and said another word to Chlarice. "By the way, we are over. I don''t want to see you again." He emphasized every word. Then he walked away after saying that to Chlarice. Chlarice was left speechless. She looked so devastated. This was not the outcome she had imagined. She thought everything would go as she plan but it was the opposite. She was gritting her teeth as she was cursing Elle. She blamed all of this to Elle. ------------------------- Meanwhile, the person who caused Chlarice''s misfortune for tonight just arrived at home together with the person who just confessed his feelings to her. Elle and Erick remained silent during the entire duration of their journey until they entered the house. Elle had not yet recovered from the shocking confession of Erick. There was an awkward atmosphere between the two but Erick decided to break the silence. "Elle..." He called her name "Huh?" Elle answered absentmindedly. Erick paused for a moment. He was contemplating whether to tell her what on his mind right now or it was better not to say another word. In the end, Erick just smiled at her and said "It''s nothing. Never mind. Make sure to change your clothes right away okay? Good night Elle." Erick was about to leave and proceed to his room when Elle grabbed his hand to stop him. Erick stopped and turned to look at her. "Erick, about what happened between me and Chlarice. Actually it was really my fault that she tripped. I intentionally blocked her way." Elle told him the truth. Erick was a little bit surprised by her revelation but he did not mind it. "Do you hate me for doing that?" Elle asked him with anticipation. "No. You knew what you did is wrong. But since you already reflected and admitted to me your fault then I won''t scold you."Erick chuckled as he teased her. "Besides, I know you have your reason for doing that. I think it was just a catfight between two women so we don''t need to be involved," he added "But I admit, I was unhappy when I learned that she splashed some lady''s drink to you." Erick frowned as he remembered what happened to Elle. Elle also remembered the moment when Erick suddenly walked out in the hotel. She wanted also to clear that misunderstanding. "Ahem, Erick... about James and I, what you have seen that moment, it is just nothing." Elle started to explain. After Erick''s confession, she learned the reason why Erick just left and walked away while looking so mad. He was jealous of James. "You don''t need to be jealous of him. He just asked me if we could be friends and I agree. I did not expect him that he would hug me suddenly." Hearing her explanation, Erick could not help himself but smile. He believed her. He would always believe her. He admitted that when it comes to Elle, sometimes he could not control his emotions. He would lose control and act on impulse. "I understand. Besides, any guy will really like to be close to you. I can''t blame you for being so beautiful that you can attract a lot of men." Erick said as he pinched her nose. "Ouch! Hey, why it is my nose again?" Elle complained to him. "Hmm, I shall target your lips then." Erick gave her a peck on the lips. Elle''s eyes widened with his sudden advances. "Hey... you are always doing this to me, snatching a kiss," Elle said as she punched him on the stomach. Erick grunted but he chuckled as soon as he recovered from that punch. "Haha... I am sorry Elle. I think I got addicted to your lips already." Erick said as he smiled sheepishly. Elle looked at him seriously. Erick stopped teasing her as soon as he saw her serious expression. "What''s wrong?" Erick asked her softly with a concerned voice. "Erick, are you sure about your feelings towards me? Maybe you are just confused right now since we are pretending like a couple." "Maybe you just got carried away with our acts that you mistook it as affection towards me." Erick held her shoulders and turned her around so that she was now facing him. He gazed at her intensely. "No Elle, I am not confused. I am a hundred percent sure about my feelings about you." His eyes were full of determination as he said those words to her. "But how can you say that? You still don''t know me, my true self." Elle frowned. ''Erick... please. Don''t do this. You will just be hurt in the end. Stop now.'' Elle was silently wishing to herself. "I know what you are worried about," Erick said. ''No Erick, you don''t know what I am thinking right now.'' "I already thought those possibilities so many times Elle." "Before you lose your memory, what if you already have someone in your heart? What if you are already married? What should I do? Should I stop my feelings towards you?" "These were the questions that came into my mind. I know, if that is the case, it would be unfair to him. But I can''t stop this feeling anymore Elle. As time goes by, it is becoming stronger and stronger." ''No Erick, the truth is much worse than that. I am an assassin and I know you can''t fall to someone like me.'' Erick grabbed her hand and he placed it on his chest. She could feel the fast beating of his heart. "Can you feel it? This is your doing. This is how you are affecting me, Elle." A light flashed on Erick''s eyes as he looked at her intently. Elle couldn''t look straight at his eyes. She wanted to run away from him right now. She had conflicting emotions. The way Erick''s heart was acting right now was the same thing happening to Elle''s heart. Her heart was racing so fast in her chest, pounding with so much joy. However, her mind was telling her the opposite of what her heart was feeling right now. ''I have to stop this before I end up regretting something.'' Elle reminded herself. She already made up her mind but the moment she looked up and met Erick''s intense gaze the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat. She couldn''t utter a word. ''D*mn you Elle!'' she cursed herself. She was annoyed at herself. Elle sighed deeply and so instead of rejecting Erick''s feelings, Elle threw herself to Erick''s warm chest. She wrapped her arms around Erick and hugged him tightly. She felt helpless right now. Her thoughts and feelings were in chaos. "Erick, please give me time. I need to think this out first and sort my feelings." Elle said to him in low voice. Erick''s lips curved into a smile. He hugged her back. He ran her fingers down her spine as he said "I know, I understand. I already told you that I am willing to wait for your answer when you are ready. No need to rush." Chapter 120 - 120: Information The next morning, even though it was the weekend, Elle decided to go to Falcon Cafe. She just made an alibi to Erick that today''s duty was the compensation of her two days off last week. But the truth was, she just wanted to avoid Erick for now since she needed time to think. She couldn''t make up her mind and she got destructed by just seeing Erick. She was still in a daze after that confession and she had conflicting thoughts. Her troubles did not go unnoticed to Charles. He sensed that something was amiss with Elle that day. "Master Phantom, observe Elle. She looks like she is not in her usual self today." Charles said to Phantom. Phantom nodded in agreement while massaging his chin. Two pairs of eyes were watching Elle who looked so busy with what she was doing in the counter however her thoughts seemed to be out of the world right now. "She is committing a lot of mistakes today. Did you also notice it master?" Phantom nodded again with Charles''s remarks. "Master, I think you should talk to her. Three customers already complained today." "One complained because instead of putting two spoons of sugar, Elle put powder milk in the customer''s coffee." "The other one complained because she ordered cookies-and-cream milkshake but Elle gave her chocolate milkshake." "And what is her third mistake for today?" This time Phantom spoke up. "She gave our customer the wrong amount of change. Master, what is wrong with her today? This is the first time I saw her like this." "Why don''t you ask her yourself?" Phantom looked at him with a brow raised. "Eh... Master, you already knew Elle. She won''t talk to me even if something is troubling her. Besides, I am afraid I might piss her off if I ask her with so many questions." "Alright, I will talk to her in the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. Take care of everything here for a while." Charles just nodded then Phantom approached Elle. "Elle, can we talk for a while?" Phantom asked her. Elle gave him a questioning look before she agreed. "Okay, Master." "Not here, Let''s go to the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. Charles will take care of everything here for a while." Phantom and Elle proceeded to the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. Phantom tried this chance whether Elle would open up to him and share to him what was bothering her right now. -------------------- At a certain restaurant... The guy smirked at her as soon as he saw Marie. He held her waist pulling her closer towards him. He bent down a little and his lips brushed against her lips. "Hey, easy... why is it you seem in a good mood today?" Marie asked Black shadow as soon as he released her lips. She was trying to dig some information. "Hmm, I will tell you later. Let''s go inside first." Marie and Black Shadow entered the restaurant and chose the booth at the corner. They were now sitting next to each other. He put his arm around her waist and started to feel intimate with her. Luckily, the waiter came to get their orders. Black Shadow ordered some drinks and foods for them. When the waiter left, Black Shadow continued his advances with her. He slowly bent his head, moving in and kissing her neck. She contained her m.o.a.n and she turned her head to give him more access. Marie was already used to this kind of intimacy especially when she was working undercover. As a spy agent, one of the strategies was the honey trap operation which was designed to compromise an opponent s.e.x.u.a.lly to elicit important information from a person. Thus involvement of s.e.x.u.a.l activity, or the possibility of s.e.x.u.a.l activity, intimacy, romance, or seduction to conduct this operation could not be avoided. Marie decided to start a conversation with him before they ended up doing something further. "Ahem... I thought you will tell me some good news. Why you look so happy?" Marie held his face to stop him from what he was doing. Black Shadow was a little bit disappointed when he was interrupted. Marie noticed his expression so she gave him a quick kiss on his lips. "I saw the person I am looking for. But she slipped away from me once again." Black Shadow told her as he chuckled from that thoughts. Marie knew that he was referring to Catseye. At first, she was surprised when she heard it but she was able to conceal her expression. "Oh really? That''s good to hear. Where did you see her? Hmm... Should I feel jealous now? I am here but you still looking for someone." Marie teased him and pretended to be hurt to hide her true motive for asking the question. Black Shadow chuckled because of her remarks. He suddenly grabbed her head and planted another kiss. He flicked his tongue against her lips, seeking entrance. Marie slightly parted her lips and she let him explore her inside. She m.o.a.ned from the pleasure. Then the waiter arrived to deliver their order so Marie pushed away Black Shadow immediately. Black Shadow leaned over and whispered to her. "No need to be jealous. I did not have a chance to do things like this to her. She might kill me right away." Marie was rendered speechless. Seeing her confused expression Black Shadow let out a soft chuckle. "Alright, do you know Selena or James Arison?" Black Shadow asked her out of the blue. Marie frowned. ''Why is he mentioning the Arison Family.'' "Not in particular. I can see them in the news. Why?" Marie asked him curiously. "I met that person last night during the Birthday Party of James Arison." Black Shadow told her truthfully. ''Whoah, sticking with this guy is the right choice, I could really gather so much information from him. So Catseye was there at the party. I should inform Captain Jason and Chief Lee regarding this.'' "Why are you there at that Party?" Marie simply asked him as she took a sip of her lemon juice drink. "Hmm someone invited me. And I did not expect to see that person there." Black Shadow did not mention James. From the start, their connection with each other should remain confidential. "What happened next after you saw her?" "I lost her in the crowd. I tried to look at the CCTV footage but unfortunately the recordings that night had been deleted already." Black Shadow said feeling disappointed. "So she anticipated it that''s why she deleted the recordings," Marie commented. Black Shadow burst into laughter after hearing her remarks. Marie gave him a questioning look. "No, she did not do it. James Arison was the one who deleted the video that night because of someone." "What?! Did he really do that? Why?" Marie asked him with disbelief. "Haha, he wanted to protect someone. I heard there was a commotion happened and they were looking for the CCTV footage to know who was at fault." "He deleted the evidence not knowing that he might need it after. Tsk Tsk Tsk such a waste. What a coincidence right?" Marie just nodded in agreement. ''I missed something at the party. Too bad I was not able to attend it." After a while, Black Shadow got a message from Skull Gang. James wanted to see him and talk to him about Catseye. "Sorry Babe, I got a call for duty. Let''s continue our date next time. I''ll visit you tomorrow. Let''s go to the Night Club where we first met." Black Shadow pulled her for one last kiss. He bade Marie a goodbye and he promised her that he would make up for her next time since their date today was interrupted. When Black Shadow left, Marie took the chance to inform the headquarters regarding the information she got from Black Shadow. ------------------- Meanwhile at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter... Bryan and Erick were having a conversation while waiting for their meeting to start. They had an emergency meeting today regarding Catseye''s Case. "Chief Lee, how is Elle? Is she okay? Why did both of you leave last night without telling us?" Bryan asked him curiously. Erick smiled at the mention of Elle''s name. Bryan noticed his good mood since Erick''s face glowed with happiness. "Hmm, I think something good happened last night," Bryan mumbled as he gave him a suspicious look. Erick just let out a soft chuckle, not answering yet Bryan''s questions. "Come on Erick, spill it out. You are making me more curious." Bryan uttered pleadingly. "I already confessed my feelings to Elle last night." Bryan gasped in surprise. He stood up from his seat and he placed his two hands in Erick''s desk as he turned to face Erick. He gazed at him with an astonished expression on his face. "Really?!!... Then how is it? What did she say? Are you and Elle officially in a relationship? Is this for real this time?" Bryan bombarded him with questions because of his excitement. "Whoah! Take it easy, buddy. Please ask one question at a time. And lower your voice, they might hear you." Erick laughed at Bryan''s reaction. "Sorry Erick, I just got excited. So now, tell me." Bryan smiled at him sheepishly. "I did not get any response from her yet." "Oh, Is that true? Then why is it you look so happy? I thought you and Elle are already in a relationship." He sounded a little bit disappointed. Erick smiled faintly. "She said she needed more time to sort her feelings." "Hmmph, Does she need that?! I think it was already obvious, both of you like each other. You like her and she likes you." Bryan frowned as he looked at him with disbelief. "How can you say that?" Erick asked him curiously. "Well, the way you interact with each other, we can feel your chemistry and attraction with each other. The way you look at each other, there is something in your eyes and her eyes... I think it is called love. Hmm. Are you still in doubt?" "See, you both even fooled our colleagues, thinking that you are a real couple and they don''t suspect anything. And I don''t think that you two are just good at acting because it looks so natural." Bryan shared his thoughts. "Both of you, have feelings for each other. I guarantee you that Erick. Believe me!" Bryan said to him with so much confidence. "Alright, I believe you. But since she said she needs more time I will respect her decision and wait for her response. The important thing is I already told her about my feelings towards her." "But I am wondering, what is stopping her right now." Bryan could not still believe that Elle did not give Erick a response. "Maybe because of her situation. She is still in doubt about herself since she has amnesia. And I understand that. I also want to take one step at a time. I don''t want to rush her." "You are right. Hmm, I am really happy for you Chief." Bryan grinned widely at him and patted his shoulder. "By the way, how about you. How are you and the girl that you like? Is there any progress between the two of you?" It was now Erick''s turn to ask Bryan about his love life. "Ahem, Erick I will be honest to you. The girl I like is April. And she gave me a chance to court her." Erick was not surprised after hearing that. "Hmm, I am glad to hear that." "Why are you not surprise Erick?" Bryan asked him quizzically. "Because I somehow knew that it was her." He simply said while grinning at his friend. "Huh...How did you know?" "Because it is also obvious." Erick burst into laughter seeing his friend startled expression. This time it was Erick who stood up and patted Bryan''s shoulder. "I am also happy for you my friend!" They were having this conversation when June entered the office to call for them. "Bryan... Chief Lee, our meeting is about to start. Captain Jason is already in the conference room. He also informed us that Marie got important information about Catseye. She will call us in ten minutes." Bryan and Erick nodded and they followed June going to the conference room. Chapter 121 - 121: Catch Black Shadow At Falcon Cafe Secret Bas.e.m.e.nt... "What is wrong Elle. Why you look so bothered and absentminded today? Is there any problem?" Phantom asked her with a concerned voice. Elle was startled when Phantom directly asked her. ''Am I that obvious?'' "Do I really look like that Master?" Elle smiled at him meekly. "Yes! You even committed mistakes today." Phantom could not help himself but chuckle. Elle remained silent while staring at Phantom. She was contemplating whether to say something to him or to just keep it with herself. Seeing her hesitation, Phantom spoke up again. "Elle, tell me what is troubling you. I am here willing to listen. Don''t you consider me as part of your family?" "Of course I consider you as my family, you and Charles." Elle promptly said. Phantom was glad to hear that. "So tell me. Speak to me." Elle breathed deeply before she spoke up "Honestly Master, I don''t know what to do and what to feel right now." "Why is that so?" Phantom asked her curiously. "Erick confessed to me last night. He has feelings for me." Elle told him the truth. Phantom was not that shocked when he heard Elle. He somewhat felt before that the detective has special feelings for Elle. "Hmm, now I understand why you look like that. So what did you say to him when he confessed?" Phantom was anticipating her answer. Elle shook her head. "I don''t know what to say." "But what did you feel that time?" "I was shocked at first. Then... I felt so happy but then my mind told me that I need to stop this. This is so wrong master." A tinge of sadness appeared on her face. "Why did you say that it is wrong? Does loving someone is wrong?" "Yes! Because we can''t... we can''t love each other. I am an assassin and he is a detective. How can someone so righteous like him accept and love a sinner like me?" "I can''t hide my identity forever. He will eventually find out the truth. And once he finds out, he will hate me for sure. I am the one who he is trying to catch." Phantom could feel the weight of her every word. He understood what she meant. But one thing was for sure. He knew that Elle felt the same way for the detective. "So what are you planning to do now Elle?" "I don''t know Master... I wanted to run away from him." She smiled bitterly "Besides, I don''t know if someone like me is capable of loving someone. My world is full of hatred, viciousness, and bloodbath and there is no room for love. My primary purpose is revenge." "But you can''t control your heart, Elle." Phantom reminded her. "I know Master, that is why I think I should stop this as early as I can before it''s too late." "How will you do that? Are you going to stay away from him?" Elle just nodded at him. ''Yes, I should do that because I am afraid that if I stay longer with him then I will not be able to leave him after.'' However, just thinking about leaving him, Elle felt that her heart was being squeezed and she felt suffocated. "Alright, whatever will be your decision. I will support you. If you need my help I am just here. Okay?" Phantom gently patted her head. He felt sorry for Elle. If it was not because of that incident, maybe Elle would be living her life like a normal person. But fate was sometimes cruel. Fate led her to meet someone whom she would learn to love for the first time but still, in the end, it still forced her to decide whether to leave him or not. -------------------- Meanwhile, in the conference room of XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters, members of the joint task force were having a meeting and currently speaking with Marie who was giving them a piece of important information. Marie was speaking on the phone and they put her on a loudspeaker so that everyone could hear what she would say to them. "Marie, how are you doing there? We already missed you." It was Jane who spoke first to greet her. Marie''s soft giggle could be heard from the other line. "I miss you too sissy. Don''t worry I am doing fine here. Black Shadow is manageable. He did not suspect anything so I am still safe." "Yeah be careful. He is a dangerous man, second to Catseye." Rose commented. "Yes, I know... that''s why it took me some time before I was able to tame that guy and get his trust." Marie admitted. "I know you can do it. Your charm is all you need. Hahaha," Jane proudly said. "Sorry girls to interrupt but we should stop this little chitchat for a while and let us proceed to the true business." Captain Jason said to them. "Yes, sir!" "Copy sir!" "Noted sir!" "What intel have you gather this time agent Marie?" It was Erick who asked her. "I am sure, you will never imagine what I will tell you. Did you know that Catseye was with you all along last night at Arison Birthday Party?" Everyone was rendered speechless when they heard Marie. Marie let out a soft chuckle after that. "Your silence means you are all shock with that piece of news, right?" "What do you mean by that? Can you enlighten us more?" Captain Jason asked her curiously. "It just happened that Black Shadow also attended that party. I did not know why he is there. He only said that someone invited him." "He sounded so sure that the person he saw that night was Catseye. Unfortunately, he lost her in the crowd." "Then what did he do after? Did he check the CCTV recordings?" Bryan asked her. Marie let out another chuckle. "Yup, he tried to do that. However..." "However what?" Bryan asked her again, he was a little bit impatient. "However James Arison already deleted the recordings before that. He also ordered to switch off the CCTV camera for the meantime." Everyone was dumbfounded after hearing that. "Why did he do that??!" Bryan asked her. Disbelief was evident to his voice. "Well according to my source James Arison wanted to protect someone." she simply said. "I heard there was a commotion happened and they were looking for the CCTV footage to know who was at fault. James deleted the evidence. By the way, what commotion he was referring to that night?" Marie asked them innocently. Then people inside the conference hall automatically turned their gaze at Erick. They have the same thought in mind. ''The only commotion that happened that night was between Erick''s girlfriend, Elle and the nation''s famous actress, Chlarice, who also had a crush on Erick.'' "Chief do you know anything about it? James already confirmed the truth. Is that the reason why you and Elle went home early?" It was June who asked him. Everyone was waiting for his answer. Erick felt a little bit awkward because of the intense gaze that his colleagues were giving him. Erick cleared his throat before answering. "Cough! Cough! Honestly, I did not have any idea about James deleting the CCTV recordings." "After what happened, I asked Elle to go home with me. I believe there is no reason for us to stay further." Erick said to them, partly truth and partly lies. "Oh my Gosh! Elle was also there. I think Chlarice and Elle had a girl''s fight because of Chief Erick!" Marie exclaimed as the realization came to her. "Chief you are really great. Two beautiful ladies were fighting for you. Too bad, I was not there to witness it. What happened?" Marie added, she was a little bit disappointed. Erick blushed from embarrassment because of Marie''s remarks. And everyone inside the conference hall burst into waves of laughter. "Hey, stop gossiping Marie. We are here for a different matter. Let''s talk about that later." Bryan was trying to save Erick from feeling so embarrassed. "Okay, let''s go back to where we left. Continue Marie." Captain Jason said. "That''s all I got. Catseye was there. Did you find anything suspicious that night? Are members of Arison Family just fine?" Marie asked them. The team was put in deep thought as they reminisced everything that happened and what they observed last night. There were no irregularities last night, nothing suspicious and Arison Family was totally safe. After a long silence Captain Jason spoke up. "Nothing I could think of. Everything was normal last night." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Did you notice? Something is weird about Catseye nowadays." Carl shared his thoughts. Others turned to look at him waiting for his further analysis. "Catseye was also there but nothing happened. What is her reason for attending the party?" "I agree, it looks like she did not go there to cause some fright or hurt the Arison family. What is her true motive by coming there?" Rose asked quizzically. "And one more thing, the recent killing of Catseye, I am still wondering why she presented some pieces of evidence of the illegal activities of her victim." "Is she playing a hero or Is she playing a man of justice now?" Allen also commented "Catseye is becoming more unpredictable these days. We don''t know what she will gonna do next." Erick said with his serious tone. "Alright, we should start moving now. Let us not waste another time. Black Shadow is the key to knowing her identity." "I think it is time to catch Black Shadow." Captain Jason said with full determination. "What are your plans, Captain?" Marie asked him. "We will do an operation to apprehend Black Shadow tomorrow night. We have twenty-four hours to prepare." "Yeah, I like that idea Captain!!! Let''s catch some villain!" Carl said enthusiastically. "Count me in!" Bryan said. "Me too!" "I am so excited! Team Alpha and Team Eagle in one operation. So cool!" "It was decided then. Tomorrow night we will catch Black Shadow. Marie, be ready, you will play a bigger role in this." Captain Jason told her. "Aye Captain. I understood. Should I drug him so that we can easily catch him?" "No, don''t do that. He was an expert on different drugs. He might learn that you are a spy. If this operation will not be successful, we still need you to continue spying. We will use another strategy." Erick suggested. Everyone agreed on Erick''s suggestion. And soon, Team Alpha Cinco and Special Taskforce Eagle planned out their strategy that day on how they would catch Black Shadow. Chapter 122 - 122: Leaving In the evening, Erick went home just to get some clothes. He needed to stay at the headquarters tonight as they would be preparing for their upcoming operation in catching Black Shadow tomorrow night. He waited for Elle to inform her. Elle arrived home at around 7:00 in the evening. She saw Erick sitting in the balcony. "Hey, why are you out here. It is cold tonight." Elle said as he saw Erick. "I''ve been waiting for you. I am planning to fetch you in the Cafe but since you told me that you are on the way, I decided to wait for you here." "Hmm, have you eaten dinner?" "Not yet, I brought some food for our dinner. So hectic in the headquarter, I was not able to cook tonight." Erick said to her apologetically. "It''s alright. Let us go inside and take our dinner." Elle said. Erick just smiled at her and nodded. After dinner, even though Erick did not want to leave her but he had no choice. There would be a big operation tomorrow. Elle''s mood tonight was not good. She was still feeling down but she was able to conceal it so Erick did not notice it. After leaving the Cafe that day, Elle already made up her mind. She decided to leave Erick as soon as possible. She did not want him to be hurt further. She did not want to continue deceiving him so staying away from him was the only solution she could think of as of now. As Elle seemed to be in deep thought, sitting in the living room while staring blankly on the Television, Erick approached her. He sat down beside her. "Penny for your thoughts," Erick said as he pinched her nose. Elle whined a little because of that. She shot him a glare. Erick chuckled at her reaction. Then Elle noticed Erick''s backpack. "Are you leaving tonight?" Elle asked him. "Yup, why? Do you miss me already?" Erick teased her. Elle rolled her eyes. "I am just asking since you have your bag with you." Elle pointed out his backpack. Erick let out a soft chuckle "I am just kidding. Why are you so grumpy?" "Who is grumpy? I am not." Elle defended herself. "Hmm, roll your eyes again and I will kiss you! And Oops, don''t dare glare at me also, I am serious." Erick warned her. Elle looked at this shameless guy in front of her with disbelief. She hit him on the shoulder. Erick could not stop himself from laughing. He really wanted to tease Elle. Elle just stayed silent at the guy who was laughing in front of her. ''Oh God, I will surely miss hearing his laughter.'' Elle stood up from her seat and she was planning to leave the guy who was still laughing at her. But Erick was quick enough to stand up and grab her arm, stopping her from leaving. "Ahem... kidding aside. I will miss you, Elle." Erick said softly as he stared at her intently. His sincere words could make Elle''s heart started to flutter and beat wildly inside her chest. ''I will miss you too.'' Elle thought to herself. Elle avoided his gaze since she was afraid that she would not be able to hold herself back from doing something that would ruin her plan. "By the way, where are you going? How long will you be gone?" Elle asked him to divert the topic. "Hmm, just one night. We will be conducting a big operation this time so we need to stay at the headquarters to polish our plan and strategy. Wait for me okay?" Elle paused for a moment before she replied. "Okay." She simply said. ''By the time you come back, maybe I will not be here anymore Erick.'' Something flashed beneath Elle''s expression but it disappeared in just a blink of an eye so Erick did not see it. Meanwhile, Erick was thinking of several things that he wanted to do together with Elle after he comes back. ''I should ask her out for a date after our operation. Hmm, the flowers, I have not given her flowers yet.'' They were still in their own moment of thoughts when Erick felt that his phone was vibrating in his pocket. It was a call from headquarter. They must be all waiting for him. "Hmm, I guess it is time to leave now. They are already looking for me." Erick softly said as he smiled faintly at Elle. Elle just nodded. However, Erick was very reluctant to leave her. He remained standing on his spot while staring at Elle. "Elle..." He called her name. "Hmm?" Elle mumbled. "What did you do to me?" Erick asked her. Elle gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean?" "I am still here but I am already missing you," Erick said to her in a low voice. That is what he truly felt right now. Elle was speechless. Then Erick''s phone vibrated again. This time Elle let out a soft chuckle. "Mr. Detective, I think they are really looking for their Chief. Go now. They need you there already." Erick sighed deeply before he finally picked up his backpack on the sofa. Elle just shook her head seeing Erick disappointed and sad expressions. Elle held his shoulders and she pushed him towards the door. "Hey, you are so excited to send me away," Erick complained as Elle continued in pushing him. "If I don''t do this, I am afraid you will not take a step. I am just helping you not be scolded by your colleagues and Captain Jason for being so late." And finally, they reached the door. Erick turned around to face Elle. He pulled her into a hug. Elle was stunned in a moment but she hugged him back after she recovered. She felt Erick''s embrace tightened. She liked it. She liked how it felt to be wrapped by his arms while she buried herself into his chest. She liked to smell his fragrance. She liked to feel his warmth. She wanted to stay like this forever but she knew it was only her wishful thinking. She was trying to hold her tears. Her grip on his body also tightened. ''Is this the last time, I will be able to hug this man?'' Erick''s hand started to move caressing her hair and her back. She felt him bent down to smell her hair. He planted small and soft kisses in her head. Elle just closed her eyes, savoring the moment. After what it seemed like forever, they both released each other from that warm hug. "I won''t be able to use my phone tonight until tomorrow. Wait for me tomorrow night okay?" Erick softly said to her. She just smiled at him meaningfully and nodded. Erick smiled at her one last time and he leaned down to kiss her in the forehead before he left her. -------------------- Morning came and the Joint Task Force was all set for their operation in catching Black Shadow this evening. They were divided into two teams. One team was assigned for the surveillance and back up which was composed of Captain Jason, Allen, April, Rose, and Jane. The second team was assigned primarily in catching Black Shadow, which was composed of Erick, Carl, June, and Bryan including Marie. Marie already set the trap for Black Shadow. The location would be the night club where Marie and Black Shadow were supposed to meet. They already visited the location early this morning, just to survey the possible escape routes and the suitable area to attack Black Shadow. They also prepared two vans. Rose was left in the headquarters who was responsible for monitoring the CCTV footage in the area while transmitting the data to the computers and monitors inside the surveillance team''s van. Even though the operation would happen at night, the team was already scattered in the area. Meanwhile, as the Task Force was busy preparing for their operation, Elle was also preparing everything because today was the day that she would be leaving Erick. She already informed Phantom and Charles regarding her decision. Charles was so happy when he heard her plan. Charles wanted to ask her further why she suddenly decided to leave Erick but Phantom stopped Charles from pestering Elle. Elle did not plan on bringing something. She stayed home today. She took her remaining time to reminisce about her memories in that house together with Erick. Looking back when she first met him she could not help but smile bitterly. She gave him cold treatment before but he was persistent and very patient towards her. She did not notice that as time goes by she started to open up with him. The wall that she built was slowly conquered by Erick without her knowledge. She became used to his presence. She let him enter her life and Erick brought color and light into her dull and dark life. Elle was holding a card. Since she could not say goodbye to him in person, she decided to write him a letter. She placed the letter on Erick''s desk in his study. "I guess, this is a goodbye, Erick. Thank you for everything. I promise, if someday our path will cross again I will surely return the favor of saving my life." She could not explain why she felt like being stabbed in the heart a thousand times as she walked away from the house that she considered a home for several months. She did not even notice that a single tear already flowed down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. Chapter 123 - 123: Dont Fall for Her At Skull Gang Headquarter... The man who was the target of the joint task force today was currently sitting on a couch together with an expert facial composite artist. James Arison hired an expert composite artist in order to sketch the facial feature of Catseye according to the memory of Black Shadow, the only person who saw Catseye''s true face. Since the CCTV footage was deleted that night they had no way to find out if Catseye''s face was recorded in the CCTV. Besides, there were lots of guests that night. Not all of them were taken a shot or picture and everyone was wearing a mask. They were sitting there for almost an hour. Black Shadow started to get bored. He also felt annoyed. He already described Catseye''s facial features, her dark alluring eyes, her pointed nose, her perfect arch brows, long eye-lashes, and perfect curve thin rep lips. But he was not satisfied with the sketch that he was seeing. The girl in his mind was very beautiful compare to the sketch. If there could just a technology who could flash the images in his mind then this lousy sketch would not be needed anymore. There were also a lot of crumpled papers scattered on the floor. Black Shadow''s patience was already in the breaking point. "Are you really an Expert?!! Why can''t you do your job well? Your drawing is very far from the image in my memory!! I am wasting my time here!" Black Shadow exclaimed as he stood up from his seat. The artist was sweating a lot. He was afraid of Black Shadow. He could not concentrate well on his drawing because of the fear and nervousness that he was feeling. "I ... am... sorry sir." The artist stuttered in his speech. "What is the problem here?" James just entered the room. "Your artist is not reliable. He can''t picture out the image I was saying to him. I already described Catseye''s beautiful face for so many times but he could not still get it right." Black Shadow complained to him. James frowned after hearing that. He could see the artist''s trembling hands. He just shook his head. "Go out now. I think this will not work." The artist felt relieved when James ordered him to go out. James just stared at the annoyed face of Black Shadow. He leaned on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. "So what are you planning to do? How we will able to catch Catseye?" James asked Black Shadow in a serious tone. Black Shadow grinned gleefully at him. "Don''t be impatient Boss. I think she is just hovering around you. See... she even attended your birthday party and she did not do anything to harm you or your family. Are you not curious about that?" "Just wait, she might deliver herself to you willingly." Black Shadow commented as he chuckled. James was put in deep thought. "The 30 days promise ended... is she trying to harm Selena now? "Maybe yes or maybe no. If she has the intent to kill or harm someone, she would be in her assassin clothes or in her disguise but she did not wear any disguise that night. I wonder why." Then there was a moment of silence between the two men after Black Shadow said that. "I assume that she was there for her personal life and not for her work or mission." Black Shadow laughed because of that thought. Black Shadow''s remarks made James more confused and puzzled. Seeing James''s expression, he decided to elaborate on what he meant by his statement. "Catseye had stop receiving any mission. The assassin guild was rejoicing because of that. My fellow assassins have the same questions in mind." "Did Catseye retired already because Black Shadow learned her identity?" Black Shadow continued to speak while James was listening attentively to him. "However, just a few weeks ago. She killed another businessman, Jefferson Gong, the owner of one of the biggest Casinos here. So we rejected the thought that she retired already." "I also noticed something. The way she killed him was a little bit different from how she usually works. She even revealed Gong''s illegal activities." "I think Catseye is doing this because of her own grudge." "How sure are you? Why did you think so?" James was still in doubt. Black Shadow let out a soft chuckle. "Boss... you don''t understand. Assassins have different life stories on why they became an assassin." "Some chose this path because of money and they love killings. Some became one because of their dark past. Some had experienced some cruelty of this world that forced them to become an assassin." "I thought Catseye was like the first one I mention but seeing her I could sense that there is something more about her, a deeper story behind her viciousness." "So... you were saying that Catseye has an interesting life story that made her an assassin? " James laughed dryly as he looked at Black Shadow with disbelief. Black Shadow just nodded while grinning at him. "But still, she is just a killer, the one who killed my father. I don''t give a d*mn about her life story. All I want to do is to catch her, know the mastermind and punish her for killing my father." Furry was evident to James''s voice. "Alright Boss, I will help you catch her. But I want to warn you. Don''t fall for her when you see her. Because I guarantee you, you might change your heart when you see her." Black Shadow smirked at him. James shot him a cold stare. "Tsk... Don''t spout nonsense Black Shadow. Watch your mouth. I won''t ever fall to my father''s murderer. Even if she is a woman, I won''t show her any mercy." Black Shadow just smiled at him mischievously as he shrugged his shoulder. ''Hmm, Be careful James Arison. You never know... you might eat your words in the end.'' he thought to himself. "Okay, Boss. Speaking of a girl, there is someone whom I needed to meet tonight. Yesterday you interrupted my date with her so I must make her up tonight. "I need to go now since I think my presence here is no longer needed." Soon, Black Shadow left the Skull Gang Headquarter. He would prepare now for his date tonight. He would also meet Reaper, his assassin friend since they decided to have a double date. James was left in that room still thinking about what Black Shadow had said to him. He was now curious to see how Catseye would look like face to face. "Did my father see her face before he died? I wanna know the last moment of my father," he mumbled to himself. "Catseye, who are you? What are you doing at my party that night? Why are you there?" ------------------- Evening came... Elle was sitting in the living room of her new place. She was there but it seemed like her mind was somewhere else. ''Did Erick already return home? Did he see my letter? Is he looking for me?'' These were the questions of Elle right now in her mind. But there was no way to find out. She already left her phone at Erick''s house. Even if Erick searched for her in the Cafe. He won''t see someone. Phantom and Charles also decided to accompany her tonight and she agreed. If it was like before, she would prefer to be alone. But given the circ.u.mstances right now, the more she was alone, the more she was thinking about Erick. That was why she allowed them to stay. Charles just arrived after buying some food for their dinner tonight when suddenly his phone rang. Charles frowned when he saw the caller I.D. It was Bryan who was calling him. ''Why is he calling me at this hour?'' Charles mumbled as he wondered. Elle noticed Charles''s phone was ringing and he was just staring at it while frowning. "Why are you not answering your phone? Who is calling you?" Elle asked him. "Bryan is the one calling me right now," Charles showed her the phone. "Maybe he is also looking for you. He might ask me if I know where you are right now. The detective must be searching for you now. Too bad, he won''t see you again." Charles just shrugged. ''Why Bryan? It could have been Erick but why Bryan?'' Elle did not want to admit it but she felt bothered by that call. Charles''s phone continued ringing. It went off for a second but it rang again, over and over. Elle could not bear it anymore so she grabbed Charles''s phone and she answered it. Charles was just looking at her bewildered. As soon as the phone was answered, a panicking and trembling voice of Bryan could be heard from the other line. He was desperately looking for Elle. Elle was puzzled and she felt a bad premonition when she heard the urgency in the voice of Bryan. "Bryan, It''s me, Elle. What''s wrong?" Elle replied to him. She felt uneasy. Seconds after, a loud thud was heard in the living room. Elle was shocked for a moment causing her to drop the phone from her hand. "Oh my god, my Phone!" Charles exclaimed as he failed to catch his phone. The next thing that Charles saw was Elle yanking the keys in the table as she dashed out from the house in a hurried manner. ''What happened? Where is she going? Why she is in a hurry?'' Seconds after, he heard the sound of Elle''s motorcycle leaving the garage. Chapter 124 - 124: Erick vs Black Shadow An hour ago... [ The things happened before Bryan called Charles ] Everything was set now. Task Force members were all in disguised and already deployed to their assigned areas. The surveillance team had also a clear view and shot of the mission location. The videos were currently playing on the monitors. Marie and Black Shadow were now talking on the phone. The team could also hear their conversation. Marie: "Hello, where are you now?" Black Shadow: "I am heading to the night club now. Why did you not wait for me?" Marie: "Because you are always late." Black Shadow: "Haha... Okay, Babe, don''t be upset. I promise I will give you the most wonderful experience tonight." Black Shadow said in his husky seductive voice. Marie blushed from embarrassment because her team heard what Black Shadow just said a while ago and they knew what he meant by a wonderful experience. Marie cleared her throat before she spoke again. "Alright! I will just wait for you inside the club." "Okay, Babe. I am almost there." Black Shadow said before he hung up the phone. Then a few minutes later, Black Shadow appeared at the entrance of the night club. He was with someone. "Target spotted." Captain Jason said as the team was using a communicating device. "Let''s move to Phase 1. Lure the target." Captain Jason said as go signal. "Noted Captain." Black Shadow together with his companion was about to enter the club when suddenly a man wearing a cap bumped into him. "Hey, F*ck, are you blind?!" Black Shadow exclaimed in annoyance. Suddenly the man who bumped into him started running. Then he noticed that the man had taken his wallet. "A F*cking snatcher!" Black Shadow was cursing. "D*mn you. If you thought I will let you get away with this, you are mistaken. You dare rob an Assassin like me. You are asking for your death tonight!!!" Black Shadow ran and followed the man who snatched his wallet. "Sh**t, what should I do buddy?" Reaper mumbled. Then after seconds of hesitation, he decided to follow Black Shadow and the snatcher. Reaper was the friend assassin of Black Shadow. "Phase 1 was successful. Bryan was able to lure the target. Prepare for Phase 2. Rose, please focus the recording in Street # 2. " Captain Jason reported to them. "Copy Captain. Here we go." Rose replied. "Oh wait... another person was following Bryan and Black Shadow." Jane said as she noticed Reaper. "No worries, let me handle him," June said. "Be careful! He doesn''t look like an ordinary man. He has a good body built." Jane informed him. "Sh**t, that man is called Reaper. He is also an assassin. He was also in our database of the wanted criminal list." April said as she checked the man''s profile. "I will go with you." Carl offered June help. "Sure Buddy. Let''s move. Erick and Bryan could handle Black Shadow." "I will go and help Erick and Bryan," Allen said as he went out of the van to follow Bryan and Black Shadow. They needed another man for back up. Meanwhile, Bryan just entered an abandoned apartment where Erick was waiting. They planned to apprehend Black Shadow in that apartment. They planned to lure him and isolate him from the crowd. They need to ensure that no civilians would be harmed in this operation. They also need to catch Black Shadow alive. And this would be hard since Black Shadow was an expert in fighting. He would surely retaliate. "Captain I am already inside this building. Chief and I were ready, Black Shadow is on my tail." Bryan and Erick met inside the building. "Noted. Allen is also on his way." Jason informed them. "Bryan, now let me handle this. You should hide and when you see a clear shot shoot him using this tranquilizer gun." Erick said to Bryan as they exchanged items. Erick gave him the tranquilizer gun while Bryan gave him Black Shadow''s wallet. "Chief... be careful," Bryan said to Erick before he hid somewhere. Then after a few minutes, Black Shadow had entered the abandoned apartment. He saw Erick standing in the middle holding his wallet. "Oh Men! Look what we have here. Are you tired of running? Tsk Tsk Tsk" Black Shadow said as he hissed at him. Erick just stayed silent as he was staring at his target. "Give me my wallet if you still want to leave this place alive." Black Shadow looked around. "It looks like you choose a nice place to hide. This place is abandoned. I can kill you here without people knowing." Black Shadow said to him as he laughed mockingly. "Come, get it from me if you can." This time Erick spoke up, trying to provoke Black Shadow Bryan was in his hiding place observing the two men. He was ready to shot Black Shadow but he remembered what Erick said before. Black Shadow had strength and agility. He was also fast and his senses were very active. Even though he had a clear shot right now but it did not guarantee that Black Shadow would be hit. He was not an easy target. He could dodge it easily so he needed distraction that''s why Erick was there to face Black Shadow. Once Black Shadow was occupied with his fight with Erick, Bryan would grab the opportunity to shot him. Bryan was concentrating when a peal of loud laughter could be heard inside the abandoned building. Black Shadow was laughing so hard because of Erick''s remarks. He was looking down at Erick because he thought he was just a small-time snatcher trying to provoke a professional killer. "Dude, you provoke a wrong person tonight. Since you really wanted to die... then I must oblige." All of a sudden, Black Shadow charged towards Erick with the intent to kill. At the very instant the gap between them was almost nil, he threw out punches one after the other, aiming for Erick''s vital areas. Unfortunately, Erick was able to dodge every punch, a sneer appearing on his face not long after. Since Erick was able to dodge Black Shadow''s punches, it was now his turn to attack, sending out a punch towards Black Shadow''s stomach. Of course, due to the sheer amount of training Black Shadow underwent, he was easily able to dodge such an attack. A smug smile crept upon his face as he said, "With that kind of punch, are you seriously trying to bring me down?" However, before Black Shadow could retaliate from that attack, Erick threw another punch aiming his abdomen. This time he moved faster than when he launched his first punch. Black Shadow received a body shot to his ribs which sent ripples of pain through his torso. He moved backward as he felt the pain. ''D*mn, I did not expect that he could punch hard. He knows how to fight.'' Black Shadow mumbled to himself as he was surprised by that punch. The smile on his face a while ago disappeared. This time he was looking at Erick with a serious expression. "Whoah, It''s been a long time since I last saw Erick fight. He is really cool!" Bryan mumbled as he felt the excitement while enjoying the scene. As soon as Black Shadow recovered from shocked he darted forward to attack Erick once again. His hard fist landed to Erick''s shoulder but Erick took that opportunity to grab his right hand, pulling him as he struck him another punch into his neck. Black Shadow winced from that blow. As he was still recovering from that punch, Erick twisted his arm which he was still holding causing Black Shadow to turn around. His back was now facing Erick while his right hand was being locked and restrained by Erick. Then Erick kicked his leg causing Black Shadow to fall in a kneeling position. Black Shadow was grunting from pain. Bryan was amazed by the scene he was witnessing right now. "I think this tranquilizer gun is no longer needed," Bryan said as he saw Erick putting handcuffs to Black Shadow. Bryan was about to go towards Erick when suddenly a man entered the building. He was holding a gun. Seconds after, gunshots were heard inside the abandoned building. Bang! Bang! Bryan''s eyes widened as he saw Erick fall on the ground. Erick got shot from the back. "Erick!!!!" he exclaimed. Bryan also fired towards the man who shot Erick but he was able to avoid it. They exchanged shots. When Bryan took covered the man who shot Erick grabbed that opportunity to ran towards Black Shadow. "Reaper!" Black Shadow blurted out as soon as he saw the man. "Let''s get out from here. This is a trap." Reaper said to Black Shadow. Black Shadow and Reaper ran towards the other direction, searching for another exit to escape. As soon as they left Bryan ran towards Erick. "Captain Jason Erick has been shot!" He reported with his panicking voice. "What? Damn, stop his bleeding first. Wait for us. We are coming!" Captain Jason said with urgency. Then seconds later Allen, June, and Carl entered the building. They were shocked beyond belief when they saw Bryan holding Erick. "Go follow them, they went in the opposite direction!!" Bryan said and the three men complied and they followed Black Shadow and Reaper. "Erick... Buddy..." Erick was staring at Bryan. He smiled at him. He was losing consciousness. "Hey...Erick don''t sleep. Fight it. Captain Jason is on his way. Hang on. We will bring you to the hospital buddy." Erick just nodded then he said in a low voice. "Elle..." "Yes... Erick. Hang on... Elle is waiting for you." Bryan said in a trembling voice. "Protect Elle..." Those were the last words of Erick before he lost his consciousness. Even at that moment, he was still thinking of Elle. Chapter 125 - 125: It Was My Fault Elle arrived at the hospital. She didn''t know how to describe her feelings right now but one thing is for sure...she was very afraid! She was afraid of losing someone once again. It was the same fear she felt 16 years ago. She saw Bryan sitting in the waiting area outside the operating room. His face was painted with worries and concern. As soon as he felt Elle''s presence, he looked up to met Elle''s dark eyes. He stood up right away and walked towards her. Bryan held her shoulders as he said: "Elle I am sorry, I was not able to protect Erick. It was my fault. Chief...he was shot and his injury was severe." Elle just stared at Bryan silently devoid of any emotion. She knew what he meant as she saw Bryan''s clothes stained with so much blood. It was Erick''s blood. Then someone came out of the operating room. Bryan didn''t waste any more time as he ran towards the man wearing a white surgical gown. "Doctor, how is chief?" He asked him right away. The doctor shook his head. "I am sorry. The patient did not make it." The doctor said with a sad tone. Bryan''s eyes widened. He couldn''t believe what he had just heard. "What....what do you mean doc? What did you say again?" Bryan''s entire body trembled. "The patient is dead. You can go inside and see the patient for one last time." The doctor said once again as he patted Bryan''s shoulder. Then the doctor walked away together with other nurses. Meanwhile, Elle was frozen on her spot. She also heard what the doctor just said. Even she could not believe it. Erick''s handsome face popped up in her mind, his sweet smile, his gentle voice, and his breathtaking dark brown eyes. ''NO! This is not true! Erick is not dead. This is just a joke!'' she was screaming in her mind. Her expression was blank but deep inside she felt a series of different emotions, her mind was in a chaotic state right now. Her heart was about to break and burst in her chest. She felt suffocated. Bryan entered and ran towards the operating room. Elle wanted to run away but she needed to confirm it so she took all her remaining strength to follow Bryan. Bryan was hugging the body which was covered by the white cloth. He was sobbing, no... Bryan was weeping. Tears were just falling in his face. "Chief forgive me! I failed to protect you! I came late!" He said in between his cries. "Erick... Buddy wakes up! Please..." Elle was just watching the scene in front of her. She couldn''t cry even if she wanted to. She tried her best to step forward. She stared at the person whom Bryan was hugging. ''Erick you had just confessed to me... you said you will wait for my answer. Did you just lie to me?'' ''You also said that I should wait for you tonight. I am sorry if I did not listen.'' The desolation she felt was consuming her right now. Her mind was swirling in darkness and her heart was wrapped tightly that it almost stopped beating. Then suddenly there was a fire in her dark eyes. It seemed like her terrified soul was ready to unleash her demon. She wanted to kill whoever did this to Erick. She wanted to give that person the taste of hell. Finally, she reached the hospital bed. She raised her trembling hand to remove the cloth covering the body. Elle''s eyes widened the moment she saw the person in front of them. Her grip on the cloth tightened. Her expression darkened. "Is this really a joke?" Elle couldn''t help herself but mumble. Then she turned to Bryan who was still sobbing. Bryan turned to look at Elle after he heard her. He was confused then he followed Elle''s line of sight. Bryan gasped in surprise. And he stood up right away. "Oh no! Who is this person Elle?!" Bryan asked her. Elle shot him a sharp glare. "I. SHOULD. BE. THE. ONE. ASKING. YOU. THAT!" Elle emphasized her every word. Bryan was frightened and was rendered speechless. "Where is Erick?!" She asked him with a stern cold voice. "I don''t...know." Bryan stuttered because of nervousness. Elle really looked so frightening right now. "Ahuh...I think...we entered the wrong room. No wonder the doctor we met a while ago looks different." Bryan said as he scratched his head while feeling so guilty. Elle clenched her fists. She was trying to control herself from attacking the idiotic person in front of her using the scalpel which was scattered there. Then suddenly two persons entered the room crying. Those newcomers were confused when they saw the two unfamiliar faces inside. The woman who had just entered there was the wife of the deceased person there whom they thought was Erick. "Who are you?" the woman asked Bryan and Elle. Elle wanted to punch Bryan because of this embarrassment. They entered the wrong room and had mistaken someone. It was all because of this idiot Bryan!!! "Sorry, Ma''am. We heard the news. Condolence for your lost." Bryan said right away. The woman just nodded at him and she continued to hug the body of her deceased husband. They grabbed that opportunity to leave the room right away. As soon as they were out, Elle hit Bryan in the head. She was really dying to do that. "Ouch!" Bryan grunted from pain. Bryan was about to apologize to her when another doctor came out from the other operating room. This time Bryan recognized the doctor who entered the same operating room with the wounded unconscious Erick. "Doc how is Erick?" He asked him. "We managed to remove the bullet in his shoulder. But there is still one bullet buried near his heart." The doctor explained to them. "Then why are you here? You should be there removing the other bullet!" Elle said with her angry tone. "Sorry, I just want to tell his guardian that the next operation is critical. Are you one of his guardians?" The doctor calmly said. He understood the guardian''s feelings. He was used to how the guardian react sometimes so he didn''t mind Elle''s words just a while ago. "Alright doc...please do your best to save him," Elle asked politely this time. "I will do my best Ma''am!" Then the doctor went back to the operating room. Elle and Bryan went back to the waiting area outside the operating room. "Bryan who did this to Erick? What happened?" Elle asked Bryan. Bryan was contemplating whether to tell Elle the truth about their mission. Elle was still a civilian and their mission tonight was confidential. Elle knew what he was thinking. It was a protocol. But she really wanted to know who is the person responsible for this. "Bryan...please tell me. I promise I won''t tell anyone. You can trust me. I know your operation tonight is confidential but I really wanted to know who did this to Erick?" Elle was trying to convince him to talk. Bryan sighed deeply as he stared at Elle. "Elle, how do you feel about Erick?" Bryan asked her instead. "Why are you asking me that?" Bryan just smiled at her sadly. "Do you know that even at that moment before Chief loses his consciousness he was still thinking of you." Elle was taken aback when she heard him. "Elle...your name, that was the first word I heard from him when I ran to him." "Protect Elle" that what he said to me. He asked me to protect you." Bryan said to her. Elle looked down. The tears that failed to come out in her eyes a while ago started falling in her face. She hated herself. All she was thinking today was how she could stay away from Erick while Erick was still thinking to protect her despite facing death. As much as she tried to hold it in, the emotional pain came out like an uproar from her throat in the form of a silent scream. "Stupid Jerk!" She mumbled. Bryan knew Elle was hurting. He knew that Elle truly cares for Erick so he decided to tell her what really happened. Besides he couldn''t bear to see a girl shedding tears. "We are on the mission to catch Black Shadow. He is the only one who knows the whereabouts of Catseye." "Erick managed to corner him however one of Black Shadow''s friends arrived to rescue him." "When he arrived at the scene, that man immediately shot Erick on his back while he was restraining Black Shadow." "I was too late to protect him. Saving Erick was my priority at that time so they both escaped. Black Shadow called him Reaper." Elle stayed silent while listening to Bryan. "That''s what happened. We brought Erick here because this is the nearest hospital." Bryan said to Elle. After her long silence, Elle spoke up. "Bryan, call Erick''s parents and inform them about what happened to Erick. I have to go somewhere." Elle said as she stood up. "Where are you going? You should stay here with me. Erick needs you here." Bryan said as he gave her a confused look. "I have to prepare something. I forgot to bring Erick''s clothes. Don''t worry, I will be back before Erick wakes up. I promise. Please update me right away after Erick''s operation." Elle gave Bryan an assuring smile. Bryan just nodded at her. Elle stared at the close door of the operating room one last time before she walked away. ''Erick please stay alive. Wait for me.'' Elle''s murderous expression appeared when she turned around. She was really furious right now. ''It''s payback time, Reaper! How dare you touch my man?'' Chapter 126 - 126: Wage a War with the Assassins Guild Marie: "Hey, where are you now?" Black Shadow: "Sorry Babe, something just came up. I can not meet you tonight." Marie: "Just tell me where are you right now. What happened?" Black Shadow: "Sorry Babe, I will explain it to you some other time. I have to go now." Marie: "Wait..." Black Shadow hung up the phone before Marie could ask him further. "Have you locate his location, Rose?" Marie asked her as soon as the phone call ended. "Negative. If the call stayed longer, we would be able to locate his location however both of you just talked for less than a minute." Rose replied feeling frustrated. She was still in the headquarters. "It looks like he did not suspect me of anything. I can still continue to interact with him and do some spying." Marie felt relieved. Captain Jason sighed deeply. "We have no choice but to abort this mission. Detective Lee had been injured. Do you have any updates from Sergeant Velasquez regarding Chief Lee''s condition?" Everyone had gloomy expressions in their faces. They were all worried about Erick. "The operation is still ongoing according to Bryan. The doctor said it will become more critical this time. There is a bullet near his heart." April answered with her worried voice. "Alright... Let us think positive. Erick will be okay. He is a strong-willed man." Captain Jason said to them trying to console everyone. "Sorry Captain... It was our fault. Reaper was able to escape from us." Carl said apologetically. "Yes, Captain forgive us... we failed our job." June also blamed himself They felt bad after what happened. If they were just able to apprehend Reaper then this incident would not happen. Erick was successful in restraining Black Shadow but unfortunately, Reaper interfered. This was a huge blow for them. "Stop blaming yourselves. We cannot undo the past even if you blame yourselves. No one wanted this to happen." "For now, let us go to the hospital first. I am also worried about Bryan. He was just alone there right now. I think he was also shocked and this incident had a negative impact on him." "He might also feel guilty and blame himself about what happened since he was with Erick at that time." The members of the joint task force went to the hospital together. They were hoping that nothing would go wrong during the operation. They were all silently praying for Erick''s safety. --------------- Meanwhile, Black Shadow and Reaper were sitting inside their hideout. Black Shadow was treating his bruise that he got during the fight with Erick. "Thanks, Bro for saving my a*s this time. I owe you." Black Shadow chuckled after saying that. "Well... it is my pleasure that the mighty Black Shadow has a debt to me now," Reaper said as he smirked at him "By the way, how did you know that it was a trap?" Black Shadow was now curious. At first, he was not aware of that. He was bewildered when he learned that the person whom he thought was just a snatcher could really fight well. "When I was following you, there were guys who blocked my way and stopped me. I thought they were just thugs." "When I started fighting them I noticed that they are well-trained. Their moves are not just simple. They have good combat skills." "So I have my suspicion and I am right they are police agents." "I am glad you came at the right moment. By the way, we were there for our date then you brought your gun with you." Black Shadow said feeling amused. "Well... remember we are still wanted criminals. We might encounter some of our enemies along the way. It is better to be prepared than to be sorry." "Yeah... It makes sense. I should do that next time." "Haha but I could not believe that you were easily defeated and got caught by that man. I can''t even win against you during our sparring session but he toppled you down so easily." Reaper laughed at Black Shadow''s defeat. Black Shadow''s expression changed as he remembered what happened to him just a while ago. "I have some score to settle with that man. If he survives tonight then I will make sure that when we meet again, I will surely kill him." Reaper burst into laughter because of his remarks. "Hmm, if he can survive. You know me. I am very accurate with my shooting. My bullet surely pierced his heart." Reaper said confidently. "I already did an act of revenge for you buddy so you don''t have to worry about him." "My arm is still hurting. He twisted my arm! D*mn... I want to beat him so badly." "What do you think is their purpose of going after you? You have not killed anyone since you are busy hunting Catseye." "I don''t know. But I will find it out...very soon." -------------------- Unknown to the two assassins who were leisurely talking in their hideout, there was someone who was preparing to avenge Erick. They had provoked the devil. After stopping by the hospital, Elle could not bear to wait for Erick''s operation to finish. She knew that she would be more anxious if she stayed there at the hospital doing nothing. Besides, she was really eager to meet and punish the person who did that to Erick. She was boiling with fury. She went straight to her place for the following two reasons: First, she needed to trace the location of his target. Second, she needed to get her weapons. Charles and Phantom were puzzled when they saw Elle''s grim expression when she entered the house. Charles wanted to ask her where did she go but his words were stuck in his throat. He could not utter any words sensing the murderous aura that Elle was emitting right now. Elle was now seriously looking at her computer screen as her hands were busy typing on the keyboard. "Master, what do you think is happening right now?" Charles had no choice but to ask Phantom. "Hmm, I think someone will be having a taste of devil''s viciousness tonight." Phantom simply said as he observed Elle. "Elle is dead serious right now." He added. Charles gulped after hearing that. ''Well, who is the unlucky person this time?'' Phantom and Charles were silently observing on the side when Elle suddenly stood up and went to her underground bas.e.m.e.nt where her weapons were being kept. "Master, won''t you ask her what is she planning to do?" Charles looked more uneasy. "I don''t think that is the right thing to do. No need to ask. Let us wait. Elle will talk to us if she needs our help." Meanwhile, inside her underground bas.e.m.e.nt, Elle picked up her favorite customized daggers, one Beretta 92FS pistol and poison needles. She also changed into her assassin''s clothes. While changing she noticed the object hanging around her neck, a necklace with a blue pendant. It was given to her by Erick. This necklace had a GPS function that once she clicked it, Erick would be notified of her location. She smiled faintly as she forgot to leave this item behind. She remembered how determined Erick was in protecting her that time, giving her different types of items for protection. Her hand touched the necklace dangling in her neck. She gently tugged the small blue pendant as she closed her eyes. "Erick... please be safe and wait for me. This time I will be the one to protect you," she mumbled as her grip on the pendant tightened. Seconds after she opened her seething eyes which were burning with rage. The demon inside her was now fully awakened. She was now ready to unleash her wrath. After getting everything that she needed she went out of the underground bas.e.m.e.nt only to see two figures waiting for her outside. She stared at them with her blank expression. The two men were waiting for her to speak. "I will do something tonight that might stir up a conflict between me and the Assassin''s Guild." Elle finally spoke up to them. "I am not asking for your permission but I am just informing you ahead that I will go against the Assassin''s Guild," she added. Charles''s eyes bulged in shock while Phantom slightly frowned because of her remarks. Assassin''s Guild was an organization of different professional assassins. It was also like a sworn brotherhood of all the assassin members. Assassin''s Guild was the one responsible for releasing and disseminating missions with its members. There were advantages of being members of this assassin''s organization. The guild ensured the safety of its members and also gave necessary support to its members when they encountered troubles during their mission. The organization was also helping the assassins to live their normal lives by giving them another identity and protection despite being included in the list of most wanted criminals. Assassin''s Guild had some rules and there was one important rule that members must follow: [ Don''t fight with your fellow members, help each other and avenge your fallen brothers! ] That was the reason why Charles and Phantom were surprised at the mention of Assassin''s Guild. They had no idea what happened that forced Elle to wage a war with Assassin''s Guild. Both of them had the same question in mind. ''Why now? She did not think about it even though Black Shadow was trying to go against her and he even hurt her before. She did not mind them. So why do this now?'' Black Shadow was a member of Assassin''s Guild as well as Reaper. "I won''t let you stop me. This is my war. You don''t need to be involved even though it might also affect you in the future." Elle said with her stern cold voice. After saying that Elle decided to leave. She walked past them without looking back. She was resolute and unswerving with her decision. They knew that there was no use of stopping her. All they could do now was support her. Looking at her retreating back, Charles asked Phantom "What should we gonna do now Master?" Phantom gave him a reassuring smile before he replied "Of course, we should follow the lady boss and make sure that nothing bad will happen to her. Are you in?" And the two men decided to go after her. They won''t interfere with her plan but they would just follow her to ensure that everything won''t go wrong. Chapter 127 - 127: Payback After Elle successfully hacked the Assassin''s Guild system, she was able to locate the hideout of Reaper. It was 11:00 p.m. when she arrived at Reaper''s apartment. Black Shadow and Reaper were living in the same apartment building. Black Shadow was occupying the third floor of the apartment while Reaper was occupying the second floor. Elle''s primary target now is Reaper. She waited for another thirty minutes before she would strike. When she was sure that her target was already taking his sleep, Elle began to move. Minutes later, a black figure could be seen on the second floor of the apartment building. Beforehand, she already checked whether there were security systems installed in the apartment building. Fortunately, there was none, except for the CCTV cameras. Unlike her, Black Shadow and Reaper were not particular in using a sophisticated security system that would protect their hideout against intruders. Elle was able to sneak in without making a sound. She entered the building without any hassle. The room was dark but after a few seconds, her eyes were able to adjust with the darkness. The streetlights outside also helped her to have a faint vision inside. She immediately identified the room where Reaper was sleeping. Unknown to Elle, but Reaper had somewhat sense that there was an intruder. He was not yet asleep at that time. He leaned on the wall beside the door, waiting for the intruder to enter his room. He was holding his gun and he was ready to shoot. He did not know whether the person was an enemy or just Black Shadow. He wanted to confirm it first before he would shoot. On the other hand, Elle was already standing in front of the door. She was about to unlock the doorknob when she heard a faint movement inside the room. In the last seconds, she changed her mind. She would rather use an alternative route instead of the front door. So, she walked towards the balcony of the second floor which was also connected to his room. Minutes had passed but no one entered the door. Reaper became more anxious now. He could not hear any movement outside. "Did I just imagine something. Maybe it was just a stray cat.'''' Reaper mumbled as he shook his head. When he was about to return to bed, suddenly he felt some cold metal sunk into his lower back. ''''F*ck!"He mumbled as he felt the pain. He was stabbed. He turned around and aimed his gun to the person behind him. But Elle was fast to react as she avoided the gunshot. She swung her dagger slashing Reaper''s hand. She successfully disarmed him. The gun dropped on the floor. Even though he was wounded, adrenaline ran to his body giving him more strength. He was able to catch Elle''s hand which was holding the dagger. He twisted her hand causing Elle to loosen her grip from the dagger. She slightly winced from that pain. And Reaper successfully stole her dagger. He pulled her and he grabbed her neck, strangling her. Elle was now pinned in the wall while Reaper was choking her using his big strong arms. Elle must admit that Reaper had incredible strength. He was much larger than her. Elle used her free hand to reach his wound. She used her fingers to dig his wound causing his hold to her neck to loosen. She raised her leg and kicked him in the stomach. She escaped successfully from his tight grip. However, Reaper was able to remove her mask, accidentally snatching her necklace in the process. Elle moved a step backward, keeping a distance between her and Reaper. Reaper grabbed that opportunity to turn on the light. He saw a woman wearing assassin clothes standing one meter away from him. Brow furrowed as his mouth turned grim, Reaper asked her "Who are you?!" He was shocked to see the beautiful woman in front of him. He did not expect that he was fighting a woman all along. Elle did not respond. She was just standing there looking at her target with her cold stern glare. In pain, but with a gush of energy, he picked up the dagger on the floor and took quick steps to close their distance. He strode towards her, arms raised to grab her and a dagger in his other hand aiming her vital parts. Yes, Reaper had a lot more power than her but her advantage was her flexibility and speed. She could twist her body more easily to get out of the range of his attacks. He only managed to graze her right arm. Elle picked up her spare dagger to counter his attack. Both of them were now swinging hard. But instead of blocking, Elle was ducking to dodge his attack, and her speed was astonishing. Elle noticed that Reaper was becoming slower and weaker, probably he was getting tired because of the previous wound that she had inflicted on him. Taking the advantage, she spun around and used her momentum to charge her dagger towards his body. The tip of her dagger got connected and struck hard into his stomach. He cursed under his breath. She twisted the dagger forcing it in as far as possible. Unlike the previous wound, this second blow was more painful as she used all her strength to plunge the dagger further in his body. His muscles clenched with pain. As Elle pulled out the dagger, there was a rush of blood coming out from his stomach. He fell to his knees and he tried to stop his bleeding using his bare hands. He looked at her, his eyes were red in rage. "Who are you? Who send you?" Reaper asked her with gritted teeth. "Since you will still die tonight, let me introduce myself. I am Catseye." Elle said as she flashed her signature evil smile. Reaper was shocked beyond belief when he heard her response. The mysterious and infamous assassin was here standing in front of him. He could not think of any reason why Catseye came to his apartment and suddenly attacked him. "Why are you here?" Reaper was really puzzled. "I am here to collect some debts Reaper. It''s payback time." "What are you talking about? As far as I could remember, I did not offend you. Have you mistaken me as Black Shadow?" Elle burst into a peal of humorless laughter. Reaper just frowned while looking at her. He was now bathing with cold sweats. He could feel that he was losing his strength. Elle stopped laughing. There was burning fury in her dark eyes as she stared at the man in front of her. "Did not offend me??! You are the one who has mistaken here Reaper." "You. Hurt. My. Man!" Elle emphasized her every word. Her voice was so cold that could give a chill to anyone listening. His brows knitted in a frown. ''Who is she talking about?'' Seconds later, he c.o.c.ked a brow in surprise as he realized what she was talking about. He could not believe it. ''What is her relationship with the police agent whom I shot. D*mn! If I just knew that this would happen, then I should have not interfered.'' "If you kill me Catseye, the Assassin''s Guild will hunt you down." he tried to threaten her. "Tsk... I don''t care about them. I am not afraid of them. It is useless even if you try to negotiate now. All I want to do right now is to kill you!" A sinister smile appeared on her face. The man was now scared to death. He already knew that Catseye won''t spare his life. "Why? Did that man die already?" Reaper asked her which enraged Elle more. Elle clenched her fist. She was in the blink of losing control and could not seem to restrain the blood-thirsty demon inside her. Seeing her reaction, he did not want to accept his fate but it looked like he ran out some luck tonight. He laughed dryly at his misfortune. "Then be it. Sooner or later, you will be the one who will be dead. Many people will hunt you down." "Skull Gang, Assassin''s Guild, and the Police. Hahaha, You can''t escape them forever. I will see you in the afterlife!" The man said to her. "Enjoy hell. Send my regards to Lucifer!" Elle said as she flashed her wicked smile. Elle didn''t mind his words. She picked her pistol and aimed at him. Then seconds later, she pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the heart of the man. Reaper''s body dropped on the floor. He was now dead, Elle had killed him. Elle was about to make a move for her another target which was Black Shadow when suddenly two men also snuck in into Reaper''s Apartment. "What are you two doing here?" Elle asked Charles and Phantom with disbelief. "Giving you back up," Phantom said a matter-of-factly. Elle''s Eyes crossed in exasperation. "I don''t need you here. I told you already. You don''t need to be involved in this. It''s personal." "Well anything concerning you, we will obviously be involved no matter what." Phantom insisted. Then suddenly Charles''s eyes widened as he ran towards Elle. "Elle, your arm is bleeding! Master Phantom, she is wounded!" Charles exclaimed as he grabbed Elle''s arm. Elle just rolled her eyes. "Don''t overreact. It was just a graze. Move away. I still have someone to teach a lesson." "You should take it easy Catseye. You are still wounded. Do you think you can handle Black Shadow alone?" This time Phantom spoke with a serious tone, both disapproval and concern gleamed in his eyes. Phantom called her Catseye, meaning he was talking to her with authority as her Master right now. Elle paused on her track. She was about to respond to him when suddenly her phone vibrated. It was a phone call from Bryan. She answered it right away. "Hello, Bryan?" "Elle where are you? Come back here at the hospital as soon as possible. Erick''s condition is not looking good!" She could hear the panic in Bryan''s voice. "Okay... I am on my way." Elle hung up the phone and she did not waste any more time. She quickly got out of the apartment. She rushed out once again going to the hospital. For now, she set aside her plan about attacking Black Shadow. She needed to come and see Erick right now. The two men were left puzzled once again, wondering what was happening. "Again?! Where is she going? She is still wounded and... she is still wearing her assassin clothes." Charles could not help himself but mumble. Chapter 128 - 128: Youre Bleeding In just a short period of time, Elle arrived at the hospital. She was about to enter the hospital when someone grabbed her arms to stop her. She was ready to strike that person when she noticed that it was Phantom. "Master, what are you doing here? Why are you following me?" Elle said with annoyance. "Are you trying to get yourself arrested? Look at yourself. You are going to a public place with so many people while wearing your assassin clothes?" Phantom was scolding her now. Elle was rendered speechless. She looked at herself and she realized that Phantom was right. She did not think about that. Her mind was very occupied right now. Her concern about Erick was greatly affecting her action. When Phantom noticed that Elle calmed down a little bit. He asked her to follow him in the car. Charles came running into them with a paper bag in his hand. He was panting and sweating a lot when he reached them. "Master, this is what you asked me for," Charles said in between his breathe as he gave the paper bag to Phantom. After receiving it from Charles, he handed it over to Elle. "Change into this first," Phantom said to Elle. Elle accepted it and nodded at him as she said "Thanks, Master." "Master, who do you think is the person Elle is visiting here at this hospital?" Charles asked Phantom curiously. Phantom did not need to ask Elle in order to know who was that person. Elle''s action tonight already told him the answer. The person who made Elle act like this and the reason that forced her to kill a member assassin of Assassin''s Guild was Detective Erick Lee. He already concluded that something bad happened to Erick. Phantom did not answer Charles, instead, he just shrugged and pulled Charles into their car, as they left the hospital. After Elle changed into her new clothes, she immediately proceeded to the area where Bryan was waiting for her. She saw the entire task force members who gathered around the area. Everyone had a worried and anxious expression with their faces. The area was engulfed in deafening silence. Elle was trying to hold her emotion. Reminding herself to be strong. She caught everyone''s attention when she arrived. She was just about to speak up and ask them about Erick''s condition when a woman who was crying ran into her and suddenly hugged her. Elle was startled in a moment, then she realized that the person was Erick''s mother, Sarah. When they received the news from Bryan about what happened to Erick, Raymond and Sarah immediately left home to travel going to the hospital. "Mom." Elle blurted out as she hugged her back. "Elle... my son... I am afraid. I can''t lose him, Elle... I can''t..." Sarah told her in between her sobs. Hearing her, Elle felt a tinge of pain in her heart. ''Me too Mom... I am really afraid right now.'' She thought to herself. "Mom, don''t worry. Erick will be alright. He does not want to see you sad. He will surely survive this." Elle tried her best to console Sarah even though deep inside she was also uncertain. "Erick went into shock a while ago during his surgery... I was so afraid! I thought... I am gonna lose him." Sarah''s grip to Elle tightened. "Fortunately... the doctor was able to revive him." Elle could feel Sarah was trembling in fear right now. Raymond was also standing there feeling restless and helpless. He knew that something like this might happen while doing your duty in this kind of work. He knew his son was willing to sacrifice his life in the name of duty and justice. But still... it was hard to accept if it already happened and knowing your son''s life was in danger. Minutes later, Sarah finally calmed down as she released Elle from her tight hug. "How is Erick now Mom?" Elle asked her. "His surgery went well but the doctor said that we still need to wait and monitor his condition for 48 hours. He should wake up within that time." Sarah replied to her. "They transferred him to the ICU. All we need to do is to pray and wait for him to wake up." She said with her hoarse voice. Elle smiled at her faintly. "Don''t worry Mom. Erick will survive this. We will survive this hurdle together." At the same time, Captain Jason and the rest talked with Raymond regarding what happened during their failed mission. Raymond understood everything and he was not blaming anyone. After their conversation, they bade their goodbye. Even if they all stayed there, they could not do something. Aside from Erick''s parents and Elle, Bryan and April stayed in the hospital. April approached Bryan who was obviously emotionally and physically exhausted. "Hey... Are you okay?" April asked him with her concerned voice. Bryan just shook his head. He was still blaming himself that he was not able to do something. Erick was shot in front of him and he failed to protect him. April knew what was going on in his mind right now. Even she could feel the guilt for not able to help, how much more Bryan? April held Bryan''s hand to make him feel that he was not alone. She was also there to support him. Bryan was startled by her action. He looked up to see April''s reassuring smile as if telling him that everything will be alright so don''t worry too much. He smiled back at her. He was grateful that April was with him at this moment. "I think you should go home first and rest. You haven''t changed your clothes. You are still covered by Chief Lee''s blood. You should wash up." April suggested. Bryan wanted to oppose that idea, thinking that he could not rest knowing that Erick''s condition was not yet stable. But Elle spoke up to support April''s suggestion. "Bryan, I think you should listen to April. You have done your best. Rest for now. Besides I and Erick''s parents are already here." "You can come back tomorrow. Don''t worry, we will update you regarding Erick''s condition." Elle added as she convinced him to rest. When April noticed that Bryan was still hesitating, she made another suggestion. "Do you want to stay over at my place for now or do you want me to accompany you in your place?" Bryan was speechless. He did not expect her to offer that suggestion. Elle gave him a meaningful smile, urging him to agree already. In the end, Bryan agreed since he could not win against the two girls who were pressuring him. But before he left, Bryan noticed Elle''s clothes. He frowned when he noticed that there was a bloodstain in Elle''s sleeve. "Elle, what happened to your arm? I think it is bleeding." Bryan said as he pointed out her right arm. April also looked at her arm. Indeed, Elle''s arm is bleeding but not that much. ''Sh**t, I forgot to tend my wound as I am rushing a while ago.'' she silently cursed herself. "I think I accidentally grazed myself with a sharp object as I rushed here a while ago." She gave them an awkward smile. "I was not in myself that I didn''t even notice that I was already wounded. Adrenaline rush maybe. I am worried about Erick." "You should take care of it, Elle. You might get an infection if it is not treated early." April suggested. Elle just nodded at her. April and Bryan did not dwell on this as they believed her alibi. They bade their goodbye at Erick''s parents before they left the hospital together. Sarah asked Elle to accompany her to offer some prayer for Erick''s safety and recovery. ''I stopped believing in you after what happened to my family.'' ''But now... here I am, a sinner like me, asking you to save Erick''s life.'' ''He is a good man. He deserves to live a long life. Please... don''t take him away from us.'' ''I am willing to exchange my life for his life. You can take mine... but please... save him.'' ------------- On the next morning, the dead body of the assassin who shot Erick was found in his apartment. It was Black Shadow who first discovered the lifeless body of his pal. He could not believe what he was seeing right now. They were just talking happily yesterday. Reaper also helped him escape from the authorities. He had no idea that there was a fight that happened last night and to think that he was just living one floor above him. In just one night, this already happened. He was really shocked beyond belief. "F*ck! Who did this to you bro?!" Black Shadow mumbled as he gritted his teeth from anger. "Bro...I have not returned the favor yet of saving me." Black Shadow was mourning for his fallen brother. "Don''t worry bro... I will make that person pay for this. I promise." He swore in front of the lifeless body of his friend. After making a solemn promise for his friend, Black Shadow noticed a small sparkling object on the floor near the body of Reaper. It was a necklace with a small blue pendant. Black Shadow was puzzled as he picked it up. That was the first time he saw that thing. It did not look like it belongs to Reaper. Reaper was not fond of jewelry. He was sure that the necklace was owned by a girl and Reaper did not usually give jewelry to his women. A light flashed into his eyes as he concluded something. The necklace belonged to the culprit who killed Reaper. Black Shadow called the Assassin''s Guild to report what happened to Reaper. They would be the ones who would take care of his body and funeral. After informing the guild, Black Shadow left to check the recording of the CCTV installed in the building entrance. Upon checking the footage, Black Shadow confirmed who was the culprit. The attacker was Catseye. He was familiar with Catseye. He could not be wrong. He was certain, that person was Catseye. ''But why... why attack Reaper? Why him not me? What is her motive?'' "CATSEYE, you killed a member of Assassin''s Guild! You are really looking for your death." Chapter 129 - 129: Command Kill Order Catseye killing Reaper was a piece of explosive news in the underground world most especially to Assassin''s Guild and its members. After hearing the news, Assassin''s Guild headquarter was in turmoil. It brought a state of great disturbance, confusion, and uncertainty to every member. The guild called for an emergency meeting today to make a necessary action against Catseye. All members of Assassin''s Guild were gathered inside the headquarters Black Shadow brought the CCTV recordings. The record of Catseye entering Reaper''s apartment was being shown to other assassins present there. He confirmed and testified that the person in the venue was none other than but Catseye herself. After watching the video, the members started having a conversation, exchanging their views and opinions regarding the incident. "Why Catseye did this?" "It was his fault. Maybe, Reaper offended Catseye that is why she killed him." "This act was an insult to our guild. We should avenge our fallen brother!" "Catseye went overboard this time. Killing a member of Assassin''s Guild! Catseye was truly fearless!" "Catseye was declaring war with the Assassin''s Guild. I think she must be bored living and she wanted to die already. Going against Assassin''s Guild is a big mistake." "I think she was looking down on us. Catseye should be punished for that!" "It is Catseye we are talking about here. It was difficult to hunt her. You can''t kill her alone." "I agree. Reaper is one of the strongest members of Assassin''s Guild but she was able to kill him easily." "By the way, do you know the two persons who entered the building?" "They might be the accomplices of Catseye." "Too bad, they don''t have a clear shot. We can''t identify those two since they were wearing caps and the CCTV failed to record their faces." "But the person who wore assassin clothes is definitely Catseye." "Yeah... Black Shadow already confirmed it a while ago, have you not heard it, you idiot?!" They were in the middle of their conversation when suddenly the head of Assassin''s Guild spoke up. "Ladies and gentlemen... may I have your attention please." After hearing that, the members stayed quiet and focused their attention on the Assassin''s Guild leader. "I know every one of you are curious about what action Assassin''s Guild will do after this incident." "I want to ask you... what is the most important rule of this guild?" "Don''t fight with your fellow members, help each other and avenge your fallen brothers!" They answered in unison. "You all know that it is our obligation to avenge our brother''s death!" "So I hereby declare the Command Kill order or shall we say the Kill-on-Sight Order for Catseye!" the leader said with his stern authoritative voice. This statement had gathered different reactions from the members. Some were eager to do it. But there were others who were frightened since they were talking about Catseye, the devilish assassin. "And to give you more motivation... the Assassin''s Guild will give 500 billion bounties for Catseye''s head!" the leader added. And that is what they were waiting for. Everyone was screaming because of excitement. That was the biggest price that Assassin''s Guild had offered. Indeed it was true that the news had wings. In just a short period, everything that transpired in Assassin''s Guild Headquarter was spread in the underground world most especially the information about the Kill Command Order against Catseye. Now, everyone was aware that there was an ongoing war between the Assassin''s Guild and Catseye. Of course, Marie was also able to get that piece of important information from the underground in which she relayed it to the joint task force right away. Every member of the joint task force was sitting in the conference hall except for Erick. Captain Jason called for an emergency meeting. Even though the team had low morale right now because of their failed mission and Erick''s was severely injured, the team was still doing their best and they needed to keep going. Marie was attending the meeting in person. "What intel you''ve got this time Agent Marie?" Captain Jason asked her directly as soon as the meeting started. "Reaper, the assassin who shot Chief Lee, he was killed last night by Catseye," Marie replied immediately, making people in the room astounded as they heard that news. There was a moment of silence. Everyone was rendered speechless. Disbelief was evident in their eyes. As much as they wanted to capture and punish the man who shot Erick, but they were still shocked by this piece of news. No one expected that to happen right after Erick was shot. They got their revenge just like that. Catseye was really giving them a headache from thinking so hard about her motive in her every action. "Assassin''s Guild released a Command Kill Order against Catseye. They offered 500 billion for those who can kill Catseye." "Reaper was a member of that guild. This is one way of avenging his death." "Assassins will start hunting Catseye now because of that price." "Damn... Catseye is truly fearless, going against that guild! Even authorities could not bring down that guild how much more Catseye, alone." June exclaimed. "Is this a good thing or bad? Because if that is the case, I don''t think we will be able to catch Catseye alive." Carl commented. "We must catch her alive. Killing her is not the right punishment for her crime. All our efforts will be in vain if Catseye will just die in their hands." Captain Jason was so determined to catch Catseye. "I felt something was off in everything that is happening right now. Is this just a coincidence?" Bryan had his doubt but he could not pinpoint it. "Black Shadow is also a member of that guild. He is the one who tried to hunt Catseye." "He was even successful in discovering her identity but why Catseye did not do anything about him?" "Why Reaper? Why challenged the Assassin''s Guild? Catseye did not cross the line between her and that guild for a long time, why do it now?" Everyone was consumed by their own thoughts thinking of the possible reasons why Catseye has done this. But to their disappointment, they could not think of anything. It seemed like they were solving a very complicated puzzle and they did not have any clue. ---------- Meanwhile... Charles also learned the news about the Command Kill Order issued by the Assassin''s Guild. "Master Phantom, what we gonna do now? There is a high price given for Elle''s head. Assassins will really hunt her down." Charles sounded very worried and distressed. Phantom narrowed his eyes as he also felt bothered by this news. They already knew that this would be the aftermath of last night''s incident. "What is done is already done. We can''t undo the past. Besides, Elle already knew the consequence of her action and I know she already prepared herself about this." "Let us wait for Elle. We will make a plan together." ''I wonder what is happening right now on her end. I hope that she was just doing well.'' Phantom could not help himself but worry about Elle. ---------- In the Hospital... Elle did not leave Erick''s parents. They took turns of watching Erick in the ICU. She could not sleep... or should we say, Elle did not want to sleep. She was just waiting for Erick to wake up. Elle was just observing on the side as Sarah was talking to unconscious Erick. She was holding Erick''s hand. "Son... Mom is here. Elle is here also. If you don''t wake up soon, other guys might snatch away your beautiful girlfriend." Elle let out a soft chuckle after hearing Sarah. Sarah turned to look at Elle. "Hmm... am I right dear?" Elle gave her a gentle smile. "Mom... don''t threaten Erick like that. Do you think he will wake up if you do that?" "Yes... I am really threatening him right now. I know he could hear us. The doctor said talking to the patient is proven effective." "And I know my son will wake up soon if he knew that some guys are trying to take away his girlfriend from him." Elle just smiled at her. She remembered that Erick could easily be jealous of other men whom she was close with. "Hmm... try talking to him also dear. You can tell him anything you want." "Okay, Mom... I will do that also, but not now. Don''t worry Mom, once Erick wakes up, I will teach him a lesson for making us worry too much." This time, it was Sarah who broke into peals of laughter. "I wonder what punishment you will give my son Elle. Please be easy on him. He is still a patient after all." "Hmm... got it, Mom. Since it is you who requested me that then I shall give him the sweetest punishment ever." Elle winked at her. "Did you hear that son?! Are you excited about Elle''s punishment that she will give you? So wake up now." Sarah turned to look at Erick as she touched his face. The two women were still laughing when Raymond entered the room. He was glad to see them laughing despite everything that happened. "Oh Dear... you are here," Sarah said as soon as she noticed her husband''s presence. "Yeah, I have talked to his doctor. He said once Erick wakes up we can transfer him in the private room." "Mom, Dad, I think you should take a rest for a while. I know you were exhausted from that long drive last night." "Mom, Dad go home for now and take a nap. I will watch over Erick." "Okay dear... we will be back this evening." Soon, the husband and wife went home. Elle was left in the hospital to watch over Erick. Minutes later, Elle''s phone vibrated. She received a message from Phantom. [ Assassin''s Guild makes their move. They issued a Command Kill Order to hunt you. ] [ They released a mission worth 500 Billion for your head. ] [ Be careful from now on. We will talk further about this when you come back. ] After reading the message, her lips curled up into a smile. "This old man is worrying too much. I already expected this to happen." Then Elle averted her gaze to the handsome face of Erick who was still unconscious. She slid her hand into his. ''I never regretted it, knowing that I have done this for you. They can come at me any time but the thing I can''t tolerate is that they will hurt someone important to me. I will not hesitate to kill them.'' Elle leaned over to give Erick a kiss on his forehead and she whispered something to him. "I like you too Mr. Detective... I love you, Erick." Chapter 130 - 130: This is Heaven Due to emotional and physical exhaustion as well as lack of sleep, Elle eventually fell asleep while watching over Erick. She was not aware that the man beside her was now awakened. Erick could feel that he was weak and could not move his body yet because of the pain. He blinked several times to clear his vision. He was now staring at the white ceiling above him. He knew that he was in the hospital. He could remember the event that transpired before he lost consciousness. He managed to catch Black Shadow however someone suddenly interfered. It was too late when he noticed that someone aside from Bryan appeared. He heard the gunshot and he felt the sharp pain at his back. He knew that he was hit by two bullets. He was still wearing an oxygen mask. He felt a little bit uncomfortable so he wanted to remove it. He tried to raise his arm but he could not. Something was stopping him from doing that. He looked down only to see his sleeping beauty who was sound asleep at his bedside while holding his hand. A gentle smile automatically appeared on his face. He missed her so much. It seemed like he had not seen her for a very long time. When he was losing consciousness at that time, all he could think of was Elle. At that certain moment, he was not afraid of dying but he was more afraid of not seeing her again. He did not want to disturb her and wake her up so he just stared at her sleeping face familiarizing every part of it. She looked tired. He really wanted to hug this girl right now, too bad he could not still move and his entire body was aching. "She really sleeps like a baby. I miss you, Elle... I miss you so much." "Sorry for making you wait. Did I make you worry too much? You look so stress even in your sleep." As if Elle heard something, she suddenly opened her eyes only to see a pair of brown eyes watching over her. The moment their eyes met... a series of emotions reflected on them, relief, happiness, warmth, and longingness. "Erick! You are awake." Elle sat up immediately. Elle was about to stand up to call for a doctor when Erick stopped her as he pulled her hand which was still holding his. "Hey... Don''t worry. I am not gonna leave you. I will just call a doctor so that he can check on you." Elle explained to him. Erick understood what she meant so he just nodded as he released her hand. Elle gave him a reassuring smile before she left to call for a doctor. Seconds later, Elle came back together with a doctor. He approached Erick and check his vitals. "He is now showing a good sign. His condition was now stable. We can transfer him to his private room." The doctor said to Elle after examining Erick. "Thank you doc." Elle felt relieved now. The doctor just nodded and smiled at her before he left the room. Erick signaled her if he could now take the oxygen mask. Elle understood what he meant so she removed it for him. "Mr. Detective how do you feel right now?" Elle asked him with a concerned voice. Erick brought his right arm to his chest as he answered her question in a hoarse voice. "I am hurting here." Elle''s face was painted with worries. "Why you did not complain when the doctor was here? Wait I will call the doctor again." Erick stopped her again from leaving. "No. I don''t need the doctor. It is you that I need Elle. My heart keeps calling your name." Elle was taken aback when she heard his remarks. She gave him a questioning look. Erick smiled at her cheekily. He wanted to laugh but he could not because of his wound. He just survived from a near-death but now he was here trying to win the heart of the girl in front of him using his corny lines. "Just stay with me. Do you know that your presence is enough to ease my pain?" Elle looked at him with disbelief. "Don''t try to sweet-talk me, Erick Lee! Do you think I will easily forgive you after this? "I almost die from worrying about you... no, I think that I was slowly dying that time!! Do you know how frightened I am when I heard the news from Bryan?!" Elle did not know why but all the emotions that she kept holding all this time suddenly exploded from within. Tears started to fall from her eyes like pouring rain. Erick began to panic when he saw Elle was crying. "Elle I am so sorry. I did not want this to happen also. Promise... I will be more careful next time. Don''t be sad, I am now okay." He could not bear to see her sad. He could not bear to see her frightened. He could not bear to see her shedding tears. He wanted to wrap her into his arms. Even in pain, he took all his strength to sat up and pulled her into an embrace. However, before he could do that Elle learned what he was planning to do so she stopped him immediately because she was worried that his wound would open up. "Hey... Are you an idiot? You are still injured. Do you want me to tie you up in this bed so that you won''t be able to move?" Elle reprimanded him as she helped him to sit up properly as she adjusted his bed. She was very careful so that he would not be hurt. Erick just looked at her helplessly. ''It''s your fault. I just want to comfort you.'' Erick thought to himself. He met Elle''s angry eyes. "Elle if you want to tie me up in this bed, then please don''t use any kind of rope. I prefer it if you will use your arms." Elle was dumbfounded after hearing that. Elle''s eyes crossed in exasperation. She could not believe this shameless guy in front of her. ''Is his mind was also affected by the bullets and have switched on his sweet-talking mode?'' Elle breathed deeply. "I think I should inform Mom and Dad that you are now awake." Elle was trying to change the topic but it looked like Erick did not plan to stop his sweet-talking mode. "Don''t call them yet Elle, please. I want to spend more time alone with you. If they know that I am already awake they will come rushing here." Elle:"..." Elle was rendered speechless for a moment. ''''Your parents are worrying too much about you and then you still have the guts to request that from me?'''' "Please Elle, give me 5 hours... no, 3 hours. Just think of this as we are giving them a surprise. It just that... I really miss you, Elle." Elle just stayed silent while staring at Erick who was giving her a pleading look. "I promised Mom that once you wake up... I will give you a punishment." Erick was slightly confused. ''I am a patient here. Why should I be punished?'' "What punish..." Erick did not finish what he was about to say as Elle''s lips already covered his mouth. Erick''s eyes widened from shock. ''Wait... am I still alive? Why do I feel like this is heaven?'' Elle took the initiative this time to kiss him. Seconds later, he closed his eyes, savoring this sweet punishment she was giving him. His heart was fluttering inside his chest and he felt like there were butterflies in his stomach. Elle let her emotions go along with this kiss. The longingness overpowered her and she succ.u.mbed to the desire of her heart. She held his face using both hands pulling him gently and closer towards her. She was very careful not to hurt him in the process. When she felt that Erick was about to move, she paused for a moment and simply warned him "Don''t move if you don''t want me to stop doing this." Erick pouted after hearing that. Of course, Erick did not want the moment to end quickly so just like an obedient child he listened to her. He tried to fight his urge to move and raise his hands to hold her. When Elle was satisfied with Erick''s act of obedience, she continued to kiss him. Erick was responding to her kiss with the same intensity. They wanted to seize this moment, two pairs of lips brushing each other, invading each other''s mouth as their tongues entangled within. Their kiss aroused their senses and triggered their systems of nerves as they took each other on the momentary journey of love and desire. They were drowned into this passionate moment when Bryan and Dr. Gomez entered the room. Dr. Gomez also learned the news of what happened to Erick so he decided to visit him today and it just so happened that on his way he met Bryan who was talking to Erick''s doctor. They were glad to know that Erick''s condition was now stable and he just woke up so they were so excited to see him. They did not expect that upon entering the ICU room this was the scene that would welcome them. They were shocked beyond belief. The man who had just undergone a life and death situation was now kissing his so-called girlfriend. "F*ck... did I enter the wrong room once again?" Bryan could not help himself but mumble. "Sssshhhhh...!" Dr. Gomez signaled Bryan to stay quiet and don''t make unnecessary noise for them not to interrupt the love birds in front of them. "Let us leave quietly. This couple needs privacy as they are having their intimate moment right now." Dr. Gomez whispered to Bryan. It seemed like Bryan froze on his spot with his astonished look, so Dr. Gomez made the initiative to pull Bryan out of the room before they could further eat more dog foods. The two persons were so engrossed tasting each other''s lips that they did not notice Dr. Gomez and Bryan''s sudden arrival and departure. Finally, after what it seemed like forever, Elle and Erick broke their kiss. They were both gasping for air. Erick was rejoicing inside with so much joy. ''If this is how Elle punishes me then I am willing to be punished all over again.'' "Elle, I think you need to punish me once more. Will you?" Elle broke into a peal of laughter. She knew Erick said that because he wanted to be kissed by her once again. Elle did not answer him, instead, she replied something that made Erick''s world stop for a moment. "Mr. Chief Detective Inspector Lee... I like you too! "Erick... I love you!" Chapter 131 - 131: Official Couple She let her eyes linger on his handsome face constantly catching his gaze as she said these words to him. "Mr. Chief Detective Inspector Lee... I like you too! "Erick... I love you!" Erick immediately fell into a trance the moment he heard it. It seemed like the motions of life that surround the two of them become slow motion. All he could see was her piercing dark alluring eyes which magnified his wanting for her. Those words were kept on repeating in his mind and he was carefully absorbing every word she said. "Mr. Chief Detective Inspector Lee... I like you too! "Erick... I love you!" Erick seemed to forget how to breathe, his eyes were not leaving her. She gave him a genuine loving smile and Erick totally lost himself. His heart was pounding like crazy in his chest. He wanted to shout, he wanted to jump, and he wanted to pull her closer to him but he could not. He froze on his spot, he could not move and he could not utter a word. ''D*mn Erick!!! Move... talk... do something!'' He was talking in his mind. He felt an overwhelming joy. This was one of the most blissful moments of his life, knowing that the girl he loves also has feelings for him. ''Elle... she likes me too! She loves me. She feels the same way. D*mn... I could die from so much happiness right now!'' Elle had seen all his reactions. She did not know whether she would laugh or cry. Obviously, she could see that Erick was in a daze right now. Then seconds later, Elle''s shoulder began to shake as she could not contain her laughter anymore. She started to giggle in front of him, smiling ear-to-ear. Her laughter awakened Erick from his deep stupor. It was like a piece of music into his ears. ''Oh God, I love hearing the sound of her laughter and see her giggly smile, so sweet and genuine. I think I am falling for her all over again.'' He could no longer control himself as he pulled her into an embrace. He did not mind the pain. All he wanted to do was wrap this woman in his arms. "Hey, careful... your wound...you might get hurt." Elle promptly said with her concerned voice. "Sshhh... Please stay like this for a while. Thanks, Elle. I am so happy right now. I love you so much, Elle." Elle sighed deeply. She also wanted this. She wanted to be hug by this man. She missed him so much, his warm hug. "Thank you, Erick, for loving me. And thank you also for staying alive." "Of course... I must stay alive in order for this day to come. I can''t die without hearing your answer." "Does it mean that we are officially a couple now?" Erick asked her enthusiastically. "Hmm... I think so?" Elle simply replied. Then both of them broke into laughter. -------------------- On the other hand, the two men who had just witnessed the couple kissing each other inside the ICU room were just lurking around outside. They were waiting for the right time to go inside. Then the other members of the joint task force also came to visit. They were Carl, June, Rose, and April. They also heard the news from the doctor that Erick was already awake. They were excited to see him. They saw Dr. Gomez and Bryan standing outside Erick''s room. They were about to enter the room when suddenly Dr. Gomez and Bryan blocked their way and stopped them. They gave the two men a confused look. "Hey, what are you doing? Why are you just standing there? Don''t you want to see Chief Lee?" April complained. Bryan did not know what to tell them. Of course, he could not tell them that Chief Lee and Elle were having their private and passionate moment inside that''s why they should not interrupt them at this moment. It was Dr. Gomez who spoke to them. "Ahem... sorry guys. The room is off-limits for now." "Huh? Why? The doctor just told us that we can see Erick now." Rose asked him. The others nodded in agreement. Dr. Gomez and Bryan stared with each other, both were thinking a good alibi. ''Don''t force yourself guys if you don''t want to eat dog food today just like what happened to us.'' Bryan thought to himself as he looked helplessly to his colleagues. "Eh... Erick is undergoing a thorough examination right now with the doctor to ensure whether his condition is stable now or not." "But we just talk to his doctor... Is there another doctor assign to him?" Carl asked them, he was a little bit in doubt. "Yeah... That''s right. There is another doctor. She is his love doctor... I mean his cardiologist. She was checking if his heart was just fine after the operation." Bryan tried his best to sound convincing. "Yeah, besides, being pierced by the bullet near his heart is not a joke... Hehehe" Dr. Gomez added as he smiled awkwardly. "Bryan, why is it your face is red?" April said as she noticed Bryan. Actually, Bryan had not yet recovered from what he witnessed a while ago. He could not stop himself from heating up and blushing. "Hehe... Don''t worry. It is just normal because of the hot weather today." "Ah ok. So what we will gonna do now?" June asked them. "Let''s go buy some fruits and food for Chief then come back after. Besides, he will be transferred to a private room later." Bryan suggested. Finally, Dr. Gomez and Bryan successfully convinced them to leave for a while. ------------------- After spending some time together, Erick was finally transferred to a private room. Elle informed his parents about the good news. Sarah and Raymond immediately went back to the hospital. Relief and happiness were reflected in the face of Erick''s parents as soon as they saw him. Erick looked pale but he had a bright mood as the smile on his face won''t disappear. He was really happy after hearing Elle''s confession. "Hey son, why are you smiling foolishly? Are you that happy that you are here in the hospital?" Raymond said to him while looking at him with disbelief. ''Yes, Dad... I am so happy because of this incident Elle confessed to me. I am really grateful.'' "Hmm... I am just happy to see you Dad together with Mom... Sorry for making you worried so much." Erick apologized to his parents. "No need to apologize son... as long as you are now safe I felt relieved now. Thank God." Sarah held her son''s hand as she lightly squeezed it. "Elle, it is your turn to take a rest. Go home for the meantime." Raymond suggested to Elle. Erick wanted Elle to stay with him but when he saw her tired face he decided to support his father''s suggestion. "Yes love, as much as I want you to stay here by my side. I think you should take a rest first. You look tired and stress." Elle just nodded in agreement. She gave Erick a peck on his cheeks before she left. Erick pouted as he looked disappointed. He wanted her to kiss him in the lips, not on his cheek. As if she read his mind, Elle giggled before she gave Erick a quick kiss on his lips. Erick smiled at her as he was now satisfied. "Behave, Erick, while I am not here. Don''t move too much okay?" Elle warned him. "Why? Will you punish me again if I don''t behave?" Erick gave her a hopeful look, his eyes gleamed with anticipation. Elle narrowed her eyes as she gave him a warning look saying don''t dare challenge me. The husband and wife were smiling from ear to ear seeing this couple''s sweet interaction. -------------------- After leaving the hospital, Elle went straight to Erick''s place. She took a quick shower and she changed the bandage on her right arm. Elle remembered the card that she left before at Erick''s study. She smiled at herself. "I think I should throw that card now. I have found my reason to stay with him." Yes, after everything that happened, she realized that Erick already became an important part of her life. When his life was put in danger, she almost lost her mind. Just thinking about losing Erick, she could not take it. This time, she wanted to follow her heart. She knew that her relationship with Erick is full of uncertainties but she wanted to try. She wanted to treasure and cherish every moment that she was still with him. She knew that once he discovered her true identity, she would be forced to stay away from him. But for now, she did not care about the future. All she wanted to do was spend more time with Erick. It was already too late. She could not stop her heart from loving him. For the first time, she wanted to be happy and staying with Erick would make her happy. As Elle reached his study, she immediately looked for the card to retrieve it. But to her surprise, she did not see the card on his desk. As far as she could remember, she placed the card on his desk but how come, the card disappeared? ''Sh**t, where is my letter? I just put it here. Did mom and dad see it? D*mn... that letter, Erick should not see that letter.'' She tried searching in the drawers, on the floor and the area around the desk, but unfortunately, she could not find it. ''D*mn, where did it go?'' Chapter 132 - 132: Power of Love At the Hospital... After buying the things they wanted to give to their Chief Lee, members of the Joint Task Force went into his private room together. "Chief Lee!" Everyone shouted in unison as soon as they saw Erick leaning on his hospital bed. Everyone was glad to see Erick was doing fine. Sarah and Raymond decided to leave them for a while so that the team could talk with each other. "Chief Lee, we would like to apologize for our mistakes," June said apologetically. "Yeah, if it is not because of us, our mission of catching Black Shadow would be a success. Sorry about that." Carl also said guiltily. "Me too Chief... I was supposed to assist you there but I am a useless partner." Bryan said feeling dejected. Erick did not know whether to laugh or cry because of them. ''What happened to me is not entirely bad. When I wake up, the girl I love confessed to me.'' He was very happy because of that. ''When my life was put in danger, Elle realized that I am important to her. And I am grateful that this happened.'' Erick could not contain his laughter because of that. His friends and colleagues just looked at him puzzled. "Alright... No need to apologize. Don''t blame yourselves. Maybe all of these are meant to happen." Erick was trying to console them so that they won''t feel guilty anymore. "Let us look at the positive sides," Erick added as he laughed to lighten the mood of his colleagues who were feeling down right now. His laugh was loud, happy yelp that showed Erick''s utter happiness right now. His laughter was infectious. The persons around him just stared with each other thinking of the same thing. What positive sides? As far as they could remember, there is no positive side that happened. They failed the mission and Erick even got injured. "Ahem... Chief Lee, you are really an optimist. You can still see the good sides of everything even though we could not think of any positive things after what happened." Carl commented. Dr. Gomez and Bryan stared at each other as if they knew what Erick meant by saying that. ''Is he referring to the kiss between him and Elle?'' "Chief Lee, you amazed me. You just have undergone a life-threatening situation." June blurted out of the blue. "You almost lost your life but now you just woke up but it seems you are still very energetic like yesterday''s incident never happened. You scared us to death." "Yeah, I also notice you have a brighter mood right now Chief." Rose agreed on June''s statement. Everyone was a little bit baffled because of that. Erick just smiled at them sheepishly. Of course, he could not tell them that the reason for this was none other than but Elle. She made him felt more alive today because of her sweet punishment and love confession. ''Oh, I miss her already. When will she come back here?'' Erick thought to himself. Dr. Gomez was not able to control his laughter. He and Bryan somewhat knew the reasons why Erick was acting like this today. Others focused their attention to Dr. Gomez. ''Why is he laughing? Is there something funny?'' Sensing their strange gaze, Dr. Gomez stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "Cough! Cough! Sorry about that. I just want to say that Love... I mean... the heart doctor of your Chief Lee is very skillful in taking care of him." Bryan''s mouth twitched trying to hold his smile. ''This is what they called the power of love.'' "By the way, speaking of a good thing, Chief Lee, the assassin who shot you during our mission was killed by Catseye last night," April said as she remembered their meeting. "What do you mean?" Erick was astounded by that news. The team started to share the information with their Chief Lee who missed a lot of things in just one night. There were lots of things happening one after another. "That piece of news about Catseye killing Reaper is the most popular news right now in the underground world." "Not only that, Assassin''s Guild already issued a Command Kill order against her, giving 500 billion as bounty price for those who can kill Catseye." "Marie got a grasp of that piece of information easily because it was spreading fast in the underground world." "What are your thoughts about this Chief?" Bryan asked Erick. Among them, Erick was the one who was good at analyzing things and events. Perhaps, he could deduce something out of this information given. The team averted their gaze to Erick who became silent for a moment. He was consumed by his own thoughts. They were waiting for his reply when suddenly Dr. Gomez spoke up. "Hey... Hey... your Chief Lee has not yet recovered fully. Why are you talking about work here? Let him rest for a while." "Don''t dwell on this too much. You never know, Catseye just did that in order to avenge your Chief Lee. Hehe, you should be glad." Dr. Gomez said nonchalantly as he shrugged. Everyone was rendered speechless because of Dr. Gomez''s remarks. For them, it was really weird to think that the shooting incident in which involved Erick was related to Reaper''s death. That did not belong to the possible motives of why Catseye did that. Dr. Gomez just laughed seeing their expressions. "Hahaha Don''t look at me like that. I am not weird. I am just joking since all of you look very serious." "Yeah... even though everything was off, we could count that as one possibility," Bryan said in agreement. "Why do you think so?" They asked Bryan curiously, hoping to have a valuable and relevant answer coming from him. "Because... Chief Lee is handsome. She might have a crush on him when she saw him last time." Bryan said matter-of-factly. The team was like... ''Huh??? Did we hear it right?'' Rose:"..." April:"..." June:"..." Carl:"..." Erick:"..." Dr. Gomez:"..." Seconds later, several pairs of eyes were shooting daggers at Bryan as they shook their head. Carl remembered that Bryan tends to have weird logical reasoning as he witnessed during their first face-off with Catseye at Arison''s Holding Main Office. Well, if they just knew, Dr. Gomez and Bryan''s statements were much closer to Catseye''s real motive and more valid. "Kidding aside, given these circ.u.mstances, I think Catseye will be caught sooner or later since almost everyone in the underground world will hunt her down because of the high reward," Carl commented. "Our case will be solved!!!" April said enthusiastically. "Hey don''t rejoice yet. It is difficult to hunt one person whose identity is unknown... especially that person is Catseye. She will surely retaliate against the Assassin''s Guild." "Agree, she will not stay still and wait for her enemy to strike. She is the kind of person who always moves first." "Oh my... What if Catseye plans to eliminate all the members of Assassin''s Guild? There will be a bloodbath." Rose said with a frightened voice. "We don''t want that to happen. So we need to catch her first." Erick was also determined to catch her. "Hey, why is it you look more scared about Catseye killing those assassin members compared to Assassin''s Guild hunting Catseye? It is one versus many." Dr. Gomez asked them. "Because Catseye is the devil. She is more frightening. She could kill those assassins easily." Bryan replied promptly. Well, this time Bryan has spoken something in which everyone agreed with it. -------------------- At Skull Gang Headquarter... After Black Shadow attended the emergency meeting at Assassin''s Guild Headquarter, he immediately asked James to meet him. He was instructed by James to go to the Skull Gang Headquarter where James would come to meet him. "Do you have something important to tell me?" James asked Black Shadow right away. "I don''t know if this is good news or bad news for you." "Just tell me," James said impatiently. "Assassins will start hunting Catseye now because Assassin''s Guild offered a 500 billion reward for her head. Catseye killed one of our comrades." "Even though I am the only one who knew her face, I think they would do their best to track her down and lure her into a trap." "Although we had the advantage, I can''t guarantee if I can bring her to you. This is now a race who can catch her first, whether I can catch her first or the police authorities or she will die in the hands of other assassins." James''s expression darkened. "You. Should. Bring. Her. To. Me. Alive!" James ordered him with his stern authoritative voice. "Hahaha... don''t worry. I also have a score to settle with her. I owe my fallen brother a favor." Black Shadow assured him. "Oh... one more thing." Black Shadow took something out of his pocket and showed it to James. James stared at it with a frown. "What is that?" he asked. "Of course, a necklace!" Black Shadow laughed at him mockingly. Chapter 133 - 133: Possibility Black Shadow showed James the necklace that he found at Reaper''s apartment in which he believed that it belongs to Catseye. James stared at it with a frown. "What is that?" he asked. "Of course, a necklace!" Black Shadow laughed at him mockingly. James shot him a glare. "I know that is a necklace. What I mean is why you are showing that to me?" "My birthday present to you." Black Shadow said, annoying James. James started to get impatient with Black Shadow. "Alright... Don''t get so worked up. I will tell you." "I think this necklace belongs to Catseye." He said to him truthfully. James was dumbstruck for a moment after hearing that. "You have some money, maybe you can investigate persons who bought this kind of necklace." Black Shadow suggested. Black Shadow handed over the necklace to him and James accepted it. "By the way, after checking it, you need to give that back to me. I should keep it." Black Shadow reminded him before he left. -------------------- On the other hand, Elle could not still find the letter that she wrote for Erick. She decided to call Sarah. Elle: "Hello, Mom." Sarah: "Yes dear?" Elle: "I just want to ask whether did you see a card at Erick''s desk in his study." Sarah: "Oh... I forgot my dear if I have seen one. I just tried to clean Erick''s room since I got bored of just waiting in the house. Why? What is written on the card?" Elle: "Oh okay Mom. It is not important. Just forget that I ask. By the way, how is he?" Sarah: "He is having a conversation with his team right now. Don''t worry about him. He looks fine. Just take your rest for a while." Elle: "Hmm okay Mom." Sarah: "By the way, did you punish my son already Elle?" Elle: "En... sort of Mom. Why?" Sarah: "Haha I wonder what punishment you gave him." Elle: "Not much Mom. I just scolded him a little." Sarah: "Oh, is that so. I thought you did something that''s why Erick was in a very good mood." Elle: "Hehe... just tell me Mom if he is behaving well or not. I will not let him off so easy this time." Sarah: "Hahaha I like that Elle. You should discipline your man." Elle: "Don''t worry mom. So far, he is very obedient." Sarah: "Alright... You should take a rest now then come back after. He looked sad and disappointed when he saw you leaving a while ago." Elle: "Okay Mom. I will come to the hospital tomorrow morning." Sarah: "Hmm I think someone will be sad if he heard that." Elle: "Hmm... just tell him to wait for me Mom. Then tomorrow I will surely reward him for being patient and obedient. Sarah: "Hehe... Okay, dear. I will tell him that." After their phone conversation, Elle informed Phantom and Charles that she would meet them at her place in 30 minutes. Since she felt relieved that Erick was fine, now she could think clearly of what to do next especially that Assassin''s Guild started their move against her. ''I will find that letter again, next time.'' -------------------- At Elle''s place... Phantom and Charles were already sitting in the living room while waiting for Elle. Charles was leaning on a couch, chewing some gum and staring at the close door in an impatient, and an expectant manner. He was really excited to see Elle. There were lots of questions he wanted to ask her. Phantom sat opposite him with his arms crossed. He watched Charles quietly. After a while, Phantom could not bear to watch Charles further having those expressions. "Hey... even though how long you stare at that close door, Elle won''t just appear. Why don''t you call her and ask if she is already coming?" "Hmm... never mind Master. I think she is on the way now." "By the way Master, I am dying to know, who is the person Elle visited at the hospital last night?" Charles asked him curiously. "I could not believe you. Don''t you really have an idea?" Phantom muttered with disbelief. Charles just nodded vigorously. Phantom''s eyes rolled skyward because of Charles''s ignorance. He sighed deeply before saying "Okay. I will enlighten you so listen carefully." Charles sat down properly on his seat as he anchored his attention on Phantom. "I think... there was an encounter that happened between Joint Task Force and the two assassins, Black Shadow and Reaper." Seeing Charles was listening to him attentively, Phantom continued. "I don''t know what exactly happened but I am sure that something bad happened to Detective Lee." "That incident pushed Elle to kill Reaper and go against the Assassin''s Guild." "What?! Why do that in the extent of putting herself in danger? She was putting her life on the line, Is he worth it?" Charles''s brow slanted in strong disapproval. Phantom just shrugged and smiled at him meaningfully. "I could not believe her!" Charles exclaimed. "You could not believe what?" A familiar voice spoke up which came from the direction of the door. The two men averted their gaze to the owner of that voice. They saw Elle standing behind the closed door as she leaned on it. ''When did she arrive? I have not noticed her going inside. Did she hear our conversation just a while ago?'' Charles wondered. Charles began to have a cold sweat as he looked at the girl whose brows were raised while giving him a questioning look. "How long have you been there?" It was Phantom who asked Elle. Charles could not speak right now. "Not that long but enough to hear Charles''s complaints." Elle flashed her signature wicked smile. Charles regretted it. And now he was cowering in fear. He did not want to piss her off right now. Phantom just chuckled. "Enough with the teasing, don''t scare Charles too much Elle. He might have a heart attack if you keep on doing that." Phantom was trying to save Charles from the devil''s wrath. Elle walked over and immediately slumped her body at the soft couch as she reached it. She looked exhausted. "Ahem... Elle do you need a massage? I can give you one." Charles said trying to redeem himself. Elle slammed her eyes shut and waved her hand as a sign of her obvious disapproval before saying to Charles: "Scram!" Charles immediately pouted as he buttoned his lips to keep quiet, afraid that if he spoke further Elle would really be annoyed at him. This scene gathered another laughter from Phantom. Even though these two interact like this, he knew that they both cared for each other. In Phantom''s eyes, Charles and Elle were like brother and sister. Of course, he considered them as his own children already. After all, they treated one another as a family. He lost his family a long time ago but fate was good to him as he found a new family. He was glad to meet these two persons. His boring life ended when he started to take care of these two. He promised himself that he would protect this newly found family no matter what. He won''t let anyone hurt his son and daughter. He was called as a legendary assassin for nothing. He could also get so brutal sometimes. "Do you want to rest first Elle before we talk about the plans and actions we will do against Assassin''s Guild?" Phantom said to her as he noticed her exhaustion. Elle opened her eyes as soon as she heard Phantom. She smiled at him faintly. "Don''t worry Master. I am just fine. I already have a plan in mind." ''Why am I the only one receiving a cold treatment here?'' Charles thought to himself. "Hmm... so tell us. Let us know how we can help you." "Are you really sure Master? Do you want to be involved with this? I have started this so I should be the one cleaning this mess." "Hmm... I told you already. Your fight is also our fight. Am I right Charles?" Phantom turned to Charles. "Of course Master. Elle, we are always here to give you support and back you up." Charles said seriously. Elle let out a soft chuckle. "Alright...Then it will gonna be three men vs an entire assassin guild." "Don''t tell me you are planning to eradicate the entire members of Assassin''s Guild?" Charles''s eyes were bulging with a stupefied expression. Elle did not answer him directly. She just gave him a meaningful smile as a response. "Wait... Master Phantom, do you know how many members does Assassin''s Guild have?" Phantom massaged his chin as he did his mind counting. "As far as I could remember, Assassin''s Guild classified their members into 3 levels." "First level assassins are those small fry types of assassins, so knowing their numbers is not that important. So let''s not count them." "Second level assassins are the average one. They have skills but I think, we could still easily handle them." "Third level assassins are those they considered elite or topnotch assassins. Black Shadow and Reaper belong to the third level. There are 30 of them but since Reaper was killed, there are only 29 left." "D*mn... they are too many. How can we eliminate all of them? It will take a lot of time to do that!" Charles exclaimed. Elle frowned as she thought to herself. ''I will not waste my time hunting all those flies. I have my personal life now. Besides... I will be busy taking care of my injured man for the coming days.'' "Hmm... who said I will eliminate all of them? Let''s just give them a warning first." "After receiving my warning, if they still want to cross my boundary and commit suicide, then it''s the time to give them the taste of the devil''s wrath." Elle said as a sly smile appeared on her face. "So what is our first move?" Charles asked her. "Hmm... infiltrate Assassin''s Guild''s headquarters and give them the warning." Elle promptly replied. "Haha...as expected, this is Catseye''s way of intimidating her enemies." Phantom praised her. "Master... I am becoming gentle now. Just wanna give them a chance to save their lives." "Haha yeah... I forgot... you don''t show any mercy before. Indeed, you are becoming soft now." Phantom chuckled because of that thought. Chapter 134 - 134: Fluffy Moment in the Hospital Elle woke up due to the ringing of her alarm. She did not know why but she really had a good sleep last night. A rare smile of joy and satisfaction lit up her lovely face as she reminisced everything that transpired between her and Erick. As if she felt that a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders. when she confessed her feelings to Erick. She did not remember the last time she was happy. She had been a prisoner of her own dark world - home to her anger, fears, and ghosts from the past. But it seemed like everything had changed when she met Erick. He gave light and color to her dark world. "I want to make good use of the time. I want to make beautiful memories with him starting today." Elle mumbled to herself, feeling determined. For now, she wanted to feel relaxed as she has relieved herself of a burden... well not totally since there are still things that she has to worry about: Her missing letter, the Assassin''s Guild and Black Shadow. She did not want to think about her enemies. She did not want to worry about anything else. Today, all she wanted to do was to be with Erick, take good care of him and act as his loving girlfriend. As promised by Elle, she went back to the hospital as early in the morning. This time she did not bring her motorcycle nor her car. When she arrived at the hospital, Erick was still sleeping. After getting severely injured, his body needed more time to rest and heal. "Dear. how are you? Did you sleep well?" Sarah pulled her into a hug as she greeted Elle. She smiled at her before she replied: "Yes Mom, how about you and Dad?" "We are just fine. But there is one person who was not okay last night." Sarah let out a soft chuckle. "Erick wanted to call you because he misses you but we did not allow him to do that. Besides, the doctor also forbid him from using any gadgets for now." "Hmm... I told him to behave and be patient." Elle shook her head as her eyes wandered and surveyed the handsome feature of her man who was sound asleep. "Pfft... I told him that last night. When I mentioned about rewards, he became excited, wishing that it was already morning for him to see you." Elle could not help but giggle. She could imagine how Erick looked like when Sarah told him that. "By the way dear, have you eaten your breakfast?" "Yes, Mom. How about you?" "Not yet. Since you are here, I will leave you for a while because I think Raymond is already waiting at me in the lobby." "Erick requested some food last night so we plan to buy him a breakfast outside. Can you watch over him for us dear while we are out?" Sarah softly requested her. "No worries, that is why I am here. I will take care of him." Sarah kissed her on the cheek as she bade her goodbye. She was glad that Elle was here. It seemed like Elle was Erick''s strength. Elle sat down on the vacant seat beside Erick''s hospital bed. She just sat there quietly, not wanting to disturb Erick''s peaceful sleep. However, just minutes later, Erick woke up as if he sensed the familiar presence beside him. Elle''s beautiful face came first into his view. They made eye contact and no one dared to look away first. That sweet chocolate gaze softened and a smile touched the corners of his mouth. "Good morning Mr. Detective!" Elle greeted him. Erick slightly frowned when he heard her greetings. "No. Don''t call me that. You should have called me Love, Honey Bunch, Hubby." Erick said to her. He sounded a little bit demanding and he was pleading at the same time. Elle rolled her eyes in exasperation because of his antics. ''It seems like this guy''s shamelessness is leveling up each day.'' "Hmm, why are you not responding? Greet me again, properly. I have waited for you since last night. I was lonely without you." Erick pouted, trying to look cute. Erick sat up while convincing Elle to do his request. Elle could not believe to see his child-like behavior early this morning. ''Did I spoil him a lot yesterday because of that sweet punishment I gave him.'' Elle thought to herself. In the end, Elle decided to play along with this patient. "Good morning Love, my honey bunch... my dearest hubby," Elle muttered using her sweetest voice. Erick chuckled in satisfaction. ''My love is so cute... Elle is so sweet.'' "Where is my reward now? I behaved well last night." Erick did not waste more time asking her for his reward. ''He is really taking advantage of his situation now.'' Elle thought as she sighed in defeat. Elle leaned over and gave him a peck on the lip. Elle could not resist his charm anyway so why not savor this moment. Erick gave her a cheeky smile after that. Elle could not help but smile back at him because it was a cute sweet smile coming from her man. His bright smile was like a warm ray of sunshine on cold winter''s day truly one of a kind. "Where are Mom and Dad?" Erick asked her as soon as he noticed that his parents were not there. "They just go out to buy you breakfast," Elle said and Erick just nodded. Then seconds later, a mischievous smile appeared on Erick''s face once again. Elle raised her brow when she saw it. ''What is he planning to do right now.'' "Come here, lie beside me." Erick made another request as he moved on the side, making space for Elle. Elle just stood there with an indescribable expression on her face. Erick used again his charm to convince Elle. "Please, I miss you so much. Lie beside me while we are waiting for Mom and Dad to return." In the end, Elle conceded again with his request and she lay beside him. Erick was so happy. Elle made his morning complete. "Sleep... you need to have more sleep so that your body can recover fast," Elle said to him softly as she wrapped him using her right arm. Elle was careful not to touch his injury. "Now I can sleep well since you are beside me. Are you staying until tonight?" Erick was hopeful. "Yes, don''t worry. I will watch over you for the whole day and I will stay beside you. So focus on your recovery. Get well soon my love." "I will... so that we can go out for a date soon. Hmm, Where do you want to go? Tell me." They were having this couple conversation, planning for their date when the nurse entered the room. The nurse knitted her brows as soon as she saw Elle and Erick lying on the hospital bed together while hugging each other. She approached them immediately with her angry expression. "What do you think are you two doing?! The bed is exclusively for the patient only. Get up from there right now." the nurse commanded Elle that surprised both Erick and Elle. "This is not a hotel room. This is a hospital. Have you not read the hospital rule?!" She continued to rant at them. Elle frowned but she immediately stood up. Erick looked displeased as their conversation was interrupted by this nagging nurse. "Miss... did you not see that the patient has a severe injury? What if his wound would open up? He underwent a critical operation just two nights ago." "And you... do you want to recover faster or not?" She turned to Erick. The couple was dumbfounded. They did not know how to retort her arguments. It was really written in the hospital rule. Poor couple, they were scolded by the nurse for not obeying hospital rule. Elle did not know whether she would get angry or embarrassed because of that situation. All they could do was to apologize for their wrongdoings. After the nurse left, Elle complained to Erick. "It''s your fault. See... we got scolded early this morning." She scowled at him. "I think I should ask request for transfer to Dr. Gomez''s hospital. We can do anything we want there." Erick suggested as he smiled at her apologetically. "Yeah... Let us tell Mom and Dad about your plan later. And don''t ever mention to them what happened here. It is so embarrassing!" Elle''s face reddened because of embarrassment. Erick burst into peals of laughter seeing her blush like that. ''Elle is too cute and adorable when blushing.'' "Hmm, so can we continue now and talk about our plan for our date?" Erick''s voice was filled with excitement. "No. Maybe next time. I am not in the mood now." Elle pretended that she was upset. "Argh! I hate staying here anymore. The atmosphere and the mood are now ruined. We should have locked the door!" Erick said with his exaggerated voice. Elle could not contain her laughter. She giggled because of Erick''s cute reaction just a while ago. Her laughter was very infectious that''s why Erick joined her and he started to laugh with her because of their bloopers for today. They were still laughing when Erick noticed Elle''s right arm which was covered by a bandage. He stopped laughing and asked her immediately. "What happened to your arm?" Elle followed Erick''s line of sight. He was looking at her injured arm. "Oh, this?! It''s nothing, just a small scratch." "Come closer I want to look at it." ''D*mn... I should have worn a long-sleeve.'' Elle silently cursed herself. Chapter 135 - 135: Visitors Elle''s wounded arm did not go unnoticed with the observant eyes of Erick. "What happened in your arm?" "Oh, this?! It''s nothing, just a small scratch." "Come closer I want to look at it." Elle rolled her eyes. "Oh common, it is just a small scratch. It is nothing compared to your wound." This time Erick was looking at her seriously. "I said, come here, I wanna see it." Elle did not have a choice but to comply. She came closer and Erick held her arm as he removed the bandage. Erick''s expression darkened as soon as he saw her wound. It was three inches long but not that deep. It still looked fresh. "How did you get this?" Erick asked her with his concerned voice. "Hmm, The night when you were injured. I was rushing going here in the hospital that I did not notice a sharp object like a protruding nail and accidentally got wounded." Elle simply retreated her arms away from him so that Erick would stop looking at it. "It''s your fault. You scared me to death. I was not in my mind at that time." "Sorry... be careful next time. I don''t want to see you wounded. Okay?" "Yes, Love. I will. You should do that also." Elle smiled at him sweetly trying to appease him. Erick nodded and smiled back at her. Elle walked over to get the first aid kit in order to change her bandage. Erick just stared at the back of Elle. He did not know why but something was bothering him upon seeing her wound. The wound does not look like an injury caused by an ordinary sharp object like protruding nail as she said. It looked like it was caused by a knife or a dagger. Erick had seen different types of wounds in his line of work. So he was almost familiar with those kinds of wounds. ''Did Elle just lie to me? But why?'' he wondered. A sudden knock outside brought Erick back from his deep thought. In the meantime, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. As long as Elle was safe, he did not have an issue about that. Meanwhile, Elle walked towards the door to open it. James and Selena were standing outside, one was holding a basket full of different kinds of fruits while the other was holding a bouquet of flowers. Yesterday Selena found out what happened to Erick when she got to talk with Captain Jason. She wanted to go last night but the visiting hours ended already. She worried too much about him when she learned that he was severely injured. She was very anxious and restless and James noticed it. She informed James about it and told him that the first thing tomorrow she would go visit him. James decided to tag along with her since he knew that when he went there he would be able to see Elle. Elle was a little bit surprised to see them but she politely welcomed the Arison''s siblings. "Hi... we heard the news about what happened to Chief Lee so we decided to drop by and visit him," Selena said as she smiled at Elle. ''Wow, they are too early. Even the patient has not yet eaten his breakfast but they are already here.'' "Please come. Erick just woke up." Elle simply said, forcing herself to smile. "Hey..." James greeted Elle as he rooted to his spot. Elle just nodded at him. Selena did not wait for her brother, she immediately entered the room and walked towards Erick''s hospital bed. "Good morning Chief Lee. How are you?" Selena asked him with her concerned voice. "Miss Arison, you''re here,... and also Mr. Arison" Erick uttered seeing his unexpected visitors. He also saw James who was walking behind Elle. "Yes, we are worried about you. We heard the news from Captain Jason." Selena explained. "By the way... here, flowers for the patient. We also bring some fruits." Selena turned to his brother who was carrying the basket. Selena was supposed to give the flower to Erick but Elle took the flower from her instead. "Let me put this on the jar since there is no vase here," Elle said to her as she grabbed the bouquet. James was just quietly standing on the side as he was focusing his gaze on Elle, observing her every action across the room. Erick furrowed his brows when he noticed James staring intently to Elle. He was somewhat bothered and felt uncomfortable about that. On the other hand, Selena''s attention was fixed to Erick. She was glad that Erick looked fine. Then a chilly glint flashed through her eyes. "Is Catseye the one who did this to you?" Selena asked him suddenly which made the three persons turned to look at her. She sounded aggravated. ''Hey, why am I the one being blamed again here? If she just knew that her brother''s hired assassin was the one responsible for this.'' Elle raised her brow. James was also waiting and anticipating Erick''s reply. "Yes... I mean... No, Our operation is somewhat related to catching Catseye but she did not do this. We encountered different assassins." Erick answered her. This time, it was James who frowned after hearing that. ''Is Erick referring to Black Shadow and his friend who was killed by Catseye?'' "What do you mean?" James asked him curiously. He needed to confirm it. "Sorry Mr. Arison, I cannot give you the detail of our operation. It is confidential." Erick said to him. "Why? We need to know if this is related to the culprit who killed our father." James insisted. "Sorry, Mr. Arison but this is our protocol. You are still a civilian after all. We don''t want you to be involved in this." James was about to speak again when Elle interfered. "Apology for interrupting your conversations, but I think this is not the proper place and proper time to talk about that." "Erick is a patient here and trying to recover from his injury. Can both of you stop talking about work or operation... blah blah blah... here?" Elle rolled her eyes, irritated. "Don''t worry, the joint task force is doing their best to catch the culprit that killed your father. Just trust them. Don''t ask too many questions." Elle added. James was rendered speechless. Selena felt a little bit embarrassed since she was the one who asked first. Erick was so happy since he felt that Elle was trying to defend him. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he stared at his very thoughtful girlfriend. ''That''s my woman. I was touched. D*mn she still looks pretty even when she is mad and angry.'' he was rejoicing inside. "Sorry about that." James looked down as he apologized to Elle. He did not know why but when Elle got mad and it seemed she was protective of Erick, he felt hurt. He did not want to admit but Elle was starting to affect his emotions. Selena was bewildered hearing his brother apologized. He did not admit his mistakes. He was a prideful person. In order to support his brother Selena also decided to apologize. "I am sorry. I was the one who started talking about Catseye." "Alright, let us forget about it. Just don''t talk about work." Elle turned to Erick. "Especially you... don''t let me hear you talking about work here. You should focus on your recovery. Is that clear?" "Yes, Ma''am! You already know how obedient I am, right? You don''t have to worry." Erick let out a soft chuckle. "Very good. That''s my man." Elle smiled with satisfaction as she gently patted Erick''s head like she was petting a puppy. Erick could not stop himself from blushing. Selena and James did not know how long they could stand seeing Erick and Elle''s sweet interaction with each other. They felt out of place and the atmosphere became awkward for the two of them. They could see that when Erick and Elle engaged in a conversation and as they stared at each other, it seemed like they had their own world. After a while, Erick''s parents arrived. "Oh, we have handsome and gorgeous visitors here!" Sarah''s cheerful voice greeted them. "Mom, Dad... they are our friend. Selena Arison and James Arison. Erick was assigned to their father''s case.'''' "They are Erick''s parent, Mr. Raymond Lee and Mrs. Sarah Lee," Elle said as she introduced them with each other. Arison''s siblings had the same thought in mind. ''Elle is already calling Erick''s parents, Mom and Dad.'' Before they could greet them Sarah spoke up again. "Hmm not only Erick''s parents but soon to be your mother and father-in-law," Sarah said to Elle as she teased her. Elle was dumbfounded with her remarks. She felt that her face was heating up, becoming red just like a tomato. ''Mom, take it slow. We just became official couples yesterday and now you are thinking of making us, husband and wife.'' Erick liked that idea, he and Elle getting married, creating their own family and having a lot of babies. Elle saw Erick was smiling foolishly like he was imagining things. "Hey, what are you thinking?" Elle asked him inquisitively. "Our wedding." Erick blurted out suddenly that made the three persons in the room became speechless with different expressions on their faces. Elle:"..." Selena:"..." James:"..." Meanwhile, Raymond and Sarah burst out into waves of laughter after hearing their son''s reply. ''We are proud of you, son. You are leveling up. You quickly understood what we meant. You should give us, grandchildren already. We could not wait!'' Chapter 136 - 136: Focus After meeting Erick''s parents and having to endure the moment while witnessing the couple''s sweet interactions, James and Selena left the hospital with indescribable expressions. Selena went back to Arison''s Holding and Mining Company Main office. James asked their driver to bring her back to the company since he could not accompany her. James did not say a word but Selena understood that her brother has some personal matter to do. She did not ask him further. He called Black Shadow. He wanted to confirm something. After leaving the hospital, James had a nagging feeling that the Joint Task Force''s operation had something to do with Black Shadow. He dialed Black Shadow''s number, it rang several times because his phone was answered. Black Shadow: "Hey, we just met yesterday, you missed me already?" James: "I have no time to joke around with you." Black Shadow: "Okay. Calm down and take it easy. What''s the matter? Have you trace already who bought that necklace?" James: "No. I called you for another reason." Black Shadow: "Oh... what is it?" James: "Did you have any encounter with the police authorities the same night your friend was killed?" Black Shadow: "How did you know that? Do you know those police who targeted me? They almost caught me at that time, if not for Reaper''s help." James: "F*ck! The Joint Task Force already knew that you know something about Catseye!" "I told you to be careful when giving the tips to them about Catseye identity. But they were still able to track you." James felt his head throbbing when he thought about Black Shadow''s carelessness. "Hey... why are you blaming me? You are not sure yet if they were able to track me because of that. I was very careful not to leave a trace at that time." Black Shadow retorted. "I wonder how they got a grasp of information that I learned the identity of Catseye. Hmm... so that''s the reason for attacking me that night." "If they catch you, don''t you dare mention about Skull Gang!!" James said with his serious voice, warning Black Shadow. Black Shadow''s unrestrained chuckle could be heard on the other line. "Do you think I will let that happen to me twice? They were just lucky that time." "Oh, by the way, so you also knew the guy who was shot by my friend. Did he survive?" Black Shadow asked him. "Yes, he was just fine. I had just visited him with my sister at the hospital a while ago." James answered. "That''s good. I need to give him a lesson when we see each other again. Aside from Catseye, I have few scores to settle with that guy." "Don''t do anything about him," James ordered him with his authoritative voice. "Why are you protecting him? Is he your friend?" Black Shadow sounded displeased. "Because he is the man my sister likes." James simply said. Black Shadow laughed after his reply. "Well... I can not promise not to hurt him. Don''t worry I will make sure not to kill him. A few beatings will do." "Did you not wonder? Everything that happened between you and the task force might be related to Catseye killing your friend." There was a moment of silence after that. "Why did you think that the two events were related?" Black Shadow could not help himself to ponder. "Because I could not believe that they were just merely a coincidence. What do you think?" "But I could not think of any reason why she would do that? Does she have a relationship with the task force?! That is very absurd, right?" Black Shadow laughed from that thought. "Okay, we will leave the possibility for now. I am warning you. Be careful! Don''t let the task force catch you." James reminded Black Shadow. "Relax. I know what to do. Just investigate that necklace. That is the key, in solving this mystery. Haha, Goodluck. I have to go now." Black Shadow said before he hung up the phone. After that call, James headed to the Skull Gang Headquarter. He should start making a move. "Catseye... I should be the one to catch you first. I have thought so many ways how will I deal with you once I see you." he mumbled to himself. When he arrived, he walked straight into his office, members of Skull Gang greeted him but he just ignored them. He was not in the mood today. He leaned on his office chair as he squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth as he massaged his temple. He was not making any progress in terms of catching Catseye and now, he was even distracted because of a certain girl named Elle. He was not like this when it comes to other women, only Elle could affect him like this. He only treated women as his pastime. He did not want to commit himself to someone. But when the moment he witnessed Elle and Erick acting like that, he felt envious and... jealous. "D*mn James... clear your mind! You are just confused right now." James scolded himself. "You just think of her as a challenge. Yes... Elle is just a challenge!" He mumbled as he convinced himself. Seconds later, he heard a knock. He told the man outside to come in. It was Spike. Spike slightly bowed down to greet him before he politely said: "Boss, did you ask for me?" James just gave him a side glance before he picked up something inside his drawer. "I have a task for you," he said as he placed the small square box on his desk. Spike walked over to get the box. He opened it and he saw a necklace inside. He gave James a questioning look. "I want you to investigate that necklace. Find out what stores are selling a necklace with the same design as this." "It is better if this necklace is a unique one because you can easily find out the store who sold this." Spike did not want to interrupt James so he was just listening attentively to him. He was waiting for him to finish his instruction. "If possible, trace those persons who bought this kind of necklace. Catseye must be one of them." Spike just nodded at him. Now he understood that this necklace belongs to Catseye. James wanted to investigate it to know more about Catseye''s identity. "Just take a picture of that necklace and assigned other members to assist you with this. There are lots of jewelry stores here in City Z." "There is also a possibility that she did not buy it here. You can send out other members to investigate the nearby cities." "Got it, boss." James just waved his hand to dismiss him. Spike just left after that. Now he was back to being alone in his office. He sighed deeply as he made up his mind, for now, he decided to focus his attention on Catseye. -------------------- At Falcon Cafe... Meanwhile, Phantom and Charles also started to move. Elle gave them the task to search the main headquarter of Assassin''s Guild. Since Charles''s life was put in danger before, they let Phantom do the groundwork. They were also taking a precautionary measure because there was a possibility that Charles''s face would be recognized by Catseye''s enemies. Since Charles''s acted as Catseye''s middle man when transacting with her clients, there were people in the underground world who were familiar with his face. He might become the target of Catseye''s enemies and might use him to lure and catch Elle. They did not want that to happen once again. "So Master, how''s is your spying? Did you get some vital pieces of information?" Phantom just smirked at him which indicates that he found something useful. "Three days from now, Assassin''s Guild has a schedule of releasing missions to each member." "I think Elle will be excited about that. That is the best time to scare those Assassins. To be honest, I like Elle''s idea." Phantom chuckled gleefully. "Hmm... you always like Elle''s idea. Nothing changed. You always favor her. Hmmph" Charles sounded jealous. "Well, you know she is smart. Too bad, she has to use it in this line of work instead of living an ordinary and happy life." Phantom was starting to get sentimental. "Master... I am not used to seeing you get emotional like this. Haha... Can you stop doing that? You are ruining your image as the legendary Assassin of all time." Charles teased him. Phantom broke into another laughter. He did not know why he was being sentimental right now. Maybe the fierce Phantom before had also changed. Besides, he already retired a long time ago. "I am excited to see how frightened those assassins will be once they receive Elle''s warning." "Well, Master, don''t you think it is very dangerous for her to enter their headquarter? It is like she is delivering herself to her enemies." "I don''t think so. Catseye''s identity is still unknown to them. I am sure that she will accomplish it without encountering any hassle." Phantom sounded certain and confident about it. "Besides we are there to back her up. I won''t let anything happen to her." Phantom added. Charles smiled hearing that. Now he was assured that this plan would work well. Chapter 137 - 137: Assassins Guild Headquarter Three days had passed, Erick was recovering very well. Elle always kept him company. As promised, she stayed at the hospital to take care and look after him. Elle was just leaving him when Phantom and Charles had important updates regarding their plan against the Assassin''s Guild. Just as what the couple had planned, Erick was transferred to Dr. Gomez''s Hospital. They did not want to be scolded once again. Erick was becoming more shameless as he always requested Elle to do something for him, such as ''kiss me'', ''hug me'', ''lie beside me'', ''feed me''. Sometimes Elle did not listen to him as she was just giving him a cold stare, saying ''you are asking too much now''. Sometimes, out of annoyance, Elle could not help herself but punish him a little. Well, this time it was not considered as sweet punishment anymore. They continued teasing each other and most of the time, acting intimately with each other. Erick''s parents were happy seeing them like that. "I am leaving for a while, I need to go to Falcon Cafe, I have been absent for several days now," Elle informed Erick. "Are you going back to work starting today?" Erick sounded disappointed. Elle chuckled as she saw Erick''s disappointed look. "No, just only today. Boss needs some help. I will also request another leave. I will ask him for two weeks'' leave and I think he will agree." Elle said that made Erick happy. Elle needed to leave since today was the day that she would infiltrate Assassin''s Guild headquarter. "Okay, take care. What time will you be back?" he sounded like he did not want to part with her. "I''m not sure but I will update Mom and Dad." Elle smiled at him. "I''m gonna go now," Elle said as she stood up. Before she could walk away, Erick grabbed her arm to stop her. Elle turned around to look at him. "What?" Erick just pouted at her. Elle''s eyes widened as she understood that kind of look. "Don''t look at me like that. I will not give in with your antics." Elle frowned and glared at him. Erick let out a soft chuckle. "Alright... just take care and be here before 7:00 p.m. Is that clear?" Erick just scratched his head since this time his charm did not work on Elle. After leaving the hospital, she went to her place to get the things she needed. When she got out of her place, she was completely in her disguised. She contacted Charles and told him that she was ready. She gave him the final instruction before she headed to Assassin''s Guild headquarter. It was Phantom who discovered its location. He had prepared everything and gave Elle the vital information she needed. As expected, Phantom did not disappoint her. Despite his age, his skills were still considered topnotch. In just a short period, he was able to locate their secret headquarters, surveyed it without any hassle, and got information about schedules of releasing missions. -------------------- At Assassin''s Guild Headquarter... Outside, it looked like an ordinary three-story building. Inside, there were some company workers, working diligently. It was like a small company. Just like other companies, it has a business permit, workers were wearing uniforms. Of course, it also had a management team. Authorities would not really suspect this as headquarter of one of the infamous organizations in the underground world. That''s why police authorities considered them untouchable. Just like Elle''s secret bas.e.m.e.nt, the guild headquarter had a separate elevator. Instead of going up, this elevator was going down, deep in the underground base. Before she could successfully enter, Elle must need to recite the guild''s secret code, indicating that she was a member of the guild. With the help of Phantom, Elle was able to know their secret passcode. Finally, she was in. Upon entering, Elle had caught the attention of other assassins who were already inside, waiting for their mission to be released. Many assassins were already there. She was in all black. fitting black leather jacket and Jodhpurs pants matched with pair of black boots. Her outfit emphasized her soft feminine curves, that easily attracted men. She looked like the bad-girl type with her hair tied in a ponytail, her lips were red, she wore big black shades which helped to conceal her face. "Who is she?" one man asked his companion beside him. The man shrugged as he replied "Maybe the new recruit. Since we lost Reaper, the guild probably recruited a new member." Elle did not mind their strange gaze. She immediately looked for a place where she could sit down. There were tables and chairs available inside. And there was a large screen in the front. On that screen, missions will be flashed. Each member had a remote control. if they want to accept the mission being flashed on the screen they should press the ''yes'' button in the remote. They would be given enough time to decide. After pressing the button, the number of assassins who accepted the mission would automatically be flashed on the other monitor. Each member could only choose a maximum of three missions to ensure that all missions will be distributed equally to every member. There are different types of missions. There were missions open to all and there were some which should be assigned to only one assassin. Elle was silently sitting in the corner when three assassins approached her. They sat down and joined her in the table. In one table, there were four available seats. "Hey, this is the first time I see you here. Are you the new member?" a slim lady in her mid 20''s asked Elle. Elle did not say a word but she just smiled at her as a response. "Hmm, I think you are a shy type huh, a quiet one." a man said to her. Then the three assassins burst into laughter. The other male assassin tapped her on her shoulder. "You should call us senior brother and senior sister. Join us in our team, we are happy to help you, as a newbie here." Before Elle could reply, an announcement was heard. "Attention on the screen ladies and gentlemen. The missions will be flashed on the screen after one minute." "Please prepare your remote." After that announcement, the three assassins who were sitting together with Elle started discussing the mission. "Hey, newbie, do you want to earn a big amount of money in your first mission as a member of Assassin''s Guild?" the lady assassin asked her again. Elle was bored talking with these people. But she just played along with them. "Hmm... how senior sister?" she pretended to be interested. "Join our team!" The man suggested again. "How can I earn a lot of money by joining your team? Can you explain the detail further?" Elle asked them. "Well... you know, the guild offered a very high price reward for Catseye''s head. Imagine 500 billion cash, this is the highest bounty the guild had offered so far." the lady assassin answered her. Elle''s lips twitched about hearing her statement. ''Hmm, so you are planning to hunt me. Pfft... I don''t know if you still have the guts to do that after today.'' Elle was laughing inside. "Actually, we are gathering more comrades to join our team, besides Catseye is not an ordinary assassin." Another assassin spoke up. "Yeah, we need manpower." "Hmm, if you do that then you will not earn a lot since you will split the bounty price," Elle commented. ''You are just wasting your time ... and your life.'' Elle wanted to add but she just kept it in her mind. "Well, we are just planning to recruit two more members. 100 billion for each one of us, that was still considered a lot of money. Elle frowned ''They think they can kill me easily with just five members. They are looking down on me.'' Elle had the urge to shook her head because of their ignorance. "So newbie, what do you think about our proposal? Would you like to join us?" the lady assassin was anticipating her response. "Why me? As you said, I am just a newbie. You could ask the veteran one." "Heh... those veterans whom you are talking about, are selfish and very full of themselves. They said they can do it alone. Foolish trash!" he sounded displeased. "Yeah, they thought they can kill her, they have mistaken. Haha... they should follow our strategy. We are trying to be wise here." ''But you are also dumb, trying to go against me.'' She wanted to say. She wanted to laugh but she was trying to control herself not to do it. "Last question before I respond to your proposal. Do you have any plans on how to catch Catseye? You don''t even know her identity." "Hmm, we already have a plan. We knew her middle man. We can trace her using her accomplice. We can easily find him." Lady assassin started to share their plan to Elle. "Then after that, we will use him to lure Catseye. If it does not work then we will just follow him around until he brings us to Catseye location." "Then all of us will attack at once, one versus five, we have the advantage. Easy money right?" Elle just looked at them with disbelief. ''They are a bunch of simpletons.'' ''We already expected that kind of strategy that''s why we don''t let Charles do the groundwork this time.'' They were still trying to convince Elle to join their team when they heard the announcement. It was time to release the first mission. "Ladies and gentlemen, all eyes on the screen, please. Let see how many members will accept the first mission. This is open to all." The messenger said. The first mission flashed on the screen was about hunting and killing Catseye. The silent atmosphere became lively after that. Assassins were very eager to have that reward. However, before they could press the yes button in their remote control, the image flashed on the screen changed suddenly. Instead of the mission, the death card of Catseye suddenly appeared on that large screen. "The show is about to start," Elle mumbled to herself as a sly smile appeared on her face. Chapter 138 -: Catseye was with them! The first mission flashed on the screen was the Command Kill Order against Catseye. The silent atmosphere became lively after that. However, just seconds after the atmosphere became vibrant, it shifted quickly into a deafening silence as the death card of Catseye suddenly appeared on that large screen. Everyone was put under a state of shock and confusion. Soon, a lot of questioning and whispering erupted in the venue. "What is the meaning of this?" "Is someone trying to pull a prank on us?" "That is Catseye''s death card, isn''t it? Why it is being flashed there?" "Someone is intentionally provoking us." The Mission''s messenger immediately turned to look at the staff who was also trying to figure out what was wrong in the system. Before the staff could respond, an unrecognizable and unfamiliar voice could be heard in the venue. "Hello, my dear fellow assassins, members of Assassin''s Guild. This is Catseye talking to you now." Everyone gasped in surprise after hearing that. "Oh... by the way, you are my prisoners now." The voice said enthusiastically. "What are you saying? Prisoner your a*s! Is this some kind of joke?" One assassin said with annoyance. "You don''t believe me?" "Of course who would believe to a scaredy-cat like you who just hiding behind this monitor?" one of the third level assassins spat back at ''Catseye''. ''Catseye'' whose voice was coming from the monitor suddenly burst out laughing. "Again I am telling you. All of you are trapped here at your own underground base." "No one could help you outside. Check your cellular phones and go outside this room and try if you can leave the place." Someone checked his phone only to see that it had no signal. Another person went outside and seconds later, he came back with a worried expression on his face. "Catseye was telling the truth. The elevator malfunctioned and it is not working right now." "D*mn! How come she can do that? Who is operating the elevator?" "Did someone tamper with our system?" "F*ck!" "Catseye is not bluffing. She is d*mn serious!" Others began cursing, while others began to panic. The only person who was calm as the water in the lake was Elle. She was enjoying the show. "What do you want Catseye? If you want a real fight, come here!" One assassin challenged Catseye. "Why should I waste my time. I can just activate the bomb if I wanted to." Then a burst of evil laughter reverberated in the entire venue. "BOMB! There is a bomb! D*mn! Are we really gonna die today?" One of the assassins exclaimed. He was f*cking scared now. He knew that Catseye was capable of doing that. She was merciless and won''t hesitate to kill. Especially now, that Assassin''s Guild already announced a war against Catseye. "Is this how shameless you become now Catseye? Using such an underhand technique. What a coward?!" Someone was fuming in rage. Another laughter was heard in the entire venue. "Well, I just don''t think that you are a worthy opponent." "By the way, do you want to leave this place alive?" ''Catseye'' offered them a way out. There was a moment of silence. Of course, they wanted to leave the place alive but no one had the guts to admit it. They were too proud to succ.u.mb to Catseye''s wants. "Okay, no one among you will answer, then should I blow this underground base now?" Everyone''s eyes widened. They knew that Catseye was playing them. But they were still frightened from the thought that there was a bomb. Meanwhile, Elle wanted to give Charles a big round of applause. He was doing great in frightening these flies. ''Good job Charles. Keep it up!'' Yes, it was Charles who was talking in Elle''s behalf. Their plans were going smoothly. Some members were already scared for their lives. "This is the price you will pay for trying to go against Catseye." Now Charles''s voice became serious. "Don''t you know that your comrade is the one who provokes Catseye first?" Charles was using voice changing apps. "What do you mean by that? Who are you talking about." Someone asked curiously. "Black Shadow, he was the one who started this. He is hunting me. He even tried to catch and kill me." He was speaking on behalf of Catseye. "At first, I did not mind it but later on Reaper and Black Shadow were really getting on my nerves." "I could not tolerate them anymore. So I killed one of them. And now the whole guild wanted to be involved here." "What a joke? Do you think you can kill me? You don''t even know my face." "But I know all of you. I have a copy of all the members'' names and profiles. Do you want to see it?" Then the image on the screen was changed. List of assassins profiles where being flashed into the screen. Everyone was rendered speechless. They were astonished beyond belief. How did Catseye able to have that list? "Since you declare war against me. I can start hunting those persons in the lists." "This only means that I have a big advantage. I know you all but you don''t know me. Hahaha, who cares about one versus many? I can kill you one by one." Now, no one dared to speak up. They could feel how frightening this Catseye was. They forgot about it since Catseye went inactive for a long time now. She was truly the devilish assassin who was feared by many. She certainly lived up to her reputation as one of the most ruthless and vicious assassins. "Okay, let''s go back to my proposal. Who wants to leave this place alive? I have only one rule, fight, win, and you can leave." Everyone had different expressions. They all knew that fighting against each other was prohibited. That was the number one rule of this guild and now, Catseye was trying to make them fight each other in exchange for their lives. "Me." Someone raised her hand. All the people there shifted their gaze to the one who spoke up. It was Elle. Some were displeased but some sighed in relief. "Who is that?" Someone asked. Chapter 139 - Chapter: Catseye was with them! (2) "Okay, let''s go back to my proposal. Who wants to leave this place alive? I have only one rule, fight, win, and you can leave." Everyone had different expressions. They all knew that fighting against each other was prohibited. That was the number one rule of this guild and now, Catseye was trying to make them fight each other in exchange for their lives. "Me." Someone raised her hand. All the people there shifted their gaze to the one who spoke up. It was Elle. Some were displeased but some sighed in relief. "Who is that?" Someone asked. "The newbie, the new recruit." The lady assassin who talked with Elle a while ago answered their question. "My dear brothers and sisters, don''t be mad at her. It is just natural for her to say that, after all, she is just a newbie here. She is not yet accustomed to our rules here." The man before also supported Elle. This gathered different reactions from the other members. "Since someone volunteered already, we need to find another volunteer who will fight her," Charles said excitedly. This time, many volunteered to fight Elle. They wanted to take this opportunity if this was the only way to leave the place, then they would try. Besides, they believed that they could easily beat this new recruit. On the other hand, seeing the hands of people who volunteered, Elle could not help but sneer at them. ''I pity them for their ignorance.'' She smiled mockingly at them. "It looks like our newbie will be beaten up badly on her first day." the lady assassin whispered to her companion. "Yeah, I think so. How about you? Don''t you want to fight her?" the man asked her. "No, to be honest, I, kind of, like her when I first saw her. Besides, we are trying to recruit her to join our team, remember." the lady assassin shot him a glare. The man just smiled sheepishly at her. Others were in the middle of arguments of who shall fight her first when Charles spoke up again to intervene. "Since many of you want to fight her. I will choose only one. Who among you belongs to the third level assassins?" There were five who stepped forwards. Other third level assassins did not come today like Black Shadow. Charles chose the one who always spoke to him rudely a while ago, the one who called Catseye a scaredy-cat. "This is savage! It looks like our newbie here has run out some luck. Catseye chose the most vicious one from the third level." The man whispered again to the lady assassin. "D*mn. She is done for!" The lady assassin exclaimed. Charles spoke again. "You can use your dagger. Everyone, clear the area. I only wanted to see the fighters in the middle." Soon, the only persons left in the center were Elle and that third level assassin. The man who stood in front of her was large and broad-shouldered. There was tension in the area. Everyone was silent and their attention was focused on the two persons at the center. Seconds later, Charles signaled the start of the fight. Both of them picked up their own daggers. Everything happened in an instant. One second Elle moved on his back. She moved fast. He was not able to see what was about to happen. In the next second, the table was flying through the air and the man was flipped back onto the floor. She pinned him down on the floor with her boot on his chest and her dagger at his throat. She pressed the sharp blade into his throat until a thin line of red appeared. In one swift move, she slashed his throat using her dagger. A pearl of fresh blood gushed out at the edge of the cut. It rolled down the side of his neck. He was killed on the spot not able to fight back. It bounced around their heads, first in disbelief, then in shock, and finally, in anger. She killed him. "Oh my gosh! She did not hesitate to kill him!" "F*ck, did anyone see what had just happened?" "No mercy! He was not able to retaliate." "She did not only break the rule. She killed him!" "Who is this newbie? She is frightening!" After that shocking event that transpired in that venue for just 20 seconds, a burst of unrestrained laughter echoed in the room. "It looks like we already have a winner. Haha. You can now leave this place." Elle flashed her sinister smile at everyone before she left them speechless and frozen on their spot. When Charles ensured that Elle was able to leave the building safely, he spoke again. "Oh, by the way, guys...for the information of everyone, this is just a simulation and a test or should I say a warning." "If you want to be like that person just a while ago, you can accept that mission and come at me anytime. I will be waiting." "Oh, one more thing. There is no such thing as a bomb. Hahaha. So you are still lucky." "Oops...before I forgot, I am not the true Catseye. Actually, she visited your headquarter personally and she was with you the whole time." "You see the person who leaves first? That was Catseye. Hahaha... so how do you feel that the devil is with you all along?" "Now you decide whether you will still accept that mission, hunting Catseye. She just entered and left your headquarter safe and sound without your knowledge." "Do you want to go against that devil? Then be our guest. Goodbye!" The screen went back to normal. Catseye''s death card disappeared on the screen. After hearing those words coming from Charles, the shock nearly put them on the floor. Did they hear it right? Catseye was with them all along. The person who just killed their comrade just a while ago was Catseye herself. When reality struck them, almost everyone became pale and terrified. The person whom they thought was a newbie, she was actually Catseye. "Sh**t... I... I just touched... Catseye''s shoulder a while ago." The man who joined Elle in the table stuttered because of his fear. Cold sweats covered his entire body. "I just... talked to Catseye and try to recruit her on our team." The lady assassin''s voice trembled. Her eyes flew up in shock, mouth agape. The other one could not utter any word and just stayed rooted on his spot. In his mind he was thinking ''D*mn, we shared our plan to her about catching Catseye.'' Those who volunteered to fight her a while ago heaved a sigh of relief. They were thankful that they were not chosen to fight her. They should have been the one lying there, dead and not breathing. Now the venue was put in turmoil. Not only the venue but those assassins who witnessed and experienced everything, their minds were put under a chaotic state. They realized that they came up against a formidable opponent... a smart and a deadly assassin. They did not wish to come across her once again. They were now scared to death. F*ck the 500 billion reward. They still wanted to live longer. Chapter 140 - Chapter: Right Time At Falcon Cafe Secret Bas.e.m.e.nt... Charles sat down on the couch, and when Phantom saw him he began to laugh, uttering comical loud chuckles. He could not stop laughing until his stomach aches from laughing too hard. Phantom was just staring at him while massaging his chin. "Master... you are right. Elle managed to go in and out that Assassin''s Guild''s secret base without a hassle. Our plan was very successful." he uttered gleefully. "She even killed the most annoying assassin there and just left as if nothing happened. A true devil." "But do you know what was most amusing," he continued, with a sudden, good-natured laugh, "was that they could not say a word, with their eyes bulging, mouths were wide open and they looked so terrified!" Phantom smiled at him as he said: "I told you so, you have nothing to worry about." "See... Elle is smart. She had a great plan and it really worked. We have scared the hell out of them." Phantom sounded very proud. Charles nodded frantically as agreement to his statement. "I wonder how many assassins of that guild would dare and brave enough to accept the mission of hunting Catseye, after witnessing everything." "F*cking savage! She killed a third level assassin in just 20 seconds." Charles was really amused. "It seems like I overdo it. My arms are hurting. He is so heavy." Charles and Phantom averted their gaze at the door as soon as they heard Elle''s familiar voice. "Oh, you are here! You are too fast!" Charles straightened himself up on the couch. "Well... I used Mike, that''s why I arrived here quickly." She was referring to her favorite motorcycle. Elle sat down beside Charles and immediately patted his head gently while saying: "Good job partner. You really sounded so convincing out there!" Charles was taken aback and became fl.u.s.tered for that little action and praise coming from Elle. "You can now become Catseye version 2.0" Elle added. Phantom burst into laughter. "Yeah... that is a good idea." Phantom played along with Elle. Charles''s furrowed his brow while looking at Elle suspiciously. "Why? Are you planning to retire as being Catseye, soon?" Charles suddenly asked her out of the blue. That question caught the attention of Elle and Phantom. They stared at each other for a moment before Elle answered his question. A smile flickered across her face and turned into a laugh. "Why I did not think about that? Do you want me to retire already?" This time, Charles could not find the word to reply to her. He wanted to say something else but in the end, he stayed silent. Elle let out a soft chuckle again. "Hmm... Don''t worry, I will not let you take Catseye''s identity that easy. You must undergo intense training first. Am I right Master?" She turned to look at Phantom. Phantom just nodded in agreement. Charles whined in disapproval. "I don''t like physical training," he mumbled. "Choose... do you want Master Phantom to train you or you want me to train you?" Elle gave him a sly and dangerous smile. "Master Phantom!" Charles answered immediately. Phantom and Elle burst into a peal of peals of laughter. Then seconds later, Elle spoke up with her serious voice. "I will only retire once I finish collecting all the debts of those persons." "They will be my last mission as Catseye. Only two persons had paid their debts so far. I still have a long way to go." Elle smiled bitterly. "We will accompany you until your last mission," Charles said to her meaningfully. "Yeah... we are the Excellent Trio." Phantom ruined the atmosphere because of his lame joke. "Pfft... When did you start calling us Excellent Trio, Master? That''s so lame... and corny." Charles was unable to stop the laugh that slipped free. She willed herself not to laugh at her Master''s statement, but it was hard. Together with Charles, Elle laughed at Phantom. "En... was that funny?" Phantom felt a little bit embarrassed. Elle and Charles nodded in unison. "Can''t you think of a better name Master, rather than Excellent Trio? It is so... common." "Well... I am not good at naming." Phantom admitted as he scratched the back of his head. "But Phantom is a nice title and code name," Charles said. "Well... I am not the one who thought of that alias." Phantom said truthfully. Elle and Charles were dumbstruck. They looked at Phantom with disbelief. This was the first time, they heard about it. "The police agent who almost caught me." A light flashed in Phantom''s eyes, as he looked at Elle meaningfully. There were still a lot of things that Phantom had not yet share with Elle since she was avoiding any topics related to everything that happened in her past. He was just waiting for the right time... waiting for Elle to ask him herself. Once Elle was ready, Phatom was willing to tell her everything that he knew which was related to Elle''s life in the past. -------------------- At Assassin''s Guild Headquarter... One hour, after the incident happened in one of the Assassin''s Guild secret headquarters, the president and other Third level assassins including Black Shadow arrived. The body of their dead comrade who was killed again by Catseye was already removed and the venue was already clean, clear from bloodstains. Other assassins who were present there had not yet recovered from shock and fear. "What''s wrong with your faces? Can someone tell me the whole story of what had transpired here?" The president said with his stern cold voice. Chilly glints flashed through other assassin''s eyes as they looked at Black Shadow. Black Shadow was puzzled because of the strange gaze they were giving him. "This is happening to our guild because of Black Shadow." One of the third level assassins who was present at that time spoke up. Black Shadow raised his right brow. "What do you mean by that?" He did not like the way this man was accusing him. "Catseye told us everything. It was you who provoked her first." Another assassin shared his thought. "Catseye never touch any members of Assassin''s guild before. This time, she could not tolerate you anymore. You attacked her first." The president intervened "Why are you believing her instead of your brother? Catseye was just an outsider." Black Shadow sneered at them "Don''t blame me because of your lack of capability. You are just afraid of her. Coward!" "There''s a lot of you here but you have done nothing, watching your brother being killed." Black Shadow shook his head. "It was not our fault. We did not know her. We had mistaken her as a new recruit." "Reasons... reasons are only for those fools like you." Black Shadow said at them mockingly. They were fuming in anger because of Black Shadow''s insult. "Stop fighting already! This is what Catseye wants, creating a stir among brothers." The president scolded them. They stopped arguing and controlled themselves since the president was there. "So, can anyone tell us now what happened here?" The president asked them again. The messenger was the one who spoke up this time giving the president an overview of what happened. "We were in the middle of releasing mission when someone hacked our systems. Catseye''s death card appeared on the screen." "Someone communicated with us through our system. We thought the one talking was Catseye but we had mistaken." "She easily entered our secret base and blended with the assassins. They were able to fool us that there was a bomb." "No signal, the elevator malfunctioned, CCTV stopped recording and the worst of all, Catseye had the list of our members." "She killed one assassin. This was her warning for going after her. The majority of assassins refused to accept the mission regarding Catseye." "What is our next plan President?" The messenger asked him after he finished supplying him with information. "A bunch of cowards." Black Shadow could not help himself but mumble. He looked at them with disbelief, feeling disappointed. The president just sighed in defeat. Catseye was successful in frightening the members. "Alright, we had no choice if they don''t want to accept the mission. We cannot force them." "Besides, there are still elite assassins who are interested in this mission, including you Black Shadow, am I right?" "Yes, president." He promptly said. "But still we need to talk about something." He wanted to confirm whether what Catseye had said was true. "Sure." "Proceed to my office after this." He ordered him. Black Shadow just nodded. After that, he faced the other assassins who were waiting for his instruction. "My dear brothers and sisters, since this already happened we could not do something to change it. What we could do now is to be more careful next time." "This place will no longer be used as our headquarter. We will change our venue in releasing missions." "It seems like Catseye is also a good hacker so we will strengthen our security system and make sure that this will not happen again." "This is all for today. Mission releasing will be rescheduled. We will inform everyone of the final date." ''Catseye is very skilled. Too bad, she did not join our guild.'' The president thought to himself before she left the place. Chapter 141 - Chapter: A Scheming Woman Assassin''s Guild President''s Office: "Is it true that you were the one who first made a move against Catseye?" The president stared at Black Shadow, waiting for his response. ''F*ck those blabbering mouth of coward assassins.'' Black Shadow started cursing inside those assassins. Now, he had no choice but to tell the president the truth. "Yes, I got a mission from one organization. The price was high so I accepted it." He lied. He was the one who first offered Skull Gang a help in catching Catseye. He wanted to compete with Catseye. That was his obsession from the very beginning. He somewhat admired Catseye but he was too proud to accept it. So Black Shadow started to target Catseye. Catseye never noticed other assassins. For her, they were just a bunch of flies so she did not care about them. Black Shadow could not stand it. He wanted to show Catseye that aside from her, there were a lot of skilled assassins just like him. He wanted to catch the attention of the devilish assassin and now he was successful from doing that. Catseye even started making a move against their Assassin''s Guild. It was funny but deep inside he was glad about that. Now, Catseye took notice of the name Black Shadow. "So it is also true that you are the one who saw Catseye''s real face and you also revealed her identity." The president''s voice brought back Black Shadow from his deep thought. "Yes, President." he simply said. "I wonder what she looks like." The president commented. "I can''t describe it clearly but she is a good looking one." Black Shadow said. The president chuckled after hearing that. "Anyway, this is the consequence of going against Catseye. I did not know that she was really capable of going against our guild." "She is a very dangerous enemy," he added. Black Shadow just remained silent. "Don''t worry, I am not going to punish you. I just want to learn the truth." The president assured him. "So after all that happened here, are you still determined to catch her?" "Yes, President." Black Shadow promptly said. "Okay, may the best assassins win." The President said, his voice filled with excitement. "To tell you the truth, there is also a big organization that wanted to eliminate Catseye. They already asked me for a recommendation." "Since you already working for someone, I decided to choose the Azumi Twins to take the job." Black Shadow''s eyes widened as soon as he heard the President mentioned Azumi Twins. Azumi twins were taking their job overseas for a long time now. They had not returned to the country for 5 years now. An organization that could hire Azumi twins was surely powerful. Now, he was curious about who is the other organization that also targeting Catseye. "What is the name of the organization?" Black Shadow tried to ask the president. "I can''t tell you that. They wanted to remain anonymous." The president refused to talk further. "When will the Azumi twins make their move. Are they already here?" Black Shadow inquired once again. "They will be coming back one week from now. Since Azumi Twins will come into the picture now, maybe they could also avenge our two fallen brothers." Black Shadow just nodded at him. "Alright, I won''t keep you here for too long. I hope what we have discussed here will only stay in this room. Is that clear?" The president reminded him. "Yes President, I understand. I shall take my leave now." Black Shadow politely said before he left his office. "Now that Azumi Twins will be involved in this case... it will be more interesting. The hunting will continue." Black Shadow mumbled to himself. -------------------- Meanwhile... at one of the booths in a classy restaurant, there were also three people, who were plotting against Elle. "I could not forget the humiliation I experienced because of that bitch. I won''t be in peace if I will not be able to get even with her." "I need to get my revenge no matter what," Chlarice said with her gritted teeth. "Sissy, calm down. That''s why we are here." her friend was trying to calm her down. "So Chlarice, this is the person I told you about. He is willing to do anything as long as the price is right." Chlarice friend introduced her to the man beside her. "Can he be reliable?" Chlarice looked at him suspiciously. "Ma''am apology for interrupting you, but I just want to assure you I am an expert in this line of work." the man proudly said. "What if you will be caught, I am afraid he will immediately talk and will put the blame on us." Chlarice was still in doubt. "I won''t let that happen." The man insisted. "Sissy, just give it a try. Do you want to get your revenge against that bitch or not?" Chlarice''s friend asked her again. "If you don''t want and you are not sure about this, then let''s forget this." She sounded impatient now. After seconds of deliberating, Chlarice decided and made her decision. "Okay...let us do this," Chlarice said as she sighed deeply. The man smiled after hearing that. "So what do you want me to do?" The man asked her. "There is a girl working at Falcon'' Cafe. Her name is Elle. I want you to give that bitch a lesson." A cold glint flashed through her eyes. Every time she remembered what happened at the party, she would always think of so many ways how to punish Elle. She started to ask someone and investigate where Elle was working. Then she started to make a plan with her friend how she could get even with her. She was really mad at Elle. Because of her, James stopped seeing her. He even scolded her during the party. The worst thing that happened was James got mad at her and he told her that he did not want to see her ever again. Elle stole Erick whom she was admiring for a long time and she just ruined her relationship with James. "What exactly do you want to happen to her?" The man asked her again. "Hurt her. Anything that you wanted to do with her, as long as she will suffer then I will feel better." Chlarice replied to him. "But don''t kill her," she added. "Alright...I got it. How much are you willing to pay? Of course, I need half as a downpayment ." The man smirked at her. "Two hundred thousand... is that enough? Besides, she is just a girl. You can do anything to her." Chlarice replied. "Okay... It is a deal. I need one hundred thousand as a downpayment. Deposit it to this account." The man gave her a piece of paper where his account number was written. "Oh, before I forget, It is better if you will ruin her face in the process. I don''t like to see her face. I hate it so much." Chlarice added. "Okay, copy. Consider it done. I am sure, you will be satisfied with the result of my performance." a sly smiled appeared on his face. "I will be expecting a good result after one week. Don''t disappoint me." Then the man left the two girls in the restaurant. "Sissy, you really hate her to the bone. You are brutal you know that?" Chlarice''s friend commented. "Why? Do you have a problem with that? Remember you are the one who suggested this to me and introduce to me that man." She shot her a glare. The woman shrugged at Chlarice, "Well... you know, girls give importance to their face. Our face is one of our assets. And now you want to ruin her beautiful face." "Yes, I want to ruin it so that no man will ever look at her. I believe Erick could not like an ugly woman with a ruined face." "That''s the sweetest revenge I will ever have for that bitch." Chlarice laughed just like a witch who was rejoicing in her victory. "Well, let us just hope that everything will work according to our plan." Her friend smiled awkwardly. Chlarice''s friend thought that she was a jealous woman and a little bit...crazy? Because she also believed that everything that happened to Chlarice in that party was her own fault. She warned her but she never listens to her. She was the first one who tried to scheme against Erick''s girlfriend. She tried to seduce Erick but she failed. Not only she failed but her plan backfired at her. And now she also lost James. She did not want to admit her mistakes. She wanted to blame Elle with her misfortune that night. But in the first place, she had the one who had an evil plan in the beginning. It just so happened that Elle was not a simple girl who did not know how to fight back. She thought she was superior to her but she had mistaken. Now Chlarice was back to her scheming. The woman just looked at Chlarice helplessly as she shook her head. She was hoping that this time her friend''s scheming plan would be a success. Chapter 142 - Brotherly Love After the successful plan of infiltrating the Assassin''s Guild and giving a good scare for its members, Elle did not need to worry about them in the meantime. "By the way, I advise you, don''t go somewhere near the underground, our assumption was right." Elle turned to Charles with her serious voice. "Charles, you are their target, thinking that through you, they will know Catseye''s whereabouts. So you need to be careful. Stay with Master Phantom and train." Charles''s face became slightly pale. He did not know what was most frightening, assassins targeting him or the intense training with Phantom will soon start. He could not find the right word to utter. Phantom and Elle just laughed at him for being silent. Charles never knew but Elle had another thing to share with him and Phantom that would make him more speechless. "So after Assassin''s Guild, who will be your next target?" Phantom asked Elle curiously. "I bet it will be Black Shadow!" Charles suddenly found his voice. Elle just looked at him helplessly. Every time they would mention about training, Charles would always keep his mouth shut like a well-behaved child. But when it comes to other topics, he could not stop his blabbering mouth. "I think Black Shadow is just some attention-seeker who would not stop pestering me until I notice him. Just let him be for a while." Elle responded. "I will focus on collecting the debts, one person at a time. I will check if who will be that next person on the list." chilly glints flashed through her eyes as she smirked at them. "Nothing could escape from Catseye''s grasp once she started her hunt," Phantom said proudly while smiling back at her. "Ahem, count me in. I love getting into action for these last few days." Excitement could be heard from Charles''s voice. "Okay, I will inform you of the details of the plan once I finalize it. How''s our Cafe Business doing?" "Same as usual, we have loyal customers. They are looking for you." Charles replied. "By the way, I want to inform you that I could not come to Cafe in the meantime. I have to take care Erick. Can you manage it without me?" "Sure, we don''t have a problem with that, am I right Charles?" Phantom turned to Charles only to see his grim expression. "Why are you doing that? His parents are there to take care of him." Charles said. He sounded displeased and not happy after Erick''s name was mention. "Because it is my duty as his girlfriend," Elle said a matter-of-factly. Charles wanted to vomit blood after hearing that. "I thought you are leaving him already? Besides, both of you are just pretending." Charles snorted at her. "Oh, I have not told you yet, haven''t I? I decided to stay with him as long as my identity is not yet exposed." "And one more thing... this time we are not pretending anymore. It is for real now, we are officially in a relationship." a bright smile appeared on her beautiful face. Thud! Charles fell off his chair after hearing that revelation from Elle. Then it followed by a moment of silence. After no one knows, how long time had passed after that deafening silence, Charles spoke up again. "Pardon... I think I just heard it wrong. What did you say again?" Elle''s eyes rolled skyward seeing Charles''s reaction. ''Why do I need to repeat. Did I not say it clearly.'' "Okay let me rephrase it. Erick and I are in a serious relationship now. I am not a fake girlf friend anymore." Seeing Elle was happy right now, Phantom was satisfied with it. He knew the pros and cons of this but as long as he could see Elle was happy, he would not object to this relationship. But it looked like someone else there was not happy hearing that news. Phantom just shook his head while looking at Charles. Charles could not take in all that information. But seeing Elle''s bright and vibrant expression that he saw for the first time, he realized that she really likes the man. He did not know how he could accept it. Charles stood up and walked out, leaving their secret bas.e.m.e.nt without saying a word. Elle gave Phantom a questioning look "What happened to him?" she asked. Phantom just let out a soft chuckle. "I think you need to talk to him." "Anyway, I am happy for you. I will support you in this so don''t worry. That punk is the only problem since he looks like he did not like the detective guy." "Thank you, master. I need to talk with that stubborn punk right now." Phantom just nodded at her. Then Elle followed Charles outside the Cafe. Fortunately, she was able to catch up with him. She grabbed his hand to stop him. "Hey, where are you going? Can we talk?" Elle saw his dark expression. She had the urge to laugh at him but she was able to suppress her laughter. "Why him? He won''t do you any good. He is a detective, you know that. And he is the one assigned in your case." Charles started to rant at her. Elle just let him speak. She just stood there listening to him. "You know what will happen when he discovers your identity. He might hate you. How will you manage that?" "What if he will use your feelings to his advantage? What will you do if he asks you to surrender? Will you do that for him?" he was so upset right now. "Did you think about these consequences? You are putting yourself in danger Elle! I can''t accept it. I can''t! Stay away from him." Charles was done speaking. He was now waiting for Elle''s response. Elle could understand what he was saying to her. She had thought about these things already for so many times. She even tried to stay away from him but now she could not do it. Elle sighed deeply before she gave him her response and explanation. Elle met Charles''s questioning eyes. "If it is not him, will you become happy for me?" Elle asked him first instead of answering him. Charles was stunned in a moment. ''If the guy is not a detective, will I be happy for her?'' he asked himself. With this confrontation, he could assess his feelings for her. He stared at Elle who was waiting for his reply. There was a point when Charles also asked himself about his feelings towards Elle. At first, he admitted to himself that he was attracted to her. Despite her terrifying reputation as the Devilish Assassin, he got to know her more as times goes by. He started to care for her to a certain point he wanted to protect her with his life. After so much confusion, he ended up with an answer. Before he mistook it but now he was certain. ''I like Elle, I truly care about her, I love her... I love her more than a friend but not in a romantic way. I love her as my younger sister.'' Sometimes he felt jealous when Erick came to picture because he thought he was his competitor in Elle''s attention. He was not used to seeing Elle so comfortable with others aside from him and Mr. Phantom. So he started to hate Erick. He felt like he was taking away Elle from them especially now. He felt mad because he was worried about Elle. Charles was afraid that Elle would be hurt in the end. That''s why he was acting this way. "Yes, I will be happy for you if you love someone else, not a detective like him." Charles finally answered. Elle could feel his sincerity. He was telling her the truth. Elle heaved a sigh of relief. She felt relieved that Charles was acting this way not because he felt something for her but because he cared for her as his family. Elle smiled at him and suddenly hugged Charles. He was taken aback by her action. "Hey, What does this hug mean? Are you going to stay away from him now?" He was confused. He heard Elle chuckled. "No, I am not going to stay away from him. I am sorry but I don''t think I can love someone else aside from Erick." Elle released Charles from that hug and she held his shoulders while looking at him in the eyes. "Can''t you be happy for me this time? Can''t you see... I am happy because of him." Charles thought about it and it was true. He could feel that Elle was happy "If you really care about me, please support me. Can''t you do that?" Elle asked him softly. Charles had conflicting thoughts right now. Elle continued to convince him. "I know the possible consequences of this but this time I want to follow my heart. Besides, if I ended up hurt, I know I have you and Master Phantom." "You will be there for me to comfort me right?" Elle asked him with a hopeful look in her eyes. Charles could not resist Elle who was acting so gentle at him for the first time. She looked like a little sister asking her elder brother a favor. In the end, Charles raised his white flag and he surrendered to her. He took a deep breath before saying. "Alright, alright. I will support both of you. But still, I don''t like him. I will surely beat him to death if ever he hurts you." Elle laughed at loud because of that remarks. "Well, if you are planning to beat him then make sure you will not be slacking off when you started training with Master Phantom." She teased him. "Because, I think, with your current condition, you won''t be able to land a punch at him and you will end up being beaten by him," she added. "Ouch, you are always so harsh when it comes to me," Charles complained. "Well, you know bullying you is one of my stress relievers. Haha." Elle could not stop herself from laughing so hard. She was glad that Charles finally listened to her request. Chapter 143 - Chapter: Dark lord Appeared In one facility hidden from the eyes of many, there was a maximum of three hundred workers including the guards. The facility looked like a well-guarded hideout as well as a large laboratory. Workers were wearing protective equipment such as safety glasses, goggles, face shields, gloves, white lab coats, and respirators. It seemed very hectic today in that hidden facility. Each worker was very busy with their own assigned task. Based on their actions, you could see that there were some irregularities inside. Securities were on high alert waiting for the VIPs to arrive. Minutes later, a black limousine arrived at the front gate of the facility. An assistant got off the car first to open the car door of the passenger seat. A man wearing a black suit alighted from the vehicle. He stood firmly in front of his men. Everything about him suggested authority and power. The securities and escorts immediately formed two lines in the middle getting ready to greet the man who just arrived. As he stepped forward, it looked like the man was a Head of State, so high and mighty, walking in a red carpet while being welcome by his people. "Welcome our lord." The men said in unison as they greeted him with a bow. The man just nodded as a sign of his acknowledgment of their greetings. Together with his assistant and some escorts, they entered the facility. Upon entering the facility, the personnel handed them the protective equipment while saying: "Dark lord, everything is prepared. They are all waiting for you on the testing site. The scientists are ready for their presentation and demonstration." The man just gave him a timid smile before saying. "Good. Let''s see if they are successful this time." Meanwhile, somewhere in a secluded part of the facility, there was one person having a serious conversation with someone using his phone. "What is it? Make it quick. I have an important activity to attend to. Our Big Boss visited us today." the man said with urgency. "Oh sorry about that. I just call to inform you that I already choose the two elite assassins of our guild who will take the job of killing Catseye for your organization." The president of Assassin''s Guild was the one talking from the other line and the one he was talking to right now was one of the branch leaders of Dark Knight Organization. "Okay, let''s talk more about this some other time. I have to go now. Just wait for my call, I will the one to contact you." Then the branch leader hung up his phone and proceeded to the testing site where the Dark lord and other branch leaders were gathering. Everything would be going hectic and so many things they had to do especially now that the secret leader of Dark Knight Organization personally visited the facility. This facility had been operating for the past 20 years now. They were developing some kind of weapons that they would sell in the underground market. This was the most important operation of the Dark Knight Organization for so many years now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At Falcon Cafe... "Do you feel better now?" Phantom asked Charles while he was making a chocolate milkshake for the customer. "Yes Master, of course. Why did you ask?" "Hmm, because of last night''s incident... you know... the walking out incident." Phantom smiled at him, teasing him. Charles smiled back at him sheepishly. He was guilty of overreacting last night. He was a little bit embarrassed because of his action. "Don''t worry Master, Elle and I already talked about it. She explained everything to me so I am now okay. I understand. The best I can do is support her. "Oh, I am glad to hear that," Phantom said as he patted Charles'' shoulder. After serving the milkshake to the customer, another customer came in. It was a tall guy wearing a cap. Upon entering he surveyed the area inside the Cafe. After he was satisfied with what he saw, he proceeded to counter to make an order. "Good morning sir, welcome to Falcon''s Cafe. What is your order?" Charles greeted the customer cheerfully. "Give me one cappuccino please." The guy said promptly. "Okay, anything else sir?" The guy just shook his head and his eyes scanned the place. It seemed like he was looking for someone. "Okay sir, just give me a minute." Then the man walked to the nearest table to sit down while waiting for his order. After a while, Charles delivered the cup of cappuccino to the customer. Charles smiled at him as he put down the cup on the table. Charles was about to leave when the man suddenly spoke up to him. "Ah... may I ask you something?" "Sure. What is it?" "Where is the girl who is usually assigned in the counter?" The man asked Charles cautiously. "Ah, you are referring to Elle. Hmm, she is on leave right now. She will be back next week, probably. Why did you ask?" The guy just smiled at him awkwardly. "Well, I notice that she is not here," he simply said. Then the guy picked his phone immediately and sent a message to someone. Charles just nodded and went back to the counter while thinking about something. Phantom saw Charles frowning. "What''s the matter?" He asked him. "One customer asked again about Elle, the man wearing a cap," Charles said to Phantom while pointing the guy using his lips. Phantom just chuckled. "It seems like our loyal customers are missing Elle already." "Why you look so bothered about that? Are you jealous?" "No master, I am just wondering about that guy, He looks suspicious to me." Charles shared his thought. "Why did you say that?" Phantom furrowed his brows. ''Is Charles overthinking again?'' "Because this is the first time I saw him here. I am certain that he is not our loyal customer here or someone who frequently coming here at our Cafe." "I wonder why he asked me about Elle." Charles spoke again his thoughts "Master, do you think, he is one of the assassins from the guild?" Phantom stared at the guy, carefully observing all his actions. Seconds later, Phantom shook his head. "Negative. That''s impossible. They did not know Catseye''s identity. And if he does so, he won''t come here to face Elle personally if he knows that Elle is Catseye." "Because if I am on his shoes, I prefer to stay hidden and strike when Elle is not looking." "That is how a professional assassin moves, hiding, waiting for the right time to attack his target on his weakest point." "So master, if he is not an assassin then what do you think he is?" Charles asked Phantom curiously. "A customer, a stalker, an admirer or an amateur and insignificant who was sent by someone to watch Elle. Either of the four." "Should I put him on my mark list?" "Hmm, well... let''s see what will happen. Did you tell him when Elle is coming back?" "Yes... I said maybe next week." "Oh, okay then. If he comes back next week, let''s just wait for a good show." A sly smile appeared on Phantom''s face. Charles returned it with the same smile on his face. Chapter 144 - Chapter: I will marry this boy! At Elle''s hideout, she was busy checking and scanning the doc.u.ment file regarding her parents'' case. She decided to drop by her place before coming to the hospital. She was staring at the picture of one of the murder victims. That person was her 25 years old nanny, Marites. Placed beside that picture, was another picture of a man who would be the next target of Elle. This time, she would avenge the death of her nanny. Elle gritted her teeth while staring at the picture of the lifeless body of her nanny. She was fuming in rage. Her nanny was s*xually assaulted first by those thugs before they killed her. Since Elle was the only child, she never got to have elder brothers and sisters or even younger siblings. Marites was like an elder sister to her. Marites was the one taking care of her when her Dad and Mom were at work. She had a closed relationship with her since she was five years old. Marites was supposed to get married to her long-time boyfriend after three months if that tragedy never happened. She should have been happily married, had a family of her own and children she would have taken care of. Elle slammed her eyes shut and hummed the pain as she reminisced one of her conversations with Marites. "Our dear little miss, are you sure you want to be my flower girl during my wedding?" Marites asked the young Elle. The young Elle nodded vehemently as her response. "Yes, sister Tes. I want to throw flowers while you are walking in the aisle. And I want to be part of your wedding." "You consider me as your little sister, right?" Marites just smiled at her sweetly. "Alright... don''t worry my dearest little sister. I already put your name in the invitation card." "Really? I wanna see it!" Excitement could be seen in the eyes of young Elle. Then Marites showed her the invitation card. Elle was so happy at that moment. "It''s beautiful. I like the design. Did you make it personally?" She asked her curiously. "Yes, I want to be hands-on in the preparation for my wedding. Besides, this is a very special day for girls like us." Marites replied to her. "In the future, I will also make my own wedding invitation." Elle blurted out while smiling gleefully as if she was imagining her own wedding. Marites pinched her cute nose before saying "You must choose your groom first before making an invitation. How can you make it without a groom." "Yeah, That makes sense. Then I should start finding now." Elle smiled playfully. "Hey... hey... you are too young for that." Suddenly Elle and Marites heard a man''s voice from behind. That person was Cedrick, her father. "Dad" Elle immediately threw herself at her father to give him a hug. Then Elle noticed the mail envelope in his hand. "What is that Dad?" she asked him while pointing her index finger at the white envelope. "Oh, this one. It is a letter from your Uncle Ray1 my best friend." Because of her curiosity as a kid, she asked her father to open the mail and read the letter with them. Since it was the request of his princess, he could not refuse her. They opened the envelope together. "Dad I noticed you and Uncle Ray are using an antics. You could have sent messages through email why do it with paper and pencil?" "Haha, Okay, I will tell him that next time. It just that sending a letter from time to time became our friendship tradition." Cedrick explained to Elle the reason why they bothered to send letters with each other. They read the letter. The first message was asking Cedrick how he was doing, asking about work, family and other stuff. He also invited Cedrick for a reunion together with their family members. Along with the letter, he also sent a pocket-size picture of a boy. It was a young boy at around 13 to 15 years old, clothed loosely in a white T-shirt and baggy grey trousers. He had a black hooded jacket tied around his waist. What caught young Elle''s attention was his bright charming smile matched with his dark brown eyes. He was a good-looking young boy and certainly if he grew up, girls would become crazy over him. The young Elle smiled sweetly while staring at that picture. "Dad who is that?" she asked him, her expression showed her interest to that boy. Marites was giving Elle a meaningful glance. She was just silently observing on the side the father and daughter''s interaction. "He is your uncle Ray''s son, He is the Rick1, the boy I told you about." "Your Uncle Ray always talk to me about his son and how proud he was to have a son like him. You will see him during our reunion." "Really Dad? I will be able to see him? What is the date of our reunion date with Uncle Ray''s family?" She asked him enthusiastically. Cedrick burst into peals of laughter as he saw the excitement in Elle''s face. "We will still set the date of that reunion. I will inform you after we finalize the date." "Dad, Sister Marites, I think I already found my groom," Elle said to them happily. Marites and Cedrick looked at her confusedly. "Dad, I want to marry this boy! When I grow up, I will marry this boy." Elle said to them confidently and with conviction while she was staring intently at the picture in her hands. Marites and Cedrick were both dumbfounded and rendered speechless. They were just looking at young Elle, feeling amused. ''Oh no, my princess is already thinking and planning to get married at her young age.'' ''Well if the man she will choose is her uncle Ray''s son then I have no objection with that.'' And just like that Cedrick gave his blessings to his little princess to marry his best friend''s son in the future. Ray is shortcut for Raymond.Cedrick used to call Raymond ,Ray rather than Raymond.Erick''s nickname when he was young. Raymond and Sarah used to call him that ''my/our Rick boy'' as one of their endearment to their son. Chapter 145 - Small Gathering After more than a week of staying in the hospital, Erick would be discharged today. Erick''s parents processed all the things needed before they left the hospital. They were now heading home. Raymond was the one driving and Sarah seated on the front passenger seat while the couple was seating on the back. "Do you want to take a nap first?" Elle asked Erick as she signaled him to lean on her shoulder. Erick smiled at her and nodded before he moved closer to Elle as he lay his head on her shoulder. He could smell her vanilla scent. Her sweet familiar fragrance gave him warmth and comfort. He closed his eyes, satisfied with their closeness. Elle''s free hand touched Erick''s face and caressed it for a while. When Erick felt her touch, he could not stop himself from smiling. "I said sleep." She uttered to him softly, as she felt Erick''s face stretched since his lips curled up into a smile. "How can I focus on sleeping if you are doing that?" Erick whispered to her as his response. So Elle stopped touching his face. "I thought it might help you to fall asleep immediately." Erick opened his eyes, raised his head and glanced at her. He was disappointed when Elle stopped. "Why did you stop?" Erick complained. He pouted at her as he demanded "Don''t stop. I like it. Do it again." Elle looked at him helplessly as she said: "I thought you could not focus sleeping because of that." "I take that back. I''m gonna sleep now. Promise." Erick leaned over her shoulder once again. To satisfy his request, she continued to caress his face until her man fell asleep. Erick''s parents could see them through the front view mirror but they just stayed silent as they did not want to interrupt the couple''s sweet moment. They turned a blind eye and pretended that they have not noticed something about the couple''s interaction at the back passenger seat. After the thirty minutes drive, they arrived at Erick''s place. Erick did not know that there was a surprise waiting for him in his home. Upon entering the house, loud cheers and falling confetti welcomed them. "Welcome Home Chief Lee!" The people inside shouted in unison. Erick was stunned in a moment. He was surprised to see all the members of the Joint Task Force gathered inside his place. Erick''s parents and Elle knew about this. They gave Bryan the task to prepare everything while they were at the hospital. They planned this surprise and looking at Erick''s expression now, they knew that they succeeded. After he recovered from the shock, Erick thanked them for this surprise. "Thank you, everyone, for this. I really appreciate it. I am happy to see you all here." He gave them a grateful look. "Actually, this was Elle''s idea. You are lucky to have a thoughtful girlfriend like her." Bryan said to him while grinning widely. Hearing Bryan''s statement, he became more touched because of this. He did not expect Elle to come up with this kind of plan. He immediately turned to Elle who was beside him and pulled her into a hug. He also gave her a kiss on her forehead while saying "Thank you, my Love." Elle''s face suddenly reddened as blood rushed to her cheeks. She could not stop herself from blushing every time Erick was acting so intimate with her. ''D*mn... I really love this man.'' her heart was fluttering inside her chest right now. The spectators could not bear to see this lovely couple who was feeding them dog food once again because of their sweet little acts toward each other. Sensing the awkward silence of the other visitors, Raymond decided to break that atmosphere as he cleared his throat. "Thank you, everyone, for being here despite your busy work. We really appreciate your presence. Let''s enjoy this small gathering as a thanksgiving fo our son''s fast recovery." "I think it is better if we will celebrate in the balcony. Let''s go and bring all the food there." Sarah also spoke up. So everyone helped out in setting the table outside and transferred all the food. They were busy preparing everything outside when Charles arrived. Elle informed him about this small gathering and invited him and Phantom. But since Phantom had an important matter to do which was related to Elle''s next mission, he was not able to come today. Charles brought some cakes and desserts from Falcon Cafe. Aside from Bryan, this was the first time, other members of the joint task force saw Charles. Erick''s parents already knew Charles as they met him before when he visited Elle. Raymond helped him to carry some boxes of desserts. "Who is that?" Carl asked curiously. "He is Elle''s boss at the cafe where she is currently working. He is a nice guy. He is my new buddy." Bryan said cheerfully. He was still thankful for Charles''s help. Now, his relationship with April seemed improving a lot lately. "Really? He looks familiar to me like I already met him before but I did not remember where did I saw him." Marie suddenly blurted out when she saw Charles. Since Marie was working undercover and continued spying in the underground, it was possible that she had encountered Charles. Fortunately, she could not clearly remember it or else Charles''s identity might be exposed. , Meanwhile, after hearing Marie''s statement, Carl could somehow feel some familiarity also while looking intently at Charles. "Yeah, now he also looks familiar to me," Carl muttered to them. Bryan frowned to their remarks. April was also carefully observing the newcomer. ''Why do I feel like I also met this guy somewhere. just looking at him, he gave me some familiar vibes.'' April thought to herself. "Hey, did my buddy looks so common that you could see some resemblance between him and that someone you both knew while looking at him?" Marie and Carl just nodded at him. Bryan just shook his head sideways while looking at them with disbelief. Charles walked towards them as soon as he saw Bryan. He smiled at him and Bryan waved at him. "Buddy, long time no see. I am glad to see you here." Bryan greeted Charles enthusiastically as he put his arm around his shoulder. "Yeah. It''s nice to see you too. Elle invited me and so I also bring some desserts for this small gathering." Charles scratched the back of his head, feeling a little bit shy to see a lot of people there. And he knew from the fact that these people were all police agents. He was familiar with those faces especially those members of the Special Task Force Eagles. He and Elle conducted a background check and had their profile and background information. "By the way, I''d like you to meet my colleagues, this is Carl, Marie, and April. I already told them that you are Elle''s boss. His name is Charles." Bryan introduced them to each other. "Hello, nice meeting you all." Charles smiled and greeted them. But his smile became so awkward when he met April''s eyes. ''D*mn, she is also here. I hope she will not recognize my voice.'' He remembered how he was beaten by this girl. He became slightly nervous. "It is also our pleasure to meet you." April was the one who spoke up. When Charles saw her smile, he heaved a sigh of relief. ''Great! It looks like she did not recognize me.'' "Oh, you are here, boss. Where''s your Dad?" Elle asked Charles, she was referring to Phantom. "Sorry, he could not come today. He is busy." Charles gave her a meaningful look. Elle just nodded as she understood what he meant by he was busy. Erick also joined them. "Hi, Mr. Del Rios, nice to see you again. I would like to grab this opportunity to thank you for allowing Elle to take a long leave." Erick said to him sincerely. "It''s alright. I understand Elle''s situation. It is better if you can recover quickly so that Elle can return to work now. Some customers are missing here already." "Oh... don''t be too formal, you can just call me Charles," he added. Erick smiled and nodded at him in agreement. "Don''t worry Boss, I am going back on Monday," Elle assured him. She would return to work since she had to do her next mission. However, she would just stay out for five hours and had to return to Erick''s place after that, because she was still concerned about him. Erick''s not yet fully recovered and she wanted to take care of him personally. Erick''s parents would also go back home after five days. She would grab this opportunity to do her groundwork while Erick''s parents were still there with them. They could take care and watch over him while she was out. After a while, Sarah called them since everything was already set up. A lot of foods were served on the table. They also ordered some drinks. Everyone started to feast and taste the delicious food in front of them. Today they could eat and drink at their hearts'' content. Chapter 146 - Never Wanted Anyone Like This The small gathering ended well. They got to enjoy and relax for a day without thinking about work. Their bond as friends and colleagues were just getting stronger as time goes by. Elle had also successfully adapted when it comes to interacting with Erick''s team. She could blend well with them as well as Charles. She was enjoying every moment with Erick and his friends. She felt like she made the right choice of staying with him. After the whole day of chatting, bonding and joking around with other people, finally, the couple was now having their own private time for themselves at Erick''s room. Since Erick''s parents would be staying for a while, they were now back to this set-up where they would be staying and sharing one room. Elle just got out of the bathroom after taking a shower. She was drying her hair using the towel as she walked towards Erick''s study to check on him. Elle sighed deeply as she remembered her missing letter. She just hoped that if she could not find it then it would be better if that letter would be lost forever and no one aside from her could find it. When she arrived at his study, she saw Erick reading some books. ''This guy really loves reading.'' she smiled from that thought. As if Erick had sensed her presence, he put down the book and averted his gaze to Elle''s direction. A gentle smile appeared on his face as soon as he saw her. "You can take a shower now. And remember do not soak your wound in water." She reminded him. "Yes, Ma''am. I will keep that in mind." He stood up and walked towards her. He moved from her back and hugged her from behind. Elle was taken aback by his action. He leaned over and whispered to her ear with his deep and husky voice "Thank you for today. I really appreciate the effort. I am happy with your surprise, my Love." Elle held and gently squeezed his hands. She wanted him to feel how much she cared for him. "Hmm... no need to thank me. We are just happy that you are recovering well. You deserve it. We want you to know that there are lots of people who cared so much about you." "I know... And I will be careful from now on. I don''t want to scare you and make you worry too much about me." he assured her. "Alright, I will take your words for that. Come, take your shirt off. I will help you remove your bandage so that you can wash up now." Erick gladly complied. He released her from the hug and he took his shirt off. Elle was careful in removing the bandage. Erick was enjoying this moment, staring at the woman he loved while she was taking care of him like this. This was the first time he felt very happy. Looking back, he was grateful for everything that happened, from the moment he met Elle, everything in his life changed. He was very focused on his work. He accomplished much, helped so many people, brought justice to the victims and put a lot of criminals into prison and gave them the punishment that they deserved. He thought these were the most fulfilling things he had done in his life. He loved his work, he was enjoying what he was doing and he thought he could not ask for more. He could still remember how his colleagues kept on asking him. ''Why you don''t have a girlfriend yet Chief Lee?''. ''It seems like you already had everything, a successful career, plus you are a very handsome guy with a nice personality.'' ''Only a girl is lacking in your life. What are you waiting for? There are lots of girls waiting for you out there. When will you make a move?'' ''You are so picky, Chief Lee.'' Every time he would hear these remarks while teasing him, he would just shrug at them while saying: ''That things could wait. That is not my priority yet. We still have more cases to solve and that is my priority right now.'' He tried a few times, meeting girls and have casual conversations with them as his friends suggested. But in the end, no one caught his interest so he stopped and he just spent most of his time, solving criminal cases and catching criminals. Maybe, he was just waiting for the right one to come. And Elle came into the picture and she completed the missing piece in his life. He did not know when and how it started but just one day he discovered that he already felt something for her to the point that all he could think of was her. He felt so happy just being with her. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to possess her. All he wanted was to spend more time with her. He knew... Elle became one of the most important persons in his life right now. He did not want to lose her because if he did, he did not know how to live without her. He was now used to her presence. "Done," Elle said as she finished removing the bandage. Her voice brought Erick back out of his deep thoughts. He looked down to see the lovely face of the woman he loved, smiling at him sweetly. "I love you." Erick could not help himself but mumble suddenly. Elle was dumbfounded for a moment. When she looked up, she met Erick''s intense gaze. It seemed like he was consuming all of her. The moment she looked into his deep dark brown eyes, she was completely mesmerized. Seconds later, his eyes focused on her lips and she caught a gleamed of longing, desire, passion, and the look of love in his eyes. Elle could now feel the racing of her heart. It was pounding crazily and wildly in her chest because of the look that Erick was giving her. The blood rushed to her cheeks, her face was heating up... no... her entire body was heating up. Erick held her waist to steady her and he leaned over until his lips sealed her lips. He started to kiss her, soft and gentle at first. But later on, he began to kiss her harder, deeper, with a fervent urgent need that Elle had never felt before. With the intensity of the kiss, she felt her legs become weak that she needed to wrap her arms around his neck for support. His persistent mouth was parting her delicate lips, sending wild tremors through her nerves and giving her sweet sensations all over her system. ''D*mn, my man is such a great kisser.'' she thought to herself as she kissed him back with the same intensity. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, exploring her insides. Elle''s fingers gripped his hair as she also began to taste him. Her heart seemed like it was about to explode. As if she could not get enough of him, she pulled him harder against her. She heard him groaned softly by her action. Suddenly, a realization came to her. She immediately stopped kissing him and pushed Erick gently. She started cursing herself. She forgot that she was kissing a patient who had just discharged from the hospital today. She should have become more gentle towards him. She was afraid that he was hurt when she pulled him a while ago. "Hey, are you alright? Did it hurt?" She was referring to his wound. Elle''s face suddenly painted with worry and concern. Erick was staring at her with disbelief. They were in the middle of that passionate kiss when suddenly Elle stopped and left him hanging. "Hey... speak up. Did your wound hurt?" She asked him again when she did not get any response from him. Erick did not know whether he should cry or laugh. But one thing was for sure, he was left hanging and he wanted more. "Hey did you lose your capability to speak?" Elle was started to get impatient since Erick did not say a word. Erick heaved a sigh of disappointment before he answered her. "My wound is not hurting but I am not fine." Erick pouted at her. Elle looked at him confusedly. "What do you mean you are not fine?" "You... you suddenly stopped kissing me. You left me hanging." He said truthfully. Elle was rendered speechless after hearing his reply. Then suddenly, her shoulders began to shake, she started laughing and giggling. "Oh, Love... I am sorry... about that." She said in between her laughter. "I am just worried about you I thought I hurt you," Elle added as she smiled at him sheepishly. As compensation, Elle wrapped her arms around his body as she embraced him. "You need to fully recover first so that something like this won''t happen again. Okay?" she said as she encouraged him to focus on his recovery. "Yes... I know that." He agreed but he still sounded unhappy. Elle looked up to see his handsome face. Her hands which were wrapping his body a while ago were now holding his face. Elle started to plant soft kisses on his forehead, his cheeks, his eyes, his nose, and his lips. She was trying to pacify her man who became upset by showering him kisses all over his face. "Hmm, now. Are you happy?" she asked him with a doting smile on her face. Erick''s face brightened up after that. Elle succeeded in pacifying her man using that strategy. ''''I have never wanted anyone like this before...only you Elle. You are the only one who makes me feel this way." He said to her with all his heart. Elle''s heart was fluttering because of his sincere words. She hugged him again as she said: "I also feel the same way about you." "I love you too Erick," she uttered those words as her response to his ''I love you''. Chapter 147 - Play Cat and Mouse At Falcon Cafe Secret Bas.e.m.e.nt... Three pairs of eyes were silently observing the monitor. Elle, Charles, and Phantom were looking at the CCTV records for last week. As security purposes, Elle ordered Charles before to install secret CCTV cameras near the vicinity area of the Cafe, since it was also one of their secret hideouts. She gave him that order especially when she learned that one of James''s men had successfully followed her the night when she rescued James. She doubled the number of hidden cameras surrounding the area of Falcon''s Cafe. That was a smart move since today they were able to use those cameras to know that there was a mouse lurking around their hideout. "Yeah, that''s him. The customer who asked about your whereabouts last week." Charles pointed the man on the monitor. Elle paused the clips and observed the man''s appearance. "He does not look like a professional one. Probably an amateur. His face did not even make it to the top 500 list of wanted criminals." Elle laughed from that. "That''s also my thoughts," Phantom said as he massaged his chin. He liked doing that every time he was thinking. "Haha... if that so, what is he doing here in the tiger''s lair? Is the mouse trying to commit suicide by offering his life to the tiger itself?" Charles commented as disbelief and pity appeared on his eyes. "Tiger''s lair? This is the devil''s lair." Phantom corrected him. "This is Interesting. I wonder who is the ignorant dumb fool who sends this little mouse here." Elle shook her head. "One thing is for sure. You are his target. Because if he planned to rob this Cafe, why ask about you?" Phantom shared his thoughts. "I agree," Charles said with certainty. "By the way, have you offend someone?" he added. "I have offended a lot of people but I don''t know them. Too many to mention and others are just insignificant ones." Elle replied. "I mean not as Catseye but as Elle." Charles cleared what he meant. "Hmm... I don''t remember. I think it''s better to ask that mouse." Elle''s signature demonic smile appeared on her face as she pointed the man on the monitor. "So what are you planning now?" Phantom was the one who asked her. "Simple. Just play Cat and Mouse game." Elle chuckled after saying that. "Whoah I like that. It looks fun." Charles said excitedly. "Too vicious. Be easy on him. I am afraid he might die immediately without even revealing the person who sent him. You might scare him to death." Phantom reminded her. "Master, why are you worrying? Elle said she will just play cat and mouse. Is there something to be afraid of?" Charles asked him confusedly. "That game means to play with or tease someone before turning violent or vicious, like how a cat toys with a mouse before killing it." Phantom explained to Charles. "Oh...poor mouse." Charles could not imagine what would be the reaction of that man if he learned that the person he was targeting was not an ordinary girl whom he thought was very weak. "Do you think he will come today?" Ell asked them. "Yes... he was dying to see you since last week." Charles promptly said. "Plus, I told him that you will be back today," he added. "That''s good. Hmm... then I should be getting ready now to lay a mousetrap." Elle smirked at them. "Do you need our help?" Phantom asked her. "Don''t worry Master. I can handle this alone. But once I find out who is responsible for this maybe that''s the time to bother both of you." Elle smiled at them sheepishly "Since someone is waiting for me at home, I would like to ask you to give the mastermind a lesson for me." Elle winked at them after saying that. Phantom laughed because of her last remarks while Charles frowned at her. "Well, I have to leave the Cafe to the both of you again. Hmm... I need to isolate myself from other people in order to lure the mouse and start making his move." Elle stood up and stretched her arms before she left the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. As expected, the man who was looking at Elle came in the Cafe. He pretended again as a customer. After making sure that his target was present today, he communicated to someone before leaving the Cafe. Poor guy, he was confident but unknown to him, the cat already had her eyes on the mouse and locked her target. The cat would soon make her move. Elle simply informed Charles and Phantom that she was about to execute her plan. They just nodded at her. After bringing some money, Elle left the Cafe. She was trying to observe first how skilled this man was. She walked along the street pretending that she was not paying attention to her surroundings. Elle smiled as she learned that the man started following her. "Tsk Tsk Tsk... even his stalking skill seems like an amateur for me." She clicked her tongue and mumbled to herself. Elle entered in one convenience store. It looked like she was just buying some stuff unaware of what was about to happen to her. The man stopped in a corner near the convenience store, his location had a clear view for Elle to see what he was doing. "He does not know how to hide to his target." Elle shook her head in disappointment once again. She saw him picked up his phone. He was communicating with someone. "Well, nice one. You have some accomplices with you huh. Let''s see how many mice I am playing with today." Elle mumbled as she smiled mockingly at the guy''s reflection. A light flashed on Elle''s eyes as she noticed that the man had a gun. She saw it when the guy turned around who seemed like he was looking for someone. Elle picked up something inside her bag. She had a small pocket knife, a safety torch with an electric shock effect and her pepper spray pistol. She smiled while looking at those items. "I did not know that a time like this will come where I will be able to use these." ''Well, I am using these as Elle and not as Catseye. Daggers and real guns are exclusive only for Catseye.'' she thought to herself. She put the knife and the torch on her pockets. When everything was ready, she left the convenience store. This was the time to lure her target in a place where there were no people. She continued walking until she reached the secluded area in the city with no people around. From the corner of her eyes, she could see that the man got excited when he saw her going to the secluded area hidden from the eyes of many people. He thought everything was going well according to his plan. He thought he was lucky that his target was giving him a nice opportunity to attack. But he had mistaken, he was the one walking on the mousetrap right now. He was the one delivering himself to the devilish assassin who was in disguise as the damsel in distress. After minutes of walking, they finally reached the most secluded area in that place. "Oops... I think I am lost. I should call Charles. I forgot the street. I thought I am taking the right way." Elle told herself, loud enough for the man following her to hear. She was intentionally giving the man the hint to make his move. And as expected, she did not fail. The man immediately showed himself and approached her with a gun pointing at her. "Hello Miss Beautiful, nice to see you here. Don''t move and don''t shout or else I will shoot you." A sinister smile appeared on his face. The man wearing a cap was six-feet tall but had a thin body built. His face was covered with black sunglasses and a mask. "Don''t hurt me please, I will give you all my money here. Take it. But please don''t kill me." Elle said as she pretended to look terrified. She wanted to know his motive or what was he planning. ''Will he shoot me right away to kill me or he will do something else.'' Elle was waiting for the man''s next move. Than man surveyed here from up to bottom. Then he laughed mockingly with her plea. "Oh, I am not here to rob you, Miss Beautiful," he said to her after laughing. "Then... are you going to..kill me?" Elle said with her trembling voice. The man was enjoying the scene in front of her. A beautiful lady who looked so terrified was pleading at him. The man shook his head. "Wrong again. I am here to kidnap you." ''Funny... someone sent this guy to kidnap me?! How ridiculous? Do I look like a daughter of a wealthy billionaire?'' "Are you sure I am the one you are looking for? It must be a mistaken identity. I am not rich. I am only a cashier at a Cafe." The man burst into laughter once again. "Haha, you have so many questions. If you want to live just follow me quietly." "Oh, by the way, I have not mistaken your identity. I am a hundred percent sure that you are the right target." the man assured her. They were in the middle of this conversation when someone behind spoke up which immediately caught their attention. "Hey Elle, what are you doing here?" Chapter 148 - Captured "Are you sure I am the one you are looking for? This must be a mistaken identity. I am not rich. I am only a cashier at a Cafe." "Haha, you have so many questions. If you want to live just follow me quietly." "Oh, by the way, I have not mistaken your identity. I am a hundred percent sure that you are the right target." the man assured her. After hearing his response, Elle thought that it would be a waste of time to continue talking to this man. Actually, she was waiting for his accomplices to come but she already felt bored. She did not want to drag this for long. So Elle decided to move. When she already conditioned her mind and was about to attack the guy, they heard someone else''s voice from behind. "Hey Elle, what are you doing here?" the newcomer said with his delighted voice. The moment she saw the person Elle''s head seemed to swell like she was having a headache. ''What the hell is he doing here at a time like this? A wrong timing man... a bad timing.'' She was cursing the man in front of her. Instead of her assailant, Elle had the urge to punch this person and knock some senses at him. ''James Arison you are really one of the causes of my headache. You never fail to get on my nerves.'' she was now gritting her teeth. The man with a gun immediately moved at Elle''s back and grabbed her while pointing a gun at her head. "Don''t move or else I will kill this woman." He threatened James. Elle could feel that her assailant was a little bit nervous right now. She could easily disarm him since he was really close to her but she rejected that thought since James was in front of them. The smile of James''s face immediately disappeared as soon as he saw the scene. He was too late to notice that the man who was facing Elle a while ago was holding a gun. He did not see the gun since the man''s back was facing him and besides, he was very focused on Elle. He thought they were just having a casual conversation and he decided to interrupt them by greeting Elle. James was on his way to Falcon''s Cafe when he noticed Elle''s familiar figure, walking on the street. He decided to follow her. When she turned in a corner, he parked his car, before he continued to follow her. He did not expect to witness this kind of scene. ''F*ck, I should have brought my gun with me.'' He thought to himself. "Wait. I am not planning to do anything here. Do you want money? I can give you that. Just don''t hurt her." James was trying to negotiate with the man. "Name your price. I can give you a million so that you can release her," he added. Elle just rolled her eyes. It seemed like her plan was ruined because of this guy. So she decided to keep quiet and let him do the talk. She was also confident that her assailant won''t shoot. She confirmed that this man was an amateur. She could feel that he was trembling and very tense right now. The man just laughed at his offer. A light flashed his eyes when he saw the two figures approaching them. "I think you are really rich and can afford to spend any amount for ransom. So it is better to invite you as well to tag along with us." The man gave him a meaningful look as he surveyed James. He was wearing his black suit so the man knew that he was not an ordinary guy base on his business-like clothing. "After I deal with this beautiful lady, then we can talk about your offer," he added as he smirked at him. James frowned with his reply. He hated the tone of this man. ''What is he planning to do with Elle?'' he was now fuming in rage. "Don''t you ever think of hurting her or even touch a single strand of her hair," James said with his stern authoritative voice. He shot him a cold sharp glare. "Haha... you don''t have a say with this. You are not the man in control here but I am." The man said to him mockingly. Seconds later, James felt that someone grabbed him from behind. He turned only to see that there was also a gun aiming at him. One guy was restraining him from moving while the other guy was pointing the gun at him. In the end, both James and Elle were held captive by those three men. They tied their hands, covered their eyes using blindfolds and brought them inside the white van. "Hey, are you alright?" James asked Elle softly. They were sitting in the middle while the two men were sitting in the next seats on their back. ''I was doing fine before you arrived.'' Elle wanted to rant at him but she controlled herself. Elle just stayed silent and ignored him. "Hey, why are you ignoring me, are you upset? Are you not happy that I accompany you here? I am trying to save you here." James frowned at her when he was ignored by her. ''I don''t need to be saved!! I can handle them myself if you did not come!!'' She was in the blink of breaking her patience because of the man seated beside her. "Saving my a*s you fool!? If you are trying to save me, why are you being tied here with me?" she spat back at him. "Are you blind and deaf? Did you not see his gun and heard our conversation? Why are you suddenly appearing out of nowhere?" she could not help herself but rant on him. "En... I just got excited when I saw you there." He said, feeling so guilty. "Shhhh... can both of you be quiet or else we will have to tape your mouths." the chubby man warned them. Elle and James just stayed silent and no one spoke again. Being tied and blindfolded were enough for them, they did not want those guys to seal their mouths. The silence helped Elle to come up with her new plan. ''I wonder where they are bringing us. Should I ask Master Phantom and Charles for help since I can not fight them while James is here with me?'' Chapter 149 - Her Simple Words of Comfort After 40 minutes drive, they arrived in a secluded area outside the City Z. They removed Elle and James''s blindfolds and brought them inside an empty house. It was a two-story house, not yet old but no one was occupying it. They walked inside towards the living room. It was quite dusty inside. After making sure that Elle and James would not be able to escape from the ropes which were restraining them on a chair, the three men left them for a while in order to eat lunch. They needed to fill their stomach first before they proceed to their proper business. Now, that they were both alone, Elle and James could talk whatever they want. "What a funny thing to be with you huh? Thanks to me you are not alone in this predicament." James started the conversation. He chuckled from that thought. Elle rolled her eyes skyward after hearing his remarks. He did not sound displeased instead he still felt delighted under these circ.u.mstances. "Are you happy? Why you sounded so proud? You have done nothing that could help us both to escape." She smiled at him mockingly. James just let out a soft chuckle. He did not know why but he just felt happy to be with her even in this kind of situation. "Why are you still cold towards me? I thought you agreed to give me a chance and be your friend?" ''Well... because you ruin my plan today!'' She wanted to reply but she just kept in her mind. "I did not mean to but I just can''t believe your dumbness. Next time don''t interrupt someone without accessing first the situation." she was able to cool down a little bit. She knew that being mad at him would not help. She could not put all the blame on him. The unexpected situation brought them here together. Instead of arguing, she thought it was better to talk this out with him. Her main priority right now was to find out who was the mastermind. Then after that, she would execute her plan to escape and gave these three men a lesson. She would just wait for the right opportunity to make her move. "I am sorry about that," James replied to her after a few seconds of silence. "Do you have a plan?" She asked James. "Nope. I think we should try to negotiate with them again." James simply said. Elle looked at him with disbelief. The leader of the skull gang was easily got captured just like that. ''I wonder how long he will live if other competitors in the underground will try to kill him.'' But there was one thing she had observed about him. She could see that James was still calm even in this situation. Elle''s lip twitched when she remembered Jorge Arison, the most cunning and wise man she had ever met. James had some resemblance to his father. James chuckled as soon as he noticed Elle''s smile while she was looking at him. "Are you enjoying the view? Do I look like a handsome knight in shining armor now?" He asked her, giving her a mischievous smirk. "Not just a fool and arrogant... you are also shameless!" Elle said to him with her eyebrows raised. "How can you be a knight in shining armor if you also need to be rescued?" James let out another chuckle. "Then why are you looking at me like that?" "Well, I just remembered someone. Are you not nervous or afraid? They might hurt you." "I don''t think the mighty Chairman of the Arison Holdings and Mining Company could handle some beatings from them. "You are really looking down at me huh?" James could not believe her. "Looking at you, I bet you can''t tolerate pain since you always live in comfort, born with a silver spoon in your mouth." Elle teased him. "I beg to disagree, my lady. Don''t judge the book by its cover. That''s why I told you before, you should give me a chance so that you could know me better." "Well, can you convince me that what I just said was wrong." she challenged him. James was really glad to have a casual conversation with her like this. looking back, he could say, this was the longest conversation they ever had together. "Since I was a child my father trained me to be strong and tough. Between Selena and I, he was strict to me as if he was preparing me to take a bigger role in the future." James shared with her. "I just became so carefree when I became an a.d.u.l.t. Maybe that is one of the reasons you viewed me as a wealthy and an easy-going arrogant man, right?" Elle did not interrupt him and she just nodded at him as it made sense. She just let him speak. She knew what he was referring to, he was meant to be the next leader of Skull Gang. Jorge prepared him for that. "So don''t think that I could not tolerate any physical pain." James was trying to convince her. Elle just shrugged at him. Upon mentioning his father, James''s mood immediately changed. He was missing him and he felt frustrated that until now, despite the power he had, he could not give his father the justice for his death. Elle had observed that changes in James''s expression. She could feel that he admired and loved his father very much. She somehow felt some kind of sympathy for James. She knew how it felt to lose someone''s important without knowing the truth about their deaths. "I think you are doing fine. I am sure that your dad is so proud of you. I believe that your father is a great man... a really wise man." Elle comforted James. James was at a loss for words when he heard her comforting words. This was the first time Elle did this for him and he felt her sincerity. James just stared at her with an astonished look. His heart was now beating so fast inside his chest. He was touched by her simple words and his heart was now behaving abnormally. "Pfft... why you look like you have seen a ghost?" Elle giggled after seeing his reaction. Elle''s laughter pulled James from the daze. He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. "Ahem... Did you just blush? Did the mighty arrogant James Arison just blush?'''' she said with her teasing voice. "No! I am not!" James denied it. "You are just imagining it," he added as he looked away. "Well, I don''t think so. Your face is still red." Elle insisted. Elle could not suppress her laughter as she continued to giggle. "Stop laughing. Nothing is funny." James became more fl.u.s.tered hearing Elle''s laughter. "Oh, I just remember I have not answered your question yet. By the way, did you ask me if I am afraid or nervous since they might hurt me, right?" James was trying to change the topic. Elle finally stopped laughing and nodded at him. "Honestly I am afraid and nervous right now... but not for myself. I am afraid that they will do something to hurt you." James said to her with a serious voice. There was a moment of silence after that. This time it was Elle who became speechless and James was the one laughing at her. "It looks like our hostages here are enjoying their stay here." the chubby man said. They heard Elle and James''s laughter as they entered the house. "Okay, since we are all having fun here, let us now go to our proper business here. Shall we?" The six-feet tall thin man said to them. He had a sly smile on his face. His two accomplices just burst into waves of laughter. Chapter 150 - True Motive "It looks like our hostages are enjoying their stay here." the chubby man said. They heard Elle and James''s laughter as they entered the house. "Okay, since we are all having fun here, let us go now to our proper business. Shall we?" The six-feet tall thin man said to them. The three men stared at James and Elle with sinister smiles flashed on their faces. Their evil intentions reflected in their eyes. Elle was silently observing the three men. She assumed that the thin tall man was the leader among them. She estimated that the thin and chubby men were in their mid-30s while the average built man was in his mid-20s and he was the youngest among them. They were still wearing their mask, hiding their faces to Elle and James. The thin man started to approach Elle. He extended his arm as he held her face. That action immediately enraged James. "I said... Don''t f*cking touch her with your filthy hands!!!" James shouted angrily at the thin man. James struggled with all his might on his spot as he was trying to untie the ropes which were wrapping him on the chair. But his action was useless. He wanted to punch and beat those guys. "Don''t be impatient Mr. rich guy. We will have to deal with you later. But we need to finish our business first with this lovely lady here." The thin man signaled his underlings to keep James in place and seal his mouth using a tape. After that, he brought his attention back to Elle. James could not utter a word now as his mouth was completely sealed. He shot them a murderous glare. ''F*ck! I swear I will make you have a taste of Skull Gang''s wrath if you do something to Elle. You don''t know what frightening things I can do to you.'' James was cursing them. Elle just remained cool at her seat. She did not know whether to thank or pity James for his reaction. ''Poor guy, he got so worked up easily. Where is the super calm James Arison whom I was talking to a while ago?'' "You have such a beautiful face, my lovely lady. Too bad, I need to ruin and disfigure this today," he said to Elle as he showed her a bottle with a label ''Muriatic Acid.'' A single drop of that chemical liquid could burn and damage the skin easily. The thin man clicked his tongue and shook his head in disappointment. Elle frowned after hearing what the man had just said. On the other hand, James''s eyes widened and it looked like he was the one who was more afraid for her compared to Elle, who had an amused expression on her face. ''Are they kidding me? They kidnap me here not because they want to kill me but their main purpose is to ruin my face?'' ''D*mn, who was this dumbass foolish jealous insecure mastermind?'' Elle stared at the man with disbelief. A burst of unrestrained laughter escaped her mouth. "Really??? You... kidnap... me... for that? Is the person who sent you... is really jealous of my beautiful face to the extent of doing this? You are not after money or my life... you are after my face?" Elle was struggling to finish her sentence because she was laughing hard. "You still have the guts to laugh in this kind of situation?" the chubby man said amusedly at her. James also thought that this was not funny. This was a f*cking serious matter that Elle should not take it lightly. She should be nervous right now instead of laughing. After seeing the strange gaze coming from the four men, Elle stopped laughing and she cleared her throat. "Ahem... sorry about that. I just thought it was a funny joke. Never heard of someone in my entire life, who ordered to kidnap someone just to ruin her beautiful face." "I guess the mastermind here is a woman, am I right?" she asked them to confirm her suspicion. "You don''t need to know. Hmm... do you want to beg us now? Come... we would like to listen to a lovely lady''s plea. Beg us to spare you and save your beautiful face." the thin man said to her mockingly. He began to move his hand and caress Elle''s face. James''s veins started to pop one after another because of too much anger. He started struggling on his seat once again. But the two men held him to stop him from moving. He could not bear to see this man touching Elle in front of him. He wanted to kill this guy, right here and right now. Elle was also displeased with this man''s advances. She wanted to cut his hand which was touching her right now. "Will you really spare me if I do that? Mister... how much did she pay you? I think my friend here is willing to pay you any amount. Please just don''t ruin my face." Elle started to flaunt her acting skills once again, pretending to be scared, helpless and desperate. James nodded vigorously in agreement with Elle''s statement. He was willing to pay any amount just for them not to touch and hurt Elle. "Hmm... but after seeing you I think I don''t want just money now. She also said I can do anything to you... anything I want... as long as I don''t kill you." He said with his ambiguous tone. He was staring at Elle intently, surveying her flawless body. He could not take his eyes off this lovely lady in front of him. L.u.s.t... that was the word that could be seen in his eyes right now. It reflected in his very own eyes, the very strong s.e.x.u.a.l desire for her. He leaned over and whispered to her with his hoarse voice: "Are you willing to sacrifice your body for the sake of your pretty face?" A glint of triumph lit her eyes, Elle now saw the perfect opportunity to attack. Elle looked down as she closed her eyes and nodded at him, pretending she was shy and helpless. That''s it. James was now on his breaking point. The thin man smirked at her response. He was rejoicing inside. This lovely woman was willing to give him her body just to save her pretty face. For that reason, he got excited and he felt something hardened under his pants. "Let''s go upstairs, Honey," he said as he started to untie Elle. She just nodded at him like an obedient child. James was shouting and struggling on his seat. But since his mouth was sealed by tape, he could not utter any word. But Elle knew what he was trying to say. James wanted to stop her. He was telling her not to do it. Elle just gave him a reassuring smile. She somehow felt grateful for his concern. ''F*ck! Elle stop, don''t do this! You don''t need to do this. I will save you. Someone is coming to save us. Please wait.'' James was now blaming himself right now. He was not able to do anything. Elle and the thin man started to walk upstairs. They would go inside one of the rooms there. The thin man also instructed the chubby man to tag along with them, just in case Elle changed her mind and would start to fight back. He thought two men were enough to restrain Elle if she tried to do something against them. He was wrong again for thinking that. Even if the three of them combined, they won''t be able to restrain Elle once she unleashed her true fangs. James saw the three persons entered one of the rooms upstairs. His heart was beating fast, he was nervous and angry at the same time. The moment Elle disappeared from his line of sight, James felt that all his strength and energy were draining out of him. His skins started to bleed from struggling too much from the ropes which were restraining him. "Are you her boyfriend? You look like you care too much about that girl. I could sense your murderous intent. Are you thinking of killing us now?" A smug smile crept on the man''s face. The younger man was left to watch over James. He signaled the man to remove the tape on his mouth so that he could talk to him. But the man refused to do so. He just sat on the couch silently watching James who was fuming in rage. If just looks could kill, then the man would be dead right now. Minutes later, they could hear banging sounds upstairs accompanied by the loud groans of men. "It looks like the intense activity had started. Poor lady, those two men have never tasted a beautiful woman like her. I bet they won''t be gentle to her." The man shook his head as he pitied the woman. James clenched his fists and ground his teeth in so much fury. He won''t forgive these people. He won''t forget what they did to them today. He promised to himself that once he and Elle escaped from here, he would torture these three persons to death. He already warned them so many times not to touch Elle but they never listened to him. Then after a few seconds, it became silent again upstairs. James and the man averted their gaze towards the room where the three persons entered just a while ago. The man became curious about what was happening there. So he stood up and decided to follow them to check the situation upstairs. Chapter 151 - The Mastermind When the three persons entered the room, the fate of the two men was already decided. The moment the door was closed, their fate was already sealed on the hands of the demoness beside them. The damsel-in-distress unleashed her true self as she started to attack those two men in a very swift move. It only took five seconds...yes...only five seconds to knock those two men. One second, she pushed and shook it off the thin man''s hand which was holding her, successfully escaping from his grasp. In the next second, she picked up the torch with an electric shock effect on her pocket. For the three seconds count, she used and swung that torch aiming the neck of the chubby man. And at the same time, she gave the thin man a hard kick which landed on the most precious sensitive part of his body. The chubby man immediately dropped on the floor and lost consciousness after receiving an electric shock from that torch. On the other hand, after receiving the hard kick from Elle, the thin man fell backward slamming his body on the closed door at his back, creating a loud thud sound accompanied by his loud groan and whimper. He was cursing under his breath as he writhed in excruciating pain. That blow was extremely painful as it hit his already hardened sensitive part. For the four seconds count, Elle used again the torch with an electric shock to knock him down. And in five seconds, the man fell unconscious on the floor, leaving Elle the only standing person inside that room. After she was satisfied with the result, a sly smile crept on her beautiful face. "Okay... I need to deal with the remaining one. Is he coming here or should I go down there?" she mumbled to herself. "Maybe I should just wait here. James was there, I can''t move freely in front of him." So Elle leaned on the wall with her arms crossed while waiting for her next prey. Meanwhile, after hearing the loud thud and the voice of man groaning which was followed immediately of deafening silence, the two men downstairs were puzzled about what was happening upstairs. Out of curiosity, the man who was watching over James stood up and decided to go upstairs and check on them. Hearing the footsteps of the man coming towards the room, Elle let out a soft chuckle. "Well... that''s too fast. He is already coming here." The moment he opened the door, he was shocked to see the two unconscious men lying on the floor. Before he could further react and make a move, Elle hit him quickly using the safety torch. Just like that, the three culprits were defeated by Elle all by herself in just a short period. "Okay, now... it''s the time to expose the mastermind behind this." Elle said as she bent down and searched something at the thin man''s pocket. Elle smiled as she found the thing she was looking for... a cellphone. Fortunately, that cellphone uses a fingerprint scanner to unlock it. She just grabbed the hand of the unconscious man as she used his fingerprint to unlock his phone. She scanned the phone, his phone call history, and the messages... and ''viola'', she found the number of the mastermind. Her number was saved with the name "the Actress." Elle''s frowned after seeing that title. Someone popped up in her mind... Chlarice. "Pfft... this dumb foolish woman did not learn her lesson last time. She has the guts to attack me. Whoah, I am in awe of her dumbness, foolishness, and insecurities." "She is not worthy of my time. Dealing with this insignificant fly, I won''t do that. Should I let Charles handle this or the police?" Elle was contemplating what will be her next move. In the meantime, Elle decided to go downstairs and help James who was still tied up on a chair. James was astonished when he saw Elle came down alone. He gave her a questioning look since he could not talk. ''Why only Elle came down? Where are those three f*cking guys? Did they release her after assaulting her? But that was too fast.'' Seeing James''s expression, she knew there were lots of things running in his mind right now and he was dying to ask her about what happened. So the first thing she did upon reaching James, was to remove the tape on his mouth. "Elle, are you okay? Are you hurt? What did they do to you? I am sorry I was not able to do something." James bombarded her with questions. His face was painted with worries and concerns. "Before I answer your question, let me untie you first," Elle said to him softly. She was fighting the urge to laugh. Elle noticed the red marks on James''s skin caused by his struggling a while ago. Elle started to warm up towards James. Her impression of him started to change after this incident. ''Well, James Arison... looks like he is not that bad.'' She thought to herself as she continued to untie him. The moment James was released, he immediately stood up and pulled Elle into a hug. Elle was dumbfounded with his action. James tightened his hug around Elle''s body. She wanted to push him away but she stopped when she heard him say something. "I am sorry Elle. I am really sorry. I was useless. I was not able to protect you. I am sorry." James Arison apologized to her so many times. She could sense his fear, concern, and regrets from his voice. Elle did not expect this kind of reaction from him. From this closeness, she could also feel the beating of his heart, it was beating so fast. "Ahem... James... you are squeezing me too much. I can''t breathe." Elle complained to him as she felt that James''s hug tightened more. After hearing her complaints, James released her but he was still holding her shoulders. He scanned her body from top to bottom and vice versa. He was checking her if she was fine and she did not have any wound in her body. This time, Elle held James''s hands as she stared at him in his eyes. "Hey, I am okay. they did not hurt me. I was able to protect myself." Elle said to assure him. "But how?" James asked her inquisitively. Elle picked up something from her pocket and she showed him the torch. "Using this one. It is a safety torch with an electric shock effect. I always carry this for protection." Elle explained to him. "When they were busy thinking their evil plan towards me a while ago, I used the opportunity to shock them and they fell unconscious right away after hitting them with this," Elle said to him proudly. "You were able to do that?" James was in doubt. ''It looks like he is not buying my words. D*mn, I should convince him before he suspects me of anything.'' "Well, you know, I use their weakness against them. I know you are also aware of their weakness because you are also a man" Elle leaned towards him as she whispered in his ear. "A beautiful woman like me is their weakness... I just used my charm and grabbed that opportunity to strike." After saying that she winked at James. He was at a loss for words. Now, it really made sense to him. He also admitted to himself that if he was in their shoes, probably he would surely fall in her charm. ''D*mn, Elle is a very smart woman, worthy of my affection. She can even protect herself.'' He thought to himself as he admired the girl in front of him. "Okay... so what''s next?" Elle asked him. Elle heaved a sigh of relief as she convinced James and it looked like he believed her. "Okay, this time let me handle this. Let''s tie those bastards upstairs and I will call for the police." Elle just nodded in agreement. When Elle was not looking, a chilly glint flashed through James''s eyes. ''Now, it is my turn. I will give those bastards the punishments they deserve.'' James clenched his fists. He could not wait to vent his furry to those bastards who tried to hurt Elle. He concealed his murderous intent from Elle as they went upstairs. They were in the middle of restraining those men using the same ropes they used to tie Elle and James when suddenly the cellphone of the thin man started ringing. Elle smiled as soon as she saw the caller I.D. James frowned after hearing the tone. He turned to look at Elle. "Who''s cellphone is that?" He asked her. Elle pointed the unconscious thin man. As if James realized something, he immediately snatched the phone from Elle. He was also thinking that the one who was calling right now might be the mastermind. James answered the phone and put it in the speaker mode. After the phone was answered, a woman''s voice spoke from the other line. "Hello... have you finished the task already? Send me the picture of her disfigured face so that I will deposit to your account now the remaining amount," she said with her excited and demanding tone. Elle pretended to be shocked upon hearing that voice. On the other hand, James''s expression shifted from one after another as soon as he heard the familiar voice of that woman, first in disbelief, then in shock, and finally, in anger. He was a hundred percent sure. He knew that voice. He knew that caller. "Chlarice..." James mumbled through his gritted teeth. Chapter 152 - Is He Jealous? On the other hand, James''s expression shifted from one after another, as soon as he heard the familiar voice of that woman, first in disbelief, then in shock, and finally, in anger. He was a hundred percent sure. He knew that voice. He knew that caller. "Chlarice..." James mumbled through his gritted teeth. After confirming who the mastermind was, they hung up the phone without responding to Chlarice''s inquiry. A tinge of anger appeared on James''s face but he quickly concealed the emotion. Elle saw it but she did not dwell on it further. She did not know what kind of relationship James and Chlarice had but she decided not to confront him. "Elle let''s leave this place right now. Don''t worry the police are coming. I know you were shocked after what happened here, so let me handle this. Okay?" James volunteered to handle this thing. Since Elle was also planning to make Charles take in-charge of this, she just nodded at him in agreement. "I think we should wait for the police to come and leave after we hand over these criminals to them," Elle suggested. James agreed on her suggestion so they stayed and waited for the police to arrive. Minutes later, James''s right-hand man Spike arrived in the place. The truth was, James already sent an emergency signal to Spike the moment they arrived at that house. He had this small device with him hidden inside his pocket. Once he pressed it, it would send an emergency signal along with his current location to his right-hand man. He knew he was already coming to save them. "Since my assistant is here, we can now leave. I will let him stay to watch over those criminals while waiting for the police to come." James said to Elle. "Do you want me to drop you at your house?" James asked her since he also wanted to know where she was staying. She did not mind about what James was planning. And she did not want to waste her precious time because of that insignificant woman. She wanted to go home now and be with her beloved man. She was missing him already. "Hmm, sure. Thanks. I will really appreciate that." Elle already informed Charles and Phantom regarding what happened. They might be on their way also to this place. Charles informed her through a text message that they would pretend as police officers. Charles wanted to punish those guys by himself after knowing that they planned to ruin the beautiful face of Elle. Phantom was also enraged. Since the two men insisted, Elle just let them do whatever they wanted to those three men. She knew Master Phantom and Charles would give them the taste of hell. Elle just smiled from that thought. Those two men were really very protective of her even though they knew that she could handle things independently. But still, they were there ready to back her up and give her support. They were dependable comrades, of course as her family as well. While they were on the way to Elle''s home which was also Erick''s place, she was put in deep thought. ''Well... should I inform Erick about this incident or not?'' She was contemplating whether to tell Erick or not. ''If I will tell him I am sure he will be worried about me but if I will not tell him, he might be upset once he learned about this incident to other people like James.'' ''Hmm... I will decide once I get home.'' She made a mental note about this. James decided to start a conversation with her since he noticed that she was very silent. He was worried that Elle got a trauma because of this incident. "Are you really okay?" He asked her. "Hmm... Sort of. But don''t worry I can manage. By the way, thank you." Elle smiled at him faintly. James laughed dryly "Thank you for what? I have not done anything." He still felt guilty. "I want to thank you because I appreciate your sincere concerns about me. I think you are right." "You are not that bad... aside from being arrogant and annoying... now I could see some positive sides of you." Elle let out a soft chuckle after saying that. James was stunned in a moment. He was not used to Elle acting like this towards him. He noticed that she was not annoyed at him compared to before. He was happy about that. He thought that his relationship with Elle had improved slightly. "I am glad. Thank you for giving me a chance and now you are seeing the positive sides of me." James said to her cheerfully. "By the way, if you need help just tell me. Besides, I still owe you one favor, for saving me." James added. "Don''t worry, I will tell you once I needed you to return that favor to me," Elle assured him. Unknown to them, that for the coming days Elle would have to use that favor from James under the unfavorable circ.u.mstances. Meanwhile, Erick was a little bored staying at home. He was not used to this set-up. Even though the task force was updating him regularly with regards to their cases but still he missed working at the headquarters. Only Elle could make his day complete in times like this. They just got separated for several hours and now he missed her already. Elle promised him that she would go home early so he decided to wait for her at the balcony. He was looking forward to Elle''s arrival. ''Elle, come home. I miss you so much.'' Minutes later, the woman he was waiting for arrived but she was not alone. He saw her alighted from a silver BMW car. He stood up to approach her. Then he saw James who also got off his car. The moment the two men''s gaze met, a look of surprise appeared on their faces. They did not expect to see each other there. "Thank you for dropping me," Elle said to James. Elle''s voice pulled both men from their moment of stupor. "No problem." James simply said and smiled at her. Then he turned to look at Erick and gave him a nod as his simple greeting. Erick also returned his greeting with a nod. Two men had different questions running in their minds right now. James: ''Why Erick is here? Is Elle already living with Erick?'' Erick: ''Why she is with James? Why are they together?'' James immediately left since he still had something important to deal with. On the other hand, Elle''s face brightened up as soon as she saw her beloved man standing at the balcony waiting for her. Her lips immediately curled up into a sweet smile however she noticed that the man in front of her had a serious and dark expression on his face. This is not what she expected to see on her man''s face who should welcome her with a warm and gentle smile. ''''What''s wrong with him?'''' She mumbled to herself as she wondered why he looked unhappy. Then a realization came to her. ''Wait... is he jealous? Is he jealous when he saw James and I together just a while ago?'' Chapter 153 - Pacifying Her Jealous Man Elle just stood on her spot as her eyes surveyed the man in front of her whose face could no longer be painted due to the serious and dark expressions on his face. She knew that Erick became green in envy the moment he saw James personally dropped her at home. The look in his eyes was almost the same when Erick saw James hugging her at the hotel during James''s Birthday Party. Elle did not know why but she found him cute and charming even in his jealous state right now. Her lips held a faint smile and her eyes twinkled as she thought to herself ''I like seeing him so jealous like this. He is just showing me his possessive side and I love that.'' ''Should I tease him more or pacify him? Which is which?'' A playful smile appeared on her brightened face. "Hmm... I thought you are here because you are waiting for me. Why are you giving me that kind of face? Are you not giving me a welcome hug and kiss?" Erick''s face softened a little bit the moment he heard Elle speaks to him with her gentle eyes staring at him. He sighed heavily before he waltzed towards her in an unhurried manner. Even though he did not want to be upset about this but still he could not stop himself from being jealous. The frown was still on his handsome face as he glanced at the woman who was smiling sweetly before him. He stopped when he was one foot away from her. Elle did not receive the hug and the kiss she requested from him instead he gave her a questioning look. Elle raised her brow as she stared at the man who was obviously throwing a fit in front of her by rebelling and not giving in to her request. Instead of getting annoyed Elle let out soft giggles as she looked at Erick, feeling so amused. "Hmmph, Don''t just laugh at me. Explain." He said while pouting at her with a grim expression on his face. ''I could not believe this man. He could also be hardheaded sometimes. I think I should not tease him anymore. Okay... let''s just pacify this man and explain to him what happened.'' Elle took a peek at the house. She knew that Erick''s parents were inside. She wanted to talk to him in private so she grabbed Ericks''s hand and gently pulled him away from the house. "Come... let''s take a walk somewhere and then I will explain to you." Erick obediently followed her. It was still 3:00 o''clock in the afternoon and the sun was still up in the sky. Elle chose a shaded spot where there were lots of trees that could protect them against the heat of the sun. She stopped under a big acacia tree and sat on the ground where there were lots of dried leaves scattered. She asked Erick to do the same and he sat down beside her. Elle laughed inwardly seeing Erick being so obedient despite the fact that he was still upset. "Come... lie on my lap," Elle said to him but Erick just stared at her in disbelief. ''Hmm... is she trying to appease me by doing this? No... I should not be tempted and let her off easily.'' Erick thought to himself. He was firm and determined. So instead of obeying her, Erick folded his arms across his chest and started to confront her. "Why are you together with him? James likes you. I can see it. I could feel it. I''ve seen it in the hospital, the way he looks at you, the admiration reflected in his eyes." Erick lamented on her. Elle did not answer him right away, instead, she shook her head and clicked her tongue as she said. "Still stubborn huh? You ignored my request twice already. I think someone here is eager to have his punishment. Shall I punish you now Mr. Detective?" A dangerous and playful smirk appeared on her face. Erick looked at her confusedly. ''Why is she talking about punishment here. I should be the one giving her that, right?'' Before Erick could respond to her, Elle got up and sat on Erick''s lap, facing him. Erick was startled and the words that he wanted to say to her were stuck on his throat. He was tongue-tied at the moment. He lost the ability to think and the ability to speak the moment he felt her warm and soft body on top of him. Elle rejoiced inwardly seeing his shock expression. She grabbed that opportunity to do her next move that would surely make him surrendered to her. She smiled at him seductively. Erick froze on his spot while his heart was beating rapidly in anticipation and excitement. Elle decided to tease him more as she put her hands on the nape of his neck, gently touching and massaging it at the same time. That action sent shivers throughout his body. Erick gulped although his mouth was dry. He started to breathe heavily. His eyes were so fixated with Elle''s alluring eyes. ''D*mn... is this how Elle punish me because of my disobedience? She is torturing me right now...but I love it. I love the way she does.'' The arms which were crossed over his chest a while ago were now holding Elle''s waist. Elle had successfully broken his defense. After the long waits, Elle cupped his face and she leaned over to kiss Erick. Their lips pressed to each other. He began to kiss her back. His tongue brushed her lips seeking an entrance, his request was granted as Elle parted her lips. Seconds later, their tongues got entangled inside tasting each other. ''Her mouth is so soft and it tastes like honey.'' Erick thought to himself as he felt wonderful. He became more aggressive as he kissed her harder and deeper like a hungry wolf, biting and nibbling on her lips. Elle brought her fingers up to his hair and ran through it, gripping and tugging as their kisses intensified. Erick''s burning hand began to move as his fingers ran all over her body in a possessive manner. They kissed under the acacia tree until they stole each other''s breath and gave it back. As they broke that long passionate kiss, they both stared at each other. They were both panting and struggling to draw in enough air for them to breathe. "I think if we don''t stop kissing now..." Elle did not finish her words as she was embarrassed to point it out. She felt that something hard began poking under her. She could not deny the fact she, herself, felt the heat awakened in her stomach, spreading like a raging fire to her womanhood. "Right... seems like it," Erick whispered to her. Erick knew what she meant that also made his ears burn from embarrassment. Both of them were now aroused because of their burning desires toward each other. And for goodness'' sake, they were still outdoor. ''I think this is enough. It is really dangerous to play with fire.'' Elle sighed heavily before she got off his lap and sat beside him. When Erick saw Elle got off his lap, he groaned inwardly. He wanted to protest and ask her to stay but in the end, he just kept silent. Chapter 154 - Hypothetical Questions ''I think this is enough. It is really dangerous to play with fire.'' Elle sighed heavily before she got off his lap and sat beside him. When Erick saw Elle got off his lap, he groaned inwardly. He wanted to protest and ask her to stay but in the end, he just kept silent. "Hmm... are you still upset? Or do you feel better now?" Elle asked him, trying to divert their attention away from that heated passion. But it seemed like Erick was still in a daze as he only answered her with a "Huh?" Elle could not help herself but giggle at his cute reaction. The gloomy expression already disappeared from his charming face. "Mr. Erick Lee listen to me carefully. I don''t care if there are other guys who like me or have feelings for me." "I don''t give a damn about them because in my eyes and in my heart, it is only you that matters to me most." Elle started to feed him with sweet and touching words. "So you don''t need to be jealous. You are mine and I am yours. Is that clear?" The unhappiness he felt before was long gone the moment Elle sat on his lap and gave him a look like he was the only guy she loved and always wanted. "I understand. I am sorry about that. I just love you so much that I could not stop myself from being jealous when I see you with other guys especially if that guy has feelings for you." he apologized to her and he explained at the same time. Erick pulled her as he wrapped his arms around her. Elle leaned her head on his chest. "I know... and I like seeing you jealous. You are so cute." Elle giggled as she remembered his dark expression. Erick pinched her cute nose because of her remarks. Elle winced and hit his hand. "You are so unfair. I have not seen you get jealous. I also want to see how you look like if you are jealous." Erick complained to her. Elle turned to look at him with her dangerous smile. "Uh oh. Don''t ever think of making me jealous, Detective. I swear you will never want to see me mad and jealous. I have a tendency to kill someone if you do that." Elle threatened him. This time, Erick broke into a peal of laughter because of her remarks. Elle glared at him "I am not joking. Do you want to try and see it for yourself?" she warned him again. "Alright. Don''t look at me like that. I am not planning to make you feel jealous. I don''t want to make you upset." a gentle smile appeared on his face. "Besides you already know that I am head over heels in love with you," he whispered to her using his deep husky voice. ''D*mn, this man really knows how to sweet-talk.'' Elle''s heart melted the moment she heard that. His love and affection for her were written all over his face. At this moment, Elle felt like she couldn''t keep things to herself any longer. She decided to bare her soul to him and reveal some of her innermost thoughts and feelings. "Why do you love me so much? There are things about me that you don''t know yet." Elle asked him seriously. "Loving someone does not need a reason and an explanation. I don''t know how to answer your why but all I know is that this is how I feel for you." Erick replied to her sincerely. "I don''t need to know everything about you. I love you just the way you are." "Even if you don''t remember your past or recover your memory, I will still love you and that will not change. I am sure about it," he uttered with so much certainty in his voice. His words were so touching that Elle had a lump in her throat. She did not know if it was because of gratitude or sadness. But one thing was for sure. After hearing his answer, Elle became more afraid. Afraid of being caught and be hated by him. Because she knew, once he found out about her true identity, about all her lies, his love might turn into hate. She did not know how she would take it. ''Erick, I am not afraid of dying... but what I am afraid most is the moment I will no longer see the love in your eyes just like how you are looking at me right now.'' ''Because, once that happens, I will feel like I am dying a thousand times.'' she smiled bitterly from that thought. "I want to ask you something. This is just a hypothetical question but I want you to answer me honestly." Elle requested him. "Hmm Sure... what is it, my love?" Erick asked her curiously. He stared at her in a very expectant manner because he was eager to know her question. He marveled why all of a sudden Elle became so serious and he could feel like she was carrying a heavy burden in her heart right now. "What if I am not a good person like what you think of me right now? What if someone wanted my life because I am a bad person?" "What if I had killed someone? If you found out that I am a criminal what will you do?" Erick was at a loss for words hearing her questions. He did not expect her to ask him something like that. Erick kept silent for a few seconds, thinking about her question. All this waiting was making Elle more nervous and uneasy. She could almost hear her pounding heart amidst the silence of their surrounding. Before Elle could suffer from a heart attack for anticipating his answer, finally, Erick spoke up. Erick met her nervous gaze and he looked into her eyes as he gave her his response. "If that is the case, then I will have to put you in prison," he said to her in a serious tone. Elle''s heart sank when she heard what he just said and she felt like her world fell into pieces. ''I knew it.'' Elle thought to herself. However, before Elle broke down in front of him, she heard Erick spoke again. "So... if I ask you to surrender yourself to me, will you do it?" Erick asked her softly as he cupped her troubled face in his two hands. "Will you...? Will you marry me, Elle?" he added. Chapter 155 - Trust Me "So... if I ask you to surrender yourself to me, will you do it?" Erick asked her softly as he cupped her troubled face in his two hands. "Will you...? Will you marry me, Elle?" he added. Elle''s mind went blank and her racing heart seemed to stop from beating. She was out of words. She blinked several times as her lips slightly parted from bewilderment. ''Did I hear it wrong? What was the last sentence he said?'' Erick took in all the emotions coming from Elle. He smiled at her cheekily. ''Urgh... she is really pretty even when she is fl.u.s.tered. D*mn... I love her so much.'' He took advantage of that chance when Elle was still in a trance. He brought his face closer to her until their forehead touched each other, then he sealed her lips with a gentle kiss once again. ''D*mn. I could not really get enough of her. I felt addicted to her delicate lips.'' Elle was pulled out in the daze when she felt his warm lips covering hers. She closed her eyes and let go of all her emotions along with that kiss. The world that she thought crumbled a while ago was suddenly back to its original form, it was revolving around him. No...it was not... instead, he became her world. ''Oh sh!t. I am confused with his answers.'' Despite the confusion, she did not want to dwell with it right now especially at this very moment, when her beloved man was kissing her lovingly, pouring out all his love and affection for her through this kiss. This time the kiss was very gentle and slow. Both were taking their time, savoring the moments as their lips collided and pressed with one another with so much tenderness. After he let go of her lips, Elle looked down as she mumbled: "Why?" Erick''s lips curved upward. "What do you mean why?" "Why are you giving me that answer. I am confused by your answers. You ask me to marry you, what does it have to do with putting me in prison? Are you not taking my question seriously?" He held her chin up so that he could see her eyes clearly as his other hand moved to caress her cheek. "Of course not. I am serious. I don''t know why, but it just came out to me naturally. Why you look so troubled?" "Elle, can''t you trust me? Don''t think of anything, just trust my love for you, okay?" Elle just looked at him helplessly. She sighed deeply before nodding at him. "But... it seems like I got rejected right away with my first proposal. I thought she would answer yes right away." Erick mumbled softly to himself. "Huh, what did you say?" Elle could not hear it clearly because he almost said it through a whisper. Erick just smiled at her sheepishly. "Nothing. I said I got addicted to your lips." Elle shot him a glare as she hit his shoulder. He just giggled with her action. "Oh, by the way, you have not answered my question why you and James are together. This time you need to answer mine." "Well... the truth is..." Elle paused for a moment, contemplating whether she would tell him what happened or not. "It''s alright. I am not upset anymore. I am just curious. So tell me." Erick urged her to speak as he saw her hesitation. "Promise... I won''t get mad." He added as he assured her. He waited patiently for her answer. "Okay... you promise you won''t get mad and get upset again right?" she wanted to make sure. Erick nodded at her. "Yeah... I promise." "The truth is... James and I were kidnaped this morning." Erick was rendered speechless the moment he heard that. He was astounded at first but as he absorbed what she just said series of emotions flashed on his face. Of course, those emotions were the ones a person would naturally feel when he learned that someone important and dear to him was put in danger. The smile on his face disappeared once again. He was back to being serious and silent. It looked like he was suppressing something inside him. "What happened?" he asked her. There was firmness in his voice, as well as worries and concerns. Erick was calm but deep down he was freaking mad and fuming with rage right now. He was just trying to control his emotions as he promised her that he won''t be mad. ''Who the hell did this to Elle? I will make sure to punish them.'' Of course, he was not mad at her. He was angry, certainly at the perpetrators but also to himself. He was enraged by the thought that his woman was kidnapped just this morning and he had no idea about it. And what made him more upset was that he was not able to do anything to protect and save her. Before Elle could answer his first question, Erick spoke again as he bombarded her with questions. "Are they the members of Skull Gang? How did you able to escape? Why James is with you?" Sensing his unhappiness she decided to answer all his questions directly to the point. "No, they are not members of that gang. Someone hired them, the culprits are three men." "It just so happened that James accidentally saw me and he approached me that''s why he got involved. We successfully escaped because of the safety items you gave me." "And they are not after my life. Their primary goal is to ruin and disfigure my face. We also learned who the mastermind was. She is Chlarice, the famous actress. We also got the evidence." "Did you remember, I had a fight with her during James Birthday Party? Probably she bore some grudge against me after that incident at the party." After hearing her response, Erick immediately stood up and was about to leave when Elle stopped him. "Hey, where are you going?" Elle asked him confusedly. "I have to catch those bastards." He said with his angry tone. "You are not allowed to leave the house. You are not fully healed." Elle looked at him with disbelief. "Where are they?" fury was evident to his eyes. "Don''t bother with them. Probably, they are now in police custody now. Besides, James said he will handle this." she was trying to appease him. However, Erick refused to listen as he tried to take a step again. She could feel his agitation as he clenched his fists. He was desperate to punish them with his own hands. There was a heavy frown on his face, bitter discontent in his dark brown eyes. She knew that Erick tried his best but still he lost control. It looked like he was ready to beat someone to death right now. She must stop him before he could do something that would hurt himself. He was not yet fully recovered after all. ''Bryan was right, Erick is so frightening once he is mad and angry, just like now.'' A sudden hug from behind stopped Erick on his track. Elle''s arms around him tightened. She would not allow Erick to take another step. "Erick please calm down. Listen to me. I am here safe and sound. Where do you think you are going? Leaving me here alone." The feeling of her warmth against his back and her soft arms wrapping him right now was able to calm him down a little bit. "Can''t you just let James handle it? Please just stay here with me. Don''t you think that what I need most right now is for you to comfort me? please Erick... just stay." Elle pleaded him. After hearing that, the raging fury in Erick''s heart immediately disappeared. The concern and worry about Elle overpowered his emotion. "Alright... I won''t leave you. But still, I won''t just stay here doing nothing." Erick removed her arms and he turned to face her only to wrap her into a warm embrace. "I won''t let someone off easily for doing this to you. I don''t want you to be hurt. I promised to protect you, remember?" he said to her softly. Elle just nodded at him. She buried herself into his warm chest. He started to stroke her hair and her back, trying to comfort her and assure her that he was there for her. Elle heaved a sigh of relief as she felt that Erick already calmed down and she was able to convince him to stay. Seconds later, Erick spoke up again. "Come, let''s go back to the house. I need to call Bryan and ask him a favor. Have you brought the evidence with you?" "Yes, I brought the culprit''s phone. It is inside my bag I left in the balcony. There are messages there regarding their transaction. We also recorded Chlarice''s voice during her last call." "Let''s go I want to see it." Chapter 156 - Jamess Wrath Erick and Elle went back to the house. Erick immediately checked the evidence Elle was talking about. Suddenly, Elle received a phone call from Charles. She excused herself and let Erick see the culprit''s phone while Elle left him for a while to answer Charles. Elle: "Hello?" Charles: "Hey, we have bad news." Elle: "What is it?" Charles: " I thought you captured those three bastards." Elle: "Yes, James''s assistant is there waiting for you. He is expecting the police to come. Did you pretend that you are police officers?" Charles: "Yes. We even wore a police uniform but the problem is when we arrived the house was already empty. We did not see the assistant you are talking about." Elle frowned after hearing that. ''Did the true police officers arrive before Charles and Master Phantom reached the place?'' Charles: " Where are they? We are dying to torture them! I already think so many ways how I will deal with them, only to find out that they are already gone!" "How can Master and I vent our anger if they are not here" Charles added, frustration and disappointment were evident to his voice. Elle: "Just come back now. I will ask James about that. Maybe the true police officers arrived first." Then Charles hung up the phone. Seconds later a realization came to Elle. ''What if James uses his power as Skull Gang''s leader to teach those fools a lesson? There is a possibility that he did not hand them over the police.'' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***At Skull Gang Headquarter*** Unknown to Elle, the moment they left the house where the culprits brought them, James''s men which was lead by his right-hand man, Spike, transferred the three culprits to one of the Skull Gang Headquarters. After dropping Elle to Erick''s place, James immediately headed to their headquarter where his men are waiting for him. Skull Gang Headquarter had a secret dungeon where they would put their prisoners and sometimes they often used that place to torture Skull Gang''s enemies. The three men who were responsible for kidnapping James and Elle were tied down inside that prison, waiting for Skull Gang Leader''s judgment which would be given by James. They already received and suffered some beatings from James''s men. They even fell unconscious several times but Spike together with others would always have ways to wake them up. Their body already felt numb from the beatings. They were squirming in pain. They regretted accepting the job given by that actress. If they knew that this would happen to them then they won''t even touch even a single strand of Elle''s hair. For goodness''s sake, that actress had only given them one hundred thousand and now their lives were at stake. That price was not worth it. "Ahh... Please stop already... It''s too painful..."The thin man was crying in pain as he pleaded to them. "Please... spare our lives." A plea coming from the Chubby man. They already knew that they were doomed as they could see that these people in front of them were not ordinary thugs. They were asking and begging for mercy, shouting and screaming in pain, when James arrived in the place. The men just stopped beating the three persons when they saw James. He was emanating a murderous and terrifying aura as soon as he entered that room. He looked daggers at the three men who immediately became petrified when they saw him. A chilly glint flashed through his eyes and a sinister smile appeared on his face. "I negotiated with you using my money for so many times but you were arrogant and stubborn." James started to speak with a threatening tone. "I had told you so many times don''t ever hurt or touch her with your filthy hands but you did not listen." His tone was firm and cold at the same time. "You did not listen to me... How dare you?!" James let out bone-chilling laughter that rendered the three persons motionless and frozen with fears. "You. Touched. Her. With. Your. Dirty. Hands and even Tried. To. S.e.xually. Assault. Her." James emphasized every word he said. He was grinding his teeth from anger. The three men could not speak because of fear. James signaled one of his underlings to untie the thin man and put his two hands on the table in front. The thin man looked terrified and nervous. "Boss... what are you.. going to do? Please... forgive me... I regretted it already. I am sorry for not listening to you." The thin man stuttered as he was panicking right now. Believe me... I did not ... Ahhhh!!!" The thin man was not able to finish his words when suddenly James picked up the knife and stabbed the hand of the thin man which was placed in the top of the wooden table. "This filthy hand of yours touched Elle. I won''t ever forget that..." James was holding the knife firmly as the tip of the knife dug further in the thin man''s hand. The man screamed in agonizing pain as James twisted the knife, forcing it in further to the man''s flesh until its tip reached the wooden table. Blood started to flow from that wound. James repeated the process to the other hand of the thin man. His scream and whimper mixed with his begging and crying reverberated inside that room. James did not show mercy. He would not be satisfied until he saw this man suffered too much to the extent that he would wish to die. James was still in the middle of torturing the thin man when his phone started to ring. It was an unregistered number but still, he decided to answer it. "Who''s this? What do you need?" James said with his stern cold voice. He was unhappy because of the interruption caused by that phone call. "Hello James, This is me... Elle." James''s expression softened as soon as he heard Elle''s familiar voice from the other line. The frightening and merciless expression of James a while ago suddenly disappeared. "Hey, is something wrong?" He asked her softly. Spike and the other Skull Gang members inside had mixed reactions seeing their Boss talking with someone using his gentle voice right now. Shock, disbelief, and amus.e.m.e.nt could be seen in their faces. His mood and behavior turned around 180 degrees the moment he answered that phone call. "Well... I just want to ask if you already talked with the police?" Elle asked him. James turned to look at the three men and signaled them to keep quiet and not to make unnecessary noise as he answered Elle with a simple "Yes." "Hmm... okay. I think we need to convince them to admit and be witnesses. They should reveal to the police who is the mastermind." "I am also planning to sue Chlarice. I will also surrender the evidence to the police. Erick already has the culprit''s phone. He said he will help us with this case." Elle decided to take her revenge against Chlarice using the police since Erick was already aware of the incident. She called James right now to ensure that he won''t do anything to the three culprits since she needed them to be a witness. She knew what James was capable of doing. He had the tendency to kill those three persons using Skull Gang''s power. The moment Charles informed her that they did not see the culprits, she suspected James had something to do with their disappearance. And she assumed that he was torturing them right now. She even heard someone''s whimpering the moment the phone was answered a while ago. "Alright. I got it. Don''t worry. I will help you." James responded to her. "Thank you so much Chairman Arison. Don''t turn back on your words." Elle thanked him with her bright and enthusiastic tone. James could not help himself but chuckle with her remarks. "Yeah... You know I am a trustworthy person. You have my word, my dear savior." James assured her. "Ok. I will remember that. Bye." Elle hung up the phone after saying that. Minutes had passed after that phone call but the smile on James''s face still remained. He was looking at that unregistered number on his phone while smiling foolishly. His men were dumbstruck to see that kind of reaction from him but they just turned a blind eye and pretended they had not seen it. ''So I guess, this is her number.'' He could not explain but knowing her number just now, he felt really happy. His terrifying aura was now nowhere to be seen. He saved it before he turned back his attention to the three men. "Well... I guess you are still lucky. Honestly, I am planning to kill all of you after torturing you but since my lovely savior informed me that she needs you then I will let you live for now." "Are you willing to cooperate with me?" He asked them. The three men nodded vigorously in agreement, afraid that James would change his mind. "Very good. Don''t disappoint me. I will not hesitate to kill you even if you are already inside the prison." James warned them. After he was satisfied with their answer, James gave his order to Spike. "Make preparation. We will hand over them with the police. Clean this area after I leave." "Copy Boss." Before he left, he spoke again to the three culprits. "By the way, don''t ever mention to the police what happened to you here. Remember, your lives are all in my hand now. I can kill you anytime." ''Now, I need to confront the Mastermind of this...Chlarice.'' Chapter 157 - The Price You Have to Pay Chlarice was walking back and forth in her living room at her condo unit while holding her phone. She felt impatient as she did not receive any updates yet from the person she hired. "Sissy, can you stop doing that. I felt dizzy by just watching you." Therese, her friend, complained to her. "I can''t wait to see the ruined face of that b!tch. I don''t know why it took them so long to reply to me. He even hung up the phone without answering my question." Chlarice lamented on her. "Hmm. Chillax my friend. You never know, they must be busy enjoying themselves while playing with that b!tch. You know what I mean." Therese gave her a provocative smile. Chlarice chuckled the moment she imagined that Elle was being ravished by three strangers while crying and begging them to stop. She was satisfied with that thought. "Hahaha. You are right. That must be the case. After today, she will not only lose her face but also her chastity and dignity as a woman. My sweetest revenge for her, I hope she is also enjoying it." After a while, Chlarice''s phone vibrated. She opened the message immediately, expecting a piece of good news. Upon reading the message, Chlarice curled up into a bright smile. Even though the message was not the one she was expecting still she felt very happy after receiving it. "Oh, are they done already? I wanna see it." Therese asked Chlarice to show her the message. Chlarice showed her the message. [ Meet me at RZ Imperial Hotel now. Room 666. ] Therese frowned after reading the message. She gave Chlarice a confused look. "I think James misses me so much that''s why he contacted me now. Hmm, I knew it. He could not bear not to see me for that long." Chlarice proudly said as she was rejoicing inside. "Oh, I miss him also. I want to feel him again inside me. I got addicted to him. He is really good in bed." "Therese come help me choose the s.e.xiest dress that will make James drool over me once he sees me," Chlarice said to her friend excitedly as she pulled her towards her wardrobe. They started to choose one dress after another. After choosing the most suitable one. Chlarice started to apply her make up. She was determined to win over James once again using her body and charm. She was very excited since she thought after today they would reconcile with each other and be back to how they used to before, seeing, dating and sleeping together wherever they wanted. After she was satisfied with her appearance, Chlarice did not waste more time and she headed to RZ Imperial Hotel where James was waiting for her. She was now standing at the front door of the hotel room #666. Her heart was beating with excitement and anticipation. She was already holding her keycard. As usual, James left the spare one at the front desk for Chlarice to get it when she arrived. Chlarice entered the room and she saw James standing in the middle of the room. James tucked his hands into his pockets and fixed Chlarice with a hostile stare. She did not notice it as she immediately threw herself at James. She hugged him and was about to kiss him but to her disappointment James immediately pushed her away from him. She was surprised by his action. "Babe, what''s wrong? I thought you also miss me that''s why you asked me to be here." James stayed silent as he gave her a kind of stare as if she had a contagious disease and he did not want to be closer with her. Chlarice was now confused. This was not the kind of treatment she was expecting him to give her as soon as they met. "Why are you playing so hard to get? I know you just want to have s*x with me that''s why you wanted to meet me here right? Then what are you waiting for Babe?" Chlarice said to him seductively as she started to unzip her s.e.xy dress, slowly revealing her flawless skin to him. Now, she was only wearing a pair of red lacy lingerie. If this was just before, James would already throw her into the bed, ravishing her entire body and making her m.o.a.n in pleasure. But this time, it was not the case. If that incident did not happen this morning, James would not waste his time to meet this woman again. He was already done with her the moment she lay her finger on Elle during his Birthday party. "Why did you hire someone to hurt Elle?" James finally spoke up. His voice was deep and cold. Chlarice was startled when she heard James. ''How did he know that?'' She started to feel nervous as she could see the hostile look that James was giving her. She chuckled nervously "What are you talking about? I have no idea about that." she said as she denied his accusation. "That woman was trying to ruin my name. She is just a jealous woman trying to stir conflict between us. Don''t listen to her lies." "If I have to choose between you and her, I will believe her. You are the one who is lying here. Answer my question, why did you do that?" He asked again with his stern voice. Chlarice was looking at him with disbelief. "Why are you favoring her? I am your woman, not her. Don''t tell me you like her? Are you blind? She is another man''s girlfriend!" She spat back at him with her angry tone. James was losing his patience now. "You are not my woman. For me, you are just part of my past time. And Elle? Yes... I like her so much. I don''t even care if she has a boyfriend. I. still. like. her. only her." A smug smile creased on his face. "How dare you!? You just used me?! I hate you! I hate you!" Chlarice started to punch James''s chest. James grabbed her arms to stop her. She looked hurt and angry at the same time. She could not accept it. James was a jerk. Then seconds later, Chlarice laughed maniacally. She totally lost her mind. "Hahaha... do you think that b!tch is pure and innocent? She is just pretending to be weak to catch your attention. She is just fooling all of you." "That''s why I give her a lesson. Hahaha... can you still like her even if she has an ugly face? Can you still like her even if she was already used by other guys? She deserves it." She continued to laugh like a crazy madwoman. Then seconds later, a hard slap stung her cheek, and she gasped. Chlarice turned to look at him only to meet his cold sharp glare. She was shocked beyond belief. James hit her. It was hard to believe that this man in front of her was the same man she had slept with and offered her body wholeheartedly. "I never lay a hand on a woman. This is my first time doing this. You touched my bottom line. You leave me no choice. This is the last time. Don''t ever think of hurting Elle once again. I swear to you, I will not hesitate to ruin not only your face but your life." James threatened her. James did not waste his time as he walked past her and slammed the door behind him, leaving the hotel room, angry and agitated. Chlarice was left alone inside that room, crying while cursing James and Elle. After he left the hotel, James immediately called someone. "I want you to pull out all the investments and sponsorship that I put on Chlarice''s movie and her other projects." "Make sure that her agency will not give her any more resources. I want her ban in the entertainment industry. I want it done in 24 hours. If anyone helps her, I want you to ruin that person also." The person on the other line never asked James for his reason for doing this. All he needed to do was follow his order. After giving him all the instructions, James hung up. "This is the price you have to pay for trying to hurt Elle. You target the wrong person Chlarice." Chapter 158 - End of her Career ***At Erick''s Place*** Meanwhile, Bryan already arrived at Erick''s place. He headed there right away after receiving a call from Erick. Bryan was surprised when he heard the news regarding the kidnapping incident which involved Elle and James. "Hey Elle, are you alright? They didn''t hurt you, did they?" Bryan was also concerned about her. "I am fine. I am scared but since Erick is here I already feel safe." she clamped her arms around Erick''s waist again. "Hey... can you stop acting so intimate in front of me? I hate Public Display of Affection!" Bryan complained to them. That remark only produced a laugh from the couple. Bryan just sighed in defeat. "Well, you will also experience this PDA once you and April will be in an official relationship." Elle teased him with made Bryan blush immediately. The couple laughed at him seeing his fl.u.s.tered face. "Yeah. How are you and April, by the way?" Erick asked Bryan curiously. "En... we are doing fine I guess," Bryan answered him, he could not look at Erick''s eyes because he was a little bit shy. "Okay, just give me the evidence. Stop asking me already. My love life, I want to keep it private for now." Bryan said as to avoid their further questioning about his relationship with April. "Alright. Seems like someone here is a very shy boy so we will stop teasing you." Elle chuckled at his reaction. "This phone contains the exchanges of messages between those culprits and the person who hired them. Chlarice''s voice was also recorded there." Erick handed the phone to Bryan. "D*mn! I could not still believe that Chlarice is capable of doing that." Bryan said in frustration. "Of course, she is. A jealous woman can do anything." Elle retorted. "Yeah, Elle even said to me that she will kill someone once she is jealous," Erick said as a joke while scratching the back of his head. A soft laugh escaped her throat because as the saying goes ''we laugh because it is true.'' Bryan just gave her a weird look. "Okay Chief, I know what to do. I will ask Rose for help to trace back this number to confirm if this is really Chlarice''s number. Then after compiling all the evidence, I will hand it over to Police Officer Kim." "By the way, at what police precinct those culprits are being imprisoned?" Bryan asked Elle. "To be honest, I don''t know. It was James who handled those culprits. You can ask him yourself." Elle responded with a shrug. "Alright, I guess, tomorrow morning Chlarice will be invited to the police headquarter. Will you also come to give your statement?" Bryan asked Elle. Bryan was a little bit worried since there might be another fight and confrontation once Elle and Chlarice would meet at the police headquarter. "Yes! I want to see them face to face but only if Erick will accompany me." she gazed up at Erick''s face with a bright smile flashed on her face. "Of course I will. I have to be there to support you." Erick promptly said as he gave her a doting smile while looking at her intently. "I want to see those men who tried to hurt you," Erick added. "Alright, but promise me you will not do anything there okay? Just stay beside me." Elle requested him. Erick just nodded at her as he pulled her into a hug. "Hey stop it both of you! Did you just call me here so that you can flaunt to me your sweetness? You are hurting my eyes. D*mn! I can''t take it anymore. I gotta go!" Bryan hissed at the couple as he turned and walked away. Elle and Erick just laughed out loud as they stared at the retreating back of Bryan. "Bryan is not joking. He really leaves us here just like that. Can''t he really bear to see us acting like this?" Elle said to Erick with disbelief. Erick just shrugged and let out a soft chuckle. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***At Falcon Cafe*** Charles was still feeling frustrated because of the disappearance of the culprits. He was dying to give them the worst punishment he could think of. He was disappointed that the Skull Gang handled everything. Elle just informed them that James was the one responsible for taking those culprits and had them tortured in one of their headquarters. He also received a message from Elle saying that the culprits had been transferred to police custody by now. Elle decided to let Erick do the legal process in giving Chlarice a lesson for doing this. But Charles and Phantom would not just stay still and watch as James and Erick do their part in seeking justice for Elle. They also wanted to do something for Elle or else they would not have peace of mind. So Charles and Phantom made their own plan on how they would give Chlarice a proper punishment for trying to hurt Elle. "Master I managed to get the schedule of that actress tomorrow. I think we should also make some moves and teach that jealous and insecure actress a lesson." Charles said to Phantom excitedly. "Good. I also agree with that. How dare she tried to ruin the beautiful face of my daughter Elle. I won''t let her off easily. We should give her ''karma''. So what do you have in mind?" Phantom asked Charles. He was interested to know what Charles had prepared for tomorrow. "I asked Elle to send us a copy of that recording." Charles grinned at Phantom like a Cheshire cat. Phantom knew that Charles had a nice plan seeing his smile like that. "So...Master are you in or out?" "Hmm... do you need to ask? Of course, I am in." Phantom chuckled as he responded to Charles. Charles shared with Phantom his idea. Phantom approved it and he was satisfied after hearing his suggestion. Tomorrow they would execute their plan. ''Hmm, Chlarice just you wait. Tomorrow will surely be the end of your career.'' Chapter 159 - Arrest The next day, Chlarice proceeded with her schedule as if the confrontation between her and James did not happen. As a professional actress, she knew how to pretend to look good and act she was doing well in the camera even though she was not feeling okay deep inside. Every time she would remember yesterday''s incident with James, she could not help but get hurt and angry at the same time. She kept on blaming everything to Elle. She did not think that the consequence of her act would be fatal. She kept on thinking about how James was able to know her plan of hurting Elle. She pondered what happened to the person she hired. She never heard any update from that guy since yesterday. She was nervous if something went wrong on her plan but there was no way she could verify it. So she just decided to go on with her daily schedule since her career was her priority right now. She had shows and guesting for today for the promotion of her new movie. Now she was in a studio wearing her charming smile, living up the reputation of Nation''s sweetheart. She was attending a morning talk show wherein she would do some interviews and promote her upcoming movie. "Hello people, welcome to our Morning Talk Show with Alice. Are you excited about today?" The host said as the filming started. This was one of the famous programs every morning which was hosted by the famous MC Alice, a live show. "Without further ado, let''s invite here on stage our special guest for today, our Nation''s Sweetheart, Chlarice." The moment she was called Chlarice immediately went on stage. She looked stunning with her hair and makeup which complimented her white floral dress. She wore her sweet and charming smile that could make gentlemen fantasize and fall for her. They did some greetings before they proceeded to her interview. The host asked her a few questions regarding her daily lives, current shows, and the highlight was about her upcoming movie entitled Jenny. "Can you tell us about this upcoming movie of yours Ms. Chlarice? What is so special with this movie?" the host asked her. "As the title goes, it is about a girl named Jenny. This is about her adventure, her struggles in life before she can climb on top and become a successful musician, or a singer rather." Chlarice answered softly. "This movie is very special since Jenny''s story is like a mirror of my life. The hardsh.i.p.s I went through before I became successful in this show business. I will sure many new artists will be inspired by her story. This movie will tell us to dream big and to work hard to reach for our dreams." "Wow. That''s nice. I think everyone will be waiting for that movie. We are excited to see again on screen together with your new leading man. Do you agree with me?" The host said enthusiastically as she turned to ask the audience in the studio. Everyone answered the host. "Okay, since we are all excited for the movie of our Nation''s Sweetheart... we prepared something for all of you. Let us all watch the movie trailer on the screen." After the host said that, everyone focused their attention on the screen. After a few seconds, the opening banner of the movie Jenny played on the screen. Everyone was anticipating to see the movie trailer but to their surprise, instead of a movie trailer, pictures of Chlarice with different kinds of degrading words. [ Nation''s Sweetheart?! Never!! Chlarice is a b!tch ] [ She is an insecure and jealous witch! ] [ She is a criminal. ] Everyone gasped in surprise seeing those things flashed on the screen. Even the hosts and staff were dumbstruck that they were not able to react. Then seconds later, they heard a familiar voice coming out from the screen. "Hello... have you finished the task already? Send me the picture of her disfigured face so that I will deposit to your account now the remaining amount." The moment Chlarice heard her own voice saying those words, she was shocked beyond belief. She immediately became pale and her body trembled from fear and nervousness. Everyone could not believe what they were witnessing right now. The voice kept on playing so many times. They were puzzled about what was happening right now. ''Is someone trying to play a prank on Chlarice? But who would do this?'' After the staff recovered from the shock, they immediately cut off their live show which was currently airing even though it was too late since thousands of viewers already saw those images and heard the recording. The host immediately apologized to Chlarice who looked so shaken about what just happened a while ago. Chattering and whispering could be heard in the audience area. Everyone had different reactions evident to their faces. Others pitied Chlarice but some were giving her an indifferent and accusing look. They already created speculation and own interpretation in mind. Seeing the way people look at her, Chlarice wished that the ground would just swallow her up and disappeared from their sight. Chlarice''s assistant and her friend Therese came to her rescue as they helped her stand up and guided her to leave the studio immediately. As they were exiting the studio, Chlarice phone started to ring. It was a call from her manager. She had not yet recovered from that shock when she heard another bad news. "Chlarice, I just finished the meeting the agency. I am afraid to say that the sponsors and investors to your projects backed out. They said they were unhappy with you. Some producers also changed their minds and planning to remove you on their shows." This piece of news was another huge blow for Chlarice. After hearing that, her grasp on the phone loosened causing her to drop it. She almost fell as she felt her legs became weak. Fortunately, Therese and her assistant were there to catch her. They were trying to comfort Chlarice when the police approached them. When Chlarice saw them, it seemed that her heart stopped beating. She knew that she really f*cked up so big this time. "Miss Chlarice, I am Police officer Kim. We would like to invite you to our police precinct. You are the prime suspect for instigating someone to kidnap Elle Claveria." Police officer Kim showed her the arrest warrant. "You have the right to remain silent anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Chlarice did not know how she would felt right now. It seemed like heaven turned against her in just one day. She had no choice but to go with the police. She was silent the whole time. She was shocked and afraid. She wanted to run away but she could not move. Her body froze and lost all her energy. Her mind went blank. She could not believe that all of these were happening to her right now. She wanted to regret it but it was too late. She did not know if she could handle this. She felt like she was going crazy right now. ''That b!tch! She was the reason for all of these. I will kill her. I will.'' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At the Police Precinct*** Elle just finished giving her statement to the police. Erick also accompanied her as he promised. The three culprits were also there. Erick wanted to punch those men knowing that they were the ones who tried to hurt Elle but since he knew he could not do that and it''s against the rule, he controlled himself from doing it. Now for the first time, he wished he was not a police detective so that he could do whatever he wanted and beat those guys. Elle could feel his agitation and fury so she tried to console him as she held his arm. "Hey, everything is fine now. Stop looking at them. You will just ruin your mood." Erick turned to look at her when he heard her voice. He just nodded and smiled at her. After a while, Chlarice together with Police officer Kim arrived at the precinct. Since Chlarice was cooperative at the beginning, they did not put handcuffs on her hands. The moment she saw Elle inside, her eyes became red in furry and all her negative emotions began to surge out. And when he saw the guy whom she hired, she knew that her life was already doomed. She just lost everything today. All her misfortune started when she met this woman. Thinking about all the incidents happened to her since yesterday until today, she had the urge to hurt and kill her. Chlarice reached her breaking point and lost her sanity. She suddenly snatched the gun from the policeman beside her. Everyone was unprepared for her sudden action. "You b!tch! This is all your fault! I will kill you today!" Chlarice shouted as she pointed the gun at Elle. Seconds later the sound of gunfire was heard inside that precinct. Bang! "Ah!" Fortunately, Erick was quick to react as he immediately dashed forward and grabbed Chlarice''s hand, successfully changed the direction of the bullet as it was shot towards the ceiling. Chlarice whimpered as Erick twisted her hand for her to loosen her grip on the gun, and Erick was able to snatch the gun from her. Erick''s eyes darkened as he pushed Chlarice away causing her to fall on the ground as he shielded Elle behind him. The police officers quickly restrained Chlarice. "I did not think someone like you would stoop so low as this and to hire someone to ruin someone else''s face because of your jealousy and insecurity. And now you even try to kill her." there was hostility in his voice. Erick threw Chlarice a cold stare that made her spine chilled and shivered from just the stare alone. Elle and Officer Kim were astonished to see this kind of expression from Erick. This was the first time they saw him like this. Even the other people inside could feel the cold and terrifying aura emanating from him. Chapter 160 - Emergency Signal A week after that incident with Chlarice, everything was back to normal. Elle also learned what Charles and Phantom did that day to Chlarice. Chlarice was humiliated in the national television. News regarding the evil things that Chlarice had done spread in the social media sites. She was destroyed totally that day, her reputation and her career. Now that actress was out of the picture, Elle''s days became more peaceful and she was back to her normal daily routine, coming to the Cafe and doing the groundwork for her next target. Her relationship with James also improved. On the other hand, Erick was recovering very well and he would go to work after another week of rest. His parents already went back home to their province since Erick was doing fine and they felt assured because Elle was there to take good care of Erick. After what happened to the police precinct, he became more protective of Elle. When Elle was out, he always made sure for Elle to give him updates about what she was doing, her location and anything related to her. Elle was very cooperative with him even though there were times she would tell him a lie to cover up for herself when she was out to monitor her target. And once Erick and Elle were at home, he tried to teach her some moves on how to defend herself. He taught her simple and basic self-defense in which Elle was able to learn easily. Actually, although Elle did not need to do that, she just went along with him to appease and make Erick at ease. Besides, she also enjoyed their training as one of their bonding moments. She was just very careful not to blow her cover thus she was controlling her strength and speed every time the two of them would do a sparring session. But her main reason for doing so was that she was afraid that Erick might get hurt even though his wounds were now fine. However, their training session would always end up in a different outcome. Every time Erick would pin her down, he would always steal a kiss from her. And Elle would also find her way to get even with him thus their training session would always turn to be a passionate moment between the couple. Erick was becoming more and more shameless these days but Elle was used to him acting like that. She also liked it. They were becoming more intimate with each other as time goes by. They were comfortable showing their true feelings towards one another. Meanwhile, Bryan visited Erick today in order to update him regarding the progress of their case. "Chief, It seemed like Black Shadow went lie low. He did not contact Marie and they have not seen each other for a week now." Bryan informed Erick. They were sitting in the living room. Erick continued to flip the doc.u.ments. He was reading the report and reviewing the previous and recent cases related to Catseye. He was silent as Bryan continued to feed him information. "Another thing, Catseye made her move against the Assassin''s Guild." his voice was filled with amus.e.m.e.nt. "What did she do this time?" Erick stopped what he was doing and he fixed his gaze to Bryan, interested in what he was about to share with him. "Marie''s undercover work was really helpful. She heard that Catseye infiltrated one of the secret headquarters of Assassin Guild. She gave them a warning. She even killed another assassin." "Members of that guild were terrified after knowing that Catseye was with them all along. Catseye is becoming bold and aggressive. Imagine Chief, she went there alone while she was surrounded by a large number of her enemies." Bryan said with amazement in his voice. "She is smart. She just used her advantage that no one from that guild except Black Shadow knew her face. She just showed them how frightening she was. I guess she managed to accomplish her goal, she inflicted fears to her enemies." Erick shared his thought. "You are right, because of that, the Command Kill Order issued by the guild became useless since only the brave one would accept that mission." Bryan nodded as he agreed with Erick. Erick sighed heavily as he stared at the doc.u.ment in his hand. He was looking at the picture of Jefferson Gong. Bryan noticed his expression so he asked him "What are you thinking right now?" "I don''t know why, but I felt like there is a story behind why Catseye killed this man." Erick showed him the picture of Jefferson. "I have a nagging feeling that there is a deeper meaning on this. It seemed like she was trying to give someone a message. I have a bad feeling about this. I think she is targeting a group of people right now. I believe this time it is not because of money or mission given by someone." Bryan frowned after hearing that. "So why do you think she is doing this?" "Personal grudge... this is some kind of revenge I think." Erick had his doubt and he was determined to unfold this mystery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***At Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation Head Office*** James just finished his meeting with some of the investors and clients. He was in a good mood for a week and the main reason for that was Elle. Unlike before, Elle was treating him now as her friend. He was no longer the annoying arrogant wealthy guy in her eyes. He was grateful after what happened to them, now they were becoming closer to each other. He often dropped by at Falcon''s Cafe in order to see Elle with an excuse of just buying snacks for his employees. He became one of the loyal customers of that cafe. As James arrived at his office, he saw Spike inside waiting for him. He sat down on his office chair and gave Spike a questioning look before he spoke up. "Why are you giving me that kind of face? Is there something wrong? Speak." James asked him right away as he noticed that Spike''s troubled face. Spike spoke up without looking into his eyes since what he was about to report to him was not good news. "Boss regarding the investigation of that necklace. We have not yet gathered a piece of useful information. We already checked all the jewelry stores in the City Z but none of them had seen this kind of necklace." Spike gave him back the box containing the necklace. "How is that possible? How about the result of the investigation our men conducted outside the City Z?" James said with his unhappy tone, a frown appeared on his handsome face. Spike shook his head as a response before he said "Same negative result Boss. Every store they visited they always got the same response, they had not seen this necklace." "They said maybe this kind of necklace was personalized or this was not made here, probably from another country," Spike explained to him. Of course, they would not see that necklace and jewelry store would not recognize it since Erick did not buy that in a jewelry store. It had a specialized function for tracking someone''s location in times of emergency. Erick bought that necklace to a store selling safety items and equipment for protection. James sighed deeply as he realized something. "Of course, Catseye was not an ordinary person so it is given that her possession will not be an ordinary item." James laughed dryly. "As expected, It is not easy to track her using this. Alright, you just continued investigating this. If you still won''t get a productive result within one week then stop wasting your time. I will let Black Shadow handle this. You may go." James said as he dismissed Spike. James was left alone in his office, still thinking about he was able to catch Catseye. He opened the box and picked up the necklace inside. He was staring intently at the necklace as he studied it very carefully. Troubled, he toyed with the necklace on his hands. Thinking about his father as he missed his presence James squeezed the necklace on his palm. Unknown to James, by doing that, he accidentally pressed the small button attached to the pendant. Meanwhile, at Erick''s place, Bryan and Erick were still discussing Catseye''s case when Erick''s phone suddenly vibrated and they heard the loud ringtone coming from the phone. Erick immediately stood up and dashed forward to grab his phone. Bryan was puzzled with Erick''s sudden action. Bryan saw the changes in his expression the moment he stood up in a hurried manner like his life depend on it. Seconds later, Bryan noticed the lines of worry in his face along with his darkened expression. The next seconds, he saw Erick went inside his room to get something. Bryan stood up feeling so confused ''What is happening?'' Erick came out with his room with the car keys on his hand and his gun on the other hand. Bryan''s eyes widened the moment he saw Erick holding his gun looking so serious. Before Erick could leave the house, Bryan followed him as he grabbed his hand to stop him. "Hey Erick, what''s wrong? Where are you going?" Bryan said with his nervous voice. Erick turned to look at him and said with his stern voice "Bryan, Let go. I should not waste any more time. Elle needs me. I think she is in danger right now. She just pressed the necklace''s emergency signal." Chapter 161 - Missing Necklace Erick turned to look at him and said with his stern voice "Bryan, Let go. I should not waste any more time. Elle needs me. I think she is in danger right now. She just pressed the necklace''s emergency signal." Sensing the seriousness and urgency in Erick''s voice, Bryan released his hand. Erick rushed to his car and Bryan followed him. He decided to tag along with him. He also wanted to accompany Erick to give him support and back up. After Erick''s life was put in danger, he promised himself that he would do his best to protect his buddy the next time they would encounter dangerous situations again. Erick was so focused on driving that Bryan did not dare to utter a word. He stepped on the gas to speed up. He rushed through the streets and cut up several vehicles on the road. He was driving too fast that made Bryan''s body shuddered from nervousness. ''Damn... I have never seen Erick do this kind of dangerous driving before! I feel like I am having a heart attack.'' Bryan mumbled to himself as he closed his eyes. On the other hand, Erick''s mind was occupied by Elle. The thought of Elle is being in danger was making him lost his mind. His grip on the steering wheel tightened as his heartbeat accelerated rapidly from too much worry and nervousness. ''Elle, please be safe. I''m coming. Wait for me.'' Erick wished that Elle was still safe and sound and he was not yet too late because he did not know what he would do if something bad happened to her. Sure enough, after fifteen minutes of silent driving with his full speed on the busy streets of City Z, Erick and Bryan arrived at their destination where the location of the emergency signal was coming from. Erick checked his phone again as he tracked down the location of the emergency signal. Both of them came out rushing of the car. Erick and Bryan were dumbfounded the moment they saw the familiar building in front of them. Both of them stared with each other, looking so confused. They have the same question in mind. ''What Elle is doing here? This is the main office of Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation, right?'' They were standing in front of the building which was the head office of Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation. From afar, James was walking towards the exit of the building. He decided to take his lunch outside and drop by again at Falcon Cafe after. James frowned when he noticed the two familiar figures standing outside the building near the entrance. "Those two are Chief Lee and Sergeant Velasquez. What are they doing here?" James mumbled to himself. He decided to approach and greet them. Meanwhile, James and Bryan were about to enter the building when suddenly Erick''s phone started to ring. He stopped on his track when he saw the caller I.D. Elle was the one who was calling him right now. He immediately answered it. "Elle, where are you!" he said as his voice was filled with worry and concern. "I should be the one asking you that. Where did the two of you run off?" Elle was referring to Erick and Bryan. Erick was confused when he heard Elle''s angry tone. "I thought both of you are working here at home. Don''t tell me that you and Bryan went to the headquarter. I have told you many times that you are not allowed to go to work unless you are fully recovered." Elle started to rant at him. "Can''t you wait for another week Mr. Detective? So eager to work huh. Go home now or else I will not allow you to work for another one month!" Elle threatened him with her stern voice. It just so happened that Elle went home early today and she brought them lunch. So she felt annoyed when she did not see Erick and Bryan at home. She thought Erick lied to her and went to work today without informing her. Erick who was confused and puzzled at the same time asked Elle once again. "Where are you, Elle? Please, tell me?" Sensing the hint of concern and urgency in the voice of Erick, Elle thought that something was wrong. "I am at home. I brought lunch for the three of us. How about you? Where are you?" Erick did not answer her question. "Wait for me. I''m coming home now." Erick hung up the phone and he quickly got inside the car. He wanted to see Elle badly. Bryan who was oblivious of what was happening also entered the car. James was about to reach them when suddenly the two men rode the car and drove away from the building. ''I thought they are here to visit us and talk about something related to my father''s case. Why are they leaving in a hurry?'' James marveled as he watched the car as it vanished from his sight in just a few seconds. After the fifteen minutes drives, Erick and Bryan arrived at home. They saw Elle standing in the balcony with her arms folded across her chest. Erick alighted from the car in a hurried manner and he rushed towards Elle. Bryan just shook his head while watching the couple in front of him. "What is happening here." He mumbled as he scratched the back of his head. Meanwhile, Erick was now in front of Elle, looking at her with his mixed emotions. Elle was about to scold him but her words died on her lips as she took in the deep worry lines and gaunt features of the man before her. She had the urge to threw her arms around his neck and kiss away the worry on his face. But before she could do that, Erick''s strong arms already engulfed her in a tight hug. "Ahem... did anything happen?" Elle asked Erick. She could feel the fast beating of Erick''s heart. "I thought you were in danger." Elle''s warmth and her familiar scent calmed his racing heart. "Hmm... you are overthinking. Are you doing this as an alibi so that I will not reprimand you by leaving the house without telling me?" Her wandering gaze came up to his face. Her beautiful eyes sparkled as she flashed her mischievous smile. Seeing her smile, now Erick was feeling better. He let out a soft chuckle as he pinched her nose. "You are driving me crazy Elle. Do you know that?" Erick looked at her helplessly. "Don''t worry too much. You taught me how to defend my self, remember?" Elle assured him. "I know, but still I cannot stop myself from worrying about you. I want to protect you always." Bryan could not stand to see them like this anymore so he decided to let the couple be aware of his existence. He cleared his throat to catch their attention before he talked. "Ahem, is everything alright now? Can we take our lunch now, hehe I am a little bit hungry?" Bryan said as he interrupted the couple. "Yes, I already prepared the food in the dining room. Come, let''s eat." Elle said to the two men. Bryan entered the house first not waiting for Elle and Erick. Erick remained standing in front of Elle as he held both her shoulders. His gaze wandered around her face and it fell to her neck. He frowned as soon as he did not see the necklace around her neck. "Elle, did you remember the necklace I gave you last time? Why are you not wearing it?" He asked her softly. Elle was taken aback when she heard his question. She unconsciously raised her hand to touch her neck. She already forgot about it. Her necklace was gone. She did not know where she lost it and when it became missing. When she found out that the necklace was missing she tried to look for it thinking that she just misplaced it but to her disappointment, she never saw it again. "I think I lost the necklace. I don''t know when and where. I am sorry about that." Elle answered him truthfully. She smiled at him apologetically as she felt guilty for losing the necklace. "Maybe you lost it during the kidnapping incident last week?" Erick said to her as he was thinking maybe James saw it and took it. James might press the button accidentally that''s why when he and Bryan tracked the signal, they arrived at the Arison Holdings. "Nope. I don''t think so. It was already missing before that incident happened." Elle said with a hint of certainty in her voice. "Did you visit Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation? Are you seeing James behind my back?" Erick asked her seriously. Elle''s eyes widened because of his question. She did not know whether she would laugh or be mad at him. "Hey... why are you asking me that ridiculous and random questions? And why I sense some jealousy right now?" Elle looked at him with disbelief but Erick was just staring at her intently, anticipating her answer. "Of course not, I only saw James for the past few days when he went to our Cafe to buy some snacks for their employees." She said honestly but her second statement was a lie. "And where is that Arison Holdings? I have never set foot in that place." ''Except when I gave the Arison Siblings a warning.'' She thought to herself. Erick was put in deep thought after hearing her answer. ''If that''s the case, then why is it her missing necklace was inside that building?'' "Hey, why are you asking me this? I should be the one asking you. Where did you and Bryan go?" Elle asked him quizzically. Erick sighed heavily before he answered her "I thought you were in danger since I received an emergency signal coming from the necklace I gave you. I did not know your necklace was missing." "I think someone pressed the button accidentally. We tracked the location and the signal brought us in the Arison Holdings." Erick explained to her what happened. Elle was also surprised by his remarks. ''D*mn, how is that possible?'' Chapter 162 - Catseyes Motive Elle was surprised after hearing the explanation of Erick. She was thinking of the possible reasons why the emergency signal of her missing necklace was found in Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation Head Office. Thinking back all the incident that transpired before she came into a realization. She had her assumption in her mind. After much thought and careful consideration, she spoke her mind to Erick. "Hmm, I think someone who is working at that building found my necklace. Again, I am sorry for my carelessness. It is something you''d given me but I lost it. Do we need to retrieve it?" There was a hint of frustration in her voice as she apologized to Erick. ''I have a bad feeling about this. I think there will be trouble if Erick will insist to have the necklace back. D*mn, I am in a mess. Please don''t say yes.'' Elle was silently wishing in her mind. Erick paused for a moment as he was thinking about what to do with the missing necklace. He fixed his gaze on Elle who was anticipating his answer. He could see the worry in her face. But why? Was it because she felt really guilty for losing the necklace. After a few seconds, Erick finally responded to her. "Hmm... no need to apologize, besides I am not mad and not blaming you. Let''s forget about that necklace. I think no need to look for the person who found it. The important thing is you are safe and you are not in danger. I was scared to death when I thought you are in trouble." Erick smiled at her with his gentle gaze. He patted her head like she was a child who needed to be consoled for losing some important thing to her. Seeing that she cared for and valued the things that he gave her was enough to make Erick happy. He was very touched to know that. Elle''s mood brightened up the moment Erick said that. Her lips curled up into a smile as she gave him a grateful look. She heaved a sigh of relief before she softly mumbled to him "Hmm, Thank you." Seconds later, they heard Bryan calling them inside the house. "Hey, why are you two still standing there? I thought we will gonna eat our lunch now. I am so hungry. Come here already. Let''s take our lunch while the foods are still warm." Then Erick and Elle followed Bryan at the dining room as the three of them took their fill. After taking their meals, Erick and Bryan went back to the living room and continued their work while Elle cleaned up and washed the dishes. She did not come back to Falcon Cafe that afternoon instead she stayed home. After a while, she joined Bryan and Erick in the living room. It looked like the two of them were very focused on what they were doing. She knew they were working on Catseye''s case but she did not join them for the reason of spying, she just wanted to sit with them because she was bored. "Ahem... do you mind if I join you here? I know you are working with a confidential case. Can you stop working for a while?"Elle asked the both of them. "I felt bored. If I know that you will be busy like this I should have gone back to Falcon Cafe," she added. "Yeah, I think we should rest for now. My head is aching just thinking about how Catseye is thinking. It''s so hard to read what''s on her mind." Bryan lamented as he complained to them. Erick just chuckled at his complaints. He put down the doc.u.ment he was holding and he stood up to approach Elle. "Yeah, I think I need some kind of motivation and inspiration," Erick said while staring intently at Elle. A sweet and gentle smile appeared on his face as he opened his arms asking for Elle''s hug. Elle gladly complied as she gave him a hug. "Hey, the two of you are doing this again. Can you just stop acting so intimate in front of me." Bryan said as he shot the couple a glare. "Just close your eyes." Erick simply said to him. "Erick, I did not know that you are too clingy!" Bryan said before he burst into laughter. "Yes, you are right. His true color is showing nowadays. He is becoming more shameless." Elle also joined Bryan in teasing Erick. Erick frowned and pouted at her. "Hey, I am your boyfriend here, why are you joining forces with him? Hmmph." "Well, because I like to tease you. You look so cute and adorable when pouting like this." Elle said as she cupped his face and gave him a peck on his cheek. Erick gave her a satisfied look as he grinned at her. Bryan just shook his head watching the couple. "You can stay here. We are done discussing the case." Erick said to her as he pulled her towards the couch. While Bryan was arranging the doc.u.ments, Elle saw the picture of Jefferson Gong. Elle halted as her gaze fell on the picture. A hint of hostility and hatred flashed through her eyes. Erick noticed her change in expression but it only lasted for a few seconds before it returned to normal as she was able to conceal her emotions. Erick was puzzled but he did not dwell on it. After Bryan arranged the doc.u.ment, he put it back on the black briefcase as he wrapped up everything. Then the three of them started to watch a movie. This time, it was Bryan who went out to buy their snacks and drinks. "It had been a long time since the last time we did this. I came to realize that the movie marathon we planned out before just turned into a drinking session." Bryan said to them feeling nostalgic. Erick could not help but smile as he remembered that night. He realized that maybe he was in a bad mood that night and decided to get drunk because he was jealous after witnessing the scene between Elle and Bryan. "Hey, why are you smiling like a fool right now?" Elle whispered to Erick as she leaned on him. "Nothing. I just remembered that our first kiss happened after our drinking session." Erick whispered back to her, his eyes expressing delight. His statement brought a blush to her cheeks. He leaned into her again, as he said something to her that made her fl.u.s.tered even more. "But I also like the kisses we shared when you were drunk. I think you should drink more when I am with you. I love seeing you drunk, talking and giggling non-stop. You are also quite bold and demanding if you are drunk." he mumbled with his deep husky voice. Elle gave him a stern glare that made him grin widely. "You are still cute even when you are annoyed," Erick said to her as he let out a soft chuckle after. Elle rolled her eyes at him as she pinched him on his side. Erick was busy teasing Elle when Bryan suddenly spoke up. "I am still thinking about what you said to me this morning Erick. You know, Catseye''s motive in killing Jefferson Gong." Bryan said to them out of the blue. "I am still confused, she killed him brutally and at the same time, she provided us the evidence of Gong''s illegal activities. What is she trying to say or prove by doing that?" Bryan added as he shared his thought to them. "Don''t overthink too much. I think she is just simply showing and telling you how evil that person is and that he deserves it." This time it was Elle who spoke up. She said it nonchalantly but there still a hint of disdain and hatred in her voice. There was a moment of silence after Elle said that. The two men did not expect her to share her thoughts about that. "Hehe... that''s right. You have a point there." Bryan said to her. He smiled awkwardly at Elle as he saw her serious face. ''Why is it I feel like Elle is frightening right now.'' Bryan thought to himself. Erick also noticed the changes in Elle''s mood after Bryan brought the topic about Catseye or maybe not because it looked like it was Jefferson Gong who affected her mood. Erick just remained silent on his seat as he was thinking about something. "I think Erick is right. Maybe Catseye held a grudge against him." Bryan could not stop himself from bringing up and talking about this topic. Erick gave him a warning look. Bryan bit his lips and he smiled apologetically at Erick. He nodded as he understood what Erick meant. So Bryan just fixed his gaze to the television screen as he made a mental note ''I should stop spouting nonsense before Erick will force me to leave.'' As he decided to stop talking about Catseye and enjoy the movie, however, Elle spoke up again. "Revenge... that is her true motive," Elle mumbled, there was a hint of certainty in her words. Bryan and Erick were rendered speechless. The two men averted their gaze to Elle after hearing her statement. Elle smiled at them, her dark eyes held a glint of her emotion buried inside her heart. Erick did not know why but he thought that he saw something with Elle''s smile as if he felt that there was something more and a deeper meaning hidden behind that smile. Chapter 163 - Wavering? ***At Falcon Cafe*** The next day, Elle came to Falcon Cafe looking so troubled. She was not in the mood to work so she went directly to the secret bas.e.m.e.nt of Cafe. She spent some time inside, lying on the leather couch. She put her hand on her forehead as she closed her eyes. She was thinking about the conversation she had with Bryan and Erick yesterday. Their conversation stayed in her mind all day. [ "Revenge... that is her true motive." she could not stop herself from telling them what''s on her mind and what she truly felt at that time. ] [ Erick and Bryan were silent for a moment after hearing her remarks. Then seconds later, Erick spoke up. ] [ "Killing someone is not the answer. Why put the law in her hands if the police authorities can do it for her?" Erick said with a hint of frustration in his voice. ] [ "Because that is her nature Chief. Catseye lives to kill. She is an assassin after all. So if she wanted to have revenge, she will just kill that person." Bryan shared his thought. ] [ "If someone killed someone and that person is evil, do you think that person deserves to die as well? Maybe she just believes in the saying ''An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Elle said to them. ] [ "Just like Catseye, she killed so many people, do you think she also deserves to die to atone all her sins and as punishment for her crime?" she asked them. ] [ "I don''t agree with that. One''s life is precious, even if he or she is a criminal or not. As long as someone is alive, that person still has a chance to change his or her life for good." Erick said with seriousness in his voice. ] [ "Chief, you are really kind-hearted and too soft. You are still thinking like that despite the number of crimes Catseye has committed." Bryan shook his head with amus.e.m.e.nt. ] [ "However, she still needs to be punished according to the law. I just don''t agree with the idea of killing her or her being killed." Erick said as he smiled at them. ] "Why am I thinking about this. Am I starting to waver now? No, I should not lose my focus now. I should not hesitate no matter what." Elle mumbled as she reminded herself. Elle''s thoughts were interrupted when Charles and Phantom entered the bas.e.m.e.nt. "Are you okay? Why don''t you go home if you are not feeling well?" Phantom said to her as he gave her a concerned look. Elle sat up when she saw them. She greeted them with a nod and a smile. "I am not sick. I am just thinking of something. I just came here to clear my mind." she replied to him with a reassuring smile. "Is there something bothering you right now?" It was Charles who asked her. Elle paused for a moment before she answered Charles. "I think I lost my necklace when I had a fight with Reaper and Black Shadow had seen it at his apartment. There is a high possibility that he took it. Now I believe that necklace is in the possession of James." Elle said to them instead of talking about what''s truly in her mind right now. She was debating with herself whether what she was doing right now was the right thing or not. But she could not bring it up to them. She agreed with Bryan, killing became her nature now and this was the only way she could think of on how to avenge her family''s death. "Do you think, you will be in trouble when James tried to track you using that necklace? Do you want to retrieve that necklace?" Phantom asked her. Elle shook her head. "I don''t think they have a clue. It looks like until now they have not gathered a piece of useful information that could help them locate me using that necklace." Elle heaved a sigh of relief. "As long as James and Erick won''t talk about that necklace, James will not be able to know the truth. Erick is the one who gave me that necklace. He already decided to forget about that missing necklace, yesterday." Elle explained to them "If that is the case, then why are you still worrying about that?" Phantom asked her, still in doubt. "Hmm, maybe I am just overthinking Master. You are right, I don''t have to worry about that." Elle stood up and walked towards the computer. Phantom and Charles were just silently observing Elle. "These are my next targets. I need your help. Two days from now I will execute my plan. Time to collect some debts." Elle flashed in the monitors the pictures of her next targets. Elle started to brief them about the information of the three persons on the screen. "Carlo Vello, 40 years old. He owns five famous spas. His business is continuously blooming because of prostitution and human trafficking." "Diego de Dios, 43 years old. He owns a lending company with four different branches. He is very greedy. He is a loan shark." "Diego has a partnership with Roland Bienvenido, 42 years old, the leader of Los Mollasses Gang. His gang was responsible for using threats and violence when they were collecting payments to the clients of De Dio''s lending company." "They took advantage of poor people and they are mistreating and abusing them." Elle turned to look at Phantom and Charles who were listening attentively to her. "D*mn! A bad habit is hard to die. I can''t wait to give these people a lesson." Charles said with his angry tone. ''These persons are responsible for Elle''s misery. I want to punish them and make them feel the same pain they gave Elle.'' Charles thought to himself. He ground his teeth as he looked at those three persons on the computer screen. "What is your plan? Just tell us how we can help you." Phantom said to Elle as he gave her a meaningful glance. The three of them spent their time at the secret bas.e.m.e.nt polishing the plan against those three persons. They had two goals in mind. First, she needed to find out who was the mastermind and what was the reason that person ordered to kill her family. She wanted to know and uncover the truth behind her parents'' death. Second, she wanted to punish them for what they have done particularly to her nanny Marites. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***At Skull Gang Headquarter*** Black Shadow was walking confidently inside the headquarters like it was his home. Members of Skull Gang were now accustomed to seeing Black Shadow going in and out of their territory. He went straight to James''s office. He got his message just this morning, asking for his presence. Black Shadow was busy for the past few weeks. Since he did not have any information about Catseye''s whereabout, he decided to accept a few missions in order to gain some income. He tried to vent his frustration by accepting those missions. He did not want to admit but he was having a difficult time tracking down Catseye. She would suddenly appear and disappear without a trace. Black Shadow arrived at the front door of James''s office. He turned to one of the men who were guarding the door. "Is your boss inside?" he asked. "Yes, he is waiting for you inside." The man said before he knocked on the door, informing James that Black Shadow had arrived. "Let him in." Upon hearing James''s go signal, Black Shadow entered the room. "Next time if you will ask me to meet, can we do it in a luxurious restaurant? I am sick of going in and out of your headquarters, seeing the same environment. Can we change our meeting place? You are rich, I know you can afford to treat me a meal." Black Shadow said to James as he smiled to him mockingly. James just shot him a cold stare. Sometimes Black Shadow''s cheeky personality annoyed him the most. "Before you ask me to treat you a meal, can you perform your duty first? Give me a positive result in catching Catseye, then I am willing to give you a restaurant. I am already paying you enough but still, you are incompetent. You can''t even catch a girl." James''s voice was filled with disappointment. Black Shadow laughed after hearing James''s statement however his laugh was short and humorless. James''s words were harsh and added salt in his wound. Even he, himself, was unhappy for not catching Catseye until now. "Did you ask for my presence here just to insult me?" A chilly glint flashed through Black Shadow''s eyes. This time James was the one who gave him a mocking grin. He picked up the small box inside his drawer and placed it on his desk. Black Shadow gave him a confused look. "I am returning Catseye''s necklace to you. I don''t think this thing will be helpful in tracking her. I already asked my men to investigate this necklace but they failed to have useful information. You can keep it as your remembrance to her." Black Shadow''s gaze fell on the box as he took it on the desk. "Alright, I think we should start from the bottom once again. She hides very well but I have a feeling that I will be able to see her again, very soon." there was a confidence in his voice. "Well, if that chance will happen again, I hope you will not fail this time. Bring her to me Black Shadow and I will give you your rewards." Chapter 164 - First Date as a Couple There were times when Elle even wished that she could no longer wake up. She felt tired of living the same day doing her boring daily routine over and over again. Even though she found the reason why she should keep on staying alive but she could not deny the fact that the demon of her past still haunting her, sometimes in a form of nightmare. However, time changed and now it was different. Now she could sleep at ease without worrying about those nightmares. Staying with Erick for the past few months gave her a sense of security. She even started to have good dreams, dreaming about her and the man who gave her another reason to wake up, to welcome the new day, and to anticipate whatever comes next. Elle opened her eyes and greeted the day shine. She realized that she was not alone in her room. The curtains had been drawn aside, and Erick was standing on her bedside, staring at her with eyes filled with love and tenderness. "Good morning my sleeping beauty," he said as he bent down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. "Good morning my prince." Elle chuckled as she played along with his antics. "How long are you been standing there? You should have woken me up." Elle sat up. "I don''t want to disturb your peaceful sleep. Besides, I love watching you while you are sound asleep." Erick softly said as he sat down beside her. "I almost wanted to join you and lie beside you," he added as he gave her a cheeky smile. Elle just rolled her eyes and pinched his waist. "Hmm... by the way, why did you come here early this morning?" Elle asked him. She knew he had something to say that''s why he went to her room without asking her permission. Erick would always knock before entering her room. Even though they were now a couple, he was still respecting her privacy and he won''t cross the line. A soft laugh escaped his throat. As expected, Elle was able to sense that he had a reason for barging in her room early this morning. Erick scratched the back of his head before he answered her question. "The truth is I am planning to wake you up and ask you if you have any prior plan today. Since today is Weekend... I wonder if you would want to go out with me on a date." Erick could not look straight into her eyes while saying those words. He felt shy and nervous at the same time. He looked like a teenager who was asking a girl out for the first time. Seeing his embarrassed face, Elle was trying her best to suppress her laughter but it was not easy. In the end, a laugh bubbled up in the entire room. Erick''s face reddened as Elle continued to giggle. He never failed to amuse her. She thought Erick became more shameless for the past few days but now, he looked like a very shy boy. Elle could not stop herself from pinching his reddened cheeks. Erick pouted at her because of her action. She gave him a peck on his face before she stood up. Erick gave her a confused look. "Alright, Mr. Detective. I have no plan for today and I love to go out with you today. I will just take a bath and change so that we can start our date as early as today." Elle winked at her fl.u.s.tered man before she went inside the bathroom. Before Erick could react Elle already vanished from his sight. After her bath, Elle was ready to change in her comfy dress. Elle was thinking about what clothes she would wear today when she noticed the shirt placed on her bed along with a note. Elle picked up the shirt and read the notes. [ We are going for a long drive. Wear this. ] A wide smile appeared on her lovely face after reading the notes. She wore the white shirt which was given to her by Erick. She felt touched since it looked like he already planned everything about their date, even her clothes that she would wear today. "I don''t know if he is corny or just romantic." Elle could not stop herself from giggling. The moment she saw the white shirt with the word ''Heart'' imprinted on it along with the half shaped heart, she had the feeling that Erick and She would wear a couple''s shirt today. She confirmed her assumption when she left her room and saw Erick standing in the living room wearing a similar shirt but the word''s imprinted on his shirt was ''Sweet''. So if they would walk side by side, Erick was on the left, and Elle was on the right, their shirt would complete the heart shape, and combining the two words inside would be read as Sweetheart. Elle walked towards Erick. As soon as she reached him, Erick extended his hand which he was hiding at his back a while ago, giving her the bouquet of red roses. Elle stared back and forth at the bouquet of red roses and to Erick''s face. She did not know what to say. She never imagined that she would ever experience something like this. Her eyes became misty. She started to feel emotional at this moment. She was overwhelmed by his love and affection that her heart was singing for joy. She thought she would never feel happiness and joy in her entire life again after she lost her family but she was wrong. This man in front of her had proven her that she was wrong. That thought brought the sting of tears to her eyes and it suddenly poured down without warning. "Hey what''s wrong? Don''t you like these flowers? Did I make you sad?" Erick began to panic when he saw her cry. Elle shook her head as she wiped her tears from her eyes with her hand before she accepted the bouquet of flowers. "I am just happy right now. These are tears of joy." She said to him with her trembling voice. He pulled her into a hug. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, while tears coursed down her cheeks. She failed to suppress a sob. Several minutes were consumed in silence. He engulfed her with a warm embrace as he let her pour out her emotions. After God knows how long, Elle spoke up "I am sorry about that. I think we should go now and enjoy our date. we are going on a road trip, aren''t we?" "Yes... Shall we?" Erick said as he caressed her face. Then the couple went out together and their long drive began. They were now driving outside the City Z. Erick even allowed her to drive the car and she enjoyed it. Every time they passed by with beautiful scenery of mountains and beaches, they would stop over and take pictures together. They also brought packed lunch and snacks with them. This road trip was one of the special moments with him that she would always remember. Sitting for hours at a time gazing out the window at the changing scenery, listening to the music they both enjoy while their hands entangled with one another. In the end, they decided to park in a scenic viewpoint to watch the sunset together. They were now in an overlooking valley, both of them were sitting on the car''s trunk. The sun was down, the afterglow of sunset lingering on the horizon. "It''s beautiful," Elle mumbled. "Yes... so beautiful," Erick said but his gaze was fixed on the woman beside him. Their hands were still interlocked with each other. Leaning back, she gazed solemnly up into his eyes. "Thank you for today. I felt really special because of you. I will cherish every moment with you." "Would you like to reward me for today?" he whispered to her using his deep and husky voice. His lips curled into a seductive smile and his eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation. At that moment, she succ.u.mbed and gave in to his request as she sighed in defeat. Unable to resist his charm, she gave him a light kiss on his lips. It was intended as a short kiss, however, Erick was not satisfied with that so he pulled her closer as his lips covered hers in a long warm kiss that left her short of breath. She responded passionately, returning his kiss eagerly. They just pulled back to gasp for air to breathe. But the moment their eyes met as if they were both drawn to each other, Erick leaned over to claim her lips once again. His next kiss was consuming, hungry, yet sweet, teasing her with a hint of promise and driving her soul to new heights of happiness. Elle wished to seize this moment. She wished that they would stay like this forever, caring, and loving each other, spending more time with each other and living happily together. But fate had a different plan for them. Chapter 165 - Collecting Debt (1) Carlo Vello''s Spa provided a variety of services for the purpose of improving health, beauty, and relaxation through personal care treatments such as hair, massage, and facials. But all of these were just a facade. If you would look into a deeper side, you would find out a bigger conspiracy happening inside that spa. Vello''s spas were used as a prostitution den. No one would suspect since it was operating with necessary permits. In the spa building, there were secret rooms that only their VIP clients and exclusive members were aware of. They were the ones who had access and could enter those secret rooms. Wealthy people who were willing to pay any amount just to satisfy their l.u.s.t. They called that special services of the spa. Elle would like to reveal that conspiracy, targeting the business which was giving Carlo Vello the luxurious life he was enjoying right now. That''s the reason why Elle posed as one of the victims. She was now sitting inside a cargo truck together with the other women. These were the victims of women trafficking who were forced to engage in prostitution. With the help of Charles and Phantom, they made necessary preparation and acted as a new provider of women for Carlo Vello''s business. Elle brought a communication device with her along with a wristwatch that has a hidden camera attached to it. Everything that happened during the negotiations until now was being recorded. Elle was silently sitting on the corner of the truck when she heard someone''s crying beside her. She learned that the girl''s name was Elena. She looked young and at around 18 years old. Elle decided to comfort her. The girl looked up to see the person who started stroking her back. She saw Elle looking at her with her gentle eyes. The girl started to sob again after seeing her. "I...thought I would be able to land a decent job. They fooled me. I thought they are good people." She started to vent her frustration with her. Elle just listened to her attentively as she let Elena speaks. "I am from the province. My mother is sick. My father is just a farmer. I wanted to help my parents. I have three younger siblings. I am the eldest. I decided to stop studying and look for a job. And I ended up here." Elena grabbed the hands of Elle using her trembling hands. "What will happen to us now? I am afraid. Will they open up my body and sell my organs? Am I going to die? I still want to see my parents and my siblings. I don''t want to die." her voice filled with uncertainty and worry. Elena''s fear was evident to her eyes. Seeing her like this, Elle had the urge to protect her. She pulled Elena into a hug as she consoled her with her words. "Don''t worry, someone will come to save us. Nothing will happen to you. I will protect you." Elle softly said, reassuring her. Elena stopped crying after hearing her. She did not know why but at that moment, she wanted to believe her. The woman who was hugging her right now gave her a sense of security. This was what she needed most at this desperate time like this. Elle''s comforting words were able to calm her down. After several minutes, the truck stopped indicating that they reached their destinations. There were twenty of them inside the truck. As expected, they were transported to one of the Spas owned by Carlo Vello. Men guided them inside. They passed through the secret passage of the building. ''The big painting... behind those paintings are the doors going to the secret rooms.'' Elle thought to herself. She spent days of spying all the branches of Vello''s Spas. She knew there was a secret passage going to the secret rooms where their illegal activities were happening. The men who were guarding them had a strong built and large frame who looked like a bouncer and a wrestler. That''s why it was impossible for these ordinary women to escape from this place. Elle took note that the place was well-guarded. As they passed by the several rooms they could hear some lewd noises and voices indicating that s.e.x.u.a.l activities are happening inside the room. They happened to see also in one open room when a woman was being restrained by two men as one woman injected some kind of aphrodisiac or libido drugs to the woman who was struggling against the two men. Several seconds the drug took effect and the woman stopped fighting back against them. ''They are also using some kind of drugs to trigger the s.e.x.u.a.l desire of their victims before they offered them to their clients.'' Elle clenched her fist from that thought. She knew she had to put an end to this before more innocent women would fall and become victims of this conspiracy. Soon they reached the office,where the Spa Manager was waiting for them. They called her Madam Ching. She was middle-aged woman, wearing a s.e.xy dress revealing her fair skin. She looked younger compared to her actual age. Maybe it was because of her makeup. "Make a line and stand straight. I will check everyone." Madam Ching ordered the girls with her authoritative voice. All of them complied and obediently followed her instruction. A cunning smile appeared on Madam Ching''s face as she surveyed all the women in front of her. She was satisfied with their appearances and figures. "I think our clients would be happy to have a taste of these new recruits. They all look fresh." She said as she flashed her wicked smile at them. Madam Ching paused for a moment when her gaze fell on Elena and Elle. "Well, I think I found two gems here, one was an innocent beauty, and the other one is a strikingly alluring one." She extended her hand as she touched Elena''s face using her left hand while her right hand caressed Elle''s face. "Ok boys, give these women their dress. They need to change since I received a message that we will be having four VIPs coming today." Madam Ching was about to walk away when she noticed Elle''s wristwatch. She frowned as she fixed her gaze on that object. Elle also noticed Madam Ching''s eyes were focused on her wristwatch but Elle just remained calm. Madam Ching approached her and she grabbed Elle''s wrist. She stared at Elle intently before she spoke up. "My dear I think you don''t need to wear this. Let me have this for a while." she said as she started to remove the wristwatch from Elle and she wore it instead. "Hmm, I like it." Madam Ching smiled as she raised her hand which was wearing Elle''s watch. "You may go now dear and change your clothes," she said to Elle. Elle did not say a thing as she and the other women proceeded to the changing room where their dresses were being hung. She double-checked the area and she saw that there was a CCTV camera installed in that room. She went to the comfort room and when she ensured that no camera installed inside she contacted Charles. "Charles, listen carefully. After we finish this conversation, give the tips to the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter particularly to team Alpha, along with the video we are currently taking right now. Inform them everything about the illegal activities of this spa as soon as possible." There was a hint of urgency in her voice. "Why should I forward this to them? Not to the police?" Charles asked her confusedly. "I believe that they have men on the police, their so-called protector. Contact Bryan and warned him about those police officers. Tell him to inform only those trustworthy police officers that they know." "Do it, anonymously. You can use my other phone with voice changing apps. Switch off the phone and break the sim card after sending the information so that they will not able to trace it back." Elle reminded him. "Okay got it," Charles said as he picked up Elle''s phone and started to transfer the video recordings to that phone. "Oh one more thing, before I forget. Behind those big paintings inside the four other branches of Vello''s spa are the doors towards secret rooms. Make sure to relay this information to them." "I will Boss. Do you have something more to say before I call Bryan?" Charles asked her. "Ask Master Phantom to prepare and get an antidote for some kind of libido drugs, and closely monitor everything that will happen for the next few hours. Make sure that everything is going according to our plan," Elle said before she hung up. Charles did not waste any more time as he began to move and followed Elle''s instruction. Meanwhile, at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter, Bryan was leisurely sitting on his chair when his phone started to ring. He saw the unregistered number. He heard an unfamiliar voice as soon as he answered it. "We need your help. Listen carefully, I want to report to you a human trafficking case and illegal activities happening in Vello''s Spa." Chapter 166 - Collecting Debt (2) "We need your help. Listen carefully, I want to report to you a human trafficking case and illegal activities happening in Vello''s Spa." the man said from the other line. Unsure of what was happening, Bryan just listened to the caller with his puzzled expression. "That spa is located at the district of Wales in City Z. It has four other branches in the nearby cities." Charles continued to supply him with information. "Well, I already knew that. Vello''s spa is a famous spa and I even go there. Is this a prank call? Are you trying to defame the name of this famous spa? I won''t forgive you." Bryan said, feeling doubtful. Charles rolled his eyes and breathed a deep long-drawn sigh. He seemed to be prepared for a lengthy talk because the man on the other line sounded like he did not believe him. ''If you are just with me right now, I already hit you to knock some senses out of your brain.'' Charles thought to himself while imagining that he was hitting his buddy. "I am telling the truth. Many lives are at stake. We should not waste our time here. Make a move quickly. I have to warn you. There are people in the police department who are protecting this business. Be careful in relaying this information to the police. It''s better to choose those persons whom you trust most." Hearing the seriousness in the voice of his caller, Bryan began to somehow believe him. "You should give us proof of your claim so that we can act accordingly. We could not do things base on the words of a stranger alone. What if you are lying? Then the owner of the spa can sue us and we even get suspended." Bryan explained to him the protocol. "Don''t worry, I have the evidence you are looking for. I will send to you a video recording. It is a real-time recording. See it for yourself. But I advise you to make a move immediately so that you can rescue those innocent women." "Who are you?" Bryan asked him. "You don''t need to know. I am just a concerned citizen. By the way, the big paintings inside the Spa, are the doors toward the secret rooms of the spa where their illegal activities are hidden." Charles hung up after saying that. He sent the video recording to Bryan and he followed Elle''s instruction afterward. Seconds later, Bryan received the video. After seeing the recordings, confirming that the informant was telling the truth, he immediately contacted police officer Kim. He told him everything that the anonymous informant had told him just a while ago. He also sent the video to Officer Kim. Police officer Kim understood what Bryan was saying and he knew what to do. He quickly informed his superior regarding this matter and he allowed him to form a team that would conduct the surprise raid to those five spas. He did not disclose all the information regarding this operation to all members of the team to ensure that those police officers who were trying to protect the spa would be left in the dark. It would be too late for them once they found out that this secret operation was intended to target the five branches of Vello''s Spa. If the information was leaked then he would suspect his chief since he was the only one aside from him who knew the truth about this operation. After 20 minutes, everything was all set. There were five teams formed and as Bryan and Officer Kim had discussed, some members of Team Alpha and Task Force Eagle would join the operation. Bryan already informed Carl, Allen, June, and Captain Jason about the situation. The different team already set their journey going to the locations of the Vello''s spas. Meanwhile, as he continued to watch the video, Bryan''s expression molded into unmistakable awe when he saw a familiar face. His eyes and mouth were wide open as he couldn''t believe what he was seeing right now. Seconds later, his expression changed from awe into unbelievable shock and fear, as if he had seen a ghost. "Damn! Is that Elle in the video?" he mumbled as he gasped in disbelief. He immediately paused the video as he examined carefully the face of the woman who looked like Elle. He started to panic. "Gosh! I need to confirm it and move quickly or else Erick will gonna kill me." Bryan said as he dialed someone''s number. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***At Falcon''s Cafe Secret Bas.e.m.e.nt*** Charles was currently monitoring the situation in the five spas using the surveillance cameras which were installed last week by Elle in the vicinity of those five branches of Vello''s spa when he heard his phone was ringing. Noticing the caller I.D, Charles''s brows were drawn together in a frown, wondering why Bryan was calling him right now. "Did he suspect me that I am the anonymous informant?" Charles mumbled to himself, but he shook his head as he disregarded that idea. It was impossible. Charles answered the phone to find out the reason why Bryan was calling him. Bryan asked him immediately avoiding pleasantries with his panicked voice. "Charles tell me! Elle is there at Falcon Cafe, isn''t she?" Charles paused for a moment before answering his question as he was puzzled why Bryan was suddenly asking him about Elle''s whereabout. He was about to tell him a lie and say ''yes'' when Bryan spoke up again with his impatient tone. "For goodness sake answer me right away Buddy! You are scaring me with your silence. Do you know that I just saw a woman who looks like Elle in a video which was sent to me by an informant." he said with his anxious voice. ''F*ck. I didn''t check the video before sending it to him.'' Charles silently cursed himself. He had no choice but to tell him the truth that Elle was not in the Cafe right now to avoid some complications once Bryan saw Elle in the spa. "She went out a while ago and has not returned yet. I am looking for her but I can''t contact her." Charles said to him the safest alibi that he could think of so that he would not suspect them. Upon hearing that Bryan had the urge to cry. "Oh Men, I am doomed!" Bryan suddenly blurted out. He sounded like he was about to cry. Charles also nodded as if Bryan could see him. ''Yeah me too. I am doomed too.'' he wanted to say but he just kept it in his mind. The other one was thinking about Erick killing him if something happened to Elle while the other one was thinking about Elle killing him once Elle learned that he did not check the video before sending it to Bryan. Because of that mistake, Bryan was able to see Elle in the video. Now the two men were thinking about how they would inform Erick and Elle about this situation. However, they had no choice but they should inform them right away before anything goes wrong. They were both silently praying that everything would be fine. Chapter 167 - Collecting Debt (3) "Erick... I had bad news for you." Bryan said anxiously to Erick the moment his call got connected and was answered by him. "What is it? Tell me." He had a bad feeling about this after hearing Bryan''s statement from the other line. "Eh... it is about Elle." He did not know how to bring this bad news up to him. "What happened to her? Bryan! Answer me quickly!" Erick''s voice was frightening, enough to give Bryan a chill by just listening. "She was abducted by syndicate involves in a human trafficking case. Don''t worry we are on our way to rescue them." Bryan was trying to appease the angry and very worried Chief Detective. "Where is she? What is the location?" Erick said with his stern cold voice. "At Vello''s spa, which is located in the district of Wales." Erick hung up the phone immediately after hearing the location. In a flash, Erick was already driving his car going to the location mentioned by Bryan. His digital speedometer read 160 kilometers per hour, faster than he had ever ridden his life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the other hand, Charles had also contacted Elle using their communication device to inform her about the situation they were put into right now as Bryan saw her in the video which Charles had sent to him. "Ahem... Elle, we have a problem." Charles said to her nervously. Elle did not respond to him so he knew that there might be other people around Elle right now. He just continued to speak to explain everything since he was certain that Elle was listening to him. "Bryan saw you in the video I sent to him. He called me and asked about you to confirm if the person he saw was really you. I just said you went out and has not returned yet. So he must be thinking that you were kidnaped." "Don''t worry, the police authorities are on their way to rescue you and the rest. Hehehe" Charles laughed awkwardly even though his heart was about to explode from nervousness. He did not know what Elle was thinking right now. He was afraid that Elle might give him punishment after this. Elle and the other women already finished changing their clothes when she heard Charles. Her expression did not change but deep inside she was cursing herself, of course, Charles was no exception. ''I got caught with the camera when Madame Ching took my wristwatch.'' Elle sighed in frustration. She should have been more careful. ''Sh**t, If Bryan knew that I am here then I bet Erick was already informed about it. D*mn, I had no choice but to play as a victim until the police are done rescuing us.'' Elle was immersed in her own thoughts when Elena approached her. "Sis...what are we going to do now? I don''t want to do this." Her eyes became misty again as she was about to cry. Elle grabbed her hands as she stared into her eyes. "Trust me. Nothing will happen to us. I won''t let them hurt you nor touch you." Elle said as she consoled Elena. Seconds later, the door of the changing room opened as Madame Ching entered. "Attention ladies, our VIP client just arrived. Hmm, I could see that everyone is all prepared," she said as her eyes roamed around the room surveying the appearances of those new recruits. "I hope everyone will perform well. Don''t worry you will be well compensated after. I recommended the youngest one for this VIP." she said as she approached Elena. "It looks like you will be the first to have a client today my dear." Elena could not help herself but tremble in fear. She turned to Elle, her eyes were asking for help. "Hmm, our first client wanted to taste young women, he even requested if my girls could wear a s.e.xy school uniform like a student. That''s why you are wearing those clothes right now. He can easily be turned on when he sees you wearing that." A witch-like laugh echoed in the room. All the women inside including Elle were wearing short skirts and white blouses. They all looked like a high school student because of their clothes. "Don''t cry my dear, this VIP client is known for his money, he is willing to pay any amount especially if you can satisfy him in his bed. The only problem is he is very rough in bed and he likes to make his woman scream and beg while doing their kinky s*x." Madam Ching''s evil smirk sent shivers on Elena''s spine. She felt helpless right now. "Let me do it." Elle volunteered on behalf of Elena. Elena grabbed Elle''s elbow, she did not know whether to feel grateful or to feel guilty because of this. Elle just gave her a reassuring smile before she turned to look at Madame Ching, waiting for her response. "Hmm, not bad. Our client will still be happy to see you. Okay, I will let you do that since you want to act as a big sister for her. Hope you will not regret your decision." Madame Chin grinned at her mockingly. After a while, a man entered the room to report something to Madame Ching. "Mr. Jones just arrived." After hearing that Madame Ching''s lips twitched and her eyes brightened up. She averted her gaze to Elle while flashing her wicked smile. "Your client is here," she said to her before she turned to the man who informed her. "Banjo guided her to the room and wait for Mr. Jones. Make sure to give her a shot. I will go and greet him first." Madame Ching said as she took one last glance at Elle before she left to welcome their VIP client. "Sis Elle¡­" Elena called her but the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat. She could not utter any words. Elle just smiled at her. She patted her hair before she left together with the man named Banjo. They proceeded to one of the secret rooms. When they arrived there, the woman who injected some drug to one of the victims a while ago was already there waiting for them. Elle''s eyes were focused on the syringe at the woman''s hand. She was contemplating what she would do about it. ''If I take that shot I know there will be a negative effect on me but I am positive that I can still control myself after being injected by that drug. I need to cooperate for the moment. If I estimated correctly then the police will arrive five minutes from now. I think I can hold that long.'' After much thought and careful consideration, Elle decided to take the shot and play along for a while. So in the end, she let them injected her with the drugs and waited for the client to come. After injecting her the drugs, the man and the woman left her in the room. Because of her strong will and the mind training, she underwent before, the drug did not take effect immediately. She was still clear-headed. After five minutes, someone entered the room. Elle''s gaze fell on the man who was wearing his black suit. He was not that old like what Elle had expected. The man was in his mid-30s. He was 5 feet and 9 inches tall with a medium body build. He was good looking and a typical CEO kind of man. But behind the mask was his dark side, a l.u.s.tful man filled with perverted thoughts who always craved for s*x. The man''s eyes darkened with l.u.s.t the moment he set his eyes on the woman in front of him who was silently sitting on the side of the bed. He was drooling over her. Seeing her beautiful and flawless thighs, the man quickly became aroused as he could not hide the hardness visible on his pants. Just a sight of her...her face, her body, and her clothes, was enough to give him a boner. What more if he could touch her delicate and warm skin? "It looked like this Spa had given me a great deal today. I will really enjoy this day." The man said with a voice filled with excitement and satisfaction. He started to walk towards Elle while slowly removing his upper clothes. Elle shot him a cold glare which made the guy chuckle from amus.e.m.e.nt. "I like you, very fierce and alluring. I want to punish disobedient girls like you. How dare you glare at me like that?" The man held her chin as soon as he reached her. He was now standing in front of her. His hand traced her body through the fabric of that school uniform as he whispered to her ears using his hoarse voice. "Johnson, that''s my name. I will make you scream my name as I bury myself deep inside you and you will beg for more." Elle frowned with disgust, just smelling his strong scent made her want to puke. Elle could not stand it anymore as she grabbed his hand to stop him from touching her further. Then with her cold dark eyes, she stared at him, flashing her signature evil smile, a bone-chilling smile that could make someone cower in fear. "Mr. Jones what if I should be the one to make you scream and beg? I bet you will like it," she said with her cold and dangerous tone, her grip on his hand tightened. Then seconds later, a loud thud could be heard in the room. Chapter 168 - The Man to the Rescue "Mr. Jones, what if I should be the one to make you scream and beg? I bet you will like it," she said with her cold and dangerous tone, her grip on his hand tightened. Then seconds later, a loud thud could be heard in the room. The door flew open and a tall figure of a man came into their view. Elle''s will of beating the guy before her disappeared into thin air the moment she saw the man who had just entered the room. He was emanating a dangerous and a deathly aura. His handsome face had a gloomy expression, his dark brown eyes were seething in rage. Elle was surprised to see Erick. She stared at him in bewilderment, thinking how her beloved man got there first when even the police did not arrive yet. She did not think that he would come personally to rescue her. Mr. Jones was upset when his moment with the woman in front of him was interrupted. He glared at Erick. "Who the hell-" he was not able to finish his sentence as Erick immediately dashed forward and Erick''s fist met his face. They heard a cracking sound. It was the sound of Erick''s fist hitting Mr. Jones''s jaw. Mr. Jone stumbled back onto the floor. He grabbed his face and turned to look at Erick whose gaze upon him was death-spewing. He somehow felt scared with his gaze alone. However he would not want to lose a face, so Mr. Jones got up, ready to fight back. They were pounding on each other but Erick had the upper hand. There was no way he could win against Erick. Mr. Jones was almost losing his consciousness. His nose and mouth were already bleeding and bruises were forming all over his face. Elle was just silently watching on the side. She was enjoying the scene where his man was so worked up right now, flaunting his fighting skills before her. ''D*mn I am in awe. My mighty savior came to my rescue. Gosh...He looks so hot.'' She could feel the bone-chilling aura radiating off him and he was exploding in anger. She was intently staring at his back when Erick turned around and focused his attention on her. Elle bit her lower lip as she felt nervous meeting his penetrating gaze. She could not utter a single word. She felt guilty right now. ''Sh**t. Why is he looking at me like that? Is he mad at me?'' Erick frowned while looking at her revealing clothes. His blood started to boil once again, thinking that if he had come a little bit late, Elle could have been r*pe and taken advantage by this man. And with that thought, Erick threw another hard kick to the man who was already lying on the floor, hitting his private part. The man was groaning and whimpering in agonizing pain. ''Hey, when did my beloved Detective love violence? So brutal. But I love this side of him.'' Elle stared at him with amus.e.m.e.nt. Her lips twitched as she was trying to suppress her giggle. ''I should reward him for that later.'' Elle made a mental note. After venting his furry, Erick walked towards Elle. He just remained silent. He still had a serious expression on his face but his gaze became gentle unlike before. Elle stood up to hug her man. She acted so weak and frightened in front of him but no matter how hard she tries she couldn''t cry right now. ''D*mn, I am not a good actress yet. How can I shed a tear in a moment like this if all I want to do is giggle and praise this man for a job well done?'' she thought to herself. "I knew you would come to save us," Elle mumbled. Erick heaved a sigh of relief. He was able to protect her. This time, he came for her rescue. "What shall I do to you, Elle? Your life is always in danger. Can I just put you in my pocket to keep you safe from this dangerous world?" She could hear the distress and deep concern from his voice. She somehow felt guilty for making him worry too much and dragging him in this situation. "I am sorry," she softly said as her hug tightened. They were in this position when several men wearing their protective gear and holding their guns entered the room. One of them was Bryan. "Erick! Why you did not wait for us? Are you crazy? Why are you acting so reckless now? I told you that we are on the way to rescue them. Besides you are still on leave. You are not supposed to be here!" Bryan could not help himself but rant on him, his voice filled with worry and concern. "What are you talking about? I came here as a customer. You can ask the staff." Erick simply said to him, feigning innocence. "Is he the only one who beat all those men outside?" someone from the group blurted out suddenly. He was amazed. Other policemen gave Erick a strange gaze as if they were looking at a madman who just went berserk a while ago. At the same time, you could see in their eyes the admiration and respect for this man. All alone, without any assistance, Erick had beaten all the guards of this spa single-handedly. So the moment the policemen arrived at the spa together with Bryan, all men were already down, some were lying on the floor unconscious. While on the way, Bryan already gave Erick a briefing about the situation, feeding him all the necessary information that he needed. Against his will, Bryan could not stop himself from disclosing all the information to the angry detective. Even though he knew that Erick was still on leave and he was not supposed to join the operation. Thinking that they would arrive first at the location, Bryan did not bother to think that Erick would act without them. He even asked him to trust them in saving Elle and the rest, and not to worry too much. However, Erick was the one who arrived first and the worst case happened was that he did not even wait for the policemen to come before he makes a move. He entered the spa and posed as a customer. He knew about the secret door so he did not waste any more time. He had beaten those men bigger than him into pulp, venting all his furry to them. He attacked every man who came across him and tried to stop him. He gave them hard kick on the abdomen, twisting their hands, throwing punches on their faces, and hitting their heads until they fell unconscious. His punch had the impact of a bag of bricks, his kick of a sledgehammer, both were immensely strong, enough to knock his opponent down. His concern for Elle and his desire to save her gave him unimaginable strength. Whenever he thought about Elle being in danger, he couldn''t control the surge of adrenaline and his battle-l.u.s.t within him. It was after his adrenaline wore off, Erick felt the pain on his arms, his chest, and his body. "Hey, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Elle was worried-sick when she sensed that Erick''s expression change. Erick just shook his head. He bent down to pick the thin blanket and he covered Elle''s body with it. Erick would not allow other men to see his woman''s fair skin, even if they were his colleagues. Officer Kim and the rest already apprehended those people who were working on the spa. They would bring them in the precinct to interrogate them especially their manager, Madame Ching. They also called some ambulance for the victims to have a physical check-up on a hospital. Reporters also arrived at the location. The operations with the other four branches of Vello''s spa were also successful. After checking Elena, Elle decided to go home with Erick. He suggested to bring her to the hospital for a check-up but Elle refused. So in the end, they both just headed home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Carlo Vello''s Residence *** [ "Three hundred women were rescued after the police raided the five branches of the famous Vello''s spa." ] [ "The police received an anonymous tip reporting the prostitution activities at the said spa. The person who gave the tips also sent a video recording as a piece of evidence." ] [ "The spa owner Carlo Vello was still at large. The five branches of Vello''s spa were now closed for violation of Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. Further investigation will be conducted to track down and arrest the suspects as well as those so-called protectors of this business." ] [ "This is Anna Pearl of TVZ News, reporting." ] After the news report, the sound of glass shattering glass echoed around the room as Carlo Vello threw the glass of his whiskey towards the Television. "How did this happen? F*ck! Where are those sc.u.ms whom I spent millions just to pay them so that this thing would never happen?" He shouted at his men as he ground his teeth from anger. "They did not give us a warning about the raid! F*ck those sc.u.ms! Traitors! Once I find out who is responsible for this, I will kill him myself!" Carlo was fuming in rage. He could not believe that his booming business would end up like this. He could not allow this to happen or else all his efforts and hardsh.i.p.s in putting this business would go in vain. Someone should pay for this. He turned to his men who were silently standing on the side as he gave them his order. "Go and find out who is the person who gives the tips. Contact our men in the police, threaten them that if they will not do anything about this, then they should be ready to lose their careers. I am not the only one to suffer. I will bring them down with me." Chapter 169 - Reward and Punishment The drive on the way home was silent. No one initiated a conversation with them. Erick was very serious while focusing on the road. Elle did not know what to say so she kept quiet during the entire duration of their journey. She was wondering if Erick was still mad. He did not ask her anything nor scold her for what happened. ''What is running on his mind right now?'' Elle could not help but ponder. Looking at his fiery eyes, she chuckled inwardly. She found the angry him more attractive and hot. She stole glances at him from time to time. She really felt guilty right now. ''I think the confrontation will happen at home.'' Elle took a deep breath as she decided to close her eyes and take a nap. But in just a few minutes, she woke up while feeling so hot. Feeling uncomfortable, she removed the blanket around her body. She started to sweat. "Erick, can you please set the air con at a lower temperature?" Elle pleaded in her hoarse voice. Erick turned to see Elle frowned with discomfort on her seat. He gave her a worried look as he lowered the temperature inside the car. "Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?" he asked her softly. "Yes. I am fine," she replied as she gave him a reassuring smile. Sweats broke out on her forehead and she mopped it away with her forearm. Her body was on fire. ''What''s wrong with me? Why do I feel like my body is having a fever?'' Elle''s eyes widened as a realization came to her. ''D*mn, I think the drug just took effect right now. I almost forgot about it.'' Her breathing became more erratic. She was trying to calm herself and keep her composure but it was hard. Her rationality was slowly fading away. She averted her gaze to the man beside her. She had the urge to throw herself and pounce on him right now. She wanted to devour the gorgeous man before her. She bit her lower lip and clenched her fists, trying to control and stop herself from doing the things in her mind right now. She felt hot and she wanted to strip down her clothes right now. A wave of arousal began rising inside her body. She needed a release. She gulped although her throat was dry. She was staring intently at Erick as her eyes swirled with arousal. She wanted to stop the car right now and get up from her seat and sit on his lap. She was thinking of making out with him in this car, right at this moment. ''D*mn Elle! For goodness'' sake, have a grip of yourself. You are on the road.'' she scolded herself. "Ahem...Erick, can you drive faster please?" Elle requested him, her voice was raspy. Erick glanced at her confusedly. "What''s wrong?" "Nothing, I just want to go home now and have a rest." she lied. Erick nodded at her before he sped up. After a few minutes, they arrived at home. Elle sighed in relief when the car stopped in front of their house. She praised herself for holding up that long. They soon entered the house. The moment she breathed in his irresistible male scent, her self control broke down like a balloon that burst out when pricked by a sharp object. When the door was shut behind them, Erick was greeted immediately by Elle''s warm lips. She pushed him on the closed door and started kissing him passionately. Erick''s eyes widened in shock because of her sudden attack. Seconds later, Erick began to return her kiss but he allowed her to take the lead. Her tongue moved inside his mouth with eagerness. She was driving him crazy. With her remaining rationality, Elle pulled away, her face was flushed. He was waiting for Elle to speak up. From her look, he could see that she has something to say to him. "Hmm, Erick, the truth is I was drugged by them. And I felt like I am burning inside." she told him truthfully. ''That''s explain her aggressiveness just now.'' Erick thought to himself. He patted her head gently as he looked at her helplessly. "Alright, I will call Dr. Gomez right now to come over and bring you some medicine to counter the effect of that drug." Elle blinked several times. That was not the response she was expecting from him. She pouted and made up a pitiful face. ''What I need right now is you, not a medicine.'' She wanted to object but she decided to keep silent as Erick already dialed Dr. Gomez number. Soon the call got connected. Erick told Dr. Gomez of the situation and he understood everything. He told Erick that he was on his way to deliver the medicine. Elle stayed rooted in her spot with her unhappy expression flashed on her beautiful face. She was now glaring at him. Erick gave her a questioning look. After a while, her lips curved into a playful smile as an idea popped into her mind. Without saying a word, she pulled him toward the living room with eagerness. "Let''s play some more while waiting for Dr. Gomez to come," Elle said as she pushed Erick on the couch. Elle immediately sat on his lap and whispered something to Erick who was taken aback by her action. "I have to reward you for saving me my dear love." her hot breath brushed into his ear. "You are so freaking hot there my love while beating that worthless guy. D*mn, I have the urge to ravish you now," she said with her sweet and sensual voice. Her desire for him was brimming in her eyes and consuming her thoughts. Her arousal grew by seconds. Looking at her passionate eyes, Erick knew that he was also on the edge of his self-control. He met her gaze. He could not help himself but smile at her playfulness. "I think I also need to punish you right now," Erick said with his deep and raspy voice. There was a hint of possessiveness in his eyes. He bent to shower her kisses. He wrapped his hands around her waist as his mouth traveled over her neck. Elle m.o.a.ned as his lips attached to her skin, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine. Her scent was alluring and intoxicating. His hardness seemed to be growing underneath. Elle could feel the thick proof of his arousal, hard against hers. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder and at the back of his head, gripping his hair as she pulled him closer towards her body, their bodies grinding over each other. ''My beloved man is learning. He also knew how to give good punishment.'' Elle smiled from that thought. Erick''s hand slid up her blouse, moving towards her b.r.e.a.s.t as he continued to ravish her lips. She shivered as her mind followed the trails of his burning hand on her bare skin. His other hand was rubbing her back. She gasped in between their kiss when she felt his hand already met the thin fabric of her bra, shoving its lacy cup. Her w.o.m.b clenched and her h.i.p.s flexed on top of him the moment his hand touched her bare b.r.e.a.s.t. His hand became more playful, caressing, massaging, and squeezing her b.r.e.a.s.t gently. Soft m.o.a.ns escaped her mouth as she felt the pleasure pouring down on her like the rain. Afterward, Erick started to unbutton her blouse, removing and dropping it on the floor. Leaving her lips, Erick''s lips traced over her neck down to her shoulder, planting soft kisses. Elle''s heart was beating so fast. Elle stopped him for a moment as she lifted the hem of his shirt. Understanding her purpose, Erick took off his shirt exposing his defined muscular build. He threw his shirt on the floor. Elle could not help herself but run her hands down his bare chest, admiring the gorgeous man in front of her. She trailed the mark left by surgery on his body. She pressed her hand on his chest, feeling his pounding heart. Her heart ached for him, knowing that his life was put in danger because of her... because he tried to catch her. She was afraid to lose this man. She loved him so much. Erick caressed her cheek with his thumb as he noticed her troubled expression visible on her face. "Do you like what you are seeing right now? Are you done feasting your eyes with my body? Can you give me my reward now?" Erick cracked some joke, trying to lighten her mood. Elle''s laughter and giggle bubbled up in the entire living room. "Shameless, impatient, and too demanding huh!" she said as she raised her brow. Erick just chuckled at her remarks. Elle closed their distance as she leaned over to seal his lips with another passionate kiss. However, just seconds after they resumed their intimate moment, their heated passion was interrupted by the ringing sound of the doorbell. Chapter 170 - Her Medicine Elle and Erick heard the ringing sound of the doorbell however no one between them wanted to stop. But the person outside was so determined as he pressed the doorbell all over again. Elle pulled away and heaved a sigh of frustration as she stared at Erick with her upset expression. "If that person outside is Dr. Gomez, Erick Lee, I will kill you!" Elle threatened him as she shot him a glare. He gave a husky laugh at her words as he pulled his upset woman into a warm hug and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Kill me with your love later, I won''t stop you. Go to my room first, my dear," he whispered to her. Elle nodded as she got off on his lap and stood up. Erick picked up her blouse and covered her exposed body with it. Then he picked up his shirt and wore it before he walked towards the door. When he saw Elle entered his room, he shook his head and sighed deeply. ''''Now I regretted calling Dr. Gomez a while ago. If I had known this would happen, I should have not made that call.'''' Erick mumbled to himself as he scratched the back of his head. As he opened the door, Dr. Gomez greeted him with a smile. He was holding a small plastic bag in which he assumed that it contained the medicine he requested. "What took you so long to open the door?" Dr. Gomez asked him as he eyed Erick with a suspicious look. Before Erick could respond Dr. Gomez burst into waves of laughter. He could already guess what just happened inside the house by just looking at Erick''s reddened face, messy hair, and the beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "Why did you still ask me for medicine? I think this is not needed anymore." Dr. Gomez teased him as he raised the plastic bag in his hand. Erick could not look straight into his eyes. His face and ears were burning from embarrassment. He cleared his throat before he spoke to him. "I don''t know what you are talking about," Erick said, feigning ignorance. "How come you are here now? You''re so fast," he added, there was a hint of disappointment in his voice. "It''s just so happened that today is my day off and I am near your place. I just bought the medicine in the nearby drug store. Why do you look so disappointed? I thought you would be happy to see me." Dr. Gomez smirked at him as he continued to tease his detective friend. Erick laughed at him awkwardly. "You are spouting nonsense. Who said I am disappointed? By the way, thank you for coming over and bringing this med." Erick said as he was trying to finish this conversation as fast as he can. He snatched the plastic bag from the hand of Dr. Gomez, ready to send him away. But before he could say a word, Dr. Gomez spoke again. "Ahem, are you not inviting me inside and offer me some water to drink? I have fulfilled your request." Dr. Gomez said as he gave Erick a meaningful stare. Erick was rendered speechless and gave Dr. Gomez an are-you-serious kind of look. He could not believe this friend of his. If he already knew what just happened between him and Elle, why is it, he was still insisting to stay? Erick folded his arms across his chest and shot his doctor friend a serious cold stare. His frown deepened into a scowl. Seconds later, Dr. Gomez broke into another burst of laughter. He was just teasing his friend. He could not help himself but laugh seeing the ugly expression and a threatening look coming from Erick. "Chillax my friend! I am just kidding. I have no intention of staying over. I just heard that you just went berserk a while ago, beating a lot of men and I don''t have a plan to be one of your victims today." Dr. Gomez said to appease his annoyed friend in front of him. "But before I could leave, Bryan also requested me to check on you. He was worried since you fought so hard today and you are still recuperating. Did you feel hurt anywhere?" this time Dr. Gomez was serious. "Bryan asked you to do that?" Erick was taken aback after hearing that. He felt guilty for Bryan as he acted so harshly towards him because he was worried-sick about Elle. Dr. Gomez nodded. "Yes, he was worried about you. He also ranted on me how you acted so recklessly without considering the danger and the consequence of your action." "Don''t worry I will apologize to him when I get to talk to him. I admit my mistakes. But I could not wait and just stand still knowing that Elle was in danger." Erick explained as he smiled at him apologetically. "Well, that''s what we called Love. We tend to do things, even if it is dangerous, just for the sake of protecting our loved ones. I can understand you and I know Bryan can understand you as well." "So do you feel hurt anywhere?" Dr. Gomez asked him. "Come, I wanna see your wound." Erick did not object and acted according to the instruction of Dr. Gomez. He invited him inside the house and Dr. Gomez did a quick check up on his body. He told him the truth that he somehow felt hurt around his chest after rescuing Elle. Dr. Gomez told him it''s natural since he was still recovering and he exerted too much physical force. But so far, he did not see any complications on his wound. It looked okay but to make sure he prescribed him some medicines for his wound and body pain. He also advised him to take some rest. After Dr. Gomez was done examining him, he finally bade Erick a goodbye. Of course, he teased him again before leaving. "Well, I am just curious. Are you using this medicine that I brought or the natural way?" Dr. Gomez asked him with a wide grin on his face. Erick looked at him with disbelief. "I think you should go now before I exert another physical force on you." Erick threatened him as he grabbed Dr. Gomez''s shoulder and pushed him towards the door. As they reached outside, Dr. Gomez gave Erick another piece of advice. "I recommend, to use the natural way of countering the effect of that drug. Hehe." He said as he winked at Erick, grinning widely while having a perverted thought in mind. Bam! Erick slammed the door shut without responding to the Doctor''s words. Instead of being mad for that action, a loud chuckle could be heard outside the door. "Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee, I advise you, do not exert too much physical force or else your wound would not heal completely! If you do, it will take another month before you can come back to work." Dr. Gomez shouted behind the closed door. "Scram! You are no longer needed here anymore!" Erick responded with his irritated voice. Dr. Gomez burst into laughter again before he finally left the house. By the time, he entered his room, he saw the petite figure of his beloved woman who was sound asleep on his bed. She was no longer wearing the uniform which the spa made them wear, instead, she wore one of his oversized T-shirts. Erick decided to join her and get into bed. He was careful not to wake his sleeping beauty but he failed. The moment he raised Elle''s head and inserted his arm to use it as her pillow, Elle suddenly woke up. She turned around to face the man who disturbed her peaceful sleep. But instead of getting mad, a sweet smile formed on the corners of her mouth. She stared at him with her beautiful radiant eyes and seemed to say "This man is the one whom I always wanted to see every time I wake up." She raised her hand to touch his handsome face. Erick grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Did I make you wait that long?" he asked her softly. Elle giggled and nodded at him as a response. ''''You look more seductive just wearing my T-shirt. You are breathtakingly beautiful Elle, do you know that?" "Yes, I know that. I could see it in your eyes right now." Elle said as she smiled at him. His penetrating gaze was so focused on her. He looked at her intently that Elle started to feel nervous and excited at the same time under his gaze. "Dr. Gomez brought your medicine. Do you want to take it now?" Erick asked her. Elle pouted and shook her head. "No! I don''t!" she said stubbornly. "I want you to take me instead." She said with a demanding tone. Erick looked at her helplessly. "As much as I wanted to do that but I can''t for now. You have to marry me first!" Erick also said with his demanding tone. Elle grunted in frustration as she buried her face into his chest and bit him hard. Erick gasped in both pain and pleasure. "Hey don''t be mad." He said as he stroked her hair. Elle squeezed him hard. Erick laughed, his husky laugh made her stomach flutter. Erick reached out for the medicine and took it into his mouth. Then he bent down and lifted Elle''s chin. She was now facing him. Without waiting for her response, he covered her lips with his. Erick''s hand was already traveling inside her shirt, teasing and caressing her b.r.e.a.s.t. He slightly pinched her n.i.p.p.l.e under her shirt that caused her to m.o.a.n in pleasure. Erick took that chance to enter her mouth and he used his tongue to push the medicine inside her. Elle''s mind was busy focusing on Erick''s expert hand which was pleasuring her right now that she failed to notice that Erick was already successful in feeding her the medicine she refused to take. Elle was confused when she felt Erick''s hand left her sensitive b.r.e.a.s.t and was now rubbing her back. He gave her a long passionate kiss before he released her. Elle gazed up to see his face and gave him a questioning look. Erick just smiled at her and showered her beautiful face with soft kisses. "Let''s sleep for now my Love. I felt very exhausted today." Erick said truthfully to her as he pulled her closer toward his body. Elle wanted to object but in the end, she sighed in defeat as she remembered how Erick had fought every man in that spa today. She just nodded as she wrapped her arms around his body. They cuddled until they both fell asleep. Chapter 171 - Please Dont Cry After the incident yesterday, Elle asked Bryan a favor. That was to take care of Elena for the meantime. Since she came from a faraway province, Bryan let her stay with April for a while. Elena''s parents were unaware of what truly happened to her. They thought she already found a decent job in the city. She hid the truth from them since she did not want them to worry about her. Elle also promised that she would help her find a job at City Z. She was really grateful to her. She protected her and now she also wanted to help her. Now Elena was sitting inside the Falcon Cafe while Charles was silently observing the girl before him. He could still clearly remember the conversation he had with Elle yesterday. He was aware that Erick was the one who saved Elle and she was upset that her man got involved because of his mistake. He was prepared for his punishment but Elle did not scold him instead she asked him a favor. { "Charles I have a favor to ask you. There is one victim named Elena. I ask Bryan to take care of her for the moment. After finishing our plan, I want you to meet her at the Cafe tomorrow." Elle gave him the instruction. } { "Look for a safe apartment for her and offer her a job at our Cafe." } { "Elle, are you serious? Letting a stranger work with us in the Cafe? What if she finds out about our secret operations as well as our secret bas.e.m.e.nt? How can we act freely if she is there with us?" A hint of disapproval was evident to Charles''s voice. } { "Don''t worry about that. The door to our secret bas.e.m.e.nt is secured. She won''t be able to enter the room. And I am planning to use my hideout as a meeting place for our operation." Elle assured him } { "We need someone to look at the Cafe while we are out. I will shoulder the consequence if something wrong happens. Trust me, Charles. I won''t make a decision that will put us in danger." she added. } { Charles sighed in defeat. "Ok. I got it. Are you coming here tomorrow?" } { "I am not sure if Erick will allow me to leave the house after what happened. I will contact you tomorrow. I heard Master Phantom is on the move. I will leave the rest of our plan to the two of you. I have to think of a way to handle Erick. He will become more strict towards me." She grunted in frustration. } { "I have told you many times to move out and now you are having a hard time. If you just listen to me before then you will be able to move freely without worrying about getting caught by that detective." Charles started to rant at her. } { "Are you scolding me?" Elle asked him with disbelief, there was a warning in her tone. } { "Hehe¡­ Of course not." Charles denied it as he smiled awkwardly.} { "Very good. Besides, we already talked about this. Are you still complaining? Let me remind you that because of the video you did not check and send immediately to Bryan is the reason why they found out that I was there. Hmm." Elle reminded him with her authoritative voice.} { "I was planning to escape silently once the cops rescued them. Should I punish you?" she added, making Charles feel more guilty about it. } { "I am sorry, please forgive me, Elle," Charles pleaded. He forgot that he was still talking with a demoness. He did not want to piss her off. } { Elle just chuckled from the other line. "Don''t worry I am just kidding about the punishment." After giving him the last instruction Elle hung up the phone.} Charles understood that Elle was giving him a responsibility now to babysit the girl in front of him. He could not deny the fact that this girl had an irresistible charm which made her a target of a syndicate involved in women trafficking and prostitution. The girl had fair skin and her black hair was tied in a ponytail, emphasizing her heart-shaped face. She had pouty lips with soft green eyes. She was wearing plain jeans and a blouse. She had a good figure, slim and not tall. Overall, she was cute with her innocence and youthful vibe. Unknown to Charles, the girl was nervous seeing his penetrating gaze. She wanted to look away but she couldn''t. She could not stop herself from admiring the mestizo beauty in front of her. For Elena, he was so good looking like an idol whom she could only see in televisions. She felt the friendly vibes in him. She felt safe since she knew that the guy in front of her was a friend of Elle. The police officers and detective agents named Bryan and April were also kind and they treated her so well. Before going to work, Bryan and April dropped her in the Cafe as per the instruction of Elle. After the long silence, Charles spoke up. "Hello, I am Charles, the owner of this Cafe. I am the boss of Elle, also her friend." Charles introduced himself to her with a smile. He offered her a hand for a handshake. Elena was starstruck after seeing Charles''s smile. She did not know why but her heart skipped a beat. She was speechless and started to blush. Without getting a response from her, Charles looked puzzled. He retreated his hand which was ignored by the girl in front of him. He laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head, unaware of what the girl was thinking. ''Is she afraid of me? or she just doesn''t like me. Why is she ignoring me?'' Charles thought to himself as he stared at the quiet girl who looked like in a daze right now. ''Maybe she is still in shock after what happened to her.'' Charles cleared his throat to get her attention. "Ahem, Elena are you with me? Did you hear me?" Charles asked her confusedly as he waved his hand in front of her face. With that, Elena was awakened from her trance. She bit her lower lip, realizing her action a while ago. "I am... sorry about that. I am Elena Bartolome," she said as she introduced herself nervously. Charles let out a soft chuckle after he sensed that Elena was very tense. "Relax, don''t be afraid of me. I will not harm you or else Elle will kill me if I do so." He joked in order to lighten the atmosphere between them. Charles''s laughter helped Elena to feel at ease. She finally smiled at him. "I heard from Elle that you are looking for a job. Are you interested to work here at my Cafe? I am hiring another staff who will serve as cashier and waitress at the same time." Charles said as he offered her the job. Elena was startled after hearing that. She could not believe it. Did someone just offer her a job right now? This was the reason why she decided to leave their province and unfortunately ended up with the hands of the bad guys. But she never imagined that after being rescued, good things would keep on happening to her. This started when she met Elle. She felt really grateful right now. Instead of answering Charles, Elena could not stop herself from crying. She felt sentimental and emotional right now. Tears started to flow from her eyes down to her cheeks, and the sobs wracked her body, giving her the difficulty to speak. "Hey, why are you crying? I just offered you some job. Don''t worry if you don''t like it, I am not forcing you to take the job." Charles wore a distressed expression on his face. Charles began to panic on his seat the moment Elena cried. The other customers there might think that he was bullying the girl. Charles immediately stood up from his seat and he sat beside the girl who was crying non-stop. He smacked his forehead using his right palm unaware of what he should do to stop the girl from crying. Several pairs of eyes were already looking at them, a hint of curiosity was evident to their faces. ''Elle, is this the kind of punishment you are giving me right now? Babysitting this cry-baby?! What should I do to her?'' Charles was complaining in his mind. He looked problematic right now. Leaving with no choice, Charles pulled the girl into a hug. He started to stroke her hair as he tried to console her and stop her from crying. "Shhh... Shhh... Elena, please don''t cry. Stop crying, please. The other customers are glaring at me now, thinking that I am bullying you." Charles softly said to her. Elena was shocked when Charles suddenly pulled her close to his body and wrapped her into his arms. Her face was now buried into his chest. She could smell his manly scent and it comforted her. Charles sighed in relief when she stopped crying but the next thing she did, made Charles caught off guard. As if her body had the mind of its own, Elena buried herself more toward his body and she wrapped her arms around his waist. Charles''s eyes widened and he froze on his spot in astonishment. From this closeness, he could feel Elena''s soft and warm body and could smell her pleasant woman''s scent. It seemed like Charles''s mind had stopped functioning right now. Now, the curious customers who were currently observing the two of them had already created speculation in their minds. They thought the two of them were having a lover''s quarrel that''s why the girl suddenly cried and the guy was trying his best to console his girlfriend. Chapter 172 - What is your Dream? After Elena had calmed down and Charles had recovered from the shock, they broke away from each other''s arm. Then Elena thanked Charles for offering her the job in which she gladly accepted. She also apologized for her actions and for making him nervous. She explained that she was just happy and emotional that she could not help herself but cry. After discussing the terms, her working load and her salary, Charles oriented her about what to do. He taught her everything she needed to learn while working in the Cafe. She looked like an intern who was observing Charles while serving and entertaining the customers. She could not take her eyes off him. ''Elena what are you doing?'' she scolded herself. ''Do I have a crush on him?'' Elena shook her head and her cheeks began to blush once again. She felt embarrassed every time she would remember how she threw herself and hugged Charles a while ago, who is now her boss. She was glad that Charles did not make things uncomfortable for both of them. He acted as if nothing happened and he did not mind it. She stole glances at him from time to time. She would smile unknowingly every time she would see Charles greeting their customer cheerfully. She found him more attractive every time he would smile and laugh, exchanging lively conversations with their customers. He was emanating a good and happy vibe around him. ''Maybe that was one of the reasons this Cafe attracted more customers.'' she thought to herself. Charles was also kind and very thoughtful toward her, asking her if she needs anything... if she was just okay, tired, or hungry. He did not look like a strict boss. He was acting more like a friend or just her equal. Because of that, she admired him more and she was excited and motivated to work with them. Too bad, Elle did not come today, she wanted to thank her for everything. ''I will not disappoint both of you. I will do my job very well.'' she promised to herself. "Elena, let''s take our lunch for now." Charles invited her. He already ordered their food and had it delivered to the Cafe. Elena joined him. While eating, Charles started a conversation with her. "Elle had mentioned to me that you stopped attending school. You can continue your studies and work part-time here." Charles suggested to her. Elena was taken aback after hearing that. She faintly smiled at him as she said "I need to save first. Then after that, I will pursue my study." Charles paused for a moment as if he was thinking something. "What do you want to become? I mean your dream." Charles asked her. "Ever since I was young, my mother was always weak because of her illness. Then I told myself I want to become a doctor someday so that I can take care of her personally." Elena started to open up to him. Charles just kept silent while listening to her attentively. "But it was expensive and costly. We are just poor. I graduated high school because of the scholarship offered by the local government in our province. But I did not pursue my studies in college for a while because I decided to find a job to help my parents and to save money." She said, there was a hint of sadness in her voice. "But I will not give up in reaching my dream!" she said feeling so determined. "How about you sir, why did you choose to put up this Cafe. Is this also your dream?" This time it was Elena who asked him. Charles was put in deep thought after hearing her words. ''Dream? I did not have any dream, or maybe I had one but I already forgot about it. I wonder what is the dream of Elle also" He smiled bitterly. Unlike Elena, He and Elle had experienced the cruelty of life. Their childhood was spent in the dark world. They both lost their parents at a very young age. Both of them had struggled to live, committing crimes just to survive. They were already trapped in this sinful path that they had already taken. But if given a chance to turn back time, he would still take this path because, despite everything, he was still grateful and happy that he met Master Phantom and Elle. ''But I wish Elle to live a normal life as other people do.'' Charles just realized that the things which were happening right now were not a bad thing at all. Elle meeting Erick gave her the chance to live like a normal person. Even if she was hiding something from him but the Elle who was with Erick right now was truly the genuine Elle and Catseye was only her mask to protect her true self against the demon of her past. Elena stared confusedly at Charles who was very immersed in his own thoughts."I am sorry. Did I go overboard by asking you about your dream, sir?" Elena''s voice pulled him back from the daze. Charles scratched his head as he apologized to her. "No, it''s okay. I should be the one to apologize. I became absentminded just a while ago." "Anyway, you can enroll in college this upcoming semester. I know someone who would like to sponsor your studies." Charles gave her a reassuring smile. Elena was at a loss for words. This was too much. He already offered her a job and it was enough for her. If she accepted another help from them, she did not know how she would be able to repay their kindness. "No need sir. I should refuse your kindness now. Having a job right now, I am already thankful. I don''t know how I can repay all of this. I don''t want to take advantage of you. I know you are helping me just because I look pitiful right now." Elena honestly said to him. Charles let out a soft chuckle. He was amused by her purity and innocence. Now, he understood why Elle took a liking of her immediately. "You don''t have to worry about that. And you don''t need to repay us, just continue to follow your dreams and do your best to achieve it. Elle and I will be happy if you became Dr. Elena Bartolome in the future. Then if we get sick, you will have to take care of us, service free. It''s just like we are investing now for the future." ''Yeah, I am willing to take care of you, sir, until you get old!'' Elena''s innocent mind said to herself and her cheeks started to burn once again. "Hmm, take your time and think about it. But I prefer it if you will continue your studies. Don''t worry, the sponsor that I know has lots of money and she is very generous. She even gave one hundred million to the family of her security guard." Charles convinced her once again. Elena''s eyes widened because of his remark. She could not believe what he had just said. ''Eh, Is he telling the truth or just joking in order to convince me.'' Elena was feeling doubtful right now but she disregarded the thought that he was lying when she saw his eyes. Charles was staring at her intently, his lips curled into a radiant smile as he was waiting for her response. ''Eh¡­ don''t look at me like that sir Charles. You are blinding my eyes. You are so captivating. I have the urge to- ah damn, this is not right, coveting my boss on my first day.'' she sighed nervously on her seat as she scolded herself. Charles gave Elena a strange gaze. Now it looked like she was having a deep thought. ''Hmm, I wonder what is running again in her mind right now.'' Charles could not help but ponder to himself. He just shrugged and let Elena take her time to think. They were still having their lunch when Phantom arrived at the Cafe. He was slightly shocked when he saw Charles eating with someone. And that someone was a pretty young woman. ''Is that the girl Elle mentioned to him before. The young woman she met during their operation and one of the victims.'' he thought to himself. If Charles only knew, he would really feel upset towards Elle and would complain about unjust and unfair treatment. The truth was Elle consulted first Master Phantom and seek his approval about letting Elena work at the Cafe. She knew Charles would refuse at first but after getting the approval of Phantom, that''s the time she informed Charles about her decision. He walked towards them to greet them. He was also curious to know this girl whom Elle wanted to protect. He assumed that maybe Elle wanted to act a big sister to her since from the beginning she always wanted to have siblings. Charles was the one who noticed Phantom first. They exchanged meaningful glances towards each other. When Phantom reached their table, Charles immediately introduced him to Elena. "Elena, I''d like you to meet my Dad, Tom. Dad, she is Elena, Elle''s friend, and our new staff here." Elena froze on her spot and she was surprised beyond belief. It seemed like she lost her ability to speak. ''Dad? I did not expect to meet his father right away. Wait! Get a grip of yourself, Elena. Why are you so nervous? Is this how it felt, meeting the future father-in-law for the first time? WAIT! What am I thinking, for goodness'' sake!'' Both Charles and Phantom were looking at her reaction, puzzled. Both had the same question in mind ''what''s wrong with her?'' Chapter 173 - His Upset Woman Everything went smoothly that day at Falcon Cafe. Elena got a decent job, met Charles and Phantom who disguised himself as Tom, Charles''s father. Elena was able to blend so well with them. Phantom and Charles did not make things difficult for Elena, instead, they treated her like she belonged with them. She never felt that she was an outsider. Charles also mentioned to her that they could look and rent a house or apartment near the Cafe but in the meantime, Elena went back to April''s apartment. April allowed Elena to stay with her until she found a place. After Elena left the Cafe, Phantom and Charles went to the secret base as they discussed their plan, targeting those three men whom Elle wanted to collect some debts. "I heard the news that Carlo Vello is still at large. The cops arrived at his villa but unfortunately, they were not able to catch him there, only his men were captured. Do you think he escapes, Master? I wonder where he runs off to." Charles said, feeling dejected. Phantom burst into peals of laughter after hearing his remarks. He tapped Charles''s shoulder as he grinned widely at him. Charles gave him a confused look. "Don''t worry about him. He is on our hands now." Phantom said to him. "Huh? What do you mean he is on our hands now, Master? I thought we would let the cops handle this case." Charles asked him quizzically. "Yeah, we agreed on that. We will let the police attack their businesses and handle their illegal activities but it doesn''t mean that we will surrender those three to them without confronting them first. Elle had another plan for those three sc.u.ms." Phantom explained to him. "Oh¡­ so what did you do this time Master?" Phantom smiled at him as he gave him a meaningful glance. "I caught the mouse and put him in the cage while waiting for the final verdict of our head Cat. We still need to catch the other two. Elle informed me that she will not be able to join our next operation. The detective is very protective of her right now. Not allowing her to leave his eyes." Charles nodded at him as he understood the situation. Elle should need to cool down the situation first. They wondered if the detective already confronted her of how she ended up in that place. They knew that it would not be good if that detective decided to investigate further. It was up to Elle on how she would convince him to forget what happened to her. So as of now, Elle entrusted all the groundwork with Phantom and Charles. But she would make sure to come and confront those three persons at the right time as they would be slowly destroying them one by one. She would take away the important things to them right now which were money and power. Phantom and Charles were there to back her up and support her. Phantom already made all the necessary preparations. Yesterday, before the cops arrived at Carlo Vello''s Villa, he already succeeded sneaking in. He even saw how mad Carlo Vello was when he saw the news regarding the raid that happened to all five branches of his spa. Phantom was laughing inwardly just listening to Vello''s ranting. He was blaming his police protectors and he thought there were traitors. Unknown to him, everything that happened was done by Elle. After Carlo Vello dispatched his men to investigate, he was left alone in his study. Phantom found the opportunity to strike. He disguised himself as one of his guards. Phantom entered his study. "Why are you still here? Did you not hear my order?" Carlo''s angry voice greeted Phantom. "Boss, come with me. I already prepared the car. The cops are on their way here, you should leave and escape." Phantom replied to him. Carlo Vello was stunned in a moment after hearing his subordinate. It was impossible for the cops to find his villa because it was his secret headquarter. Unless there was someone who knew about his villa and gave the tips to the cops. "D*mn traitors!" He cursed again as he immediately stood up and grabbed a bag. He opened his safe and put all his money inside, along with his passports. Phantom hid his grin as he watched Carlo Vello panicking inside the room. Carlo''s mind was very occupied that he did not even suspect the person in front of him. He forgot to ask himself how this subordinate of him knew that the cops were coming. The mouse fell on the mousetrap that easily. He rushed out of his villa together with Phantom. The moment he went inside the car, Phantom knocked him down and he fell unconscious right away. And just like that, Carlo Vello was kidnapped in his own villa. Charles could not stop himself but laughed out loud after hearing the story from Phantom. Carlo Vello was a fool. The money he brought was also a bonus treat for them. A light flashed in his eyes as Elena''s lovely face wearing her pure and innocent smile popped up in his mind. ''Great! I could ask Master Phantom for that money. Elena can use it for her studies.'' He smiled from that thought. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Erick''s Place *** Elle had stayed at the house for the whole day with Erick. She had slept for half day. Maybe it was the aftereffects of the medicines in her system. She only realized last night how Erick succeeded in feeding her the medicine she refused to take. Erick had outsmarted her. Elle could not believe it Erick had already tricked her without her knowing. She admitted to herself Erick was her weakness. She could not think right every time she was near him. That moment she was immersed in his kiss and all her mind was only focused on him and to what he was doing to her body. She felt annoyed every time she would remember it. She was still upset at him. She was also so grumpy today. She decided to ignore him. Erick knew that she was intentionally doing it. He just let her continue with her act, pretending he was not affected by it. Because he wanted to tease her more. Erick''s action made Elle become more annoyed and pissed off. Unknown to her, Erick was enjoying her childish behavior. He was just controlling himself not to wrap her into his arms again. She was too cute even if she was frowning and glaring at him. In the end, Erick was still the first one to give in. He walked towards the living room to see his upset woman. Elle was silently watching a movie. The moment she saw him approaching, she shot him a cold glare. Erick was not intimidated by her sharp gaze instead he found it cute and amusing. He let out a soft chuckle that made Elle''s already ugly expression worsened. Erick sat down beside her. Elle raised her eyebrow and looked daggers at him. She moved one foot away from him. "Why are you here? Leave me alone. I don''t want you here!" Elle said with her stern voice. Erick looked at her helplessly as he grabbed her elbow. Elle shrugged his hand off her. "Don''t touch me!" She warned him. Erick just laughed at her remarks. "Why are you laughing? Do you think it is funny?" Elle scoffed at him. "Yeah, I find it funny. Yesterday, you want to stick with me and now you don''t want me to be near you. I wonder why you are acting like this." Erick softly said as a gentle smile appeared on his face. "Well, let me tell you so that you will know." Elle faced him with a serious expression on her face. "This is the effect of the medicine you forcefully fed me yesterday. It makes me want to stay away from a trickster like you. So don''t come near me! Shoo¡­ shoo!" Elle waved her hands in a manner signaling Erick to leave. Erick was laughing inwardly. His woman was really stubborn sometimes. This was the first time she acted like this. Elle averted her gaze back at the television. Her arms were folded across her chest. "Hey, are you doing this so that you can avoid my questions? Hmm¡­ If I could remember, I need to interrogate someone why she ended up in that kind of place." Erick said to her as he copied her action, folding his arms across his chest and raising his brows. Elle was taken aback by that statement. She moved her eyes back to him. ''Crap. I couldn''t believe this man. He is supposed to console me because I am upset at him, not to interrogate me.'' Elle looked at him with disbelief. Seeing Elle''s face, Erick''s lips curved up into a mischievous smile. Elle was annoyed seeing his cheeky smile. "You¡­ You¡­" Elle pointed him using her index finger, she was trying hard to control her rage and annoyance towards the handsome man before her. Her cheeks were already burning in anger. "What about me?" Erick said as he continued to challenge Elle. Elle stood up and clenched her teeth before shouting "I hate you! YOU CHEATER IGNORANT HANDSOME TRICKSTER!" That''s it, Erick lost his remaining self-control. He grabbed her and pulled her causing her to fall toward his body. He made her climb on his lap, straddling him in a kneeling position. Elle''s eyes widened, she was surprised by his sudden action. Erick''s right hand was on her back, supporting her while his left hand was on her nape. He looked into her dark alluring eyes as he flashed his sweetest charming smile and whispered to her "I love you, Elle." The next thing she knew Erick''s warm lips already pressed to hers. Chapter 174 - *His Way of Interrogating Her* He looked into her dark alluring eyes as he flashed his sweetest charming smile and whispered to her "I love you, Elle." The next thing she knew Erick''s warm lips already pressed to hers. Elle''s mind was in shambles right now. Just a moment ago, she was mad at this guy, picking a fight with him when suddenly Erick pulled her. His words and his charming smile kept playing on her mind. "I love you, Elle." His warm lips were ravaging her soft lips, kissing her passionately. She should push him away but she couldn''t. Instead, she threaded her fingers through his hair and angled her mouth over his for a deeper kiss. She kissed him back fervently. ''Hey, what is happening? I am supposed to be angry at him. Why the heck am I responding to his kiss?'' She thought to herself but her body was telling her the other way around. ''D*mn, I fell again to his trap. I couldn''t resist his charm. It is my complete defeat.'' Erick smiled in between their kiss as his woman returned his kiss with the same intensity as his. ''Hmm, no turning back now Elle. I won''t let you go this time.'' Erick told himself as he continued to kiss her hard. Yesterday, it was the most intimate moment they had ever shared as a couple. They kissed each other so many times but they never went beyond that. He was waiting for the right time. He was so protective of her and he did not want to do things recklessly that might hurt or scare Elle. He admitted to himself that it was difficult to control himself after what happened yesterday. Erick was helpless in that situation, as much as he wanted to possess all of her like what Elle wanted to but he couldn''t. He knew he should not since Elle was under the influence of the drug. And today, Elle ignored him for the whole day, showing how upset and mad she was at him. He knew the reason why but he could not help himself but laugh inwardly. He was enjoying it. It was rare to see his woman acting so childish like this so he dragged it for too long. And when the time he decided to explain his side, Elle was acting stubbornly, pushing him away. So he had no choice but to resort with this strategy to appease his upset woman. And it seemed that his strategy was working well. As both of them were already losing their oxygen, they broke the kiss to gasp some air. "I''m sorry about yesterday. Please don''t be mad anymore." Erick softly mumbled as he apologized to her. Elle became silent for a moment, observing the man before her, not taking her eyes off him as if she was imprinting his handsome face into her mind. Seconds later, Elle''s lips curled up into a smile as she nodded at him, accepting Erick''s apology. Erick heaved a sigh of relief after seeing her beautiful smile. He missed it so badly since she frowned and glared at him for the whole day. Silence engulfed the entire living room after that. Elle noticed Erick''s gaze fell on her lips once again. Her heart was racing in excitement and anticipation when he moved his stare back to her eyes. She saw yearning and passion in his dark brown eyes which seemed like asking permission, permission to kiss her, taste her and possess all of her. "Dummy! Should you need to ask permission? Are my feelings and what I want not yet obvious?" Elle mumbled before she pulled his head closer to hers, claiming his lips. Erick savored the heat and wetness of her lips on his. He gently nibbled her lower lip. The tip of his tongue traced the outline of her mouth. Elle gasped and m.o.a.ned because of the sensation he was giving her. She reflexively opened her mouth and let his tongue swirl and explore inside to play with hers. The taste of him excited every nerve ending in her body. ''So delicious. I wanted more of him.'' She thought to herself. Erick pulled away as his lips moved on the corner of her lips going to her cheek, tracing and nibbling down her jawline. "Elle, do you want this?" His voice was a wreck and his eyes were filled with too much love and desire. Hearing Erick''s sensual voice, Elle became more turned on. Erick continued to trace her jawline with his hot mouth, tasting her with his tongue. Elle nodded as a response to his question. Erick''s lips curved into a satisfied smile. His mouth moved down. He pushed the hair from her neck and his lips sizzled a hot trail in its wake. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked her. "No!" Elle promptly said. "Hmm, then tell me. It''s my turn to interrogate you now." Erick said with his raspy voice. "How did you end up with that spa?" Erick bit her neck and sucked on it, leaving a mark, as if he was punishing her. Elle gasped both in pain and pleasure. She circled her arms on his shoulder. "Answer me, Elle, or else I will stop this," Erick warned her as he did not get her response yet. ''F*ck. How can I answer him this way? How can I think of a good excuse if he is doing this to me? My mind is not functioning well.'' Elle cursed Erick inwardly. She felt Erick''s mouth on her collarbones, kissing, sucking, and nibbling. His free hand already sneaked in under her blouse. "I¡­ I went out... to deliver some orders from our customer." Elle was having difficulty in talking as she could not help but m.o.a.n in pleasure. "Why did you do it? You should have let your boss do it. He is the man." Erick cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t and squeezed it. He was unhappy hearing her statement. "Ah.." Elle gasped from that action, a soft m.o.a.n escaped her mouth. "Don''t ever do it again.'' Erick added. Elle just nodded in agreement. "Continue," Erick said with his demanding tone. He continued to shower her skin with soft kisses, on her jawline, neck, and collarbone. Elle''s breathing became more erratic. ''''D*mn Erick. Is this how you do an interrogation? If you do this with other women, including men, I will kill you...no¡­ I will kill them rather." Elle complained to him. Erick let out a husky laugh. "No, this kind of special interrogation is exclusive only to my one and only beloved woman. So continue your story." Erick already shoved the cup of her bra, freeing her b.r.e.a.s.t and allowing his hand to touch her bare b.r.e.a.s.ts under her blouse. "On the way to that customer''s apartment near the port of Wib District¡­ Oh¡­ stop teasing me." Elle could not complete her sentence because she could not stop her m.o.a.n as Erick continued to tease her soft b.r.e.a.s.t while waiting for her response. Erick ignored her as he did as he pleased. "I saw several men having a conversation. Their action was a little bit suspicious as I saw them letting women enter the cargo truck. I decided to hide and investigate what was happening there." Elle was trying her best to concentrate on her alibi. "Why did you do that? That''s dangerous!" Erick sounded upset now. Before Elle could respond to that, Erick''s head lowered toward her covered chest. He brought his mouth to her other b.r.e.a.s.t. He sucked her aroused n.i.p.p.l.e through the thin material of her blouse. The feeling of the wet silk of her blouse on her b.r.e.a.s.t along with his hot mouth which started to bite gently her hardened n.i.p.p.l.e gave her a teasing and pleasing sensation. "Oh...Erick!" She called his name as she m.o.a.ned in incredible pleasure he was giving her. His lips moved in sync with his hands. All she could do was m.o.a.ned and shuddered. She was already struggling to breathe. She didn''t care about answering his question anymore. She wanted to feel him and concentrate on him. She stopped Erick and cupped his face so that he would now be facing her. "Please...Erick. Can you do your interrogation after this?" Elle pleaded to him. Her sweet and sensual voice was heard in between her ragged breath. He saw the needs and burning desire in her dark alluring eyes. He knew what she wanted and he was willing to comply. He lifted the hem of her blouse as he removed her clothes and soon his shirt followed. He stared at her intently, admiring her n.a.k.e.dness. Elle''s face turned red under his penetrating gaze. "You are so beautiful!" He whispered and gently kneaded her b.r.e.a.s.ts. "And so are you." Elle murmured to him. She gasped as she felt his lips on her b.r.e.a.s.ts, giving her superb pleasure. He alternately sucked her bare b.r.e.a.s.ts hungrily and his tongue flicked on her hardened n.i.p.p.l.es. She felt so weak as she wrapped her arms on his shoulder and at the back of his head, holding for support. She arched her back at the feel of overwhelming pleasure he was giving her. The heat of passion and desire ignited inside of them like a wildfire. Erick was hard and throbbing. Elle could feel the hot liquid coming off her w.o.m.b. She pressed herself to his body. She felt something hard poking under her. Erick groaned in satisfaction when Elle started to move her h.i.p.s, rubbing her center on his huge hardened maleness under her. Erick changed their position as he pushed her down the sofa, Elle lying her back on the sofa while Erick was on top of her. He kissed her on the lips passionately. His mouth was firm and hot on hers, his tongue exploring and tasting her. His kiss took complete possession of her. Elle''s hands started to roam around his body, feeling his muscular built, tracing and rubbing his broad back. Erick gently parted her legs with his hand as he pulled down her short, and his fingers traveled down, tracing the wetness of her desire. His fingers caressed and teased her private part as he continued to kiss her hard. Her h.i.p.s automatically moved in circling motion as his thumb kept on pleasuring her. She whined and shuddered under him. "Erick¡­ I want you now." Elle said to him with her hoarse voice. "Me too my Love." He said. Erick pulled away and was about to remove his remaining clothes when Elle noticed something on his hand. Elle''s eyes widened as she cursed herself. "F*ck! Why now?" She buried her face with both her hands. Her cheeks were burning in embarrassment. Erick watched the girl in confusion. "Hey, what''s wrong?" he asked her. Elle bit her lower lip before answering his question. She looked so guilty. "Erick... I am sorry. I think my period just arrived." She smiled sheepishly at him as she pointed his hand covered with her menstrual blood. Chapter 175 - *Your Curiosity Can Kill Me* She wanted the ground to open up for her. "Erick... I am sorry. I think my period just arrived." She smiled sheepishly at him as she pointed his hand covered with her menstrual blood. Erick followed her line of sight as well as the direction of her pointing finger. He noticed the bloodstain on his hand. He did not know whether he should cry or laugh. Now, he understood why her expression suddenly changed. Both of them felt disappointed. Tonight''s plan of going all out was ruined. Elle stood up as she immediately wore her clothes. She grabbed Erick''s hand and pulled him toward the bathroom. She personally washed Erick''s hand as she was embarrassed about what happened. "Sorry, Erick. I did not expect to have my period today." She said as she apologized to him. "It''s alright." Erick chuckled as he watched Elle while washing his hand. Elle could not look straight into his eyes. "Did I make you feel disgusted? I''m really sorry." He knew she was referring to the bloodstain of her menstruation on his hand. Erick pinched her nose. "You are overthinking. I don''t feel disgusted at all. I just feel disappointed that it ruined our moment." Elle looked at him, feeling so guilty. Erick let out a soft chuckle."That explains why you have a mood swing today. You were so grumpy today, do you know that?" Erick teased her to lighten her mood. "I think so. I often get irritated easily when I have my period." Elle smiled sheepishly. "Hmm, I have to take a bath and clean myself first," Elle said as she left him. She went to her room and took a shower. Erick shook his head. "Hmm, I think I should take a bath as well. I just hope a cold shower might help." He said pitifully to himself. Erick stripped his clothes and stepped into the shower. The water dripped down his hair softly. The water droplets coming from the shower slowly made their way to his body, and the perfect abs he had. Closing his eyes to the water as the coldness soaked into his skin. He could not get the picture out of his mind. The scene which he and Elle had shared a while ago kept replaying on his mind. All the memories of what Elle was capable of doing to his body filled him with an intense longing. He wanted her. His body needed her right now. Just thinking about her made him arouse and fully erect right now. He knew that this cold shower could not help him now unlike before especially now that he tasted her body. He needed a release. He needed to relieve himself, or else he would go crazy. He leaned against the cool tiles, his eyes were still closed. He was so engrossed thinking about the passionate moment with Elle. He failed to notice that the shower curtain was already ripped back. Erick was still in a shower when Elle came into the room. She was concerned about Erick. She was aware that Erick was having a hard time. She knew that even how gentleman-like he was, he still a man and a man also had needs. She loved him so much that she even wanted to surrender herself to him. It just so happened that today was not good timing. She wanted to make it up to him. Slightly nervous, she decided to sneak in the bathroom and check her man. Her cheeks burned in a flush as she never imagined in her whole life that she would ever do foreplay just to satisfy a man and here she was, having this kind of thought. ''But he is not just a man. He is the love of your life.'' she corrected herself. Feeling so determined, she grabbed the doorknob of the bathroom door. Erick did not lock the door that''s why Elle was able to enter. Elle swallowed, mystified at the sight in front of her. Erick was leaning on the cool tiles bathroom''s wall with his eyes closed, his hand palming his enormous manhood which was fully erect. It was a hot steamy e.r.o.t.i.c scene, making Elle so turned on. She was rendered speechless. The heat started to build up inside her body as she watched Erick stroked the head of his majestic manhood. There was liquid glistening at the fat head of his shaft. "Oh, Elle." He groaned, calling her name. His thumb capturing the pre-c.u.m and massaging it into the veined flesh. "D*mn, he looks so hot," Elle mumbled as she bit her lower lip. The pad inside her panties was dampening not because of her period but because of her arousal. Elle could not stand it anymore, she closed their distance as she evaded his personal space. Erick was groaning but the next few sounds he made were swallowed up by her mouth. He was surprised to see the woman whom he was imagining as he opened his eyes. His mind was in the daze. ''What is she doing here? How long has she been watching me masturbating?'' He asked himself as the kiss was consuming him. Elle had already turned off the shower. When they broke apart, Erick asked her immediately."Why are you here?" His eyes filled with confusion. "Let me help you. I want to take responsibility." a gentle smile spread across her reddened face. "You don''t have to do this." Erick wanted to refuse her. Elle smiled at him seductively as she leaned closer to him and whispered something. "I am curious. I wanted to see you. Before coming here, I''ve been asking myself what does it look like?" Erick let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. His woman never failed to amuse him. "You already touched mine. This time I want to touch yours." Elle added. Erick let out a soft grunt when Elle gripped his erection. ''He is really big. Hot. Soft. And hard at the same time.'' She thought to herself, feeling amused. Seeing her willingness and determination, Erick did not protest any more. He allowed her to do it. Getting his approval, she traced the length of his erection. He hissed a breath through his teeth. He became more turned on and very hard when Elle''s hand touched the skin of his majestic manhood. Elle started to massage his shaft up and down using her two hands. Erick groaned from pleasure. "Tell me if I am doing the right thing or not," Elle told him, feeling slightly shy. This was the first time she was doing this. She was afraid that she would not be able to satisfy him. "Oh¡­ don''t worry my Love. You are doing...fine. I like it." Erick''s voice was hoarse and breathless. "Love...Faster¡­ make it a little bit faster." he rasped. Elle complied as her hands began to move faster, massaging his hardened manhood and squeezing it gently. He closed his eyes and let out a desperate whimper. He leaned back on the wall, quivering as she continued to palm him. "Ah¡­ D*mn! It feels so good!" he growled as Elle squeezed the base of his hard-on. "Say my name." Erick requested her. "Erick¡­" she croaked, keeping her legs firmly. She was also throbbing inside. She was pleasuring him but at the same time, she felt hot and aroused hearing the s.e.xy sound of his soft groans. "Love¡­ a little bit more. Oh¡­ I think I am about to come." Erick joined her hands and guided her movement. Throwing his head back, he stiffened. "Oh¡­ Elle, I love you" he snarled, before spattering s.e.m.e.n all over their hands. His heavy breath filled the silent atmosphere inside the bathroom. Squeezing his eyes shut, he smirked "That was amazing." he murmured. As he opened his eyes, his stare was fixed on Elle "Thank you, Elle." He pulled her and kissed her passionately. Elle kissed him back fervently. Their tongues curled together before she caught his, sucking on it. He released a low groan of pleasure into her mouth. After the long passionate kiss, they broke apart. Erick chuckled, reaching for her hand as he pulled her toward the bathroom sink."Hmm, this time let me wash your hands." he said to her cheerfully. However before he could turn on the water, Elle grabbed his hand which was also covered by his sticky s.e.m.e.n. She brought his fingers to her lips and sucked on them one by one while staring intently at his eyes. Erick was surprised by her action. What she was doing right now was very sensual. She sucked on his pinky finger, his ring finger, his middle finger, his index finger, and his thumb. ''D*mn. Are you planning to torture me tonight Elle? Why are you doing this? You just helped me relieve myself, and now you are making me hard again.'' Erick swallowed hard while watching Elle''s seductive action. After she finished sucking his fingers, Elle licked her lips. "Hmm, it tastes delicious." Elle noticed the mixed emotions flashed on Erick''s reddened face and gave him an innocent smile before she spoke up again. "I am also curious about how does it taste." Erick looked at her with disbelief. "Elle, do you know that your curiosity can kill me? Ugh¡­ you are driving me crazy!" Erick grunted as he felt his erection was growing again. Elle: "..." she was clueless. She did not mean to make him aroused again. She did not know why, but after witnessing Erick, drowning in full ecstasy and sweet pleasure, she felt something she had never felt before. She wanted him more, all of him. That''s why she had the urge to taste the sticky fluid that just came out on him. And she did. She liked his taste. Chapter 176 - Caught in the Act *** At de Dios''s Lending Company Office *** Charles in his full disguise was sitting in the customer''s waiting area. He was there to have a transaction with the company. "Mr. Smith it''s your turn. Please come to the manager''s office now." One of the staff called Charles. He was pretending as Mr. Roland Smith, a man having a poultry business outside the city Z. He applied for a loan in this lending company. Since this lending company was taking advantage of the poor people and other small business establishments inside and outside the city Z, it was the time to give them the taste of their own medicine. "Manager Liang, this is Mr. Smith." the staff introduced Charles to the company''s manager. Before the company would release the amount indicated in the loan application, clients or the debtors were being interviewed to assess whether it was a good idea to lend them the money. "Mr. Smith, welcome. Please have a seat." Manager Liang said to Charles. He smiled at him before he sat down at the chair in front of the manager''s table. "You submitted your loan application last week. It worths five hundred million. It is a large sum of money. Why do you need it?" Manager Liang started to interview him. "As you know my poultry business is located outside the city. I am planning to expand my business and establish other branches across the country so I need that for my capital." Charles replied to him. "Manager Liang, see this doc.u.ment. All the sales reports and the income of our poultry business are in there, you can check it. It''s proof that we have the capability to pay for that loan." He gave him some doc.u.ments in the folder. Manager Liang accepted the doc.u.ment and began to flip and check the information and report inside. He was satisfied with the data written in the doc.u.ment. They also conducted a validation last week and had visited the poultry business in the countryside. It was operating smoothly. ''This is great. This is a win-win situation for the company.'' A smirk appeared on the manager''s face. "Good decision Mr. Smith. There is no other lending company like us that can help you with your capital. If you apply to others, I am sure they won''t even lend you a hundred million." Manager Liang was trying to assure Mr. Smith. "Yeah, I know. That''s why I came here and choose this lending company." Charles said to him. "You will never regret it Mr. Smith." the manager was confident. He was smiling at him but behind that smile was an evil thought. ''Hmm, if you won''t be able to pay us, your business will be ours.'' Manager Liang thought to himself. Many small businesses became a victim of this loan shark company. Aside from the very high-interest rate they were giving the customers, they were using the debtors'' small business itself as their collateral. If they failed to pay, they were sending the Los Molasses Gang to collect them. They often resorted to violence, threatening and forcing their clients to pay no matter what. Clients could not report this injustice as they feared that Los Molasses Gang would do something bad against them. After a few minutes, Manager Liang gave Charles the briefcase containing the five hundred million cash. They signed the loan agreement, each one had a copy of the said agreement. "Thank you for trusting us, Mr. Smith." Manager Liang extended his hand for a handshake. Charles gladly accepted it. "Thank you for this money Manager Liang," Charles said as he gave him a meaningful smile. "By the way, Manager Liang, where is the president and the owner of this company Mr. Diego de Dios?" Charles added, gathering information about the whereabouts of their target. "Oh, the President will be coming back tomorrow from his trip. He was out of town for the past few weeks. You know he is a busy man." Manager Liang said to him. "Why Mr. Smith? Do you want to meet him?" He asked curiously. "I would love to. Too bad he is not here. I just want to personally thank him for establishing this company. Now I will be able to expand our family business." "Alright, I will just deliver your thank you message to him." Manager Liang simply said, dismissing Charles. Charles left the company wearing a wide grin on his face. They were able to fool them. There was no such thing as Roland Smith''s poultry business. All the doc.u.ments he presented to them were all fake. They already prepared everything, even the validation visit conducted by de Dios''s Lending Company in the countryside was also fake. It would be too late for them to realize it. Charles''s visit to their main office had one specific goal aside from getting the five hundred million cash. He already planted secret surveillance cameras inside the building. He also assessed the security systems because tonight Phantom and Charles were planning to rob the company and get all the money in their vault. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nighttime came. Two black figures appeared inside the building of de Dios''s Lending Company. The security guards were already unconscious. Charles and Phantom were waiting for Elle''s call before they made some moves. Elle''s assignment was to turn off the security alarm of the vault and tamper the CCTV recordings. In order to do that she needed a computer and internet access. Elle asked Erick a while ago if she could sleep in his room tonight. He agreed happily. Unknown to him, Elle was planning to use his computer in his study when he fell asleep. After making sure that Erick was already fast asleep, she got up from the bed and went to Erick''s study. She was very careful and silent, not making unnecessary sounds in order not to wake Erick up. She turned on the computer and her expert hands immediately took action. She did not waste any more time as Charles and Phantom were already waiting for her go signal. In just a few seconds, she had gained access to the security server of de Dios''s company. A tap-tap of keyboard could be heard inside the entire study. Several minutes later, she was able to disable the alarm system of the vault and freeze the CCTV cameras inside the building. She immediately dialed Charles''s number. "Hello Elle. How is it?" Charles''s voice could be heard from the other line the moment her call got connected. "I already disabled the alarm. You can now proceed to the next plan." Elle replied to him. "Wow, that''s fast. Master Phantom, Elle just finished her task. We have her go signal now." Elle heard Charles informing Phantom. "By the way, when are you coming back to the Cafe?" Charles asked her. "Maybe in the next two days. I will inform you." Elle answered him. "Okay Charles, I have to go now. Update me on the situation. Take care of that company. Make them pay double." Elle said to Charles. Meanwhile, Erick suddenly woke up when he felt the absence of Elle''s petite figure in his arms. "Huh? Where is Elle?" Erick mumbled as he searched for Elle inside the room. The light in the bathroom was turned off so he was sure that she was not there. When he did not saw her, he stood up and walked outside the room to check whether she was in the kitchen and dining area, thinking that she just grabbed some water to drink. Erick frowned when he did not see Elle in the kitchen."Hmm, where did she go?" Erick scratched the back of his head. He decided to wash his face on the sink and grab some water to drink from the refrigerator. "Did she went back to her room?" Erick wondered as he continued to look for Elle. He walked towards her room but to his disappointment, she was not also there. He started to feel uneasy. After everything that happened to Elle for the past few weeks, he always got worried and felt restless every time she would disappear from his sight. "Erick, calm down," he mumbled to himself. "Maybe she is in my study," he added. He rushed to his study to check whether Elle was there. He was silently praying that she was there because he would be scared to death once again if she would disappear again without knowing where she is. Erick heaved a sigh of relief when he saw some light coming from his study. This only meant that the woman he was looking for was there. "Hmm, you are always making me worry Elle," he mumbled before he slowly opened the door of his study. When he entered the room, he heard Elle was talking to someone on the phone. "Okay Charles, I have to go now. Update me on the situation. Take care of that company. Make them pay double." Erick heard what Elle just said. Elle did not notice Erick since her gaze was still focused on the monitor while she was talking to Charles. After saying those last statements, Elle hung up the phone. "Why are you talking to Charles? What are you doing here, Elle?" Erick''s voice was heard in the study. Elle''s body froze the moment she heard that familiar voice. She gazed up only to see the questioning look coming from Erick. He was standing near the open door of the study. Elle was shocked beyond belief. She was rendered speechless. ''Sh**t! How long has he been standing there? Did he hear everything?'' Chapter 177 - Safe For Now ''F*ck! How long has he been standing there? Did he hear everything?'' Elle''s mind was in turmoil. She did not know what she would do first, whether she should answer his question or shut the computer down in front of her. Erick was confused seeing the shocked expression on her face. She looked like she had seen a ghost or more likely she looked like she was caught cheating by her boyfriend. Erick''s brows furrowed into a knot as he did not get any response from Elle. ''Why does she look so troubled? Is she nervous? But why?'' Erick pondered to himself. Erick cleared his throat to break the silence. Elle snapped back after hearing it. Her mind started to function again but her heart was pounding rapidly on her chest. ''Elle, what are you doing? You are about to get caught. Think clearly!'' she scolded herself. Elle put her right hand on her chest and breathed in deeply. "You almost gave me a heart attack. Why are you suddenly appearing without a sound or any warning?!" Elle complained to him. Erick raised his brow as he folded his arms across his chest. His lips formed a thin line before he spoke up to her. "I should be the one asking you that. You suddenly disappeared without notice. When I woke up, I did not see you in my arms so I searched for you all over the house, only to find you here. You too, you almost gave me a heart attack. I was so worried just a while ago." he lamented to her. Elle''s eyes were focused on Erick but her hand simply moved to close the portal and server on the computer screen. She was glad that Erick remained standing on his spot. Hearing her conversation with Charles was enough to rack her brain to think for a good excuse. But seeing what on the screen right now would make it more difficult to find a good excuse. So she could not afford to let him find out what she had done. Her body started to have cold sweats. Erick started to approach her. In the corner of her eyes, she could see that there were still two windows she had not closed yet. Her hand was moving secretly using the mouse. "You have not answered my question yet. What are you doing here? and Why are you talking with Charles at this hour?" Erick repeated his question as he continued to walk towards her. Elle did not know how much he had heard about her conversation with Charles. She knew that Erick was somehow suspicious of her action now. To think that she was talking to her boss at this hour, it was almost midnight. Plus the tone she used while talking to Charles just a while ago was not like a staff talking to her boss but. The other way around. It was quite suspicious indeed. ''I just hope that he only heard the last statement before I hang up the phone.'' Elle was hoping silently. Elle was a little bit tense but she was trying her best not to lose her composure. "We are just talking about work. It just so happened that he was still awake. He messaged me but I haven''t replied until now. When he received my message he decided to call me." Elle said as she smiled at him, hiding her nervousness. Erick rubbed his chin as he mulled over it. His gaze was still fixed on her. Elle started to feel the pressure. She could not help but bit her lower lip. ''Eh¡­ it seems like he is not buying my words.'' Elle became more uneasy. "Sorry for being here. I woke up and I could not sleep. I decided to come here and read some books. You were sound asleep. I don''t want to wake you up and disturb your peaceful sleep." Elle started to elaborate on her excuse. Erick was now standing at the back of her seat. His eyes were now on the computer screen. Elle heaved a sigh of relief when she followed his line of sight. There were no open windows left on the screen, only the computer desktop could be seen. "Sorry for touching the computer. I felt bored while reading so I decided to play some games on your computer so I opened it. I was about to use it when Charles called me." Elle explained again. Erick nodded and smiled at her. He bent down to hug her from behind. He nuzzled his face into her neck, sniffing her sweet vanilla scent. Elle rubbed his arms wrapped around her body. "What situation he should update you?" Erick asked her again, there was a tinge of jealousy in his voice. She frowned after hearing his question and sensing a hint of jealousy in his tone. ''So I guess I am right, he just heard the last statements before I hang the phone.'' She began to ease up a little bit. Waiting for her response, Erick squeezed Elle into his arms. She could feel his hot breath against her skin. "About the Cafe. Remember, I was not able to come to work for the past few days so I am just asking if they are doing fine without me since someone I know banned me from leaving the house or should I say leaving his sight." Elle pouted after saying that. Erick let out a soft chuckle since he knew that someone she was talking about was him. "Hmm. I just want to spend more time with you before I go back to work. You can also go back to work on Monday." Erick said to her. "Hmm, you are really shameless." Elle pretended to be annoyed. Erick broke into another laughter because of her remarks. "I am just happy that you are too obedient." "Anyway, another question. What company are you talking about a while ago?" Erick asked her curiously. He sensed the seriousness in Elle''s voice when she said "Take care of that company. Make them pay double." Elle''s pupil contracted at the mention of that company. But she was able to conceal her negative emotions. "Oh, it''s nothing. It is just that there is a certain company that became our customer, ordering cakes and other bread in our Cafe. The Cafe became the supplier of their company''s cafeteria. I just ask Charles to double the price. Is that too much? Hehe," Elle laughed at him awkwardly as she scratched her cheek. "When did you become a profiteer?" Erick said as amus.e.m.e.nt was evident to his voice. "Ah." Elle gasped when she felt Erick suddenly bit her shoulder. Then she pinched his arm in return. "Let''s go back to bed," Erick said to her as he pulled her up from her seat. Elle just nodded in agreement. ''Whoah! It looks like I am safe for now.'' Elle thought to herself as Erick did not ask her any more questions. Erick took one last glance at his computer screen before he followed Elle. Conflicting emotions appeared in his dark brown eyes. He had some doubt but he pushed the thought at the back of his mind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next morning, everything seemed to be normal. Charles and Phantom''s mission was successful. They were able to take all the money inside the vault of de Dios''s Lending Company. As of now, the management and staff were oblivious to what happened to the company. The security guards did not suspect anything since they were knocked down not by force but because they had been drugged that''s why they passed out last night. Since it was weekend, no one went to work today so for the time being, they would not find out that their company was robbed. Now, Phantom and Charles were executing their next move. After gathering the information, they were able to track down Diego de Dios. After coming back from his out of town trip, Diego was now spending his time at one of the restaurants in City Z together with his assistant. "Mr. de Dios, do you mind if I join you?" A voice interrupted Diego in enjoying his meal. He gazed up to see a stranger smiling at him. "Pardon? Do I know you?" Diego asked the man standing beside their table. A deep frown appeared on his face. "No. But I know you very well." A mocking smile appeared on the stranger''s face. The stranger looked like he was in his mid-50s. He was wearing a white shirt and a brown coat paired with black pants. His aura was somehow intimidating. Diego knew that this person was not an ordinary person. "Why should I let you? I don''t even know you." He gave him a side glance. The man just let out a c.o.c.ky chuckle that annoyed Diego. The strange man leaned over to whisper something to Diego. His eyes widened in disbelief when he heard his statement. Diego dropped the spoon and fork as his hands were trembling. Diego''s face became pale. His assistant was puzzled about what was happening to his boss. The strange man gave Diego a meaningful glance before he walked away and vanished to their sight. "Boss are you okay? What did he say to you?" His assistant asked him with a concerned look on his face. However, Diego did not respond to his question. Meanwhile, Phantom just entered the car where Charles was waiting for him. "Have you talk to him, Master? Did he get our message? What is his reaction? Did he say anything?" Charles bombarded him with so many questions. Phantom just gave him a meaningful smile as his eyes followed Diego''s figure who went out rushing from the restaurant. Chapter 178 - She Killed Him In one abandoned house at District of Crown in City Z, there were two blindfolded men tied down on a chair. They were being restrained inside an empty room, under the watch of two pairs of eyes. "She''s coming a little bit late. She said we can start to dig some pieces of information from them." Charles said to Phantom. "Alright. She''s on the way now, isn''t she?" Phantom asked Charles. He was rubbing his chin as his eyes were fixed on their two prey in front of them. "Yes, she is on the way now." Phantom nodded as he heard Charles''s reply. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?" one of the blindfolded men interrupted their conversation as he asked them. His voice was filled with uncertainty and fear. The one who spoke was Carlo Vello. "Why did you kidnap me? You held me as a hostage for three days now. What are you planning to do with me? Tell me what do you want from me. I am willing to do anything just let me leave." Carlo''s nervous and angry voice echoed in the room. He was trying to negotiate with them. "Don''t worry, we will release you after we are done playing with you. By the way, if you want to leave here alive then you just need to answer our questions. So I advise you to cooperate with us." Charles assured them. "I am willing to answer your questions. But how about the money you robbed from my company? I want it back!" Diego de Dios also spoke up. Thinking back, Diego met a stranger in the restaurant that day. After hearing the words that strange man had whispered to him, he went into a panic. "Five Four One Three Zero Nine (541309) that was the number combination of the passcode of the vault inside your company right?" Diego was shocked beyond belief when that stranger mentioned the codes. One thing came into his mind ''Did someone try to rob my company?'' Without entertaining his assistant''s inquiry, Diego immediately left the restaurant and drove straight to his company. When he arrived he quickly went to check the vault. His mind went blank and he fell on his knees when he saw that the vault was already empty. All the money was taken. Someone robbed his company, taking all their cash. He clenched his fists in anger. He was shouting and cursing the persons who did this when suddenly someone hit the back of his neck to knock him down. When he woke up, he was already tied down and blindfolded in some unknown place. Diego was also surprised when he learned that he was not alone in that room. What was more shocking to him was that the person who was also held captive together with him was his old companion Carlo Vello whom the police authorities were looking for. "You are in no position right now to demand us to give you back the money. Besides, that money is not yours! You took advantage of other people and gained that money illegally." Charles spat back at him. "What do you want to ask? Can you promise to release us once we answer all your questions?" Carlo desperately asked them. He wanted to be sure that they would release them. Charles let out a peal of sarcastic laughter before he responded to him. "It depends if your answer will satisfy us. Oh, before I forget, do you still remember one of your friends named Jefferson Gong?" The two men gasped in surprise at the mention of Jefferson Gong. They had heard the news of what happened to him. They were puzzled whether this kidnapping incident was related to Jefferson''s case. "You might end up like him if you will become stubborn and not honest with your answer. Do you want to have the same fate as him?" Charles threatened them and it was effective. Carlo: "No! Please don''t harm us!" Diego: "Please don''t! I will cooperate." Both of them had the same thought in mind. The person who kidnapped them was the same person who killed Jefferson. "Very good. Now, listen. Sixteen years ago, your group attacked the Falcon''s household. Why did you do it?" Charles started to interrogate them. "Huh? What are you talking about? Falcon''s household?" Carlo said in confusion. "Sixteen years ago?" Diego mumbled as he was trying to remember what happened 16 years ago. It was a very long time so he was not sure what the guy was referring to. Phantom and Charles exchanged glances with one another. Phantom signaled Charles to elaborate his statement and make them remember the crime they committed. Phantom ground his teeth. He was enraged by the thought that these two men in front of them had already forgotten the crime they committed which destroyed the life of one innocent child. "You both deserve to be punished. F*ck the both of you. You forgot your crime! Remember the name Cedrick Falcon, the former head of the Phoenix Special Task Force. You attacked his family and killed everyone there!" Charles was fuming in rage. Carlo and Diego remembered. They were puzzled why for the past few years this person did not do something, and now they were here to dig in the past. As they all knew, that Falcon''s murder case was already closed. ''Who is this person? Why is it he knew that we were involved in that incident 16 years ago?'' Carlo thought to himself. "Now, give me an answer! Who ordered your group to do that?" Charles said with his stern cold voice. "We just followed our leader at that time. We did not know who gave us the order. Only our leader knew who is that person and what is the reason why." Carlo answered his question. "That''s true, we are just following the order." Diego supported Carlo''s statement. Phantom and Charles were both unhappy with their answers. Carlo and Diego started to have cold sweats. The room was engulfed with deafening silence. They did not know whether that person who was interrogating them right now believed their words or not. They suspected that this person was connected to Agent Falcon, maybe he was Cedrick''s friend or relative. They both assumed that he wanted revenge for killing him and his family. They were scared to death just thinking about what happened to Jefferson Gong. They needed a scapegoat. They needed to convince this person that they were just following orders to justify their acts and they should blame someone else. Carlo spoke up again to break the silence. "We did not kill Cedrick Falcon!" Carlo suddenly blurted out. "It was¡­ it was his daughter! Yes¡­ it was his daughter who killed him!" Carlo said to them with too much conviction on his voice. "Yes! He is telling the truth! It was his daughter who killed him. She stabbed his father so that she could live." Diego also said to them. "If you already knew until now his daughter was missing. She probably fled. Besides, our Boss made an agreement with the father and daughter at that time. She killed him." Carlo added. Phantom and Charles were both dumbfounded after hearing their statement. They could not believe it. "You are both lying!" Charles shouted at them. "We were there. You were not there so you did not know what truly happened! We witnessed everything! You want the truth so we are telling you now what is the truth." Carlo was now talking with confidence. Unknown to them, Elle was already there. She also heard what the two men just said. Hearing those words seemed like she was reliving her nightmare once again. Her eye''s widened, her body froze and her mind fell into a dark abyss. Then Phantom noticed her presence. Phantom felt like his heart was being stabbed a thousand times seeing Elle''s expression. The blankness of her expression and her empty dark eyes which were staring back at him made Phantom become uneasy. He was looking at her and there was no single hint of emotions that could be seen in her face. He was afraid that Elle would break down again. Phantom quickly ran towards her and pulled her into a hug. Charles was also surprised to see Elle. Phantom''s actions made Charles became nervous. ''Is something wrong with Elle again?'' He asked himself silently. "Don''t listen to them. They were just saying a lie. Get a hold of yourself, Elle. It''s not you who killed your father." Phantom was trying to console Elle. She did not respond to him. She was just standing still, unmoving. Phantom clenched his teeth. He would not allow Elle to suffer again with another emotional torture. He knew there was a deeper story behind that incident. There was no way that Elle would kill her father just to save herself. With her attitude, he knew she was even willing to die with her parents that day. When he found Elle 16 years ago, she was also covered with her own blood. These two men were definitely lying! Even Phantom did not know what truly happened during Elle''s encounter with those bad guys. He did not ask her. Elle was not willing to talk about it. She tried her best to avoid remembering those ugly and frightening memories. She tried to bury the demon of her past but unfortunately, there were times that it was still haunting her, in a form of not nightmare. ''Elle, my daughter, please believe in yourself. Don''t let these sc.u.ms destroy you with their lies. Get a grip of yourself.'' Chapter 179 - Feel the Same Pain She tried to bury the demon of her past but unfortunately, there were times that it was still haunting her, in a form of nightmare. ''Elle, my daughter, please believe in yourself. Don''t let these sc.u.ms destroy you with their lies. Get a grip of yourself.'' Phantom''s face was painted with worries and concerns. He was still hugging Elle when he felt that she finally moved. He released her and held her shoulders to look at her. Elle''s expression was back to normal. Her empty eyes a while ago were now filled with life. She was smiling at Phantom with a grateful look coming from her eyes. Phantom''s hug helped Elle to escape from that darkness which was drowning her at that moment. She felt the familiar fatherly love from that embrace. If her father was alive, he would also do that to make her feel better. "Sorry Master for making you worry. I am okay now. Thank you for comforting me." She said to Phantom as she felt grateful to him. For the darkest hours and desperate times of her life, Phantom was always there for her. He saved her many times. He took care of her even though they were not blood-related. "Are you back to your self now?" Phantom asked her, observing her reactions. Elle smiled faintly at him and nodded as her response. Phantom turned to Charles and urged him to continue interrogating the two men. Charles felt relieved when he saw that Elle was just fine. Elle''s gaze fell to those two blindfolded men tied down on the chairs. There was a hint of hostility and hatred that could be seen in her dark eyes. "Will you release us now? We already answered your question." Carlo said to Charles impatiently. "Yes, can you do that? We are telling you the truth. We don''t know who is the mastermind behind that attack to Falcon''s household. You should ask our leader, Alfonso Ramirez." Diego was desperately washing their hands in front of them, pointing the blame to their former gang leader. "There were eight of you. I will be collecting your debts one by one, together with the interest. You had lived in luxury for the past few years. This is the time you must suffer and be punished accordingly." Elle spoke up, clenching her fists. Everyone could feel the frightening aura by just hearing her words. Diego and Carlo were both astonished to hear the woman''s voice. They were curious about who is she. Since they were blindfolded their curiosity was heightened. ''Who are these people? What is their relationship with the Falcon family? They knew what happened from the past. What are they planning to do with us?'' These were the thoughts running in their minds right now. They were tongue-tied because of the fear of their lives. These people could do anything they want and even kill them right at this moment. "Since you can''t give us the answer that we want, I think we should not waste any more time here," Elle said nonchalantly that made the two men tremble in fear. Carlo: "What are you going to do with us? You said you will release us!" Diego: "You f*cking traitors!" Carlo and Diego began to struggle from their restraints. Elle gave Charles and Phantom a meaningful glance. Seeing that, they already knew what to do. "Call our men," Phantom said to Charles. Charles nodded before he left the room. Phantom started to beat Carlo and Diego, venting his anger to them. He threw hard punches to their jaws and strong kicks to their abdomens. The whimper and groan of the two men and the sound of punches and kicks hitting their bodies could be heard inside the room. Elle was just watching on the sideline. There was a flare of anger in her eyes. She could hear the plea of the two men, asking Phantom to stop beating them. They were both in pain. ''When I pleaded you to stop beating my parents, you never did. I want you to feel the same helplessness that I felt at that time.'' Elle thought to herself. Phantom just stopped beating Diego and Carlo when Charles came back along with the ten men. These men were the henchmen of Phantom. They knew Phantom but Elle''s identity as Catseye was hidden from them. These men were also well-trained. They were organized personally by Phantom. They were working in shadow, doing the task coming from Phantom. They made a slight bow, greeting Phantom respectfully. He just nodded at them as a response. He turned his gaze to Carlo and Diego who were both panting heavily. They were still writhing in pain. "Do you still remember the girl whom you s.e.x.u.a.lly assaulted during that attack? Marites, that is her name. Now I want you to feel her pain." Elle said as a sinister smile appeared on her face. "Boys¡­ you can now take it from here. We will now leave them in your hands. Please enjoy." After saying that, Elle started to walk away, leaving that room. Charles and Phantom also followed her behind. As they left the room, they still heard the screaming of those two men insides along with the peals of laughter coming from their henchmen. "No! Don''t touch me! Ahhh! " "Ah! F*ck you. I swear I will kill-- Ahhhh!" When the three of them reached their car, Elle spoke up again to give them her instruction for their next move. "Master, after our men are done with their task, hand over those sc.u.ms to the police. Carlo Vello is already wanted so they will catch him right away." Elle was referring to Vello''s trafficking and prostitution case. "As for Diego, we should also reveal his illegal activities. Give the press and the police authorities the proof of the dirty works of his lending company. People should know how Diego is taking advantage of the small businessmen and other individuals, their abusive way, and threats against their clients. By doing this, their victims will also have the courage to sue his company." "Alright. Just leave everything to me and Charles. You should go home now and rest." Phantom softly said to her. He was still concerned about Elle. However, he was confident that Erick would be there for her to cheer her up. Elle turned to Charles "Same arrangement like before. Send a message and money to Marites''s family. I also want you to deliver something to his former fiance." "Aye, Ma''am! Understood." Charles simply said. "Ahem, can I ask you something, Elle?" Charles added. Charles was curious to know. He wanted to ask Elle regarding what happened to her past. He did not want to admit, but deep inside he was bothered by the statements given by Diego and Carlo. He knew Elle won''t kill her own father but he wanted to hear it from her that those two were just lying. There was also a possibility that those two just made up that story but Charles still had his doubt. "What is it?" Elle was waiting for him to speak up. Charles paused for a moment as he stared at Elle intently. He was a little bit hesitant. Phantom gave Charles a warning look. "Hehe¡­ I just want to ask how did you able to come today? I thought Erick won''t allow you to leave the house?" Charles said shyly as he scratched his nose. In the end, he was not able to bring up his question. "I just said to him that I will be gone for one hour. I told him it''s work-related so he did not ask me further. Since tomorrow both of us will be coming back to work so he also allowed me to leave the house today." Elle explained to him. "Ah okay." "So I have to leave now and go home. I promise him that I will be back after an hour. I will leave everything to the both of you. Thanks for your help." Elle bade them goodbye. "No need to mention it," Charles said softly. Then after their conversation, Elle left them and went home by herself. On the other hand, Phantom and Charles would do the remaining groundwork. "Master¡­" Charles wanted to ask Phantom. "Don''t ask her about her past. It is difficult for her to talk about it. You will just open up her wound. It''s a good choice that you didn''t mention it a while ago." Phantom said to Charles as he knew what was running to his mind right now. "Wait for her to open up. She will talk to us once she is ready. But don''t ever force her." Phantom warned him. "I know Master. I am sorry about that." Charles looked down as he was aware of his mistake. Phantom patted his shoulder. "Don''t be sad. Elle is doing fine. Aside from us, there is someone beside her to whom she can truly express herself, someone she can lean on." Phantom assured Charles. Charles smiled at him. ''Master Phantom is right. She has Erick now. Elle became happier because of him.'' Chapter 180 - I Did The Right Thing Riding a taxi, Elle was on her way to Erick''s place when her phone vibrated along with a beeping sound. She checked it and saw a text message coming from James. She wondered why James texted her today. She opened the message and read it. [ "Elle, how are you? Are you sick? I haven''t seen you in Falcon Cafe for the past few days. Did you resign? I learned that the Cafe hired a new staff." ] Elle frowned after reading his message. ''So it is true that James became our regular customer or should I say our Falcon Cafe became a snack supplier of his company.'' "What a funny thing." She mumbled to herself before she typed her reply to his message. [ "Yes, I got sick but I am fine now. I will come to work tomorrow." ] Just seconds after she sent her reply, she received another message from James. ''That''s so fast. Is he not busy? Hmmmmm it looks like the Chairman of Arison Holdings and Skull Gang leader has nothing to do today.'' Elle looked at her phone screen with disbelief. [ "Yey! That''s great! See you tomorrow. I miss you!" ] James sent his message with a wink emoticon at the end of his message. Elle just smiled when she read his last message. She could imagine James''s c.o.c.ky expression while saying those words to her. Elle just shook her head helplessly. She did not send another reply instead she leaned back on her seat as she closed her eyes. Her mind was still occupied about the things that happened today. She was still bothered by the words Diego and Carlo had said to them. She placed her hand on her chest, rubbing it as she could still feel the pain in her heart. She felt suffocated right now. She was trying hard to suppress her cry. ''Did I make the right decision of keeping those two alive? When I saw them, all I wanted to do is to kill them with my own hands.'' Elle pondered to herself. When she reached Erick''s place, she entered the house with a heavy heart. She was feeling down. Her mind was in a chaotic state right now. Erick was leisurely reading a book in the living room when he felt the presence of his beloved woman. A gentle smile flashed on his handsome face the moment he saw her. But the smile disappeared quickly when he noticed the troubled face of Elle. He closed the book and put it down at the table as he stood up to approach Elle. Elle gazed up to meet his questioning eyes. Her lips curled up into a half-smile to hide her pain but her eyes betrayed her. "What''s wrong?" Erick softly mumbled to her. His worry towards her resurfaced on his expression. "I think I just need a hug." Elle simply replied to him. Erick smiled faintly as he opened his arms for her. "Come! I will give you a super hug!" Elle gladly complied as she threw herself to his arms. Erick embraced her with so much love and tenderness. She buried herself into his body. Erick''s scent and his warmth were enough to comfort her in times like this. ''That''s right. What I have done today is the right thing. I should not regret it. I did that because of this man. I want to be worthy of him. I don''t need to do more crimes. I got my revenge without killing someone today.'' She clutched at him, afraid that he might disappear if ever she loosens her grip. At the same time, Erick tightened his grip around her, dragging their bodies together. They remained like that for several minutes as silence engulfed their surroundings. After what it seemed like forever, Erick broke the hug and he pulled her to sit down on the couch. He placed his hand around her shoulder and let her lay her head on his chest."Hmm¡­ now talk. You can tell me anything. I am willing to listen. Share your burdens to me." Erick said to her with his gentle voice. "If you want to cry, just cry. Don''t just keep it in yourself," he added. Erick started to stroke her hair. Elle was taken aback by his words, wondering if she could really tell him anything. She wanted to, but she was afraid. She was terrified that once he knew the truth about her, he would change towards her. '' Erick, I am sorry. Some things are better left unsaid.'' She thought to herself. "Elle¡­ can''t you trust me?" Erick lifted her chin so that she could see his eyes. Elle was helpless. She heaved a sigh of defeat. This man had a unique way of making her talk. She could see in his dark brown eyes the love and affection he felt towards her, as if telling her to trust him, to trust his love for her. "It''s about... my parents," Elle said to him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the same day, Diego de Dios and Carlo Vello were handed over to the police authorities. Phantom''s men ensured not to leave any evidence that might lead to them regarding the assault and tortures they had done against those two men. They cleaned and cleared the crime scene before they left the two men inside the abandoned house. They called the police authorities and informed them about Carlo Vello''s whereabouts. As Elle instructed, criminal activities of Diego de Dio''s Lending Company were sent to the press by an anonymous informant. Proof and evidence that de Dios''s lending company was a loan shark were revealed to the public. ~~ News Report ~~ [ "Just in: Carlo Vello, the owner of the famous spa which was raided by the police authorities three days ago because of women trafficking and prostitution case was caught in an abandoned house at District of Crown in city Z together with Diego de Dios who owns a lending company which was allegedly a loan shark company." ] [ "Police and media received a report containing pieces of evidences about the illegal activities of de Dios''s lending company." ] [ "The said company enforced repayment by blackmail and threats of violence to their poor clients using the power of Los Mollasses Gang. They operated outside of local authority and acted against the law." ] [ "They charge very high-interest rates and hide it with the authority by making their clients to sign a non-disclosure agreement."] [ "Some victims reported that the said lending company is harassing their clients if they get behind with their repayment. They even pressured their victims into borrowing more from them to repay their debts with another debts." ] [ "Carlo Vello and Diego de Dios were sent to the hospital after the police found them. According to our source, both of them claimed that they were kidnapped. They suffered from physical abuse and s.e.x.u.a.l assault by several unknown men." ] [ "The police refused to disclose further information to the media until further investigation is conducted." ] [ "This is Anna Pearl of TVN News, reporting." ] Bryan was watching the news report when he received a call from Captain Jason. Today was Sunday, so it was unusual for Captain Jason to call him. It only meant that this might be an urgent matter. "Hello Bryan, sorry to disturb your rest day. Where are you?" Captain Jason asked him immediately right after he answered his phone. "It''s alright Captain. I''m at home right now. Why?" Bryan asked him curiously. "Officer Kim just called me a while ago. Did you hear about the news about Carlo Vello and Diego de Dios?" Captain Jason asked him again. "Yes. I saw the news. Why Captain? Is there something wrong?" Bryan was wondering. "Please see Officer Kim and visit their precinct to gather more information. He told me that Vello and de Dios''s kidnapping incident was related to Catseye. I want you to confirm and investigate further." Captain Jason requested Bryan as he explained to him his reason for this call. "Huh? Related to Catseye? How is that possible?" Bryan could not believe it. "I don''t know the detail. That''s why we need to confirm it. Our joint task force is the one assigned related to Catseye''s case so we need to check if their case has something to do with Catseye. I already asked Allen to accompany you in that precinct." "Okay, Captain. I understand. I''ll go now to their precinct." Bryan bade Captain Jason a goodbye and hung up the phone. Bryan immediately left his place and headed to the said precinct. When he arrived there, he saw Allen, who was waiting for him. Soon, Officer Kim greeted them. "Sorry officers for ruining your rest day." Officer Kim said to them, apologizing. "No worries Officer Kim. We are just doing our job here. No need to apologize." Allen politely said to him. Bryan just chuckled as he patted the shoulder of Officer Kim. "Yosh! Haha! I am so happy that finally Carlo Vello was caught. Hmm. Chief Lee will be happy to hear it. After all, he is the man behind the syndicate who abducted innocent women, forcing them to engage in prostitution. The worst-case was Elle got involved." Bryan said enthusiastically. He laughed triumphantly. "So what''s the deal here? I heard from Captain Jason that what happened to those two men might be related to Catseye. How is that possible?" Allen asked Officer Kim, direct to the point. "Actually, we did not see any evidence that might connect this incident to Catseye. However, when we asked those two what happened to them they mentioned that the person who did this to them is the same person who killed Jefferson Gong. They were both certain with their statements. And we all know that Catseye is the one who killed him." Officer Kim explained to them. "Eh! No way! That''s impossible! If Catseye is really responsible for this incident, then how come they are still alive? They shouldn''t be in the hospital right now; instead, they should be in the morgue." Bryan overreacted as he couldn''t believe it. Chapter 181 - Is She Changing for Good? "Eh! No way! That''s impossible! If Catseye is really responsible for this incident, then how come they are still alive? They shouldn''t be in the hospital right now; instead, they should be in the morgue." Bryan overreacted as he couldn''t believe it. Allen also nodded in agreement as he believed Bryan had a point. Even Allen was not convinced that Catseye would keep those two alive as she always made sure to kill her target. On the other hand, Officer Kim was rubbing his chin as he mulled over Bryan''s statement. "Hmm, I agree. However, those two are really certain about their statement. Furthermore, do you know what is more shocking? If we assumed that it was Catseye then base on their statements alone we can conclude, that she was not working alone at that time." Officer Kim shared with Bryan and Allen that made those two became more puzzled. "What do you mean, Officer Kim? What did they tell you?" Bryan asked him quizically. "They were blindfolded so they did not see the face of those culprits who kidnapped them. But they heard their voices, voices of a woman and a man. And according to them, they hired men. Those men were the ones who s.e.x.u.a.lly assaulted and abused them in that house." Officer Kim continued to feed them information. "That''s not how Catseye work, letting other men torture her prey. She even surrendered them to the police. Oh, what''s happening in the world? Is Catseye''s mind also changing because of Climate Change?" Bryan cracked some jokes as he could not still believe it. Allen sighed deeply in frustration. Things were getting more complicated. Catseye''s case was really a big mystery for them, a very complicated puzzle to solve. She was becoming more unpredictable nowadays. "Both Carlo and Diego heard that the culprits mentioned to them that they were the ones who killed Jefferson Gong. When I asked them about the possible motive why those people did that to them, they said they have no idea at all. But it seems like they are hiding something and they refused to talk." Officer Kim frowned as he remembered his interrogation with them. Carlo Vello and Diego de Dios refused to tell them the true motive of why they were captured and tortured by those people. For the reason that, all the members of the gang before had sworn not to talk about what happened sixteen years ago. No one should know that they were responsible for killing the former head of Phoenix Special Task Force, Agent Cedrick Falcon, and his family. Both of them would be imprisoned not because of their past crime but because of their current crimes. So they both knew from the beginning that they should not mention that incident 16 years ago to the police and just buried the past. And now, they were wondering if they should warn the other gang members who were involved in that crime. Their experience with them was really frightening to the extent that they wished those men just killed them directly instead of torturing them further. They almost had a mental breakdown as several men toyed them and harassed them s.e.x.u.a.lly. The fear was already imprinted in their mind. They remembered what happened 16 years ago when they mercilessly ravished the girl named Marites. They knew it was their punishment for that crime. "If we think about it, the only thing that we can relate this incident to Catseye is the mentioning of Jefferson Gong''s death. Catseye did not leave any evidence like her death card." Allen said after analyzing all the details that Officer Kim gave to them. "Well, probably Catseye did not leave her death card since She Did Not Kill Those Two Men," Bryan emphasized his last seven words. Allen was taken aback after hearing it while Officer Kim chuckled because of Bryan''s remarks. Allen scratched the back of his head. Sometimes Bryan was just being simple-minded but his simple comment made sense. "Oh, there is one more thing. In Jefferson Gong''s case, Catseye gave us pieces of evidence regarding his illegal activities, same with Vello and De Dios, those people revealed to the police authorities as well as the media the illegal activities done by the two of them." Allen shared his thoughts with them. "Eh¡­ so it is possible that the anonymous tips I received before regarding Vello''s spa prostitution and women trafficking case came from Catseye? Oh men, how come Catseye knew my cellphone number? Did she really investigate me? She never forget our confrontation! She¡­ she holds a grudge against me since I called her ugly before!" Bryan''s eyes widened because of that realization. He was in a panic. Allen and Officer Kim exchanged glances with one another as they gave Bryan a weird look. Soon after, peals of laughter erupted as both Officer Kim and Allen could not hold their laughter. "Hey, why are you laughing? Nothing is funny. Catseye knew my f*cking personal cellphone number! How is that possible? I am really sure she conducted a thorough investigation of me." Bryan exclaimed with his frightened expression. "Hey Men, you are just overthinking. Catseye is not that shallow. If she really holds a grudge against you then you shouldn''t be standing in front of us, you should have been buried six feet below the ground a long time ago." Allen also used Bryan''s reasoning a while ago to calm him down. "That''s true. I agree with agent Allen." Officer Kim let out a soft chuckle as he patted Bryan''s shoulder to assure him. Bryan heaved a sigh of relief after that. "But let''s not disregard these assumptions. It might be true. Catseye is acting differently nowadays. Maybe she was doing this to confuse us more. And guess what, she succeeded. I am becoming more confused because of her actions." Allen said to them seriously. "Is she changing for good? Her action nowadays is not that brutal compared to before. Plus, she is targeting bad people." Bryan blurted out. The three men fell into silence for several minutes, consumed by their own thoughts. Racking their brain of the possible ideas to connect the dots, but to their disappointment, they could not think well. "Urgh! I don''t want to think anymore. This is just giving me a headache. Since Chief Lee will be coming back to work tomorrow, I will leave the thinking to him. Besides, he is more intelligent than me. Hahaha. Why should I tire myself from thinking too much if Chief Lee could do this for me? Am I right?" Bryan said to them cheerfully. Allen just shook his head helplessly while looking at Bryan who was laughing hard as if he had won a jackpot. "Anyway, if you want to interrogate Diego and Carlo and talk to them personally, I can arrange it for you." Officer Kim offered them a hand. "Thank you, Officer Kim. We will appreciate it if you will do that." Allen said as he thanked him in advance. "No need to mention it. I am also doing my job. Besides, it is our duty to help each other in order to solve the cases. I know you will do the same." Officer Kim said to them. The three of them soon left the precinct as they headed to the hospital where Carlo Vello and Diego de Dios were confined. Chapter 182 - She Opened Up to Him *** At Erick''s Place *** Elle decided to open up with Erick. Just like what Erick said to her, she should share her burden with him. It would make her feel better. One of her burdens she was carrying right now was her secret, hiding her true identity against him. She won''t be able to tell him her identity as Catseye but she could tell him about her other-self. And she would start by talking about her parents. "It''s about¡­ my parents." Elle said to him. Erick was stunned for a moment after hearing her words. "Did you remember everything now? All your memories?" Erick asked her as he fixed his gaze to her. Elle shook her head as a response. "Nope¡­ I partly remember some childhood memories with my parents." "Is that the reason why you are looking so sad today? Do you miss them?" Erick softly asked her as he caressed her face. Elle nodded at him as she wrapped her arms around his body while she leaned on his chest. After 16 years, this was the first time that Elle would be having a conversation about her deceased parents once again. She did not even talk about her parents with Phantom. But to Erick, she was willing to share some memories of her life together with her beloved parents. Erick bent down to give her a peck on her forehead before he said "Go on. Tell me and I will listen." "I remember how my father would always give me a hug every time he wanted to comfort me whenever I was sad or hurting. It was very effective." Elle smiled from that thought. Erick let out a soft chuckle. "Hmm, no wonder, the first thing you asked me when you arrived was a hug. I hope I also succeeded in comforting you just like how your father always used to do. But don''t get me wrong. I am not your father. I am your man." Elle giggled from that remarks. "Should I call you Dad or Daddy?" she said as she teased him. Erick frowned because of her teasing but he was glad to hear Elle''s giggles. He wanted to make her smile and laugh more often. He did not want to see her sad. "I just told you that I am not your father. I am your man. Don''t call me Daddy, I prefer if you will call me Hubby! You should call me ''Hubby'' instead." Erick said as he pinched her nose. It was her punishment for calling him ''Daddy''. "I don''t want to. I prefer to call you ''Baby''. My Baby." Elle did not want to give in. Erick let out a husky laugh. "Alright, call me Baby but I will call you Wifey. It''s still fair, am I right my dearest wifey?" Elle just nodded and smile at him before she continued to tell him more about her parents. "If I could remember it right, my parents are just like us. They were sweet towards each other, sometimes they were teasing each other but in the end, it was my mother who always lost in the end." "Why is that so?" Erick asked her curiously. "Is it because Mom is a short-tempered person just like you?" Erick added to tease her. "Dummy! Of course not. It was because my father was so shameless as you." Elle pinched him on his waist. Erick just laughed out loud at her response. "But admit it. You love my shamelessness." Erick whispered to her. "You are wrong. If you are not strikingly handsome, I won''t fall with your shamelessness. I will beat you." She spat back at him. Erick squeezed her on his arms. "You are becoming violent now, my dear wifey. You are very confident since you already know I won''t fight back. I am willing to be your punching bag if that will make you happy." Elle let out a soft chuckle "Just like my father. He would always be the first one to surrender and raise his white flag if ever he had some arguments with Mom." "Really? I hope you can remember them so that we can search for them as soon as possible. They might be worrying so much as their beloved daughter has been missing for a long time now. I also want to meet them and ask your hands in front of them. I hope they will like me for you and give us their blessing to our relationship." Erick said as he was feeling so hopeful. "I don''t remember their names. I could even barely remember their faces. We won''t be able to meet them. As far as I could remember, they were both gone a long time ago." Elle mumbled with a hint of sadness in her voice. Her eyes had sunken into dark hollows and her heart was filled with longing. Erick was dumbfounded when he heard the last statement of Elle. He knew what she meant by ''They were both gone a long time ago.'' Elle''s parents already passed away. But why and how? These were the two questions running in his mind right now. For some time he sat in silence hugging Elle while considering whether he should say a word or just keep quiet. The sullen atmosphere engulfed the entire living room. Nothing could describe the emotions he felt at that discovery. His heart was bleeding for her. He could feel her pain and her deep sorrow. ''If only I could take away her pain, erase her sorrow until the only thing she could feel is genuine happiness then I will do anything for her.'' Erick thought to himself as he continued to hug her tight to console her. Letting her know that he was always there for her, no matter what. After several minutes, Elle spoke again to break the silence. Erick''s presence, his warmth, his love, gave her strength to continue to open up and share with him a portion of her tragic past that keeps on haunting her. It was her misery, her burden, her demon. "Do you still remember the moment we first slept together?" Elle asked him. "Yes. You were having a nightmare at that time." Erick said as he reminisced that night. He was angered and feeling helpless that moment when he saw Elle was crying non-stop, feeling frightened of something. It seemed like his heart was being squeezed seeing her like that. He could not bear to see her again like that. "My parents'' death has something to do with my nightmares," Elle revealed to him truthfully. "Erick¡­ my parents did not die by natural cause nor by accident. They were murdered. My parents were murdered in our own house. I witnessed it with my own eyes." there was a hint of sadness and hatred in her voice. Erick, once again, was astonished by her revelation. Knowing her parents already passed away brought him a deep sorrow but knowing that her parents passed away because they were murdered by someone was another thing. He was burning with anger. Erick clenched his teeth as the look of sheer fury appeared on his face. He was silently cursing whoever did that to Elle''s family, making her suffer all these years because of that unpleasant memories. Erick''s grip on her body tightened. Elle could also feel his rage at this moment. Erick was sympathizing with her. The stored tears started to flow from her eyes down to her cheeks like pouring rain. Her tears began to soak Erick''s shirt but he didn''t mind, letting Elle cried her heart out. Erick just remained silent as he wiped away the tears in her face. His gaze never left her face. ''I won''t let you feel the same sorrow and pain again. As long as I am with you, I will always make you happy. I will protect you with all my life.'' Erick had sworn to himself as he watched his beloved woman, sobbing in his arms. After God knows how long, Elle finally stopped crying as she calmed herself down. She was feeling better now as she was able to share her burdens with him. " Thank you. I feel better now. And sorry about that. Your t-shirt is soaking wet now because of my tears." Elle chuckled as she apologized to him. "You are so silly, apologizing for such a thing! I don''t mind even if you shed a billion drops of tears. However, I will make sure you will not cry because of sadness but because of happiness. Thank you for sharing your burdens with me." Erick caressed her cheeks which were still wet with her tears. "No one knows what the future holds, but if we face everything together, surely we will grow together, living happily together," Erick said to her with so much tenderness and love. His words were filled with promise that washed away her fears. Erick''s eyes were staring intently at her. The woman in front of him was the most strong-willed and very brave person he had ever met. He was very grateful that he found her. For him, he was very lucky that this woman loved him back. He loved her so much that he thought he would never love any woman in his life unless that person was Elle, only her. He bent down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. He repeated his action as he showered her face of soft kisses, gently kissing her swollen eyes, her nose, her cheeks, and her chin. He savored the last part of her, it was her lips. Pouring all his emotions towards her, he kissed her tenderly and passionately. Chapter 183 - New Enemies Appeared Dark Knight sent out a chauffeur to pick up two important persons at the airport. When he reached there, the two persons were already waiting for him at the passenger''s arrival lounge. He was taken aback when he saw them and suddenly his body was covered by cold sweats. After he recovered from the daze, he apologized to them for being late. They just gave him a side glance as they walked past him. The chauffeur guided them to the car. They headed straight to one of the Dark Knight''s headquarters. The ride to the headquarter was made in silence. For an unknown reason, the chauffeur could feel the danger by just looking at the two figures in the backseat. His boss informed him already that these two persons were top-notch assassins coming from the infamous Assassin''s Guild. Several minutes later, they reached their destination. Their arrival created a stir as the curiosity of the members heightened when they saw the newcomers walking leisurely and confidently inside the headquarters. Several pairs of eyes were watching the two who were walking side by side. Both of them stood out as they both emanating a frightening aura, intimidating everyone who came across their path. The swirling aura of command and power amplified by their physical appearance. No one would ever think that those two were twins because unlike other twins the siblings did not look exactly the same. In other words, they were fraternal twins, one was female and the other one was male- the Azumi twins. Kevin Azumi- a six feet and five inches tall man, having a strong built with broad shoulders and muscular body. He had dark tousled hair having deep hazel eyes, with a clean-shaven chiseled face, prominent nose, and robust lips. There was a black-inked dragon tattoo on his neck, probably several more under his black leather jacket, blue t-shirt, and black jeans. His bad boy looks conveyed ''stay the f*ck away from me.'' His tanned skin stood out complimenting his fierce look. Overall, his rebellious nature made him dangerous and attractive at the same time. On the other hand, his twin sister Kelsy Azumi was considered as a femme fatale beauty, a seductress witch having power over men. Her charms could easily lure her target and succ.u.mb to her. She had a short black-dyed hair, a round face, clear shaped, and high arc eyebrows complimenting her alluring eyes and her red rosy lips. Just like her brother she possessed a pair of hazel eyes. She wore a summer dress, showing off her glowing tanned skin, two slender flawless legs, and her voluptuous figure. Azumi twins were already informed by their Assassin guild''s president about their upcoming mission. They were working abroad for five years and they hadn''t returned to their country for that long. After receiving an urgent summoned from their president, they finished their pending missions overseas as soon as possible before they decided to go back. They were both excited to do this mission when they learned that their target this time was Catseye, the infamous devilish assassin feared by everyone in the underground world. Azumi twins were well-informed about the incidents and encounters involving Catseye and the Assassin''s Guild, Repear''s death, and Catseye''s successful infiltration in one of their secret bases that resulted to another death of one elite member. Aside from accepting the mission given by the Dark Knight''s organization, they had another goal and that was to avenge the death of their fallen brothers. One of the branch leaders of the Dark Knight Organization was already waiting for them in his office. Soon, Azumi twins entered the room. They saw a man in a black suit sitting on his office chair, probably in his mid-50s. The man stood up and greeted them with a wide smile. "Azumi Twins, welcome back. I heard a lot about the two of you. Your reputation overseas is on par with Catseye''s reputation. I admired both of you" The man said as he gave them a compliment. Kevin just remained silent with an aloof expression on his face. It was Kelsy who responded to him. "Gracias, Senior Alfonso. However, there is no need to flatter us besides we will be working together now." Kelsy said as she smiled sweetly at him. "Alright. Sit down first. Let''s talk about our deal." Alfonso guided them towards the leather couch inside the office. "Dead or Alive? How much can you offer us?" Kelsy asked him immediately after she had settled down on her seat. Alfonso let out a soft chuckle after hearing her direct to the point remarks. Kelsy raised her brow as she watched the old man laughing in front of her. Kevin was just standing, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked bored and not paying attention to the two of them. "I like your attitude, Miss K. Hmm. To answer your question, our organization wishes to exterminate Catseye. Can you do that for us? Bring her down and we will give you one hundred billion. So what do you say?" Alfonso smirked at her as he gave them his offer. "Hmm, if you don''t mind, just wanna ask you first before we close this deal. Why are you so desperate to eliminate Catseye?" She asked him curiously. "Well as you all know many people wanted her dead also and our organization is just one of them." Alfonso''s answer did not convince Kelsy. A frown appeared on her beautiful face. She knew there was a deeper reason rather than this but he refused to tell her. No one knew aside from Catseye''s side that Dark Knight Organization was the mastermind in the assassination of Jorge Arison. They were glad that Catseye was still silent about it and did not inform Skull Gang about it. But, Dark Knight was not sure if how long Catseye will remain quiet, that''s why they are desperate to kill her as soon as possible before she spills out their secret to the Skull Gang. There would be a war between the two powerhouses in the underground world once Skull Gang learned the truth. That''s what they wanted to avoid by killing Catseye. Since Dark Knight knew the animosity of Assassin''s Guild towards Catseye, they grabbed this chance to work with them to hunt her down. However, they did not have any intention to tell the Azumi twins of their true motive. "Since you are unwilling to answer my question truthfully, I will not force you. Besides, money is our priority here and you give us the right price. So we are gladly accepting this mission. "Yeah, Let''s work together from now on. We are willing to assist you and give you support. Just tell us what you need. Just make sure that you will accomplish this mission." Alfonso said, offering support and at the same time seeking assurance of a successful mission from them. "Deposit half of the amount and wait for the good news. We will surely not disappoint you, Senior Alfonso." Kelsy gave him a meaningful smile as she assured him. The two of them shook each other hands as a sign of closing the deal. And just like that, another mission about hunting Catseye had been made. Elle''s new enemies had just arrived conniving with Dark Knight Organization to bring her down. Now that Azumi twins appeared, how would the two of them affect Elle''s life? Will they succeed with their mission or will they fail just like all the others? Chapter 184 - Someone is Digging Up the Past Elle had a rough day yesterday however because of Erick''s presence she had overcome everything. After she opened up with him, the bond between them was now stronger than ever. It deepened their relationship as they became more affectionate towards each other. And they were both happy about it. A new day started for both of them, feeling hopeful and looking forward to whatever future may bring. Happy and at ease knowing that they had each other. Now, Erick and Elle were enjoying their breakfast before they would go to work. Today, both of them will be coming back to work after several days and weeks of being absent. "Why are you smiling like a fool? Finish your food already or else you will be late for work." Elle commented when she noticed that Erick was smiling while staring at her. "Hmm. I am just happy. It looks like we are already husband and wife, living together, eating together, coming to work together, and we even took a leave of absence at the same time." Erick cheerfully responded to her. "I wonder why Charles is not firing you," Erick added to tease her. Elle just giggled because of his remarks. "He already hired a new staff to cover for my absences. Because someone here won''t allow me to work for the past few days." "And as for what you''ve mentioned ''husband and wife'' Hmm, we are just practicing whether it will work well or not. Hehe. If it doesn''t work well, then I will have to leave you." Elle said as she stuck her tongue out at him. A deep frown appeared on Erick''s handsome face when he heard it. He was unhappy with the thought of Elle leaving him even though Elle did not truly mean it as she seemed to be just joking at him. "Hey, what''s wrong to my Baby? Are you having a mood swing? Just a while ago you are smiling like a fool, but now, you look like a little boy who had just left heartbroken after losing his favorite toy." Elle said to him teasingly, oblivious of what made him unhappy. "I won''t allow you to leave me. You have already stolen my heart, you must take responsibility for that. I can''t lose you, Elle. I don''t know how to live without you." Erick said to her seriously. Elle was baffled by his reaction. She didn''t mean to ruin the mood. She was just kidding however he took her words seriously. Despite that, she was touched by his remarks. "En¡­ you know I am just kidding, right?" Elle smiled at him sheepishly. "Okay. I will take my word back. I should have said '' even if it doesn''t work well, still, I will have to stick with you, my dearest hubby!" Elle said to appease her Baby. Erick''s face brightened up when he heard her calling him ''hubby''. His lips curled up into a wide grin, revealing his perfectly lined-up white teeth. "You pretended that you don''t like to call me hubby yesterday but the truth is you also want it, right?" And just like that, Erick was back to his cheerful self as his mood changed again. Elle''s laughter bubbled up in the dining area. Her man had this kind of so-called simple happiness. "Alright, let me wash the dishes. You can go ahead first so that you will not be late. It''s your first day of work after taking a long leave." Elle stood up as she brought the plates in the sink. "Nope. I will help you with the dishes. Besides, I have to drop you at the Cafe, myself." Erick said as he offered her to drive her at her workplace before he would go to work. "Eh, you don''t have to do that." Elle protested. "No wifey, I insist," Erick said, not allowing her to refuse. It did not take that long when the couple left the house. After dropping Elle at the Cafe, he headed straight to their headquarters. He missed working inside their headquarter as well as talking to his colleagues. His team was also excited today since they missed Erick''s presence. They were not used to working without him. They even prepared a simple surprise, happily welcoming Erick back at their office and congratulating him for his fast recovery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, at Falcon Cafe, Charles, Elena and Phantom were also glad to have Elle back. It was also a happy reunion for the four of them as all staff of Falcon Cafe were present today. Elena immediately ran towards Elle and hugged her the moment she saw her. "Sis Elle, welcome back! I am happy that we are both working here together. Thank you so much, sis Elle. I am really indebted to you. Promise, I will work hard and I will not disappoint you." Elena could not contain her happiness as she thanked Elle. "Silly, stop thanking me already. You have already told me that so many times. And you don''t need to promise me anything. From now on, just live well." Elle just patted her back Elena felt like crying again just hearing Elle''s touching words. Charles just shook his head while looking at Elena helplessly. "Tsk Tsk. This punk can easily move to tears by even just a simple sentence. What a very fragile girl she is." Charles mumbled to himself. "What are you murmuring there? What is that kind of look? Do you want to join us? Do you also want a hug?" Elle said to Charles mockingly as she noticed his strange look towards them. Charles let out a soft chuckle and he snapped his fingers before he said "Wow, that''s a great idea! I like it. We can do a group hug." For an unknown reason, Elena looked down, hiding her face at them. She feigned that she did not hear Elle and Charles''s conversation, talking about hugging each other, though the flush of her face grew deeper by seconds. Charles walked towards the two ladies. Elena''s stomach fluttered, her heartbeat fast as if she was anticipating something. However, before Charles could wrap his arms around them, he was greeted by Elle''s fingers, flicking his forehead. "Ouch!" Charles winced in pain, rubbing his forehead. "I won''t allow you to bully Elena. Understand?!" Elle warned Charles, then she turned to Elena. "Tell me if ever he tries to bully you. I will make sure to punish him." Elena did not know what to say. She wanted to defend Charles and tell Elle that he was very kind and he treated her very well however she was a little bit shy to speak up. In the end, she just smiled and nodded at her. "Hey, is this how you treat your generous boss? You are the one who is bullying someone here. You always bully me, Elle. Life is so unfair. After giving you more time to rest, this is how you repay your boss?" Charles lamented on her. "Elena, my angel, please help me. Protect me against this devil!" Charles turned to Elena while making a pitiful face. Elena was also surprised. Elle looked like she was the boss, not Charles. She appeared to be more intimidating as compared to Charles. Elena giggled from that thought. ''Our Boss Charles is acting so cute.'' Charles and Elle stared at her amusedly. Then it didn''t take long as both of them joined her. Waves of laughter erupted in the Cafe. That was the time, Phantom arrived, who was holding several boxes of cakes. He just got their supplies. "Oh, did I miss something here?" Phantom asked the three persons who were still laughing . "Nothing sir. Boss Charles is just accusing me of bullying him. It looks like he is asking Elena to defend him. What a coward son you have here sir? Asking a girl to protect him." Elle said as she continued to make fun of Charles. Charles glanced at her with disbelief. ''She is really bullying me now.'' Phantom let out a soft chuckle. He somehow pitied Charles. He knew that Charles would never win any argument against Elle. It was already decided a long time ago that Charles vs Elle would always be a one-sided fight. Even if Charles would ask him a help, in the end, Phantom would always let Elle do what she wanted because he also doted on her. "I will disown him as my son if ever he does that. He is supposed to be the one protecting the two of you, not asking you to protect him. It is better to be bullied by a lady than to bully her. That''s the essence of a true man." So in the end, Charles still failed to receive any help from Phantom. He just sighed in defeat, feeling dejected. Elle smiled triumphantly and gave Phantom a thumbs up for his remarks. "Don''t worry sir Charles, you have my support. I know sis Elle also has your back." Elena said as she tried to cheer him up. "Thank you, my little Angel. I hope someone here can be as kind and pure-hearted like you and treat me well also rather than bullying me." Charles emphasized his last sentence while staring at Elle. Elle just shrugged her shoulder in response. They continued having a conversation when Phantom''s phone suddenly rang. Someone was calling him so he excused himself to answer the phone. His brows slightly creased upon seeing the caller I.D. "Hello, my old friend. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise call?" Phantom said, feeling delighted and at the same time puzzled. He heard the soft laughter of the man from the other line. "I know you won''t believe me if I say I miss you. So I won''t beat around the bush." The man paused for a moment before he spoke up again. "There is someone tailing your track 16 years ago. Someone is digging up the past, my friend." Chapter 185 - Phantoms Partner in Crimes "There is someone tailing your track 16 years ago. Someone is digging the past, my friend." Phantom could hear the seriousness in the voice of the caller. Scrunching his brows together, he asked the person on the other line. "What do you mean Antoine?" Antoine was one of his companions before when he became an assassin. He was someone whom Phantom trusted most. They had been friends for almost thirty years. Ever since Phantom retired, they seldom see each other nowadays and had not been in contact for the past few years. So it was indeed a surprise for Phantom to receive a call from him today. He knew that this was not a simple greeting or some kind of I-miss-you message to communicate with an old friend who had not seen or heard each other for a long time. "Some time ago, I heard from the neighborhood that there was someone going around asking and investigating about your whereabouts," Antoine said to him casually that pique Phantom''s interest. Phantom let out a soft chuckle afterward. "Oh, how many people are looking for me? The Legendary Phantom had already retired a long time ago. I disappeared from the limelight, why bother to search for me? Are they hoping for my comeback?" Another burst of laughter could be heard from the other line. Antoine was laughing hard because of his remarks. Phantom''s frown grew deeper. "Don''t be a conceited fellow my friend. Are you still expecting that someone is hoping for your comeback? Don''t get the wrong idea. Haha." Antoine sounded more enthusiastic now, having a conversation with his old friend. He had to admit that he missed him. "Will you please enlighten me, my friend? I thought you don''t want to beat around the bush. Why are you keeping me in suspense? Spill it out, you punk!" Phantom sounded a little bit impatient since he was really curious to know the information from him. "Alright, I must satisfy your curiosity. Don''t worry, there is only one person digging up the past. And do you know what? He is not looking for the legendary assassin, Phantom, but he is searching for someone else." "Hmm, that''s one is truly surprising. Who is that someone else you are referring to, my friend? If he is not looking for me then why are you calling me? How is that related to me?" Phantom was a little bit confused. "He is looking for a girl named Ma. Belle Elliese Falcon. I call you because I think this case is concerning to your foster daughter, the child you save a long time ago. I thought police declared that she was dead. But now, someone is looking for her." Phantom was stunned in a moment when Antoine mentioned Elle. He wondered why someone is looking for her. ''Is that person a friend or a foe?'' this was the first thing that came into his mind. Since Phantom remained silent, Antoine continued to tell him what he found out regarding that person. "Remember, you stayed for one month in one apartment together with your foster daughter here at City K. He was going around asking for that child and you. Fortunately, the neighborhood did not know you but they could still remember your daughter''s face when she was younger. So in the end, that person confirmed that she was still alive." "When did that happen?" Phantom asked him. "Hmm, I am not sure, maybe 3 or 4 months ago. Hehe," Antoine replied. "Huh? Then why you did not inform me sooner?" There was a hint of irritation in Phantom''s voice. "Sorry, my friend, I can''t contact you before since you were overseas. And I lost your number. It took me a while to get your number. Hehe." Antoine let out a soft chuckle, he was feeling guilty after all. "Did you know the identity of that person? What is his name?" Phantom asked him again, hoping that his friend could give him a satisfying answer. "What I know as of now, that person is a former policeman. However, I did not know his name. But according to my source, he said to the old lady that he was a friend of her parents." Antoine said with a certainty in his voice. Phantom became silent for a moment, thinking about what to do with the pieces of information he learned today. After considering all the possibilities, Phantom came out with a decision. "My friend, how you doing these days?" he asked him. Antoine frowned as he was puzzled why suddenly Phantom was asking him that. They were in the middle of discussing the person who was searching for his daughter. "I am doing good with my business. Why did you ask?" "Hmm, did you miss the old days? Do you want to go into action once again?" Phantom asked him, there was a hint of excitement hidden in his voice. Antoine was feeling nostalgic when he heard that question coming from Phantom. If Elle had Charles, then looking back, Phantom had Antoine before. They were a partner in crimes before, equivalent to Elle and Charles partnership. "Oh Buddy, I like that idea. Actually I am bored doing all my daily routine managing my monkey business since the day you retired. I think I need some spice again. What is in your mind right now? Tell me." Antoine was very eager and full of anticipation. Phantom could not help himself but laugh. As expected to his old friend, he was still missing to do some action. Maybe that was one of the reasons Antoine stopped communicating with him. He might be upset when Phantom suddenly retired at that time. "I will give you this important mission. Investigate that person who is looking for Elle. Find out if he is a friend or an enemy. We don''t know if he is just pretending to be a friend of her parents and he might have an ill intention that is why he is searching for her. I don''t want to jeopardize Elle''s safety because of that." "Tsk Tsk. You are already a changed man, my old friend. You really care about someone now. You are very protective of her. I am still upset about you, choosing her over me. Hmmph" Antoine ranted on him. Phantom just laughed at him. "Moron, I also cared about you. What a jealous man! Come here to City Z next time and visit me. Elle is also a grown-up now, a very beautiful lady. You will like her because I am very proud of her. I want to introduce you to her." "Okay. The moment I visit you, I will bring you a piece of good news. Probably, I will be done with the mission you gave me. Alright, I won''t take you for so long. I have to go and prepare for my mission. See you soon my old friend." "Yeah, see you soon," Phantom replied to him before they ended their conversation and bade goodbye to each other. He was smiling while looking at his phone. It was good to talk to his old friend and he knew they would see each other soon. He could not wait, he was excited to see him again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters, members of the Team Alpha Cinco were having a conversation about Catseye''s case. Bryan shared with them the information he gathered regarding the case related to Carlo Vello and Diego de Dios. "What are your thoughts about this Chief Lee? Vello and de Dios were really insisting that the person who kidnapped them is the same person who killed Jefferson Gong. When I interviewed them, it did not seem like they were lying." Bryan said to Erick, asking his opinion. Erick sat in silence, consumed by his own thought. He was always like this whenever he was thinking and analyzing the things and information presented to him. "This is undeniably unbelievable. Catseye had kept those two alive. This is so unlikely of her." April also commented. "So true. Is she playing a hero now? Can''t predict what will she do next. But I think it is a good thing that she did not kill those two, letting the law enforcement to handle their case and punish them." Rose mentioned to them the positive sides of what happened. June nodded as he agreed with Rose''s statement. "But Catseye''s strategy in handling this case is quite a mystery. Imagine, she even involved other persons and hired them to torture those two. Well, even if we say that they deserve it but it''s a fact that Catseye''s moves are still brutal and scary." "Yeah, I agree. I am still having a goosebump just imagining what Diego and Carlo had experienced under those men." Bryan rubbed his face after saying that. "Revenge." Erick suddenly blurted out that made the person averted their gaze towards his direction. "I think we can find an answer once we investigate further the relationship between those three persons. Just like what Officer Kim had mentioned to Bryan. Those two seem to hide something." Erick finally spoke up after thinking much. "Bryan, find out if there is some connection among those three persons in the past," Erick said as he assigned this mission to him. "Okay Chief. Noted." "April help Bryan in this mission. I leave it to both of you." "Copy Chief." After a while, Erick stood up. "Chief where are you going?" June asked him. "I have to get the files I left at my study, it''s about my analysis at Jefferson Gong''s case. I''ll be right back." Erick replied. "Chief, can you bring that favorite book you are reading about criminal minds?" Bryan suddenly said out of the blue. The other persons gave Bryan a strange look. ''What is he up to this time?'' Even Erick was wondering why suddenly Bryan wanted to read some books like that. "Hey, don''t give me that look, guys. I just want to read it since I am curious how Catseye''s mind is working. She is really unpredictable. I am just hoping that I can understand her once I read that book." Bryan explained to them. As a response, Erick just gave him a smile and a nod before he left. Erick headed home and proceeded in his study as soon as he arrived. He picked up the files about Jefferson''s case first before he searched for that book which Bryan wanted to borrow. He was glad that Bryan was really putting his effort to the extent that he wanted to read some books which he didn''t do usually do just to understand Catseye''s way of thinking. "Oh, here it is," Erick mumbled when he found the book in the bookshelves. He was about to put it inside his bag when he noticed something in the book. Erick frowned when he saw that there was a card inserted in between the pages of the book. He did not remember putting something like this in his book. Chapter 186 - Spotted: Elles Missing Letter He was about to put it inside his bag when he noticed something in the book. Erick frowned when he saw that there was a card inserted in between the pages of the book. He did not remember putting something like this in his book. "I was reading this book days before we had the mission to catch Black Shadow. I left it here on my table. I don''t remember putting something into this book. Was it Elle who put it back to the bookshelves?" Erick mumbled to himself as he picked up the card which was inserted in between the pages of the book. Erick curiously examined the card. It appeared to be a simple white plain card made with hard paper material. It was neatly folded. When he flipped it, he saw a hand-written text on the card. Erick''s brows were drawn together in a frown the moment he saw his name on the card. He realized that this card contained a message for him. ''Is this from Elle?'' he mumbled as he began to read the content written on the card. [ Erick ] [ First of all, I would like to apologize for breaking my promise. You told me to wait but I can''t do that. By the time you read this, I won''t be here by your side anymore. Sorry for not saying goodbye personally. ] [ By writing this letter, I want you to know that I am not the kind of person you think I am. I am a dangerous person. I lied to you. I don''t have amnesia. Now you know that I deceived you, you should stop loving me. ] [ Thank you for saving my life. I consider that as debt and I will surely repay that in the future. Now, I must leave you. Don''t look for me. Don''t ask questions.] [ Some things are better left unsaid. Some secrets are better left unrevealed. It is better this way for both of us. Move on and just forget about me. I wish you a happy life. You are a kind person and you deserve someone better.] [ Goodbye Erick. Thank you for everything. ] Erick''s grip on the card tightened after reading the message. His mind was in shambles. His eyes were dark as various emotions crossed his face; confusion, disbelief, surprise, hurt, and sadness. He felt like his body was drained of energy as he felt weak. This discovery had a huge impact on him. He clutched his chest as he felt like his heart was aching right now, suffocating him. He sat down on his chair, seeking support. He was still gripping the letter on his right hand. He sat there under the deafening silence of his surroundings. His eyes were staring at the blank space while thinking of so many things. ''When did Elle write this letter? When did she try to leave me?'' he asked himself. ''She mentioned breaking her promise to wait for me. So it means it happened during our mission in catching Black Shadow.'' ''Did I see it coming? That''s why I was very reluctant to leave her that night. I felt something was off about her at that time. She was acting very weird and seemed like she was troubled.'' The realization made him want to laugh and cringe at the same time. He dropped the letter on the desk as he covered his face using both hands. ''Elle tried to leave me. She tried to disappear from me.'' These thoughts were kept on replaying in his mind right now. Seconds later, a burst of laughter echoed inside his study. His laugh was cold and humorless. He knew from the start that Elle was hiding something from him. He had a nagging feeling about it but he always put his doubt and suspicion at the back of his mind. Now, he felt fear, an emotion he hated the most at that moment. Fear of Elle walking away from him. With the rise of his worries and fears came another emotion: relief and gratitude for Elle had chosen to stay with him after he got injured. For him, it was a blessing in disguise. If his life was not put in danger and their mission succeeded that night then maybe Elle would never come back again. Maybe, he won''t be able to see Elle again. Though she concealed from him her intention of lying about her amnesia and hiding this from him for so long, he couldn''t bring himself to be mad at her. Even if she said clearly in this letter that she deceived him, he still chose to understand her. Just like the skin needed to protect flesh and blood, Elle''s lie was needed to protect something. That''s what he believed in for now. He won''t judge her right away and he wanted to give her a chance to justify her action. As for the thought of Elle being a dangerous person, he let out another chuckle. "Yes, you are a dangerous person because danger always clings to you. A gang is hunting you. You became a hostage several times. The incident together with my Mom, with James and just recently, the incident happened at Vello spa." Erick mumbled as he felt so helpless. Erick heaved a deep sigh, feeling so desperate. "What am I gonna do to you, Elle? I love you so much that I won''t ever let you go. I won''t allow you to leave me once again. Do I need to tie you and imprison you by my side?" He admitted that he was also saddened and hurt by this discovery. But he was willing to wait for Elle to personally reveal it to him. He was consoled by the thought that Elle just started opening up for him. He was glad that Elle shared with him her dark past about her parent''s death. "I love her and she loves me. That is the most important thing right now. Don''t waver. This is just a trial for us. I need to be strong." Erick uttered, reminding himself. He gathered all his thoughts, washing away all the negative emotions he felt just a while ago. He stood up as he picked up the letter on his table. He hid it, making sure that Elle would not find it if ever she would come to his study and tried to search for that letter. After calming himself down, he was now ready to go back to their headquarters. His eyes were now clear compared to before. Feeling so determined, he had one goal in mind: ''To make Elle stay by his side no matter what.'' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Elle who was currently oblivious that her missing letter had already been spotted by the man who was supposed to receive it before, was now talking leisurely with their regular customer slash visitor, James Arison. Two pairs of eyes were watching them. One was curious about the handsome and rich man in a black suit who appeared to be interested with her sis Elle while the other one was wondering why Elle was surrounded by men whom she was not supposed to be closer with, a detective and a man who is the son of the person she killed. "Fate is a string that quietly connects one person to another. When one person''s heart suddenly gets mixed with so many other hearts some things are meant to happen. It is inevitable and we have no control over it." Charles and Elena averted their gaze to the person who just spoke those words. It was Phantom. He was holding a tray while also looking at the direction of Elle and James. It seemed like Phantom had read Charles''s mind that''s why he said those words. On the other hand, Elena had no idea what Phantom was saying so she turned to Charles. "What is sir Tom is talking about?" Elena asked him curiously. She just whispered to him so that only Charles could hear her. "Hehe, never mind that. It is just words of wisdom from him." Charles responded to her. He couldn''t explain it to her so he just smiled sheepishly at her as he scratched his face. Elena just nodded at him. She fixed her gaze back to Elle and James. Charles also did the same. "Boss Charles, that person also came here for the past few days looking for Elle. It looks like he is interested in her. But if I could remember sis Elle had already a handsome boyfriend, the one who saved us before." Elena softly said to him. Charles just shook his head. "Hmm, you are right. I bet James already knew about it but he just turned a blind eye as he wanted to pursue her. Well, good luck to him." Charles replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "Who do you like most for sis Elle, the rich guy or the detective?" Elena asked him again. Charles was taken aback by her last question. ''Who do I like most for Elle between those two men?'' he also questioned himself. "Sshhh¡­ stop gossiping. Leave those two alone and back to work." Phantom slightly scolded Charles. "Sorry, sir Tom!" Elena made a slight bow and immediately apologized to him. "Oh dear, I am not referring to you but to the man beside you." Phantom let out a soft chuckle. "What a huge difference in treatment. My angel is the only one who treats me well in this Cafe." Charles made a pitiful face. Elena just giggled at his reaction. ''He is really cute acting like a kid. Want to hug him.'' Elena thought to herself. As per the advice of Phantom, Elena and Charles stopped watching those two persons and they focused themselves on entertaining their other customers. On the other hand, James started pestering Elle, bombarding her with so many questions. "What happened to you last week? Why you suddenly get sick? Are you really fine now? You are not answering my calls. You are making me worry." Elle just looked at him helplessly. ''What''s up with this kind of attitude now? Though our relationship improves for the past few weeks it does not mean I have an obligation to answer his call and tell him what is happening on my end.'' Sensing the genuine concern from James''s voice, she tried not to offend him. "Sorry about your calls, I am really sick that I am not allowed to use any gadgets like a cellphone," Elle said as an alibi. "Don''t worry, I am fine now," she added. James was a little bit doubtful with her last statement, so without warning, he extended his hand, placing the back of his palm on Elle''s forehead as he checked her temperature. Caught off guard, Elle''s eyes just widened because of James''s sudden action. They were in that position when a newcomer approached their table calling Elle''s name. Chapter 187 - Sudden Proposal They heard a familiar voice calling Elle''s name so they both turned around to see the newcomer. That person was Selena. Elle and James were both surprised since they didn''t expect her to come. On the other hand, Selena looked very happy to see Elle and James were becoming closer to each other. Selena shot her brother a meaningful glance before she turned to Elle. "It''s been a long time. How have you been?" Selena asked Elle. "I am doing fine. How about you?" Elle returned her question casually. "So busy for the past few days since my dear brother is slacking off. He is giving me more work while he is doing nothing." Selena said to Elle, as she teased her brother. James frowned because of that. He was a little bit unhappy at Selena for disturbing his moment with Elle. ''I thought she wanted me to steal Elle''s heart. Then what is she thinking by doing this now?'' Elle just let out a soft chuckle. "I also noticed it, Selena. It looks like your brother prefers to buy snacks for your employee rather than to work at your office. See, he always comes here." Elle started to play along with Selena to tease James. James just stared at Elle helplessly. ''I came here just to see you. I don''t care about my employee''s snack.'' "Why are both of you ganging up against me?" James said to the two ladies. Selena just shrugged her shoulders as a response while Elle just feigned innocence. "Anyway, I have to assist my colleagues to prepare your order. I will leave you two here for a while." Elle said as she stood up. "Selena, what do you want to drink?" Elle asked her. "Oh, nothing, I want to order snacks good for ten people. Assorted Shakes and Cakes: for ''take out''. You can decide on the flavor, please. Thanks." Selena replied. "Alright, got it." Elle left the siblings to prepare their orders. Selena sat down beside her brother. "It looks like things between the two of you are going well, my dear brother." "Whatever. Do you know you came at the wrong time? You ruined our moment." James said while feeling annoyed. "Oh, sorry about that." Selena smiled at him sheepishly. "Why did you come here?" James asked her. "I am going to XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters today. I just dropped by to buy some snacks for them. I am going to visit Erick. I heard he came back to work today." Selena answered him. James smirked at her after hearing that. "Oh, it looks like my dear sister is also doing her job. Wish you all the best sis. Make sure to get the attention of that detective." "Leave it to me brother. Just focus on making Elle fall for you. By the way, how do I look today?" Selena asked James''s opinion about her appearance. James gave her two thumbs up as he said: "You look stunning." Selena was happy with her brother''s reply. She was hoping that Erick could also feel the same way and noticed how beautiful she was today. Besides, she really dressed up today because of him. Meanwhile, Elena could not stop herself from asking Elle about the lady who just arrived at their Cafe. She appeared to be friendly. "Sis, the gorgeous lady beside Mr. Arison, who is she?" "She is Selena Arison, James''s younger sister." Elle simply replied. She was still busy preparing the shakes. Elena was helping her. "Wow, Arison''s sibling¡­both are having good looks. At the same time, they are both rich. So lucky to be like them." Elena said, feeling amazed. Elle let out a soft chuckle as she shook her head. "Nothing to envy. Happiness is not about having so much money or being rich. Besides, my dear, you also look so beautiful in your own way." Elle patted her head. Elena blushed with her remarks. Thinking about it, the girl in front of her was the most beautiful woman she had ever met. ''Sis Elle is beautiful inside and out. She is also very brave. She''s my idol.'' She thought to herself, as her eyes filled with admiration for her. Charles also joined their conversation. He heard what the two girls were talking about. He put his hand around Elena''s shoulder as he said "My little angel, those two are not the only good looking people on earth. Look at me." Elena automatically gazed up only to see Charles''s handsome face looking at her. Her body froze when she felt Charles''s hand around her. Her mind went blank as she was mesmerized by his charming smile. ''In my eyes, you are the most gorgeous man I have ever seen, Boss Charles.'' Elle gave Charles a cold stare. "What a conceited fellow. Can you please leave us alone or help us prepare the orders? Can''t you see we are busy here, dear Boss." Charles pouted as he heard Elle along with her warning look. "Why can''t I do as I please? I thought I am the boss here." he murmured to himself before he obediently followed Elle''s command. Elena acted normal again when Charles left. She was now able to calm her racing heart a while ago. Charles could greatly affect her. She stole glances at Elle. She heaved a sigh of relief as Elle looked like she didn''t notice her abnormal reaction. After they were done, they brought the snacks to Selena and James''s car. James and Charles also helped them. They were in the middle of transferring the snacks when suddenly someone grabbed Elle and wrapped her in his arms. Everyone was baffled when they saw what happened. Elle recognized the man''s scent that''s why even though she hadn''t seen his face, she already knew this guy who was hugging her right now. Elle''s body relaxed just feeling his warmth. Afterward, she snuggled into his arms content with the sound of his heartbeat and the feel of his arms around her. She also encircled her arms around his body. "Hey, why are you here? You are supposed to be at the headquarter right now.'' "Because I want to see you. I miss you, Elle. I miss you so much." Erick''s voice was filled with so many emotions while saying those words. His grip on her body tightened as if he was afraid that the girl in his arms would disappear from his sight any time if he won''t hold her tight. James and Selena were both having conflicting emotions just watching the two persons in front of them. James clenched his fist while Selena looked daggers at them. On the other hand, Elena was smiling from ear to ear seeing the sweetness of the couple while Charles was frowning as he was not yet used to see Elle being so intimate with someone. However, the two people seemed like they already forgot that there were other people around them. Their minds were just focused on each other. "Elle¡­ let''s get married!" Erick suddenly blurted out that made the other spectators gasped in surprise, their eyes and mouth were wide open. They couldn''t believe it. Erick was proposing to Elle right now. Aside from them, Elle was also shocked beyond belief. ''Eh¡­?? What he had just said? Did I hear it wrong?'' Erick was supposed to go back to their headquarters after leaving the house. However, his heart was not at ease if he won''t see Elle right now. There was a great impact on him discovering her letter. He was still really bothered about it. That''s why he could not stop himself from seeing her. He wanted to see her badly. He was not like this, acting so recklessly without considering things. And now, he was making a sudden proposal, asking her to marry him without much preparation. He wanted to scold himself by doing this in a rush. He was supposed to give her the most romantic and the most memorable proposal, not something like this. ''What am I doing? I cannot stop myself. D*mn! She deserves a more romantic proposal than this. You''re so stupid Erick.'' He was reprimanding himself. When it comes to Elle, he was acting in a rush and his intelligence was not working. Where is the detective who analyzed things carefully first before acting and doing something? "I am sorry. I did not bring you to a fancy restaurant. I don''t even have a bouquet of flowers with me. No fireworks, no sweet and romantic background music. I can''t even kneel in front of you since I didn''t even bring a ring." Erick paused for a moment before he spoke again. He made a short distance between them as he lifted her chin so that their eyes would meet each other. "I only bring myself, offering you my heart, body, and soul. Will you accept it? Will you? Will you marry me... Elle?" Meanwhile, Elle''s mind was still processing what he had just said to her. Her heartbeat was shallow and fast; her head felt like it was in a clamp. She was not prepared at all. It seemed like her world had stopped moving. She was lost in his eyes which were filled with love and affection for her. She could feel the sincere words coming from him mixed with genuine emotions however some thoughts in the back of her mind were stopping her from uttering a word. Not only Erick but also everyone was waiting for her response. Her silence made Erick become more nervous. He was afraid, very afraid that Elle would refuse his proposal. Chapter 188 - Elles Answer: Yes or No? Not only Erick but also everyone was waiting for her response. Her silence made Erick become more nervous. He was afraid, very afraid that Elle would refuse his proposal. "No! This shouldn''t be happening!" James heard Selena mumbled beside him. He could understand how she felt right now. Even he, himself, wanted to run in between the couple and break them apart just to stop this. However, with his remaining rationality, he knew he couldn''t do that. It was rude to interrupt those two even if that''s what he wanted to. All he could do is watch and wait while clenching his fist and grinding his teeth. Selena''s eyes were filled with jealousy and hatred right now. Her heart broke into pieces the moment she heard Erick''s marriage proposal to Elle. Why is it she had to witness this today with her own eyes? Meanwhile, Elena was anticipating Elle''s reply, silently praying that she would say yes. She was so excited and happy for her. She couldn''t believe that a simple moment like this could be more special and romantic than the planned and grand marriage proposal she could only see in movies. On the other hand, Charles''s face was now painted with worries and concern as he observed Elle''s reaction. He didn''t know why but he also started to feel nervous for Erick right now. ''Dude, don''t you think this is a wrong move? You are scaring her now.'' Charles thought to himself. ''She just took all her courage and took a risk despite the danger of her true identity being revealed by making one step just to confess her true feelings for you and to stay with you.'' ''And now, you are giving her so much pressure by asking her to marry you, despite the fact she is afraid that you might hate her once you find out who she really is.'' Charles could somehow understand Elle''s feelings about this sudden proposal. He knew that Elle was not yet prepared to take another step. Elle was having conflicting emotions. Her mind was in a chaotic state right now. She was tongue-tied at the moment, utterly astounded. Confused about what she should do, she moved one step back, away from Erick. When she did that, Erick''s hope was slowly fading away. He suddenly felt weak as he peered down, feeling the emptiness in his heart. ''Will she reject my proposal? She is still in doubt about her feelings for me. She doesn''t love me yet to the extent of wanting to marry me.'' Elle could see the tinge of pain and sadness in his two beautiful brown orbs. She could feel the increasing tension between them. ''What did I do? What should I do?'' Elle was having an internal battle, struggling hard in her mind. Her head was pounding and her heart felt uneasy. Her dark eyes fell on Erick''s face who was having a gloomy expression. The light in his eyes already disappeared, dullness was the one that remained. The deafening silence was broken by his laughter. He continued to look down as he scratched the back of his head. His laugh was short and humorless, mocking his own self. "I am sorry for being in a rush and inconsiderate. I think this is not the right time. Please just forget what I have said today." Erick said while smiling at her, however, his eyes were filled with deep sorrow and loss. When the person you love the most rejects your love, how painful could it be? This was what he was feeling at this moment, trying to conceal his pain with a bright smile on his face. The spectators on the sideline exchanged glances with each other, having the same thought in mind. ''So does it mean this is a failure in the proposal.'' However, before others could rejoice, they heard Elle spoke up after being silent for a long time. "Mr. Detective be accountable with your words!" Elle said with her angry tone. "You can''t take it back, seconds after you have said it, and announced it publicly." Elle sounded so serious and mad. "You should be more responsible. How can you expect me to accept someone who changes his mind right away?" Elle continued to rant at him. The uncertainties in her eyes a while ago were all gone. This time Erick raised his head to stare at the woman who seemed like scolding him. He glanced at her with a confused look. A loving smile lit up her beautiful face and her eyes held a glint of joy as she met his questioning gaze. Her bright smile warmed his aching heart and erased the creases between his brows. Elle started to move closer to him. "I am betting all my everything on this." Elle softly mumbled while staring intently at Erick. She was referring to their love for each other. The internal battle was no more. Her inside struggles were long gone. What left was her love and feelings for him. Of course, her fears were still there but they were overpowered by her love towards him. She took his face in her hands and drew him to her. "This is my answer," she whispered to him. She didn''t say the words ''yes, I am accepting you.'' nor the words ''yes, I want to marry you.'' Instead, she let her actions speak for her. She took another step closing the gap between them as she pressed her mouth against his lips, fiercely kissing him. His hands captured her waist, pulling her closer against his body. He instantly responded to her kiss, hungrily. For a few minutes, they held on to each other, kissing as if they hadn''t seen each other for a decade. Not minding the people around them as they continued to express their feelings to each other through this kiss. That passionate kiss lasted for several minutes, leaving them both breathless. Bystanders had also witnessed the public display of affection of the couple, gaining different reactions from them. "Whoah, I thought I could only see this kind of scene in the movies." Elena could not help herself but mumble. Charles recovered from the shock when he heard Elena''s voice. He averted his gaze only to see Elena''s blushing face who looked like she was still daydreaming. Charles sighed deeply as he put his hands to cover Elena''s eyes. "B-Boss Charles¡­ w-what are you doing?" Elena asked him nervously while trying to remove his hands which were covering her eyes. "Don''t be corrupted by this scene. Don''t stain your pure and innocent mind yet. Don''t you ever try doing this kind of PDA in the future." Charles warned her. She just nodded at him like an obedient child. Charles''s lips twitched in a satisfied smile as he grabbed her hands and pulled her inside the Cafe, leaving the couple behind. Meanwhile, sensing the several pairs of eyes watching over them, Elle also grabbed Erick''s hand as she pulled him away from the eyes of the public. They both ran away to hide while holding each other''s hands. The Arison''s siblings were the only people left who stayed rooted on their spot. Both of them were having a gloomy expression on their faces. The color drained in Selena''s face as she felt like a knife stabbed into her heart. She lost all her strengths. She was about to fall, fortunately, her brother was there, catching her as he helped to steady her. "B-Brother...i-it hurts." Selena began to sob as she clutched on his brother''s shoulder. Tears burned her eyes and her lower lip trembled. "Shhhh¡­ it''s alright. Everything will gonna be fine." James said softly as he tried to look calm while comforting his sister. A blazing flame ignited in James''s eyes. His cold lips turned into a bitter smile. The veins on the back of his hand popped out as he continued to clench his fist. They had no right to be but they were both insanely jealous, mad, and devastated just by watching those two persons they liked kissing each other lovingly in front of them. Their hope was crumpled just like that as they left the place with a heavy heart. They were both broken. Phantom had also witnessed the scene from afar. A smile of relief and satisfaction worked its way across his aged handsome face and into his eyes. "I wish you both happiness. I hope your love for each other can conquer every challenge that might come in your ways. Stay strong both of you." Phantom mumbled as his eyes were fixed on the direction where Elle and Erick had vanished from his line of sight. Meanwhile, at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters, Erick''s team was wondering why he had not yet returned. Unknown to them, their Chief who was just supposed to get some doc.u.ments and a book had already made a sudden marriage proposal to his beloved woman. And all of that happened because Erick found Elle''s goodbye letter in the book which Bryan was trying to borrow. They were still waiting for their Detective Chief when Marie dropped by their office. She had something to inform the team. "Hey guys, I have a piece of good news," Marie said to them excitedly. "Oh! What is it? Tell us." Bryan said eagerly. "Black Shadow is back. He contacted me again, asking me to meet him for the next few days." Marie showed them the phone containing Black Shadow''s message. "That''s great! We can continue to spy on him and monitor his movements." June also said to them cheerfully. "I wonder what he had done for the past few weeks of going to lay low," Rose commented "I hope this time we can gather more information about Catseye through him," April said, feeling hopeful. "Leave it to me guys. I will do my best! Fighting!" Marie told them confidently, reassuring the team. Chapter 189 - Encounter at the Nightclub It was already night time when Black Shadow drove into the city. He stopped at a certain night club and waited for someone. He turned off the engine and stepped out of the car when he saw the person he was expecting tonight. The man in red t-shirt wearing a blue jeans jacket met Black Shadow''s gaze. He gave him a signal and soon Black Shadow followed the man to the back of the alley. They walked until they reached a stairwell that was hidden in the dark that led down to a heavy metal door. The man in front opened the door. He stepped back from the door to let Black Shadow through. When he entered the room his eyes automatically surveyed the surroundings. It was a small office at the back of the nightclub. They could hear the faint sound and dull thump of music reverberating through the walls. Inside, there were also stairs which led inside the club. The man closed the door behind them and walked towards the leather couch inside. He invited Black Shadow to sit down. He pushed a piece of paper towards Black Shadow across the small table. A proud smirk appeared on the man''s face. Black Shadow''s eyes fell on the paper as he picked it up. "This is the address. You can double-check to confirm it." the man in red said to him. Black Shadow''s lips curled up into a smile as he read the address written on that piece of paper. In exchange, he put down a small envelope containing cash. "Good job. I know you worked hard just to get this address. It took you so long before you''ve finally located this person." Black Shadow said as he praised the man. "What are you planning to do now?" the man asked him curiously. Black Shadow let out a soft chuckle before answering his question. "Hmm¡­ that''s a secret." A sinister smile appeared on his face. Seconds later, Black Shadow stood up. "Are you leaving already?" the man also stood up, ready to send him off. "Nope. Since I am already here, I should do partying. I am in a good mood tonight because of this." Black Shadow raised the paper in between his two fingers. Without waiting for the man''s reply, he walked towards the stairs that passing through the inside of the nightclub. He did not expect to bump into two familiar figures inside that club tonight. Many people were dancing on the floor. The smell of cigarettes, liquors, and different colognes and perfumes were strong on the dance floor. He walked past those people dancing at the center stage as he went to the bar counter. However before he reached the counter, he bumped into someone who seemed like a strong wall. He almost fell, but he was quick enough to recover his footing. He cursed the person in front of him, he was ready to strike when he gazed up to see the man''s face. Black Shadow''s eyes widened and the words he wanted to utter were stuck on his throat the moment he recognized the person in front of him. "Hello, Black. Long time no see. You are still clumsy." He heard the deep voice of the man who possessed such imposing aura. "K-Kevin A-Azumi!" Black Shadow blurted out unconsciously. A smug and mocking smile crept on Kevin''s face as he watched the surprised expression of Black Shadow. "Do I look like a ghost? Why are you looking at me like that?" Kevin sneered at him. Black Shadows cleared his throat when he recovered from the daze. His brows furrowed in a frown. ''Azumi Twins are back. Is this just a coincidence bumping into Kevin here? He is not following me, right?'' Black Shadow had his doubt. "When did you come back?" Black Shadow asked him. He was now back in his composure. "Hmm, yesterday," he simply replied. "Wow, you just came back yesterday but now you are here partying. Are you hoping to see Catseye here?" A tinge of sarcasm could be heard in Black Shadow''s voice. Black Shadow appeared to be in the battle mode right now. Even though both of them were members of Assassin Guild, they were now competing with each other in catching Catseye. Kevin laughed dryly at his statement. He patted Black Shadow''s shoulder. He was enjoying this conversation with him. "Why are you so worked up? I just want to enjoy the night before I go all out in catching Catseye. Besides, I am confident that we will be able to catch that punk¡­ soon." Kevin gave him a meaningful smile. Black Shadow was rendered speechless. Kevin always had an overwhelming confidence in him. His every word was not just empty words, there was certainty on it. He could feel the extremely terrifying imposing aura Kevin was always carrying around him. It was the kind of aura that did not fear any enemies, a domineering aura with killing intent and blood l.u.s.t. "Oh, by the way, congratulations on discovering Catseye''s identity. It is a great achievement. Now, we will take it here. I will be the one to kill the devilish assassin." Kevin said with his provoking tone. "Since you can''t do it right. Tsk tsk," Kevin added as he clicked his tongue. There was a glint of insult in his eyes while looking at Black Shadow. Black Shadow''s lips twitched, his pupils constricted but his expression went back to normal in just a split of seconds. He concealed the irritation he felt towards the man. ''He was still good about provoking and angering someone. But I won''t allow you to play with my emotion tonight.'' Black Shadow thought to himself. "Talking about Catseye¡­ you can''t easily kill her. She is called the devilish assassin for nothing. Be careful my friend. You never know, you are already falling in hell before you can kill her." Black Shadow waved his hand nonchalantly as he walked past him. "Oh¡­ even if you kill her once, she will not die, remember a cat has nine lives," he added before he vanished to Kevin''s line of sight. Kevin was still staring at the direction where Black Shadow disappeared from the crowd when a soft hand grabbed his elbow. "Hey Brother, why are you picking a fight with Black? He is not our enemy here. Catseye is our target." A sweet voice coming from Kelsy brought Kevin back from his deep thoughts. "I know. I just don''t like him." Kevin said to his twin sister. "Oh come on. Are you still holding a grudge against him? It was a long time ago brother. Forget about the past." Kelsy glanced at her brother helplessly with her pleading look. Kevin just stayed silent but there was a glint of fury in his eyes. Kelsy failed to see it as he immediately turned around and left. Kelsy just shook her head while watching the retreating back of her twin brother. Meanwhile, Black Shadow was already enjoying his drinks at the bar counter. His encounter with Kevin tonight brought back a memory in the past. "If he is back then she is also here." Black Shadow mumbled as he played the glass of whiskey in front of him. He drank it in one go then a bitter smile flashed on his face. He was very immersed in his own thoughts when someone approached him from behind. Black Shadow''s body stiffened when he felt a familiar presence along with a very familiar female scent. "You are having a cold war again the moment you see each other. Both of you never matured." there was a glint of humor in her sweet voice. "It''s been five years since the last time I saw you. Long time no see my dear little Black." Black Shadow''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing her voice. His mind was focused on her last four words ''My dear little Black.'' Series of emotions flashed into his eyes. His grip on the glass tightened. He sat still as he didn''t dare to look up to see the owner of that voice. In the corner of his eyes, he saw the girl sit down on the vacant seat on his left side. She was wearing black fitting jeans, a plain white shirt covered with a black leather jacket. She signaled to the waiter to give her the same drink Black Shadow was drinking. "Is this how you will greet me after five years of not seeing each other?" there was a hint of disappointment in her voice after saying those words. Black Shadow remained quiet on his seat. "What a cold person. You are now being so stubborn." She giggled but Black Shadow had sensed a tinge of sadness while she was saying those words. "I miss you so much Black," she mumbled softly but it was loud enough for Black Shadow to hear it despite the noisy music inside the club. That was the breaking point of his self-control. Black Shadow gritted his teeth as he stood up. He harshly grabbed Kelsy, dragging her to the back door of the nightclub. He continued to pull her into the dark alley, pinning her in the wall afterward. Kelsy did not protest even if Black Shadow was acting so rashly on her when he was dragging her out of the club. Black Shadow was breathing hard, trying his best to control his burning rage inside him. Kelsy fixed her gaze on his eyes filled with desire and longing. His grip on her shoulders tightened as he continued to pin her on the cold wall. Seconds later, Black Shadow''s lips brushed hardly on her delicate lips, ravishing and drowning her with a deep, hot and hungry kiss. Chapter 190 - Pillow Talk Elle was lying on her bed, examining the ring on her ring finger. Her lips held a faint smile and her eyes twinkled with joy as she remembered what transpired this afternoon. Erick''s sudden marriage proposal utterly astounded her to the point she almost freaked out. But seeing him felt so horrible, she found her courage to say yes and accept his proposal. She couldn''t stand to see his hurt expression so she took a risk once again by making this decision. She was glad she did that as she saw the overwhelming happiness in the face of her beloved man. After they ran away from the Cafe, Erick brought her immediately to a jewelry shop and he bought a ring for her. She wondered what happened to him that caused him to act like this. Erick was acting so weird that day. Everything was off about him but she decided not to ask him for the moment. She would prefer to talk to him at their home tonight. After buying the ring, he dropped her back to the Cafe. Before leaving, he hugged and kissed her again. He was very reluctant to leave. However, in the end, he had no choice but to go back to their headquarters. The smile on her face faded and her expression became troubled when she recalled her conversation with Phantom and Charles at the Cafe. Before she left the Cafe, they talked about Erick''s marriage proposal. { "Are you sure about this? You looked so scared just a while ago after hearing his proposal." Charles asked her. He sounded worried about her. } { "I admit that I was a little bit hesitant at that moment but I already made a decision. I will not change my mind about this." Elle truthfully answered him. } { "I support you no matter what decision you will make. I will not object to your marriage. All I care about is your safety and happiness." Phantom softly said to her. } { Charles sighed deeply "What are you going to do with your identity? What name will you use to register your marriage with him? Besides, there are requirements you need to comply with. Remember, you are pretending to have amnesia." } { Elle forgot to consider those things and now Charles just reminded her. Elle felt like she was having a headache now. } { Elle massaged her throbbing temples. "Why I didn''t think about it. I can''t use my real name. So it leaves me no choice but to use the identity given to me by Master Phantom. Besides, I already told him my name as Elle Claveria before." } { Phantom let out a soft chuckle. "You don''t have to worry about that. Even if he will look into your identity as Elle Claveria, there will be no problem. Elle Claveria has no link with Catseye." he reassured them. } { "Will you still pretend to have amnesia?" Charles asked her again. } { "Yes, I have to. I can''t tell him that I didn''t lose my memories. I don''t want him to ask me about Skull Gang''s motive for hunting me. Or else he might see through my lies once he investigates further my connection with them. I am afraid he will be able to connect the dots and find out that I am Catseye." } Knock! Knock! Elle was pulled out in her deep thoughts when she heard the knock outside her door. "Come in," she said, allowing Erick to enter. Erick opened the door and entered her room. He was carrying a folder in his right hand. He paused for a moment when he met her gaze. There were some emotions hidden in his eyes as he stared at her. ''I can''t confront her about the letter. This is not the right time. I am afraid that she might run away from me once again if she finds out that I already knew the truth. She has no amnesia.'' He was able to conceal his worries as he greeted her with a bright smile. "Care if I join you?" Erick asked her as he pointed the bed. He walked towards her as he put down the folder on her bedside table. Elle smiled at him and shook her head. "Nope, come here, lie beside me." Erick gladly accepted her offer as he climbed on her bed to join her. He used his arm as Elle''s pillow as he cuddled her. "Can I sleep here tonight?" Erick asked her again. "Sure, why not. This is our first time sleeping together here in my room." Elle giggled from that thought. "Yeah. I like it here. I can smell your fragrance all over your room." he murmured. Erick''s body grew warm from the inside out as he nuzzled her neck, preparing to bite her. Sensing his motive, Elle tilted her head to give him more access. His breath was hot against her skin sending a shiver on her spine. He started to plant feather-like kisses on her skin, giving her small and gentle bites as his hot mouth traced her sensitive parts. Then, he found her lips with his own, kissing her harder, deeper, with a fervent need. Elle couldn''t stop herself from brushing her fingers across his chest as she drowned herself at the moment. ''If she didn''t lose her memory then it is true that I am her first kiss. She said before that I am the one who stole her first kiss.'' Erick was rejoicing from that thought. "I''ll never have enough of you." he murmured. He deepened the kiss, nibbling at her full lower lip. Elle met his aggression with her own, tasting and savoring him. Seconds later, they broke the kiss, gasping for breath. "Hmm, stop it. You should behave. I still have my period." Elle warned him as she giggled from that thought. Erick pouted after hearing that, feeling disappointed but he obediently complied. In the end, he was satisfied in cuddling her while they were having pillow talk. "Thank you for staying with me, Elle. I am so happy today. You accepted my proposal. I was so scared that you would refuse but in the end, you didn''t." Erick said truthfully as he did not hide his fear. "I am sorry for scaring you. However, you also scared me today by making that sudden proposal. Do you know that?" Elle gently punched him on his chest. Erick just chuckled. Then an idea popped up in his mind. "Elle what should we do? What will happen to us if you are already married to someone before you lose your memory? Then, I will become your paramour, your other man, right?" Erick was trying to test and tease her since Elle had no idea that he already knew the truth about her fake amnesia. Erick flashed a playful smile as he saw Elle frowned immediately after hearing his statement. Elle raised her brows when she noticed his smile. ''What is he thinking? What is he trying to do now? Is he backing out because he thinks that I might have a husband already?'' Elle thought to herself. "Hmmm¡­ If I think about it then you are right. I just remembered that I have someone in my mind before whom I like to marry." Elle blatantly said to him. Erick''s brows furrowed in a frown immediately. ''What? So she already has a first love.'' Erick regretted talking about this topic to her. "Who is he?" He asked curiously. "He is the son of my father''s best friend," she answered him truthfully. Erick''s mood changed and he was unhappy about knowing Elle wanted to marry someone before and that person was also the son of her father''s best friend. "Who is more handsome, I or that man?" Erick asked her again. Elle could sense a hint of jealousy in his voice. Elle was suppressing herself from laughing. She wanted to tease him more and make him jealous so she paused for a moment before she answered his last question. "Hmm, thinking about it, I guess both of you are equally handsome," Elle said as she was grinning from ear to ear. Erick was not satisfied with her answer. He was expecting her to choose him but instead, she said they were both equally handsome. When he saw her grinning then a realization came to him. "Hmmm. Are you intentionally making me jealous?" Erick said to her as he moved on top of her, trapping and pinning her down on the bed. Elle felt guilty under his penetrating gaze. He caught her and she couldn''t deny it. "How can I behave if you are doing this to me?" Erick felt so helpless just staring at his beloved woman under him. "I-I didn''t- uhmm" she couldn''t tell the rest of her words as his lips already sealed her mouth. He kissed her all over again until she realized that she wouldn''t ever find another man who could give her this kind of feeling. After he released her, he leaned his forehead against hers as he said: "Let''s register our marriage tomorrow first, then hold a wedding ceremony after a month. What do you think?" Erick was so eager to claim her and make her as his wife. On the other hand, Elle was dumbfounded once again. Erick was giving her one shock after another. "B-But how about¡­ t-the requirements?" Elle asked him, unsure of what she should do about it. Erick reached out to the folder which he put down in her bedside table just a while ago. "This folder contains information about you, Elle. When you told me your complete name before I hired an investigator to search for your family and find out more about your identity." Erick started to explain to her. "It took him a long time to gather this information. Fortunately, after I went back to headquarters this afternoon, he contacted me and gave me the result of his investigation." Erick sat up and he gave her the folder. "I didn''t open this folder yet. I want to give you this first." Erick knew that Elle was hiding something from him; that''s why she lied about her amnesia. As much as he wanted to know her more, but he didn''t try to open the result of the investigation. He wanted to see what she would do once he gave that doc.u.ment to her. Will she let him see the result of the investigation or not? Erick was also testing her right now by doing this. Elle''s eyes fell on the folder which she was holding right now. She was also curious about what information the investigator got after tracking her identity. ''Is it safe to let him see this? But why is he telling me this? He could have checked it already without telling me but why is he giving this to me?'' Erick was anticipating her response. Seconds later, Elle averted her gaze to Erick. With a gentle smile on her face, she said to him: "Let''s open this together and see what information he got for us." Chapter 191 - We Are Here to Investigate On the same night, Erick and Elle opened the file containing the reports and results of the investigation regarding Elle''s identity. The investigator didn''t get much information but it showed some information when Elle was staying abroad. It said in the report that Elle Claveria went abroad to pursue her study at the age of 14 with the help of her benefactor named Mr. Morgan, a mysterious businessman. Elle remembered that after she did her first killing as an assassin, targeting the person who was involved in her family''s death Phantom took her abroad. After she lost control during her first mission, Phantom convinced her to train further and pursue her study at the same time using her identity as Elle Claveria. They stayed overseas for almost four years. It was also written in the report that she was a very intelligent person that at the age of 14 the school academy abroad allowed her to take the course computer programming and finished it in just three years. At the age of 18, Elle went back to the country. That was the end of the report. The investigator failed to track her whereabouts after she came back to the country. It was expected that he was not able to find anything after that, since that year, Elle started her journey as a full-pledged assassin, Catseye. That year, Phantom introduced Charles to her and they started accepting missions. She hid her identity in public as she began to work meticulously as an assassin. In just one year, the assassin named Catseye became infamous in the underground world. Her viciousness and ruthlessness had spread very fast in the country catching the attention of the police authorities and the government. Because of her reputation, they called Catseye as the Devilish Assassin who is feared by many. After three years of failure in catching Catseye, the government built a special task force assigned in every case involving her, that Task Force was none other than but the Special Task Force Eagle headed by Captain Jason. So in the end, her whereabouts being Catseye were not put in the records. She was observing Erick''s reaction after reading the report. There were still unanswered questions. The investigator failed to find out her connection to Skull Gang and that was one of the questions Erick had in mind right now. "Hmm, you took a nice course, do you want to join our team? Your computer skills just like Rose can be helpful in our investigation." Erick suddenly blurted out of the blue. Elle was taken aback after hearing his offer. She did not know whether she should laugh or cry. ''Erick, are you trying to make things more complicated?'' Elle could not help herself but give Erick a strange look. "Hey, why are you giving me such a kind of look? Did I say something wrong? Don''t you think it is a great idea?" Erick asked her when he noticed her giving him an are-you-serious kind of look. Elle raised her brows as she answered his question with another question. "Why do you think that it is a great idea?" "Because if you will work there then you will be with me twenty-four seven," Erick said matter-of-factly. A cheeky smile appeared on his handsome face after saying those words. He wanted to see and be with her at all times that''s why he suggested that idea. He did not want to be separated from her, afraid that she would disappear again from his side. Elle just shook her head as she glanced at him with disbelief. "You are really shameless Mr. Detective." Erick burst into laughter. She was right and he admitted to himself that he was becoming more shameless when it comes to her. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. "I still wonder what is the reason why Skull Gang is targeting you." Erick was not able to stop himself from asking that question. He was trying his luck if Elle would somehow give him a clue or idea about that. He wanted to help her and protect her from them but he was also curious why Elle got involved with those people. ''Did she becomes part of that organization after she returns in the country at that time?'' He thought to himself. Elle knew it. Erick won''t stop asking questions about the Skull Gang and their motives. She knew that he was trying hard to learn the story behind because he wanted to protect her. ''I am sorry Erick, I can''t tell you the reason why.'' Sensing the awkward atmosphere between them after Erick raised that question, Elle spoke up something to lighten the mood. "Hmm, maybe the leader of Skull Gang fell in love with me but I refused to accept him. His ego was hurt and now he was using a force just to get me. You know, I am quite a beauty. Hehehe." Elle tried to crack some jokes about it and make fun of the situation as Erick became serious. Elle made up some absurd story just to lighten the atmosphere and to stop Erick from thinking seriously about Skull Gang. However, her statement made the Detective become more unhappy. Since Erick knew that Elle was just faking her amnesia, he couldn''t help himself but ponder that her last statement might be true. Because of that, he was now having a wild imagination. Elle gazed up only to see Erick''s darkened expression. ''Eh¡­ why does he look like that? Did I say something wrong?'' Elle pondered to herself. "Hey, don''t take my words seriously. I am just kidding hehe. I don''t remember anything. I am just spouting nonsense because you look so serious a while ago." Elle said to appease Erick. She smiled at him sheepishly, feeling guilty for ruining his mood. Erick remained silent while looking at her intently. Elle heaved a sigh of defeat. She was regretting saying those words. She did not know if he was mad, upset, or just jealous. ''Okay. Let''s resort to another strategy to make this man happy.'' "Hmm. Alright! Let''s register our marriage tomorrow!" Elle mumbled suddenly in which she succeeded in gaining and diverting Erick''s attention. She flashed her most charming and sweetest smile as she focused her gaze at Erick''s face which contained mixed emotions at that moment. "How about Mom and Dad? Should we inform them about our decision? Oh, should we ask for another leave of absence tomorrow? We just came back to work yesterday." Elle started to talk non-stop as she changed the topic. "Oh right, we should process the requirements first. Actually, I felt nervous and excited right now. Are we sure about this? Do we-" Elle was talking non-stop but the next few words she made were swallowed up by his mouth. This time, his kiss was very gentle, slow and passionate, kissing her tenderly with so much love. There was no greater joy for this man than to know that the woman he loved was willing to entrust her life to him. Elle felt Erick''s heartbeat against her chest. He had a heartbeat, one that reverberated through her as if it was her own. Despite all those lies, there was only one truth at this moment: They loved each other so much. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next morning, Kesly asked Kevin to accompany her in a certain place at the City Z. Kevin drove her to that place wondering what Kelsy was trying to do. They stopped and parked the car in an alleyway near a certain store. Kevin surveyed his surroundings after they got out of the car. "What are we doing here?" Kevin asked her, there was a hint of boredom in his voice. Kelsy did not answer his question, instead, she just smiled mischievously at him as she pulled him inside the Cafe. "We are supposed to start searching for Catseye not to go in some random places just to satisfy your craving for sweets," Kevin complained to her. Kelsy just let out a soft chuckle and she ignored his brother''s complaints. After ordering food, they choose to sit in a corner. A deep frown appeared on Kevin''s face as he watched the carefree behavior of his twin sister. He just sighed in frustration. "Did you get any information from Black Shadow last night?" Kevin asked her with a serious tone. Kelsy glanced at her brother, sensing the hint of irritation in his voice. If it was not for the sake of their mission then Kevin won''t allow her to be near Black Shadow. She purposely approached him last night in order to get some information about Catseye. Thinking about what happened last night, she unconsciously bit her lower lip. "I am asking you, Kelsy. Answer me," he said in a demanding tone. "We didn''t get to talk about our target," Kelsy said truthfully that made Kevin feel disappointed with her. "Oh, I am not yet done, brother. But I found something in his pocket last night." Kelsy grinned at her brother. "What is it then?" Kevin asked her, interested in what she was about to say. "Here!" Kelsy pointed out her index finger downward. "What do you mean?" Kevin was a little bit confused with her answer. "This address was written on that piece of paper. I thought there is something we can find here that''s why I brought you here today." Kelsy explained to him her true motive of coming there. Kevin''s eyes automatically roamed around the Cafe after hearing Kelsy''s explanation. "Falcon Cafe." he suddenly blurted out as he read the name of the Cafe. "Is Black Shadow investigating someone at this Cafe? Is it related to Catseye?" Kevin could not stop himself but mumble. "I am also curious, brother. That''s why we are here to investigate." Kelsy said cheerfully to him. Chapter 192 - Important Clue Black Shadow''s encounter with the Azumi Twins last night was not just a coincidence. It was a predetermined plan by the twins. They knew that Black Shadow was the only one who had an interaction with Catseye, so getting a clue from him was necessary. It was also for the fact that he was the one who knew Catseye''s face. Following Black Shadow, that night was just an alternative plan. They were both aware that even he was having difficulty in tracking down Catseye. Kelsy purposely approached him for two reasons, the first reason was a personal one and the second reason was work-related. They also knew that Black Shadow met with someone who appeared to be his informant. Because of the past grudges, it was impossible for Kevin and Black Shadow to have a good talk so Kelsy was the one who made the move on him. She was expecting him to talk to her but unfortunately, it didn''t happen. She could feel the coldness and hatred Black Shadow had for her but she was dumbfounded when he suddenly kissed her in a very harsh manner. But being a professional, she did not allow her emotions to get in the way of her goal. She managed to take a peek about what was written on the piece of paper inside his pocket when he was very busy kissing her. After he got tired of ravishing her delicate lips, Black Shadow released her. "Are you happy now? This is how I greet my senior after not seeing her for the past five years." There was a hint of sarcasm the way he spoke those words to her. Black Shadow did not wait for her reply as he left Kelsy in her baffled state at that time. Kelsy stayed rooted on her spot as she just followed Black Shadow''s retreating back until he was no longer in her line of sight. She had no idea what that address was all about but she had a nagging feeling that somehow it bore some kind of importance. So this morning, she asked her brother to accompany her to that address. And now, both of them were lurking inside the Falcon Cafe early this morning, trying their luck if they could gather some information related to their mission which is hunting Catseye. "These are your orders, Ma''am and Sir. I hope you will enjoy our food and service here at the Falcon Cafe." Elena''s polite and cheerful voice greeted the twins as she delivered their orders to their table. "Oh, thank you, sweety. I love sweets. I heard that this is one newly built Cafe around this area and you have a lot of customers recommending this place." Kelsy was trying to get more information with her by engaging her in a simple conversation. "Yeah, that''s right. Our regular customers always want to hang out here." Elena said to her as she was feeling delighted because of Kelsy''s remarks. Kelsy''s friendly approach succeeded in gaining the trust of Elena, as she felt at ease around this pretty customer. She had that kind of charisma which could make people talk without realizing she was already gathering pieces of information. "When did this Cafe start to operate here? I like it. The environment inside has a positive vibe and it looks relaxing. No wonder you have a lot of customers." Kelsy was the one doing the talking while Kevin did not pay any attention to them. "I am not sure, Miss, if when did the Cafe start operating. I am also new here." She politely said to her. "Oh, never mind. Anyway, how many staff are there in this Cafe? And who is the owner? I want to congratulate the owner for a job well done in putting up this business." Kelsy asked her again. Elena paused for a moment after hearing her last statement. ''She wanted to meet Boss Charles.'' Elena bit her lower lip from that thought. She averted her gaze to the lovely face of the customer. ''Why is it I feel like I don''t want her to meet Boss Charles? She is pretty and s.e.xy. I am afraid Boss Charles will take a liking of her once he sees her. No! I don''t want that to happen.'' Kelsy gave her a confused look as she noticed the hesitation flashing on the girl''s face. She was waiting for her reply. She cleared her throat to get her attention once again and she smiled at her sweetly. ''She looks more beautiful when she smiles.'' Elena felt threatened by Kelsy''s presence. "I-I am sorry Ma''am. I have to go back now and entertain other customers." Elena said as she made a slight bow before she left them. "Eh? What''s wrong with her? She ignored my last questions." Kelsy said in frustration as she watched Elena walking towards the counter. Kevin just shook his head as he began to drink his shake, ignoring his sister''s complaints. "That young lady is not Catseye." Kevin simply said. Kelsy shot him a glare. ''That''s not what I am complaining about, brother. You really have a low EQ. He even ignored me.'' "I know," Kelsy said while she sounded annoyed. "And of course, it''s also not that old man," Kevin commented again while looking at Phantom. "Ahuh! Of course, Catseye is a woman!" Kelsy emphasized her last sentence. "Then, why are we still here?" Kevin told her as he didn''t hide his boredom. "Because we are still eating our orders! I regret bringing you here! You are still impatient. Shoo! Shoo! Go away! DON''T RUIN MY APPETITE!" Kelsy said to him with her irritated voice, brushing her brother off. Kevin just shrugged his shoulder and continued to enjoy his food. By doing that, he kept on annoying his twin sister and he liked it. Fortunately, Charles was not yet around since Elle asked him to do something for her. She also informed Phantom about her plan today, that''s why she won''t be able to come to work. Only Phantom and Elena were present at the Falcon Cafe. Erick and Elle were very occupied today since they agreed last night that they would register their marriage today. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the other hand, Black Shadow was having a hard time just thinking about Kelsy. He couldn''t get her out of his mind after what transpired last night at the Nightclub. For that reason, he contacted Marie and asked her to meet him today. He thought to himself that he needed her to divert his attention away from Kelsy. Both of them decided to meet before lunch. They went to the same restaurant where they would always see each other for a date before. They were now sitting in one of the restaurant booths. "Wow, you are truly shameless. After disappearing for a long time without even explaining to me why you ditched me out that night, you still have the guts to face me?" Marie started to rant at him, pretending that she was truly mad at him. Black Shadow pulled her closer to him as he began to explain his side. "I am sorry Babe. Don''t be mad. My friend got into an accident that night and he died. I was busy preparing for his funeral." Marie couldn''t refute to that. Indeed, Reaper died that night and Black Shadow became busy doing a countermeasure against Catseye if ever she tried to attack him also. Marie didn''t ask further. It was a good thing that Black Shadow did not suspect her involvement in their operation that night. She just needed to be more careful and acting like she was upset at him would be safer for her not to raise any suspicion from him. "Alright, I will forgive you this time. But once you do it again, don''t you ever contact me again." Marie warned him. Black Shadow just chuckled at her remarks. "Okay, let''s take our lunch first. I need to satisfy your craving today so that you will be able to forgive me wholeheartedly. Just order the food you want to eat." After they finished their lunch, Black Shadow also brought her to the mall and bought her so many gifts such as clothes and other items that girls like her wanted to buy. After shopping, Marie had already planted a very tiny tracking device on Black Shadow to know his current hideout. It was a mission accomplished for today so she was ready to bid him goodbye. However, Marie was surprised when Black Shadow held her elbow to stop her from leaving. "Can you stay with me for a while?" Black Shadow softly mumbled to her, he was pleading her to stay. Marie was taken aback when she saw the helplessness in the eyes of Black Shadow while saying those words. ''What''s happened to this man? Something was off with him today.'' She thought to herself. "Please. Come with me to my place. I really need your company today." Black Shadow repeated his request as Marie didn''t respond to him. His grip on her arms tightened. In the end, Marie just nodded in agreement. This was also a perfect opportunity to see and visit Black Shadow''s place. If he was having a problem now, this was also a perfect time to deepen his trust for her by comforting him. Black Shadow''s anxiety disappeared the moment Marie agreed on his request. A faint smile formed into his face as he heaved a sigh of relief. He gave her a grateful look. After buying some snacks and drinks, both of them went to Black Shadow''s car and they left the mall as they headed to his apartment. Chapter 193 - Important Clue (2) After the thirty minutes drive, Marie and Black Shadow reached his apartment. He carried everything they bought and guided her inside his place. Marie roamed her eyes around, carefully observing her surroundings. His place was spacious enough for one man. He had his own kitchen, one bedroom, dining area, living room, and a bathroom which was adjacent to his bedroom. His wall was painted with dirty white and grey colors. Furniture design complimented his masculine style by just using furniture sets painted with black and grey colors. He looked like he was doing well with his job, getting paid a high amount by killing someone. There was a large flat TV screen in his living room and video game console. He also had a space for his mini-gym where he could do his workout routines. His mini-gym had items such as weight set power rack, dumbbells, leather bench, punching bag, treadmill, lifting straps, jumping rope, and a big mirror. Marie continued to peer at his apartment while Black Shadow prepared their snacks in his living room. They planned to watch a movie. "What do you want to drink: beer, or soda?" Black Shadow asked her. "Soda please." "Ok. Got it, Babe. Anyway, make yourself feel at home." he said then he let out a husky chuckle. Marie followed him in the living room. He already turned on the TV set. The finger food and drinks were also prepared on the table. "What movie do you want to watch? Comedy, Suspense, Action, Horror, or Romance?" Black Shadow turned to look at her, asking for her preference. Marie paused for a while, thinking about what she should choose among those genres. ''I don''t like horror, but I can''t choose romance since it might give us a romantic vibe. It will be dangerous, there are only two of us here in his place if I choose romance.'' She was contemplating in her mind. "Comedy," she blurted out in the end. To satisfy her, Black Shadow played the movie entitled ''the gods must be crazy.'' They both sat down on the couch and started watching the movie playing on the screen. Marie started laughing but Black Shadow seemed like his mind was out of the world. He was not paying attention in the movie, instead, he was too immersed in drinking his beer. She stopped laughing when she noticed that the person beside her was unusually very quiet today. This was so unlike him. His playful and c.o.c.ky behaviors were nowhere, leaving Marie to be puzzled. "Hmm, am I just a decoration here? I didn''t come with you here just to watch a movie. I can do it in my own place also. I came here because you asked me. So tell me, what''s wrong with you today?" Marie decided to engage in a conversation with him. Besides, she also needed to find out if Black Shadow had new findings with regards to Catseye. Marie''s voice brought him back after his mind was put in deep thoughts. He smiled at her apologetically. "Sorry. What did you just say again?" Marie rolled her eyes at him. She folded her arms across her chest as she faced him. "Are you still bothered by that person whom you are looking for? Did you find her already? Did she tell you that she doesn''t like you, that''s why you are sulking here and seeking my company today?" Marie bombarded him with so many questions. But the main point of her questions was about Catseye. She was trying to find out if there were progress on Black Shadow''s end regarding Catseye''s whereabouts. Black Shadow fixed his gaze on Marie''s face. "Why are you so interested in the person I am looking for?" he suddenly asked her. Marie somehow became tongue-tied when Black Shadow confronted her like that. ''D*mn, did I overdo it? Is he suspecting me now?'' Marie looked down as she hid her restlessness from him. "Because¡­ I am curious why you are so obsessed about finding that person. She is one of your past lovers, isn''t she?" Black Shadow burst into peals of laughter after hearing that statement from her. He was now staring at the petite girl before him, eyeing her. In his eyes, she was cute and lovely in her own way. Her aura was like a girl next door. But sometimes he could feel that this girl seemed like she was not just an ordinary girl. Her carefree, fierce, and bluntness behavior had some similarity with someone he knew that''s why he got hooked up easily the first time he ''accidentally'' met her at that nightclub before. ''But she is far better than that someone you know who just betrayed you before.'' his alter ego spoke to his mind. Black Shadow lifted her chin and he leaned over to whisper something on her. "Satisfy me first and I will answer your questions," he said to her in a deep husky seductive voice. A cheeky smile appeared on Black Shadow''s face. He was back to his usual self. Before Marie could protest, his arms were already around her. Suddenly, she felt the rush of helplessness and panic. ''Sh*t, I didn''t come here to be a tool of his pleasure. Even if I am working as a spy and have done this so many times but I never go beyond touching and kissing. For goodness'' sake, my v.i.r.g.i.nity is still intact!'' Marie was screaming inside. Black Shadow bent down to kiss her, softly at first but later on the intensity changed as his persistent mouth was parting her shaking lips, sending shivers through her nerves. This was the first time they were left alone since they always hang out in public places like restaurants and clubs. She anticipated this kind of situation before so she came prepared. She brought a device, and she only just had to press it and an emergency signal would be sent to her colleagues right away. Marie''s heart was beating crazily on her chest. She was very nervous but excited at the same time for an unknown reason. She cursed herself inwardly, she wasn''t supposed to feel excited. Before she knew it, her body already acted on its own, kissing him back with the same aggressiveness as his. Instead of pressing the device, she clutched on his shirt, pulling him harder against her. Black Shadow groaned softly, low in his throat. Then there was a loud thud. Kissing each other intensely, they both fell on the floor thus interrupting their passionate acts. "Ah!" "Hey, are you alright?" Black Shadow promptly asked her with a genuine concern in his voice. He was on top while Marie was beneath him. Scrunching her brows together, Marie massaged the back of her head which was hurt during their accidental fall. ''Well, I guess that was a wake-up call for me. I deserve it.'' Marie thought as she reprimanded herself. Black Shadow moved and helped her out to sit up. He was now kneeling in front of her. Reflexively, he also brought his hand on her head and started stroking her hair. "Does it hurt that much? I am sorry about that." a worry was painted on his face as he stared at her intently. He felt guilty for her. Marie was taken aback by seeing his genuine concern for her. She froze on her spot, unable to say some words. Then suddenly she became flushed. Her cheeks were as red as a tomato. Seconds later, a husky laugh bubbled up in the entire living room. Black Shadow was laughing hard as he just realized what happened to them. They were too immersed in kissing each other that they forgot to control their movements, causing them to fall off the couch. Black Shadow''s laughter was infectious so in the end, Marie joined him as they laughed together for their blunders. He stood up to get ice from the freezer and an ice pack. After he came back, he carefully examined her head to check if Marie got a concussion. "Don''t worry I am fine. The couch is not that high. You are just heavy." Marie added the last sentence just to tease him. "Ouch." Marie grunted because Black Shadow flicked her forehead using his middle finger. In return, Marie punched his chest as she shot him a glare. He just let out a soft chuckle. "Alright, don''t be mad. I will now answer your questions." Black Shadow said before he wrapped her around his arms and kissed her forehead which he just flicked a while ago. "First of all, she is not my past lover. Besides, I don''t know if she is capable of loving someone. Haha, that''s impossible. She''s the kind of person who does not know about love." Marie nodded in agreement. She also thought that Catseye doesn''t know about love. "Then why are you obsessed about finding her?" she asked him curiously. "Hmmm, because I like to compete with her and beat her. Aside from that, someone asked me to find her." "Oh really? Why and who is that someone?" "I can''t tell you. You don''t have to know the reason and that person. You have so many questions, kitten. Remember, curiosity could kill a cat." Black Shadow warned her. Marie pouted at him, feeling disappointed. "Okay. I won''t. But one last question. How is it? The progress in searching for her." Black Shadow paused for a moment then he smiled at her meaningfully before saying: "I will be able to find her soon." there was a hint of certainty and excitement in his voice. "Wait, I will show you something," he added. Then he stood up to get something from his bedroom. He came back holding a small square box and handed it over to her. "What is this?" She asked as she opened the box. She raised her brows when she saw a necklace inside the box. "Are you giving me a necklace?" Black Shadow let out another chuckle. "I''ll buy you a new one. That''s not mine, and it is not also for you, Babe. She owns that necklace." Marie was astonished because of that revelation. ''Whoah, so Black Shadow really got something this time. I should take a picture of this necklace and show it to the team. This is such an important clue about Catseye''s identity.'' "Are you able to track her because of this necklace? How did you get this?" Marie was really glad to have this kind of information. ''Is this the reason why he is very confident that he will find her soon?'' Marie continued to speculate in her mind as she waited for his reply. "Nope. I tried, but I failed to trace her using that necklace. I just want to show you that. It is a sort of remembrance from her. She accidentally left her necklace, and I was lucky enough that I found it." "I will return it to her once we meet again." Chapter 194 - They Just Got Married Erick and Elle were now standing at the entrance of the Civil Registry Office. In the morning, they took their time preparing all the requirements. Then they took their lunch first before coming to the Civil Registry Office. Elle was wearing a white floral dress and her long hair was tied into a bun. She put on some light makeup and she looked simply beautiful and very stunning at the same time. Meanwhile, Erick was looking so handsome with his clean suit. He held Elle''s hand and he noticed her palm was sweating. There was uneasiness in her dark eyes. "Are you having a second thought now?" there was a hint of worry in his deep voice but he put on a bright smile. Elle raised her head to look at him. Her grip on his hand tightened as she shook her head. "I am just a little bit nervous." Elle softly mumbled. It took her a long time to muster up some courage and today, though a little bit frightened, she was here to fulfill her promise. "Honestly, I am also nervous." Erick chuckled. "I am nervous that you might suddenly change your mind and back out at the last minute." Erick leaned down and whispered something to her. "I bring my handcuffs just in case you will try to run away." Elle was stunned after hearing his statement."You are just kidding right?" Elle asked as she looked at him with disbelief. Erick flashed his cool smile as he said "Nope. I am not joking. I actually have the handcuffs with me now. In my pocket. Should I use it now?" Elle hit him on his shoulder. "Do you want people to misunderstand and look at you like someone who is forcing a lady to marry him by bringing that?" Erick broke into a peal of laughter. "I don''t mind that as long as I will be able to marry you today. Others do not matter to me, only you matter to me the most." Elle was dazzled as she sensed the sincerity in his words. Her heartbeat became frenzy and her stomach fluttered. Erick raised both their hands which were entangled together. He kissed the back of her hand as he stared at her eyes lovingly. The two of them met each other''s gaze for sometime before they walked towards the building. Erick gently tugged her, with so much eagerness and excitement. When they entered the building, they headed straight to the Marriage Registration Counter. There were few people inside so they did not need to wait for a queue. The staff gave them the forms after they confirmed their purpose of coming. The staff couldn''t stop herself from admiring the beautiful couple in front of her. They matched each other well and they looked happy and so in love with each other. Erick was very cheerful and lively all throughout the process. It did not take long to complete everything. They took their photo together and signed all the necessary doc.u.ments. After several minutes, they walked out of the building with bright smiles on their faces. When they entered the car, Erick raised his hand and waved the two marriage certificates in front of her. With a wide smile on his handsome face, he said to her: "You are officially and legally my wife now, my Mrs. Lee!" "Yes, and you are officially my hubby now Mr. Lee." He handed her the other certificate. Elle gladly took it and they both glanced through it. Elle was in the daze while looking at their picture inside the certificate. She appeared to be in so much joy as she stared at the handsome man beside her, who was now her husband. She''d gotten married just like that. It felt like a dream. She had never imagined that moment like this would happen to her. Erick''s eyes were so gentle as he studied her. "I feel so lucky to have you as my wife. Thank you for giving me this chance, Elle. I promise to protect you and make you happy for the rest of my life." Erick''s voice pulled her out of the daze. She heard the genuine promises in his words and she was very touched. "I should be the one thanking you right now. For saving me, for protecting me and for loving me this much." her eyes suddenly became misty. Erick saw the emotions in her eyes. He cupped her face using both hands. His thumb was caressing her face. "I am glad that I have found you that night. Fate brought us together." Erick softly mumbled, his eyes never left hers. He stared at her intently for a long time, eyeing his lovely wife before him. His heart was beating rapidly inside his chest. He was rejoicing with overwhelming joy and happiness at this moment. He took his time, familiarizing every part of her face and imprinting her image in his mind. He couldn''t ask for more. Having her completed the missing piece in his life. After some time, his lips finally touched hers. When she felt his warm lips pressing against hers, the tears voluntarily rolled down on her cheeks. At that moment, she knew that these were the lips she wanted to kiss for the rest of her life. He was the only guy who was able to warm her cold heart, the only guy who was able to break her strong wall. He was the guy who made her realize that she was still capable of loving someone. They kissed like nothing in the world existed but only the two of them. No words were spoken but their feelings towards each other were well communicated by their actions. When they broke away after what seemed like ages, they stared at each other, deep into each other''s eyes. Their eyes reflected the love and affection for each other. As he noticed her teary eyes and the moist on her face, he wiped her tears using his bare hands. Erick leaned in so that he could rest his forehead on hers. "This is our first kiss as husband and wife," he said in barely more than a whisper. Elle could not help herself but giggle. "You will always be my first and my last," she replied in a low voice. Erick let out a soft chuckle as he was very satisfied with her reply. Seconds later, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead. His gesture was sweet and loving. "Erick?" "Hmm?" "What did you tell the headquarter that they allowed you to take a leave today?" Elle asked him curiously. "Hmm, I said I will have another physical check-up today. They didn''t ask me further. I ask Dr. Gomez to handle it for me. You know... the medical certificates." Erick let out a soft chuckle. "Hmm, you are slacking off nowadays Mr. Detective." "Hmm, where do you want to go, my dear wifey?" Erick suddenly asked her. "Let''s go for a ride. I want to watch the beautiful sunset again with you today. Let''s go back to the hilltops." Elle replied to him. "Oh, let''s also visit Doctor Gomez first and have your quick physical check-up," she added. Since they still had enough time, Erick nodded in agreement. He helped Elle to fasten her seatbelt before he started the car. They dropped by to some stores on their way to buy some snacks and drinks before they proceeded to the hospital. When they arrived at the hospital, Dr. Gomez greeted them cheerfully. "Oh, what''s the occasion? Both of you are so dressed up today. Oh, don''t tell me both of you took a leave of absence today so that you can go on a date." A wide grin appeared on Dr. Gomez''s face as he accused the husband and wife. ''Nope, we took a leave to register our marriage. We just got married today!!'' Erick was suppressing himself to brag about his marriage to his doctor friend. Even though they didn''t plan to make it a secret, Erick decided to tell his doctor friend about his sudden marriage next time. He knew that Dr. Gomez would be surprised and won''t stop pestering him with so many questions once he knew about this. He and Elle were still planning to go somewhere today so he decided to keep him in the dark in the meantime. Erick just gave him an awkward smile. "Can you do a quick check-up on me? We also came here to get my medical certificate." "Oh, sure. No problem. Come here." Dr. Gomez was still examining Erick when Elle received a call coming from Charles. "Hello," Elle answered the call right away. "Congratulations! I couldn''t believe that you are already married now. Best wishes to both of you." Charles greeted her from the other line. "Thanks, Charles." A gentle smile flashed on her lovely face. "Anyway. I just called you since I want to be the first one to greet you My dearest Catseye, my partner." Charles sounded sentimental. "Hey, are you crying? Why are you being so emotional? We will still see each other tomorrow." Elle did not know whether she should cry or laugh. "I know. I am just happy for you. You know that I care about you, right? You deserve it. By the way, I have done my task for today. I am on the way to the Falcon Cafe. I will email you the result of my investigation." "Alright. Thank you, Charles, for being there for me. I know I can always count on you. Be careful. I will see you tomorrow." Chapter 195 - Her Last Mission Erick finished his very quick physical check-up with Dr. Gomez. They thanked him for his cooperation and soon they left the hospital. After an hour and a half drive, they reached the valley. It was past 5:00 pm. They parked in the hill-top viewpoint. Erick stepped out of the car first as he opened the car door on Elle''s side. After that, he went to the back of the car to get their snacks. He followed Elle behind. She chose a shaded place under a tree. She sat down, her back leaning on the tree trunk. Sitting on the edge of the valley top, she took deep breaths of the fresh air. Erick sat down beside her. She smiled when she turned to look at him. She wanted to enjoy the scenery together with her beloved man or rather her beloved husband. Admiring the spectacular views of the mountain scenery and the natural features of the landscape before her, she grabbed Erick''s hand and put it around her as she leaned back on his chest. "Did you tell mom and dad about our marriage?" Elle started a conversation with him. "Hmm not yet. I am planning to surprise them. I know both of them will be happy if they will hear the news, especially Mom. She likes you a lot as her daughter-in-law." Elle was glad to hear that from him. "Me too. I like Mom very much. She''s so kind and sweet. You are lucky to have them as your parents. No wonder you grew up just like them. I have to thank them for that. They raised my husband very well." "Hmm, I really love to hear you calling me husband or hubby." Erick chuckled. "By the way, do you want me to find Mr. Morgan for you. He is your benefactor. I am thinking if he could attend our wedding ceremony." Erick mentioned Mr. Morgan since he wanted to know that person. He was the only person who was connected to Elle. ''That Mr. Morgan is Master Phantom. He is already acting as Charles''s father. How can I allow Erick to find him?'' Elle thought to herself. "Hmm, if you think it is necessary then I won''t object with that idea," Elle said it, thinking that she would discuss it with Phantom regarding that matter. "Alright. Let me handle that. Anyway, I already have someone in mind who can be our Best Man at our wedding." Erick started to talk about the wedding ceremony. Elle could not help herself but giggle. They just got registered their marriage and Erick was now very enthusiastic in talking about their wedding ceremony. "Hmm¡­ I can see how excited my hubby about this. So who is in your mind?" Elle asked him. "Bryan. What do you think? Do you agree?" "Sure. I have no objection to that. Bryan is your good friend. So I guess, we should ask April to be the Maid of Honor." Elle also shared her thoughts with him. Erick just smiled and nodded. He felt really blissful even just talking about these things with Elle. He was looking forward to their future together as husband and wife. "Elle¡­?" "Hmm?" "How many babies do you want to have?" Erick grinned at the thoughts of two of them making babies and living as a happy family. Elle was not prepared with that question. ''Am I ready to become a mother? Can I really do it? Can I become a good mother to my children? There are still things I have to do.'' Sensing the silence of Elle, Erick spoke up again. "Don''t worry. I am just asking you, wifey. It does not mean that we will do it right away. But if you want it already then it is my duty as your husband to fulfill it." Erick''s lips curled up into a cheeky smile. There was a hint of playfulness in his voice. He was clearly teasing her right now. "You are showing me your naughty side now Mr. Detective!" Elle pinched him on his waist. Erick just let out another chuckle. "But kidding aside, how many babies do you want? Five? Ten?" Erick repeated his question. Elle''s eyes widened when she heard Erick said five and ten. She immediately shot him a cold glare. "Do you think it is easy to go in labor? You have the guts to say that since you are not the one to suffer. Hmmph. I want to punch you right now." Elle scolded him. Erick just scratched his face while looking guilty. "I am sorry." Erick blurted out. He didn''t want her to be mad at him. It did not take long when soft giggles bubbled up. Erick gazed up only to see Elle laughing at him. He gave her a confused look. He really thought that Elle became upset with him just a while ago. Elle turned to face him. She cupped his face using her both hands as she stared at him intently. "How about four kids my dearest hubby? Two girls and two boys." Elle suggested as she smiled at him lovingly. Erick nodded his head frantically, afraid that Elle would take back her words. Then he pulled her towards his body and embraced her tightly. They stayed like that for several minutes, just quietly hugging each other. Then after a while, Elle spoke up again. "Erick, can I ask you something?" Elle asked him. "Hmm, sure." "Why did you choose to become a detective?" Elle wanted to know him more. Thinking back, she never asked him about his dream or about his likes and dislikes. "As you already know, my father is a former policeman. When I was young, I watched him saving people and catching criminals. I really admire him a lot. He is my role model and my idol. I said to myself I want to be like him when I get older." Elle remembered her father. Just like Erick, her father was her idol. For her, he was a hero. She even said to him before that she wanted to be a policewoman just like him but his father rejected that idea. He did not want her to follow his footsteps because it was a very dangerous job. He just told her to be like her mother, a teacher, and a good housewife. Elle smiled bitterly after thinking about the past. She did not become a policewoman nor a teacher but she ended up becoming a killer assassin. "You are lucky that mother and father allowed you to become a police detective. Are they not afraid for you? It is a dangerous job." Elle asked him again. "Yes, they tried to convince me to change my career once but I insisted. I am happy knowing that I am able to save people and catch bad guys. In the end, they just supported me and always reminded me to be careful." Erick chuckled as he recalled those moments. He continued to share his thoughts with Elle. "Getting justice for people, it brings a sense of fulfillment to myself. Then I began to love my job to the extent that I spent a lot of my time solving different criminal cases. People said I am hardworking and they asked me if I don''t get tired, but I said to them I was just enjoying and loving my job. It becomes my mission and my passion." Elle was at a loss for words. The fear began to bother her once again. ''What will Erick feel once he learns that his wife is a criminal? Will he be able to accept the truth? No, I must make sure that he will not know the truth because he might not be able to handle it.'' "What''s wrong? Are you unhappy that your husband is a detective? Did you regret marrying me already?" Erick suddenly asked her as he noticed her troubled expression. Elle just shook her head. "I did not regret it. I am just worried about you. Besides, you always encounter danger in this field of work. I don''t want to lose you." Erick gave her a reassuring smile as he hugged her tight in his arms. "Don''t worry, I will be more careful this time. I don''t want to put you in that hurdle again. I will also protect you." Elle put up a faint smile as she nodded at him. She fixed her gaze on the sun setting in the horizon as she had sworn to herself: ''Erick, don''t worry. Getting my revenge and unfolding the truth about my parent''s death is my last mission as Catseye. Then after that, I will live happily together with you.'' That day was such a joyful occasion for both husband and wife, spending that very special day together. Everything seemed fine but it was calm before the storm. Such a pleasant day and evening should have ended with a restful night and happy dreams and should have continued for the following days, but it didn''t. Chapter 196 - What Happened To Him? The next day, Elle went to Falcon Cafe early in the morning. Erick dropped her there before he went to their headquarters. Last night, they informed Erick''s parents about their marriage registration and their plan of holding a wedding ceremony after a month. Just like what Erick had expected, Sarah was both surprised and happy hearing that news. Finally, her son was now settling down with Elle as his wife. She was also excited about their wedding ceremony that''s why she said she wanted to go there in a week and assist them in the preparation. His father, Raymond, also decided to accompany his mother once she came to visit them. He also congratulated both of them. So next week, Erick and Elle would be expecting their arrival. They also asked the couple to visit their hometown in order to meet the other relatives of Erick, especially his grandparents. Elle was a little bit nervous about that idea. She was not sure if Erick''s grandparents would also like her. She was concerned about how they would react if they knew that she had no family. There were no people on her side that''s why Erick brought up the topic about Mr. Morgan yesterday. He was the only person who was with Elle whom she considered as her family. She decided to talk about this with Phantom today that''s why she came to the Cafe very early. Aside from that she also needed to check the investigation report which was sent to her by Charles. She grabbed the opportunity that Elena was not yet present at the Cafe. Elle entered their secret base inside the Cafe. She immediately headed to her computer. She checked her email. The information came from Charles. It was about the whereabouts of Alfonso Ramirez, the leader of the gang who attacked her family 16 years ago. Elle frowned after reading the report of Charles. She found out that Alfonso Ramirez became branch leader of the Dark Knight Organization a year after her family got murdered. His gang got disbanded. The members went to their separate ways, managing their own businesses. "This is interesting. The Dark Knight Organization became his backing. Is it possible that Dark Knight has involvement in my parent''s death?" Elle mumbled as she marveled at that possibility. Elle''s eyes were still fixed on the monitor as she continued reading the rest of the report. Alfonso Ramirez was managing a facility in the countryside. Details about this facility were still unknown. "Charles is really efficient in his work to have a grasp of this information." Elle smiled as she praised her partner Charles. "You look so happy. Is that the feeling of being married?" Elle heard Phantom''s voice behind. She turned around to see Phantom grinning at her. She returned his smile with another gentle smile. "Master, you are here!" Elle said as she stood up to approach him. "Congratulations my dear!" Phantom said as he greeted her. "Thank you, Master." Elle could not stop herself but hug him. She was delighted and thankful at the same time. Elle was not like this, but since she met Erick, she became warmer. Phantom was a little bit astonished when Elle suddenly hugged him. He smiled faintly as he patted the back of her head. "Will you walk me down the aisle during my wedding ceremony, Master?" Elle asked him. Phantom was very touched after hearing her words. His heart was jumping in joy. This means that Elle was acknowledging him as her father that''s why he was so happy right now. "Of course, yes!" he said with a hoarse voice. Elle giggled after sensing the changes in his voice. "Are you crying, Master? Is the legendary assassin, Phantom, becoming emotional right now?" Elle teased him. "Dummy! You are spouting nonsense. No one is crying." Phantom immediately turned around to hide his face. Elle just let out another chuckle. She knew that her master felt a little bit embarrassed so she stopped teasing him. "Master, Erick wanted to find Mr. Morgan. He learned about your other identity and your connection to me as my benefactor when he asked someone to investigate my other identity." Elle informed him. "He wanted to meet him and invite him to our wedding. But the problem is he already met you as being Charles''s father. What should we do about this?" She asked his opinion regarding the matter. Phantom rubbed his chin as he was thinking of the best solution for that. His eyes brightened up when he remembered someone who could help them. "Hmm, your uncle Antoine. He could pretend to be Mr. Morgan. Besides, he is also a businessman." "Are you referring to your friend, Master?" "Yes. It''s him. He called me from the other day. Currently, he is investigating someone. He will come here to visit us after he completes his task." There was a hint of excitement in his voice while saying those words. "It looks like you are excited to see him again." Elle grinned at him. Phantom''s face was very transparent right now. "Yes, I do." He admitted. "I also want to meet your friend, Master. I heard he is your awesome partner." Elle said as she walked back to her computer. Phantom followed her as he said: "Yes. He is like Charles, someone we can always rely on." "Speaking of Charles, see this Master. It''s the information he got after investigating Alfonso." Elle showed him the computer screen. Phantom took his time to read the information. "Master¡­ unfolding the truth about my parents'' death and getting revenge against those people who were involved, that''s my last mission as Catseye. I want to settle down for good after that. I want to live peacefully with Erick." Elle told him truthfully how she felt right now. Phantom focused his gaze on Elle''s face. He could see a series of emotions in her eyes. He knew it. Elle found her new reason to live. He was glad after knowing that. Before, he was afraid that once Elle got her revenge, she would also try to take her life. Since from the beginning, Elle had told him so many times that the only reason she was alive right now was that she still didn''t get her revenge. Now, he wouldn''t worry about Elle''s suicidal thoughts. Erick became an important part of her life. She wanted to start a new life with him and Phantom understood her. "Then, we should double time so that we can finish all of these as soon as possible. I wish you to have a new life now, Elle. I will support you as always." Phantom told her. Elle was really grateful at Phantom. He was her biggest support. "Then, let me handle this. I will go now to that area and investigate further about this Alfonso. You will be busy preparing your wedding so, in the meantime, I will be the one to travel to the countryside." he said to her as he also wanted to finish this mission as soon as possible. "I understand, Master. Thank you so much for your help." "Okay. I have to go now. Tell Charles that I will be gone for a few weeks. That location is very far away here." Phantom was about to leave when Elle stopped him. "What do you mean, Master. Are you leaving now? As in today." Elle looked at him with disbelief. "Yes, my dear. I don''t want to waste any more time. The early we finish this mission, the early you can start your new life with your beloved husband." Phantom patted her as he gave her a reassuring smile. Without waiting for Elle''s reply, Phantom left the room. She just stayed rooted on her spot, watching Phantom''s figure as he vanished in her line of sight. Phantom''s words really comforted her and had touched her heart. She could feel his fatherly love for her. Even though, she lost her family but she found a new one. She lived in hatred that she failed to notice before the love and care that Phantom was giving her. She always put a barrier with other people including Phantom and Charles. She acted cold and always showed a brave front. She never showed them her weaknesses. She thought she was fighting her demon all alone, but the truth was Phantom, and Charles were always there, backing her up and supporting her. On that day, Phantom left and set his journey to the countryside. Elle and Elena were the ones who remained at the Falcon Cafe. It was already noon time but Charles didn''t arrive yet. "Sis, what happened to Sir Tom and Sir Charles? Why is it they are not here today?" Elena couldn''t stop herself from asking Elle. A deep frown appeared on Elle''s face. She was also wondering why Charles was not yet around. "Sir Tom informed me that he would go for an out of town trip today but regarding sir Charles, I didn''t hear anything from him. Did he not tell you something, yesterday?" Elena shook her head. "Yesterday, he also came here in the afternoon. He told me that he did some errands but he did not mention that he would be late today." "Yes, he also called me yesterday. Wait, I will try to call him." Elle said to Elena as she picked up her phone. Elle dialed Charles''s number. She frowned when the call failed to connect. His phone was unattended. "Sis, how is it? Do you think Boss Charles gets sick?" Elena''s face was painted with worries and concerns. Elle shook her head as she answered her. "I can''t contact him. I think his phone is switched off right now." She also started to worry. She felt uneasy. She had a nagging feeling about this. She didn''t ask Charles to do something today. And she even told him yesterday that they would see each other today. "Sis, let''s ask sir Tom. Maybe he knows something, besides he is Boss Charles''s father and they are living at the same house." Elena suggested to Elle. Unknown to Elena, Charles and Phantom were not living together since they were just pretending to be father and son. They both had a different place to stay. Elle could not tell her that, so in the end she also tried calling Phantom. Unfortunately, he had no idea about Charles. The last time they saw each other was also last night after they closed the Cafe. "Elena, is it okay with you if I will leave you here at Falcon Cafe? I will visit sir Charles at his place and find out what happened to him." "Don''t worry about me, sis. I can manage. You should go and check on him. I am afraid that he is not feeling well today." Elena''s concern for Charles was evident to her face. Then Elle immediately left Falcon Cafe and headed to Charles''s place. Chapter 197 - He Had Gone Missing Elle was now standing outside the house of Charles. She rang the doorbell so many times but she got no response from Charles. ''Is he not at home?'' She had no choice but to barge in. Without wasting any more time, she opened the door using his security passcode. As soon as the door was finally opened, she immediately peered the house to look for Charles. But to her disappointment, she didn''t see him inside. He was nowhere and his whereabouts were unknown. "Charles where did you go? What happened to you?" Elle mumbled as she massaged her throbbing temples. She had a bad feeling about this but she was hoping that what she was worrying right now was just a wrong assumption. Her last resort was to check the CCTV recordings in his place. She couldn''t trace his location just like before since his cellular phone was switched off. Elle went to his CCTV control room and watched the recordings of yesterday until this morning. In the CCTV footage, she saw Charles leave the house at around 9:00 am yesterday after that she didn''t see him returning to his place. "D*mn Charles! You are making me worry. Where are you? Why is it you suddenly had gone missing?" Elle felt uneasy now. She was thinking that something bad happened to Charles. With a gloomy expression, Elle left his place as she returned to Falcon Cafe. Elena was waiting for her. She was eager to know what happened to Charles. "Sis, did you see him? How is he?" Elena asked her promptly. Elle smiled at her faintly before she answered her. She was contemplating whether to tell her the truth or not. Elle inhaled deeply as she faced Elena. "Don''t worry, Boss Charles is just fine. It looks like he also has an out of town travel today. He just forgot to notify us ahead of time." In the end, Elle chose to lie to her. Elena heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that. She thought something bad happened to Charles that''s why she was worried sick while waiting for Elle to come back. "Let''s go back to work. It seems that we are the ones to manage this Cafe today. Anyway, boss Charles told me to close the Cafe so early today so that we could rest." Elle said to her. "Okay sis. I understand." Elena was back to her cheerful and lively mood since she thought that Charles was just fine. "Elena..." she called out. "Yes sis?" "Is there something unusual that happened here at the Cafe yesterday?" Elle asked her. Elena paused for a while thinking of what transpired in the Cafe for the whole day. "Nothing in particular sis. Why did you ask?" Elena gave her a questioning look. A timid smile flashed on Elle''s face. "Hmm, I am just curious since I was absent yesterday. I am wondering if my absence had caused some hassle to boss Charles." "Oh, I think something was off when Boss Charles arrived yesterday. I thought he cried since his eyes were red but he just told me that something just got into his eyes." Elena informed Elle. "Do you think something was troubling him? He kept on spacing out for the rest of the day when he returned." She added. Elle giggled and just shook her head. ''It seems that Charles took my sudden marriage to the heart. He became emotional.'' But the light in Elle''s eyes disappeared as she thought about Charles who had gone missing today. She had no idea where to find him. "Sis Elle, I just remembered. We had some customers yesterday. She was very interested in our Cafe. She asked me a lot of questions about this Cafe and she even wanted to meet our Boss. Do you think she is spying on us? She might be planning to build her own Cafe or she might be a competitor?" Elle frowned when she heard that. "Is she a new face?" "Yes, I think so. She was with a man. Even though he was good looking but he was very aloof and very frightening. On the other hand, the lady was very sweet and friendly. She is also beautiful." Elena looked unhappy after saying those words. "Did they meet Charles that day?" Elle asked her again. Elle was now curious about those customers. She made a mental note to check the CCTV footage later. "No, they didn''t meet each other. They came here in the morning and Boss Charles only arrived in the afternoon." "Alright. Never mind them. Maybe they were just curious about our Cafe." Elena and Elle did their daily routine at the Cafe, entertaining their customers. However, Elle could not stop worrying about Charles. She couldn''t get him out of her mind that''s why she committed a few mistakes while serving their customers. Elena assisted her well. She covered up for her mistakes. Fortunately, their regular customers were kind and understanding towards them. At around 4 o''clock in the afternoon, Elle decided to close the Cafe. She needed to know the whereabouts of Charles as soon as possible. She tried to contact him again but it was the same result, his phone was unattended. When Elena left the Cafe, Elle took that chance to investigate Charles''s disappearance. She checked the CCTV footage of yesterday''s happening in the Cafe. She saw the two customers Elena was talking about. Elle zoomed in the image in order to have a clear view of their faces. She could not recognize those two but they looked very familiar to her. She did not remember when or where she saw those two. She was racking her brain hard just to remember those people. Several minutes had passed when she finally recalled something. She went to her computer as she started to type on her keyboard. It did not take long when she found what she was looking for. Her grip on the mouse tightened as she read the information on the screen. What she had opened was the database of Assassin Guild that she hacked before. She slammed her eyes shut as she gritted her teeth. "Azumi Twins. They had found us. But how? They personally visited our Cafe." Elle mumbled as she put her hand on her forehead. With everything going on right now, her worries toward Charles deepened. Between the two of them, he was the most vulnerable and his life would be in danger. Enemies could recognize him easily. Now their enemies were lurking around them. ''Are they the ones responsible for Charles''s disappearance?'' Elle could not help herself but ponder. They were now put in a difficult situation if that would be the case. Elle''s heart was beating rapidly on her chest because of uneasiness. She became restless. She was afraid that Charles was caught by their enemies this time. Elle continued to watch the CCTV footage. Her eyes were very focused on the monitor. Just like Elena said he didn''t meet the Azumi twins that day. Elle played the video as she fast-forwarded it in the evening. She saw Charles and Phantom were talking together. Phantom was the one who left the Cafe first. Seconds later, Charles proceeded to the alleyway near the Cafe where he parked his car. Elle checked the other CCTV footage located in that area. An icy glint flickered on Elle''s eyes the moment she saw what happened next after Charles arrived in his car. Suddenly, a black figure appeared from behind and approached Charles. He had a gun and he aimed it toward Charles''s head. She saw Charles froze on his spot as he raised both his hands. He was not able to retaliate. They both entered the car and it did not take long when the car started to leave the area. ''F*ck! Someone really got him this time.'' Elle cursed inwardly. She ground her teeth as both concern and fury reflected on her dark eyes. She clenched her fist as she was blaming herself. She knew that she was their original target. Their enemies couldn''t find her, that''s why they targeted Charles. He was known as her middleman. She brought this upon him. If something bad would happen to Charles she would not be able to forgive herself. "He was caught by him last night. I am sure he is being tortured now. But how come I didn''t hear anything from our enemy? Could it be¡­ Charles refused to talk about my whereabouts?" Elle was having conflicting emotions right now. A shadow of guilt darkened her eyes. Her last conversation with Charles kept on replaying in her mind. { "Anyway. I just called you since I want to be the first one to greet you My dearest Catseye, my partner. } { "I know. I am just happy for you. You know that I care about you, right? You deserve it. } "You fool! Are you still trying to protect me now even if you might lose your life? Charles you are really stupid!" "S-Stupid! You...M-Moron!" Elle mumbled as her lips started to tremble. Elle slumped her body to the floor. She felt really helpless and scared right now. She buried her face using her both hands. A single tear already flowed down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. "Charles... p-please be safe. P-Please¡­ b-be safe." Elle was hoping. Elle was praying for his safety. She didn''t want to lose Charles. He was her friend, her partner, and most especially her brother. "I have to save you no matter what!" After calming down, Elle stood up, her eyes were filled with determination. She was back to her focus. She needed to think of a plan on how to save Charles. Chapter 198 - Suspicion Black Shadow and Azumi Twins had crossed paths once again which resulted in another confrontation between Kevin and Black Shadow. "Well¡­ well¡­ well. I didn''t expect to bump with you again just a day after we saw each other at the Nightclub." Kevin said that caught the attention of Black Shadow. They passed each other in the hallway of Assassin Guild Headquarters. Black Shadow was going out while Kevin just entered the building. Kevin was a man of a few words but he was acting differently when it comes to Black Shadow. He talked more just to provoke and piss him off. Instead of ignoring him, Black Shadow didn''t back down as he stopped on his track to confront him. Kevin also halted and turned to face him. "Yeah¡­ what a coincidence. Just after you returned here, wherever I go, I can see you there also." A mocking smile appeared on Black Shadow''s face. "Let''s be honest with each other. Are you following me? Are you hoping that by doing that you will be able to find Catseye? Do you need my help, buddy? Just tell me. How about¡­ you beg me?" Black Shadow added as he sneered at him. Kevin''s eyes dimmed hearing Black Shadow''s taunting words but in an instant he was able to conceal it. He laughed dryly before he gave him a response. "You are so confident now. Did you find anything? Don''t make me laugh. Don''t talk only, just act, and do your job." Kevin said sarcastically at him. "Well, don''t be impatient. I am now telling you; Catseye will appear to me soon, very soon." Black Shadow gave him a meaningful provocative smile. "Hahaha. Oh really? What if she would want to meet us first instead of appearing in front of you. What will you do then?" Kevin smirked at him. "Let''s see. I don''t want to hurt your pride but be ready. Just prepare yourself." Black Shadow moved closer to Kevin as his cold eyes were peering at him intently. Kevin and Black Shadow fell silent and they were having a staring contest when they both heard a familiar soft voice. "Are you both picking a fight with each other again?" Kelsy''s voice was heard in the hallway. There was a hint of disappointment in her tone. The two men reflexively averted their gaze to her direction. They saw her frowning and her red lips already formed a thin line on her face. Her arms were holding each side of her waist. Seconds later, she walked towards the two men. Before she could reach them Black Shadow started to move away as he walked past the twins. Kelsy was taken aback by Black Shadow''s cold treatment. She was not used to seeing him treat her like this. But she had expected this kind of reaction from him. When she thought that Black Shadow would just leave like that, he paused for a moment and spoke up while his back was facing the twins. "Oh, I wonder if it was also a coincidence that you both visited the Cafe where I planned to visit yesterday. I hope you found a clue there. But I guess you didn''t, am I right?" Black Shadow chuckled after saying it. Without waiting for their response, he continued to leave the place. "How come he knew that we went there?" Kelsy mumbled as she wondered about Black Shadow''s statement. "I am sure he found something," Kevin said as he gritted his teeth. Kelsy could not help herself but frown. She gazed up and met her brother''s eyes. Just a mere eye to eye contact they had understood each other. They read what''s on each other''s mind and they knew what to do next. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters*** On the same day, not only Elle who had received a shocking piece of news because of Charles''s disappearance, but Erick also got some information which had shaken him that day. "Chief how are you feeling? Are you fully recovered now? How was your physical check-up yesterday?" Bryan asked Erick with concern. "Hmm don''t worry I am really fine now. My body, my heart, and my mind are all in a good condition." Erick responded cheerfully. Bryan was amused at him acting like this. Erick looked so blissful and lively today. His sixth sense was telling him something so he started to dig up some explanation from Erick. "Aside from Physical check-up, what did you do yesterday that you are really in a good mood today?" Bryan asked him quizzically. He raised his right eyebrow as he eyed Erick carefully. They were both alone inside Erick''s office. He wanted to gossip and he was trying his luck if he could squeeze out some good gossip from him. Erick let out a soft chuckle sensing the intention of Bryan. His motives were already reflected all over his face. They were facing each other, Erick was sitting on his office chair while Bryan was sitting on the vacant chair in front of Erick''s desk. Erick raised his right hand and moved his fingers in a manner of telling Bryan ''come over here.'' Seeing his signal, Bryan looked at him confusedly. But he still followed him by leaning forward. Erick put on a bright smile on his handsome face before he told Bryan something. "I got married yesterday. Elle and I already registered our marriage." Erick said to him in a low voice. At first, Bryan did not have much reaction after hearing it. He just nodded his head and said "Ah ok!". Then seconds later, after his brain had processed the information he just heard from Erick, Bryan''s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Then a loud thud could be heard inside Erick''s office. Bryan already fell off his chair with his mouth widely opened and his eyes were bulging out in surprise. "W-What¡­ d-did you just say?" Bryan tried hard to speak despite the shock he was currently experiencing. Erick stood up and lent him a hand. But it seemed like Bryan didn''t plan on getting up on the floor as he stayed there unmoving on his spot. Erick could not help himself but laugh. Bryan''s reaction was too funny. He was really shocked. "I said I married Elle yesterday. Why you are looking at me like that? You should congratulate your friend after knowing that he just got married." Erick smiled at him. "You are not kidding right? Is it real? Not a fake marriage? But how?" Bryan said as he could not still believe it. He didn''t imagine that Erick would act as fast as this. He already married the woman he loved even though she had amnesia. Bryan did not know yet about Elle''s fake amnesia, only Erick knew the truth. Erick gently hit him on his head. "Come on. Get up first then I will tell you." Bryan immediately stood up like an excited child who was eager to hear some interesting story. "The day before yesterday I proposed to her. Remember when it took me some time to go back to headquarters, I went to the Cafe and recklessly made a sudden marriage proposal." Erick chuckled after he remembered that moment. He told Bryan that he was really nervous at that time and he even didn''t bring a ring. Bryan gave him a weird look. He shook his head. He did not know whether he should praise or scold him. ''Poor Elle, she didn''t receive a proper proposal.'' Bryan thought to himself as he continued to listen. "Then on the same night I asked her to register our marriage as soon as possible. So yesterday, we did it. We are planning to hold a wedding ceremony after a month. I want you to be our best man." he said, his voice filled with delight and excitement. "Whoah¡­ I could not believe it. You really acted so fast. You are so determined to make her your wife once and for all. You didn''t even court her. I envy you for that Chief. Tsk tsk tsk. She didn''t give you a hard time. What a lucky man you are." Bryan lamented on him. Erick let out another chuckle. "Why? Is April giving you a hard time in courting her?" Bryan didn''t answer him. He just pouted and scratched the back of his head. "By the way, congratulations my friend. I wish you both happiness. You matched each other well. And I think Elle loves you so much that she is really willing to spend her lifetime with you." Bryan greeted him with genuine happiness for his friend. "Do you know how scared she is when you were injured? That was the first time I saw her very vulnerable. She was also really mad like she was ready to skin alive the person who did that to you." Bryan felt a chill when he remembered Elle''s reaction at the hospital. "I know. I will not put her in such predicament once again. Thank you for comforting her at that time." Erick placed his arm on Bryan''s shoulder. They were having that conversation when suddenly April knocked on the door. Erick told her to come in. "Chief, check your email. Marie had sent us a message. She said she got some important clue from Black Shadow regarding Catseye." April informed them right away. Erick just nodded and he immediately switched on his laptop. Bryan also moved to his side to view Marie''s email. Just a few minutes later, Erick opened the mail sent by Marie to the team. It was said in the email that Black Shadow found a necklace that was owned by Catseye. Erick clicked the attached picture. A deep frown appeared on his handsome face the moment he saw the picture. ''This necklace¡­ it looks familiar. No¡­ not just familiar. It looks the same with the necklace I gave to Elle before.'' Chapter 199 - It Couldnt Be You ''This necklace¡­ it looks familiar. No¡­ not just familiar. It looks the same with the necklace I gave to Elle before.'' It was impossible for Erick not to recognize the necklace since he was the one who bought it for Elle. The necklace on the screen looked exactly the same as the one he gave to her. ''Is this just a coincidence? Elle lost her necklace some time ago. And now Catseye also has this kind of necklace. She also lost it and Black Shadow found it. But how?'' There were lots of questions running in Erick''s mind right now. He continued reading Marie''s report. According to her Black Shadow also tried to trace Catseye by searching the jewelry store selling this kind of necklace. But with no avail, he got nothing. The frown on Erick''s face deepened after reading that report. ''If that was the case then it was expected he wouldn''t find anything in ordinary jewelry stores. If my assumption is right then this necklace can only be found at the store selling safety items and equipment for protection.'' Erick was very silent and serious. Bryan noticed the changes in his expression. He smiled at the thought that Erick would always be a hundred percent focus when it comes to their work. Just a while ago he saw the bright mood of Erick and now it turned 180 degrees. Bryan knew that once Erick became like this one thing was for sure: he was thinking hard and analyzing things. However Erick was somehow feeling shaken right now. For unknown reasons, he felt uneasy and very nervous. He should be happy for getting this important clue but he didn''t know why he was worried and troubled. He felt a little bit scared for what was about to unfold before him. ''There is only one way to find out. I should visit the store where I bought the necklace.'' "Chief, what should we do about this? How do we start to investigate this?" Bryan''s sudden question snapped Erick out his deep thoughts. He gazed up blankly at him. Bryan gave him a confused look. "Chief? What''s wrong?" Bryan asked him again as he noticed that something was off about him. Erick shook his head."Nothing. What did you just say a while ago?" "I said what shall we do about this?" Bryan said as he pointed out the necklace on his computer screen. Erick paused for a moment, contemplating what he would tell Bryan. He was waiting for his order. "Try to search and contact jewelry stores. Find out if they could recognize this necklace." Erick simply said, not looking into Bryan''s eyes. "But Black Shadow already did that and he didn''t find anything. Do you think he missed out on anything during his search?" Bryan said unsure if that was the right thing to do now. Erick was having conflicting emotions right now. He knew Bryan had a point but as of now he couldn''t tell him what''s on his mind right now. He needed to confirm it first. Erick stood up and faced Bryan as he put his hand on his shoulder. "Just do that for now. I will also personally look into this. I have to go somewhere." Erick smiled faintly at him before he left the headquarters. Bryan just watched Erick as his figure vanished in his line of sight. ''Why is it he is suddenly acting weird.'' he thought to himself. In the end, Bryan just followed Erick''s instruction. Meanwhile, Erick was now heading to a certain store at the City Z. He couldn''t explain what he was feeling right now. He reached the store and was about to enter when he suddenly halted. There was a glint of hesitation in his eyes. Seconds later, he inhaled deeply and started to walk inside the store. He was able to gather his thoughts and find his courage to face no matter what the answer he would find out today. The store manager greeted Erick with a bright smile the moment he saw him. He was very familiar with the detective. They had known each other for a long time. "Chief Lee, welcome. It''s been a long time since I last saw you. You are becoming more handsome. How are you?" The manager was delighted to see Erick. "Hello Mr. Mo. I am doing fine." Erick greeted him politely. The store manager was short and chubby. He was in his mid-40s. He approached Erick and invited him to sit down on a bench inside the store. There were no customers at that time. "Are you here to buy safety equipment? Or do you want to order again a personalized one?" Mr. Mo asked him directly. The store manager knew that Erick would always buy things every time he visited the store. He was very fond of him, that''s why he always assisted him personally when he was buying items. "Sorry Mr. Mo but I am not here to buy items for now. Can I borrow a few minutes of your time? There is something I want to ask and confirm." "Oh, is that so? Sure¡­ I will be at your service, Chief Lee. So how can I help you? What do you want to know?" Mr. Mo asked him eagerly. Erick picked up his phone and showed him a picture. It was a necklace. "Mr. Mo do you remember this necklace? I bought this in this store several months ago." Erick asked him. Mr. Mo studied the necklace in the picture. After a while he recognized it and he nodded at Erick to confirm it. "Yes, I remember this. Of course, it is a personalized item that I made myself. I am the one who recommended this to you so I would never forget this. Why are you asking me about this necklace?" Mr. Mo gave him a questioning look. "Is there another customer aside from me who bought this necklace?" Erick was anticipating his answer as he stared at him intently. Mr. Mo paused for a moment, thinking about it. He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked up to meet Erick''s eyes. "I couldn''t remember other customers who bought this necklace aside from you. Hehe besides, we only had one design for this. Remember, this is a personalized item. However other customers bought different necklaces with the same function like this one." When he heard that, Erick''s heart tightened. A mix of emotions flashed in his eyes as he looked down. "D-Do you mean¡­ t-that there is no possibility that there are two or more necklaces with the same design as this?" Erick asked him again just to confirm it. "Yes. This is a unique item." Mr. Mo said with certainty. After hearing that Erick felt that his energy was drained. His expression darkened and he fell silent on his spot. Sensing the gloomy expression of Erick, Mr. Mo asked him with concern: "Are you okay, Chief Lee? You don''t look well." Erick just nodded at him absentmindedly. After a while, he thanked the store manager for his time before he bade him goodbye. Without wasting any more time, he went back to the headquarters. When Erick entered their headquarters, his team noticed his sullen expression. They couldn''t help themselves but wonder what happened to him. So the team urged Bryan to speak with their Chief. When Bryan entered his office he saw Erick leaning on his chair. He lifted a hand to massage the stress between his brows. Erick laughed grimly as he said "It couldn''t be¡­" "What is it? What is weighing in your mind right now, Chief Lee?" Bryan asked him as he was worried about him. Instead of answering his question, Erick asked Bryan something about Elle. "The night when I was injured, Elle visited the hospital right? She was there with you right?" Bryan was taken aback by his sudden question. He was puzzled why Erick was asking him about Elle right now. ''Is there something wrong with the husband and wife? Are they fighting?'' he asked himself. "Yes, Chief. She went there as soon as she received my call." Bryan replied. "Is there something unusual with her that time?" Erick asked him again. He was really serious at this moment. "Nothing that I think of. She was very worried about you. She even asked me who did that to you." "What?! So did you tell her anything?" "Uhmm, sorry Erick. She was crying in front of me and she was insisting to know what happened to you. I know it is our protocol not to disclose information about our operation to civilians but I ended up telling her everything." Bryan was feeling so guilty right now. "So she knew about Reaper?" Erick''s voice became more stern. "Y-Yes." Bryan became nervous. He didn''t know why but he felt like he was being interrogated by Erick. And Erick''s aura was frightening even though he looked calm outside. "What did she do after?" "She left the hospital for a while to go home and pack up some of your clothes." "How long¡­ she was out before she returned to the hospital?" "I don''t know how many hours exactly. My mind was so occupied by you that night. Why are you asking me this?" Erick didn''t answer him. He waved his hand as he dismissed Bryan. "I want to be alone right now," he mumbled in a low voice. Bryan was dumbfounded. He had no idea what Erick was thinking. He just sighed in defeat before he left his office. Erick slammed his eyes shut. His mind could not help but flash Elle''s beautiful face. He raised his hand as he clutched on his chest. He felt suffocated. "Elle... It couldn''t be¡­ it couldn''t be¡­ it couldn''t be... you!" Erick mumbled, repeating those words like a mantra. A warm liquid already flowed down from the corner of his eyes. Chapter 200 - His Inner Struggle At this moment the glowing and radiant mood of Erick this morning was nowhere to be seen. It was replaced by a cheerless, dark and sullen vibe around him. For only God knows how long, he had stayed still on his chair unmoving while leaning his back with his eyes closed. The tears on his face already dried up. Every thought in his mind was silenced into shock, denial, and grief. He laughed coldly, it was short and harsh. "I have been fooled, haven''t I? All this time, we''ve all been fooled by her, right?" he mumbled with disbelief. He put his hands to his head, tugging his hair tightly. The desolation he felt was consuming him. However in that darkest moment he still found himself thinking and seeing the beautiful image of his beloved woman. Elle''s smiling face with her eyes filled with love just suddenly popped up in his consciousness. He could also hear her sweet voice calling his name. His happy moments he shared with her just kept on flashing into his mind right now. He felt really confused and lost at the same time. "Can I be selfish for once? I just want to live happily with my wife. Is that too much to ask? Why? Why is this happening to us?" Erick mumbled to himself. Erick was still struggling inside when he saw his phone. He picked it up and dialed Marie''s number. "Erick calm down. Don''t assume first. You need more concrete evidence." he said as he was still trying to convince himself. After a few seconds, the call got connected as he heard Marie''s voice from the other line. "Hello, Chief Lee." "Marie¡­ I have something to ask you if it''s okay for you." Erick directly said to her, avoiding pleasantries. "Sure, what is it Chief?" "It is about the necklace in Black Shadow''s possession. Can you check it again, please? Once you get a hold of that necklace, try to press the pendant." He said to her in a desperate plea. She was puzzled after hearing his request but still she just agreed with him. "Ok Chief but¡­" she was about to ask him further but Erick cut her off immediately. "Thank you, Marie," he simply said before he hung up the phone. He had just finished talking with Marie when he received a call from Elle. He fixed his gaze on the phone, hesitating whether he should answer it or not. His emotion was still unstable. Is he ready to talk to her? In the end, he could not bear to ignore her call so he answered it. "Hubby?" Erick''s heart skipped a beat after hearing her hoarse voice. ''What''s wrong with her voice. Did she cry?'' Erick could not help but ponder. "Yes wifey? What''s wrong?" Erick was trying his best to sound normal. He heard from the other line that Elle cleared her throat before she spoke again. "Nothing. I just want to ask if you can go home early today. Can you?" she said softly. "Why?" Erick asked her curiously. "Hmm, to celebrate. Please hubby, come home early. I will be waiting for you." Elle said to him, pleading. When he heard the word to celebrate, Erick felt a tinge of pain inside his chest. He smiled bitterly. However after hearing her request, he felt really helpless. He wanted to flee right away just to be with her. "Alright. I will go home early today just to satisfy my dear wifey." Erick masked his negative emotion by a chuckle. "Erick¡­" she called out his name. "Hmm?" he mumbled "I love you," Elle said to him with a soft and gentle tone. Erick was speechless after that. Her words brought a lump on his throat stopping him to utter a word. He felt like he was going to cry but he was suppressing himself. For goodness'' sake, he was a man. Elle was about to hang up the phone since she thought Erick was so busy and the other line became very silent. But then, she heard his deep raspy voice. "I-I love you too, Elle." "Alright then, see you soon, hubby. I thought I wouldn''t hear your response." Erick heard her soft giggle before she finally hung up the phone. Erick gazed into the wall blankly. He was still holding the phone into his ear even though the call already ended. "Erick, you are so pathetic¡­ and a big fool," he mumbled, ridiculing himself. He was currently having his inner struggle. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, on Elle''s end, she already came up with a plan on how to save Charles. She decided to rescue him as soon as possible. She watched the video twice to confirm who is the culprit. She also informed Phantom of the current problem but she told him not to worry and she could handle it. Since Phantom was already on his journey, it would be a hassle if she would ask him to come back. She assured him of her plan. After her call with Erick, she dialed someone''s number using her burner phone. In just a few seconds, that person answered the phone call. "This is me, Catseye. Are you expecting my call?" A cold glint flashed on her eyes and a sinister smile appeared on her face. "Stop torturing him. I am coming to meet you myself. Just wait for me." Elle said with her stern voice. "I said STOP. TORTURING. HIM! You don''t want to see my angry side, do you?" she threatened him. Her grip on the phone tightened as she heard Charles screaming, agonizing with pain. Elle''s eyes were red because of so much fury. "I Will Kill All of You if Something Bad Happened to Him! Mark My Words." After saying that, she disconnected the call. Her heart was burning with rage. She could imagine Charles right now. She knew he was in so much pain but she couldn''t do anything as of this moment. "I tried to avoid a bloodbath. I tried to do things in a more humane way. I tried to forget my cold-blooded nature but someone is really trying to awaken my demonic self. They touched my bottom line. Hurt my people then I will give you the taste of hell." Chapter 201 - Candlelight Dinner Elle was not sure what would happen to her once she infiltrated the enemy''s territory just to save Charles. She was aware of the danger but she was willing to take a risk. This was one of the reasons why she called Erick. She felt guilty for her husband. They just got married yesterday and now things like this happened. It couldn''t be avoided. She wanted to finish this once and for all. She did not want Charles to suffer like this because of her. She had to do something even if she would put herself at risk. If anything could go wrong, she didn''t want to have regrets that''s why she wanted to spend some more time with her husband before she could go and try to save Charles. She wanted to prepare a romantic dinner for Erick. She would cook for him as his wife. Tonight she would give him the most memorable night. She immediately left the cafe to buy the things she needed. She went to supermarkets, bought the ingredients for her special menu and other items that are necessary to set up a romantic dinner at home. When she arrived home, she immediately proceeded to the kitchen. She cooked pasta while she ordered some other menu. She set up the table for two. She decorated it using the candles and some flowers and arranged the food accordingly. Of course, there was also a red wine to complete the romantic dinner vibe. After she was done preparing the dinner, she had a quick shower and dressed up herself with a dress. She even applied some light makeup to have a more presentable look when she faced her husband. Everything was set. Only Erick was the missing piece to complete the picture. Several minutes later, she heard the arrival of a car. It was Erick. Elle immediately walked towards the front door. When she just reached it, Erick''s handsome figure appeared in her sight. They met each other''s gaze. Erick was surprised when he saw her. His body froze and his mind stopped functioning for a moment. He stayed rooted in his spot, his eyes never left her beautiful face. Erick was having a debate inside his mind. ''Should I confront her tonight or not? Should I ask her for an answer or not?'' These were the questions running in his mind at this moment. He couldn''t decide what he should do. Oblivious about Erick''s dilemma, Elle just smiled at him tenderly before she threw herself to Erick. She wrapped her arms around his neck and she tiptoed to give him a peck on his lips. After that she greeted him lovingly as she softly said "Welcome home, my dearest hubby!" The words were stuck in his throat, he was not able to utter some words. He was just looking at his wife who looked so stunning. Seeing her gentle smile, feeling her warmth, hearing her sweet voice, smelling her fragrance, and tasting her lips, he seemed to forget all his worries he had a while ago. All he could think of at that moment was Elle, his beloved woman, his wife. He was mesmerized by her. All he wanted to do now was to possess her, all of her. At last, he was able to move his frozen body. He grabbed the small waist of the petite lady before him and pulled her closer against his body. His other hand, lifted her chin as he bent down to claim her delicate lips. His kiss was hard and demanding. He sucked on her lower and upper lip alternately. He plunged his tongue on her lips, seeking an entrance. Elle gave him access as she parted her lips. His tongue invaded her inside hungrily as he caught her tongue. He sucked it like he was a very thirsty man who found an oasis in the middle of the desert. Elle could not help but m.o.a.n. The pleasure that Erick was giving her through this passionate kiss was enough to drown her. She clutched on him, holding him for support as she felt weak on her knees. The kiss lasted for several minutes. It seemed like Erick had no plan to break the kiss if not for the need to gasp some air to breathe. Now they were both panting and gasping as they filled their lungs with oxygen. But Erick was not yet satisfied. A few seconds after, Erick attacked her lips once again like a hungry wolf devouring his prey. This time, his movement became rougher, even biting her lower lip, nibbling and sucking as he ravished her lips. ''Erick''s kiss is so intense¡­ What is wrong with him tonight? Is he mad?'' Elle could not help but wonder. She pushed the worry in the back of her mind as she savored the moment. She returned his kiss with the same intensity as his. In the end, it was Elle who first give up. Panting, she gently pushed him away. "Hmm, Mr. Lee, I think it is better to have our dinner first," Elle said to him, her cheeks were flushed. Erick just nodded in agreement as he headed straight to his room to drop his things. Elle just watched his retreating back as she touched her swollen lips. When Erick arrived in the dining area, he was baffled to see the table decoration. There were different foods, wine, candles lighted, and rose petals scattered in the table. Elle had already turned off the main lights. It was a well-arranged candlelight dinner for two and gave off a romantic vibe. Elle''s giggle awakened him from his deep stupor. "Hey, come here. Don''t just stand there. I am already starving." Erick decided to forget his trouble for a while and just enjoy this romantic dinner with his wife. He felt touched from the bottom of his heart. He knew that Elle put an effort just to prepare everything for this dinner. He walked towards Elle and bent down to kiss her on the head before saying "Thank you for this wifey. I love it. You really surprised me tonight." Elle just smiled at him as a response. Erick finally took his seat. Then the husband and wife enjoyed their meals together. After they were both done eating, Elle pressed a remote control then the music began to play, the sweet melody reverberated in the entire dining area. The song was ''All of Me'' by John Legend. "Can we have our first dance as husband and wife?" Elle asked Erick with a teasing smile. Erick stood up and offered her his hand. Elle gladly accepted it. They stood in the open space, holding each other while their bodies and feet swayed with the music. Erick''s hands were holding her waist while Elle''s hands were placed on his shoulders. "Elle... why do you love me?" Erick suddenly asked her. Elle hadn''t given him an answer yet when he asked her another question. "Elle... when did you start loving me?" "Hmm, you are the one who told me that loving someone does not need a reason and an explanation that''s why it is hard to answer the question why," Elle said to him as she answered his first question. "Just like you, I just feel it in my heart. Indeed, love moves in a mysterious way, do you agree with me, hubby?" she added. Erick just let out a soft chuckle because of her remarks. He pulled her closer closing the gaps between their bodies as he wrapped her in his arms. "I cannot put a finger on the exact time I fell in love with you. When I realized it, I couldn''t ignore my feelings... it was already too late. Now, I could not stop loving you." Elle said to him truthfully. However Erick was having a doubt. ''Is your feelings towards me also true and genuine? Are you telling me the truth or it is just another lie?'' He stared at her as his gaze darkened and his grasp on her body tightened. But in an instant he calmed down again. Elle leaned on his chest as she hugged him back. They both fell in silence, listening to the music as the song reached its chorus. * ''Cause all of me * * Loves all of you * * Love your curves and all your edges * * All your perfect imperfections * * Give your all to me I''ll give my all to you * * You are my end and my beginning * * Even when I lose I''m winning * * ''Cause I give you all of me and you give me all of you, oh oh * Elle had already decided. After tonight, when she made sure that Erick was already asleep, she would leave and rescue Charles. Chapter 202 - * A Night to Remember * After spending their romantic candlelight dinner together, Elle was the one who cleaned up the dining area while Erick took his shower. Inside the bathroom, Erick gathered his thoughts and sorted out his feelings. After he got out of the shower, he had finally calmed down, washing away the negative emotions for a while. When he walked out of the bathroom, he saw Elle sitting on his bed. She was holding a bottle of wine and a glass. Sensing his presence, Elle averted her gaze to his direction. Elle was taken aback for a moment. Seeing the s.e.xy well-toned body of her husband with only a towel wrapped around his waist, Elle felt her mouth had become dry. She had the urge to ravish Erick at that moment. A flame of desire ignited inside her. She placed the bottle of wine and the glass on the bedside table before she stood up. "I''ve noticed that you didn''t have quite an appetite during our dinner. You barely touched your food. Is my cooking skill that bad?" Elle asked him. She did not sound upset but instead she sounded more like teasing him. Erick let out a husky laugh as he said: "I''m so sorry wifey, I prefer to eat someone than the food on the table. Besides, when I tasted her the moment I arrived, I thought I couldn''t get enough of her." Elle giggled after hearing his remarks. "Hmm, I don''t want my hubby to starve so I prepare a special dessert for him." She softly said as a playful smile appeared on her lovely face. Seconds later, her hands moved in her back, unzipping her dress as she let it fall on her waist down to her legs. She felt goosebumps rise on her exposed skin. Erick was rendered speechless while watching Elle. The temperature around them suddenly rose up. He looked at her with an invigorating expression of l.u.s.t, desire, and pleasure. He clenched his fists trying to restrain himself from devouring her right away. He wanted to take his time and enjoy what Elle was planning to do with him. "Don''t worry I don''t have my period now, hubby," she said as she bit her lower lip. Erick chuckled as he raised his brows and said: "Hmm, really wifey? Is that so?" Then a mischievous smile flashed on his handsome face. Elle''s gaze fell below his waist and she saw his growing arousal underneath the towel. Her lips twitched in a seductive smile before she moved her eyes back to Erick''s face. Meeting his intense gaze, Elle unclasped her bra and eased the straps down her arms. It fell on the floor. Her n.i.p.p.l.es perked at the touch of chilly air coming from the air conditioner. Then she moved her fingers on the side of her panties, not breaking their eye contact. Slowly tugging it down, she dropped her underwear down her thighs, over her knees, and around her ankles. Now she was standing in front of him completely n.a.k.e.d. ''D*mn, where did I find my courage to do this. Taking this initiative to seduce my husband. Is this because of my statement that I don''t want to have any regrets after tonight?'' Elle was cursing herself inwardly, feeling a little bit embarrassed. Her cheeks were scarlet as blood rushed to her head. Meanwhile, Erick was now hard as a rock as his eyes scanned her, admiring her n.a.k.e.dness. Quickly aroused by the magnificent view in front of him, Erick finally stepped forward to close the gaps between them. She caught a glimpse of desire and yearning in his piercing eyes. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her. His voice was hoarse. Elle nodded as she gave him a gentle smile. "Tonight, I am giving you my all," she whispered. Without waiting for another second, Elle gripped his erection through the towel. Erick let out a soft grunt. His wife was clearly teasing him. His heavy breathing filled the air. He smiled at her. He decided to let her take the lead for a while. "This is unfair. You don''t need to cover your body with this." she said seductively. Elle unwrapped the towel around his waist and his enormous manhood sprang free. Erick groaned when he felt her warm hand had touched his member. Elle held it and stroked his shaft as she brought her lips to his. She was gently kissing him, nibbling and sucking on his lower lip. His groans were swallowed up by her mouth as she continued to palm his shaft and kissed him passionately at the same time. Elle was completely in control of him. Erick was still suppressing himself to touch her. He would return the favor once Elle was done in pleasuring him. After a while, Elle pushed Erick down on the bed so that he was lying on his back. She licked her lips as she admired the gorgeous nude Adonis in front of her. Then she felt a rush of wetness in her core. Erick''s eyes filled with anticipation and excitement. He was waiting for Elle''s next move. He was enjoying her boldness. Sensing his excitement, Elle decided to tease him some more. "Do you want to drink wine first my dear hubby?" Elle asked him suddenly. She walked towards the bedside table and poured down some wine in the glass. Erick looked at her with disbelief as he groaned inwardly. "Hey, come back here. You are such a tease. Do you know that? You are ruining the momentum." Erick said as he complained to her. Elle ignored his protest as she let out a soft giggle. She drank the wine before she returned to her spot where she left Erick hanging. She got on top of him and bent down to kiss him again. Then he felt the warm liquid coming out from her mouth. It was wine. Erick realized what she meant by drinking the wine. She was transferring the wine to his mouth by kissing him. "Do you want more wine?" Elle asked him again after they parted. Erick bobbed his head with eagerness. "Yes, I want more. It tastes sweet and delicious." Elle could not help herself but giggle. She repeated her action so many times until they had drunk half the bottle. Their wine drinking session amplified the e.r.o.t.i.c vibe in the room. Chapter 203 - * A Night to Remember (2) * As of this moment, they decided to forget and set aside all their worries and troubles and just enjoy their moments together. After this, they would go back to reality and face their problems. They were both unaware of what would happen next. They just want to seize this moment and be happy with each other''s company. Elle moved and got on top of Erick once again, angling herself so that her clit was rubbing against his bulging erection. She didn''t thrust, instead, she just gently rocked and rubbed against him as she pleased. She moved her h.i.p.s forward and backward as she gripped his shoulders tightly for support. She shivered from pleasure and couldn''t help letting out soft whimpers and m.o.a.ns. Erick watched her having an orgasm while patiently building up his own. He was holding and guiding her waist as she continued to rub her aching apex against his hardened manhood at a very fast pace. He could feel the warm liquid oozing out her core. It felt good. Their m.o.a.ns, and groans reverberated in the entire room. Hearing their sensual voices were adding up fire on their arousal as they became more turned on. "Oh¡­ Oh¡­ Erick¡­ Mmmmh¡­Ahh... I think I''m c.u.m.m.i.n.g." Elle said in between her m.o.a.ns. "Let it go, sweety. Oh¡­ you feel so good...just continue...Ah!" Erick said in his raspy voice. His breathing was erratic. He didn''t even penetrate her yet but he could almost feel his climax as he was already drowning in ecstasy and overwhelming pleasure. When her orgasm came, she collapsed on his chest and convulsed on top of him. Erick let her rest as he rubbed her back. Their bodies were now covered with sweats. Both of them were panting heavily. "Hubby¡­ take me. Come inside me." Elle whispered to him. Unlike Elle, Erick didn''t have his release yet. His manhood was still hard. Erick let out a husky chuckle "I thought you will be the one to satisfy me tonight that''s why I let you take the lead. You deceived me, wifey. You are bad. I need to punish you." Elle bit his chest and sucked on it, she was trying to leave a mark on his body. Erick groaned both in pain and pleasure. He became more turned on because of that sudden action. "Hmm. I am done marking you. You are mine, Mr. Erick Lee." Elle whispered to him seductively. He liked it. He loved her possessiveness. "Then¡­ it''s my turn to mark you, my dear wifey." he moved and changed their position after saying those words. He was now on top while Elle was under him. He brought his lips on her forehead and planted a soft kiss. "You are mine¡­ here." Erick growled as he moved downwards, kissing every part of her. "Also here," he mumbled as he sealed her lips with his. While Erick''s lips were busy teasing and tasting her soft delicate lips, his hand kneaded her soft b.r.e.a.s.t, caressing and squeezing using his palm. He flicked her hardened n.i.p.p.l.es using his fingers, gently tugging and twisting her crowns. Elle twitched convulsively underneath because of the unbearable waves of pleasure. Then she felt his lips against her skin as his mouth was already trailing gentle teasing kisses down the hollow of her neck. "Elle, you are mine." he breathed. "Y-Yes... I am all yours." she nodded as she m.o.a.ned. Seconds later, Erick''s mouth found her b.r.e.a.s.t, he toyed with her n.i.p.p.l.es, flicking, lapping, and gently running the bottom row of his teeth against them. Her hands clutched on his head, pulling him closer as she arched her back, giving him more access. A throbbing ache started to grow in her w.o.m.b. She could feel moist between her thighs. She inhaled sharply as his hand made its way between her legs, cupping her heated and already soaked core. "You are so wet, my wifey," he mumbled in a hoarse voice. "Erick please. I want you now," she begged. She wanted more. She wanted him to fill her. "Shhh...be patient. This will gonna hurt you so we need to loosen you first. I don''t want you to be hurt." Erick assured her. "I can handle the pain." Elle promptly said, he could sense the earnest needs in her voice. Erick looked at her helplessly. "Wait¡­ endure it my dear. Hold on for a while." Erick said as his fingers began to work furiously on her sensitive part, gliding up and down her slit and gently probing her entrance. He was making her ready to accept his enormous manhood. Elle let out a cry of delight when Erick started to thrust his two fingers inside her core, pushing in and out of her. Her grip on his shoulders tightened. Erick covered her mouth with his once again. Erick was driving her mad with this overwhelming sensation. He was torturing her sweetly. When their lips parted, Elle met his heated and intense gaze. "Erick¡­ please. I couldn''t take it any longer." she begged once again while whimpering and shuddering under him. Erick nodded as he said. "Alright. I think you''re ready." He kissed her again before he positioned himself in between her thighs. Elle felt the tip of his manhood touching her core. Erick took his time teasing her by rubbing the head of his shaft to her wet entrance. She was about to die from too much anticipation. "Fill me now!" she demanded. Erick let out a soft chuckle because of her impatience. "I love you so much Elle," he mumbled before he started to thrust and impaled her in one swift motion. "Oh... you''re too tight, sweety." Elle heard him mumble under his breath. She felt a stretching feeling and an intense shock of pain. ''D*mn, he is right. It really hurts.'' Her body immediately tensed up as she cried out. She tried to endure the pain but tears voluntarily streamed down from the corner of her eyes. "Shh...Shh¡­ it will feel better soon." Erick comforted her as he kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, and her lips. Erick could feel her nails buried on his back. She was holding him tightly. He continued to move, slowly thrusting inside. Later on the pain was replaced by a strange pleasure that she had never felt before. As Erick sensed that Elle became used to his length, his thrust grew harder and faster. Elle did her best to keep up with his thrust, gripping his body firmly as she began to move her h.i.p.s and mimicked his movement. Their bodies were now moving in sync. She m.o.a.ned, saying his name. He groaned panting along with her as he called her name. That night they became one. It was the union of their body and soul, as husband and wife. Not worrying about what tomorrow might bring, they just cared about their love for each other. Indeed, it was one of the most memorable nights for the two people who were in love. A night to remember for both husband and wife. Savoring the moments, they cuddled and made love a lot of times until they got exhausted and drained all their energy. They both fell asleep with a satisfied smile on their lips. At around 10:00 pm, Elle woke up. She found herself wrapped in Erick''s arms. She slowly removed his arms around her body. She watched him for a moment. "Sorry, Erick. I need to leave now. I have to save my friend, Charles. Wait for me. I will try my best to be back before you wake up this morning." She whispered before she bent down to kiss his forehead. She couldn''t stop herself from smiling. She couldn''t believe that a sweet and kind-hearted gentleman like Erick would be a wild beast in bed. She found it very amusing. She felt sore all over her body right now most especially in her private part. It was her first time and Erick was really gentle. She thought they would just make love once or twice but Erick really had great stamina. She had lost count of how many times they did it tonight. She had to beg him to stop as she was very exhausted. She was thinking that she needed to reserve her energy since she still had a mission to accomplish tonight. She was glad that Erick obediently complied but he still drained her energy. She glanced at Erick who was sound asleep one last time. She thought to herself that she really had a wonderful and amazing night with her man tonight. Then finally, she decided to leave and rescue Charles. Chapter 204 - Rescue Mission At around midnight, Elle arrived in the main headquarters of Skull Gang. Black Shadow was the one who captured Charles and she confirmed it after calling James this afternoon using her burner phone. As expected, the security was heightened since they were expecting Catseye to arrive at any moment. Elle was wearing her assassin''s uniform, all in black. Several weapons like guns, poison needles, and daggers were tucked and hidden in her clothes and body. Her assassin clothes helped her to camouflage in the dark. She was able to infiltrate the enemy''s territory easily without alarming the men guarding the area as she was an expert in this field. There were lots of Skull Gang members scattered in the area. They were highly armed and alert. After several minutes of carefully scouting the surroundings, Elle successfully sneaked inside, avoiding the security cameras. She was able to knock down several guards quietly. She didn''t waste any more time as she headed straight to the secret dungeon for Skull Gang''s prisoners. They often used it as a torture area. There was a high possibility that Charles was being held captive there. Fortunately, Elle already had an idea about the floor plan of Skull Gang''s main headquarters. She used her hacker''s skills to get access to the floor plan. She studied it very well this afternoon. Even though the headquarters was a very large villa she was still able to locate the secret dungeon in just a few minutes without any hassle. She surveyed the surroundings for a couple of minutes. ''Something is off. There are only a few men who are guarding this area. If Charles is here, they are supposed to guard it carefully. Are they confident that it will be hard for me to find it or this is just another trap?'' Elle was contemplating whether she would go or not. However, she didn''t have time to think twice. In the first place, she already anticipated that there would be a trap. It was a huge risk but she had no choice but to take it for the sake of saving Charles. She had nothing to worry about. She already made precautionary measures before she went there. Using her very refined moves and speed, she dashed forward and attacked the five men who were guarding the entrance. She threw four daggers in one swift move. With her hundred percent shooting precision, she was able to hit them at their necks, thus killing them in an instant. Only one man remained standing. However before he could react and make some noise, Elle shot him using her gun with a silencer. "D*mn. I should have used the gun in the first place instead of using the daggers. Stupid." Elle scolded herself as she picked up her daggers out of her victims. Once she was immersed with her thoughts her body was used to throwing daggers just to release her tensions. Elle made a body search for those dead men lying on the ground, looking for the keys. Seconds later, she found it. Her worries deepened when she held the keys. She had a nagging feeling about this. ''If I were them, I won''t allow the guards to take hold of the keys. They just make my life easier. This is really a trap. Something is waiting for me inside.'' she sneered at that thought. After gathering her thoughts, she breathed in deeply and entered the dungeon. It was well- lighted inside. Cameras were also installed around. ''If anything goes wrong, I can still proceed to plan B. This is not the time to worry. I need to see Charles if he is just fine.'' She thought to herself, even though she doubted if he was alright but all she was hoping was that he was still alive. Every step she made, her heart was pounding in restlessness. She was very anxious about Charles''s condition. Several minutes of walking and searching, at last, she found the room where Charles was imprisoned. The terrible sight of the man who was bathing with his own blood, tied down in a chair and currently unconscious, made Elle go weak at her knees. The shock and worry were written all over her face. Her body trembled both in fear and rage. Elle''s heart seemed like being stabbed a thousand times¡­ no¡­ it''s a million times, just looking at Charles''s current state. The guilt was consuming her. She was blaming herself that this thing had happened to him because of her. Charles was the one who bore the brunt of James''s wrath on behalf of Elle. He was tortured to the extent of almost losing his life. He was badly injured. By just seeing his wounds, Elle could guess he had experienced hell in the hands of Skull Gang. He was bleeding too much with different wounds on his body. He was not wearing anything on his upper body. The blood on his nose and lips already dried up. His handsome face was swollen from the beatings. His entire body was covered by bruises and fresh cuts. He was in a terrible state right now, barely alive. Elle ran immediately towards him, her tears started to roll down her cheeks. "Charles¡­ wake up!" She called him, gently shaking him to wake him up but she got no response. She started to untie the rope which was binding him on the chair using her dagger. "C-Charles, I am sorry. This is all my fault. I failed to protect you." Elle ground her teeth. After releasing Charles from the rope, Elle tried again to wake him up. She was now put in a difficult situation. It looked like Charles was too weak and it was impossible for him to walk with these severe injuries. She couldn''t carry him without being found by the guards. Feeling helpless, Elle couldn''t help but hug Charles. "I''m sorry¡­ I''m really sorry." Her tears just poured down like raindrops while saying those words. Then she heard footsteps, many footsteps coming to their direction. Seconds later, she heard the deep familiar voice of a man. "A very touching scene. Is this the infamous assassin Catseye? Wow. I am in awe. No one told me that you are capable of feeling some kind of emotions. You are becoming emotional. I think you are still human despite the fact others called you devil." he laughed with mockery. Without even looking, Elle already knew that the person talking was James. Elle wiped her tears using her bare hands and held Charles''s shoulder to steady him as she let the unconscious Charles leaned his back on the chair. After doing that, she quietly turned around to face the newcomers. She saw James, standing at the entrance of that room. On his right side, Black Shadow was also standing silently with an indescribable expression while Spike was standing on James''s left side. Aside from those three men who were familiar with Elle, there were also several men holding firearms which were already aimed at her direction. She was completely surrounded by Skull Gang members. Despite the fact that she was already cornered, Elle was still very composed as she looked at them with her cold dark eyes filled with burning fury. A wicked smirk flashed on James''s handsome face. He was rejoicing inside, finally, he was able to catch Catseye. Elle was right. This was a trap. They intentionally left a few men as guards in the dungeon in order to lure her. They were just hiding and waiting for her to come. The moment she attacked those guards, James and others already noticed her presence. Now, she looked like a trapped sheep in the middle of the wolf''s den. "Welcome to Skull Gang Headquarter Catseye! Don''t worry, I will give you the most memorable accommodation as you stay here." James continued to speak, trying to intimidate and scare the assassin in front of him. Elle remained silent. She never responded to James''s provocation. She was still wearing her mask that''s why he was not able to recognize her yet. "Finally, I will be able to settle the score with you. Killing my father was your greatest mistake. I''ll make sure to collect your debt." There was a hint of resentment and hostility in his voice. "Oh, did you remember what my sister told you before? She wished you to have an ugly death right? I am here to fulfill that." James''s lips twitched in a triumphant smile. Just thinking of so many ways to kill the assassin before him, he was getting excited and enthusiastic. He could finally get the revenge he wanted. Then he averted his gaze to Charles. Elle reflexively shielded Charles and extended her arms on her sides to cover him out of James''s line of sight. Seeing her reaction, James spoke again to mock her further. "Oh, that partner of yours, he was really a loyal dog. Is he your lover? He is hell-bent in protecting you. He told us that he would never talk and betray you even if we kill him." James let out a sinister laugh after saying that. "Honestly, I was surprised when I saw him. I didn''t know that your accomplice was just lurking around us. He owns a Cafe. The funny thing is I am a regular customer of that Cafe without knowing that he is my enemy." The truth was James ordered his men to give him much more intense and severe torture because of Elle. He couldn''t accept the fact that his enemy was very close to Elle. Just thinking that this dangerous man was capable of hurting Elle anytime, he had the urge to kill him. Unknown to James, he was wrong to think that Elle was just an innocent person who just happened to be connected with Charles because of work. He never suspected her. That was his biggest mistake. ''So he recognized Charles.'' Elle thought to herself. She was wondering what would be his reaction once he found out that she was Catseye. For the past few weeks, her relationship with James had improved. They even became friends. She also felt his sincerity when he showed some concern for her. That''s why, at this moment, she was thinking about what he would do after this confrontation. She knew that in this situation, her identity would be revealed to James. It was an unavoidable situation. Meanwhile, Black Shadow was just silently observing on the side. He still found Catseye very amusing. She didn''t cower in fear even though she was already cornered like this. And she didn''t even look surprised as if she already anticipated this to happen. ''What is she planning? What will be her next move? I wonder if she can still escape this.'' Black Shadow thought to himself. He was thinking hard when suddenly he heard James''s voice. "Black Shadow, Spike! Capture her and remove her mask. I want to see the face of the person who killed my father." Chapter 205 - Shocking Revelation Erick''s peaceful sleep was disturbed by the loud beeping sound coming from his phone. He felt empty when he opened his eyes and he didn''t see his wife in the room. "Where is she?" he mumbled with a deep frown on his face. He got up and turned on the bedside lamp. He saw the bloodstain in the bedsheet then the memories of their passionate love-making came flashing into his mind. He was definitely her first and he smiled from that thought. He was still n.a.k.e.d as he picked up his robe inside his closet. After that, he walked to get his phone in his bag. The beeping sound continued. When he picked up his phone, he realized what does that sound meant. It was the emergency alarm of the necklace he gave to Elle. He became pale after seeing the signal. Then seconds later, his phone rang. It was a call coming from Marie. He answered it right away. "Chief, I''ve done what you ask me. I am currently at Black Shadow''s apartment. I sneaked in. He didn''t return home for the whole day so I grabbed this opportunity. He left the necklace in his room. Should I bring the necklace with me?" Marie informed him. Erick''s grip on the phone tightened. He was tongue-tied at this moment. Since this afternoon, he already knew the truth... the answer to his question. But he refused to believe it. He was in denial. ''Elle is Catseye!'' These were the three words kept on replaying in his mind right now. "Hello, Chief! Are you still there?" Marie''s voice pulled him back out of the dazed. "L-Leave the¡­ n-necklace behind so that he won''t suspect you." Erick finally talked after his long silence. "Copy Chief." When Erick was about to hang up the phone he heard Marie say another thing to him. "Chief, I think Black Shadow will be meeting Catseye soon. I called him two hours ago just to check where he is before I sneak in at his apartment and he sounded excited saying that he would probably meet the person he was looking for tonight." Erick was not able to respond to her anymore as he already dropped the phone on the floor. Panic and uneasiness flashed across his face. "Elle, where are you? D-Don''t tell me-" Erick dashed out from the room as he searched for Elle in the entire house. However, his wife was nowhere to be found. Frightened by the thought that Elle was not at home right now, Erick became more anxious. He was really terrified. What if she really went out to meet Black Shadow tonight? Erick turned to the wall clock inside as he saw that it was already past midnight. He went to his study and checked the CCTV footage. Indeed, Elle left the house two hours ago. Erick hurriedly went back to his room, picked up his phone, and went to his closet. He changed into his clothes as he dialed Elle''s number. But she was not picking up. Erick was cursing himself inwardly. ''F*ck! Why is it I didn''t notice her getting up? D*mn you Erick. How can you sleep like a baby that you even fail to notice that your wife is already gone? Erick dialed another number. It rang several times before the call got connected. "Rose¡­ sorry for calling you at this hour. I don''t have time to explain but I want to ask you a favor. Can you find someone''s current location by tracking her phone? I''ll send you her number. Please do it asap. Thank you!" Erick said spontaneously without allowing Rose to talk. He immediately forwarded Elle''s number to her. Sensing the urgency in Erick''s voice, Rose immediately got up to turn on her computer to do Erick''s request even though her mind was still a little bit hazy from just waking up. Erick kept walking back and forth across his study, feeling very anxious. He was waiting for Rose to call him back. "Elle, what did you do this time? What are you up to?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, at the secret dungeon inside Skull Gang''s Main Headquarters, the place was already engulfed with great tension as Black Shadow and Spike started to approach Catseye after hearing James''s order. The two men were very cautious as they walked towards Catseye. They knew that even though she was already cornered and surrounded by Skull Gang''s members, she won''t yield to them easily. She might launch her attack first as she fought back and retaliated against them. After all, she was Catseye, the fearless and vicious devilish assassin. James''s underlings were also on high alert, anticipating what she would do. There were ten of them inside that room. Black Shadow and Spike were only two meters away from her when finally Elle decided to break her silence. "STOP!" she said with her stern chilly voice as she peered the two men. They didn''t know why but there was a power in her voice that made the two men halt on their steps. James frowned when he heard her. Elle averted her gaze to James, meeting his confused eyes. She stared at him intently before she spoke up again. "Tell your men to back off and let''s have a good talk..." Elle paused for a second before she said the last two words "my friend." The second time he heard that familiar voice he knew he was not imagining things. He heard it right, her voice was loud and clear. He recognized it very well. It was the voice of the woman who could make his heart flutter just by hearing it. ''Her voice¡­ this voice¡­ i-it only belongs to Elle. But how?...W-Why?'' Conflicting emotions flashed across James''s face who was now looking at Elle''s direction with surprise and disbelief. Erick told her that James liked her and now she was taking advantage of that. She was not sure if it was true but she would try and see it for herself. That''s why she was testing him right now by revealing her identity to him. She could fight back with force and attack those men but she knew she was at a disadvantage if she would do that. So in the end, she resorted to other ways. She did not have any intention to play with James''s feelings but she had no choice. She needed to find a way to take Charles away from this place. He must be sent to the hospital as soon as possible or else he would die. She was waiting for James''s reply. She knew he recognized her voice as she could see the shock in his eyes. Black Shadow and Spike as well as the other men were waiting for James''s order. Everyone fell in silence, it was too deafening. Spike looked worriedly at James as he also somehow recognized Elle''s voice. On the other hand, Black Shadow was puzzled, oblivious of what was happening when he saw the changes in James''s expression. After what it seemed like ages, James finally spoke up. "Leave!" he simply said to dismiss his underlings using his stern authoritative voice. Everyone was dumbstruck after hearing his order. They couldn''t believe what he had just said. Everyone looked at him confusedly, unmoving in their spots. "But Boss-" It was Spike who first spoke up his protest but James cut him off immediately. "I said LEAVE." he shouted angrily. "All of you, leave! Don''t make me repeat my words." James firmly said. Even though they were reluctant to leave, they had no choice but to follow and obey their superior''s order. Even Black Shadow didn''t expect this turn of events. ''Why is it Catseye and James look like they knew each other? But how?'' Black Shadow wondered as he watched James''s men left the room. "I have to stay in order to protect you. Don''t worry I won''t disturb your talk with her. Just treat me as an invisible man." Black Shadow explained as he met James''s gaze. After that he moved at the corner and leisurely leaned on the wall. When James and Black Shadow were the only ones who remained standing before her, Elle removed her hood and her mask, revealing her face to James. "Now, let''s talk before you try to kill me and give me an ugly death." Elle sneered at him. James looked at her lovely face. He took it very hard when this ugly truth unfolded in front of him. The woman he liked was Catseye. What kind of bad joke is this? He felt disgusted with himself knowing that he took a fancy with the woman who murdered his father. This shocking revelation was too much for him. He felt resentment and hatred. His pride and ego had been wounded as it seemed like Elle made a fool out of himself. However, in a brief moment, James succeeded to cork up his feelings, hiding his true emotions as he faced her with his now expressionless front. "Who ordered you to kill my father?" James asked her directly. James became more serious. "Dark Knight Organization. They paid fifty billion for your father''s head." Elle answered him truthfully. James clenched his fists as he gritted his teeth. He was controlling his rage. He was supposed to feel only hatred and anger towards Elle but how come aside from that he could still feel other emotions? He was hell-bent to punish her and get his revenge just a while ago but now he didn''t know anymore what he should do about Elle. Can he really hurt her? Can he torture her just like what he had said to her? Will he still be enthusiastic and excited to kill her? After a few seconds of silence, suddenly James asked her "Does Chief Detective Lee know about your true identity?" Elle was taken aback by that question. She didn''t answer him but her expression alone was enough for him to get the answer that he wanted. Chapter 206 - Make Use of the Favor Elle failed to hide her troubled expression at the mention of Erick''s name. Now that her identity was revealed to James, she didn''t know how long she could still hide it from Erick. Even if she could successfully escape here tonight she could not guarantee that James wouldn''t reveal her identity to the police authorities most especially to Erick. The deafening silence that followed after James asked her the question was broken by a ripple of smothered laughter that bubbled up in the room. James''s laughter was dry and filled with mockery. "Oh, so the detective had no idea that he proposed to a girl who he is supposed to catch. Wow, the self-righteous detective fell in love with a criminal who is a killer assassin." James mocked her in disdain. "You deceived us all. I wonder how he will react if he finds out about this," he added. James just rubbed salt in her wound. He was attacking her with his words cruelly by using Erick. She could not deny the fact that she was truly affected by this. This was one of her weaknesses. But this was not the time to talk about her personal life. She clenched her fists. She must not show her enemies how important Erick is to her, or else just like Charles, he would become their target just to go against her. In an instant, Elle was able to mask her emotions as she stared at him coldly with a stern face. "I didn''t ask you to have a good talk just to bring up my personal relationship with that detective. That detective is just like a chess piece in my game." There was a sneer across her lips. James was taken aback by her answer. He didn''t expect her to say that. Should he be glad to hear that coming from her? Meanwhile, Black Shadow who was just listening on the side just raised his brows as his curiosity was piqued by their conversation. He could see through her lies. Then a smirk formed in his face. ''So that explained everything. I guess that detective they are referring to was the one who caught me and was shot by Reaper. Catseye had a close relationship with him that''s why she killed Reaper as her revenge.'' "Chess piece my a*s!" Black Shadow mumbled to himself. Seeing that James fell silent, Elle didn''t want to beat around the bush anymore as she said: "I saved your life before. I hope you can honor your words and fulfill the favor I will ask you. Will you hear me out?" She told him that in a cold voice however, she looked at him with her pleading eyes. James was rendered speechless as he met her gaze. Elle''s decision of saving James before and making him be indebted to her, she would make use of that favor now. That one was her trump card and only hope in this tricky situation. James was having conflicting emotions at this moment then a certain conversation with Elle popped up in his mind. { "By the way, if you need help just tell me. Besides, I still owe you one favor, for saving me." James said. } { "Don''t worry, I will tell you once I needed you to return that favor to me," Elle assured him. } "Heh, why should I do that?" A smug smile appeared on his handsome face as he looked at her with ridicule in his eyes. Elle didn''t respond to him, instead, she was just silently staring at him with her imploring eyes, not breaking their eye contact. Her stare had a certain power that could move James''s heart. He was the one who looked away first. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest. He ground his teeth as he cursed himself inwardly. ''Why is it she could easily affect my feelings? She is my father''s murderer. For goodness'' sake James, have a grip of yourself.'' he thought, feeling so helpless. Seconds later, James sighed deeply as he said: "What is it that you want?" Elle''s face brightened up after hearing his words. James saw it- her hopeful look. Now, he couldn''t take his eyes off her. "Save his life. Please send him to the hospital right now. I am the one who you really want. He already suffered a lot because of me." Elle turned to Charles, her face was painted with concerns and worries. James and Black Shadow were both startled. They thought she would ask James to let her go but instead, she asked him to save her middleman. Black Shadow didn''t expect her to care about someone. He believed that Catseye was ruthless and vicious who only cares about herself but he was mistaken. James, although surprised but he was satisfied with her request. It was better than asking him to release her because this time he had no plan of letting her go, either because of personal grudge or some other personal reasons. Then James picked up his phone as he dialed Spike''s number. It was answered right away. "Come inside." James simply said before he hung up. It did not take long when the door was opened and Spike''s broad figure greeted their sights. "Order some men to send this guy to the nearest hospital asap," James told him. Spike was dumbstruck upon hearing that but in the end, he obeyed his order. He walked towards the unconscious Charles and he carried him. When they were already outside the room, Elle heard Spike give his order to bring Charles in the hospital immediately. Elle heaved a sigh of relief. She still believed in James that he would honor his own words. Now, what she needed to do was to leave this place and return to her home where her husband was waiting for her. She needed to go back before he finds out that she had left the house. She was thinking about how she would handle things after this. When Elle was not paying attention, Black Shadow grabbed that chance to apprehend her. Distructed by her own thoughts, Elle failed to notice Black Shadow who already charged in and restrained her by grabbing her tightly from behind while pointing a dagger on her neck. She let her guard down the moment James fulfilled her request. That was her mistake. Spike also entered the room again. Black Shadow signaled him to come over and take Elle''s weapons. He complied immediately. However, when he was about to do a body search on her, a large hand stopped Spike. James was the one who did it as he searched and removed Elle''s daggers and weapons hidden on her clothes and around her body. After that, James stood up in front of her while Black Shadow was holding her in place from behind. With a frosty look on his face, James held Elle''s chin tightly meeting her dark alluring eyes. "You will never leave this place unless you will follow my orders and the things that I want. Your life is in my hands now." James emphasized his words. His gaze was so fierce as he threatened her. ''Elle, you are mine now.'' He thought to himself as he smiled coldly at her before he turned around. "Detain her to the room next to my office," he ordered Black Shadow and Spike. Spike and Black Shadow looked at him confusedly with the same questions in mind. ''Aren''t they supposed to torture her in this dungeon? This place is suited for her, why is it they need to bring her to a room next to his office?'' They noticed the changes in the attitude of James towards Catseye. They couldn''t understand him. They didn''t know what James was thinking at this moment. He was behaving so weirdly. What James is planning to do with Catseye now? James was about to leave the room when Elle spoke up again in a demanding tone. "Let me go now," she said firmly, causing James to halt in his step. He turned around to look at her. "You already used the favor I gave you. You have no right to ask me that now," he said to her amusedly. A dashing smile flashed across her beautiful face. Elle was not worried at all. She was staring at him with full confidence that made Spike and James furrowed their brows. "I am not asking you nor requesting you. I am negotiating with you right now. Release me if you don''t want anything to happen to your beloved sister, Selena." Black Shadow was laughing inwardly. He was amazed by Catseye. She still had something up her sleeve. ''Having a secret advantage that she can still utilize at any given time when she badly needed it. Very commendable.'' He thought to himself. Catseye really lived up to her reputation. "Lady Selena?" Spike blurted out in shock, deep concern was written all over his face. Hearing her words, James''s eyes were filled with anger. His face had a gloomy expression that was dark as charcoal. He was about to say something when he stopped midway as he saw Spike suddenly hit Elle on her face. It was hard enough to make the corner of her lips bleed from the impact. "What did you do to Lady Selena?!!" Spike exclaimed as he tugged Elle at her collar. His bloodshot eyes glared at her as if he was ready to kill her. "SPIKE! STOP!" James shouted angrily at Spike, bringing him back to his cool after losing his control because of rage. With his trembling hands, he released Elle out of his tight grasp. Chapter 207 - Escape Route After hearing Elle''s threat against him using his sister, Selena, James should show her no sympathy at all. He should be as hard as nails when facing her with a brave front. However, seeing Elle got hit like that by Spike in front of him, he couldn''t help but feel a tinge of pain and fury in his heart. James realized that he still had a soft spot for her and he hated it. With his grim expression, James signaled Spike to step back. Feeling reluctant and guilty at the same time, Spike distanced himself away from Elle. He didn''t dare to look at James''s eyes which ablaze with anger. He knew that James was unhappy with his action. Sensing the awkward atmosphere around the room, Black Shadow just continued to keep quiet while restraining Elle. He knew it was a hard hit but the girl before him never made any sound as if she didn''t feel any pain at all. Elle was very composed as if she was in control of everything. With her emotionless expression, she just stood up silently, not even struggling from his grasp. Black Shadow felt like he was getting tired by just standing while holding her in place. Not able to suppress himself, Black Shadow made some remarks to lessen the tension. "Hey, that''s definitely a hard hit. I know it hurts, right? Don''t pretend that you didn''t feel the pain. Do you want me to wipe the blood for you?" Black Shadow said to Elle, just making fun of the situation. Elle rolled her eyes after hearing Black Shadow''s remarks. She stomped her feet thus hitting Black Shadow''s foot. "Ouch!" he reflexively grunted. "Now, that''s what you call pain. You felt it, right?" Elle mimicked the way on how he said his last words. Black Shadow had the urge to laugh but meeting James''s cold glare, he quickly kept his mouth shut and just feigned ignorance. James averted his gaze back to Elle. With his unreadable expression, he looked at her swollen face and the blood in the left corner of her lips. He had the urge to touch her face and wipe away the blood for her but he immediately rejected that thought as he looked away. He picked up his phone and dialed Selena''s number. She was not picking up. After several failed attempts, he gave up. He then called their telephone number at home. After a few rings, his call was answered by their Butler. "Go and check Selena if she is in her room right now!" James ordered the butler with his stern voice. Elle sighed deeply before she spoke up. "You didn''t believe me? Do you think I am just bluffing?" James ignored her as he waited for their butler''s report. Seeing his reaction, Elle just shook her head. Then she angled her head to speak with Black Shadow. "Hey! Can you let go of me already? You''re too close to me. It''s kind of annoying. Urgh." Elle whispered to him as she complained. Black Shadow just looked at her with disbelief. "Who are you to order me around?You are the prisoner here, did you forget that? You have no right to complain." he said in a low voice. Elle moved her head backward hitting Black Shadow''s face. She smirked after she heard him groaning in pain. Black Shadow cursed her under his breath. Elle ignored him as she fixed her attention back to James. "James stop that already. I will show you the proof that I caught Selena. Don''t worry I am a woman of my words. Just let me go and nothing will happen to her. I will not hurt her. I promise." Elle was trying to convince him. She had no time. She wanted to go home as soon as possible. Spike looked daggers at her. He really wanted to torture and hurt her as of this moment. He was worried about Selena. After a few minutes of waiting, James confirmed that Selena was not at home. Elle really abducted her. James gritted his teeth. Elle was trying to get her freedom from him using his sister, Selena. ''Do you really think you can escape in my grasp, Elle?'' With his stern cold voice, he asked her: "Where is my sister?" "Get my phone. My password is 0296. Go to LiveVideo App and click it then you will see her." Elle simply gave him the instruction. James picked up her phone. He got it from her pocket just a while ago when he did a body search on her. James paused for a moment when he saw her screen. There were several miscalls coming from one number. A light flashed on his eyes and a smirk made its way on his stern face. He knew the person who was calling Elle. It was him- the Detective. She did not know that Erick already learned about her disappearance and now he was currently searching for her. James gave Elle a meaningful glance as he already came up with a wonderful plan in mind. He felt bitter every time he would remember the scene he witnessed at the Cafe when Erick proposed to Elle. After gathering his thoughts, he clicked the app and he saw Selena. She was blindfolded and being tied down on a chair. James''s eyes widened when he saw the thing which was attached to Selena''s body. "A time bomb!?" James suddenly blurted out that caught the attention of Black Shadow and Spike. From his expression, Elle knew that he finally saw Selena''s situation. This was the precautionary measure that Elle was referring to before she infiltrated the Skull Gang''s Headquarters. She just used the same strategy against them and gave them a taste of their own medicine. They caught Charles to threaten her and now she used Selena in exchange. She was sure about the trap she would be facing once she stepped inside their headquarters that''s why she made a preparation. An hour and a half ago, she abducted Selena at her own house. She knew that Skull Gang were focused on capturing her and waiting for her at the headquarters, leaving a few guards on Selena''s end. Confident that they would easily succeed in capturing her, they didn''t anticipate Elle to resort to this plan. She brought the unconscious Selena in an abandoned warehouse at the outskirt of City Z. Thinking about the time she should be back at home, she came up with an idea of putting a time bomb to pressure James just in case a negotiation would be necessary. She had no plan of hurting her but she just needed an escape route and that was Selena, James''s beloved sister. On the other hand, James was so determined not to let go of Elle no matter what. He was thinking about how he could save Selena and not letting Elle get away from him at the same time. James sneered at her "Did you forget that your accomplice''s life is still in danger? I don''t want to do this Elle, but you leave me with no choice." "What are you planning to do? Are you backing out with your words! I shouldn''t have trusted you, James Arison!" Elle said to him through gritted teeth. "Relax. I am not backing out with my words. I will still let him be treated in the hospital. That''s what you asked me for and I clearly fulfilled it. But I won''t promise to keep him safe and alive after this, especially if anything happens to my sister." James said with contempt. "Release my sister now and I will not touch even a single strand of hair of your accomplice," he added as he smiled coldly at her. "It looks like you are out of moves now, Catseye. What will you do? Checkmate!" Black Shadow commented, mocking her. However, just seconds after saying that, Elle''s giggle bubbled up in the entire room. The three men were giving her a strange look. ''Why is she laughing? Had she gone mad? She couldn''t accept the fact that she lost the game already.'' "I knew it. You will still use Charles to threaten me. Do you think I am a fool, not thinking of that possibility?" Elle said with her amused tone. Just seconds after Elle said that they heard several knocking sounds outside the door. "Boss! Boss! We have something to report!" A man said in his panicked voice. James signaled Spike to let the man in. After entering the room, the man didn''t waste any more time and told them everything. "Our men who were supposed to send our prisoner to the hospital got attacked by an unknown group of men right after their car left the main gate. Three of our men died in the encounter. And they got our prisoner. They escaped the scene quickly." The man said spontaneously, not daring to look at James''s eyes. "Hmm¡­ I think the game is not yet over." Elle said to them, a taunting smile appeared on her beautiful face. The three men were all astonished. Catseye was not working alone. She got some helpers. She really came well-prepared. At first, she looked like a trapped sheep but now, they didn''t know who really had the advantage and the upper hand. Those helpers were the henchmen of Phantom who also helped them before in punishing Carlo Vello and Diego de Dios. Since Phantom was not around, he ordered his henchmen to assist and support Elle with this rescue mission. Elle talked to them about her initial plan. But she only gave them one important job and that was to secure and save Charles. Then she would do the rest. ''They are very reliable and efficient. As expected to Master Phantom''s trusted men.'' she thought to herself as she heaved another sigh of relief. Now, she did not need to worry about Charles anymore. Chapter 208 - SET UP With the current situation, James had no choice but to negotiate with Elle. As much as he wanted to control Elle in his hands but he couldn''t do it since Selena''s life was on the line. "You win. Release my sister and I will let you go. Don''t you ever hurt her! Now, tell me where she is." Elle put on a satisfied smile after hearing James''s statement. "Alright, I will not hurt her." she simply said before she turned to Black Shadow. "I think you should release me now." she sneered at him. Receiving the go signal from James, Black Shadow released Elle from his grip. He stepped back to give her the distance she wanted. Elle was about to walk towards the door when she felt a hand grabbing her elbow. She gazed up only to see James''s face covered with a dark expression. "Where do you think you are going? You will come with me. Bring us to Selena. Disarm the bomb in front of us." He said to her in his serious tone. Elle paused for a moment. After much thought and careful consideration, she agreed to James''s proposal. She sighed in defeat before she said: "Okay. I will bring you to her. But who''s coming with us?" "Don''t worry. I am not planning to bring my men, only Spike and Black Shadow will tag along with us, just in case you try to deceive me. Anyway, you have my words. Once I ensure that she is safe. I will not harm you and I will let you leave." Elle could sense the sincerity in his voice. James was not lying and she was sure about that. "Ok¡­ give me your key. I will be the one to drive." She smiled at him. She was really in a good mood. James was taken aback seeing her acting like that. Even though she was wearing her assassin clothes, however, the person he was seeing right now was Elle, not Catseye who was known as the cold-blooded, vicious, and ruthless assassin. Noticing that James was in a trance, Elle nudged him to get his attention back. She extended his hand, asking him to give her the car key. With that, James was pulled out in the daze and he gave her the key. Elle gladly accepted it. Then, she wiped away the blood on her lips using her hands before she put back her mask. "Oh, can I have my weapons back also?" Elle asked them while her eyes sparkled in delight. "No. I will give it back once we arrive at Selena''s location." James firmly said to her. "Okay, fine." Elle just shrugged at him. James averted his gaze to Black Shadow. "You can go ahead first. My car is in the garage. Accompany her and wait for us." Black Shadow just nodded in agreement. Then he followed as he ordered. He and Elle left the room first, leaving Spike and James alone. When the two assassins were already gone, James faced Spike. When he gazed up, James''s gloomy and fierce expression greeted his sight. It did not take long when a slapping sound could be heard inside the room. Pak! James also hit Spike on his face. He was rendered speechless with that action. He didn''t see it coming. He froze on his spot just like a statue. He didn''t dare to look at James. "Who gives you the right to hit her? Did you receive an order from me? You acted on your own, disrespecting me! I know you are just worried about Selena but you stepped out of the line this time." James said with his stern cold voice. Spike just bowed his head, feeling regretful for making James''s mad and upset about him. "I am sorry Boss. This will not happen again." Spike said to him as he apologized. After a few seconds of silence, James spoke up again. "Forget it. It''s good that you admitted your mistake. Don''t act recklessly again without my order. I am the only one who has the right to hurt her. Is that clear?" Spike nodded at him. "Yes, Boss. I understand." Then James told Spike to carry Elle''s weapons. But before they left the room, James gave Spike an order. "Call Chief Detective Lee now. You can see his number on Catseye''s phone. Tell him that Catseye abducted Selena and we need his help to rescue her. Tell him that you are on the way to meet Catseye for negotiation and you will update him about the location." "Noted Boss," Spike said obediently before he followed his command. A wicked smirk appeared on James''s handsome face before he turned around and left the room. ''If I can''t have you now, Elle, then I will make Erick hate you for deceiving him. I wonder if he will still love you after knowing that you are Catseye.'' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Erick''s Place *** Meanwhile, Erick was still anxiously waiting for Rose''s call. He couldn''t stop thinking about Elle. He was both nervous and frightened. Finally, after a few minutes of waiting, Rose called him back. "Chief, I''ve done tracking the number you gave me. I will send, and transfer it to your phone right now. The GPS locator will give you the exact location of that person. Don''t worry, you can see the signal and follow that person even if he or she started to move from one place to another." "Thank you so much for this, Rose. Sorry for troubling you at this hour. This is an emergency. I don''t have time to explain it to you but I really appreciate your great help." Erick thanked her. "No worries Chief. I am glad I was able to help you. Ok. I already sent it to your phone." Rose didn''t ask him further. It was seldom for their Chief to ask for a favor. So she didn''t think that he was troubling her. She was happy to fulfill his request. After saying goodbye at Rose, Erick immediately checked the thing that Rose had sent him. It was the GPS locator. He could see the red light blinking on the screen with the corresponding map and location. He didn''t waste any more time. He put on his jacket, grabbed his gun, and picked up his car key. In a brief moment, he was already inside his car, starting its engine. He had just left the house when he received a call from an unregistered number. He answered it and put on the speaker. "Hello." "Hello, Chief Lee. This is the assistant of James Arison. Sorry for calling you at this hour. We badly need your help. Catseye kidnapped Lady Selena!" Spike said to him spontaneously. Erick was shocked after hearing his words. "What?! Catseye kidnap Selena?" he asked him again. He couldn''t believe what he had just heard. "Yes, Chief Lee. We are on the way to meet Catseye to do the negotiation with her. She told us not to inform the police so we did as she said. And now, we didn''t know what to do. My boss is in doubt if Catseye will release lady Selena even after the negotiation. So he told me to call you and ask for your help." Erick''s eyes widened in disbelief. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Ok, I understand. Update me. I''m coming." Erick simply replied to him. "Ok Chief Lee. I will send you the location once we arrive there. Please come as soon as possible. Please save Lady Selena." Spike sounded really convincing. There was panic in his voice. Unknown to them, Erick was already on his way as he followed Elle''s location. Erick was now having conflicting thoughts. "Elle, what''s happening? Why are you doing this? Why are you targeting the Arison Family?!" Erick couldn''t help himself but wonder. A moment ago, they were just celebrating the night as husband and wife. And right after he woke up, suddenly things like these were happening. He was about to go mad, racking his brain as he was thinking of the possible reasons why Elle suddenly did this. And what about Black Shadow? Is he also going to meet her also? ''F*ck! I didn''t know what to think now. Elle, please be safe¡­ and don''t do something reckless. Please don''t hurt Selena.'' Erick was silently hoping in his mind. It was still hard to accept that the woman he loved, his wife was capable of doing this. He was just hoping that nothing bad would happen to both of them: Elle and Selena. Chapter 209 - Face to Face As what they had agreed just a while ago, Elle and James, together with Black Shadow and Spike headed to the abandoned warehouse where Selena was held captive by Elle. Elle was the one driving, beside her, James was sitting on the passenger''s seat while the other two men were sitting at the back. The drive to the warehouse was silent. No one spoke among them. Elle stepped on the gas, speeding. She wanted to finish this once and for all. Near the warehouse, Elle left one of her cars. She was glad she did it. Now she would use it to leave the area afterward. Meanwhile, her motorcycle remained in the area near the Skull Gang''s Headquarters. She didn''t need to care about it since she could just dispose of it afterward then buy a new one. Since the three men had already seen her face, she didn''t need to wear her mask that''s why she removed it to make her feel more comfortable. Elle was now more at ease but she didn''t lower her guard down unlike before. While they were on the journey, she sometimes stole glances to observe James. He was usually quiet on his seat but his mood looked better now and she wondered why. His expression was still unreadable. ''I wonder what is he thinking at this moment? He looks so calm and composed. I have a bad feeling about this.'' She thought to herself. James had sensed that someone was staring at him so he turned to his side only to see Elle''s beautiful face who was frowning while looking at him intently. If this just happened before then he would already tease her saying ''What? Are you done admiring my handsome features? As much as I want you to look at me for hours but for now you should fix your eyes on the road. You are the one driving!'' However, at this moment, he couldn''t do that anymore. Besides, the person beside him was still the person who killed their father. "Eyes on the road." he simply said to her as he looked away. He leaned back and decided to close his eyes. He was still having conflicting emotions. It was really driving him nuts right now. Elle just raised her brows before she averted her gaze back on the road. She didn''t expect that James would catch her looking at him. ''Elle¡­ why? Why it has to be you? I wish this is just a dream, a bad dream.'' On the other hand, Black Shadow noticed the swollen face of Spike. He hadn''t said anything but he already guessed what happened between the two men the moment they left them in the room. He had the urge to laugh but he was able to restrain himself from doing it. He looked at the two persons in front. Just being a spectator on the side tonight, Black Shadow could already conclude something. James and Catseye already knew each other and from what he just heard a while ago, the two of them became friends. He smirked when he realized something. ''I think James Arison had feelings for Catseye. That could explain his change of attitude towards her the moment he saw her face. Hahaha, poor guy! I already warned him before not to fall for her but it looks like he already did. He had really eaten his words back then.'' He remembered what James said to him before that he would never fall in love with the woman who killed his father. Black Shadow just shook his head in amus.e.m.e.nt. After the thirty minutes drive, they arrived at the location. When they got off the car, the three men were a little bit surprised when they saw the place. It looked very familiar to them. Seeing their surprised expressions, Elle chuckled before speaking to them. "Feeling nostalgic? This is the place where you set me up before and lured me to a trap, resulting in the discovery of my identity by Black Shadow." "It''s my pleasure." Black Shadow said to her, feeling proud and delighted. Elle rolled her eyes as she ignored Black Shadow''s remarks. She handed back the car key to James. He accepted it. "Now, give me back my belongings," she said to them with her demanding tone. James complied as he gave her all her weapons. "My phone also," she added. After receiving all her belongings, Elle smiled cheerfully. "Alright, all of you must stay here as I disarmed the bomb," Elle said to them in a manner that she won''t take no for an answer. The three men just frowned after that. Spike was about to complain when James gave him a warning look. In the end, he just kept his words on his mind. "By the way, don''t let anyone know about my identity, or else I will reveal to the public that Arison Family is the one managing the Skull Gang." Elle threatened James. James just looked at her seriously and he didn''t say anything. Then Elle turned to Black Shadow. "We will settle our score but not now Black. If you want to get your revenge about Reaper''s death, then let''s face each other next time." Elle directly said to him. "I can kill you right now. But since I am working under him at this moment and haven''t received any order to kill you then I will let you get away for now." Black Shadow responded to her with a sneer. James shot him a sharp glare when he heard the words ''I can kill you right now.'' And Black Shadow just grinned and shrugged at him. Ignoring Black Shadow once again, Elle left them as she walked inside the abandoned warehouse where she left the unconscious Selena. When Elle disappeared from their sights, James talked to Black Shadow and Spike as he gave them his order. He was planning something. The two men just nodded after, understanding what he wanted to do. After a few minutes, Elle started to disarm the bomb on Selena''s body. She was engrossed with what she was doing when she heard footsteps coming to her direction. ''Haist. They didn''t really know how to listen to my words.'' she thought to herself, feeling a little bit annoyed. Then she stopped what she was doing and stood up while saying: "I told you to wait outside! Why, you didn''t listen to me at all? It''s just a simple instruction but you don''t know how to follow!" She exclaimed as she turned around to face the person who just arrived. "Elle¡­" that''s the word she heard the moment she faced the newcomer. The moment she recognized the person in front of her, Elle froze on her spot, utterly astounded. She was really shocked beyond belief. That person was the least she expected to see at that moment. She lost the ability to speak but her mind was screaming his name. ''ERICK!'' Her reaction was the same as the reaction of Erick. They just stared at each other with mixed emotions flashed on their faces. Erick was standing five meters away from her. She saw him averted his gaze to the person beside her. It was Selena. Then he moved his eyes back to her face as he gave her a questioning look. Chapter 210 - Stir A Conflict Between Them Elle saw him averted his gaze to the person beside her. It was Selena. Then he moved his eyes back to her face as he gave her a questioning look. Series of emotions could be seen in Erick''s eyes: disbelief, worry, relief, and hurt. He had mixed emotions and Elle could not guess what was going on in his mind by just looking at the expression on his face. ''It''s over!'' Those two words were stuck in her mind. She felt like she was hanging on the edge of a very steep cliff, ready to fall at any moment. Her heartbeat seemed too loud in her ears. Fears and worries were written all over her pale strained face. ''He caught me red-handed. There''s no way I can escape this. No lies¡­ no alibis could help me cover this up.'' At that moment, her mind was filled with troubling thoughts. She wanted to run away and disappeared from his sight right away. She was not yet ready¡­ she was not yet prepared for this confrontation. Elle could not help but take a step back, getting ready to run away from the man in front of her. ''This is what I am afraid of. Erick, why did you come here? Why?!'' she couldn''t utter any words but she was screaming in her mind. On the other hand, Erick was still having a hard time accepting the truth unfolding before him. He saw Elle wearing all black which seemed to be her assassin clothes. She was holding a dagger on her left hand and a gun was stuck in her waist. D*mn! She looked very fierce and alluring with her get-up; a goddamn gorgeous! But that was not the point. ^^, Beside her was the blindfolded Selena, who was unconscious and being tied down on the chair. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask Elle as he looked straight in her eyes. He felt very desperate. He was trying his best to balance his role as a man of justice and as a husband of the woman in front of him. Even he was asking himself right now, how he was supposed to act? What should he do? He was put in the boundary between love and duty. This was the most difficult time he had ever experienced in his life so far. However, the moment he saw Elle took a step backward, he felt alarmed. The troubled expression in her face gave him the idea of what she was thinking right now. He remembered her message written in her goodbye letter. ''Will she try to leave me again?'' And finally, Erick found his voice to speak up. "Stop, Elle! Just stay there. Don''t you ever try to run away from me again!" He was pleading. His voice was firm but soft at the same time. With that, as if Elle''s body had a mind of its own, she stopped after hearing Erick''s voice. Though confused about what he meant by saying that, Elle remained still on her spot, unmoving. When Elle was about to loosen up a little bit and regain her composure, from a distance, she saw a figure at the back of Erick. The familiar sinister smile of Black Shadow greeted her sight. Elle''s eyes widened in panic as she saw him, pointing his gun at Erick. Her face darkened, hostility, and fury was reflected in her dark eyes. With no time to warn Erick, Elle immediately picked up her gun. On the other hand, Erick noticed a sudden change in Elle''s expression. When he saw her holding her gun, his mind was put in chaos. "Elle, No!" Erick''s scream echoed inside the abandoned warehouse and it was followed by the sound of a gunshot. Bang! Thud! A gun was dropped on the ground. Then the surroundings were engulfed by a deafening silence. James and Spike who were just watching from the sideline were both startled for a moment as they witnessed the whole scene. Black Shadow was utterly surprised as well. Seconds later, after James recovered from the shock, a satisfied grin appeared on his face as he was happy with the outcome of this event. He was enjoying a drama with a tragic ending. But the actor and the actress were not enjoying this drama at all. All you could see was their pain. Then they heard another sound of a gun dropping on the ground. "W-What¡­ I-I have done?" Erick mumbled. Then he called her name. "Elle¡­?" Elle didn''t say a word, not even take a glance at him. She was looking down at her feet, watching the blood dripping on the ground, coming from her hand. She didn''t feel the pain of her wounded arm, but she felt the pain in her heart. Her arm was wounded but it was her heart that was hurt and aching right now. Seeing the smile on James''s face, her mind slowly grasped the situation. She smiled bitterly at herself. ''Yeah. Game over! James, you win! You planned it well. The moment Erick arrived here, I lost already.'' Without responding to Erick''s call, Elle used her remaining strength to move her feet, turn around and run away from that place without even looking back. She needed to leave. She couldn''t afford to shed her tears in front of those men. Erick felt like he was down in the dumps seeing Elle run away from him just like that. At that moment, he couldn''t move his feet to chase after her after what he had done. He hurt her. He shot her. His mind had no time to react as his body just acted on impulse. He didn''t know what Elle was going to do when he saw her eyes burning with fury as she picked up her gun. He thought she was going to shoot Selena, that''s the reason why he shot her arm which was holding the gun. Despite his feelings for her, deep down his consciousness he still thought of her as an enemy, someone who was capable of killing somebody. He had no intention of hurting her, he was aiming for the gun but accidentally her arm got hit in the process. He was afraid at the moment. He didn''t want to see Elle hurting someone and in the end, he was the one who hurt her. He regretted it so much. He could not accept the fact that he really shot her. He broke his promise. He said he would protect her but he did the other way around. His heart sank. He felt that every ounce of his energy was drained. He felt like his heart was dead as he gazed into the direction where Elle had disappeared from his sight. There was despair in his eyes. He looked like he was about to go mad. With tears in his eyes and face covered with pain and regrets, he shouted her name. He felt like sharp and heavy objects were stuffed into his heart, making it all broken and bloody. It hurt so bad that he felt it was torn apart. Then he heard a voice at the back of his mind. ''Erick, what are you waiting for? Run after her! Follow her or else you will lose her forever and this time, she might not return nor stay to your side.'' As Erick found his courage, he immediately ran to chase after her. However, James wouldn''t allow that to happen. Just by watching Erick''s reaction, James could see that Erick still cared about Elle and he didn''t see any hatred at all. If he let him catch her, then his plan would be ruined. So James turned to Spike as he gave his command to stop Erick. Spike just nodded at him before he followed Erick. Meanwhile, Black Shadow already disappeared inside the warehouse. When he was done with his assigned task, he left the place. Outside the warehouse, Spike was able to catch up with Erick. When he closed the distance between them, he quickly grabbed Erick to stop him. "Chief Lee! Where are you going? Please come back inside. The bomb! There was a bomb attached to Lady Selena''s body. We need your help." Spike said to him, trying his best to convince Erick to return and forget about chasing Catseye. Erick paused for a moment after hearing that. His gaze moved back and forth between the vanishing figure of Elle and the warehouse where Selena was being tied down with a bomb attached to her body. Erick cursed inwardly as he tugged his hair. He was put in a dilemma. Seeing that Erick was still undecided about what he should do, Spike spoke again. "Chief Lee, please! There''s no time left. Lady Selena''s life is in danger! The bomb will explode if we will not do something. We must hurry and disarm the bomb." After saying that, Spike finally convinced Erick to return inside the warehouse. After all, someone''s life was on the line. With a disheartened expression, Erick followed Spike behind as they went back to the warehouse. ''Elle¡­ I will find you no matter what. Just wait for me. We need to talk and sort our problem together.'' he promised to himself. Meanwhile, Elle already reached the location of her car. She went inside and leaned back with her eyes closed. She was trying to calm herself down. This incident exhausted her physically, mentally, and emotionally. "D*mn you, Elle! You are running away again like a scared cat," she mumbled to herself. She was not blaming Erick. All of this was a grand scheme to stir a conflict between Erick and her which was planned by James. Despite everything, she felt relieved that nothing bad happened to Erick. However, it would be a lie if she would say that she didn''t feel heartbroken at all. After all, he shot her because he somehow doubted her and that was a painful truth. She sighed deeply while looking at the direction of the warehouse. She started the car and she was about to leave the place when she heard a knock on her car window. She gritted her teeth the moment she saw that person, and with her bloodshot eyes, she glared daggers at him. Chapter 211 - A Talk between the Two Assassins Elle couldn''t help herself but tighten her grip on the steering wheel while giving Black Shadow a dangerous glare. He was grinning from ear to ear as he stared at Elle who looked like she was ready to strangle him to death at any moment. He signaled her to open her car window since there''s something he wanted to tell her. With annoyance, Elle lowered her window, half-opened. "I thought you don''t want to fight me for now. Did you change your mind, Catseye?" Black Shadow said when he noticed her frightening look. There was a hint of provocation in his tone. "What. Do. You. Want?" Elle said to him through gritted teeth. Black Shadow chuckled before he spoke again. "Let''s talk!" He said. It did not sound like a request but more likely a command. Elle''s eyebrows arched in a manner that showed her irritation which seemed to tell him ''I hear a ridiculous joke. Are you kidding me? Why should I?'' "Go away! Before I change my mind and just kill you right here, right now. Don''t waste my time." Elle said to him before she rolled up her window, dismissing Black Shadow. But Black Shadow was very persistent as he opened her car door at the back passenger seat then entered the car quickly. Elle cursed inwardly as she looked at him with disbelief. She didn''t lock the car and now Black Shadow was leisurely sitting at the back. "Let''s go somewhere. The detective will come here at any moment to catch you. Do you want that?" Black Shadow continued to piss her off. "Oh anyway. Do you want me to drive? I don''t think you can manage to drive at times like this, your arm is hurting and bleeding. I will be your driver for a while. I will give you a hand to escape here." he mocked her but he offered her help at the same time. Elle was taken aback as she realized that Black Shadow was right. She was not in good condition to drive with an injured arm. She sighed in frustration before she stepped out of the car and opened her car door at the back passenger seat. The next thing she did was dragging Black Shadow out of her car. Unprepared, he fell on the ground after Elle pulled him harshly. Black Shadow cursed under his breath. ''D*mn! She still has that strength to drag me.'' "Go¡­ and Drive!" Elle commanded him with her authoritative voice before she sat down inside her car. Black Shadow stood up and brushed off the dirt on his clothes as he shook his head. After that, he hopped in at the driver''s seat. The two of them immediately left the place. After a few minutes of silence, Elle started to engage in a conversation with Black Shadow who was very focused on his driving. "Why are you doing this?" Elle asked him out of the blue. "Hmm, why are you asking me? Do you feel touched that your enemy is helping you?" he said, teasing Elle. Elle just sneered at him and said "No! I am just wondering if there is an ambush waiting for me at the end of this road." Black Shadow let out a soft chuckle after hearing her remarks. Even he was amused by himself why he was doing this. Did he approach her to satisfy himself as he watched this assassin in her sorry and miserable state? After all, Catseye was the person whom he wanted to defeat badly from the start. Then after a while, Black Shadow started to share his thoughts with Elle. "Actually, I felt disappointed in you. You are no longer the Catseye I knew. Those fierce, ruthless, and fearless eyes of yours which void of any emotions was long gone. Now, you just look like an empty shell of the vicious devilish assassin Catseye." Black Shadow sounded serious after saying that. The c.o.c.ky smile on his lips already disappeared. Elle could see his expression through the front view mirror. She didn''t speak as she stayed silent while listening to him. The incident that happened in the warehouse really affected her very much and she wanted to relieve her mind of those troubling thoughts even just for a while. And even though she didn''t want to admit, Black Shadow''s presence had helped her divert her attention away from those unpleasant memories. But the moment Black Shadow spoke another word of wisdom, he reminded her again of what she was trying to forget. He was intentionally rubbing salt to her wound. "I couldn''t believe seeing you so weak like this. All of these happened because you fell in love. The worst case, you fell in love with a detective who is also assigned to catch you." Black Shadow was clearly ridiculing her for falling in love. "What are you gonna do now? Surrender to him, for the sake of Love? Haha! Do you think you can fool me with your ''Chess piece'' thing." he added as he continued to rant at her. If just one stare could kill then Black Shadow would be dead already as Elle shot him a sharp cold stare. "Are you done talking? I guess you had set a high expectation on me just hearing your blabbering. But I don''t have an obligation to meet your expectations. Besides, from the very start, I don''t care about you but on the other hand, it seems like you always pay attention to me. Are you happy that you won? I concede¡­" ''Coz I feel like I am dying a thousand times tonight.'' she wanted to add but she just kept it in her mind. Black Shadow could not help but laugh out loud after sensing the furry and annoyance in her words. "Yeah. I definitely won. After tonight, I lose my interest in defeating you. You are not worthy of becoming my opponent anymore. You are really different from the Catseye who was feared by many. Are you a counterfeit of the devilish assassin?" He said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Elle became silent after that. Then something crossed her mind. ''What I want is to finish my revenge and live happily with Erick after. But all of these are just my wishful thinking. It is expected that I won''t be able to live an ordinary and peaceful life with my loved ones since from the beginning I made enemies everywhere and committed more crimes.'' ''Maybe, now it is the time to wake up from my beautiful dream and go back to my ugly reality. I am Catseye, the devilish assassin. I am a killer and nothing can change that fact. Nothing can wash away my sins. This is my reality.'' Black Shadow frowned when he took a peek at Catseye. She seemed lost in her deep thoughts. Then he cleared his throat to get her attention back. "Hey! penny for your thoughts." Black Shadow''s voice pulled her out of that deep thought. "Thank you for reminding me," Elle said to him with a cold smile flashed on her gloomy face. "Huh?" Black Shadow was a little bit confused with her statement. ''Catseye just thanked me for reminding her. Reminding her of what?'' "Nevermind!" she simply said. "Anyway¡­ when and where do you want to settle our score then?" Elle added. Black Shadow laughed again, feeling so amused with her. "I thought you already conceded your defeat. Do you still want to fight me? Are you confident that you can win against me in a fight?" Black Shadow looked at her with disbelief. "Well. If you will fight me fair and square without dragging someone close to me just to threaten me like what you did today." Elle said to him sarcastically. "Hmm, now you have a weakness. Tsk Tsk Tsk. You should really worry about that. You have a lot of enemies. I wonder what tragedy will be waiting for you and those people close to you once Azumi Twins learn about this." He mumbled in a low voice but Elle''s attention was caught when she heard about the Azumi Twins. "About that Azumi Twins. I knew that they were back. Assassin Guild is really determined to avenge your fallen brothers by sending the Azumi Twins to hunt me down." Elle said nonchalantly. "Oh, you heard me. Well, since I pity you then let me warn you my dear Catseye. Those twins are really capable. They are much more brutal than me. You see, I even offer you a hand and be your driver." Elle just rolled her eyes. She didn''t understand why Black Shadow was acting so friendly to her. "Kidding aside. Not only because of Assassin Guild but someone hired them to kill you. So be careful. Oh by the way, if you want to return the favor to me by being your driver now, can you give Kevin Azumi a good lesson if ever you will face him." Black Shadow shamelessly requested her. Elle just looked at him helplessly. Black Shadow really had thick skin. "So, you were saying that you don''t consider me as your opponent now and then asking me to teach someone a lesson. Why don''t you do that yourself? I could tell that you hold a grudge against him." "Haha if I could do that then why did I bother to ask you this. You already knew that a fight between members of Assassin Guild is forbidden." Black Shadow retorted. "Oh yeah! Your damn guild''s rule! I didn''t know that you are very obedient and a rule-abiding member of your guild. Hahaha!" Elle laughed dryly just to annoy him. "So¡­ is it a deal? I will stop fighting you now. Since you already admitted that I won. Regarding Reaper, I will just forget about that since I believe I already get my revenge. Haha! your expression just a while ago looks like you are already dying." he continued to tease her. "I think I changed my mind. I want to kill you now!" Elle picked up her dagger as she threatened him. "Haha! Chillax. I didn''t harm your man, remember? No need to be so worked up. Are you really that scared when I pointed the gun at your man?" ''Yes, I was!'' She thought to herself. Without hearing her response, Black Shadow spoke again. "I am curious how you will react when you see the detective in danger. You lied to James at the dungeon just to protect him, right? Then I confirmed my suspicion when you didn''t think twice and grabbed your gun at that instant. Too bad, the detective misunderstood your intention. I was really shocked when he shot you." "Black Shadow can you please shut up your blabbering mouth?! I want to rest, just drive, and drop me at Falcon Cafe." "Aye, Ma''am!" Elle didn''t talk further after that. She averted her gaze on the window. The surrounding was still dark. She sighed deeply as she wondered what was happening now at the warehouse. Chapter 212 - Regrets Meanwhile, at the abandoned warehouse, Erick and Spike were already back inside. They didn''t waste any more time as they both approached Selena. Then, they saw James who was already standing in front of his sister. He already removed her blindfold. It looked like Selena was drugged as she still remained unconscious. When Erick reached the siblings, he paused for a moment to meet James''s gaze. After nodding with each other, Erick examined the bomb which was attached to Selena''s body. A puzzled frown etched into his face as he saw the bomb was already deactivated. ''Who did it? I thought he called me because the time is running out and the bomb is about to explode.'' He gazed up to see James. He gave him a questioning look as if asking him if he was the one who deactivated the bomb. "The bomb just automatically stopped a while ago when I approached Selena." James lied to him. The truth was Elle already deactivated the bomb before she turned around to face Erick whom she thought was James. Spike had no idea that the bomb was already disarmed and purposely used it as an alibi to stop Erick from chasing Elle. He heaved a sigh of relief as Selena''s life was no longer in danger. Though he couldn''t believe it, Catseye remained true to her words that she won''t hurt Selena. Now, he understood that Catseye was really a clever woman. He thought they already cornered her but she was still able to escape from their grasp. But the good thing was James''s plan worked out in the end. He was able to reveal Catseye''s true identity to Chief Detective Lee. She also got hurt and looked miserable when she left the warehouse. And finally, they were able to find out who was the mastermind behind the assassination of Jorge Arison, the father of Selena and James. Now, he wondered what will be the next move of his boss, James. When the ''bomb thing'' was resolved, all of a sudden, Erick asked James and Spike. "Did you see Catseye? Did you meet her?" Erick asked the two men just to confirm if they saw Elle''s face and discovered her true identity. He didn''t know why but he was worried that Elle''s identity would not be hidden anymore. Though as a detective assigned to this case, he had an obligation to reveal her identity and he was supposed to catch her to make her pay for all her crimes. However, he felt the other way around. Despite the conflicting thoughts he had, deep inside, he still wanted to protect her and hide her identity from others. But, he wasn''t supposed to do that. This was against his morals as a detective, as a man of justice. He didn''t know what to think and what he should do anymore. And now, with his serious expression, he was anticipating James and Spike''s answer to his question. Spike and James looked at each other before one of them spoke up. "We didn''t see her," James replied to him that made Spike silently wonder why James pretended that he didn''t discover Catseye''s true identity. "We just arrived here a few moments ago. We heard a gunshot then we rushed here. When we entered, Spike saw you running so he came to follow you." James added. A few moments ago, James just finished giving his instruction to Black Shadow and Spike when they saw a car from a distance, coming to their location. James decided to hide at first. He already guessed that the person who was inside that car was detective Lee. He was surprised that Erick was able to get there in just a short period. They just sent him the location but suddenly he appeared on site. But still, he was glad that he came as early as this. It was the right timing for Erick to see Elle was inside together with Selena who played as the victim. When they saw Erick stepped out of his car and cautiously proceeded inside the warehouse, the three of them secretly followed him behind. Black Shadow''s action was able to help him in reaching the desired outcome of his plan. After that incident, it looked like he succeeded in stirring conflict between Erick and Elle. Even though he was happy with the outcome, James couldn''t stop himself from worrying about Elle as he saw her flee with her injured arm. Then he asked Black Shadow to follow Elle and make sure that she was just fine. Aside from James''s order, Black Shadow had the intention to follow Catseye since he also wanted to talk with her. As of this moment, Erick felt relieved after hearing James''s answer. Then after a few seconds, James returned his question to him. "How about you Chief Lee? Did you see her?" Erick was rendered speechless. He didn''t know what to say and what to reply. He was debating with himself whether to tell them the truth or lie. Then after much thought, he answered him. "Yes, I saw her. I saw Catseye." There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. James gave him a meaningful glance as his lips twitched, suppressing a smile. ''I knew it. You will still choose to be righteous and betray the one you love. I think your love for her is not that strong to accept her. You didn''t even think twice as you shot her a while ago.'' James was rejoicing but at the same time ridiculing Erick in his mind. However, Erick''s next words proved James''s assumption was wrong. "But¡­ I didn''t see her face. She was wearing a mask." Erick added as he lied also with them. James''s expression darkened as he knew that Erick was lying to them. However, he was able to conceal his displeasure. "Why did Catseye kidnap Selena? Do you know the reason?" Erick asked them again. James signaled Spike to untie Selena and remove the bomb which was wrapped around her body. Spike nodded as he followed his command. James was looking at Selena when he simply replied to Erick: "Money. Just because of the money. She asked us to give her a hundred million in exchange for Selena''s life." ''Money?! Just because of money?'' Erick repeated James''s words in his mind. Disbelief was written on his handsome face. He couldn''t believe it. Erick somehow believed that there must be a deeper reason why Elle did this. But he couldn''t pinpoint it as of now. He wanted to find the answer and the only solution he could think of was to talk and ask Elle by himself. ''I need to find her as soon as possible. I think I am going mad if I won''t see her right now. D*mn, she was still injured!'' Erick was still blaming himself. As he ensured that Selena was already safe and James was there to take care of her, Erick decided to leave and try to search for Elle. As he bade them goodbye, he immediately rushed to his car and grabbed his phone. He checked Elle''s current location through the GPS tracking which was sent to him by Rose. But to his disappointment, Elle''s signal was already gone on the screen. Erick cursed inwardly as punched the steering wheel at the front. He felt helpless and desperate. He didn''t know how he would be able to find Elle. She probably switched off her phone that''s why the signal suddenly disappeared. "Elle, please turn on your phone. Please¡­ please wifey. I need to find you." Erick mumbled to himself. The guilt he felt, his worry for Elle, and his fear of losing her were suffocating him. He felt like his world was about to crumble into pieces without Elle. Feeling lost and empty, Erick drove his car away from the warehouse. When he was driving on the main road, suddenly he stopped the car on a certain part of the road, just a kilometer away from the warehouse. He stared absentmindedly in front, then a memory just crossed his mind. Then he realized this was the place where he first met Elle. He clutched his chest as he felt like his heart was being squeezed. Elle''s beautiful pale face popped up in his mind. She was also wearing all black that night-black plain shirt matching with black jeans. She was badly injured and bleeding too much. She was struggling with pain. In his mind, he remembered how his chest suddenly tightened with an ache just like what he was feeling right now when he first saw Elle in that terrible state. He rushed in towards her direction and he saw her clear and dark alluring eyes filled with relief as she stared at him. Then he caught her in his arms as she collapsed in front of him. That was their fateful encounter. The moment their paths had crossed with each other. He vividly remembered that memory in his mind right now. He had sworn to protect her after that but now, he failed to do it as he hurt her with his own hands. His regrets were torturing him. He felt overwhelming pain and sadness. "D*mn, it hurts so much! It really hurts!" he mumbled through gritted teeth as he punched his own chest several times. Then the tears came without warning as warm liquids already made its way in the corner of his eyes, rolling down his face. He slammed his eyes shut as he ground his teeth. ''Elle¡­ I am sorry. I really am. I hope you can still forgive me. I hope you don''t hate me.'' Chapter 213 - 213: The True Enemy At around 3:00 am, Black Shadow and Elle reached Falcon Cafe. He parked the car on the alleyway in the corner of the Cafe. Since it was still dawn, there were no people nearby and the surroundings were too quiet. "We just arrived at our destination, Ma''am!" Black Shadow said to catch the attention of Elle, who was very silent at the back. She was leaning her head at the backseat with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes, she saw Black Shadow peering at her through the front view mirror. He was wearing his c.o.c.ky smile. "How did you find this Cafe? How did you know that Charles and I are working here?" she asked him curiously. A wide grin automatically appeared on Black Shadow''s face. "Well. I have my ways. Haha. Do you think you can hide from me forever?" he was boasting; flaunting his capability at her. Elle just rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Anyway, I didn''t know that you are also working here. It was because of your middleman that I found this," he said to her truthfully. "Speaking of Charles, I think you should start praying that he will just be fine, or else I won''t hesitate to hunt you down wherever you are. I can infiltrate your hideout or your guild''s base once again just to get my revenge." Elle threatened him. Black Shadow let out a soft chuckle. Amus.e.m.e.nt was evident to his eyes. "I thought we already have a truce. Are you picking up a fight with me again?" Elle just ignored his remarks as she glared at him. "By the way, I am really curious why you stop receiving missions. Are you just randomly killing a person now without payment? I saw the news about Jefferson Gong. You are still brutal with the way you handle things. But I realized tonight, you became soft. Haha," Black Shadow started to strike again with his blabbering mouth. "This is none of your business. You can now go. You are done here. I don''t want to see your face anymore!" Elle firmly said as she tried to send him away already. "Alright. Don''t forget to return this favor of me driving you here. Beat Kevin Azumi into pulp once you encounter him." he reminded her before he opened the car door, ready to leave. Elle also stepped out of the car. "You don''t need to remind me. I am Catseye, you know I never back down in any fight especially if those people will try to go against me." "Hmm very well. Oh, I just want to give you advice. You should stay away from the detective. He will become your weakness. Love is bullshit. Just forget about your feelings towards him if you really want to survive and continue living. He might become the end of you, someday." Black Shadow said to her seriously as his gaze fell to her wounded arm. A smug smile crept on Elle''s beautiful face as she replied to him: "Well, my dear Black, let me give you a piece of advice also. Why don''t you try to love someone? Don''t be a bitter person. Then you will realize that love is not a bullshit thing just like what you think." Black Shadow burst into a peal of laughter. However, his laugh was dry and humorless and there was a hint of bitterness in his eyes. After laughing, he paused for a moment as he looked at her straight into her eyes. "I already did, my dear. Once. But I ended up being a pathetic loser." Elle was taken aback after hearing his words. She could feel the heaviness in his words. But, in just a brief moment, Black Shadow was able to regain his cool. His expression went back to his cheerful mood as if he had not mentioned those words to her just a while ago. Black Shadow didn''t wait for her to speak another word as he started to turn his back on her, walking in the dark alley. He managed to walk five steps before he halted on his track. Without facing her, he spoke up again. "Oh, just to tell you the truth," he paused. "James personally asked me to follow you just to make sure that you can leave the place safe and to see if you are just fine. What an irony, he hated you for killing his father but he still cared about you." He chuckled. "D*mn. Love could really make people become stupid- a fool. Tsk tsk tsk. A person who''s in love is really a very complicated creature." he ranted at her for the last time before he finally vanished to her sight. Elle was left standing beside her car, thinking about those last words coming from Black Shadow. She had conflicting thoughts and feelings about it. She was engrossed with her thoughts when suddenly she heard a man''s voice. "Lady Boss. I am Lu. Did you wait that long? Brother Yu sent me here to fetch you." the man asked Elle. That person who just arrived was one of the henchmen of Phantom. She texted the person who was called Brother Yu when Black Shadow and her were on the way to Falcon Cafe. She couldn''t trust Black Shadow that''s why she just asked him to drop her in the Falcon Cafe. Since she couldn''t drive, Elle asked Brother Yu to send someone to meet her at the Cafe. Yu was the leader of this group, the most trusted man of Phantom among all his henchmen. On the other hand, Lu was the youngest among them. He was only twenty years old. Phantom''s henchmen didn''t know about Elle''s identity as Catseye. They were calling her Lady Boss because they knew her as the foster daughter of their Master Phantom. "No worries. I also arrived here just a few moments ago. How''s Charles''s condition? By the way, good job for rescuing Charles." Elle patted him on his shoulder. "It''s our responsibility to assist you Lady Boss or else Master Phantom would severely scold us if something bad would happen to you and Brother Charles." Lu politely said to her as he scratched his face, feeling a little bit shy. "Regarding brother Charles''s condition, he was still unconscious when we brought him to Dr. Clara''s clinic. She was already examining him when I left," he said as he informed Elle. Elle already instructed them to bring Charles at Dr. Clara''s clinic. The doctor was also a close friend of Phantom. Every time Elle would get injured, Clara was the one who would treat her wounds. She also helped Elle before for her PSTD''s treatment. "Alright, let''s leave and go there as soon as possible. I want to make sure that he is just fine. You drive. The car key is inside." Elle said to him. Elle was about to enter the car when Lu suddenly stopped her. "Lady Boss. What happened? You''re bleeding. Let''s apply some first aid to your wound first." he said with his concerned voice. He was staring at her hand. Elle just shook her head."No worries. This is just a graze. We can do it at the clinic." Lu frowned but he also nodded in the end. Before he went inside the car, he gave Elle his handkerchief. "Use this to wrap your wound. Don''t worry, it is clean. Your wound will not get infected." he said as he joked at her. Elle just looked at him helplessly before she accepted it. ''A very persistent sweet little kiddo.'' After a few seconds, they left the place and proceeded to Dr. Clara''s Clinic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Arison''s Mansion *** James and Spike were currently having a conversation at James''s study. They already brought Selena back to her room. James asked their family doctor to examine her. Fortunately, everything was fine on Selena''s end. "Boss, how''s Selena?" Spike couldn''t stop himself from asking James. "The doctor said she was just fine. Aside from being asleep, there is no negative effect from the drug which was injected to her by Catseye." James said to him that made Spike feel at ease. "What is your next move after this, Boss? What should we gonna do about Catseye." Spike asked James curiously. James was sitting on his chair while tapping his fingers on his desk. He was thinking. "Let''s leave Catseye for a while. I will be the one to handle her. We should focus on how we will get our revenge against Dark Knight. Besides, they are our true enemy here. They just used Catseye to eliminate my father." There was a hint of hostility in his voice. Spike just nodded in agreement. They somehow suspected that there was a strong organization who was responsible for Jorge''s assassination. And they were aware that Dark Knight was one of their competitors in the underground. However, they could not make a move recklessly without evidence since Dark Knight Organization was also a very powerful organization in the underground world. They didn''t want to offend them. For a long time, Skull Gang and Dark Knight never had a confrontation. Even though there was undeniably a power struggle or battle between the two organizations but no one took an initiative to wage a fight against each other. Not until, Dark Knight ordered the hit on Skull Gang former Leader, Jorge Arison. With this truth, James would not stay still and do nothing about this. The war between those two powerhouses was about to start. Spike broke the silence when he remembered something. "Boss, I think those men who interfered with us when we were catching Catseye''s middleman before were sent by the Dark Knight Organization." "I think they knew that we were hunting Catseye and they were trying to stop us from knowing the truth. They looked like they also wanted to eliminate Catseye in order to bury the truth behind your father''s death." James''s face darkened after hearing Spike''s statement. Chapter 214 - 214: A Little Ray of Hope Elle was supposed to go straight to Dr. Clara''s Clinic however, on their way they received a call coming from Brother Yu that Charles would be transferred to a much bigger hospital for his operation. He informed Elle on the phone that after reading the X-ray and CT scan result, Dr. Clara found out that Charles had several broken ribs that needed to have surgical treatment. After the thirty minutes drive, Elle and Lu arrived at the hospital where Charles was brought by Dr. Clara and Brother Yu. Upon entering the hospital, Elle rushed to the location of Dr. Clara and Brother Yu wherein they were waiting for them. Elle saw Dr. Clara sitting on the bench in the waiting area just outside the operating room. Dr. Clara stood up quickly when she saw Elle running in her direction. "How is he?" Elle promptly asked her. Worries were visible to her eyes. Dr. Clara held her shoulder as she gave her a gentle smile. "Don''t worry too much. He is not in critical condition now. Fortunately, there is no internal bleeding. In this operation, the doctor will use Titanium to stabilize his fractured ribs in their correct location." Dr. Clara explained to Elle as she assured her that Charles would be alright. Elle felt relieved after hearing that. However, her heart was still racing from nervousness. Brother Yu and Lu were just silently standing on the sides. They were waiting for Elle''s command. When she noticed their presence, she turned to face them. Both men slightly bowed their heads as they greeted her politely. Elle nodded as she acknowledged them. "Thank you for tonight. You''ve done your job very well." Elle commended them as she gave them a grateful look. "No need to thank us, Lady Boss. It''s a great pleasure to be able to help and assist you." The person who spoke up was Yu. "Then, can I ask you another favor?" Elle said. "Of course yes Lady Boss!" Lu said enthusiastically. There was a hint of excitement in his eyes as he looked at her expectantly. Brother Yu frowned as he gave Lu a warning look. He didn''t expect him to interrupt their conversation but Lu was not able to stop himself from doing it. He was really happy in providing support to their Lady Boss. They seldom saw her but they heard a lot of things about her. She was very capable- a smart and strong woman: strikingly beautiful also. That''s why he couldn''t blame Lu for acting like this in front of them. He idolized their lady Boss. Elle let out a soft chuckle when she saw Yu''s expression. He looked like he wanted to scold and hit Lu but he was just controlling himself from doing that since they were still in the front of their Lady Boss. "Alright. I just want to ask your help for a while to manage the Falcon Cafe while we are not around. We have a certain staff named Elena. She will come to the Cafe this morning for work. I am afraid that she will worry if she won''t see us. Please cover up for our absence in the meantime." "Ok Lady Boss. Just leave this matter to us. I know what to do." Yu said to her calmly. "Thanks. You can now leave and take your rest," she said as she dismissed them. The two men gladly complied as they bade their farewell to her. "Come, let''s treat your wound first." Dr. Clara said to Elle when the two men already left them. Lu informed brother Yu that she was also injured that''s why Dr. Clara knew about it. Fortunately, the bullet didn''t pierce her hand. It was just a graze near her thumb. Dr. Clara cleaned her wound before she stitched it. While treating her, Dr. Clara talked to her regarding Charles''s condition. "The wound in his body will surely become scar later on. There are deeper cuts wound on his chest and abdomen. At his back, I saw linear marks. I think those are results from a blow by using a cane stick. He also had a lot of bruises and abrasions on his face and several parts of his body. He suffered a lot." Elle just remained silent as she listened to her. "Aside from broken ribs, he also got broken bones in his right upper arm and shoulder, but don''t worry, his arm just needs to be immobilized using a sling. It will heal eventually. But since he is right-handed he will surely experience some inconvenience. So we need to assist him and take good care of him." "I understand. I will do it," she said as a tinge of guilt flashed in her eyes. "I will not ask you about what happened if you are not ready to talk about it. I know, you are blaming yourself right now. But don''t be harsh to yourself. I think Charles will never blame you. So cheer up, my dear." Dr. Clara was giving her words of comfort. Elle just gave her a timid smile as she nodded at her. A lot of things happened in just one night. She didn''t know what she should feel right now. Charles was beaten badly and James had discovered her identity and the worst case was Erick saw her in that situation and she was also shot by him. From his expression, she could tell that Erick already knew that she was Catseye. ''Erick¡­ what should I do? Now that you know the truth, how can I face you?'' She didn''t have enough courage to have a confrontation with Erick as of this moment that''s why she ran away. She was really afraid and she felt helpless. She was pulled out of her deep thoughts when she heard Dr. Clara''s voice. "Done. Your wound will heal in a week. Refrain from soaking it to the water. Now, let''s go back to the waiting area. I think Charles''s operation is about to finish." After an hour and a half, Charles''s surgery was finally done. They moved him to the hospital ward. Elle asked Dr. Clara to rest while she would be the one to watch over Charles. Elle grabbed the left hand of Charles as she looked at him. The sadness and pain were reflected in her dark eyes. "Hey, partner. I didn''t know why is it, every time I give you a dangerous glare you always cower in fear. I thought you are a coward but why is it, suddenly you became so brave? Even facing a near-death situation and suffering too much, you didn''t give in to them. Are you really brave or just an idiot?" Elle chuckled with bitterness in her heart. "Don''t worry. When you wake up, I will be good to you. I will stop bullying you if that''s what you want. So please, you must recover well, alright?" Her tears started to burn her eyes. "Hey¡­ do you still remember our agreement before when we had a confrontation about my relationship with Erick? We told each other that if ever I end up hurt, you will be there to comfort me, right?" "I think I need that now. I am hurting so bad right now. Here." Elle brought her free hand to her chest. "It hurts so much more than being hit by a bullet," Elle mumbled with her hoarse voice. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Erick just kept on driving without a certain destination, roaming around the whole city Z. He was trying his luck to spot Elle. He knew it was impossible but he kept on doing it like a fool. He just stopped when his car ran out of gas. He felt like he was losing his mind every minute passed without seeing Elle. He was hoping, praying to see her but to his disappointment, Elle was nowhere to be seen. The sun already rose in the east, but Erick was still in the middle of City Z. He was just staring blankly in the road as he remained seated inside his car. He really felt empty. He didn''t want to return home knowing that he wouldn''t see Elle in there. But nothing he could do as of this moment. He couldn''t find her. He even went to Falcon Cafe, Charles''s house, and her ruined hideout before. "Elle, where are you?" he mumbled as he buried his face on his hands while leaning over the steering wheel. Leaving him with no choice, Erick just went back home. He felt so horrible. He slumped his body on the bed, feeling so limp and weak. Stress and fatigue were evident to his face. He closed his eyes as he savored the remnant of memories he and Elle had shared in that room. He could still smell her sweet scent but her warmth was already gone. Then the ringing sound of the doorbell reverberated in the house. It rang several times before Erick''s attention was caught. He opened his eyes, stood up, and immediately ran towards the door, desperately hoping that the person outside was Elle. But adding more to his disappointments, it was not Elle, instead, the person standing before him was Bryan. Bryan was a little bit surprised to see Erick''s appearance. He was not looking well. His eyes were swollen and red due to a lack of sleep and crying. Black circles were also visible underneath his eyes. He looked so haggard while emanating a gloomy aura around him. "Hey¡­ what''s wrong with you?" Bryan asked him but Erick just kept quiet. "Where''s Elle?" he added. Erick''s heart tightened again after hearing Elle''s name. ''I wish I also know where she is right now.'' Oblivious of the situation, Bryan spoke up again that made Erick somehow feel a little ray of hope in this darkest moment when he heard his statement. "Did Elle go somewhere? She asked me to check on you that''s why I am here." Chapter 215 - 215: A Friend By Your Side "Did Elle go somewhere? She asked me to check on you, that''s why I am here." A glint of hope lit Erick''s gaze after he heard those words coming from Bryan. He immediately held Bryan''s shoulder, facing him with eagerness. "Is that true? When did she ask you? What did she tell you? Is she okay? Did she mention where she is right now?" Erick bombarded him with so many questions while shaking him. Bryan just gave him a weird look and an awkward smile as he replied to him. "Whoah! Take it easy! Please, just one question at a time. And... can you release me? You are gripping my shoulders too tightly bro! I also felt dizzy, you''re shaking me too hard as well." Bryan said as he complained to Erick. He was confused about why he was acting like this. Erick suddenly released Bryan''s shoulder from his tight grasp as he realized his improper action. He was just eager to hear something about Elle. ''She contacted Bryan!'' This thought was enough to console Erick. Bryan scratched the back of his head as he answered Erick''s questions. "When I woke up this morning, I saw her message. She asked me for a favor to see you. I thought you are sick and not feeling well. I told myself maybe she had gone somewhere that''s why she couldn''t take care of you so she asked me this. She was worried about you." Erick didn''t dare to interrupt him. He was listening attentively to Bryan. "When I asked her why and what happened, I didn''t receive any response from her. I''ll try to call her but her phone is unattended. So I decided to go here directly before coming to the headquarters." Bryan frowned after saying that as he observed Erick. He was very silent. By just looking at his worried and gloomy expression Bryan could tell that something was wrong. "Hmm... I think I guessed it right. As of now, you look like..." Bryan paused for a moment as he eyed Erick, assessing his appearance from top to bottom. After doing that, he shook his head as he continued: "You look awful. Haggard. Horrible." He didn''t know whether he should laugh or feel bad for Erick. Erick sighed deeply before saying: "Yeah. I feel like sh*t right now. I messed things up between me and Elle." Bryan was dumbfounded after hearing that. ''So it''s related to Elle. They just got married two days ago and now they got into a fight already?'' "Hmm¡­ tell me what happened Bro. I am willing to listen." Bryan said to him. "Let''s go inside first." Erick invited him inside the house. Bryan followed him from behind. They went straight to the living room. They both sat down on the couch. Erick asked Bryan if he would like to drink or eat something but Bryan just refused his offer as he already took his breakfast before leaving his place. "What time did she message you?" Erick asked him again about Elle. Bryan just took his phone and opened his inbox. He scrolled down to find Elle''s message. After he found it, he showed it to Erick. It was just a simple message asking Bryan to check on Erick. It was sent at around 2:30 am. That was just a few minutes early before her signal disappeared from the GPS locator. "Anyway, where is she? Did the two of you get into a fight? What do you mean that you messed up things? What did you do?" Bryan asked him curiously. Erick was debating within himself whether he should tell Bryan the truth regarding Elle''s identity or not. ''Elle is Catseye. My wife is Catseye. I hurt her. And she ran away from me. Now, I can''t find her. I didn''t know where she is.'' Erick smiled grimly. He couldn''t say those words to Bryan right now. In the end, he chose to lie and cover-up Elle''s identity even to his best friend Bryan who, at the same, assigned in catching Catseye, his colleague. "She went somewhere. She said she needed time and space. Everything is happening too fast between us. I guess she got scared. I pressured her too much by asking her to marry me as soon as possible. I think I became inconsiderate about her feelings and I ended up hurting her." There was sadness in his eyes and his voice was filled with regrets. Bryan was tongue-tied. He couldn''t find the right words to comfort his friend. He was not an expert in terms of love and relationship. He was not a ''Love Guru''. But deep down, Bryan was surprised because he didn''t expect this to happen. ''What? Elle ran away from home because she needed time and space? D*mn, why did she do that after a day of being married to Erick?'' Bryan thought to himself as he couldn''t believe it. Then a peal of laughter could be heard in the entire living room. Bryan was laughing so hard. It seemed like he just heard a funny joke after hearing Erick. Erick just stared at Bryan. "Why are you laughing?" "Pfft¡­ Erick, I am sorry¡­ I can''t help it." Bryan said in between his laugh as he patted Erick''s shoulder. "You are right! I think you really messed up, Buddy! Haha. The most handsome, famous, and capable detective in the country was ditched by his wife just two days after their marriage. D*mn, it would be a huge piece of news!" Bryan teased him to lighten the mood. "Do you know what? Your presence is not helping me, instead, you are making me feel worse. Get up and leave!" Erick said firmly as he shot him a sharp cold stare. ''I don''t know if you can still laugh like that if you learn that Elle is Catseye.'' Erick thought to himself. Meeting Erick''s cold stare, Bryan decided to straighten up and behave. He stopped teasing him. "I am just joking, alright. Don''t be mad. I was just trying to lift up your mood. But kidding aside, I think both of you love each other so much. I have seen it with my own eyes. So, don''t worry. Just give her time and space. Have faith in her. She will come back. See, she even asked me a favor just to make sure that you are just fine. She still cares about you, men." Erick had to admit that Bryan''s words somehow comforted him at this moment. It was really good to have a friend by your side. You could turn to them whenever you were feeling down. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, at the hospital, Charles already woke up. When he opened his eyes, he could feel the pain in his entire body but it was not painful compared to before when Skull Gang members were torturing him. He still couldn''t move. The light in the room made his eyes squint but after blinking several times, he had cleared his vision. Peering around his surroundings, he could tell that he was no longer inside the Skull Gang headquarters. "I think I am in the hospital." He mumbled to himself. Looking down, he saw a figure sitting on a chair while leaning over his hospital bed. Her head was laying in her hands as her own pillows. He was very familiar with this person. ''Elle! She saved me!'' A light flashed in his eyes and a gentle smile appeared on his face. He was very happy to see her. He thought he wouldn''t be able to see her again. He was already prepared to die in that prison just to protect her. He raised his left hand to touch Elle. He felt grateful. The moment when he was about to lose his consciousness he wished to see her even for one last time. Deep down his heart and his mind Elle was the person he wanted to see in his last moment. Charles was gently stroking her hair when Elle suddenly woke up. She raised her head only to see Charles looking at her tenderly. "Charles!" She softly mumbled. There was a hint of relief all over her face. "I am sorry for waking you up." Charles softly mumbled. He looked away as he felt a little bit embarrassed. He thought Elle would scold him for doing that. He was about to retrieve his hand away from her when he felt that a soft hand suddenly grabbed it. He moved his gaze back to Elle. She was smiling at him while holding his hand. Charles was dumbfounded. His heartbeat quickened inside his chest. ''D*mn! Elle, don''t look at me like that! You are making me more nervous. This is not the usual gaze you are always giving me. I am used to your dangerous and sharp glares.'' Then he heard Elle''s soft voice, making him more astonished. "Thank you, Charles." After what it seemed like ages, Charles finally found his voice and was able to utter some words. "N-No need to t-thank me. Besides¡­ I am your p-partner, right? How can I betray you?" he stuttered because his heart was still in a frenzy. "Not that." Elle chuckled. "Thank you for staying alive. I won''t be able to forgive myself if something bad happened to you." Charles felt her grip on his hand tightened. He could hear her sincerity in her voice. ''D*mn. Does it mean she really cares for me? Elle cares for me!'' He was very happy with that thought. Now, he was grinning from ear to ear like a fool. "Sorry for coming too late. I know you suffered too much because of me. I am really sorry, Charles." Elle said to him. He could see the guilt in her eyes. "No! This is not your fault. I am not blaming you. You don''t need to say or feel sorry." Charles promptly said to her. Elle became silent for a moment. She could see that Charles really meant it. She was really glad to have him by her side. She realized that Charles really treated her well despite her coldness towards him. She felt lucky to have a genuine friend by her side who truly cares for her. Chapter 216 - 216: Make a Truce The next day, Elle occupied herself by taking care of Charles just to keep her mind busy. She gave him special care and attention. Charles felt a little bit awkward since he was still unaccustomed to the way she was treating him now. As of this moment, Elle was feeding Charles with a porridge since he couldn''t still use his right hand. Charles was staring at her strangely while Elle brought the spoon on his mouth. "What?" Elle asked him when she noticed Charles giving her a weird look. Charles smiled sheepishly at her with his flushed cheeks. "Nothing. Am I dreaming? Can you pinch me?" Elle knitted her brows. She stopped what she was doing and pinched Charles on his right cheek. "Ouch!" Charles grunted. "You are still Elle. So harsh. Did you forget that I am a patient here!" he complained to her. Elle let out a soft chuckle. "I just did what you''ve requested. See¡­ I am very well behaved and obedient here." She continued feeding Charles. Then Charles paused again as he fixed his gaze on her face. "Hey. What''s with the kind of look again?" Elle asked as she raised her right eyebrow. "I think you will make a good wife," Charles said to her with his serious tone. Elle was rendered speechless after hearing his out-of-the-blue comment. Then she heard him sighed deeply before speaking again. "I envy that Detective. He was very lucky to have you as his wife. Smart, strong, and beautiful. I wish I could find one." Charles didn''t notice the changes in Elle''s expression when he mentioned Erick. He just continued talking with her. He had no idea about what happened that night. He was unaware that Erick already found out the truth about Elle''s identity. Elle just remained silent as she continued stuffing porridge in his mouth, non-stop, just to make his mouth shut from speaking a topic which was a taboo for her. "Hey! Hey!" Charles stopped her. "Slow down! Are you feeding me or are you trying to kill me by choking on my food!" Elle just rolled her eyes at him. "Stop talking and just eat! Focus on your food. I am putting an effort here just to feed you!" she spat back at him. Charles pouted as Elle just scolded him. ''Why her mood suddenly changed? I knew it. She couldn''t treat me well for a long time. She is still the demoness, disguised as an angel. Hmph!'' he lamented in his mind. Sensing that Charles became upset Elle just heaved a sigh of defeat. "I''m sorry. I burst out. I didn''t mean to scold you." Elle apologized to him. She was not mad at him but she just didn''t want to talk about Erick in the meantime. Charles was put in the daze when Elle suddenly apologized to him and gave in. It was very rare for her to do that. Oh, she never did. He thought this was the first time she did that. Of course, her apology yesterday was different and not counted. Charles put on a big smile of delight. Elle really changed a lot since then. "Elle¡­ I wanna ask you a question. Can you answer me truthfully?" He said as he looked at her expectantly. Elle just nodded in agreement. "Okay. What is it?" "Uhm¡­ you know¡­ we''ve been together for so many years now. I wonder¡­ why you didn''t fall for me back then. On the other hand, you''ve only been with that Detective for several months then suddenly you fell in love with him after spending some time with him." Charles scratched his reddened face using his left hand. He asked her that while looking down. He couldn''t bring himself to meet her eyes. When he gazed up, he could see Elle staring at him with an indescribable expression on her face. ''D*mn! I regretted it already. Charles, you are a fool. Why did you ask her that? Oh my, I was carried away by her sudden change in attitude towards me.'' he was cursing himself inwardly. After her long silence, Elle finally answered him. "Because you became my first brother. I see you as part of my family- you and Master Phantom." Elle gave him her sweetest gentle genuine smile. Her smile warmed his heart. They were still staring at each other silently when suddenly they heard a familiar voice. "Are you having a staring contest?" the man asked both of them. There was a hint of humor in his voice. Elle and Charles averted their gaze to the direction of that voice. They saw Phantom standing at the front door, smiling at them. "Master Phantom!" "Master Phantom!" Both of them called him in unison. "Ohwuh. What happened to the handsome face of my dear Charles? I just disappeared for a short time and then this happened to you. Tsk tsk tsk. What I gonna do if both of you will be in trouble while I am away." Phantom sighed deeply. He walked towards them. He had brought some fruits and drinks. Dr. Clara was following behind him. She was holding a bouquet of flowers for the patient. "You are back!" Elle said to him as he approached her. Phantom tapped her shoulder as he said "Yes, I am. I can''t concentrate on my task knowing that the two of you are in danger. I traveled back here immediately." Then he turned to Charles. "I am glad that you are safe. You scared us to death, you kiddo! Recover quickly." Phantom patted his head. "I was not afraid that time Master because I knew both of you would find me and save me. See, I''m here, still alive and kicking!" Charles proudly said to him. Phantom just burst out into laughter as he put the basket of fruits on the bedside table. The four of them engaged in a casual conversation before Charles drifted off to sleep and rest. After making sure that the patient was already sound asleep, Elle approached Phantom. "Master, can we talk?" Elle said to him with a serious tone. "Sure. I also have something to inform you." He simply replied. Phantom and Elle left the hospital ward. Elle didn''t want to disturb Charles and she didn''t want him to overhear what she was about to discuss with Phantom. "Should I speak first or you?" "You go first, Master." "Alright. It''s about Alfonso Ramirez. The facility he is managing at that province is a manufacturer of bio-weapons. I left my two henchmen there to continue their investigation." Phantom informed her. Elle''s eyes widened from that discovery. It seemed like Dark Knight was also involved in terrorism. What a frightening organization. "I got it, Master." "I asked my men to follow and monitor Alfonso. Don''t worry. We will be able to catch that bastard very soon." Phantom gave her assurance. "Thank you, Master," she smiled at him faintly. "Alright. Now, it''s your turn. What do you want to discuss with me?" he asked her. "I have a request. I know Charles wanted to help me with my revenge but after what happened to him I decided not to involve him. I don''t want him to suffer again because of me." she shared her thoughts with him. "I want to exclude him in our plan. We need to hide things from him starting today with regards to our next move against my enemies," she added. Phantom paused for a moment, rubbing his chin as he was thinking. "Hmm, are you sure about this? He will be upset once he finds out about this." "Yes, Master. This is what I want. Please help me. I want you to send him to a safe place. I made a lot of enemies. They are coming to hunt me down and I am sure Charles will be one of their targets again in order to find me." She was resolute with her decision. "Send him to a faraway place. Use his condition as an alibi. He needs to recuperate and recover for now. Convince him, Master." Elle added, desperately. Phantom sighed deeply before he nodded in agreement. "Okay. I will do my best. I will let some of my trusted men in order to watch over him and protect him also." "I know you can do it. He will listen to you. Thank you, Master." Elle was glad. She would now be more at ease when it comes to Charles. ''Though I doubt that he wants to be separated from you. He had already sworn to protect you with his own life.'' Phantom thought to himself as he stared at Elle. "Alright Master. I will leave Charles in your care in the meantime. I have to go somewhere." Elle bade him goodbye. "Where are you going?" Phantom asked her before she would disappear from his sight. Elle halted in her steps before she answered him. "I need to decrease the number of enemies. I couldn''t afford to have more enemies who already knew my identity. I need to make a truce with them." She gave him a meaningful smile before she turned around and left. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, at the Arison Holdings and Mining Corporation, James was having their corporate weekly meeting with the management and shareholders when he received a message from an unknown number. A frown immediately appeared on his face when he saw it. He planned to ignore it at first but since he was bored by just listening to the presentation in front, in the end, he opened the message. And he was glad he did that. That message came from the person who occupied his mind for the whole day. [ Meet me now at a park in the District of Eals. I have something to tell you. I will be waiting for you. ? Elle ? ] Chapter 217 - 217: The Truth About His Fathers Death [ Meet me now at a park in the District of Eals. I have something to tell you. I will be waiting for you. ? Elle ? ] James''s lips twitched into a half-smile the moment he read her message. He didn''t expect Elle to message him. ''She wanted to meet me and tell me something. I wonder what is it. Interesting.'' There was a gleam in his eyes as he thought about it. It did not take long when he received another message from her. [ Come alone. If you dare bring any of your underlings then forget about this meet-up. ] Without further ado, James stood up from his chair gathering the attention of everyone inside the meeting room. All of them were giving him a confused look. The presenter became suddenly tongue-tied, afraid that he had said something that made the Chairman be upset. There was a moment of silence. Everyone was anticipating James to speak up. Noticing the several pairs of eyes looking at his direction, James concealed his excitement with his expressionless font as he faced everyone inside. "Let''s continue this meeting some other time. I have a much more important thing to attend to at this moment." he simply said with his stern authoritative voice. Everyone was flabbergasted when they heard that. All their faces were painted with disbelief and bewilderment. Everyone exchanged glances with each other with the same thoughts in mind. ''What''s gotten on their Chairman? Suddenly adjourning an on-going meeting. He shouldn''t have called for this meeting in the first place if he had really some important thing to do.'' But no one dared to voice out their complaints and thoughts. After all, James was the Chairman of this company. His sister, Selena was absent for today''s meeting so there''s no way they would continue the meeting without the Arison Siblings. Even Spike, his assistant, had no idea about this. He just looked at James, puzzled. James didn''t waste any more time as he started to walk towards the door of that meeting room, ignoring the strange look coming from the people inside. When he already reached the door, he paused for a moment and spoke up another word. "Oh, next time, please make your presentation clear and concise. Make it comprehensive. I felt bored just listening to you a while ago." He said to the presenter as a wicked smirk appeared on his face. "A-Apology for t-that Mr. Chairman. I-I understood." The presenter stuttered because of fright and nervousness. James just waved his hand in a nonchalant manner, dismissing everyone before he left the meeting room. Spike followed him from behind. Sensing Spike''s presence, James stopped on his track. "Spike, just stay here in the company. No need to accompany me. I''ll be back in an hour." James said as he commanded him. With no right to refuse, Spike just nodded in agreement. He just watched James''s retreating back as he left the building. Meanwhile, Elle was already sitting in one of the benches in the said meeting place. She received James''s reply that he was already on his way. There were lots of people in the park. Some were couples and a family who were having their quality time together with their loved ones. Elle started to regret choosing this place for their meet-up. At first, she thought it would be advantageous if they would meet in a public place so that James wouldn''t try to make a scene or do underhanded moves using his underlings just to catch her. She hissed when she thought that James was also a schemer one. After twenty minutes of waiting, Elle saw James''s arrival from a distance. She could already tell that it was him. He is the only guy wearing a corporate suit in the broad daylight while walking in the middle of the park. "Oh, here comes the mighty Chairman of the Arison Holdings," she mumbled to herself. James looked like he was looking for her. Elle was wearing her plain white shirt matched with her blue jeans. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. She was also wearing a white cap. She sent him a text message so that he would be able to locate her spot. After reading her message, James looked at her direction. Elle raised her hand and waved at him. She even removed her cap in order for him to recognize her. With his large strides, James was able to reach her spot in just a short period. He sat down beside her. Fortunately, there were only two of them sitting around that area. They would be able to talk anything without worrying about others to overhear their conversation. James''s eyes immediately peered at Elle''s hand. He saw her hand wrapped in a bandage. At first, no one spoke up between them as they both remained silent, each of them was occupied by their own thoughts. It was James who broke the silence first. "What do you want to tell me?" he asked her directly. Elle turned to look at him. James wore a blank expression on his face but deep inside he was glad to see her. "It''s about your father. As his son, I know you are curious about his last moment, am I right?" James didn''t answer her but she could see in his eyes his confirmation with her statement. "Your father is a clever man, worthy of my admiration. He was the only person who didn''t fear me despite the fact that I opted to kill him." Elle started to share her encounter with Jorge Arison. James''s expression darkened. He could still feel the rage inside him. His father''s death was one of his weaknesses. He couldn''t accept the fact that he''s already gone. "He even drank his favorite whiskey in front of me." Elle let out a soft chuckle as she remembered that memory. James just kept quiet. He just let Elle speak what she wanted to tell him. He didn''t want to admit but he really appreciated this. Elle was telling him his father''s last moments. "Will you believe me if I say to you that he died happily?" That question left James dumbfounded. ''What did she mean by that?'' A deep frown appeared on his face as he pondered. "What nonsense are you spouting right now? Who would be happy to be killed by an assassin?" James said through his gritted teeth. "Jorge Arison," Elle replied matter-of-factly. Elle could see the confusion in his eyes so she decided to elaborate her statement. "I thought he would try to negotiate with me to spare his life. I thought he would offer me double the amount of what Dark Knight had given me. But he did something that really surprised me a lot." Elle chuckled after saying that. "He told me that I should demand more money from Dark Knight. He thought his life is worth more than just the Hundred Million Dark Knight had offered. So I did. That''s why Dark Knight paid 50 billion for his life." James clenched his fists after hearing that. He couldn''t understand why his father did that instead of asking her to spare his life. He didn''t know if he should believe Elle or not. "You were also surprised right?" Elle said as she sensed that James was in a doubt. "Later on, I found out the reason behind his action." Elle paused as she stared at him intently. James just gave her a questioning look. "There was this assassin who also knew Jorge Arison for years. They even worked for him before. That assassin told me that Jorge Arison wanted to hire him to kill himself." James burst into a peal of laughter because of her last words. "You are kidding me, right? What are you trying to do here, Elle? Telling me lies so that you could get your revenge because Erick discovered your identity." He sounded sarcastic. There was also a hint of resentment in his voice. James couldn''t stand it anymore as he stood up, ready to leave. "That''s what the most ridiculous joke I heard. My father asked someone to kill his own self." Elle could understand James. She somehow felt the same way as him when her father requested her to kill him just to save her life. For her, it was also a bad joke but it''s true. Thinking about it, her father and James''s father, both made a decision without considering what their children would feel after. Elle held his arm to stop him from leaving. "James, I will not lie to you with regards to your father''s death. Because just like you, I also wanted to know the truth behind my parents'' death! So I know how you feel." With those words coming from her James halted. He turned around to face her. He could see the sincerity in her eyes. At that moment, he knew Elle was not lying to him. "Then why? Why did he do that?" James asked her desperately, seeking an answer. "Because he is already dying. He had stage 4 cancer. He hid it from you, from his own family. For him, it is better to die in the hands of an assassin than showing his weakness to his family and his competitors. Your father is a proud man." Elle explained to him. James was very shocked by this revelation. He couldn''t believe it. He had no idea. He became pale and he felt so weak after hearing the truth. ''Is this really the truth? But there''s no way Elle would lie to me just like what she had just said a while ago.'' Deep down his consciousness, he wanted to believe her, or rather he believed her already. But his heart couldn''t accept this truth. His father lied to them and hid his condition to them- to his own family. "If you don''t believe me then ask your family doctor. He knew about it. This was a secret between the two of them." Chapter 218 - 218: Your Safe Haven "If you don''t believe me then ask your family doctor. He knew about it. This was a secret between the two of them." James''s brows slightly creased upon hearing her words. ''Our family doctor?'' Then memories of Jorge and their family doctor who were talking privately and their several out of town travels crossed his mind. He didn''t know their purpose but their actions were enough to raise some suspicions about Jorge''s illness. ''Does it mean father underwent treatment behind our back?'' James thought to himself. "But there were no findings with regards to his illness in the autopsy report," James said as he was still in doubt and denial. Elle also frowned as she wondered why they didn''t include it in the autopsy report. ''Is Master Phantom had mistaken about Jorge''s illness or there was something wrong with the autopsy report but why?'' "There''s only one way to find out. Confirm it with your family doctor." Elle suggested to him. "Why are you doing this? Why are you telling me this now?" James asked her curiously. "Because you already knew my identity. I don''t want you to hold a grudge against me. I can''t afford to have another enemy. There are lots of them already. I just want to end this and settle things with the Skull Gang." She told him truthfully. "Yes. It is a fact that I am your father''s murderer. He died in my hands but it was his own will too. You wouldn''t believe me but your father just thanked me with a smile on his face before I left that room." Elle added. James became silent for a moment. He was put in deep thoughts. ''If this is true then I don''t have to hate or blame Elle for my father''s death, right?'' He was asking his own self. Then with a resolution in mind, James spoke up, requesting something to Elle. "Can you accompany me? Let''s go and confirm it with my father''s doctor." He said to her with a pleading look in his eyes. A little bit surprised with his request but Elle just sighed helplessly as she agreed on him. Both of them left the park as they headed to the clinic of Arison''s family doctor. Both of them remained silent throughout the whole ride. After twenty minutes they reached their destination. The doctor was already expecting James to arrive since he informed him that he would see him today. He was just a little bit shocked when he saw James was not alone. He walked inside the clinic together with a beautiful lady wearing simple and ordinary clothes. He was not familiar with her. The doctor was already in his mid-50s. He was wearing a pair of eyeglasses with his doctor''s uniform. He greeted them with a smile before he guided them inside his office. "What brings you here? Are you not feeling well?" The doctor asked James the moment the three of them already settled down inside his mini-office. "Doctor Gallardo, I came here to ask you something. I hope you will give me an honest answer." James said without beating around the bush. James skipped the pleasantries as he looked so serious. He didn''t even bother to introduce Elle and the doctor with each other. The bright smile on the doctor''s face slowly vanished when he noticed the gloomy and threatening expressions of James. He didn''t know why but seeing him like this, he knew that this matter was very serious. "Okay. Just tell me. Ask me anything and I will answer truthfully." the doctor said to James, as he remained calm. "Is it true that my father had stage 4 cancer?" James was looking at the doctor intently. His penetrating gaze was enough to give the doctor so much pressure. The doctor was dumbfounded when he heard his question. He didn''t expect it. He thought Jorge''s illness would be kept hidden forever. This was his promise to his deceased friend. From the doctor''s expression alone, James could already confirm the truth. His face darkened as the doctor remained silent. He was obviously out of words. ''How did he find out?'' The doctor was debating with himself whether he should tell James the truth about his father''s illness or just deny it. "Don''t you dare lie to me! You''d already kept the truth from us for a long time!" James exclaimed with rage, giving him a warning. Seeing the fury in James''s eyes, the doctor didn''t have the courage to lie. He just heaved a sigh of defeat after that. ''I''m sorry my friend. I think I failed to fulfill my promise to you. I''ve tried my best but it seems that no secret will be hidden forever.'' "How did you find out?" The doctor asked James instead of answering him directly. "You didn''t need to know that. I have my ways. So, is it true?" Leaving him with no choice, the doctor told James everything about his father''s illness. He also mentioned that he was the one who made it possible to exclude Jorge''s illness in the autopsy report. He paid someone to cover-up and omit Jorge''s illness in the autopsy report. The doctor apologized to James for hiding the truth from him and to Jorge''s family. He explained to him that it was his father''s wish and he promised to fulfill it. Now, James was aware of everything. He didn''t know if he should tell this to his sister and his mother. He was having conflicting thoughts. It was his father''s last wish but his sister and his mother have the right to know the truth. James left the clinic with a heavy heart. Elle was silent for the whole time. She didn''t know why James asked her to accompany him. She just became a witness for the whole conversation but she knew that James was having a hard time right now. Elle was following James behind, silently observing him. He was walking slowly with heavy footsteps. His shoulders were slumped. This discovery was a huge blow to him. She could understand that. When they were near his car, James suddenly halted on his steps. If she wasn''t quick enough to respond then she probably bumped into him in no time. Elle was about to complain when James turned around to face her. Seeing his dark mood, Elle decided to keep silent and forget about scolding him. "What are you going to do now? Where will you stay?" James asked her out of the blue. Elle was taken aback by his sudden question. ''He still has the guts to ask me that.'' Elle was just restraining herself from rolling her eyes. "Hmm. I think this is none of your business. So I don''t have to answer that. But I hope after this Skull Gang and Catseye will no longer have a conflict with each other." Elle was trying to be polite as she said those words to him. She also smiled sheepishly at him. Elle was hinting him that Skull Gang should no longer pay attention to her and just let her be. James could understand what she meant by that. "Alright I will do that but first, can you act as my friend for a moment? Can you please comfort me?" James requested her once again. Before Elle could respond to him, James already grabbed her and pulled him against his body. Elle was caught off guard when James suddenly hugged her. She wanted to push him but thinking about James''s feelings as of this moment, she chose to be considerate of him. "Okay. I''ll do this just this once." Elle mumbled as she let him do that for a while. "Thank you, Elle," James said in a low voice. After a few minutes, James finally released her. He felt better after doing that. At that moment, he thought to himself that he didn''t want to give her up. He didn''t care if she had feelings for the detective. He would try his best to win her heart no matter what especially now that he couldn''t hate her for his father''s death. "Elle, don''t go back to him. He hurt you. He can''t protect you. If he does then he will lose his badge. His job will always come in between the two of you. You won''t be happy with him." James was trying to convince Elle to stay away from Erick. Her mood changed and sank again after hearing that. Her thought in mind was silenced into pain and grief. ''James, you are really ruthless. After comforting you, now you are trying to do this to me.'' She had to admit that James had a point. But her heart was telling her the other way around. She wanted to believe in Erick- to the love they have for each other. Bothered by her silence, James spoke up again to convince her. "Work for me! Help me avenge my father''s death. I heard Dark Knight is also chasing after you. Let''s join together and fight them." James suggested to her. Elle just remained silent as she looked at him with confusion. She didn''t expect him to give her that kind of proposal. Meanwhile, James could feel her hesitation. He felt very desperate. He was racking his brain so hard, thinking about many different ways just to let her agree with his suggestion. He wanted her to depend on him. James held both her shoulders as he fixed his gaze on her face. With his eyes filled with promise and assurance, he said to her: "Come to me¡­ to my side. I will make Skull Gang your safe haven." Chapter 219 - 219: Did You Miss Me? It had been a week since James convinced Elle to be on his side and offered her the power of Skull Gang but in exchange, she needed to stay away from Erick. James''s offer and her concerns with Erick- these were the things which were kept bothering her mind. If she was just someone who only thinks of power and money then she wouldn''t think twice and she would already say yes to James''s proposal. James promised to give and allow her to use Skull Gang for her protection that what he meant by saying he will make Skull Gang her safe haven. If other people were in her place then they would think that James''s offer was very tempting and advantageous for her. At that moment, Elle hadn''t given him her response. James told her to take her time and think about it carefully. He would be waiting for her answer after a week. Today was the time she should give him her answer. However, Elle felt like not going anywhere today nor meeting anyone. She was currently in her hide-out, sulking in her room. On the other hand, Phantom was the one who was taking care of Charles. He would also be discharged from the hospital one of these days. Phantom was just waiting for the right opportunity to discuss with Charles about leaving City Z for a while since it was Elle''s request. She just hoped that Charles wouldn''t suspect them of anything and he would just agree with Phantom''s suggestion. "I wonder how Erick is doing right now," Elle mumbled to herself as she kept staring at her ceiling blankly. She was still lying on her bed. "I miss him so much," she said as she hugged her pillow tightly, wishing that it was Erick. Then suddenly she remembered something. She sat up and searched for her phone. She didn''t turn it on for a week and its battery was still empty. She sighed deeply before she decided to charge her phone. Still undecided of what she should do that day, Elle slumped her body back to her bed as she closed her eyes. ''Alright, Elle. Sleep for a while. Once you wake up you will know what to do.'' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** Erick hadn''t heard any news yet about Elle for a week. Even his colleagues could notice that something was troubling him. They were not used to seeing him in low spirits. He was very silent and kept on spacing out in his office. They could feel the sullen aura surrounding him. It was really affecting even their working environment. They didn''t know how to confront him. His team was just relying on Bryan just to make sure if their Chief was just doing fine. It was only Bryan who knew the reason why Erick was acting like that. Of course, Elle was the main reason. He was very careful every time he would talk to Erick, avoiding the topic regarding Elle. But Bryan always made sure to cheer him up once in a while by talking to him about other stuff. But his colleagues couldn''t help but to discuss within themselves and talk about their Chief. "Hey, what''s wrong with Chief Lee? He seemed like a very different person for these past few days." June brought it up to the team. "He looks very problematic. Something is weighing on his mind." April also shared her thoughts. Their eyes were staring at the closed door of Erick''s office. "This is the first time I saw him acting like this. Do you know anything about this, Bryan?" Rose turned to Bryan who was just feigning an ignorance, pretending that he was busy doing something with his computer. The three of them frowned when they didn''t hear any response from him. "I think he knew something but he was just keeping his mouth shut," Rose whispered to April, hinting her to ask him by herself. April just rolled her eyes at Rose before she replied "Don''t look at me like that. Even if I ask him he will not talk. His loyalty is still reserved for Erick." Rose just heaved a sigh of frustration. She was really curious. "I wonder if it was related to the person he asked me to track the location at midnight. It happened one week ago." Rose mumbled which gathered the attention of June and April. "Who could be that person?" they both asked her. Rose just shrugged at them. "I also don''t have any idea. I wanted to ask him but seeing his mood I couldn''t bring that topic up with Chief." "Hey! Back to work. Stop gossiping." Bryan suddenly spoke up. He stood up as he approached April. "Let''s go. We still need to investigate the relationship between Vello and De Dios. Chief assigned this task to us. Let''s see if we can find their connection with Jefferson Gong. April just nodded before she followed Bryan. They were still looking for clues and evidence that could connect the dots between those three people. Meanwhile, inside Erick''s office, he was still feeling down. Every day that had passed without hearing anything about Elle was really great torture for him. He was absentmindedly looking at his phone screen, wishing that Elle would turn on her phone. ''I wonder if she is also thinking of me. Wifey, I miss you so much. Please come back to me.'' Feeling so helpless and desperate, Erick tried sending her messages. He was hoping that she would be able to read it and find her way back to him. He kept sending her one message after another. [ Elle, where are you? ] [ Wifey... I miss you so much! Did you miss me too? ] [ Bryan was bullying me. Please defend me. He said I really messed up since my wife left me just two days after our marriage. ] [ I won''t judge you. Please come back! Let''s talk this out. ] [ Elle, I am sorry. I didn''t mean to hurt you. ] [ Elle, do you hate me? ] [ Elle¡­ ] [ Wifey¡­] Erick was still typing text messages when suddenly his phone rang. Someone was calling him. His worry deepened when he saw the name of the caller. After several rings, Erick finally answered it. "Hello, Mom.??? "Son. I just want to tell you that your father and I are now on the way to your place." Sarah''s excited voice could be heard from the other line. ''D*mn! I forgot about their visit. Today is the day that they promised to visit us because they wanted to help us with our wedding preparation. How would I explain Elle''s disappearance to them.'' Erick massaged his temples. It seemed that his stress level suddenly increased at this moment. "Ok, Mom. Just wait for me in the house. You have my spare key right?" Erick simply replied. He thought to himself that he would just come up with an excuse or good alibi to cover-up for Elle''s disappearance in the meantime. "Yes, son. Alright. See you later. I am excited to see you and my daughter-in-law, Elle. I miss you both." Sarah said cheerfully at him using her sweet and loving voice. "Me too Mom. See you." Erick replied before he hung up the phone. After the call, he put down his phone and immediately buried his face using his both hands. Everything was not going well on his side. He wondered when things would go back to normal. But it seemed that things would never be the same as how they used to be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was already dark when Erick left their headquarters. He assumed that his parents were already at home. He drove his car in an unhurried manner. He was preparing himself to lie at his parents so that they wouldn''t be disappointed. He knew that they were looking forward to seeing the husband and wife together but this was impossible as of this moment. He couldn''t tell his parents the truth. He was afraid that once they found out about Elle''s identity, they would go against their relationship. He couldn''t afford it. Despite her identity, Erick knew that he truly loves her. He couldn''t let go of her no matter what. He still wanted her to stick with him. Those days without Elle, he realized how important she was in his life. She seemed like a sun that gives lights in his world. Without her, his world was so dark, he felt so empty. She was the missing piece in his life. Without her, he would never feel complete ever again. He didn''t want to think about the consequences. All he wanted right now was to see her again. But he also knew it was just his wishful thinking. And finally, after that long drive, he reached his home. He could see the light inside the house, indicating that his parents were also there. He took a deep breath before he entered the house. He didn''t see his parents in the living room but he heard some movements from the kitchen. ''I guess they are busy preparing for our dinner.'' he thought to himself. He paused for a moment, gathering himself. ''Let''s do this Erick.'' he told himself before he put on a bright smile on his face as he walked towards the kitchen. It was Sarah who noticed his presence first. Her lips immediately curled up into a gentle smile upon seeing her son. "Oh Dear, You are here. Why it took you so long to arrive?" Sarah softly mumbled as she wrapped her arms around Erick to give him a quick hug. "Sorry, Mom. It was because of the traffic." he lied as he smiled at her apologetically. After releasing his son from that hug, Sarah went back to the dining table as she helped her husband in arranging the foods on the table. "Oh, where''s my sweet daughter-in-law, Elle? Son, call her so that we can eat our dinner already." Sarah told Erick enthusiastically. Erick became silent after his mother mentioned Elle. There was a gleam of sadness in his eyes but he was able to conceal it in an instant. "Mom¡­ about Elle-" Erick was not able to finish his words when he was interrupted by someone who suddenly hugged him from behind. He automatically froze on his spot. ''These soft hands, this warmth, this scent¡­ these are very familiar to me. D*mn! It felt the same when Elle was with me.'' Meanwhile, Raymond and Sarah were staring at his direction who were both smiling sweetly. It seemed like they were enjoying the scene unfolding in front of them. Erick was looking at his parents, confusion was written all over his face. Then suddenly he heard the familiar voice that he was missing for the whole week now. "I am back hubby. Did you miss me?" Chapter 220 - 220: Do You Hate Me? "I am back hubby. Did you miss me?" Erick heard her but it took him for a while before his mind had absorbed what was happening right now. ''I am not imagining things right? Please¡­ somebody¡­ tell me that I am not.'' Erick thought to himself. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, hoping that his mind was not playing tricks on him. He didn''t want to have another disappointment. He didn''t want to have false hope. Then he felt that the arms which were wrapped around his body and the source of warmth behind him had suddenly disappeared. His heart sank once again like a penny on a pond. But the moment he opened his eyes, he saw her standing in front of him. He couldn''t believe it. He blinked several times, surprise and disbelief could be seen in his handsome face. He tried to speak but the words were stuck in his throat. ''Elle is here. She is really here. She is back!'' He looked at her in shock, mouth agape. After a while, the shock on his face wore off and it was replaced by relief and happiness. It seemed that all his worries and stress that acc.u.mulated for the past few days were washed away after seeing Elle. "You''re back." he croaked saying those words. His voice was hoarse and raspy like he was controlling himself not to cry. His eyes filled with longing and yearning for the girl before him. "Yes, I am." Elle softly mumbled. It was almost a whisper in which only the two of them could hear it. She put on a gentle smile as she stared at him with so many emotions in her eyes. Seeing her smile, Erick finally took the initiative to close the gaps between them as he pulled her and engulfed her into a tight warm hug. Raymond turned to his wife as he cleared his throat to urge her to tell those two to stop displaying their affection to them and to come over for dinner. Sarah let out a soft giggle before she called the attention of the husband and wife who seemed so lost with their own world. "Ohmoh! I don''t want to disrupt your moments my dears but I think both of you should come here already. Let''s take our dinner first while the food is still hot." Sarah''s voice caught their attention. She succeeded in reminding those two that they were not alone in that place. They seemed to forget the presence of Erick''s parents. Feeling a little bit embarrassed, both Erick and Elle released each other from that hug. Seeing them flushed with embarrassment, Sarah let out another giggle. She wanted to tease the couple, that''s why she spoke again. "No need to be embarrassed. We, as your mother and father, understood the feelings of the couples nowadays. Hmm. You both seemed like you''ve never seen each other for ages." After hearing her statement, Erick and Elle exchanged meaningful gazes with each other, having the same thoughts in mind: ''Yes Mom, we hadn''t seen each other for a week and it seems like ages already.'' "Alright, don''t just stand there. Come here and let''s eat." Sarah called them again. Erick and Elle complied obediently as they took their seats. The four of them started to enjoy their meals together. They appeared to be a happy family. They also engaged in a casual conversation while eating. As expected, the topic was all about the newly wedded couple. Oblivious of the things and the challenges the couple were facing as of this moment, Erick''s parent''s kept on talking about their married life and their plan for the future. "To tell you both, I am really happy when I heard the good news from the two of you that you already registered your marriage. I don''t think it was very sudden. Both of you are already in the legal age and should start creating your own family. As long as you love each other I will always support you. So I am not upset even if you didn''t inform us ahead." Sarah''s joy was evident to her face. She sounded very sincere as she said those words. "Thank you, Mom," Elle replied to her. "The same with me. You have my blessings." Raymond simply said to them with a smile on his face. "Thanks, Dad." Erick was the one who responded to his father. "Oh Regarding your wedding ceremony, have you both decided on the date and the place?" Sarah asked them, her eyes filled with excitement. Erick was taken aback when he heard it. He didn''t know what to say. He and Elle were not yet able to discuss those things. Things between them got complicated after their encounter last week. There were lots of things they needed to sort out first. Elle was also thinking the same thing. She was the one who decided to answer Sarah''s questions. "Mom¡­ about the wedding ceremony. I am afraid we need to postpone it for a while." The three people automatically averted their gaze to her. She could tell from the look on their faces that they were asking her the reason why. That was not the answer Erick''s parents were expecting to hear from her. Elle felt the awkward atmosphere as the whole dining area was engulfed with silence after she spoke up those words. She knew that she needed a good alibi for that. "My father is not yet aware of my marriage with Erick. I know he will be surprised when he learns about it. That''s why days from now I need to go back to the State and inform him. I need to convince him first and pacify him for not telling him my decision." Erick had complicated expressions after hearing her while his parents were both slightly surprised. They didn''t expect that Elle''s father had no idea about the marriage. "I am sorry Mom and Dad," Elle added as she gave them an apologetic look. "Oh, dear. No need to apologize. I admit we are surprised that your parents didn''t know about your marriage yet. But don''t worry, we understand." Sarah gave her a reassuring smile. "When are you planning to leave?" Raymond asked her. "Why don''t you bring Erick with you so that he can personally meet your father," he added. Sarah nodded in agreement with her husband''s suggestion. She also thought it was a good idea for Erick to accompany her. Meanwhile, Erick was very silent on his seat. He had an indescribable expression on his face right now. He didn''t know if Elle just made up that alibi for his parents or she was really planning to leave for real. ''Did she just return home tonight just to end things with me... officially?'' Erick had a bad feeling about this. He slowly dropped the fork and spoon on his plate as he clenched his fists. He already lost his appetite. Then after a while, he heard Elle''s response to his father. "No Dad. Erick has so many things to do here. He is working on an important case right now. I couldn''t afford to bring him with me." Elle said as she gave them an awkward smile. "That''s true." Raymond agreed with her statement. Sarah rolled her eyes at her husband. "Oh come on! You guys always care about your work! Is work more important than my daughter-in-law?" Sarah ranted on them. On the other hand, Erick didn''t know how long he would be able to compose himself. He was already in a foul mood right now. Sensing that her son was unusually very quiet tonight, Sarah focused her attention on Erick as she asked him about his thoughts. "So my dear son, what is your side about this?" Erick raised his head as he stared at Elle''s face intently. As he met Elle''s gaze, Erick answered his mother in a very serious tone. "I won''t let her go," Erick mumbled with so much conviction in his voice. Sarah and Raymond just gave him a confused look. They didn''t understand what he meant by saying that. Is he not allowing Elle to leave and meet her father in State? They didn''t know why but the atmosphere became intense after Erick shared his thoughts to them. ''Is the husband and wife having a conflict or misunderstanding about this matter?'' To break the awkward atmosphere, Erick''s father decided to end this topic. "Alright. Your mother and I don''t need to be involved with this. This matter can only be solved by both of you as husband and wife. The two of you should talk with each other and come up with a sound decision. Just like what your mother had said a while ago, we are always here to support you." Erick and Elle just nodded at Raymond. They took his words seriously. What he said was true. They needed to talk and sort their problems. After dinner, Erick''s parents gave the two of them privacy. They didn''t bother the husband and wife anymore. And now, Elle and Erick were alone in his room. After what happened to them last week, they had to admit that they somehow felt weird to be alone together. They didn''t know where and how they would start to confront each other. Are they both ready to talk about it now? The silence in the room was very deafening. They were both sitting on the opposite sides of the bed, their backs were facing each other''s back. A while ago, they missed each other and now they felt very distant from one another. What''s stopping those two now? One was very guilty for hurting the girl he promised to protect while the other one was afraid that the man she loved wouldn''t be able to accept her because she was a sinner who killed people. After a long silence, finally, both of them found their voices to speak. "Do you hate me?" "Do you hate me?" Both of them said those four words, asking each other at the same time. Chapter 221 - 221: They Talked "Do you hate me?" "Do you hate me?" Both of them said those four words, asking each other at the same time. Erick and Elle paused for a moment after hearing the same question coming from each other. They were truly a husband and wife, thinking the same thing at that time. Again, the room was engulfed by silence. Erick was the one who moved from his spot. He stood up, walking towards Elle to face her. Upon reaching her, he immediately fell on his knees in front of her. Elle''s eyes widened in surprise. "Hey. What are you doing? Get up!" However, Erick just ignored her words, He stayed still on his spot, kneeling and unmoving. Then he held her hand which was hit by the bullet. His eyes darkened as he looked at her wounded hand. It was still covered by a bandage. "I am really sorry, Elle. I didn''t mean to hurt you but I did. I broke my promise. I am really sorry. I hope you can still forgive me. If I could just turn back time¡­" Erick told her. His voice was filled with regrets and guilt. Elle''s heart tightened on her chest. She had to admit that she felt disappointed after what he had done to her. "You doubted me at that time," Elle said to him, pouring out her disappointment. "That truth was more painful than the physical wound you inflicted on me," she told him truthfully as she smiled bitterly. Erick couldn''t refute her because what she said was true. He just kept silent. looking down on the floor. He regretted it. "Do you think I will let you see my bad sides? Do you think I will kill someone in front of the person I love? Do you think I don''t care about how you will think of me if I do that?" Elle started to vent her grief and pain after what happened. Erick felt weak on his knees just hearing her words. He felt helpless. He didn''t know how he would be able to redeem himself after what he had done to her. Now he was losing his courage to look at her. He was afraid to see her hatred towards him. He was cursing himself inwardly. He released her hand. He felt like he didn''t have the right to touch her right now. Tears were already in his eyes, but he tried to hold it and failed. His tears started to flow from his eyes and fell on the floor like raindrops. He felt horrible. His heart was being torn apart. Just like Erick, Elle was now also shedding her tears. It continued to seep down her cheeks but she didn''t sob. She just continued to speak as she wiped her tears. "But I couldn''t blame you. I know it was hard for you to accept the truth unfolding in front of you at that moment. Seeing me and Selena in that situation, you must be thinking I was the perpetrator and she was the victim, am I right? After all, I am Catseye." Erick didn''t respond to her. He just clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "You must be asking yourself why I did that," she added. "I don''t know if you will believe me but I had no intention of hurting her. I just needed her that time so that I could escape and return home, back to the place where my husband was waiting for me. But suddenly you just appeared in front of me." Finally, after his long silence, Erick spoke up. He started to share his thoughts with her. "That day, I already knew about your identity as Catseye," he said which made Elle speechless. She was very shocked to hear that revelation from him. ''What did he mean by that? He already knew it but how?'' Elle pondered to herself. "I should have confronted you that night but I was still in denial. You prepared a romantic dinner for us, how could I have the heart to spoil everything. I decided to forget about it and enjoy the night with you." "How did you discover the truth about me?" Elle asked him curiously as she looked down at him. Erick was still kneeling in front of her but she didn''t have the intention to stop him. Deep down, she was still upset about him. She wanted to punish him for shooting her so she would let him suffer for a while. "The missing necklace which I gave you. It was in Black Shadow''s possession. I believe that you lost it during your encounter with Reaper and Black Shadow found it. He was very certain that it belongs to Catseye." Erick explained to her. Elle did not further ask him how they were able to get that information with Black Shadow. She already knew that the Task Force members were doing their best to catch her. They even got closer to Black Shadow. Those agents were capable and competent. They finally found an important clue and Erick was very smart to connect all the dots and succeeded in solving the puzzle. As expected to her husband. "That night I woke up and I received a call from one of my colleagues telling me that Black Shadow was about to meet Catseye. I searched for you all over the house but I didn''t see you. I was worried sick about you. What if you really went out to meet him that night and something bad will happen to you? I was in a panic. Then I received another call from James''s assistant. He said you kidnapped Selena. Then I found you in that warehouse." A light flashed in Elle''s eyes. ''So that''s what happened.'' "So you knew all along that I am Catseye?!" Erick just nodded at her. "And still you slept with me that night?!" Disbelief was written all over her face. Erick just nodded again. "How could you do that?!" "Because I don''t hate you even if you are Catseye. I love you as Elle, my wife." Erick responded to her sincerely. Elle felt very touched after hearing that but then something popped up in her mind. Elle shot him a sharp glare. "Is that the reason why you are very harsh to me that night? Because you knew that I am Catseye." Erick gazed up to see her face. He was confused. "When did I become harsh on you that night?" They didn''t know why but suddenly the heavy atmosphere between them was long gone. As they continued to talk the tension between them was slowly disappearing unlike before. Maybe because as of this moment, they became honest with each other. Elle punched him on his chest. "You are such a beast! You intentionally exhausted me that night and drained all my energy! Are you punishing me that night?" she complained to him. When Erick realized what she was referring to he was not able to stop himself from bursting into laughter. He remembered how Elle begged him just to stop. Seeing him laughing at her, Elle threw several punches again, aiming at his chest. Because of her advances along with his numb legs due to kneeling for a very long time, Erick was out-balanced causing him to fall on the floor backward. But he was not the only one who fell. He dragged Elle with him. Lying his back on the cold floor, Elle was now on top of him. Meeting each other''s gaze, Erick repeated his prior question to her. "Elle, do you hate me?" he softly said with his serious tone. His eyes were filled with fears and uncertainties. "I am upset with you but I don''t hate you. I already said that I couldn''t blame you." Elle replied to him as she looked straight into his brown eyes. Then she saw the relief in his eyes after she said that. "Can you tell me the truth about what happened that night? Why did you suddenly leave the house? You didn''t consider what I would feel when I woke up and didn''t see you beside me." Elle stood up first before she answered him. Erick also did the same. Now they were both sitting on the bed, side by side. "I should have drugged you that night to make sure that you won''t wake up. D*mn, why is it I didn''t do it? So foolish of me." Elle whispered to herself. "What?" Erick asked her as he heard her mumble something but he didn''t hear it clearly. "Nothing." Erick was now quietly and patiently waiting for her explanation. "You knew that I have an accomplice right?" Elle asked him. Erick just nodded. "Arison family is very rich so aside from the police they hired men to search for me just to bring justice to Jorge. They caught my accomplice and tortured him just to get information about my whereabouts. That night, I went to save him. I kidnapped Selena in order to use her just in case I needed to negotiate with them." ''So James lied to me about the money.'' Erick thought to himself. He believed Elle. "Everything was going according to my plan but unfortunately you came into the picture and it was all ruined." Elle heaved a frustrated sigh. Elle didn''t plan on telling Erick about Charles nor about James''s involvement in Skull Gang. James and Elle had an agreement that they won''t tell others about this even to Erick. "So you are the one who deactivated the bomb," Erick commented. "But why did you suddenly-" Erick stopped midway. He was not able to finish his sentence since this topic was very sensitive for them both. "Black Shadow was on my tail. He was there. He pointed a gun in your direction. I felt alarmed and didn''t have time to warn you so I picked up my gun and then-" Elle didn''t continue. Both of them already knew what happened next. Then the deafening silence visited them once again. "Alright. Let''s stop here for a while and take our rest. Tomorrow is another day." Erick suggested to her. He wanted to know her whole story but he wouldn''t force her. Tonight they were already emotionally exhausted. The important thing was she''s back to his side. Furthermore, he finally grasped the situation that night. That shooting incident was really a big mistake, a big misunderstanding between them. But he still wondered about Black Shadow''s involvement that night. ''Why is it he didn''t shoot after I shot Elle?'' he marveled at this thought. Meanwhile, Elle agreed on his suggestion as they both lay down on his bed. He wrapped her into his arms. "I am glad that you return home tonight. I miss you so much. I thought I was about to go mad as I didn''t see you by my side." "I remembered that today was the day your parents were visiting, that''s why I took all my courage to come home and face you." Elle paused as she gazed up to see his face. "Besides I am also missing you so much and I am dying to see you." Elle softly mumbled before she buried her face into his chest and hugged him tightly. Chapter 222 - 222: Compensating Each Other After a week of sleepless nights, Erick finally had a good night''s sleep together with Elle. A new day came. Erick woke up with a bright smile on his face. Then a goddess of beauty greeted his sight as he opened his eyes. However, unlike his smiling face, Elle was wearing a grumpy expression on her lovely face. She looked like a lady tiger ready to unleash her claws and pounce on her prey as she shot him a sharp glare. Oblivious of the reason why she seemed upset, Erick asked her. "Hey, What''s wrong? Why are you making that kind of face as early as this morning?" Elle was already sitting while leaning her back on the cupboard of the bed. Elle''s brows were drawn together and she squinted her eyes as she stared at him. A hint of annoyance could be seen in her face. "What is the meaning of this?" Elle asked him with a stern voice as she raised her other hand along with Erick''s hand. Their hands were restrained by handcuffs. Upon seeing it, Erick just let out a husky laugh. But he stopped immediately when he noticed that Elle looked daggers at him. "Are you planning to hand me over to the cops today and put me in jail?" Elle said as she accused him. Erick sat up beside her and scratched his face, feeling guilty for what he had done last night. "No, I don''t! Why should I imprison you somewhere else?" he said as he smiled cheekily at her. Then he extended his arms in front of him like he was welcoming her with open arms. "This is the place where you should be. In my arms! I will serve as your prison forever." Elle frowned from his cheesy and corny lines. "I will be the one to give you punishments you deserve, a lot of sweet punishments." Erick''s sweet-talking mode was now activated to pacify his wife. Elle just rolled her eyes, suppressing the urge to laugh. Seeing that Elle loosened up a little bit, Erick leaned over to give her a peck on her cheek. "Don''t be mad wifey. I did that to make sure that when I wake up I will see you by my side. I think I developed a phobia after that night. We slept together but when I woke up you were already gone." Erick explained to her. Elle just sighed deeply as she looked at him helplessly. ''What am I gonna do with his antics? This husband of mine is really something.'' "You ran away from me twice already. I don''t want to be left behind by you once again." Erick pouted as he put on a pitiful face. "What are you talking about? Runaway twice?" "I saw your letter. If I didn''t get injured that night then you might already leave me." "What!? You also found my missing letter?" Elle''s eyes widened in shock. Erick just nodded as his response. "But how? Where and when did you find it?" she asked him again. "Hmm, in one of my books. I found it the day I proposed to you. Because of that I suddenly made a marriage proposal. I was afraid that you would try to leave me again, that''s why I decided to tie you down with me through marriage." Erick confessed to her. Elle was dumbfounded. Shock and disbelief were evident to her face. ''He already knew about my lies, about my fake amnesia. I also said in that letter that I am a dangerous person but instead of getting mad or suspicious, he proposed to me that day. D*mn Erick! Why are you making my heart flutter this much?'' "What are the other things you know about me that I don''t know yet? Spill it out now!" she demanded. Erick paused for a moment as if thinking something. Then he stared at her intently with his penetrating gaze. "Do you know that you look so damn hot and gorgeous with your assassin''s clothes?" Elle was taken aback after hearing that. ''Is he serious?'' Erick''s lips curled up into a c.o.c.ky smile before he leaned over and whispered something to her. "But I prefer if you are not wearing anything," he said, teasing her. The blood immediately rushed on her cheeks as she blushed. Elle hit him on his chest. "Pervert!" Erick burst into a peal of laughter, seeing Elle get fl.u.s.tered just like that. ''She''s cute.'' "Get up already and wash up! You still have work today." She scowled at him. "Oh for goodness''s sake, release me from these handcuffs already!" She added. "Urgh! I don''t feel like going anywhere today. I am afraid that once I come back I will not see you here." Erick grunted from that thought. He also ignored her order to release her. Elle sighed deeply as she gently patted her forehead. She felt like she was getting a headache because of Erick who was acting paranoid. But she couldn''t blame him. "I won''t leave. You see¡­ I am here beside you now. Even if I run away I can still find my way back to you. I will always come back to you." Elle sincerely said to reassure him. Erick nodded as he put on a cheerful smile after hearing her words. It was true. She returned and she was back. "Alright. Now, can you release me?" Elle repeated her plea. Erick shook his head as he said to her: "Why don''t we take a bath together like this?" A playful smirk appeared on his handsome face. "No way! Erick Lee! I couldn''t believe it. You''re a pervert!" Elle exclaimed as she bluntly rejected his suggestion. Elle''s ears and cheeks were burning red because of both annoyance and embarrassment due to Erick''s advances today. Erick let out another husky laugh. He loved her reactions. He decided to tease his wife more. "Hmm, who is more pervert? The one who invited someone to join him in a bath or the one who barged in and took a peek with someone who was taking a shower?" Elle was now losing her patience with this guy. He was really enjoying this. "D*mn you, Erick! You were the one who was masturb-" Elle was not able to finish her sentence as Erick already sealed her lips with a kiss. At first, she was caught off guard but later on, she responded to him as she kissed him back. Erick took that chance when Elle was still engrossed with their kiss as he carried her towards the bathroom. It was too late when Elle noticed his true intention. She was already trapped inside the bathroom with him. ''Gosh. I was deceived by him again by his kiss.'' Elle scolded herself. A few seconds later, the sound of the running water coming from the shower could be heard inside. It did not take long when Elle''s complaining voice was heard in the bathroom. "Hey. You cheater! What are you doing? I thought we would just take a bath?" "Erick Lee. Please behave! Your parents are just outside¡­. Ah!" "Shhhh... Don''t worry, they wouldn''t hear us. Just don''t scream and refrain from making loud noises. I will give you your sweet punishment now." Erick said as he chuckled. "Wild Beast!!" That was the last words Elle uttered before the sound inside was replaced by their m.o.a.ns and groans. The husband and wife took their time inside, showing their love and affection towards each other and compensating each other for the days of being apart from one another. They finished their passionate making out session in the bathroom with three rounds before Erick was fully satisfied. After that, they joined Sarah and Raymond for breakfast. Elle was very silent for the whole time. She felt embarrassed even though it seemed that Erick''s parents had no idea about the steamy hot session that transpired between her and Erick inside their room. On the other hand, Erick was very lively and cheerful in contrast to Elle''s reaction. Sarah and Raymond felt relieved as they could see that the tension between the husband and wife since last night was long gone. Erick left for work while Elle decided to visit Elena in Falcon Cafe. She wanted to see how she''s doing. She felt apologetic with her as she left Elena alone in the Cafe. Fortunately, Yu and Lu were there to assist her in managing the Cafe. "Sis Elle, where have you been for these past few days? I miss you so much, Boss Charles and Boss Tom also." Elena greeted her cheerfully the moment she entered the Cafe. Brother Yu and Brother Lu just gave her a polite smile also as they welcomed her inside. "Sorry for not properly informing you about my absence. Something came up and I needed to fix some things. I hope you are just doing fine here." Elle said to her, feeling apologetic towards her. "I am alright big sis. Don''t worry. Brother Yu and Brother Lu are such great help here. We are also getting along very well." "Hmm. I am glad to hear that. Anyway, I would like to ask you if you already enrolled this semester?" "Yes, sis. I did. The class will start next month. I am so excited." Elena said enthusiastically. "Good. I would like to introduce you to someone. She will be a good mentor to you. She''s a very talented and capable doctor. You will learn a lot from her. Her name is Dra. Clara." A light flashed on Elena''s eyes. She seemed very interested to meet the doctor Elle just mentioned to her. "Starting next month, is it okay if you will stay with her and will serve as her assistant? Her place and clinic are near at your University. It will be more convenient for you if you stay with her." Elle suggested. Elena was having conflicting thoughts. "How about my work here at the Cafe?" She asked about her work but deep down Elena''s mind, she was thinking about being apart with Charles if she would agree with Elle''s suggestion. That thought was making her sad. Unknown to her, Elle and Phantom had already decided to send away Charles and it seemed like he wouldn''t be coming back at the Cafe in the meantime. "Don''t worry about that. You should focus on reaching your dreams first. Charles was very enthusiastic while telling me about your dream. I think he is also excited for you to become a doctor." Elle smiled as she remembered her conversation with Charles regarding Elena. At the mention of Charles, Elena''s hesitation disappeared and she agreed with Elle''s suggestion in the end. Elle''s lips curled up into a gentle smile as she glanced at Elena with a hopeful look. She wanted Elena to fulfill her dreams which she was not able to do by herself. ''I wish you to have a happy life, Elena. Chase after your dreams and live happily with your loved ones.'' Chapter 223 - 223: Do You Believe in Love? On that same day, Black Shadow and Marie decided to have a meet-up in the evening. It was Black Shadow who invited her. He told her that he had something to tell her. Black Shadow insisted to pick her up but she refused. So when night time came, Marie went to see him at their meeting place. It was the club where they always hang out together. Since it was Friday and tomorrow would be a weekend, a lot of people were there in the club, partying, drinking, and dancing with their heart''s content. Marie shook her head, asking herself why they were always hanging out to such a noisy place. When she was already inside she saw Black Shadow sitting on the bar counter while enjoying his drinks. He was wearing a plain white shirt paired with a leather jacket and blue jeans. Marie had to admit that Black Shadow was a clear example of masculine beauty. Even just staring at his broad back, she could tell that he possessed a charm that could attract women. After spending some time with Black Shadow she learned that he could also be a gentleman. Thinking about it, he''d never took advantage of her nor even force her into something she wouldn''t want to do. However, he appeared to be so c.o.c.ky and playful most of the time. That''s why despite the fact she knew that he was a very dangerous person she didn''t fear him. He was very friendly towards her. But she never let her guard down every time she was with him. She was very careful because she knew that just one mistake and her life would be put in jeopardy. She was still slowly approaching toward his direction when Black Shadow had sensed that someone was observing him from behind so he turned around only to see Marie walking in his direction. The moment he met her gaze, Black Shadow flashed his signature cheeky smile as he waved at her. Every time he would smile like that his cute dimples would appear below his twinkling eyes. Seeing his charming smile, Marie halted on her steps. ''D*mn! He''s so gorgeous when smiling just like that.'' she thought to herself. Then she felt her heartbeat quickened inside her chest. She cursed herself inwardly as she tried to calm her racing heart. "Why is it you suddenly misbehaving?" she mumbled as if she was literally conversing with her heart. "Hey, sweety! Walk faster!" Black Shadow shouted so that she could hear him despite the noisy music reverberating inside the club. With that, Marie was pulled back from her deep thoughts. Feeling impatient, Black Shadow stood up from his seat and walked towards her. When he reached her, he immediately grabbed her right hand as he gently dragged her to the corner where there was an available couch good for two persons. After they settled down on their seats, Black Shadow asked her: "What do you want to eat and drink tonight?" "Hmm, if you just told me that you planned to eat and drink tonight then we should have come to a restaurant instead of coming here," Marie said to him as she rolled her eyes. Black Shadow just chuckled from her response. "Sorry, dear. You know that I am more comfortable with this kind of place instead of going to fancy restaurants." "I know. I am just kidding. Just order some lady''s drink for me. Besides I already had my dinner before coming here." Black Shadow just nodded at her before he signaled the waiter. Since they were a regular customer there, the waiter was already aware of the drinks they wanted to order. "So what''s up? By the way, what do you want to tell me?" Marie asked him directly. Instead of answering her, Black Shadow picked up something inside the pocket of his jacket. It was a rectangular box. He grabbed her hand and put the object in her palm. Marie frowned as she observed the small rectangular box in her hand. "What is this?" "I promised to give you a necklace, right? This is my gift for you." Black Shadow said which made Marie tongue-tied for a moment. She had not yet recovered from that surprise gift when Black Shadow said something more shocking. "This is my parting gift," he said to her. He was smiling but there was something more in his eyes after saying that. But it disappeared quickly in just a split of a second. "Parting gift?" Marie mumbled as she wondered about what he meant by saying that. A deep frown appeared on her face. "Yes. I am leaving this place. My job here is done. I already completed it so there''s no reason for me to stay here." Black Shadow said as he gave her a meaningful glance. Marie didn''t know what to say at that moment. She was really shocked to hear that. ''Then what about Catseye? What should we do now? If he is leaving then I can''t continue spying on him.'' "Why are you giving me that kind of look?" he let out a soft chuckle as he watched her shock and worried expression. "Are you sad that I am leaving? Will you miss me?" he added as he tried to tease her. "No way!" Marie suddenly exclaimed. Black Shadow chuckled once again. "But why? I thought you are still looking for that person? Have you found her already?" Marie asked him curiously. Black Shadow was about to give her an answer when he was interrupted by the waiter. He brought their drinks. He sipped on his glass before he responded to her. However, instead of answering her, he asked her a question instead. "Do you believe in love?" Black Shadow asked her that question since he remembered what Elle had told him before they got separated that night. She advised him to try to fall in love. It sounded like a ridiculous joke for him but seeing how Elle loved that detective he could not stop himself from wondering why they still choose to believe in love despite being hurt in the end. Meanwhile, Marie was rendered speechless after she heard that. ''What''s wrong with him tonight? Why he did suddenly mention love?'' she thought to herself as she gave him a weird look. Seeing her expression, Black Shadow burst into another laughter. "Are you serious? You are really asking me that?" He just nodded as a response. "Of course I believe in love!" she finally answered him. "Then why did you waste your time dating me? You should have searched for the love of your life instead of playing around with me if you believe in love." Marie just raised her eyebrows. They both knew that the relationship between them meant nothing. Marie approached him for the purpose of spying on him while Black Shadow pursued her because he just wanted to have a little pastime with her. Their relationship was like friends with benefits and no string attached. Back to his question. Marie sighed deeply before she answered him. "Well. I just tried to do it with no feelings attached. I''m tired of getting hurt in the end. My relationship with other men always sucks." Marie said as she shrugged her shoulders. The smile on Black Shadow''s face disappeared as he looked at her. "What do you mean by that?" he asked her. "Hmm. I had four serious relationsh.i.p.s in the past. Two of them cheated on me while the other two dumped me." "Really? Why did they do that?" "Well. Maybe because most of the men didn''t like a strong and fierce woman just like me. They like someone who is more refined and feminine like a princess in those fairytale stories who needs a guy to protect her. They couldn''t handle my dominance I guess. Hahaha!" What Marie was telling Black Shadow right now was true. She didn''t know why she suddenly opened up with him regarding this. She was not comfortable talking about her failed relationsh.i.p.s in the past but now she found herself talking about this with him. She found it very funny. "Then why do you still believe in love?" "Hmm. Just simple. I just thought that those sc.u.ms are not the man for me. There is someone who is destined to love me in the end. Well. I am still a girl you know. Even if I am a strong-willed independent woman but deep down I still wanted to be loved by a man too." Black Shadow just shook his head as he stared at her helplessly. ''Women are really very complicated creatures. But this creature in front of me now is a simple-minded one.'' he smiled from that thought. "How about you? Do you believe in love?" Marie returned the question to him. "Yes, I did. Once. But I got betrayed. After that, the word ''love'' disappeared in my vocabulary." His reply was simple but there was a heaviness in those words. Then seconds later, he heard a soft giggle coming from the girl beside him. Marie was laughing hard. "Why are you laughing?" he asked her with confusion. "I-I''m sorry¡­ I just found it very funny because I didn''t know that you are too sentimental compared to me. Haha, you just failed once and you stopped believing in love already. But for me, it happened to me more than once. Still, I was able to move on but you¡­ haha, you are still bitter!" Marie teased him as she continued laughing at him. ''D*mn. This woman is really annoying sometimes. No wonder her boyfriend dumped her.'' Black Shadow thought to himself. ''I didn''t share my story with her just to make her laugh.'' "Stop laughing already!" He told her to stop but Marie couldn''t help herself from laughing out loud. ''She is really trying to break my patience here.'' With the intention in mind to make her stop laughing, Black Shadow hooked his arm around her waist as he yanked her towards him. His other hand was already at the back of her head. Without waiting for her to protest, he pulled her as he brought her face to his. He covered her lips with his mouth as he kissed her hard, devouring her. Just like before, as if Black Shadow had a certain power over her, Marie responded to his kiss with eagerness. Not minding the people around them, they kissed each other hungrily. Is this also a parting kiss? Unknown to them that every interaction happened between them the moment they sat in that corner were being watched by two pairs of eyes. But between the two observers, there was a certain someone who was looking at them with her sharp eyes covered with a hint of hatred and jealousy. Her hatred was directed to the girl whom Black Shadow was kissing passionately at that moment. Chapter 224 - 224: They Lost Track of the Time After Marie and Black Shadow broke apart from that very intense kiss, he held her hand which was still holding the rectangular box he had just given her. He stood up, tugging her along with him. Black Shadow and her passed by the bar counter, leaving the money for their bills. "Keep the change!" he said to the waiter as he winked at him. And without further ado, he pulled her towards the exit of the club. "Hey, where are we going?" Marie asked him as Black Shadow continued to lead their way into the parking area. He just gave her a cheeky smile before he handed her his helmet. He rode his motorcycle then after that he extended his hand to her, inviting her to ride at his back. Marie just sighed helplessly before she complied. She put on the helmet. When Black Shadow made sure that she settled down already on his back, he started his motorcycle and left the place with her. "Hold me tight." Black Shadow said to her as he started to drive faster. His lips twitched into a satisfied smile when he felt Marie''s hands clutch his waist tightly. ''Good girl!'' he thought to himself. They got to the soccer field inside one of the big universities in City Z just about ten minutes later. He parked his motorcycle and guided her as they got off. They walked towards the middle of that soccer field. No one was around the area except the two of them. The surroundings were very quiet and peaceful in contrast to the noisy club where they often hung out. There was also a streetlamp perched over the field which was the source of light in that dark night. Black Shadow lay down on the ground as he used his one hand as his pillow. He looked up with a smile on his face, watching the night sky. Oblivious of his intention of why he brought her there, Marie just sat down beside him quietly. Black Shadow couldn''t understand himself as well why he suddenly brought her there. He just felt like doing it tonight. They stayed silent for a while, both were consumed by their own thoughts. Black Shadow was thinking that he was about to leave City Z and this might be the last night they would enjoy each other''s company. That''s why he wanted to spend more time with her tonight. He had to admit that meeting Marie was one of the interesting things that happened to him for the past few months. He enjoyed being with her. Meanwhile, Marie was also thinking about the moments she had spent with Black Shadow. Now that he was leaving, she didn''t know what to feel or what to do. Is she worried about the progress of Catseye''s case if ever Black Shadow would leave or is she worried about something else? Then she remembered his question just a while ago. ''Are you sad that I am leaving? Will you miss me?'' Marie just shook her head. She wanted to get those thoughts out of her mind. ''Sh!t. What am I thinking right now? This is so wrong.'' she scolded herself. "Are you really leaving?" Marie couldn''t stop herself from asking him that question. Black Shadow averted his gaze to the girl sitting beside him when he heard her soft voice, asking him that question. He smirked as he answered her with a "Yes." "Why? Do you want to stop me from leaving? Do you want me to stay?" he asked her. It sounded more like a tease. Marie smiled as she heard him. "No." she promptly said. "I am just thinking that I haven''t given you any parting gift too. Can we meet again tomorrow afternoon? I want to give you my parting gift also." Black Shadow chuckled. "F*ck! I didn''t know if I should be happy or be sad because of your answer. It seems like nobody really cares about my presence or my absence." "You are really great at moving on and forgetting things. No wonder you still believe in love after you failed four times," he said as he mocked her. "Are you just stubborn or just simply stupid?" he added as he let out a soft chuckle. "Call me stubborn and stupid but you are just a bitter person!" she spat back at him as she stuck her tongue out after saying those words. Her little action just gained another laughter from him. He looked at her amusedly. After a few seconds, Black Shadow sat up and extended his right arm in front of her. "What?" she asked him, feeling confused about what he was trying to do. "Give me the necklace. I will be the one to put it on you," he said. Marie just gave him a strange look but in the end, she still complied as she handed him the rectangular box. After receiving it, Black Shadow moved to her back. He asked her to grab her loose hair and raise it as he put the necklace on her neck. It was a silver necklace with a small diamond pendant. It looked nice on her neck. "It looks very expensive!" she exclaimed. "You know, you don''t have to buy me things like this but anyway, thank you for this parting gift." "No need to thank me." he simply said. Marie touched the necklace and toyed with the pendant. She couldn''t explain but she felt some emotions deep down her heart. She didn''t want to name those emotions. She wanted to ignore it. Then suddenly she felt some warmth. Black Shadow already removed his jacket as he put it on her back. "Are you not feeling cold?" she heard him say. "Just a little," Marie replied to him. After hearing her response, Black Shadow engulfed her in his arms as he hugged her from behind. His action took her by surprise. She was baffled. Her heart started to beat like crazy inside her chest once again. His sweet little gestures could really affect her heart and mind. Then they both fell silent, slowing the world down to the pace of their breathing. They lost track of the time. They stayed there until midnight, doing nothing, just staring at the night sky, counting stars and waiting for shooting stars while keeping each other''s company. Chapter 225 - 225: I Still Love You Elle and Erick were stuck together during this weekend. With nothing much to do, they spent their time bonding together with Erick''s parents. In the morning, they took a stroll around the city, stopping by in the mall and supermarket to buy some necessities needed at home. Sarah loved to have a girl''s bonding with Elle so while the boys were buying things in the supermarket, the ladies took their time roaming around the department store in the lady''s section. As usual, they bought some clothes and other accessories. Elle didn''t want to buy those things but Sarah insisted. She said those were her wedding gift to her as her daughter-in-law. She even teased Elle to buy some e.r.o.t.i.c lingerie and s.e.xy outfits that she could use during her honeymoon with Erick. Elle blushed from too much embarrassment because of Sarah''s teasing. "By the way dear, when are you planning to visit our town to meet your grandma and grandpa? I bet they will also like you once they see you. They are very excited to meet their granddaughter-in-law." "Mom, I will discuss it first with Erick. He is busy with his work as of this moment. But don''t worry, we will find time to visit them together." Elle reassured her. "Alright. I also hope that he can meet your father." Sarah said to her while she was checking the clothes in her hand. "Mom, I want to tell you something." "Go on dear. Tell me what is it." Elle paused for a moment as she looked at Sarah intently. Then she decided to tell her about her parents. "My father that I mentioned to you is not my biological father. He is my foster father. He adopted me when I was ten." Sarah averted her gaze to Elle after hearing those words. There was a gentleness in Sarah''s face as she looked at her. With that, Elle found her courage to tell her what happened to her biological parents. "Mom, my biological parents died when I was still young. They were murdered," she said to her truthfully. There was a hint of sadness in her voice. Astonishment flickered through Sarah''s eyes. She didn''t expect to hear that. She knew those times were very hard for Elle. Her heart ached for her. She felt sad. Sarah put down the clothes she was holding and she pulled Elle into a warm hug. "I''m sorry to hear that, dear." Elle could feel a mother''s love and warmth through that hug. "It''s alright Mom. I have you now and Erick''s dad. Thank you for accepting me and treating me as your own daughter since the moment we first met." "Oh, dear. No need to thank me. It''s my pleasure to be called by you as Mom. I don''t know why but I really liked you the moment I saw you in Erick''s place. Deep down in my heart, I want you to become part of our family. And I am glad that Erick was able to do that." Elle felt very touched hearing her comforting words. She felt blissful and grateful for that. Seconds later, Erick saw them. They already finished shopping and he came to inform them. He was really happy to see that Elle and his mom were getting along very well. They felt comfortable with each other''s company. He was glad that his parents were very supportive of his relationship with Elle. Soon, the four of them went back home. Erick suggested an outdoor barbeque lunch in the balcony. The three of them liked that idea so they prepared everything as soon as they arrived home. After enjoying their family lunch, Erick and Elle decided to take a walk outside. They grabbed this chance to have a further talk regarding Elle''s identity as Catseye. They promised each other that they would start to talk about this one of these days. They needed to be opened with each other regarding this matter so that they could avoid further misunderstanding between them in the future. Besides, Erick wanted to hear the side of her story about why she became an assassin. They sat under the big acacia tree. It became their favorite spot near their backyard. They were sitting side by side as their hands were entangled with each other. Elle was leaning on Erick. "Are you ready to talk now? I am here to listen." Erick softly said to her. "Yes," Elle said as she squeezed his hand in her arms. "Don''t worry. You can be honest with me. Don''t be afraid. I won''t judge you." Erick gave her assurance. "Do you remember? That in this place I also asked you to trust me- to trust my love for you," he added. Elle giggled as she remembered that moment. She asked him what he would do to her if ever he learned that she killed someone and she was a criminal. At first, his answer that time confused her a lot. She thought his two statements were not relevant to each other. "Yeah, I do remember. You also told me that time that you will put me into prison and you ask me if I am willing to surrender myself to you. And then suddenly out of the blue, you ask me to marry you." Elle let out a soft giggle after saying that. "Hmm, that''s true. Why are you laughing? Did you think that I am joking at that time?" Erick said. "Yeah, I think so. But now, I clearly understand what you mean. The prison you are referring to me at that time is yourself right? That''s why you ask me to marry you." Erick laughed at her statement. "Good. Finally, you got it right, my dear wifey. I thought I still need to explain it to you further." "Hmm, Hubby." "Yes?" "You never fail to amaze me." "Hmm. It''s my pleasure." Elle gazed up to see his face. She saw him looking at her with gentleness in his eyes. Now, she was ready to share her story with him. "I already told you about my parent''s death. My life changed from that day." Elle started. "Their deaths were too sudden. My young mind couldn''t accept it. I blamed myself for staying alive. I thought I would feel better if I also died with them that day." Elle paused. She felt Erick''s grip on her hand tightened. He didn''t want to interrupt her so he just kept silent as he listened to her. He already felt bad for her, for experiencing that tragedy. "I thought I would be able to join them in the afterlife. But fate had another plan for me. I was severely injured and dying but someone came to my rescue." she heaved a frustrated sigh. "If you died that time then I wouldn''t meet my wife today. I was glad that you lived." Erick commented to console her a little. He knew that it was hard for her to reminisce about her past. But she was trying to be strong just to tell him her story. Elle just smiled faintly at his remarks. "But that time, I didn''t want to live. I suffered both physically, emotionally, and psychologically. It was a very traumatic experience. I had suicidal thoughts. I tried to kill myself many times but the person who rescued me always saved my life all over again." she smiled as Phantom''s face popped up into her mind. "He tried his best to encourage me to continue living." "Is that person is your foster father? Is he your benefactor named Mr. Morgan?" Erick asked her. He was grateful for that person who saved Elle. "Yes. He is." Erick just nodded as he received her response. "I want to meet him." Elle shook her head. "I will have to ask his permission first." "Alright then. Hmm, go on. How did he convince you to change your mind?" Erick urged her to continue. "He told me his story too. He also experienced the same thing. His family was killed before him- his wife and his son. Then he told me to continue living and avenge my family''s death. He used the word ''revenge'' as my motivation. Then I found my reason to live." She paused for a moment. She was thinking something but after she made up her mind she spoke again. "The truth is the person who saved me is also an assassin. He became an assassin just to avenge his family''s death. I asked him to train me and be like him. He helped me. Then after four years of hard training, I did my first kill. I was just fourteen years old back then. My first victim is one of those people who are involved in my parent''s death." Erick didn''t know what to feel after hearing this. At a very young age, she started to kill because of hatred and revenge. But he couldn''t blame her. He understood her situation. "But I lost my mind during that mission. It felt like I was being possessed by a demon. That day when I killed that person and his blood splattered all over my body, for the first time, I felt more alive. That feelings and sensations excite me a lot. Then that was the start of my craving for bloodl.u.s.t." Elle didn''t glance at him after telling him that. She was afraid that Erick would hate her. But he didn''t utter any words. He just kept on listening to her. "It was too late, I already fell into this sinner''s path. Aside from getting my revenge, I suddenly enjoyed killing. Because of that, I became a full-pledge assassin. When I was 18 years old, I started to accept missions, killing people for money. That''s the start of my journey as Catseye, the Devilish Assassin." After that, she turned to face him. "Now, after hearing that, do you still love me?" "Yes! My feelings for you did not change. I still love you. Now I understand you more." Erick said to her with certainty in his voice. "But it is against your morals as a detective. If they found out that you already knew the truth about Catseye''s identity and you decided to protect me against the law then you might lose your job." Elle was concerned about him. "I''d rather lose my job than to lose you. I can''t live without you, Elle. I am not a Saint. For the first time, I want to be selfish and be happy together with you." Erick told her honestly. She could feel his sincerity. Elle released his hand as she cupped his face using her both hands. "Don''t worry. I will retire as Catseye soon. I just need to unfold the truth about my parent''s death and punish those people." "But I don''t want you to commit more crime. I don''t want you to stain your hands with their blood. Let me help you. Let''s do this using the law." Erick suggested to her as he held her arms which were holding his face. "Okay. I will try my best to do that. But I won''t promise. If there is a need to spill some blood, I won''t hesitate to do that." Elle was being honest with him. "Then I will also do my best to avoid that from happening- without hurting you in the process," he said to her meaningfully. Elle could understand him. She knew he was afraid that he might hurt her again. But this time, she wanted to trust him completely. As long as they were together loving and supporting each other, she thought they would be able to pass any hurdle or challenges that might come their way. "By the way, do you mind if I will ask you about your parent''s name?" Erick suddenly asked her. She had never mentioned to him their names yet. Elle was about to answer him when they were both interrupted by someone. Bryan just suddenly appeared in front of them. He was panting as he came running to their direction. He was wearing a worried and panic expression on his face as he called Erick''s name. "Hey, what happened to you?" Erick asked him as soon as Bryan reached them. "Chief! Bad news! Something bad happened with agent Marie!" Chapter 226 - 226: Mischief "Chief! Bad news! Something bad happened with agent Marie!" This was the information Bryan brought to them as he interrupted the couple in the middle of their talk. Erick and Elle were baffled as they didn''t expect to hear such a piece of bad news. Erick''s expression became serious after hearing that. There was a mixture of concern and rage reflected in his dark brown eyes. Elle gave him a worried look. "What happened to her?" Erick asked him again with his deep voice. "A police officer contacted Allen through her cellphone in her belongings. He said Marie was brought into the hospital immediately. He told us that she had been shot and her condition was still unknown. However, he said that she was not looking good!" Bryan tried his best to calm down with his panicking state. "Who did this? Who''s the culprit?" "Black Shadow! He is the number one suspect." Bryan answered him through gritted teeth. Elle frowned after hearing it. ''What business does Black Shadow have with Agent Marie for him to do this?'' she couldn''t help herself but ponder. Then Bryan spoke again. "She''d mentioned to Rose that she was about to meet him today. Agent Marie probably blew her cover and Black Shadow discovered that she was a spy that''s why he did this." There was fury in Bryan''s eyes as he told them those information. With that, Elle somehow grasped the situation. It was agent Marie who got closer with Black Shadow in order to spy and get information from him regarding her whereabouts, regarding Catseye. On the other hand, Erick had conflicting thoughts as of this moment. He felt responsible for this. A tinge of guilt was bothering him deep inside. He was blaming himself. "Let''s go to the hospital," Erick told Bryan. He just nodded in agreement. Noticing that something was off with Erick, Elle decided to tag along with them. "Let me accompany you," Elle said as she held his hand. Soon, the three of them left and headed to the hospital where Agent Marie was brought. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [ TWO HOURS AGO¡­ ] Last night Marie asked Black Shadow to meet today. She was planning to give him a parting gift also. She hadn''t informed her team yet regarding Black Shadow''s plan of leaving City Z. After much thought and careful consideration, Marie decided to buy him a watch. But that watch would contain a tracking device if ever they needed to track him down and catch him again. Wherever he goes, as long as he has that watch, she would be able to know his location. So that morning, she went to the store where Erick loved to buy gadgets and equipment for safety protection and tracking purposes. She also asked Mr. Mo, the store manager, to give her a personalized watch. Little did she know that her movements since she left that club last night with Black Shadow were being carefully monitored from behind. With a bad motive in mind, someone did a thorough investigation on her in just one night. Marie somehow felt lost at that moment. Something was weighing on her mind after spending her time with Black Shadow last night. Because of that, she failed to notice that someone was tailing her since this morning. She asked Black Shadow to meet her in a theme park. She didn''t know what had gotten into her in order to do that. She just felt like wanting to meet him in such a place and maybe spend more time with him. She couldn''t understand herself. She arrived first at the theme park. Since today''s weekend, there were lots of people strolling around the place. Most of them were couples who were having their date. She sat on a bench near the Ferris Wheel Ride as she waited for Black Shadow to arrive. She was holding the paper bag which contained her gift for him. Marie liked extreme rides such as Roller Coaster and Ferris wheel. She wanted to try those together with her boyfriends before but no one among them liked that idea so in the end, she always ended up alone when riding those things. This time she wanted to enjoy the ride with those things together with Black Shadow. She was smiling at the thought of him. She was wondering if he would agree to her. Meanwhile Black Shadow also arrived in the theme park. This was the first time he and Marie would be meeting in that kind of place. Deep down, he felt excited for today. He couldn''t explain why but he just felt it. A gentle smile immediately formed into his face the moment he saw Marie sitting from a distance. He could see her smiling as she observed her surroundings. She was looking at those rides. Black Shadow was about to come to her when he was stopped by someone. He felt a soft hand holding his right elbow. A deep frown appeared on his face the moment he saw the person beside him. That person was Kelsy. "What are you doing here? Let go of my hand," he said with his stern cold voice. Displeasure was written all over his face. However, Kelsy did not feel intimidated. She just smiled at him sweetly as she told him something. "Let''s talk. I heard that you''re already leaving City Z. Tell me everything you know about Catseye." A smug smile crept on Black Shadow''s face after hearing her words. "Why should I do that? I thought Azumi Twins have their own ways of finding Catseye. Why are you bothering me now?" "Oh, my dear Black. Of course, we have our own ways. And this is our way." Black Shadow looked at her with confusion. "What are you trying to do here? Just leave me alone." He removed her hand from gripping his. He was about to walk past her when he heard her warning. "Try to move another step and you will see that cute little girlfriend of yours will meet a mischief today." Black Shadow automatically stopped on his track after hearing that. He looked daggers at her as he clenched his fist. "Don''t you dare hurt her. I swear to you that I won''t hesitate to fight you." Kelsy just let out a soft giggle. She didn''t feel threatened at all. "Well, my dearest Black. You know what Azumi Twins are capable of doing. If we want to get something, we will do our best to get it no matter what. Now, you decide. Give me the information we need in order to catch Catseye or else say goodbye with your sweet little girl." Kelsy pointed out Marie''s direction. Even though Black Shadow faced her with his brave front but deep inside he felt very anxious for Marie''s safety. He knew how ruthless and fearless Azumi Twins are. They won''t hesitate to harm someone even in a public place like this. Seeing his hesitation, Kelsy gave him the proof that she was not joking nor bluffing. In a distance, she pointed out a building just ten meters away from their current location. "You see that light? It is the reflection of the sniper''s lens. You know that my twin brother Kevin is a very sharpshooter, right? I think as of this moment, he is already pointing his favorite gun to the head of your sweet girlfriend." "F*ck! I didn''t know that both of you would stoop so low as this. You never change, Kelsy." Black Shadow was fuming with rage right now. Kelsy just let out another giggle and then she stopped as her expression became more serious. Her playfulness was already gone. "Black, I am not a very patient woman, you know that. Will you talk now or not?" "D*mn. What is this kind of feeling? Is this similar to how Catseye felt when I pointed a gun to her man? F*ck. Karma is real!'' He chuckled from that thought. Kelsy just looked at him confusedly. "Why are you laughing? You didn''t take my words seriously, huh." she raised her eyebrows as she picked up her phone. She dialed Kevin''s number. Black Shadow stopped laughing. "Stop. You win. Don''t harm her. I''ll talk." Instead of rejoicing after hearing Black Shadow''s remarks Kelsy felt the other way around. ''So he really cares about that girl!'' Her hatred towards Marie was growing by the minute. She couldn''t accept the fact that Black Shadow really cared about that girl and wanted to protect her from them. Kelsy was able to conceal her emotion. Her expression went back to a playful one. "Alright, tell me something." Black Shadow paused for a moment before he spoke. ''Sorry for doing this Catseye. I know you and the Azumi Twins will have to meet somehow. Just make sure to give them a good beating.'' "Target Chief Detective Erick Lee and Catseye will voluntarily come to you. That detective has a special relationship with Catseye. He was the reason why Catseye killed Reaper." "Hmm. Interesting. Are you telling the truth?" Kelsy said as she slightly doubted him. ''Why Catseye had a special relationship with a detective?'' "You know me Kelsy. I won''t lie in times like this." "Alright, I believe you. Thank you for that information. We will make use of that very well." After giving him a meaningful smile, Kelsy picked up her phone to call her brother. "Brother, I am done here. Proceed to what I instructed you before." Black Shadow was about to feel relieved after hearing that when suddenly he heard someone shouted nearby. "Oh my gosh! Help, someone here collapses!" Black Shadow turned to look at the direction of the voice. Fear suddenly engulfed his whole being when he saw Marie already lying on the ground. The girl who was shouting and calling for help was beside her. ''No!!!'' he was very shocked and his mind was screaming. "Oh my God! Oh my God! There''s blood!!! She''s bleeding. Someone, call for an ambulance! Hurry!" the concerned fellow continued shouting in her panicked voice. She already caught the attention of bystanders and people nearby. Azumi twins deceived him. They hurt her! They still harmed her! Black Shadow was about to run to Marie when Kelsy stopped him again. "You deceived me! I will kill you! I will make you pay for this!" Black Shadow shouted at her. "Oh, dear! Don''t be so worked up. I just did you a favor. She is the one who is deceiving you. She is a spy. She is a police officer." Then Kelsy showed him some printed pictures. Black Shadow''s froze. Shock and disbelief were reflected from his eyes when he saw the pictures. In the pictures, Marie was wearing her police uniform together with her other colleagues Seeing the expression of Black Shadow, Kelsy was very satisfied. She decided to leave. But she only took two steps when she heard Black Shadow calling her. When she turned to face him his expression already changed. He didn''t look mad anymore. Instead, there was a smirk on his handsome face. "Then I should thank you for that." Black Shadow mumbled. Kelsy was rejoicing as she heard that. "Then let me tell you another truth about Catseye." Black Shadow added. "Alright. Tell me, Black. What is it?" Black Shadow fell silent for a moment but his eyes were fixed on her. Meeting her gaze, he talked to her. "We had an encounter a few weeks ago. The truth is Catseye is a man." Then, without waiting for her response, Black Shadow turned his back on her and walked away as he left that place. He didn''t take another glance at the people who were having a commotion as they tried to save Marie. Kelsy was just watching Black Shadow''s retreating back until he vanished from her line of sight. She felt that her plan succeeded. Then she averted her gaze to Marie''s direction. "Poor girl. This is the price you get from coveting my man. Black Shadow is mine. His heart only belongs to me." Chapter 227 - 227: Not Looking Good After hearing the bad news, Erick and Elle together with Bryan sped all the way towards the hospital. When they arrived outside the operating room, they saw Allen talking to two people who appeared to be very anxious and uneasy at the same time. The woman was crying while being comforted by a man. They were Marie''s parents. Allen was explaining to them what happened to agent Marie. The three of them were about to approach Allen and Marie''s parents when they heard someone calling Erick from behind. They turned around to see Officer Kim together with a lady. She was the concerned citizen who asked for help the moment she saw Marie collapsed on the ground. "Officer Kim, you are also here," Bryan said as he greeted him. "Yeah, we are the one who received a call from witnesses regarding what happened to agent Marie. Our men were already in the crime scene, conducting the investigation." Officer Kim said to them. "I just finished gathering a statement from her. She was the one who responded first on the scene that''s why Agent Marie was brought here in the hospital immediately." Officer Kim introduced to them the lady beside him. They greeted and thanked the lady for her help. After that, the lady left the hospital. She was also the one who handed over Marie''s belongings to Officer Kim. Erick instructed Bryan to come over and join Allen and Marie''s parents while he talked to Officer Kim. Elle stayed with him. "Can you tell us what happened Officer Kim?" Erick asked him. "A witness called us that there was a shooting incident that happened in a theme park. The team rushed over there quickly. It looked like a sniper did this to her. Fortunately, the caller also informed us of the location where the perpetrator hid at that time." "Our men went there to check. It was a building just ten meters away from Marie''s location. From the inside, my team confirmed that location had a clear view where Agent Marie was sitting." he added. Elle frowned upon hearing that. ''That''s strange. If the sniper did this how come the caller knew the exact location where that person hides during the attack especially if that person was Black Shadow.'' "How is she?" Erick couldn''t hide the deep concern in his voice while asking that question. Officer Kim fell silent for a moment as he looked at the direction of Marie''s parents. There was a grim expression on his face as he said: "She''s not looking good. She was hit by the bullet in the head. The perpetrator had a clear intention to kill her on the spot, fortunately, someone found her and responded immediately. If not then I am afraid she won''t make it." Both Erick and Elle were dumbfounded after knowing her situation. Officer heaved a deep sigh as he added "Let''s pray for her. That''s what we can do for her as of now." They all knew that there was only a small chance of surviving a gunshot wound to the head. The victim often died on the spot. It was already fortunate that Agent Marie was able to hang on until she was brought inside the operating room. Erick clenched his fist. He couldn''t help but feel responsible for what happened. Agent Marie was putting her life on the line and continued to monitor Black Shadow just to get information about Catseye''s whereabouts. He felt an extreme turmoil inside him. Guilt was consuming him as of the moment. If the team knew that he already learned Catseye''s identity then Agent Marie should have already stopped her dangerous mission of getting close with Black Shadow. And this won''t happen to her. However, he couldn''t bring himself to reveal Elle''s identity. He couldn''t do that. Now, he looked like he betrayed his team as he protected the woman he loved. His feelings for her already got in the way of his duty. He didn''t expect this to happen at all. Now, he was blaming himself. Meanwhile, Elle noticed Erick''s complicated expression. She somehow knew a little bit of what was going on in his mind right now. Her worry for him was evident to her face as she looked at him. Elle just held his hand, consoling him. Then she turned to Officer Kim. "Is Black Shadow the one who did this?" Elle asked him. "So far, he is the number one suspect. Oh, by the way, I believe here is the thing she wanted to give him today. It looks like a gift. She mentioned to Agent Rose that she was meeting Black Shadow today." Officer Kim said as he gave the paper bag to Erick. "The lady gave this to me a while ago, along with Marie''s other belongings." Erick took the paper bag. After that, the three of them went to approach Marie''s parents and other agents there. Several minutes later, Captain Jason and other members of the Joint Task Force arrived in the hospital. The place was engulfed by deafening silence. Everyone could feel the gloomy atmosphere around them. Everyone was feeling the uneasiness in their heart as they''re silently praying for Marie to survive this critical operation. They couldn''t afford to lose a colleague today. They all felt terrified as they looked worriedly at the closed door of the operating room. This was the same feeling and vibe when Erick got injured. As time went by, everyone became terribly anxious. The tension and uneasiness were growing by the minute. And after several hours of waiting, the door of the operating room opened. When the doctor appeared on their sight, Marie''s parents went up to him right away. "How''s our daughter?" Both of them asked the doctor in unison. At this moment, the doctor took his mask off and he looked at them with a solemn expression on his face. Everyone was waiting for the doctor''s response. "We were able to successfully remove the bullet inside her head. However, I am sorry to tell you but the patient fell into a coma." "The bullet had hit and injured the right hemisphere of her brain. That means there is a possibility that if she wakes up, this injury can leave the patient impaired especially on her left side." Marie''s mother fell limp when she heard that. Fortunately, her husband was able to catch her. All of them were stupefied with their pale expression on their faces. The doctor continued to speak and explained her condition to them. "But don''t worry she can still able to perform those functions on some level. Our main concern here is for the patient to wake up from her comatose condition. Let''s just wait and observe her. We will transfer her to the ICU for now. You must stay strong for her and pray. Let''s put our faith in the patient''s will to survive this." After a while, Marie was transferred to the ICU room. The Joint Task Force members were now gathered in the hospital lobby together with Elle. They bade Marie''s parents goodbye for a while. Allen and Jane were the ones who helped and assisted Marie''s parents in processing things in the hospital. There was a heaviness in the air as they gathered together with the sullen atmosphere around them. "F*ck! Black Shadow needs to pay for this!" Carl broke the silence as he spoke with anger and rage. "We were very careful, especially Marie. She''d never lower her guard when it comes to Black Shadow. Why is it this thing happened suddenly? Is it really possible that he discovered Marie was a spy?" Rose couldn''t help but wonder. "I am very sorry. I think it''s my fault." Erick suddenly blurted out to the team. There was a hint of guilt and sadness in his voice. Then the others averted their gaze to him. The confusion was evident to their eyes. Elle could understand Erick''s feeling as of this moment. After hearing his words, Elle chose to leave as she gave them their privacy. After all, she was just an outsider among them and she didn''t belong to them. Somehow, she also felt that this incident happened because of her. "Erick, I''ll go ahead first. I will wait for you in the car." Elle said to him. Erick just nodded at her. He knew that Elle was giving him privacy with his team. They exchanged meaningful glances with one another before she left. She believed in him. No matter what would be his decision regarding this matter, she would understand him. "What do you mean Chief Lee? This is not your fault. Why are you apologizing to us?" It was Bryan who spoke up. "Last week, I asked her to check again the necklace in Black Shadow''s possession. To do that, she sneaked into his apartment. I am afraid because of that Black Shadow was able to discover her identity as a spy." After hearing that, the team fell into silence once again. They didn''t want to blame Erick for that. It was part of their job. That necklace was another clue to Catseye''s identity. But unknown to them, Erick already knew the truth and he chose to hide it from them. That''s the reason why he felt guilty and sorry for them. After the team talked, Erick proceeded to the parking lot where Elle was waiting for him. Upon seeing Erick walking towards her direction, Elle stepped out of the car. She could feel that he was going through a lot right now. This incident greatly affected him. When Erick reached her, he concealed his negative emotions as he faced her with a gentle smile on his face. But it was too late for him to hide it from her. She already saw through him. She sighed deeply as she did not know what she could do right now to console him. She just closed the gaps between them and engulfed him into her arms at that moment. She stroked his back as she hugged him in her arms. Elle didn''t know but this little action of her was enough to console him. Chapter 228 - 228: Destined To Meet Each Other The next day, Charles was about to get discharged from the hospital when someone came to visit. That person was Antoine, Phantom''s friend, and confidant before. Phantom already knew that he was coming today. Antoine would be the one who would take care of Charles and would bring him to the place where they were planning to let him stay. Phantom and Charles already discussed this matter. At first, he refused to follow that idea. He didn''t want to go and leave them here in City Z. He wanted to stay with Elle and Phantom. However, Phantom convinced him that this was just temporary and he just needed to recuperate first. He assured him that once he recovered he could come back anytime. Thinking about his situation, Charles didn''t also want to become a burden to them, especially to Elle that''s why in the end, he agreed on his suggestion. But he felt sad knowing that he would be apart from Elle. Since they started working together, this was the first time they would be apart from one another. Meanwhile, Antoine was already inside his ward. Phantom started to introduce them from each other. "Charles, this is Antoine. You can call him Uncle. He is my friend. You will stay with him in the meantime. Anyway, he is my trusted confidant before. You can also learn from him." Then Phantom turned to Antoine. "This is Charles. I mentioned him to you before." Antoine nodded and smiled at them at the same time. "So this is him. The most loyal friend and accomplice of your foster daughter, Elle. Nice meeting you Charles. I think we will get along very well. We also had the same role." Charles returned his smile and greeted him politely. "Hello, Uncle Antoine. It''s my pleasure to meet you. I want to learn from you. Please help me and train me." Antoine and Phantom burst into laughter after hearing Charles''s remarks. They were thinking about the same thing. It was Phantom who spoke what''s on their mind. "You should recover first before he can train you." "I know that Master!" After having a casual conversation with Charles and Phantom, Antoine gave Phantom a meaningful glance. He just nodded at him. He knew that he had something to tell him. So the two of them excused themselves and left Charles for a while. "I''ve done what you asked me to do. I already investigated that person." Antoine told Phantom. They were on the rooftop of the hospital, talking with each other. "So what did you find out?" Phantom asked him. "Hmm. You don''t need to worry about that person. He doesn''t have ill intentions nor bad motives against your foster daughter. He was a policeman before who was assigned to her parents'' case." Phantom was dumbfounded for a moment. He let Antoine continue speaking. "He believed that Elle is alive and he is looking for her. It looks like he didn''t stop investigating what happened to Falcon Family even though the authorities already stopped and left this case unresolved." Antoine paused as he looked at his friend. He could see that Phantom''s interest was piqued by this discovery. "Who is he? Why is he doing that? After all these years, why is it he didn''t give up?" Phantom asked him curiously. "His name is Raymond Lee. The reason why he is doing this is that he and Elle''s father had a close relationship with each other. They are best friends." "Raymond Lee?" Phantom blurted out as the name sounded familiar to him. He furrowed his brows as he kept searching in his memory where he heard that name. Antoine let out a soft chuckle as he saw his friend''s reaction. He somehow guessed what''s going on in his mind right now. However, since he didn''t want to make things difficult for his old friend Antoine spoke again as he gave him another important information that he had gathered. "He is the father of the famous detective named Erick Lee," Antoine said with a wide grin flashed on his face. Phantom''s eyes widened in astonishment after hearing that. He couldn''t believe what he had just heard. "D*mn, this is very surprising!" Phantom exclaimed before he pounced on his friend, locking Antoine''s neck with his long arm as he gently patted his face. "Hey! Hey! Stop doing that!" Antoine complained to him. Phantom just ignored his protest as he continued what he was doing to his friend. He couldn''t hide the excitement and happiness in his face right now. "D*mn Antoine! You never failed me as always. You are the most capable man I have ever met in this lifetime. I am so happy to have someone like you by my side! Good job my friend!" Phantom gave him credits and praises. Antoine was just frowning. He didn''t know what''s the deal with Phantom''s sudden change in attitude today. He looked at him strangely. "Hey, release me already! D*mn old man! You are becoming more clingy now!" Antoine said with slight annoyance in his voice. Sensing that his friend was already upset, Phantom released him. Antoine just fixed his clothes after that. "D*mn old man!" he mumbled. Phantom just burst into a peal of laughter. "Hey. You''re also an old man! Haha. Anyway, I am very happy with the result of your investigation. I owe you this. So just tell me your request then I will grant it for you." After hearing that, Antoine''s mood brightened up. "Alright! That''s a promise. Hmm. I have to think first. I''ll tell you my request if I have one in mind." He grinned at him widely. Then after a while, they heard Phantom''s phone was ringing. A gentle smile appeared on his face when he saw the caller''s ID. It was Elle who was calling him. Elle''s voice could be heard from the other line as soon as the call got connected. "Master! I am on my way now going to the hospital." "Oh, right timing, your Uncle Antoine just arrived here. We will be waiting for you. Charles wants to see you before they leave today." "Alright, Master! I am near the hospital. See you." "OK!" After Phantom hung up the phone he saw Antoine giving him a weird look. "What?" Antoine shook his head as he said "You are really a changed man now." Phantom just shrugged at him. "Well, you know people change." Antoine rolled his eyes at his old friend as a response. "So, what should we gonna do about this Raymond Lee?" He brought back the topic of Erick''s father. "Will you let him meet Elle or give him a clue about the culprits?" Antoine added. "Hmmm. I''ll think about it first." Phantom simply replied. A light flashed on his eyes. He was glad to know that Erick''s father was making an effort to find out the truth about what happened to the Falcon Family. He knew that Elle would be happy to know this. ''What a big coincidence? It seemed like Erick and Elle were destined to meet each other. Even their fathers have a close tie with each other.'' Phantom couldn''t help but smile from that thought. Chapter 229 - 229: Goodbye For Now Partner When Phantom and Antoine returned to the ward, Charles was already talking with Dr. Clara. Antoine frowned the moment he saw that familiar figure before him. "Clara?" he said as he called her. Dr. Clara turned around to face the person who had just called her. "Oh! Antoine, is that you?" Dr. Clara was also surprised to see him. But after she recovered from the shock, she greeted him with a smile. He smiled back at her then he turned to face Phantom. He raised his eyebrow as he gave him a questioning look. "I didn''t know that after all these years, both of you had kept in touch with each other. I think I missed a lot of things. I started to feel jealous now. Please explain this to me." he demanded to Phantom. Dr. Clara just giggled after hearing Antoine''s remarks while Phantom just shook his head while looking helplessly at his old friend. "You are the one who decided to avoid me and cut our connection. You have no right to question me." Phantom rebutted. Antoine just heaved a sigh of defeat. Then they averted their gaze to Charles as they heard his chuckle. "I think the three of you are the original version of ''The Trio!" Charles commented. "Hmmm. Thinking about that, I would say that it''s true. Hahaha. Whenever Phantom and I would get in trouble before, Clara was always to the rescue. It was so good to have a doctor friend." Antoine could not help himself but reminisced the past. "Yeah, the two of you were the source of my headache. Tsk tsk tsk. You didn''t consider my feelings every time I would see the two of you wounded and injured, bleeding in front of me. You were always making me worry." Clara lamented at them. Phantom just chuckled as he remembered those days. She would always rant at them and scold them a lot while she was treating them. "I was glad that Elle came. Because of her the two of you had stopped doing dangerous missions." Dr. Clara said to them. "Yeah¡­ Phantom''s attention was diverted as he focused on taking good care and training her. Then he retired and that was the time I lost my partner and I was left alone." Antoine sounded too dramatic, trying to make Phantom feel a little bit guilty towards him. Suddenly they heard another voice. "Sorry about that Uncle Antoine. I didn''t mean to snatch your partner at that time." "Elle!" Charles''s excited voice echoed in the room the moment he saw her. "Oh, long time no see dear. Here comes our little devil. You''ve grown a lot. You are no longer that little cute kid anymore. You are now a very fine lady." Antoine approached her with open arms. Elle felt awkward. She didn''t know how to react whether she should hug him or not. She heard a lot of things about Antoine from Phantom but this was the first time she saw him. Maybe she already saw him when she was still a kid but since she was suffering from a trauma that time, she couldn''t remember meeting him. To save his old friend''s face and Elle from that awkward situation, Phantom pulled Antoine back to his side. "Hey, old man! I am welcoming your foster daughter and my goddaughter, why are you suddenly dragging me away from her?!" Antoine complained in annoyance. Elle just gave him a timid smile before she walked over them. She smiled politely at Dr. Clara as she greeted her then she glanced at Charles. "How are you?" There was a hint of concern in her voice. "Feeling better now," Charles replied to her cheerfully. "Good! Ready to leave here?" Elle was referring to the hospital. "Yeah. I guess so. But I think I am not yet ready to be apart from you." Charles told her honestly. Sadness was reflected in his eyes. "Alright, we will leave the two of you here for a while so that you can talk with each other while we process the bills before Charles can be discharged," Phantom said to them. The two just nodded at him. After that, Phantom together with Dr. Clara and Antoine left the room. Elle and Charles were the only ones who remained in the ward. There was a moment of silence. Elle knew that Charles refused to leave at first. She could understand how he felt as of this moment but this was for his own good. "Can I just stay here?" Charles said in a low voice. His eyes were pleading as he stared at Elle. "I-I don''t want to leave." he croaked as he was suppressing the urge to cry at that moment. Just thinking of being away from Elle, he felt an overwhelming sadness. He was used to her presence. He wanted to be with her. Elle held his hand. "Just recover your health first then come back here." "Am I really a burden? That''s why you and Master Phantom are trying to send me away to a faraway place? I am sorry for being a weak partner." The tears he was trying to hold began to fall from the corner of his eyes. "I promise¡­ I will become stronger. I will train hard so that I will be able to defend and protect myself so that you don''t need to worry about me anymore. So that I can stay with you as your partner." Elle couldn''t stop herself to feel sad also at this moment. Charles was being too emotional and he was affecting her right now. Tears were also starting to burn her eyes. "I haven''t told you this before but now I want to tell you that you are the best partner I ever had. You are not a burden to me. It''s just that I really care about you." She smiled at him tenderly. "Sorry if I was harsh and cold most of the time towards you but deep inside I considered you as my one and only precious friend, my brother." Elle paused for a moment as she watched Charles. "We will still see each other. This is just temporary," she added as she gave him a reassuring smile. Charles nodded at her as he wiped his tears using his bare hand. "Alright. Then wait for me. I will be back and will do my best to assist you." Charles said to her with so much conviction. "Very good. I will be expecting a much stronger Charles when you come back." "Take care of yourself while your best partner is not around." "Yes, I will," Elle replied with her sweet smile. "Don''t worry about me. I have Master Phantom with me as well as Erick." Elle added. "I know." "Erick already learned that I am Catseye," Elle told him honestly. Charles was very shocked to hear that. "When and how? How did he react?" he asked her with eagerness. "The day you went missing. He saw my necklace in Black Shadow''s possession. I think he was very surprised at first and he had gone through a lot after that. But still, he chose to be with me and protect me." Elle decided not to tell Charles about the shooting incident. She didn''t want him to blame or hate Erick for that mistake and misunderstanding. Charles was glad to hear that. "I guess I was wrong to judge him at first. It looks like he really loves you a lot." Elle agreed on his statement. "Then, I will leave you to his care. I''m sure he will protect you. I can now leave you here at ease." Charles faintly smiled at her. "Besides, Erick is your true partner forever, he is your better half." Elle let out a soft giggle because of his remarks. "So true." Charles joined her as he also chuckled. Then they fell silent once again as they met each other''s gaze. They knew they would miss each other. Elle stepped closer to Charles. He was sitting on his hospital bed. Then she held his face as she wiped the tears on his cheeks. "Partner, it''s a goodbye for now. But we will see each other again. I will wait for your return." Elle softly mumbled. "Yeah. I will. I won''t fail you this time." Charles replied to her. "I know. You never fail me." Then Elle bent down to give him a warm hug. Charles closed his eyes as he savored this special moment with Elle. Chapter 230 - 230: A Call *** At Azumi''s Place *** The twins were currently looking at the pieces of information they had gathered about Chief Inspector Detective Erick Lee. Kelsy was staring at his picture with so much interest. "Brother, this detective is quite commendable. He accomplished a lot in the criminal investigation," she commented. "And he looks very hot and gorgeous," she added as a mischievous smile flashed on her face. Kevin just gave her a side glance as he continued cleaning his gun. "But I wonder why Black Shadow told me that he had a close relationship with Catseye. It seems that this detective is assigned to Catseye''s case." she could not help but ponder. Kevin raised his brow. "Do you trust Black Shadow''s words?" "Yes. He didn''t look like lying. Besides, I know him. He wouldn''t lie to me." Kelsy said confidently. Kevin shot her a cold stare after hearing that. "What? Why are you making that face?" she frowned at her brother. "Stay away from Black Shadow Kelsy." She just rolled her eyes and sighed helplessly. "Here we go again, brother. I don''t want to argue with you about that." Kevin gazed at her intently. Seeing Kelsy''s stubbornness, he just decided to change the topic. "I had the doubt when Black Shadow informed you that Catseye was a man. Our fellow assassins told us before that the one who infiltrated the Assassin Guild Headquarters was a woman." Kevin shared his suspicion with Kelsy. "Brother, Catseye is a master of disguise that''s why that assassin was able to hide his identity for a long time. Black Shadow was the only one who was able to approach and discover Catseye''s identity." Kelsy was trying to reject Kevin''s doubt. "As I said Black Shadow had no reason to lie. He was grateful to me that I revealed to him that his so-called girlfriend was truly a spy. I trusted him more compared to other assassins from our Guild." Kelsy insisted. Kevin just sighed in defeat. "Alright! I will trust you this time." Kelsy smiled after she was able to convince her brother to believe what Black Shadow had told them. They talked for several hours, planning the next moves that they should do in order to lure Catseye using Erick. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, at the hospital, Charles and Elle finished their talk and he was getting ready to leave. Phantom and Dra. Clara already processed everything. Charles was already in a wheelchair. They were about to leave the hospital when one of Black Shadow''s henchmen named Brother Yan called him. "Master! We have a problem!" Brother Yan said to Phantom directly. Phantom''s brows were drawn together when he heard the urgency in his voice. "What is it?" "We lost contact with Brother Ling and Brother Xu! The last thing we heard from them was that Alfonzo''s learned that he was being followed by them." Brother Ling and Brother Xu belonged to the ten henchmen of Phantom. They were the ones he left to that province to monitor and follow Alfonso Ramirez. Elle and others noticed the troubled expression of Phantom as he talked to Brother Yan on the phone. It looked like something big happened and it was a very serious matter this time. Brother Yan continued to supply Phantom information. He asked him what they should do about it. They already assumed that those two were in danger. Alfonso''s men might have caught them already. They needed to make a move immediately or else they won''t be able to secure the safety of their brothers. Phantom and his henchmen had a special bond. Their loyalty to each other was very strong. They also cared about each other. So in times like this, they wouldn''t allow anyone to suffer and be in danger without doing anything. "Master, is there a problem?" Elle couldn''t stop herself from asking him. Phantom nodded at her. "Two of my men went missing. They were the ones I assigned to follow Alfonso. It seems like they were caught by his men." Everyone was taken aback after hearing his statement. This was a very serious matter. "Do you need my help? I can go there myself and check the situation." Antoine said as he offered him a hand. Phantom just shook his head. He had a serious expression on his face right now. "No need. I will be the one to go there personally. Just take care of Charles." Phantom said as he refused Antoine''s offer. "Master, I will go with you." Elle also volunteered. "No! Just stay here. This is not yet the time for you to face Alfonso. He is not a simple man. He is a very dangerous person. My henchmen were very careful with their moves but he was able to notice them. I will go there now before something bad will happen to those two." "But Master¡­" Elle was about to protest but Phantom cut her off immediately. "Don''t worry about me. I can handle this. I am a legendary assassin and your master. Did you forget that already? Did you lose your confidence in me already?" "No Master. I just want to help you." Elle responded to him. Phantom just gave her a reassuring smile as he patted her shoulder. "Just stay with your husband. Do you think he would allow you to leave his side and do something dangerous like this?" Elle just looked at him helplessly. Phantom was right. Erick and Her just reconciled and as of this moment, Erick was having a hard time after Marie''s incident. She couldn''t leave him in times like this. She needed to stay by his side. In the end, even though she felt reluctant to let Phantom go alone, Elle just nodded at him in agreement. "Alright! I have to go now. I have something to tell you when I come back." Phantom said to her. A gentle smile appeared on his aged face. "Take care, Master!" Charles told him. "I will," Phantom said to them. Then soon, Phantom left. Elle also bade goodbye to Charles, Antoine, and Dra. Clara. While she was on her way to Erick''s place, she received a call from an unknown number. There was confusion written on her face as she looked at her phone''s screen. After seconds of hesitation, Elle answered the call. "Hello?" "Catseye¡­ Let''s meet." A deep voice of a man could be heard from the other line. Elle''s eyes widened in surprise. "How did you get my number?" The man chuckled. "I have my ways, remember." "Give me a good reason for me to meet you," Elle said with her stern cold voice. She heard another laughter from the other line. "Oh, my dear Catseye. I thought you already changed but I think I was wrong. You''re still as cold as ice." "Don''t waste my time Black Shadow. State your business and don''t beat around the bush." Deep down, Elle was curious why suddenly Black Shadow wanted to meet her. She also wanted to see him and confront him about Marie''s incident. But she didn''t want to be obvious, that''s why she acted like she didn''t care. "I am leaving City Z, just want to meet you one last time. Besides, I have something important to tell you personally." This time Black Shadow sounded very serious. ''Leaving City Z? Is he planning to flee after what he had done to agent Marie? Is he really the culprit?'' Elle marveled to herself. "Alright. Where do you want us to meet?" Elle finally agreed to see him. "Meet me now at the airport. I am already here. I will be waiting for you. Come here quickly, my flight will be at around 3:00 pm this afternoon." Black Shadow responded to her. "So¡­ it''s true? You are not bluffing. You''re leaving for real?" Elle asked him curiously. Black Shadow chuckled. "Yes, of course. I don''t have reason to stay here. My client paid me already and he didn''t want me to continue hunting you. Besides, I already lost my interest in you, remember? You''re just a weakling now." Elle rolled her eyes in annoyance. Black Shadow Shadow could be this irritating once he opened his blabbering mouth. "Black Shadow, I am thinking of bringing cops with me so that you can''t leave this place." "Hahaha! As if you can do that! You are also a wanted criminal. Oh, but I am glad. It seems like you don''t want me to leave. Do you want me to stay?" Black Shadow continued to annoy her. Elle hung up the call without replying to him. Black Shadow was intentionally breaking her patience. He was getting on her nerves. "Just you wait Black Shadow. I''ll get even with you. I will make sure that between us I will be the one laughing in the end." Elle mumbled as a sly smile appeared on her face. Then she told the taxi to go to the airport right away. But when she remembered something, she asked him again to drop by first at Erick''s address before going to the airport. Chapter 231 - 231: Commotion in the Airport When Elle arrived at the airport, she immediately headed to the passenger''s waiting lounge to find Black Shadow. It did not take long when she found him, standing while leaning on the wall. Black Shadow was wearing a pink shirt, covered by a jacket and paired with blue jeans. His eyes were hidden under the black sunglasses that''s why Elle couldn''t tell that he was actually spacing out, thinking about something. In just one look, he was oozing with s.e.x appeal. Others won''t suspect that this gorgeous guy was an elite assassin, instead, they would think that he was a professional model in those men''s magazines. Elle slowly approached him. She was holding a paper bag on her left hand. If she didn''t speak up then Black Shadow would not notice that she was already beside him. "Talk quickly," Elle said showing her aloofness and coldness to Black Shadow. Her voice interrupted him in his train of thoughts. He absentmindedly gazed in her direction. ''Oh, she''s here! She came.'' Black Shadow was a little bit surprised. He thought she wouldn''t come as she hung up the phone a while ago without responding to him. "Nice. Finally, someone is here to send me off." His signature cheeky smile appeared on his face as he greeted her. He loved to see her irritated and annoyed expression. That''s why he couldn''t help himself but chuckle as he saw her scowled and glared at him the moment she heard his statement. "I said talk to me about the important thing you want to tell me. Don''t flaunt to me your shamelessness." Her voice was firm and cold. Black Shadow let out another soft chuckle before he responded to her. "Alright," he paused as he looked at her intently. "I think, Azumi Twins are on the move. I told them about your special relationship with the Chief Detective." At first, Elle was baffled when she heard that but after a few seconds she recovered and her expressions suddenly changed. The temperature around them suddenly dropped into negative as Black Shadow could feel the chill and frightening aura emanating from Elle. Not giving him a chance to say another word, Elle reflexively dropped the paper bag she was holding as she suddenly charged towards Black Shadow, giving him a surprise attack. Unprepared with her move and speed, Elle''s fist hit him hard on his jaw. "Aw!" Black Shadow grunted in pain as the punch got connected. Because of the impact, his sunglasses fell on the floor. Not yet satisfied, Elle continued attacking him, not minding the people around them. She threw several punches aiming at Black Shadow''s face. There was fury in her eyes. She wanted to beat him so bad right now. This time Black Shadow was able to react fast as he tried to dodge her attacks. "Hey! Hey! Calm down! Let me explain first! I''m not yet finished!" Black Shadow said to her as he continued to block Elle''s punches. They already gathered the attention of the people around them. Black Shadow noticed the strange look that the bystanders were giving them. "Hey stop that. We are in a public place right now. People are watching us! Oh no! It looks like they call security guards." He was trying his best to make Elle stop. "I''ll kill you. If something bad happens to Erick I will hunt you down even in hell!" Elle said through her gritted teeth. "Hey! STOP! You have nothing to worry about. Your man can protect himself. He fights very well. He even beat me before!" Black Shadow said spontaneously while he still kept on dodging her attack. "D*mn!" He was already cursing. Then suddenly Black Shadow caught her hands. With his full strength, he pulled her towards him and restrained her immediately through a hug. Elle was caught off guard with his counterattack. Then he suddenly spoke up in a very loud voice. "Hey Don''t be mad anymore. Let me explain first. I didn''t cheat on you. You are the only woman in my life. This is just a big misunderstanding!" Elle:"..." After hearing that Elle froze in her spot. ''D*mn! What is he trying to do here, spouting nonsense in this public place.'' Blacks Shadow''s lips twitched into a smile the moment he felt Elle already stopped moving in his arms. He heaved a sigh of relief. ''Finally, the devil had calmed down.'' After Elle recovered from her trance, she kicked Black Shadow''s leg and pushed him away from her. That''s when she noticed that several pairs of eyes were already looking at them. There were also security guards behind her. ''Sh!t. What I have done? This is so embarrassing! I wish that the ground will open up for me right now.'' Elle was scolding herself as she acted on impulse and disregarded Black Shadow''s warning because of her rage. Black Shadow scratched his head as he apologized to the security guards and the people watching them. "Sorry. This is just a misunderstanding. This is just a lover''s quarrel. Please don''t mind us." Black Shadow said to the crowd. The security guards just nodded at him before they turned around and left. After pacifying the curious crowd, Black Shadow whispered on Elle. "Now, are you willing to listen to my explanation first? Tsk tsk tsk¡­ I don''t know you are very bold and impulsive, causing a commotion in public places like here in the airport." Black Shadow chuckled as he teased her. Elle just shot him a cold stare. Even though she wanted to give him good beatings right now but she couldn''t do it in front of the public. "Explain! Or else you won''t leave this place unscathed." Elle said with her stern cold voice. Black Shadow sighed deeply. "The Azumi Twins tricked me." There was darkness in his eyes the moment he remembered what happened. "I had no choice but to tell them something. They forced me and I got tricked by them in the end." he laughed dryly after saying those words. Elle frowned. From the expression of Black Shadow, she could tell that he was telling the truth. "That''s why I want to meet you today before I leave and tell you this. I want to warn you. As I said, I am confident with your man. He won''t be in danger. He has good combat skills. "Oh don''t worry. I also lied to them. I told them that Catseye is a man." Elle was taken aback. She didn''t expect him to do that. "Why are you telling me this? We are not in that kind of relationship where we can exchange important information like this." Elle couldn''t help but question his action. "Because I want you to beat them." Black Shadow said. "Why don''t you do it yourself? What''s stopping you, Black? I don''t believe that you couldn''t do that because of your d*mn guild''s rule! I could also see through your lies." Black Shadow paused after hearing her remarks. Maybe Catseye was right. He couldn''t do it by himself because something was stopping him or rather someone was stopping him to do that. "You have a special relationship with the twins. You hate them but still, you couldn''t bring yourself to hurt them." Elle voiced out what''s on Black Shadow''s mind right now. He didn''t deny nor confirm it. He just smiled bitterly. He was amazed at how Catseye was able to understand his thoughts. Elle had conflicting thoughts about Black Shadow. She could figure him out somehow. After a while, Black Shadow was back to his cheerful mood. "Anyway. I''m done here. I''ve already told you what I wanted to tell you. I guess I can now leave City Z with ease. Goodbye, Catseye! Take care." He smiled at her before he turned around to leave. But Elle stopped him. "Wait!" Then Elle picked up the paper bag she dropped on the floor when she started attacking Black. When he heard her stopping him, he turned around to face her again. Then he saw her extending her arm in front of him. Black Shadow furrowed his brows as he glanced at the paper bag she was giving him. "What''s this? Are you giving me a goodbye gift? Oh, you''re so thoughtful my dearest Catseye." Black grinned widely as he winked at her. "This is not from me. This is from agent Marie." Elle said in a serious tone. She was observing Black Shadow''s reaction. "Agent Marie?" At first, Black Shadow was confused about who Elle was referring to. But seconds later, he recognized the paper bag in her hand. It looked familiar to him. Black Shadow didn''t know the true name of Marie. She introduced another name to him, the same with him. They didn''t usually address each other by name. They often called each other through endearments such as ''Babe'' and ''Sweety.'' The smile on his face immediately disappeared. This reaction from him didn''t escape from the observant eyes of Elle. She smiled inwardly from the thoughts she had in mind right now. ''Interesting. I guess my assumption is correct.'' Elle thought to herself. Chapter 232 - 232: He Was Shaken The reason why Elle dropped by Erick''s place first before she went to the airport to meet Black Shadow was to get the item that Marie was supposed to give Black Shadow that day. Officer Kim handed over the gift to Erick. He was planning to give it to Marie''s parents along with her other belongings. However, after hearing that she fell into a coma, Erick failed to approach Marie''s parents as they were very occupied at that time. In the end, he brought it home. After Elle remembered it, she decided to bring it along with her and give it to Black Shadow in order to test him. Now, by just looking at Black Shadow''s expression, it seemed that there''s a deeper story behind the incident. Since her husband was greatly affected by it, Elle wanted to figure out what really happened that day. "So you also knew that they sent her to me as a spy." Black Shadow spoke up after his silence. There was a hint of accusation and irritation in his voice. He didn''t bother to hide his ugly expression from her. "No, I didn''t. Not until yesterday. I learned about it when I went to the hospital together with Erick." Elle responded nonchalantly. "The task force was blaming you. They thought you discovered her identity and that shooting incident was your doing." Elle was carefully observing him. Black Shadow''s face darkened further after hearing that. But he kept silent. He didn''t have any intention to defend himself nor explain to her the real situation. However, Elle wouldn''t leave this issue unresolved especially now that Erick was blaming himself. She was so determined to find out the truth. She somehow thought of several scenarios in her mind but she needed to confirm it with Black Shadow. To do that, she needed him to spill the beans. "But I guess they are blaming the wrong person. If my assumption is correct then you are the witness who called the police and told them the exact location of the sniper. There''s no way that a witness could see the position of the sniper unless he knew it all along." ''How was she able to conclude that? D*mn!'' Black Shadow pondered to himself. Black Shadow was stunned after hearing her remarks. Seeing his shocked expression, Elle''s lips curled up into a mischievous smile. "Now, I somehow connected the dots after hearing your explanation. Do you want to hear my conclusion?" Elle asked him as she gave him a taunting smile. The situation between the two had turned around by 180 degrees. Now, there''s no sign of annoyance that could be seen in Elle''s face while Black Shadow''s bright mood a while ago dissipated into thin air. "Heh¡­ then tell me," he mumbled as he sneered at her. "The Azumi Twins were the true culprits. They threatened you using Marie for you to tell them something about me. And in the end, they still shoot her after you told them about Erick. So to get even with them, you lied to them about my gender." "Oh, maybe Azumi Twins were the ones who told you about Marie as a spy," Elle added. This time Black Shadow''s eyes widened, his mouth gaped. "D*mn kitten! Are you a psychic? How did you know all that? I haven''t told you anything." "Haha¡­ your facial expressions were enough to confirm my speculation. You''re also a very transparent, Black. You care about Marie, don''t you?" Elle was testing him once again. Elle felt relieved after he confirmed her assumption. Erick didn''t need to blame himself for Marie''s misfortune. He had nothing to do with it. She gazed up to observe Black Shadow. She was waiting for his response. "No, I don''t. She is no different from others who deceived me before. Why should I care about her? In fact, I hate her." There was bitterness in his voice after saying those words. "Haha. Hate my a*s? Then why did you inform the police about the incident? Liar. A big liar!" Elle was the one who''s laughing at him at this moment. She mimicked Black Shadow''s tone that he used before when the two of them talked about her relationship with Erick. "So you don''t want to hear any updates about her?" It sounded like a tease rather than a question. Elle saw the conflicting emotions in Black Shadow''s eyes. He looked so troubled and bothered. Even if he denied it his expression already spoke for himself. "Do you know where she''s hit by the bullet? It''s in the head Black, in her head! Now, since you hate her, are you happy about her misfortune?" Elle became serious this time as she emphasized those words to him. "You are not curious at all whether she is still alive or not? I was there in the hospital. I knew what happened to her. Just ask me. Do you want to know or not?" Elle was right. It was Black Shadow who called the police. After that call, he left the place without checking Marie''s condition. He was mad knowing that she was a spy- a policewoman. He felt betrayed once again. His ego couldn''t accept it. He was asking himself why all the women he let in into his life always ended up deceiving him. Black Shadow clenched his fists from that thought. He looked down. He didn''t want Elle to see his face. He was afraid that she would figure out something that even he, himself, didn''t want to admit nor accept. He wanted to ignore it. He didn''t want to hear anything about Marie''s condition but his heart was telling him the other way around. He didn''t understand why his heart was aching right now. Then suddenly he blurted out in a low trembling voice. "H-How... is she?" Elle was taken aback for a moment. Then she sighed deeply before she answered his question. "To tell you honestly Black¡­ she''s not in a good condition. She''s in a coma right now. We don''t know when she will wake up. Even the doctor couldn''t guarantee it. Besides, being hit by a bullet in the head, she has a low chance of survival. You also know that. You''re an assassin. It''s already fortunate that she''s still alive. There''s still hope for her. It''s up to her now." He didn''t say another word after hearing that information from Elle. He couldn''t understand why he was feeling these emotions. He didn''t want any of these. He was not supposed to feel something. After a while, Elle heard Black Shadow''s laughter. He was laughing but his eyes were clouded by different emotions. Elle couldn''t figure out what he was thinking as of this moment. "Alright. I heard it. This was enough. Since I am leaving today, I will also leave these things behind. What happened between me and her meant nothing. She used me and I used her. We''re even." Black Shadow was able to gather himself and he was back to his normal self. Elle just shrugged at him. She still gave the paper bag to him. She put it in his hand. "Since we are done talking here, I think it''s time to go separate ways. Good luck with your new journey and happy trip." Elle said to him. But before she walked away to leave, she said something to him. She thought that Black Shadow deserved to know this even though she didn''t know the real score between Marie and him. "Oh by the way, for your information, when she met you yesterday, Agent Marie hadn''t told anyone from her team that you are leaving City Z." "It looked like she wanted to meet you there for one last time and to give that thing to you." She pointed out the paper bag in his hand. Hearing that, Black Shadow was shaken at this moment. His resolve was slowly breaking. She smiled faintly at him. "One last thing Black, since I am grateful for giving me warning about the Azumi Twins, I''ll tell you a secret." Black Shadow hadn''t recovered yet from the information he just received from her and now she was planning to tell him another secret. He couldn''t help himself but wonder. That''s why he looked at her confusedly. "I think Erick and I had developed our feelings for each other when we started pretending that we were a couple. Although I already knew that it was wrong from the start but still I was not able to stop my heart from loving him." After saying that, Elle didn''t wait for his response. She turned around and started to walk away. Black Shadow was left in a trance while staring at the retreating back of Elle. When she disappeared from his sight, his brave front collapsed right away as he felt limp and weak after his talk with Elle. He leaned on the wall for his support. He remained still for several minutes, unmoving as he looked absentmindedly at the paper bag in his hand. After what it seemed like an eternity, finally he found his courage to check the item inside the paper bag. He picked the rectangular box. When he opened it, he saw a watch and a note. He read what was written in the note. [ Hello Babe! I hope you like my parting gift to you even though it is not as expensive as your gift. Please wear it and keep it to your side always. I hope that when you see it you will think about our time and memories we spent together. Bon Voyage! ] His grip on the note tightened after reading it. He gritted his teeth as he slammed his eyes shut. He was trying to calm himself down. Then he heard his flight announcement. It was time to board the plane. He opened his eyes and he started to walk. However, instead of walking towards the boarding gate, he walked towards the exit gate of the airport. Chapter 233 - 233: Cutting Ties After leaving the airport, Black Shadow found himself standing in front of the hospital where Marie was currently admitted. There was a hint of hesitation in his eyes. He was debating within himself whether he should check on her or not. The desire to see her overpowered him, that''s why he moved his feet forward and finally entered the hospital. He searched for Marie''s room. She was in one of the ICU rooms. He was very careful not to bump with her colleagues. There was a high possibility that they were also there in the hospital right now. And he was right. He saw some familiar faces who were involved in catching him before. He saw Bryan and Allen just outside the ICU room. They seemed like they were discussing something. As usual, he needed a perfect disguise so that he could enter her room and see her. He waited for Bryan and Allen to leave first. When he made sure that no one was inside, he started to make his move. After several minutes, Black Shadow appeared in front of her room wearing a doctor''s uniform. He was also wearing a mask to hide his face. He stood there for a few seconds. He could feel the rapid beating of his heart inside his chest. He tried to control his emotions before he entered the room. He took all his courage to go near her. When he reached her hospital bed, he saw Marie lying there like she was just sleeping. Her head was covered by bandages. She had an oxygen mask on her mouth. There was also a monitor beside her which was showing her vital signs. He could feel a tinge of pain deep inside his heart as he looked at her pale face. There was a hidden sorrow in his blue eyes. Although he felt betrayed, still he didn''t wish to see her like this. He removed his mask and walked closer to her. Despite everything, he didn''t know why but after seeing her now, he couldn''t find the hatred which he thought he had for her. Instead, he had the urge to touch and caress her face as of this moment. He smiled bitterly as he held her hand. Then he found his voice as he spoke to her. "Hey Miss Officer. You need to wake up. You still need to spy on me. Do you want to know more about Catseye? Then you must wake up. After that, I will tell you everything I know about that devil kitten." Black Shadow paused for a moment as he continued to watch her sleeping face. "That Devil woman tried to play with my feelings today. I think she was trying to get even with me. Do you know she''s really smart? I felt defeated today. I thought she was a woman of a few words but surprisingly, she talked a lot today." Black Shadow continued speaking as if he was having a normal conversation with Marie. Thinking about the past, most of their topics were about Catseye. "She ruined my plan. I was supposed to enjoy my first class flight but now here I am, standing beside you." His grip on her hand tightened. He wanted to see Marie''s smiling face with her eyes full of anticipation and interest every time he would talk about Catseye. But now, he couldn''t see any reaction from her. "Thank you for your gift. I like it." There was sincerity in his words. "Too bad, you were not able to give it to me personally." Now, he couldn''t hide the sadness in his voice while saying those words to her. Black Shadow was too immersed in watching her when suddenly someone entered the room. "Doctor?" Black Shadow heard a female voice from behind. He felt alarmed but he managed to retain his composure. He immediately released Marie''s hand before he turned to face the newcomer. Fortunately, she was Marie''s mother and she didn''t know about Black Shadow. She was just surprised to see a new doctor inside. He looked young compared to the doctor who conducted the operation on Marie. Black Shadow could see the confusion in her eyes so to avoid suspicion he decided to speak with her. "Hello Ma''am. I am just checking the patient''s condition. The doctor who is assigned to her is having a break as of now." he explained to her. Marie''s mother believed him. She walked closer to them. Then she averted her gaze to Marie. Fear and sadness were visible on her face. "Doc, do you think my daughter will still wake up?" She was not able to hold herself. The tears voluntarily fell from the corner of her eyes. "She is still young. W-We can''t lose her like this." she started to sob in front of Black Shadow. At that moment, he didn''t know what to do and what to say. He could also feel her pain. He understood what she felt. Seconds later, Black Shadow just found himself comforting the middle-aged woman beside him. Tapping her shoulder, he said to her: "Of course, she will wake up. She''s a very strong woman." After hearing his remarks, Marie''s mother gazed up only to see Black Shadow''s gentle and reassuring smile. Those words from him meant a lot to her. She nodded and smiled back at him with a hopeful look in her eyes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Assassin Guild Headquarters *** After visiting Marie at the hospital, Black Shadow immediately headed to Assassin Guild''s Headquarters. He went there to meet the President. Fortunately, the President was not busy at that time. He was inside his office. Black Shadow grabbed this opportunity to approach him. Seeing Marie''s condition, it pushed him to make a certain decision. " Black, what brings you here? I thought today is your flight going to Country A. The people I asked to arrange your place and everything you need are expecting you to arrive today." The president asked him right away. He was surprised to see Black Shadow. "I am leaving Assassin Guild." Black Shadow said to him seriously, ignoring his question. The president looked at him with confusion. His facial expression was asking Black Shadow if he just heard it wrong. "What do you mean?" The president knitted his brows as he asked him to elaborate his prior statement. "I want to retract my membership here in Assassin Guild. Starting today I am no longer a member of this guild." Black Shadow declared to him with so much conviction in his words. The President''s mood changed immediately after hearing his statements. He was obviously unhappy with Black Shadow''s sudden decision. "That''s impossible. I won''t allow that to happen. You are one of the elite assassins who was trained and sheltered by this guild for a very long time now. Are you betraying us? Betraying this brotherhood?" "I am not betraying anyone Mr. President. That''s why I am here, talking to you and informing you since I respect our brotherhood." He defended himself. "Hahaha. You have the audacity to tell me that? Respecting our brotherhood? Then why are you telling me that you want to leave this guild?" The hint of sarcasm was evident to the president''s voice. Black Shadow breathed in deeply. He knew that it would be hard to convince the president to just let him go. "I want to use that special rule. I want to be free from this guild''s responsibility. Some members broke our rule, that''s why I decided to do this. Please, President, allow me to leave peacefully. Hear me out first." Black Shadow said as he was very determined in convincing the President. He wanted to leave the guild but it didn''t mean that he would cause an animosity or conflict between him and the guild. If they would mark him as a traitor then they won''t hesitate to eliminate him. After all, he knew everything about Assassin Guild''s operation. From that point of view, it was natural for the president to act like this. He was afraid that once Black Shadow was no longer a member of the guild he might become a threat to them. "Okay. Tell me a valid and much deeper reason. Then I will decide if I should let you go or not." The president said to him with his firm and authoritative voice. "The Azumi Twins threatened me and forced me against my will just to get information from me. They broke the rule first. They were not supposed to do that to their fellow members. So you couldn''t blame me for my decision." The president couldn''t believe what he just heard. He didn''t expect it. But he was not yet convinced just because of that reason. "Black, it happened only once. Why don''t you forgive them and understand? Besides, it looked like they didn''t hurt you. If that is your only reason and concern then I will make sure to punish them. Just stay with this guild." Black Shadow''s eyes darkened as Marie''s figure lying on her hospital bed suddenly popped up into his mind. ''But they hurt someone that belongs to me. It is also the same as hurting me a hundred folds.'' he thought to himself but he didn''t voice it out to the president. Seeing that the president was so persistent for making him stay, Black Shadow could only use his situation to convince him. "Another valid reason Mr. President¡­ I am being watched by the police authorities. If you want this guild to stay hidden from their grasp then you have to let me go. They already knew about my connection to this guild. They have gathered a lot of information about me. It''s time to break my affiliation to this guild." The president fell silent after that. He was thinking hard as of this moment, weighing the pros and cons and analyzing the risk. Then after much thought and careful consideration, the President made his final decision regarding Black Shadow''s request. With his serious expression, the President gazed at Black Shadow intently. Meeting his eyes, he spoke to him. "Starting today Black Shadow will be removed on the list of members of the Assassin Guild. You will no longer receive any assistance and protection from us. You are free to go and leave. But I am warning you. If you ever leak any vital information regarding our guild you will face the consequences of that action." "I understand it very well Mr. President. You don''t have to worry." Black Shadow thanked him one last time before he bade him goodbye. Now that he already cut his connection with the Assassin Guild which served as his shelter for a very long time, he was no longer obliged to follow their rules. This was a new start in Black Shadow''s life. Chapter 234 - 234: Bear My Child Erick had been sulking in his study the whole day, reviewing all the investigation reports regarding Black Shadow and Catseye. After dinner, he went back again to his study. Even though he didn''t say a word, Elle could tell that he was still bothered by the incident that happened to Marie. She couldn''t stand to see him like that so she decided to talk to him. When she entered his study she saw Erick leaning on his chair with his eyes closed. His right hand was on his forehead. The fatigue was evident to his troubled face. Elle couldn''t help but sigh deeply as she approached him. She moved to his back and she bent down to hug him from behind. She placed her head on his shoulder as she circled her arms around his neck. Smelling the familiar sweet scent and feeling the warmth of his beloved wife, a gentle smile automatically formed on his face. With Elle beside him, it gave him a sense of comfort that could soothe his troubled mind. He opened his eyes as he held her hands. "Don''t think too much. Don''t blame yourself. This is not your fault." Elle''s soft voice was like a piece of music in his ears. He was grateful for her presence. He knew that she was trying to console him. "Thank you for being there for me in times like this." "No need to thank me. Besides, it is my obligation as your legal wife." Elle let out a soft giggle, trying her best to lighten his mood and she succeeded. Her laughter was quite infectious. She seldom laughed like this and Erick loved to hear it. "Wifey, come here. I want to hug you." Erick requested her. Elle gladly complied as she moved to his front to face him. Erick gently tugged her, causing Elle to sit on his lap as he hugged her from behind. "Where have you been the whole day?" Erick asked her as he nuzzled his face into the back of her neck. "I went to see Boss Charles for one last time. He left city Z today. He won''t return for a while, that''s why I sent him off." Elle responded to him. Erick nodded at her. Then he raised his brows as he realized something. "But you were out the whole afternoon. Don''t tell me you stayed with him for that long just to bid him goodbye? I think I am getting jealous now." Elle couldn''t help but laugh. ''Is he really jealous?'' "Hmm...Are you questioning my faithfulness to you?" Erick just let out a husky chuckle. "No, I am not. I just want to act like a jealous husband, trying my luck if my wife will pacify me again using her sweet pacifying techniques." Elle pinched his hand and said "So shameless!" Erick burst into another peal of laughter. "Kidding aside, where did you go? I am just worried about you. What if you are doing dangerous things behind my back? Hmm" "You''re overthinking. Anyway, to answer your question, I went out to investigate someone regarding agent Marie''s shooting incident." "Ouch!" Elle exclaimed when she felt his teeth on her bare skin. Erick just bit her on her neck. "That''s your punishment. I knew it. I just told you that I don''t want you to do dangerous things behind my back. But thank you for being honest." Elle tilted her head and body sideways to take a glance at the man behind her. She pouted her lips as she met his gaze. Elle frowned as she noticed that he didn''t look mad at all. ''Biting me as my punishment? He''s really shameless. He doesn''t look upset.'' As if Erick had read what''s on her mind, so he spoke up to justify his action. "Even though I am smiling like this it doesn''t mean that I am tolerating your action. You deserve it. I didn''t ask you to do that. Besides, you are not a policewoman to investigate things. That''s my job." Erick sounded like a father scolding his child for misbehaving. Elle heaved a deep sigh. "I just want to help you. I don''t want to see you acting like this. I know you are affected by that incident. I found something. Will you hear me out, hubby?" After saying that, Elle moved to change her position so that she would now be facing Erick. "Hubby, will you listen to me?" Elle softly asked him again as she placed her arms around his neck. Erick didn''t have the power to resist her so in the end he just bobbed his head as his go signal for her to speak up. Elle smiled cheerfully before she told him everything she discovered that day. "Black Shadow is not the culprit. He didn''t hurt agent Marie. Did you hear about the Azumi Twins? They are also members of Assassin Guild." "Yeah. I heard it before. They also belong to the most wanted criminals." "They are the true culprits. They threatened Black Shadow using Marie. They were trying to get information about Catseye from him. Those twins are after me. He didn''t discover her identity by himself, it was the Azumi Twins who revealed it to him." Astonishment flickered on Erick''s eyes after hearing her statements. But one thing had caught his attention. ''Azumi Twins are hunting Elle. I must protect her from them. I won''t allow them to hurt her.'' "I''ll protect you from them." he blurted out suddenly, interrupting Elle. "Huh?" Elle looked at him confusedly. Then after she absorbed what he was talking about Elle''s giggle bubbled up in the entire study. "Mr. Lee, that''s not the main point of my statement. I am telling you who is the real culprit responsible for Marie''s incident. So Black Shadow is innocent. And the most important thing is you don''t have to blame yourself for what happened." Elle explained to him. Erick pouted after hearing that. "Alright! I agree and I believe you. But why is it you have to laugh at me after I mentioned that I will protect you from them? You don''t believe my words anymore?" Elle giggled once again seeing Erick''s pitiful face. Instead of answering him, she cupped his face using both hands as she gave him a gentle kiss on his lips. That simple action from her ignited the flame of desire within him. ''Oops, wrong move!'' The supposedly short and gentle kiss ended up a long hungry passionate kiss between the lovers. Erick had pulled her closer towards his body as his hands were placed on the back of her head and her spine. Their lips didn''t leave each other as if they hadn''t kissed each other for ages. Erick began sucking her upper and lower lips with fervent needs while Elle returned it with the same intensity and aggressiveness. Before, Erick thought he had strong self-control but when it came to Elle, he seemed like he would always lose control at any moment. She was like a drug to him, very addicting. He couldn''t get enough of her. He wanted her more and more each day. When they parted for a short moment, they were both breathing hard. "Hey, we are not yet done talking, right?" Elle suddenly asked him. Erick just gave her a cheeky grin before he attacked her delicate lips once again. ''It''s your fault. Now, I can''t concentrate on talking about something as of this moment. I want to ask her how she was able to know that however, all I wanted to do now is to possess her.'' Erick thought to himself. Elle wanted to protest but she didn''t have enough power to do that since Erick already controlled all her senses. He was drowning her with his kiss. Elle could feel his tongue exploring inside her in its very sensuous movement, giving her shivers all over her body. She clutched on his shoulder tightly. She felt his bulging hardness underneath. ''D*mn! He''s already up.'' She thought to herself as her cheeks were flushed. Seconds later, Erick''s hand started to roam around her body, rubbing and caressing her skin. He left her lips as his mouth began to trail kisses, nibbling and sucking on her jawline going down to her neck and collarbones. When his mouth found her left ear, he whispered something to her. "Wifey, we need to double time. Let''s give Mom and Dad grandchildren already." Erick softly mumbled to her using his deep husky voice. Elle was dumbfounded after hearing his words. ''Is he really thinking about giving Dad and Mom grandchildren or he just wanted to satisfy his needs tonight. What a shameless guy?!'' As if Erick had heard again what''s on her mind, he spoke up again. "I am serious. I want us to start making our cute little babies now, wifey. Bear my child, my children!" Elle didn''t know why but his words were like magic words that made her heart fluttered so much. She could not deny the fact that only Erick could do this to her, the only man who was able to move her stone-cold heart. The only man she allowed to enter her life after building a great wall. Then with her teary eyes, she responded to him with all her heart. "I will. It''s my duty as your wife. Now, I changed my mind, not only four but I will give you as many children as you want, my hubby." Erick let out a soft chuckle after hearing her response. Happiness was evident to his face. "That''s a promise. I won''t allow you to take back your words." After saying that, Erick claimed her lips once again to seal her promise to him. Chapter 235 - 235: *Merged As One* [ WARNING! = Have Matured Content Below. Suitable for 18 yrs old and above. If you feel uncomfortable, you can just skip the chapter. ^^, ] The moment the fire inside them was awakened it would be hard to take it down. Because no one between them was willing to stop as the yearning for each other overpowered them. When Elle felt his hot hand under her blouse, gently squeezing her right b.r.e.a.s.t which was still covered by her bra, Elle broke away from his lips. "Erick, stop! We are still here at your study and we didn''t lock the room. What if Mom and Dad suddenly barge in and see us like this?" Elle bit her lower lip after saying that. Her face was crimson red. Just thinking about Erick''s parents were just outside, she couldn''t help but feel nervous and embarrassed. Meanwhile, seeing the worried expression of his wife, Erick couldn''t stop himself letting out a husky laugh. He was very amused to see this fierce lady who was feared by many looked so shy and nervous as of this moment. Without warning, Erick cupped her behind as he stood up from his seat. Elle was startled at first but she just hooked her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his body. Erick walked towards the door as he carried her while he continued kissing her lips. Elle thought Erick would bring her to the bedroom but to her surprise, he stopped when they reached the door. Elle felt her back had touched the closed door of his study. Then she heard a clicking sound. Erick had just locked the door. Meeting Elle''s questioning gaze, Erick spoke up in his low raspy voice. "Let''s do it here, wifey. It is safer here. Mom and Dad couldn''t hear us here. This time I don''t want you to suppress your sweet voice. I want to hear you m.o.a.ning and calling my name as I take you." He sounded very seductive saying those words. Elle became hotter and more turned on. ''D*mn Erick! Your art of seduction is very effective. I couldn''t resist it.'' Elle thought inwardly as she looked at him with her eyes filled with desires, l.u.s.t, and affection for the man before her. However, Elle still had a concern as she peered at their surroundings. ''Eh? After our private session in the bathroom a few days ago, now he is thinking of doing it here? As in here? No bed and no couch, again!'' It was quite funny. She was still thinking about those things in the middle of their make-out session. But she was too shy to voice out what she was thinking. She just let Erick take the lead. Seconds later, Erick released her, making her stand on her feet as he started to remove her clothes. Elle helped him out. Now, she was only wearing her matching red bra and underwear. She was smoking hot with that set of lingerie. Erick couldn''t stop himself from taking his time to admire her body under his penetrating gaze. "Breathtakingly Beautiful!" Erick mumbled under his breath. His desire for her intensified. After feasting his eyes on her, Erick took off his shirt, revealing his muscular build which was exclusive only for Elle''s eyes. As if Elle was being mesmerized by this handsome Adonis, she reflexively raised her hands to touch and caress his firm abdominal muscles. That simple action of her made Erick become more aroused as his hardness grew by seconds. A soft groan escaped his mouth as Elle''s hands continued to tease him by trailing his abs using her fingers as she made circular motions on his bare skin. Her hands traced his exposed V-lines just above his shorts. Erick sucked in a sharp breath before he said. "Enough with the teasing, my lady." With so much eagerness, Erick closed the distance between them as he claimed her lips aggressively once again, forcing his tongue onto hers. The sounds of wet lips sucking and kissing could be heard inside the study. Engrossed with their passionate kiss, she didn''t notice that Erick''s expert hands already succeeded in removing her bra, making them both topless. Holding each other tightly, skin to skin, Elle could feel his bulging erection. Gripping his shoulders, she pressed her b.r.e.a.s.ts against his hard chest. Then Erick slid his one thigh between hers. Elle felt hot as his rigid muscle nudging against her aching and very wet apex. He could feel the moisture through the thin fabric of her panty. Elle ground herself against his thigh, m.o.a.ning in between their kisses. She felt his hand cupping her behind as he lifted her up. He raised his knee to put more pressure on her center. It felt so good as Elle''s orgasm started to build up within her. As if Erick could feel it, he left her lips as he started to trace her jawline going down the hollow of her neck. Kissing, biting, sucking, and tasting her sweetness. Erick''s hand began to caress and feel the softness of her b.r.e.a.s.t. Using his fingers, he teased her hard peak with plucking strokes. And his mouth found its way to her other b.r.e.a.s.t, gently sucking and biting her hardened crown. He also ran his tongue in circular motions around it. The pleasure was overwhelming. Elle could only squirm under his touch as soft m.o.a.ns and whimpers escaped her lips. "Oh.. uhmm Erick!" She m.o.a.ned his name as her orgasm came. Erick felt her body convulsed under his touch. Hearing his wife mumbled his name as she found her release, Erick flashed a satisfied smile. He felt proud to conquer his woman. She was his and he was hers- heart, mind, body, and soul. Erick just hugged and held her for a while, letting her rest. He could still feel her heavy breathing as he rubbed her back. Still panting, Elle called him. "Hubby?" He replied to her with just a "Hmm" Erick moved to give each other a slight distance so that they could see each other''s faces. "Now, allow me to take the lead," Elle whispered to him seductively. A mischievous smile appeared on her crimson face. Erick chuckled before he responded to her. "Hmm. I like that. Be my guest, my dearest wifey. I am waiting for that. Show me your dominance." Erick said with a teasing smile on his face. With her dark alluring eyes matched with her taunting smile, she ordered him. "Hubby, strip and get down on the floor, now!" A smirk never left his face as he followed her command. He didn''t break their eye to eye contact as he started to take off his undergarments. Flaunting his fine assets to her, he was now completely n.a.k.e.d in front of her. "So goddamn gorgeous!" she softly mumbled. Elle bit her lower lip, trying to control herself not to drool over while looking at this handsome masterpiece before her. Enjoying the expression on her face, Erick sat on the floor with his arms stretched out behind him for support and his legs crossed loosely with each other. Licking her lips, Elle climbed onto his lap, straddling him in a kneeling position. She began to plant small and soft kisses all over his face. Seconds later, Erick felt her lips move downwards. She was now sucking and nibbling the sensitive parts of his neck. He loved to feel her soft and hot delicate lips against his bare skin. Erick couldn''t help but groan as Elle started biting and sucking him. Her hot mouth found his chest. She mimicked his movement when his mouth teased her soft b.r.e.a.s.ts. Elle began to grind and rub her center against his erection. His breathing became more erratic because of the mind-blowing pleasure she was giving him. Not yet satisfied, Erick suddenly ripped her panty so that he could feel the friction- flesh to flesh. "Oh! Too impatient!" Elle shot him a glare as she was shocked by his action. Erick just chuckled as he gave her an apologetic look. "Wifey...please. Stop teasing me already. I want you now!" Erick said to her, pleading. Elle saw the flame of passion in his brown eyes. Even she could feel it, the desire to fill each other''s need. So she didn''t waste any more time as she positioned her entrance to his hard and erect membrane. She lowered herself down his shaft in circular motions, driving him nuts. And she moved in an alternate manner- slow and shallow strokes with deep thrusts. Facing each other, the hot and heavy eye contact made the action extra steamy and e.r.o.t.i.c. And just when he was about to explode in ecstasy, she took his entire manhood inside her for a sensational surprise. A gasp and a loud groan escaped his mouth. She joined him with her m.o.a.ns. Then Elle leaned toward him, keeping their bodies close together as she took control of the timing and speed of thrusting and riding him. She m.o.a.ned while he groaned, savoring the pleasant and wonderful sensations as they merged with each other as one. Chapter 236 - 236: Willing To Sacrifice For You Elle and Erick resumed their talk regarding Marie''s incident which was interrupted by their intimate moment a while ago at his study. They were now in their bedroom. Erick was sitting, leaning on the headboard of the bed while he was hugging Elle from behind. Both of them were not yet wearing anything. Only the comforter was covering the lower part of their n.a.k.e.d bodies. "What will you do now?" Elle asked him. She leaned back on his chest, burying herself on his broad arms. "I can''t tell the team about the information you just told me. I still need to gather evidence that will connect this incident to the Azumi Twins. But we will not exclude Black Shadow with this since he was partly involved here. He could be a witness too." Erick responded to her truthfully. Elle just bobbed her head in agreement. "But I don''t think Black Shadow will allow the task force to catch him. Just tell me if you want my help in capturing him." "Hmm. Don''t concern yourself with that. Just leave these things to us. I told you already. Don''t do dangerous things from now on." Erick reminded her. "Just stay as my sweet loving wife and satisfy me always. Oh, and let''s focus on making babies." Erick added as he caught her bosoms in his palms, giving them a gentle squeeze. Elle gasped in surprise because of his sudden advances "Ah! Shameless! Stop it!" Elle hit his arms and pulled them away from her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Erick chuckled as he sensed her annoyance. "Oh, by the way, I am dying to ask you, how did you learn or discover this information?" Elle bit her lip as she just said to him "Secret. I have my ways." ''D*mn! Why did I sound like Black Shadow after saying that?!'' Elle frowned. She often heard that line from him. Erick raised his brows. "Spill it out. You are hiding something from me. What did you do this time, Catseye? Do you want me to interrogate you just like before?" He gave her a warning. Elle knew what kind of interrogation he was referring to. ''D*mn you, Erick! You really know how to make me talk. I am already exhausted. I don''t think I can keep up with your stamina!'' With that thought, Elle had no choice but to be honest with him or else they would end up doing another round if Erick was serious about doing his special interrogation move on her. "Black Shadow asked me to meet him at the airport this afternoon. He told me everything. I already suspected him that he was the one who called the police." "I wanted to test him so I actually dropped here to get that item which Agent Marie was supposed to give him. You were sulking here at your study at that time so you didn''t see me come and leave." Elle told him honestly. Erick''s expression changed drastically after knowing that Elle personally met Black Shadow today. "Why did you do that? Did you forget that he was someone who was after your life? He almost killed you before!! Why did you meet him?" Erick couldn''t hide his rage and unhappiness when he said that. Elle heaved a sigh of defeat. She knew it. Erick would be mad once she told him the truth. She understood that he was just worried about her safety. She could not blame him. Erick only considered her as Elle, his wife, and the woman he loved and wanted to protect. Because of that, sometimes he tended to forget that she was also Catseye- someone who knew how to fight and could protect herself. "Hubby, did you also forget that I am Catseye? You don''t need to overreact like that. I can protect myself. Besides, Black Shadow and I already made a truce." Elle turned sideways so that she could see his face. Erick just looked at her helplessly. He knew that Elle had a point. She was called the Devilish Assassin for nothing. Even the Special Task Force Eagle had a hard time catching her for a very long time. She was really capable and skilled. However, he couldn''t stop himself from worrying about her safety since he witnessed how vulnerable she was when her life was put in danger. He saw her collapsed in his arms, bleeding, and suffering in pain- hanging between life and death. "Alright. I know but it''s just that I can''t help it. You are very important to me, you know that. Don''t do it again. Inform me if ever Black Shadow wanted to meet you again." Erick had finally calmed down and he was back to his mood. He squeezed her in his arms as he planted soft kisses on her shoulders. "Hey, stop doing that. I''m tired. Don''t start again. I swear I will make you abstain for a whole month!" Elle hissed at him as she tilted her head to look at him. She shot him a warning look. Erick just chuckled when he heard her protest and threat. "Hmm. Are you sure you can do that? A whole month without me touching you?" Erick was teasing her. Thinking about it, Elle was not sure if she would be able to do that too. Erick''s charm was difficult to resist especially when he used his art of seduction. She knew she would give in right away. So instead of answering him, she just pinched his arms which were wrapping her. Erick just ignored her warning as he continued to plant small kisses on her back going down. That''s when he noticed the scars on her back. He stopped what he was doing when he saw those marks. What caught his attention most was the two long scars. He remembered what Dr. Gomez had told him after Elle''s operation. He mentioned to him before about her scars. This was the first time he saw it clearly. It looked like wounds caused by a knife- eight inches long, located at the center of her back. Those two scars formed a letter ''X''. From the appearance, he could guess that those scars resulted from her very deep wounds. Erick''s eyes darkened as he felt the rage inside him. "Who did this to you?" he asked her. A hint of fury was evident to his voice. Elle was taken aback. Based on the changes in his tone, she could tell that Erick was beyond upset. Just hearing his question, she knew that he was referring to the scars on her back. Elle sighed deeply before she responded to him. "The other minor scars were the results of my training as an assassin." Elle paused. She held his arms tightly as she spoke about the longest scars "The ''X'' mark was done by the leader of the gang who attacked my family." After saying that, the two of them fell silent. Erick couldn''t deny the fact that for the very first time in his life he wanted to hurt someone badly and make him pay for the pain he had caused to Elle. He hated killings but now he had the urge to kill someone. ''D*mn, I think I am still a human who is bound to commit a sin. Argh! what am I thinking?'' Elle broke the silence as she decided to change the topic. She didn''t want to ruin their moods just because of her dark past. "Hmm, hubby?" "Yes?" "What is your plan about the Arison-Blake murder case that you are handling? I am still the culprit, but you don''t plan to surrender me to the authorities so what will you do about it?" Erick was rendered speechless. He didn''t expect her to ask him that. "Erick, I know we are in a very difficult and complicated situation. Tell me honestly, how do you feel about this?" Elle urged him to speak up and be honest with her about his feelings. Erick pulled her closer. He placed his head over her shoulder. "To tell you honestly, I felt very guilty and sorry for my team. By protecting you, I am betraying them." "I understand if that''s how you feel." She smiled faintly. "But, I won''t change my mind. I will not betray you, Elle. Never again to hurt you. I am becoming selfish now." "Are you not going to regret this someday?" There was deep concern in her voice. "I don''t know." Erick simply said. "But one thing is for sure. I will regret it forever if I will lose you," he added. Elle felt very touched hearing those words from him. She could feel her love and sincerity for her. "I am worried about you. I am afraid that you will always live with guilt as long as I am with you. I am a criminal after all. I felt like I became your troubles and burden. For all these years, your job is the source of your fulfillment and happiness. You love it so much." There was a heaviness in her words. "Will you be truly happy with that? Betraying your colleagues and breaking your morals as a man of justice just because of protecting me." "Hmm. I am happy right now when I am with you. Don''t worry too much. Just stay by my side. I promise I will handle this. Just give me time to sort this out. I''ll think of a way to solve this. I need to be fair with my team. I know I should do something. I am willing to sacrifice anything, just don''t leave me, Elle." Elle just nodded at him and didn''t say a word. But to her mind, she was also thinking something. ''Yeah, me too. I am willing to sacrifice anything, even my life, just for you, Erick.'' Chapter 237 - 237: Conflict Within The Team The next day, Erick started to investigate and gather evidence regarding the involvement of the Azumi Twins in Marie''s shooting incident. Bryan and Allen joined him in the field as they visited the crime scene. They looked for CCTV recordings which were installed near the Theme Park and within its vicinity. They were trying to check whether Black Shadow or the Azumi Twins were captured by those cameras. They just finished checking twenty-five percent of those cameras. Unfortunately, they hadn''t seen any of them so they decided to go back to their headquarters. They planned to resume this task tomorrow. When they arrived at the headquarters, they couldn''t ignore the sullen atmosphere around the office. They were greatly affected by what happened to their comrade, Marie. They were hoping that she would regain her consciousness as soon as possible. However, according to her doctor, there''s still no improvement in her condition. The rest of the team were gathered together as they discussed the case they were currently assigned to them. "We should do something. Agent Marie''s sacrifices should not be put in vain. We must take action now to catch Black Shadow and Catseye!" June shared his thoughts with the team. "I agree. This is what we can do for her! Catseye was the reason why Marie approached Black Shadow. Despite knowing the danger, she didn''t hesitate to befriend that Assassin for the sake of our case." Rose said in agreement with Allen''s statement. Erick was having conflicting thoughts as they mentioned Catseye. He didn''t want them to blame Elle but he couldn''t defend her too. He just stayed silent on the side as his colleagues continued to burst and voice out their anger and frustration for everything that happened. Last night, he promised Elle that he would try to sort his problem. He wanted to balance everything. He wanted to protect her and at the same time, he wanted to be fair for his team and colleagues. Although he couldn''t deny the fact that he already hid Catseye''s identity from them. After much thought, he came up with a decision. Without saying anything, Erick stood up and headed to the office of the Unit Chief of the XXX Crime Investigation Bureau. He was their head and superior. He stayed there for several minutes. Bryan noticed that Erick went out of his office and hadn''t returned yet. "Hey guys, did you see Chief Lee? Where did he go?" Bryan asked the team. They exchanged glances with one another, feeling puzzled. They had no idea where he went. So they just shook their head and shrugged at him as a response. He was about to call him when suddenly Erick entered the office, wearing a serious expression on his face. "What''s wrong with him?" Bryan mumbled to himself. "Chief, where have you been?" he asked Erick as he walked over to him. "I went to see Unit Chief." he simply replied to him. Bryan frowned after hearing that but he didn''t ask him further. Erick nodded at him before he returned to his office. In just a few minutes, the Unit Head''s secretary entered their Department office. "Sergeant Velasquez, can you come with me? Unit Head wants to talk to you," he said to Bryan. Bryan was baffled. ''Huh? Why me?'' he pondered to himself. He couldn''t help but feel nervous about it. It was seldom for Bryan to meet or talk with their Unit Head. It was always Erick who often interacted with their Superiors. ''D*mn! Did I commit a violation? Why is it he wanted to see me?'' The rest of the team were also wondering why their Unit Head was asking for Bryan. They gave him a questioning look. They also thought that he might commit some violation subject for disciplinary action. "Hey! Stop looking at me like that! You are making me more nervous!" Bryan complained to his colleagues. The Secretary just laughed at his reaction while the others wished him good luck. Left with no choice, Bryan just followed the secretary going to their Unit Head''s office. After thirty minutes, Bryan went back to their office. His face could no longer be painted due to his ugly expression. Rose, June, and April marveled at what happened to his talk with their Unit Head. They were about to ask him when Bryan just walk past at them as he walked towards Erick''s office with fast and large strides. The three people just watched his back, oblivious of what was happening as of this moment. The moment he entered Erick''s office, he saw him standing by the window. He looked like his mind was very occupied thinking something. Bryan approached him and confronted him immediately. "Erick Lee! What''s wrong with you? What''s is your problem for you to do this?!" Bryan called him by his full name. He was obviously upset and mad as of this moment. At first, Erick was taken aback by his sudden rage. Meeting Bryan''s accusing gaze, he already knew what he meant by saying that. "I am sorry. But I have to do this." Erick said. He looked down as he couldn''t bear to see Bryan''s pressuring gaze. He felt sorry for his team. All he could do was to apologize to them. "I think we deserve an explanation. You didn''t even consult us. Why did you do this? Are you abandoning us, your team?!" Bryan couldn''t help himself but burst out. Rose, April, and June could hear the angry voice of Bryan. They looked at each other, wondering what was happening inside. "Are Bryan and Chief Lee fighting?" Rose asked them. "It looks like Bryan is mad about something." April also commented. "Hey, let''s go and check on them!" June said as he stepped towards the office. They could feel the tension inside just watching the two men. Bryan clenched his fists as he continued to rant at him. "Speak, Erick! Don''t just apologize. Make me understand your decision. Because I couldn''t believe it!" April turned to June, urging him to do something. This was the first time they saw Bryan acting like this. "Hey, Buddy! Calm down first! Let''s talk this out in a peaceful manner. Why are you so worked up? What''s the problem?" June butted in. When they heard June''s voice, Erick and Bryan averted their gaze to his direction only to see the worried and puzzled expressions of their colleagues. With his sharp eyes directed at Erick, Bryan answered June''s inquiry. "Erick went to meet Unit Head just a while ago. He requested him to relieve him from Catseye''s case. He wanted to be out and be excluded in this case!" The three people were shocked beyond belief after hearing Bryan''s remarks. Confusion and disbelief were written all over their faces. "C-Chief Lee, is it true? But why?" April blurted out after she recovered from the shock. "Hehe. That''s impossible. Maybe there is just a misunderstanding here. Am I right, Chief?" Rose said as she laughed awkwardly. "This is not a misunderstanding! Our Unit Head told me this himself. He said to me that Erick requested him to be out from this case or else he will submit his resignation!" Bryan sounded very upset right now. "Chief, what''s happening? Why are you suddenly doing this?" June could not hide the worry in his voice. It looked like a very serious matter this time. Erick sighed deeply. Bryan was telling them the truth. That''s the only way he could think of. Since he couldn''t help the team to catch Catseye, it was better to be not part of this case. He talked to the Unit Head and made this request. He also had the same reaction. He couldn''t believe nor accept his request. He asked him a valid reason but he couldn''t tell one. Erick just said to him that he felt that he was no longer useful nor productive with this case. Of course, the Unit Head didn''t buy that kind of reason from him so he immediately rejected his request. So in the end, he just told him that he would resign if ever he would refuse his request. He thought he already convinced the Unit Head by saying that. However just several minutes after their conversation, their Unit Head talked to Bryan. It seemed like he was trying to ask help from his colleagues to convince him to change his mind. He didn''t want Erick to let go of this case. He had a high expectation of him. He was confident that Erick could contribute a lot in solving this case. Catseye''s case was a very important case for them. And now, Bryan together with his team was also asking for an explanation. So after his long silence, Erick finally spoke up. "I am sorry guys for not consulting nor informing you about my decision first. I hope you could understand me." he paused for a moment then he looked at them. "I am having a hard time and I just wanna give up this time." Bryan couldn''t believe what he had just heard coming from Erick. He laughed dryly. There was a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "You''re lying! This is not the Chief Detective that we know." Bryan walked out after saying that. Bryan left the four of them speechless. Rose, April, and June agreed on Bryan. Their Chief was acting very weird. This was not the usual self of Chief Lee that they knew. For so many years that the five of them had been working together solving criminal cases, this was the first time they had this kind of conflict within the team. Chapter 238 - 238: Twisted Logical Reasoning Since it was Monday, things in Falcon Cafe were very hectic because of the pool of customers who kept coming back and forth. Fortunately, Elle went back to work. Lu and Yu were also there to assist them. Elena was a little bit sad since she was already missing Charles. He called her to say goodbye that day when he left the city Z. Charles and Antoine dropped by the Falcon Cafe but Charles chose not to see her personally. He just watched her from a distance. She would surely ask him what happened if she saw his appearance. His bruises were still visible on his face and his arm was still wrapped in a sling. Dr. Clara visited them today at the Cafe. Elle introduced her to Elena. It looked like Elena and Dr. Clara got along really well for their first meeting. It was a good thing since Elena would transfer and live with her for the coming months. A few minutes after Dr. Clara left, another person arrived and entered the Falcon Cafe. Elle was surprised to see Bryan. He had a grim expression on his face, indicating that he was not in a good mood. ''What is he doing here?'' Elle asked herself. She thought Erick came along with him that''s why she expected to see him but to her disappointment, there was no sign of Erick. "Yosh!" Bryan said as he waved at Elle, greeting her. Elle returned his greetings with a nod. Bryan sat in the corner. She walked to approach him. "Why are you here? Where''s Erick?" she asked him. Just a mere mention of Erick''s name Bryan couldn''t hide the unhappiness he felt as of this moment. Instead of answering her question, Bryan peered around the Cafe, searching for someone. A deep frown formed into his face when he saw the two unfamiliar faces. "Where''s my buddy?" He was looking for Charles. "He went on vacation. He won''t be back for a while." Elle responded to him as she sat down on the seat from the other side, facing Bryan. Bryan took a heavy sigh after hearing that. After walking out of the headquarters, he came there to see Charles and had a talk with him. He wanted to burst his frustration out with him but unfortunately, he was not there. "Do you sell beer or liquor here? Can I have some?" Elle raised her brows hearing his words. She could sense that something was troubling him. "Are you allowed to do that? Drinking while on duty? It''s just three o''clock in the afternoon. Are you not planning to return to the headquarters today?" "No! I don''t. I came here to cool myself down. If I go back there then I will just feel more upset." Bryan said to her stubbornly. Elle just looked at him helplessly. "We don''t sell liquor here but if you really want to drink you can do that here, I will just ask someone to buy it for you." Bryan suddenly flashed his cheerful smile because of Elle''s thoughtfulness. But he didn''t know that Elle allowed him to stay because she was planning to interrogate him. Her curiosity was piqued. She wanted to know what''s happening in the headquarters that made him upset. She wanted to make sure that her hubby was not having a hard time too. She asked Lu to buy the beer for Bryan. After a while, he came back with dozen of canned beer. Then Bryan started to drink while Elle was just there watching him. "Hey, Bryan¡­ what''s wrong with you today? What happened in the headquarters that caused you to be upset?" Elle simply asked him. Bryan just stayed quiet but the grip on his beer tightened. "Since Charles is not here. You can tell me anything. I am willing to listen. Just think of me as your substitute buddy for today." she was urging him to talk. Since Bryan was really eager to vent his frustration he eventually gave in and started to talk with Elle. "It''s your hubby''s fault!" Bryan said to her blatantly, not hiding his unhappiness. Elle was a little bit surprised. Bryan already knew that she and Erick were already married. Then she furrowed her brows as she realized his main point. Bryan was upset because of Erick. ''So it''s related to Erick.'' "What did he do?" Elle also picked one beer and opened it. Seeing Bryan enjoying his beer she was tempted to also have a taste of the beer. "He talked to our Unit Chief asking him to relieve him from Catseye''s case. Who would be happy with that?! He didn''t even talk to us, his team!" Bryan said to her through gritted teeth. "He didn''t even give us a sensible reason for doing that! He even threatened our Unit Chief that he would hand over his resignation if ever he would refuse his request!" Due to his rage, Bryan gulped his beer in one go. Meanwhile, Elle was dumbfounded. She also didn''t expect Erick to do that. Should she feel happy about it or not? Erick was trying his best to sort this kind of problem. But it looked like his team was greatly affected by his sudden decision. Without knowing the real reason, it would be hard for them to accept his decision. "Do you know that I also heard his most ridiculous reason? He said that he is having a hard time and just wanted to give up this time. That''s bullsh*t! He is not the only one who is having a hard time. All of us too! After Marie''s incident, we felt like losers who couldn''t even do something. We failed to catch Black Shadow and Catseye. And our colleague is lying in the hospital right now, in a coma!" "I hate him! I hate Erick for doing this to us! I felt like he was abandoning his team! This is not the usual attitude of our Chief. He never gives up no matter how difficult our case is. Instead, he is very eager to solve it. Why now? That''s why I couldn''t believe it!" Elle could also feel Bryan''s frustration and disappointment. She was just quietly listening to him as he burst out. She could understand Bryan''s feelings. She felt sorry for him. This happened because of her. Then she heard Bryan heaved a deep sigh. "I just want him to explain it to me, for him to tell me the true reason. I got mad because I knew he was hiding something." Bryan said in a low voice. "What if he decided to hide his true reason because he thought it was the best thing for both of you." This time Elle spoke up for Erick''s behalf. Bryan raised his head to meet her gaze. "But I am not only his colleague. I am also his friend, his best friend! Why does he can''t tell me? Does it mean that he doesn''t trust me that much?" ''Because it''s very complicated. I don''t know what will be your reaction if ever you learn the truth. Will you be able to handle it, Bryan?'' Elle thought to herself as she looked at Bryan intently. "How about you? Do you trust him?" Elle asked Bryan seriously. "Of course! I trust him a lot to the extent that I can even entrust my life to him." Bryan responded to her with so much conviction in his words. A faint smile flashed on Elle''s face. "If you do then why are you acting this way?" Elle paused as she saw the confused look coming from Bryan. She decided to elaborate on her statement. "I know Erick won''t do something without considering the pros and cons. He had a reason for doing this but it doesn''t mean that he is abandoning you. He is not the kind of person who will abandon his team. He cares about you a lot. That''s why he said he was having a hard time. I know it was also hard for him to come up with that decision." Bryan was rendered speechless. Elle''s words seemed like a wake-up call for him. It meant a lot to him. ''Why is it I didn''t think about that? What she said is very true.'' Bryan looked down. "You are right. You have a point. It appears that you really understand him a lot." Bryan smiled at her. He finally calmed down after he vented his frustration to her. "Hehe. I think I overreacted today." Bryan scratched the back of his head. Now he was back to his usual self. Then he frowned again. "But I am really curious. I wouldn''t have a peaceful day if I wouldn''t learn his true reason." Elle just rolled her eyes at him. ''He just loves to gossip and stick his nose to other''s matters.'' He suddenly grabbed Elle''s hand and faced her with his pitiful look. "Hmm. Elle, please tell me. I know you knew something." "Tell me honestly, Elle. Is Chief Lee being blackmailed by Catseye?" Elle: "..." His out-of-the-blue question made Elle speechless. Bryan was all eyes on her, anticipating her answer. ''Blackmailed my a*s?! I didn''t ask him nor threatened him to do that! Bryan Velasquez! Why are you accusing me?'' Elle shot Bryan a cold stare. Bryan pouted upon meeting her sharp eyes which were looking daggers at him. He could feel the chilly aura emanating from her. ''Why is it, suddenly Elle becomes frightening?'' "Do you really want to know his true reason?" Elle said to him in a very serious tone. Bryan ignored her dangerous aura as he bobbed his head frantically. He wanted to know it badly. Elle''s lips twitched into a sly smile before she bent down and whispered something to him. "Erick did that because... I am Catseye." Elle was testing him, carefully observing his reaction. Bryan fell silent after hearing that. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped in shock. Then minutes later, the realization came to him. A burst of loud laughter bubbled up in the entire Cafe. "Hahaha! I knew it! I knew it!" Bryan said in between his laughter. Elle looked at him with confusion. ''Did he already know that I am Catseye?'' "You knew what?" Elle asked him curiously. "His decision might be related to you. Hmm¡­ Elle, you are the reason why Chief Lee wanted to be excluded in this case. Thinking about it, Erick changed a lot because of you. Why is it I didn''t figure this out as early as before?" Elle didn''t know what to feel right now. She wondered if Bryan had also connected the dots and learned her true identity already. ''If that''s the case, I should commend Bryan for that. I think I misjudged him.'' This time it was Bryan who leaned over to whisper something to her. "You¡­ you asked Erick to stop investigating this case because you are worried about his safety am I right? After what happened to him before and to agent Marie, you became afraid for the safety of your hubby. If that''s the case then I don''t need to be mad at him. Don''t worry Elle, I fully understand his decision now." Elle:"..." She was tongue-tied at this moment while looking at Bryan with disbelief. Bryan stood up and patted her shoulder. He was now smiling from ear to ear. "Hehe. Oh, by the way, you don''t need to pretend that you are Catseye just for the sake of covering up your true motive. I understand you are just a worried wife to your husband." Bryan winked at her. "You really frightened me with your joke. Hahaha! If I am not smart then I should have fallen already with your lie. D*mn, I almost believe you, Elle!" he added. Bryan was really back to his usual self. His overbearing self-confidence and blabbering mouth were now activated. "Thank you for listening to me today. Because of that, I am now okay. I should go now." He gave her a grateful look before he left the Cafe. Elle just watched his retreating back. "D*mn! SMART MY A*S! I am the one who is almost fooled by him. I thought I misjudged him. I take back my words. He is still Bryan. He is the only person I know who has a weird, unique, and twisted logical reasoning." "I think I should ask Erick to teach and train him well," Elle mumbled to herself as she shook her head. Chapter 239 - 239: Losing A Comrade Another day had passed. Everything looked so normal and peaceful. No one knew that troubles would come in an unexpected manner on the following days. And today, another piece of bad news would arrive. Elle was busy entertaining their customers when someone came to see her. It was James. She seemed surprised the moment she saw him. The last time they talked was when she told him about his father''s illness. James also offered her a hand and to collaborate with each other. He wanted her to come to his side and he promised her that he would protect her using Skull Gang power. Elle hadn''t given him her answer yet. James was waiting for her that day but she chose to return home and face Erick. After that James became busy, planning and making moves against the Dark Knight Organization. He became occupied for the last few days. He went to an out of town trip together with his trusted subordinates. He started to interject and sabotage one of the Dark Knight''s dealings. And they succeeded to snatch their resources. Today he just returned from his travels and he heard about Elle that she started working again at the Falcon Cafe. After hearing that, he headed straight to the Cafe just to see her and have a talk. Elle and James met each other''s gaze as they exchanged meaningful glances with one another. It was James who spoke up first. "Can we talk?" he softly mumbled as he asked her. Elle just nodded at him. Then she left what he was doing for the meantime and asked Lu to entertain the customer on her behalf. She guided James to the corner table as they sat down on the chair facing each other. Elle could see the fatigue in his handsome face. He looked tired and exhausted. "Coffee, juice, or tea?" Elle asked him as she offered him drinks. "Coffee please," he replied to her as he gave her a gentle gaze. Elle signaled Lu to prepare a coffee for James. After a few minutes, Lu brought the coffee to their table. Elle and James remained silent for a moment. She somehow knew the reason why James came to visit her today. She still owed him an answer. But she didn''t know how to start the conversation with him. James lowered his head and looked at the cup of coffee for a while before he spoke up. "You came back to work. Does it mean that you also return to him?" His tone was plain but his eyes were cold. "Yes, I did." Elle simply replied to him. James raised his head to look into her eyes. Elle noticed the subtle darkened expression on his face. James took a deep breath and said, "Did the both of you reconcile already?" He already knew the answer but he still asked her. He felt a tinge of pain deep inside his heart. It looked like things did not turn out the way he wanted. "Yes." Elle had conflicting emotions just facing James right now. "James, I truly appreciate your offer that day. But I am sorry I can''t accept it." she gave him a faint smile. "You don''t need to concern yourself about my personal life nor my safety. I can do it myself." Elle was being frank and open with him. "Why can''t you choose me over him? I can support you in every way. You don''t need to worry about your crimes. We both have a connection to the underground world. I can be useful to you. Why don''t you grab this opportunity and seek power?" Elle could hear the sense of helplessness and desperation coming from him. She paused for a moment, staring at James. He looked different than before. He was no longer the arrogant and overbearing person she knew. His eyes seemed genuine. Elle heaved a deep sigh. "This is not about power nor the benefits that I can get if ever I accept your offer. James, you don''t understand me. I don''t care about those things. What I want is to start a new and simple life together with the person I loved." "I am tired of walking in this dark path. I just want to finish my last mission. Yes, I am a sinner but I also deserve a second chance. Meeting Erick, it gives me new hope. I want to redeem myself because of him and live a happy life." Elle was being honest with him. James''s eyes darkened. His tone became heavy as he continued, "I can also give you that." "But you and Erick are different persons. I love him. I can only be happy with him." James had no words at the moment. Hearing it straight from her mouth, he couldn''t stop himself but feel hurt. He felt envious about Erick. He smiled bitterly. He felt utterly defeated as of this moment. "Alright, I understand. But if ever you change your mind I''ll still be here. You can come to me anytime. Don''t hesitate to find me. I am also willing to give you help if ever you need it." Elle just nodded at him as she gave him a grateful look. She was glad that James no longer considered her as an enemy. She felt a tinge of contentment with this kind of set-up between them. Feeling dejected and heartbroken, James had no choice but to leave. Elle already made clear to him that she still chose to be with Erick. So he stood up to bid her goodbye. As a courtesy, Elle followed him outside to send him off. When she was about to walk back inside the Cafe, James grabbed her elbow to stop her. Elle turned to face him. He took a glance at her with a gentle gaze yet filled with complicated emotions. At that moment, he was reluctant to leave her. His grip on her elbow tightened. He had the urge to confess his feelings for her. However, when he met her questioning gaze, his courage just faded in an instant. The words were stuck in his throat. He was afraid to hear another rejection from her. This was the first time he felt vulnerable like this towards a girl. He couldn''t let her go but he already knew that she couldn''t reciprocate his feelings as of now. Oblivious of what''s going on in his mind right now, Elle was waiting for him to tell something. She just kept silent while looking at James intently. After his long silence, finally, James found his voice to speak up. But instead of confessing, he told her a different thing. "Elle, take good care of yourself. I wish you happiness. I hope despite everything we can still be friends." James released her elbow after saying those words. There was a gleam of sadness in his hazel eyes but he smiled tenderly at her. Elle returned his smile and just nodded at him as a response. Then they heard a voice from behind calling Elle. "Lady Boss!" Elle turned around to see Lu standing at the entrance. He looked like he had something important to tell her. She took a glance at James one last time before she walked back inside the Cafe. "I like you, Elle. I think I''ve already fallen for you." James mumbled as he looked at her walking away from him. He felt the heaviness in his heart as he left the Cafe. Meanwhile, upon entering the Cafe, Lu gently pulled her towards the kitchen. She could feel the urgency in his action. Elle looked at him in confusion. "What''s wrong? What happened to your eyes? Did you cry?" Lu''s eyes were red and he had a grim and dark expression on his face. "L-Lady Boss." Lu was having difficulty to talk as he was suppressing himself not to cry in front of her. Elle started to have a bad feeling about this. "Tell me quickly. Is there a problem?" she tried her best to sound calm but there was a hint of impatience in her tone. "The rescue mission failed," Lu said in a low voice as he looked down. Elle''s eyes widened after hearing that. Her heart started to beat rapidly on her chest. She knew he was referring to the rescue mission involving Master Phantom. "What happened? Is Master Phantom alright?" Elle couldn''t hide the deep concern and worry in her voice. "I think Master Phantom is alright¡­ but we lose one of our comrades." Elle felt relieved hearing that Phantom was alright but she felt saddened for that piece of bad news. That''s explained why Lu seemed like he just cried. "L-Lady Boss¡­ b-brother Xu¡­ he''s gone." She had no idea what happened. She knew that this was a huge blow to them, especially to her Master Phantom. Elle clenched her fists. Losing a comrade was like losing a family member for them. "In our line of job, losing our life in the process is inevitable. Every mission that we do, we are always putting our lives in danger. It is okay to feel sad but after that, we must rise again for our fallen brother. Lu¡­ be strong. We will not let his sacrifice be put in vain." There was darkness in her eyes after saying that. She was consoling him but at the same time, she was thinking of avenging his death. She didn''t have a close tie with them but they were important people who belonged to Phantom and he cared for them too. That''s why she also felt the rage and fury in her heart as of this moment. Chapter 240 - 240: Farewell Brothers It was two days ago when Phantom received the information from Brother Yan that they lost contact with their two comrades, Brother Ling and Brother Xu. They were the henchmen assigned by Phantom to monitor Alfonso Ramirez. Unfortunately, the two of them were captured by Alfonso''s men. Phantom immediately traveled back to the province in order to conduct a rescue mission. Five of his henchmen assisted him. After a day, they were able to track the location where their comrades were being held captive. It was a warehouse just kilometers away from the facility which was managed by the Dark Knight Organization headed by Alfonso. It was midnight when Phantom and his team decided to rescue them. The security in the vicinity was heightened. As expected, Brother Xu and Ling were tortured by Dark Knight members. They were trying to find out who sent those two people. But to their disappointment, Xu and Ling kept their mouth shut. They didn''t expect their loyalty was strong, making the Dark Knight furious. Not yet satisfied with the physical tortures that they inflicted with those two persons, Dark Knight members decided to use their lethal weapon to scare them and make them talk. With the approval of their superiors, they used one of the bio-weapon they had created. It would also serve as a trial experiment to know what would be the effect and extent of the impact if a person was exposed to it. Several minutes later, two men wearing protective gear entered the warehouse holding a briefcase. Inside the briefcase, there was a syringe containing the bio-weapon. They chose Xu as the test subject. They isolated him in the corner of the warehouse. The other Dark Knight''s men who were holding Ling in place distanced themselves farther away from Xu''s location, afraid that they would also be exposed to the bio-weapon once it was injected into the test subject. They were all focused on the movements of the men wearing protective gear, as they started to prepare the injection. Because of that, they failed to notice that Phantom and his team already succeeded sneaking inside the warehouse. On Phantom''s signal, the power was cut off causing the surroundings to be engulfed in darkness. The rest moved swiftly in shadow and started to attack those men using guns with silencer and daggers. In just several minutes, many lifeless bodies were scattered inside. But it was too late for their comrade, the bio-weapon was already injected to Xu. The rest of the team secured Ling while Phantom was the one who came to Xu. They immediately left the area. When they were already outside the warehouse, Phantom sensed that something was wrong with Xu. He was assisting him to walk. "Xu, are you okay?" Phantom asked him with concern but Xu was not able to respond to him as he started to cough blood. The rest also halted on their steps as they turned to look at the direction of Phantom and Xu. They were already near their car. "Xu, get a hold of yourself. Hang on. We will bring you to the hospital." Phantom was trying his best to encourage him. Xu fell on his knees. Xu just gave Phantom a gentle smile and a grateful look before he pushed him away from his body. His nose was already bleeding and he continued to cough blood. The others just looked at him confusedly. Phantom was about to help him stand once again when Xu signaled him to stop. "M-Master¡­ just leave... w-without me," Xu said in between his cough. "Save Brother Ling," he added. "Why are you spouting nonsense, Xu? No one will be left behind. We will all leave this place!" Brother Yan exclaimed. Xu was very weak. He couldn''t understand but he felt a burning sensation all over his body. It seemed like the blood inside his body was about to explode. With his remaining strength, he shook his head and spoke up again. "I-I''m s-sorry brothers¡­ Master. I-I don''t think I can survive this time." Xu showed them his hand which had a mark of injection. "Thank y-you for coming to save us. I-I am happy... to see you all... for one last time. Farewell, brothers." "Hey don''t say that!" Ling said to him. All their faces were painted with worries and fears. They didn''t want to lose their brother. But they already knew that it looked bad this time. "Wait, Xu¡­ we will find an antidote. Master, Let''s go back to the facility!" Brother Chou suggested to them. Phantom was silent with complicated emotions on his face. He also knew that it was too late. He was blaming himself as of this moment. He failed to protect Xu. The rest was waiting for their Master''s response. Then suddenly Xu collapsed, he was already struggling with his breathing. "Xu!" "Brother Xu!" They all shouted his name in unison. "Yan, start the Car immediately! We will all leave this place." Phantom ordered him. "I will carry Xu! We will not leave someone behind." Dead or alive, Phantom decided to bring Xu along with them. "Master, Let me carry him. We didn''t know how strong this bio-weapon is. Just a mere contact with him, you will also be exposing yourself to it." Brother Yan said to him as he stopped Phantom. "No. I should be the one to do this. He is my responsibility. All of you are my responsibility!" "But Master-" Brother Yan wanted to protest but Phantom cut him off. "All of you, leave together. Xu and I will use the other car. DON''T LET ME REPEAT MY ORDER! Go now!" They had no choice but to follow their master. Phantom approached Xu once again as he carried him towards the Car. Just a few minutes when they left the place, Xu died inside Phantom''s car. Everyone was saddened. They were all mourning. It was already dawn when they cremated his body. Phantom was with him in his last moment. The pain and sorrow were consuming him. He felt like he lost another son. Morning came and brother Yan informed Lu and Yu about the sad news. Phantom and the rest decided to stay there for a moment as they brought Ling to the hospital for the treatment of his injuries. Phantom and Yan were standing just outside the ward of Ling while the rest were inside, watching over him. They couldn''t hide the sadness and anger they felt after losing their brother. "Master, how are you? Do you feel uncomfortable or hurt anywhere? You were with Brother Xu and I am afraid that you were exposed to that bio-weapon." Concern was evident in Brother Yan''s voice. "I am just fine. Don''t worry about me." Phantom replied as he gave him a reassuring smile. "By the way, can you buy food for us. I know everyone hasn''t eaten anything yet since this morning," he added as he requested Yan. "Alright Master. I''ll take my leave now." Brother Yan said before he walked away. Just seconds later after Yan left Phantom, he started to cough. There was a gleam in his eyes when he looked at his hand and saw the blood on his right palm. He used it to cover his mouth when he started to cough just a while ago. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Falcon Cafe *** After informing Elle about the bad news, Yu and Lu left the Cafe. She asked them to go and see their brothers and Phantom. They needed to support each other in times like this. Elle and Elena were the ones who remained in the Cafe. Just when they were about to take their lunch, another set of unexpected visitors entered the Cafe. Elle was surprised to see Erick''s colleagues. Four of them arrived except Erick. Bryan, June, Rose, and April immediately walked towards Elle. She just smiled at them awkwardly. ''Why are they here?'' Elle pondered to herself. Her question in mind was answered right away when April spoke up. "Elle, can you lend us your time? We want to talk to you about something." ''Eh, so they are here in order to talk to me.'' Elle averted her gaze to Bryan. She gave him a questioning look. Bryan couldn''t look straight into her eyes as he scratched his face. He looked guilty about something. Elle frowned upon seeing his reaction. ''What did you do this time, Bryan Velasquez?!'' Elle could sense that Bryan had something to do with this sudden visit. Elle just nodded at them and invited them to sit down. After they settled down on their respective seats, they told her their reason for coming there right away. "Elle, we are here because of our Chief Lee. You already knew about his decision, right?" April said to her directly. Elle just nodded in agreement. Bryan had informed her yesterday. And from the look of it, Erick was also troubled and bothered by his decision. Last night, she observed that Erick was acting weird. Even though he didn''t tell her anything but she knew that something was weighing on his mind. "Bryan told us that you were the reason he did that." June blurted out to them. Elle was astounded after hearing that. She immediately turned to Bryan as she shot him a sharp glare. He just pouted apologetically after meeting her dangerous gaze. "Elle, please convince our Chief Lee. We need him. We can''t do this case without him." Rose mumbled to her with her pleading eyes. "Elle, we understand your concern about our Chief. But the danger is part of our job. Elle, Marie is still in the hospital because of this case. Please let him do and solve this case with us." April said to her desperately. Elle didn''t know what to say. They fixed their gaze on her, anticipating her response. She could see the desperation and helplessness in their eyes. After a while, Elle heaved a sigh of defeat before she responded to them. "Alright. I understand. I will talk to Erick about this." After hearing her reply, their mood brightened up. The happiness was written all over their faces. It seemed like they found their hopes in her. Chapter 241 - 241: Catch Me If You Can When Elle returned home at night, just like what she promised to Erick''s team, she talked to him regarding his decision about Catseye''s case. Seeing how helpless and desperate his team, she couldn''t ignore their pleading. Besides, even she, herself, couldn''t agree with his decision. Spending time with them, Elle learned how strong their bond as a team. She could also sense that Erick was not truly happy and at ease with his decision. She admired him for the person he is. His passion for his work and he, as being a good example of a man with a strong sense of justice- these were some of his qualities she liked most about him. She couldn''t allow him to disregard and ruin his morals as a detective just for the sake of protecting her. She wouldn''t be happy with that. She was also afraid that time would come when Erick would regret doing this. She wanted to redeem herself to start a new life with him but it didn''t mean that she could live simply and peacefully without being punished for her crimes. She knew from the start that even though Erick loved her, still, it couldn''t wash away her sins by just turning a blind eye to everything she had done. That''s why she came to talk to him and discuss this with him. Erick was currently in the balcony, taking his time alone while watching the night sky. He often did this every time he wanted to relieve his mind of a troubling thought. He closed his eyes, feeling the cold air of the night. It helped him to relax. He remained still, unmoving in his spot when he heard footsteps closing in. He didn''t need to turn around nor open his eyes to know the person who invaded his personal space. Just smelling her faint and familiar scent, he knew right away that it was Elle. His lips curled up into a gentle smile when he felt her soft delicate hands around his waist. "Do you mind if I join you here?" Elle mumbled to him. When he heard her voice, Erick opened his eyes and lowered his gaze to see her lovely face. He placed his right arm around her shoulder before he responded to her. "Of course. It''s my pleasure my lady to have you as my company tonight." Elle couldn''t help but giggle. Erick''s sweet-talking was improving day by day. "Where''s Mom and Dad? I saw you talking with them a while ago that''s why I decided to come here and take some fresh air in the meantime." "They are watching movies in the living room." "Hmm¡­ good. Now I can have you myself." Erick said to her with a cheeky grin on his face. Elle rolled her eyes at him. "Mom and Dad will go back home the day after tomorrow." "I know. Then we can do anything while we are alone." There was a gleam on his eyes as he gave her a meaningful look. Elle''s cheek started to heat up with his remarks. She knew what he was referring to. She shot him a glare as she pinched his waist. "Naughty!" she exclaimed. Erick just chuckled at her reaction. He really enjoyed teasing his wife. "By the way, hubby, I have something to discuss with you." Elle decided to confront him. "Hmm, okay," Erick simply replied as he nodded at her. "I heard about what you did yesterday in the headquarters. You talked to your superior and requested something to him regarding Catseye''s case." Erick was taken aback. He was surprised as he wondered how she learned about this. He didn''t tell her yet but she already knew what he did. As if she read what''s on his mind, Elle spoke again to inform him. "It was Bryan. He visited the Cafe yesterday. He looked very upset. Then he burst out his frustration on me. Erick didn''t know what to say. He just kept silent. He looked like he was having conflicting thoughts as of this moment. His mood also changed. It was obvious that he was still bothered by it. Today, he could feel the awkward atmosphere inside their office. He saw the disappointment of his team after his confrontation with them. They never talked to him for the whole day. No one initiated to have a conversation with him. Because of the silent treatment coming from his colleagues, he felt that he made a very grave sin this time. If they were treating him like this then how much more if they found out that he already knew about Catseye and he decided to hide it from them. He knew that once they learned about his betrayal, he would break their trust and their relationship would never be the same as before. He was asking himself if he could really handle it if that would happen in the future. Because he knew that he would end up losing his team, his friends, and colleagues. Amidst his silence, Elle could see the worry and sadness in his dark brown eyes. She knew that Erick was having a hard time because of her. He was trying to sacrifice something which he cherished for a long time for the sake of his love for her. Elle already made up her mind. She wouldn''t allow him to do that. She didn''t want to destroy his relationship with his friends and colleagues. This wouldn''t make him happy. She knew he would regret it once it happened. "Erick, you don''t have to do that. Your team needs you in times like this. Your decision is wrong. All of you are already suffering because of Marie''s incident. Your sudden decision added to the burdens and troubles of your team." Erick couldn''t utter a word since he knew that Elle''s words were very true. She smiled at him faintly. "I know you are trying to protect me. But I won''t be happy knowing that you are doing it the wrong way. You are hurting your team. This is not the Erick that we know." "I also care about them since they are your friends. I don''t want to see them sad. I don''t want to see your relationship breaking apart just because of me. Both of us will not be happy with this." Elle said as she shared her thoughts with him. "Then what should I do? I didn''t know anymore. I thought this was the only way." There was a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Just do your job like what you used to do and I''ll do mine," Elle said matter-of-factly. Erick paused for a moment as he gave her a questioning look. "Are you telling me to reveal to them your identity, catch you and hand you over in the authorities?" Disbelief flashed on his handsome face after saying that. Elle moved in front of him as she faced him. A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she looked at him intently. "Catch me if you can. Show me what you''ve got Mr. Detective. I am Catseye, the devilish assassin. Do you think I will just surrender myself to you just because you are my husband? There''s no fun and excitement with that" Erick''s face darkened seeing her carefree reaction. "Elle, I am serious here. Do you think this is a game of fun? No, it''s not!" Now, he sounded upset. Elle''s smile also disappeared as she became serious. "No, Erick. I don''t. But I am also serious." "Erick, do you trust me?" Elle''s face softened as she asked him that. Erick looked into her eyes as he gave her his answer. "Yes, I do." "Then can you trust me with this?" Elle asked him again. "What are you trying to do, Elle?" "I am just doing the right thing for all of us." "What are you implying by saying that?" His voice was firm. "Erick, help your team to catch me. In times like this, they need hope that will boost again your team''s morale. Don''t deprive your team of this hope. You and your team wasted your time and effort, even sacrificing your own lives just to solve this case." "How can I do that to you?" His voice was filled with hesitation. "Are you leaving my side again?" Erick couldn''t hide his fear. "Just trust me, Erick. Even if we get separated from each other, I will always come back for you." Elle reassured him. "But I will have to ask you a favor. Saturday and Sunday¡­ give me those two days as our time-freeze. During those days, you are not allowed to catch me. I am not Catseye but I am Elle, your wife." Erick was rendered speechless. Elle was really serious this time. "Hmm, I will have to move out but during weekends I will come back to visit you. You can try to catch me on weekdays. Haha but I guarantee you, that is not an easy task." Elle winked at him. Erick remained silent as he looked at her with confusion. Elle cupped his face and gave him a peck on his lips before saying, "I will give you one week to decide. This is not a game. I am challenging you, Mr. Detective. Try to catch me if you can. If you succeed then I will give you a great reward." Erick frowned as disbelief and helplessness were evident to his face. "Are you kidding right?" Elle burst into a peal of laughter. "No hubby. I''m not. I am dead serious. Why? Are you afraid to lose?" "One week¡­ I will wait for your answer." Elle reminded him as she smiled sweetly at him. Then Elle turned around and left Erick in a trance. Chapter 242 - 242: Pretending The news of Black Shadow being an outcast member of the Assassin Guild created a hype in the underground world. They didn''t expect this to happen. Everyone was wondering what was the true reason why he was suddenly removed as a member of the guild. The President kept their discussion as a secret as per request by Black Shadow, himself. As a sign of respect to each other, the Assassin Guild''s President fulfilled his request. When the Azumi Twins learned about it, they were also shocked. They couldn''t help but wonder why. They had mixed emotions regarding this matter especially Kelsy. She tried to seek some answer from the President but he refused to tell her something. He just simply suggested to her to ask Black Shadow by herself. He told her that Black Shadow was still in City Z. Without wasting her time, she immediately headed to his apartment. Meanwhile, Black Shadow was about to leave that apartment today and would transfer to his new place when Kelsy arrived outside his doorstep. Since he was no longer a member of Assassin Guild he couldn''t stay in that apartment. It was a place arranged for him by the Assassin Guild. Besides, he was positive that Marie already exposed his apartment to the authorities. He just came back today to grab some of his belongings. He had just done packing his things when he heard the sound of the doorbell. He became alert. He quickly grabbed his pistol before he carefully went towards the door. Just after taking two steps, he stopped on his track and he turned around going to the CCTV monitor. His mood darkened right away seeing the girl outside his door. It was Kelsy. He didn''t want to see her but he needed to pretend and face her as if there was no conflict between them. He wouldn''t allow himself to be fooled again by her. This time he should be the one to give her the taste of her medicine. Black Shadow took a deep breath as he gathered himself. After calming the rage inside him, he started to walk towards the door. The stern and cold aura that he had a while ago disappeared in an instant as he opened his door. He greeted Kelsy with his sweetest ''fake'' smile. "Hey, to whom do I owe this wonderful surprise? What are you doing here?" Black Shadow asked her with his ''soft'' voice. Kelsy was taken aback by his warm welcome. She didn''t expect this kind of treatment from Black Shadow. As if the man she knew before had come back. Seeing her in the daze, Black Shadow flashed his signature killer smile that could melt any woman''s heart the moment they saw it. And Kelsy was no exception. Her heart skipped a beat seeing that familiar smile on his handsome face. She forgot about her reason for coming there. As of this moment, she had the urge to pounce on him and ravage his kissable lips. Her heart was rejoicing because for the first time since she came back Black Shadow smiled at her like this. In the end, Kelsy gave in with the temptation as her desire for this man before her, was awakened deep inside her. She immediately hooked her arms around Black Shadow''s neck and at the back of his head as she pulled his face towards hers, claiming his lips. Caught off guard, Black Shadow froze in his spot. Sensing that he was not responding to her, Kelsy forced her lips onto him trying to get the response that she wanted from him. She continued to kiss him deeply and forcefully, sucking and licking his lips using her tongue. She was seeking an entrance. With Kelsy''s persistence, Black Shadow finally gave in. His lips started to move as he closed his eyes. But he didn''t touch nor hold her as he was already clenching his fists on his sides. Deep inside, he knew that he didn''t want this. After satisfying the girl in front of him, he broke the kiss first. "Come inside first," he said to her as he invited her. Kelsy followed him from behind as they both entered his apartment. "Juice or Soda?" He offered her a drink. Kelsy just shook her head as she refused his offer. She sat down quietly on the couch. Black Shadow was watching her back. There was a hint of fury and hatred in his eyes but he was able to conceal those emotions as he joined her again and sat down beside her. "Kevin will be mad if he learns that you came to see me here." Kelsy flashed her playful smile before she bent down and whispered to him. "It''s alright. As long as we keep it as a secret, he will not be mad." Black Shadow let out a forced laugh. "By the way, I am here to confront you. I heard the news. What is the reason for removing you as a member of Assassin Guild?" Kelsy said to him with concern in her voice. She brought up the reason why she went there. "It''s for the sake of the guild. The President learned that I was being spied by the police and had been under their watch for the past few months." He said to her his alibi. Kelsy frowned the moment she heard that. ''That b!tch really caused trouble to my dear Black this time.'' she still had the audacity to blame Marie despite the thing she had done to her. "That''s very unreasonable for the President to do that! It''s not your fault. This happened because of that b!tch! You''re a victim here. How inconsiderate of him to do that to you!!!" Kelsy said through her gritted teeth. Black Shadow''s eyes squinted at the mention of Marie. In his mind, he thought he needed to appease Kelsy for her to forget about Marie. She was still in the hospital and he was afraid that Kelsy would not hesitate to threaten her life and hurt her once again. With that thought in mind, Black Shadow pulled Kelsy in his arms as he hugged her. "Please don''t mention her to me once again. Let''s forget those insignificant persons. Don''t waste your energy on them." Kelsy smiled after hearing his words. She was glad to hear that from him. "What will you do now? You are no longer a member of Assassin Guild. You can''t receive any benefits nor protection now. I still couldn''t believe it." Kelsy mumbled as she lamented at him. Black Shadow let out another chuckle. "It''s alright. It''s better this way. I always wanted to be independent. I am tired of following the rules of the guild. Now I am free to do what I want." Black Shadow paused for a moment before he spoke again. "I can now also fight with your twin brother¡­" he gave her a meaningful look as he continued " if ever he comes again in between us." Kelsy couldn''t help herself but smile after hearing that reason. Now, the unhappiness she felt after knowing that Black Shadow left the guild suddenly disappeared and it was replaced by joy. And just like that, Black Shadow succeeded in appeasing her and diverted her attention away from Marie. He also avoided any suspicion from her. If she knew that he hated them for deceiving him then she might suspect him that he lied to her about Catseye''s true identity. In the meantime, he had to put up with her. But for the coming days, he would try his best to avoid bumping into them. He would also disappear from their radar little by little. The Azumi Twins were so cunning. He didn''t know what kind of scheme they would be plotting next. He was just hoping that they wouldn''t win against Catseye. He had a high expectation of her. A fight between the devilish Assassin, Catseye, and the Azumi Twins could be so exciting to watch and something someone like him would be looking forward to. However, that was not his priority this time. He had no time to watch nor monitor the upcoming duel between these infamous assassins. This time he didn''t want to be involved. He already did what he needed to do. There was something more important occupying his mind right now. This was a different battle between life and death. And he was hoping that they could win this no matter what. Chapter 243 - 243: Need A Prince To Wake You Up On the same day, Black Shadow went to the hospital to visit Marie after spending his time with Kelsy. He ensured first that she would no longer pay attention to Marie. He wanted to stop the Azumi Twins from targeting and hurting her again. For the past few days, visiting Marie in the hospital became his daily routine. As usual, he posed as one of the doctors to avoid suspicion from Marie''s parents. He was always careful and on guard against the members of the Joint Task Force before checking on her. Fortunately today there was no sign of her colleagues inside the ward. Black Shadow grabbed the opportunity to go inside her ward. Compared to before, Marie''s appearance was improving day by day. Her color was back to normal unlike the last time he saw the paleness of her face. Just like what he usually did every time he would come to see her, he would stand on her side and would start talking to her while he was holding her hand. "Hey, I am here again, Ms. Officer. You''re still sleeping. Can you wake up already? You still have many things to do according to your parents." Black Shadow smiled at her. There was a gentleness in his eyes as he stared at her. Beep! Beep! Still, there was no response from her, he could only hear the beeping sound of the machine beside her. "Are you still waiting for your prince charming to come in order to wake you up? Do you need a kiss? Are you the sleeping beauty that I heard before in those corny fairytale stories?" Black Shadow chuckled in his own joke. If Marie was just awake she would already rant at him for saying that those fairytale stories were corny. She had mentioned to him before that she loved fairytale stories. "Sorry princess but there''s no prince charming here, only a bad boy- a charming and gorgeous bad boy oozing with s.e.x appeal. The typical villain in those detective stories." Black Shadow brought his free hand closer to her as he caressed her face. "Can you please wake up already?" He mumbled in a low voice. There was a gleam of sadness in his eyes as Black Shadow continued to speak. "I will come again to visit you. At least as of this moment, I can still see you. I don''t know what will happen once you wake up. I guess you will try to catch me again." He squeezed her hand after saying that. He could feel a tinge of pain in his heart. "I already knew that you just approached me before because of the case you were handling. Despite that, there are things that I am dying to ask you." He paused for a moment. His eyes were filled with different emotions. "Is everything about us all lies?" His grip on her hand tightened. "If so, then I will not bother you anymore in the future. I will disappear, not ever again to see you. But before that, please wake up. I want us to have a proper goodbye." His words were as heavy as the feelings he had right now. He wanted her to recover quickly but he was afraid that everything would change between them once she woke up. Can he still meet her whenever he calls her? Can they still talk with each other like normal people do- laugh and bond together? He smiled bitterly. He doubted that it would happen again. After staying for several minutes, Black Shadow decided to leave. "I think it''s time to go now. Don''t worry, I will try to come and visit you again, tomorrow." Black Shadow was about to let go of her hand when suddenly he felt some movement. He was astounded for a moment. ''Did she just move her fingers?'' Black Shadow thought to himself as he lowered his gaze to see her hand which he was still holding. He frowned when he didn''t see her fingers move. "Did I just imagine it?" he mumbled to himself. He shook his head as he chuckled. "I think my mind is just playing tricks on me." He was about to leave when suddenly he felt another movement in his hand. This time he was sure that he was not imagining things. It really happened. Marie''s fingers just moved. His heart was now beating rapidly inside his chest. Then he averted his gaze to her face only to see Marie''s eyes blinking and moving as she peered around her surroundings. She squinted her eyes several times before her gaze was fixed to Black Shadow''s face. They met each other''s gaze. Black Shadow''s eyes widened in surprise. He lost the ability to speak as he was consumed by overwhelming joy. ''She wakes up! Finally, she''s awake!'' His mind was screaming inside him. Marie frowned as she looked at him. Her eyes were filled with confusion. Meanwhile, after Black Shadow recovered from his stupor, he bent over closer to her as he spoke to her. "Hey, how do you feel?" he asked her. Because of his happiness, calling her doctor slipped his mind as he was focused on Marie. Marie just looked at him blankly. He couldn''t see any emotion in her eyes except confusion. She raised her hand to remove her oxygen mask but she failed as she still felt very weak. Black Shadow removed it for her. He was just staring at her, waiting for her to speak up. He missed her voice already. He wanted to hear it badly. However, the moment Marie spoke up it made Black Shadow become more surprised. In her low voice, she said to him. "W-Where am I? W-Who are you?" After hearing that, Black Shadow froze in his spot like a statue. ''Who are you?'' Black Shadow repeated her last question in his mind. Then he realized, ''She didn''t recognize me! But w-why?'' He was still in that shocked state when Marie''s parents entered the room. They were also surprised at first when they saw Marie who was now fully awake. But the surprise expression was immediately replaced by happiness as they approached Marie. "Oh, my dear. Thank God. You are already awake!" Marie''s mother exclaimed as she held her other hand. Marie darted her gaze back and forth between Black Shadow and her parents. But she couldn''t recognize either one of them. "Who are you? D-Do you know me?" she asked them confusedly. Now there was a hint of panic in her eyes. She didn''t remember her name nor recognize the people surrounding her in that room. Marie''s parents had the same reaction as Black Shadow. Shock, disbelief, and worries were visible on their faces. It was Marie''s father who initiated first to ask Black Shadow who in the meantime was pretending as a doctor. "Doc, what happened to our daughter? Why is it she can''t recognize us?" After hearing his voice Black Shadow was snapped out of his daze. He looked at him worriedly as he answered him. "I think she has amnesia." They didn''t expect this to happen. In order to find out the true reason why she couldn''t recognize them Black Shadow decided to call her doctor as he left her room. He made sure to remove his doctor''s gown before calling the doctor. In just a few minutes, her doctor arrived and he immediately checked on her. It was a good thing that the patient already woke up from a coma. After conducting several tests her doctor found out that she had amnesia. According to her doctor, this occurrence was normal due to her head injury. He couldn''t guarantee when she would recover her lost memories. But the most important thing was she was able to pass the critical stage and she stayed alive. After making sure that she was alright Black Shadow left the hospital looking so troubled. He had mixed emotions. He was happy that she woke up but he was sad that she couldn''t remember nor recognize him. Is this a good thing? Not remembering the memories they spent together. How can he ask her the things he wants to know? Is this the end of their connection with each other or it will open a new start for them? These were some of the questions which were running into his mind as of this moment. Chapter 244 - 244: Terrified *** At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** Erick gathered his team for a meeting. He wanted to talk to them. After Elle advised him last night, he realized what he did wrong. He reflected on it and he agreed that she was right. He made a wrong decision without considering the negative impact of it on his team. Now, all five of them were gathered inside his office. The room was engulfed with silence. They could feel the awkwardness around them. Erick was the one who broke the silence first. "I am sorry for hurting your feelings. I admit that this time I am in the wrong. I hope you can forgive my selfishness and my shortcomings as your team leader." Erick sounded regretful. His team remained silent. No one responded to him as if they were still waiting for Erick to speak and continue. "I didn''t intend to abandon you just like what you thought. I had a personal reason for doing that." Erick paused as he sighed heavily. Bryan looked at him, biting his lips. He looked like he wanted to say something but in the end, he just kept quiet. Then Erick smiled faintly. "But someone made me realize that what I had done was not the right solution. It seems like I am not solving anything instead I am just running away from my responsibility. "Again, I want to apologize for that." Erick took his time as he watched his team. The four of them were just silently listening to him. The disappointment in their eyes was no longer visible. They were now looking at him with understanding. But still, they were upset and anxious. They didn''t want him to abandon this case. They wanted him to continue working on it together with them. "After much thought and careful consideration, I changed my mind. I will not leave my team alone doing this case. I will be with you. It''s my duty and responsibility as your Chief." After hearing that from him, the worries on their faces were washed away. They were happy with his decision. "Yey!!" Bryan exclaimed as he suddenly stood up. He couldn''t help himself from doing that. He was overjoyed by this. The rest looked at Bryan strangely. Then seconds later, a peal of laughter reverberated inside Erick''s office. They started laughing. The tension was gone. It went back to normal as if the conflict within the team the other day never happened. "Thank you Chief for sticking with us!" April said happily. "Starting today I will put my hundred one percent effort in this case. I love working along with our Chief. It always inspires me." June also burst out enthusiastically. "I am so happy. The magnificent five are still complete. Chief, don''t scare us again. I thought you were really abandoning us." Rose lamented with her teary eyes. Erick just smiled at her. Seeing the joyful reaction of his team, it seemed like the heavy burden in his heart was suddenly lifted and he now felt at ease. "So?? does it mean that I am already forgiven?" he told them as he probed. The four of them just bobbed their heads frantically. "Yes, Chief!" They said in unison. They started laughing once again. They were in that mood when Allen entered their office in a rush. "Guys! I have a piece of good news!" Allen promptly said to them. The excitement was evident to his face. Erick and his team averted their gaze to the newcomer who had just barged in without even knocking. "Agent Marie, she is now awake! Her mother just called me." After hearing that, everyone stood up from their seats. There was a glow of happiness beaming with their faces. It was indeed a piece of good news. "What are we waiting for? Let''s go and see her!" Bryan blurted out as he suggested to them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Compared to the joyous occasion in the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters, things were not going well in a certain Dark Knight Headquarters in the countryside. The incident happened in the warehouse owned by the Dark Knight the other night had caused turmoil in Alfonso''s end. He was busy checking and inspecting the samples of bio-weapon they created inside the facility when he received the news. He immediately rushed back to the location. When he arrived there and saw the scene before him his heart clenched up with rage and frustration. The view inside the warehouse looked like a slaughterhouse where several dead bodies of their men scattered, bathing with their blood. His expression darkened as he clenched his fists. He turned to look at his underlings with his eyes red with murderous rage. Just a mere look from him they felt terrified. They could feel the cold and gloomy aura emanating from him. "F*ck! Useless bunch! How did this happen? A massacre happened in our territory?!! One of our bio-weapon samples was put into waste! Just one shot of it cost a billion! What''s more infuriating is that our test subject and hostages had escaped!" Alfonso exclaimed frantically, venting his anger to his underlings. "FIND OUT WHO DID THIS! BRING THEM TO ME ASAP!" He enunciated every word as he gave his order. Upon hearing his stern cold voice, his men felt helpless. They responded to him but they couldn''t look at him in his eyes. His voice was inexplicably sending shivers down their backs. "CLEAN THIS MESS! AND DON''T SAY ANY WORDS TO THE MAIN HEADQUARTERS!" he warned them through his gritted teeth. "If the Dark Lord will find out about this, your lives are not enough to satisfy his wrath!" he was reprimanding them but deep inside he was also worried about himself. If he had someone he feared in this lifetime it would be the Dark Lord. He was terrified. Just a mere disappointment from him could cause him to lose his life. Meanwhile, the people who Alfonso was looking for and responsible for the cause of his fury today were still in the hospital. Brother Yu and Lu also arrived in that place to reunite with their brothers and Master. Ling was now feeling better compared to yesterday. They were still mourning for losing their brother Xu. Ling told them everything that happened- how they were captured by Dark Knight members. It seemed that Alfonso was a meticulous man as well. He didn''t lower his guard against his enemies. He already noticed a few days ago that he was being followed and monitored. He pretended very well as if he had no idea at all. They intentionally lured them and were trapped. They couldn''t retaliate as dozens of men completely surrounded them having high powered firearms aiming at them. He told them how they were tortured and the trial experiment of the Dark Knight was trying to do that night. They lost someone in that process. Because of this incident, they were aware that it would be difficult to monitor Alfonso''s movement again. He would be more careful this time. They needed to come up with another plan. "Master what should we do now? You are right. Alfonso Ramirez is not an easy target. He is a very dangerous person to handle," Brother Yang said. They thought Phantom was thinking deeply, that''s why he hadn''t responded to Yang''s question yet. Phantom was leaning on his chair with his eyes closed. His arms were folded together over his chest. They averted their gaze to their Master, waiting and anticipating for him to speak up. However, a few seconds had passed yet there was still no response from Phantom. "Master?" Brother Yang called him again. "Eh, is Master Phantom sleeping?" Brother Lu asked in confusion. Brother Yu frowned upon noticing the beads of sweats that formed on their Master''s forehead. He could also see his uneven breathing. "I think Master Phantom is really tired. He fell asleep just by listening to Brother Ling''s story." Lu commented again as he scratched his face. "Alright, let''s just let him rest. Brother Yu, please help Master Phantom to sleep comfortably on the couch." Brother Chuo suggested. Brother Yu just nodded in agreement as he stood up to approach their Master. They were in the middle of discussing their next moves when suddenly they heard the anxious voice coming from Brother Yu. "What''s wrong with Master Phantom?!!" Yu asked them in his worried tone. The moment he touched Phantom''s body he felt his very hot temperature. "Master! Master!" Brother Yu tried to shake him off and wake him up but to his disappointment, there was still no response from him. Yu immediately turned to his brothers as he shouted. "Hey, Someone, Call for a doctor! Quickly!" Everyone was in shock. Others who were with him during the rescue mission were thinking of something. ''Is Master Phantom got sick because he was exposed to the bio-weapon injected to Xu?'' They felt terrified of that thought. Lu, who had no idea about it, was the one who rushed out to call for a doctor. Chapter 245 - 245: Weve Come To Fetch You It was very chaotic on Phantom''s end. His henchmen were filled with worries about their Master''s condition. The doctor was still examining him and they were anxiously waiting for the findings. They just got lost a comrade and now their Master got sick. They were just hoping that it won''t be as bad as what they were thinking. The rest also explained the situation to brother Yu and brother Lu. They couldn''t help but feel terrified after knowing what happened. They were asking themselves what they gonna do if their Master was greatly affected due to his exposure to the bio-weapon. If the worst thing could happen then they were all ready to risk their lives and willing to infiltrate Dark Knight''s facility just to get the antidote for that toxin in order to save their Master. Meanwhile, the brothers were thinking about what they should do next. "Brother Yu, I think we should inform Lady Boss about this." Lu suddenly blurted out. Brother Yu frowned after hearing that. He knew very well what''s Phantom would like to do in a situation like this. "No. Let''s keep this from her in the meantime. Master Phantom didn''t want to make her worry. We are not yet sure and still waiting for the test result about his condition." Yu rejected Lu''s suggestion immediately. Lu just heaved a sigh of defeat and helplessness. Since Yu was their team leader they must listen to him. Seeing his expression, Yu spoke again. "Lu, you must understand. I know you are thinking that Lady Boss should know this. You have a point but I am looking at this thing from our Master''s perspective. He didn''t want to trouble or give her a burden. Let''s wait and observe things for a while before informing her." Yu explained to him his side. Lu nodded in agreement. "I understand brother." "Let''s inform Dr. Clara instead. Brother Yan, give her a call and tell her to come here immediately. We need her help. She''s an expert in the field of medicine. I am sure she can help us in this situation." Yu turned to brother Yan as he gave him that order. Yan did what he requested him to do. He immediately called Dr. Clara and informed her about what happened to Phantom. Dr. Clara was shocked after hearing the news. She told him that she would go there as soon as possible. She was also worried-sick about Phantom. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next day, unaware of what was happening on her Master Phantom''s end, Elle just continued her daily routine. She was also glad to see that Erick''s mood had improved since yesterday. She guessed that Erick already reconciled with his team. She knew it that it was the only way to make him at ease and relieve himself with those troubles and burdens. Today was also the day when Erick''s parents would go back home to their town. They were currently bidding each other goodbye. "My darling Elle and my dearest son, take good care of yourselves and stay healthy so that you can give us grandchildren already," Sarah told the husband and wife as she teased them. Elle immediately blushed from her remarks. Erick chuckled as he put his arms around Elle''s shoulder while smiling sweetly at his mother. "Mom, don''t worry, as your son and daughter-in-law, we will try our best to fulfill your wish," Erick reassured her. Then he turned to his wife whose cheeks were already flushed from embarrassment. "Am I right wifey?" Elle just gave him an awkward smile as she hid her annoyance for her shameless husband. But she made sure to shot him a warning glare and pinch his waist when Sarah was not looking at them. Erick just let out another chuckle because of her reaction. Then Raymond cleared his throat to catch the attention of the couple. He saw their small act of teasing each other. He found it very cute seeing Erick acting childish like that in front of his wife. "Erick, my son, refrain from annoying your wife very often. You never know what an annoyed wife can do to get even and punish you." Raymond couldn''t help but smile as he looked tenderly to his wife, Sarah. "Alright, Dad! I will keep that in mind, though I am always looking forward to the ''punishment'' Elle would like to give me." A cheeky grin appeared on his handsome face. Elle knew that Erick was referring to her sweet punishment. ''D*mn! I guess I spoiled this man a lot. He doesn''t look afraid nor threatened about my punishments instead he is looking forward to it.'' Elle just shook her head from that thoughts. "Hmm, okay. We have to get going now. Just give us good news." Sarah smiled at them before she gave Elle and Erick a hug. Soon, Erick''s parents left. Elle and Erick also decided to go to their workplace. He dropped Elle first at Falcon Cafe before he headed to their headquarters. Erick hadn''t given her his answer yet about her proposal last time. He was taking his time to think it over. Elle didn''t want to rush him nor pressure him besides she already gave him time to decide. In the afternoon, Elle was very occupied with entertaining their customers when she noticed something. There was a black car being parked on the other side of the road, facing Falcon''s Cafe. That car had been there since this morning. If she could remember well, it was similar to the car which was behind them when Erick dropped her in the Cafe. She had a nagging feeling about this. She could sense that something was off with that car. It raised suspicion in her mind. She had this feeling this morning as if she was being watched but she didn''t dwell on it. But now, she became alert. ''Who are they? Are they just waiting for the right time to attack?'' Then Elle turned to Elena. If something dangerous was gonna happen then she didn''t want her to be involved. As of this moment, only the two of them were present at Falcon Cafe. Fortunately, today there were only a few customers. "Elena?" "Hmm, yes sis?" The two of them just finished preparing the orders of their two customers. "Since we don''t have a lot of customers today I am planning to close this Cafe as early as 3:00 pm this afternoon. You can go ahead first and rest." Elle said to her. Elena turned to her wristwatch. It was only 2:00 pm in the afternoon. There was still one hour before closing the Cafe. "Okay, Sis. But I will stay for another hour to accompany you." Elena insisted. "It''s alright. I can manage. Oh, I remember, we need to talk with our supplier of cakes. Why don''t you go now and meet her? Then after that, you can go home straight." Elle suggested to her. She was eager to send off Elena right away to leave the Cafe. "Okay, Sis. I will do that." Elena finally agreed on her. Elle also gave her the money to pay their supplier. After receiving Elle''s instruction, Elena left the Cafe immediately. Now she was alone in the Cafe together with three customers who were taking their snacks inside. Elle decided to place the ''Sorry-We- Are- Closed- Now. Come- Back-Again -Tomorrow'' flashcard on the entrance door of the Cafe. After thirty minutes, all the customers inside left. Elle took that chance to enter her secret bas.e.m.e.nt. She walked towards her weapons. She paused for a moment thinking about what she should pick. Then her gaze fell on the set of poison needles. She chose the one with paralyzing and sedative effects. Her lips curled up into a sly smile after picking up her chosen weapon. "Now, let''s see if my prey will take the bait," she mumbled to herself before leaving her secret bas.e.m.e.nt. It did not take long when four men alighted from the black car outside. Then they proceeded inside the Cafe. One remained outside the entrance door who served as the lookout while the three of them entered the Cafe. Elle welcomed them with her innocent look in her face. "Good afternoon sirs. I am sorry but we are now closed today. You can go back tomorrow." One man responded to her. With his wicked smile plastered on his face, he said to her. "We are not here to buy your cakes dear. We''ve come to fetch the sweet little girlfriend of a Chief Detective." Chapter 246 - 246: Not Going Anywhere "We are not here to buy your cakes dear. We''ve come to fetch the sweet little girlfriend of a Chief Detective." The moment Elle heard the statements from the other guy, a cold light flashed in her dark eyes as she looked at them. ''So this has something to do with Erick? Who sent these people?'' Elle couldn''t help but ponder for a few seconds then someone popped up in her mind. ''Could it be the Azumi Twins?'' she thought to herself. She focused her attention back to the three men who were standing in front of her with full confidence and intimidating aura. But it had no effects on her. This was a common mistake of arrogant people who were full of themselves. Thinking that they were at the advantage just because they appeared to be stronger than the petite woman who looked vulnerable to them. "Pardon sir? What do you mean by saying that? Do you know Erick? Did something wrong happen to him?" Elle asked them, pretending to be ignorant of the current situation she was facing. The man who spoke to her chuckled before he answered her. "Don''t worry Miss. He is just fine. You should worry about yourself instead. You are in this predicament because of him. You should blame him." The three men smirked at her with their eyes filled with malice. Elle tried her best to make them believe that she felt scared and threatened. She stepped backward. The men were enjoying just seeing her frightened expression. It boosted their confidence as they felt superior over her. They had the urge to play with this ''little kitten'' first. Their mission was to bring her with them alive but it didn''t mean that they were not allowed to play with her especially that their target was so good looking like a goddess of beauty. But little did they know that the woman whom they thought as the goddess of beauty was also considered as the devil queen of death. They were really unknowingly courting death this time. "No! Stop! Don''t come near me!" Elle exclaimed as she moved backward. The three men let out a sinister laugh. "Run!" The other guy said to her with his wicked smile. "Uh oh¡­ but she has nowhere else to go. She is a trapped little kitten now." The other guy also butted in. "Oh¡­ but this Cafe is quite spacious. She can still run around this place as we try to catch her." He replied to him. "Hmm, just don''t let us catch you kitten. Because if you do we will make sure to give you one hell of an experience that you will never forget." The man said to her as he licked his lips, his eyes filled with l.u.s.t. The other guy outside couldn''t bear to wait any longer as he entered the Cafe. "Hey, stop that already. We should get going or else those twins will get impatient just waiting for us! You don''t want to piss off those two." Elle''s lips twitched in a suppressed smile after hearing that. ''So it''s really the Azumi Twins who sent them. Tsk Tsk Tsk. I will be more than happy if they were the ones who personally came here to fetch me. So disappointing.'' The guy who looked like the team leader just glared at the man. He picked at his ears, feeling irritated with the man''s ranting. "Stop your nonsense! They are not our boss. We are just simply giving them a hand. So it''s nothing wrong to enjoy this a little bit." Elle was just observing them on the sideline. It''s a good thing that all four of them were now gathered there together. Just hearing their conversation, she could speculate things in her mind. ''Someone was helping the Azumi Twins. So what Black Shadow had told me before was true. Someone hired the twins to kill me.'' She was laughing inwardly. ''Black Shadow''s warning and his lies was a great help. The twins didn''t suspect me as Catseye. They didn''t investigate further how Erick and I had met each other. It seemed like they just looked into our relationship as a couple. Good job Black!'' The four men before her were still arguing. She had to give credits to the newcomer who kept on opposing the other three. They were a bunch of fools, fighting each other during their mission. Because of that Elle was able to pick up her hidden weapon inside her pocket without them noticing. They were not on guard since they thought they already outnumbered her. Furthermore, they just considered her as a weak woman who couldn''t fight back against them. Still occupied with their arguments, Elle moved in a flash using her speed. She charged towards them as she pricked them one by one using her poison needles aimed at their necks. It was too late for them to retaliate. "Sh!t! What did you do?" One of them mumbled as he touched the part where he was pricked by the needle. The rest just looked at her with disbelief and confusion. They were still oblivious of what had just happened. The other guy tried to grab her but failed as she was able to move away from his grasp. Then after a few seconds, they felt lightheaded and their visions became blurry. They felt the sudden surge of dizziness and their bodies became numb in an instant. The last thing they saw was her sly smile before blackness completely consumed them. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The four of them fell on the ground unconscious. Elle shook her head as she watched those men. She sighed deeply as she said, "I think I have to bring and drag these four to the secret bas.e.m.e.nt by myself." After saying that, she suddenly missed Charles and Phantom. If they were around then they would be the ones to handle these four men. She had to wait for another two hours before these men would wake up. She would seek some answers from them. Even though she already knew who sent them still, she wanted to confirm it from them. She needed to know what the Azumi Twins was planning. ''I have to call Erick first. I want to make sure that he is just fine.'' Without wasting her time, Elle immediately dialed Erick''s phone number. After a few rings, it was immediately answered by him. "Yes, wifey? Did you miss me already?" Erick''s cheerful voice could be heard from the other line. "Where are you? Are you okay?" Elle ignored his teasing. She asked him directly, concerns filled her voice. On the other hand, Erick was taken aback hearing a hint of seriousness and worry in her tone. Unaware of what was happening, Erick just answered his wife. "I am here at the headquarters right now. I am just fine, why are you asking? Is there something wrong Elle?" Elle heaved a sigh of relief. It looked like Black Shadow was right again. The Azumi Twins knew how capable Erick was, that''s why they didn''t target him directly. Instead, they targeted the person who was closed to him. As expected, they were the kind of people who wouldn''t fight you in front and would backstab their opponents'' back just like what they did to Black Shadow. Elle decided to keep this incident for now. She didn''t want him to worry. She knew that if she told him that some people came to attack her then he would immediately go to her. She still needed to interrogate her attackers. And if Erick was there beside her, she couldn''t show him how brutal she was when torturing those four. "Nothing. I just suddenly miss you. By the way, just stay there at the headquarters. Don''t leave and ask Bryan to accompany you when you need to go out. Just don''t be alone." Elle said as she advised him. When she heard no response aside from his silence she could imagine that Erick was frowning and didn''t believe that nothing was wrong. Her warning was enough to raise suspicion from him. "Elle, what''s wrong? Tell me honestly." Erick sounded so serious. She bit her lower lip. She needed to come up with a good answer or else Erick would come to her right now. He already sensed that something was wrong. "Eh¡­ I am just worried about you. I remembered what Black Shadow had told me before. The Azumi Twins might do something to you because of Catseye." This time Erick seemed to believe her reason. "Alright. Don''t worry about me. I can protect myself. I will come and pick you up later. You too. Always be careful. Don''t leave the Cafe, alone." "Yes, hubby!" ''Yes, hubby! I am not going anywhere other than here since I still have to deal with these four flies.'' Then her signature evil smile appeared on her face from that thought. Chapter 247 - 247: Too Careless *** At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** After his conversation with his wife over the phone, Erick continued looking through the CCTV recordings they had gathered from the cameras installed in the vicinity of the theme park. After an hour, finally, he saw something. He called his team to come over to his office. He wanted to show them what he had found. "Look at this," Erick told them as he pointed out the computer screen. The rest averted their gaze to the person visible on the paused video clips. That person was undoubtedly Black Shadow. Based on his spot, they could conclude that he was just near Marie''s location. They saw that familiar spot when they visited the crime scene. He was standing just a few meters away from where Marie was sitting while waiting for him. Everyone had indescribable expressions on their faces. "Chief, if Black Shadow was standing there then did he shoot her from that certain distance?" Bryan asked him in confusion. Erick: "..." April: "..." Rose: "..." June: "..." Rose, April, and June gave Bryan a strange look as if they were looking at a fool. They wanted to hit his head to knock some sense out of him. "Dummy! How can he do that? He is not stupid like you. Do you think he would shoot her in the middle of the crowd where several people are just around?" It was April who spoke up on behalf of her team. Rose just shook her head while June clicked his tongue in agreement with April''s statement. On the other hand, Erick just chuckled as he remembered Elle''s request. Just a few nights ago, Elle told him about her conversation with Bryan. She tried to tell him that she was Catseye however Bryan thought she was just lying and he concluded something else in his mind. Elle complained to him and she asked him to bless and impart Bryan some of his logical reasoning skills. She wanted Erick to teach and train him personally. ''I guess I should listen to my wife. She was really worried about my best friend''s deductive reasoning skills.'' Meanwhile, Bryan became fl.u.s.tered as he realized his mistake. He was blushing in embarrassment. So he just laughed awkwardly at them as he tried to defend himself. "I didn''t say he shot her. I am just asking. It was a question! Not a statement! Why are you looking at me like I am a fool? Don''t you know that my brain is just special? It''s just a little bit slower to react compared to yours. You know the words ''loading'' right?" The girls just rolled their eyes at him while June looked at his buddy helplessly. Erick decided to change the topic as he brought their attention back to this discovery. "This evidence shows us that Black Shadow is not the culprit. It also didn''t look like he brought a gun that day." Erick said to them the main point. Erick clicked the mouse and the video clips continued to play. Then he paused it again. This time, the video showed that a girl with short hair suddenly approached Black Shadow as she grabbed his elbow. "Who is that?" Bryan blurted out. "Kelsy Azumi." Erick promptly said as his response. "Kelsy Azumi? Who is that?" Bryan asked again curiously. Rose and June also had the same question in mind. It was April who reacted differently among them. She was the profiler of the team so she was somehow familiar with that name. "She is one of the K2 twins or also known as the Azumi Twins," April said as she informed them. "K2 twins?" June probed again. "K2 twins because the twins'' First names start with letter K. Her twin brother is Kevin Azumi. They were also infamous assassins. They had the same reputation as Catseye. These twins are very dangerous and cunning." April frowned after saying that. This was the first time Kelsy appeared to the public again. "They belong to the most wanted criminal overseas. I heard before that they were working outside the country for the past five years now. I didn''t expect to see her. So this only means they are back to the country." "But, why was she there with Black Shadow that day? What is their relationship to each other?" It was Rose who raised this question. "They are both members of Assassin Guild," Erick replied to her. "Chief, do you think that they were also involved in Agent Marie''s shooting incident?" Finally, Bryan had said something significant today. Erick was glad that he brought that up. ''I think my best friend is not that bad at all.'' he thought to himself as he smiled inwardly. "That''s one of the possibilities. I think there is an internal dispute between Black Shadow and the Azumi Twins. We could see in the video that Black Shadow was unhappy to see her. Then Marie just got involved since the twins thought she was very close to Black Shadow." "So, the one who shot Marie could be Kevin Azumi. He was not there in the video. He must be the sniper who was hiding in that building." June also shared his thoughts with the team. They were in the middle of discussing Marie''s incident when suddenly they were interrupted by the ringing sound of a phone which was placed beside Erick''s computer. Someone was calling him. They saw the caller I.D. on his phone screen. It was his mother. They paused for a moment and allowed their Chief to answer his phone first. Erick excused himself as he moved away to his team. The four continued watching the video while Erick walked in the corner of his office as he took the call. "Hello, Mom?" Erick''s brows furrowed into a knot when he heard an unfamiliar voice of a lady from the other line. It didn''t sound like his mother. There was a hint of playfulness in her voice as she called his name. "Hello, Chief Detective Erick Lee. It''s my pleasure to hear your deep and husky voice. It sounds pleasant to my ears. Because of that, I am dying to meet you face to face soon." "Who are you? Why are you calling me using my mother''s phone?" Erick suddenly got a bad feeling about this. Erick was not able to control his voice as he felt anxious. For that reason, he caught the attention of his team. They noticed the changes in Erick''s expression. Then he heard a soft giggle from the other line. "Chief Lee, don''t be so worked up right away. I am just saying my greetings first. But since you are very eager to know me then it is an honor to introduce myself to you." She paused for a moment before she continued, "I am Kelsy Azumi." A chilly glint mixed with fear and worry flitted through Erick''s eyes upon hearing that name. There was only one conclusion that could explain this: Azumi Twins got ahold of Erick''s parents. "What do you want from me? I am warning you¡­ don''t you ever try hurting my parents!" Erick said with his stern voice. Kelsy let out another giggle as she heard Erick''s enraged voice. "Don''t worry Detective. If you want to get them from us and to keep your parents alive then I only have one condition." She told him mischievously. Erick''s grip on the phone tightened. His eyes darkened as he clenched his teeth from anger. "Bring Catseye to us in exchange with your Parents'' lives. We heard that you had a close relationship with Catseye. Let''s see if you can deliver him to us within three days." "Let''s maintain our communication open. I will contact you again. I will tell you where and when we will do our exchange gift. Goodluck. I am counting on you. Viola Detective! See you soon...together with Catseye." After saying that Kelsy hung up the phone. Erick felt like his energy was drained after that call. His parents'' lives were now in danger. And the Azumi Twins were asking for Catseye as an exchange for their safety and freedom. ''D*mn! They wanted Elle''s life. They already made their moves.'' Erick was cursing himself inwardly. He didn''t anticipate this at all. He was too careless. He was not able to warn and protect his parents. His colleagues had already sensed that something was wrong after that phone call. It was very obvious. They could already tell by just watching Erick''s reactions and expressions. Chapter 248 - 248: Say Goodbye To Your Most Precious *** At Azumi''s Hideout *** A playful smile never left Kelsy''s face even after her conversation with Erick had already ended. She turned to her twin brother and said, "Bro, this Chief Detective is an interesting fellow. Do you agree with me?" Kevin just furrowed his brows. He could see the amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes. "I can see that you are enjoying this." Kevin simply replied to her as he continued what he was doing. He was tying their unconscious hostages in a chair- Erick''s mother and father. "I am wondering how he would bring Catseye to us. Do you think they are in contact with each other?" Kelsy couldn''t help but wonder. "I am also curious about how close their relationship is. I keep thinking¡­ if that Chief Detective is protecting Catseye then he is clearly betraying his team. He is assigned to this case." Kevin also felt puzzled about this. "We will know that soon. Besides, looking at the person who he is like, he is the kind who will not let his parents be in danger just because of a criminal like Catseye." Kelsy said to her brother as she shrugged. "Anyway, do you hear any updates from those people whom we sent to take his girlfriend?" Kevin asked her as he remembered the other team. Kelsy frowned after hearing that. "Nothing yet. I called them several times already but no one among them was picking up. There are four of them. Why is it they are taking this long to accomplish their mission? Their target is only one girl." There was a hint of impatience and annoyance in her voice. "I think they are really taking their time enjoying their mission. Besides, who wouldn''t be tempted to play with a lovely lady like her. You see her appearance right? Those fools are typical men who would desire someone like her." Kevin shook his head as he sneered from that thought. "I wonder what will be the reaction of this Chief Detective if ever he finds out that his girlfriend is getting laid by those men as of this moment," she commented as she looked at the picture of Elle in her hand. "If I were in his shoes then I would surely kill them and torture them to death." Kevin let out a soft chuckle as his gaze also fell on the picture which was being held by Kelsy. She giggled after seeing her brother''s expression as he looked at the picture. "Brother, are you interested in this girl too? Did you regret not accompanying those Dark Knight members in getting her?" She said as she teased her brother. "Nonsense!" Kevin promptly denied her accusation. "Do you think you can manage alone without me? That detective''s father was a former policeman," Kevin added. Kelsy let out another giggle. "Of course I can. Don''t you have confidence in me brother?" Kevin just raised his brows. "I do have. But if we are working together there is a hundred percent success. Remember, we don''t want to disappoint the Dark Lord. Even Alfonso was afraid of him." "Alright. Let''s wait for the good news from those men. They should be done already by now. They already knew where to bring that girl," she said to end the discussion. Kevin just nodded at her in agreement. After monitoring Erick for the past few days, they learned about his parents and his girlfriend. But just like what Elle had guessed, the twins missed out something about her. They didn''t look into her further. They just focused on Erick''s background and his parents. Just this morning, the Azumi Twins together with some Dark Knight members who were sent to them to give their assistance, they''d started to make their moves. They split the team into two, one would go after Erick''s parents while the other one would target his girlfriend. The twins chose to follow Erick''s parents while they gave the other task to Dark Knight members. It appeared to be that fate didn''t make those assassins to cross paths and meet today. It was not the time for their duel yet. If things went the other way then there would be a different result. Was this incident a good thing or a bad thing? As of this moment, no one knew the answer. The result was still undetermined. Everyone was unaware of what was about to come in their ways. But one thing was for sure, this would bring great changes to their lives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, at Falcon Cafe Secret Bas.e.m.e.nt, the four men who tried to kidnap Elle were already awake. Of course, Elle already restrained them. As they opened their eyes they were surprised to see each other being tied down using one rope. They were sitting on the floor, their backs facing each other. Their mouths were also covered by masking tape. When Elle noticed some movements from their direction, she turned around to face them. She was playing a game on her computer as she waited for them to wake up. She could see the confusion in their eyes as they peered around their surroundings. They didn''t know where they were as of this moment. The last time they remembered was they were inside the Cafe while trying to catch a girl. They became more shocked when they saw her. Disbelief was all over their faces. They had one question in mind. ''How come she was able to knock us down in just a split of seconds?'' As if she could read their minds Elle talked to them. "Do you think that a girlfriend of a Chief Detective is an easy target? You were mistaken about that. He trained me so well. I knew some moves. It''s for my protection and self-defense." Elle lied to them as she still tried to cover up her identity as Catseye. It looked like they bought her alibi immediately. "Oh, he also taught me how to make someone talk if I need to seek some answers," Elle said to them as she flashed her mischievous but dangerous smile. She approached them as she continued, "I have some questions. I hope you could give me some answers too." Her voice was calm but there was a hint of danger and coldness in her dark eyes. They couldn''t explain but her sharp stare could send shivers and chills to their bodies. Then Elle raised her hands showing them some items. On her right hand, there was a set of needles with different lengths while on her left hand she was holding a kitchen knife. Their eyes widened upon seeing those items. ''What is she going to do?'' "Don''t worry. If you will cooperate with me then I don''t have to use any of these. Oh, let me remind you, these needles are poisoned. Just one prick could make you paralyzed for life." She was trying to scare them. "I would tell the police that I did this for self-defense," she added. "Oh, I just remembered. You were thinking about inappropriate things just a while ago, weren''t you? Wanted to play with me huh? Now, I have the chance to play with you too." she threatened them. "If you won''t talk then either I will use this knife to cut your most precious thing under your pants or I will use these poisoned needles to prick it. What do you prefer?" Elle let out a sinister laugh after saying that. It was very effective. The four men were scared to death just imagining those things. They shook their heads as they begged her not to do it. They couldn''t talk since their lips were sealed. "Good! Now, are you ready to talk?" Elle asked them. In an instant, they bobbed their heads frantically, afraid that she would change her mind. Elle''s lips curled up into a satisfied smile as she removed the seal covering their mouths. Then she started to ask them. "Who sent you here?" "The Azumi Twins!" "Why?" "To capture you and make you a hostage to threaten the Chief Detective!" "Why?" she repeated her question. "In exchange for Catseye''s life." Elle raised her brows. She already expected these answers from them. "Who hired them to kill Catseye?" The four men paused for a moment. They were hesitating whether to tell her the truth or not. Elle squinted her eyes as she looked daggers at them. She raised her hand and showed them the needles in order to remind them about what she would do to them. "Don''t dare lie to me or else you will say goodbye to your most precious thing," Elle said firmly as she warned them. Her gaze fell on their pants, emphasizing her words. "Dark Knight!" "It''s the Dark Knight Organization!" They exclaimed almost at the same time. Chapter 249 - 249: We Can Do This Together *** XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** "Chief, what''s wrong?" Bryan asked Erick immediately. They could see the grim expression on his face. He was also a little bit shaken as of this moment. It seemed that another trouble just appeared to bother them, most especially Erick. "What is that phone call all about? That person was not your mother, right?" Bryan said as he walked towards him. He assumed that Erick was talking to another person based on his tone and the way he spoke a while ago. They wondered what happened that caused Erick to change his mood all of a sudden. Now, his team was anticipating his response. "They got my parents." Erick blurted out suddenly. His eyes clouded by rage and fear. The four of them fell silent as they exchanged glances with one another. They didn''t get what he meant by saying that. "Who got your parents?" Bryan probed as he held his right shoulder. Erick clenched his fists and gritted his teeth before he responded, "Azumi Twins!" His colleagues were utterly astounded after hearing that. They were rendered speechless. ''Does it mean Azumi Twins had kidnapped Chief Lee''s parents?! But why?'' Their eyes widened in shock and horror. They were asking themselves why the Azumi Twins were targeting members of the Joint Task Force. First, they hurt Marie and now they captured Erick''s parents. "Chief, do you have any idea why they did that? What did they want from you?" It was Bryan who voiced out their question in mind. After hearing his question, Erick remembered Elle. Without responding to Bryan''s inquiry, Erick immediately grabbed his car keys and his phone then he left the headquarters in a rush. He needed to see her as soon as possible. He wanted to make sure that nothing bad happened to her. ''What if they also tried to get her?'' Erick became more anxious. He drove his car and sped up after he left the parking lot. He headed straight at Falcon''s Cafe. It only took him fifteen minutes before he arrived at his destination. He stepped out of the car and ran towards the Cafe. The moment he entered his nervousness doubled since he didn''t see anyone inside- no customers and no staff. It was just only 4:00 in the afternoon. "Where is she?" His heart started to beat rapidly inside his chest. He ran towards the kitchen but he failed to see her. He quickly picked up his phone to dial her number. He tried calling her. Something was off, the Cafe was not locked but no one was present there. Meanwhile, Elle just succeeded in getting the answer she wanted from the four men when suddenly her phone rang. She checked who the caller was before answering it. Her expression softened when she saw Erick''s caller I.D appear on her screen. She warned them to keep silent as she answered the call. "Hel-" Elle''s word was interrupted midway as Erick''s worried voice greeted her ears immediately. "Elle! Where are you? Please tell me you are safe!" She was taken aback for a moment. But she recovered quickly as she answered, "I am at the Cafe, why?" "CAFE??! I am also here! But you are nowhere!" Elle was surprised again after hearing his words. Of course, Erick wouldn''t see her since currently, she was inside the secret bas.e.m.e.nt of the Cafe. After deliberating in her mind for a few seconds, Elle sighed helplessly. "Wait for me. I am coming." Elle said as she proceeded to the door of the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. Erick finally relaxed a little bit after talking to her. Then after a few seconds, Elle came out of the secret door in the kitchen. Erick looked at her confusedly when he saw her. He didn''t expect that there was a secret door inside. But he didn''t dwell on it as he ran towards her and engulfed her in a tight hug. Oblivious of the problem regarding his parents'' situation, Elle just returned his hug as she wrapped her arms around his body. "Hey, why are you here? It''s too early to pick me up." Elle said to him. Erick felt helpless. He was worried-sick about his parents and at the same time, there was also fury and guilt in his heart as he failed to protect them. And now, their enemies were using them to threaten him. The worst thing was they were asking him to bring Elle to them in exchange for his parents'' safety. This was another challenge for both of them. His mind was clouded by worry and fear. He didn''t know what to do. He couldn''t think of a better solution for this. This kind of feeling was driving him nuts as of this moment. On the other hand, Elle could sense that something was wrong with Erick. He was unusually very quiet. He didn''t even respond to her question. He was just squeezing her tightly in his arms as if he was afraid to let go of her. "Hubby, you can talk to me. What''s troubling you?" Elle asked him softly as she gently rubbed his back. Erick''s heart tightened inside his chest upon hearing her voice. "I am your wife. You can share with me your burdens." She was encouraging him to speak up. With those words coming from her, Erick finally gave in and told her everything. "Mom and Dad¡­ they were captured by the Azumi Twins," he said in a low voice. He couldn''t hide the gloominess and heaviness he felt as he said those words to her. A chilly glint flashed through her dark eyes upon hearing that news from him. She cursed inwardly. She also didn''t expect that those twins would go after Erick''s parents. She thought she was the only target. Now, this explained why the Azumi Twins didn''t appear in the entrance door of the Cafe. Their targets were Erick''s parents while they let those men take care of her. "Don''t worry! We will save them, hubby." Elle tried her best to console Erick. "I promise I will not let anything happen to them! Erick, I know¡­ I am the one that they want. Then, let''s comply with their demands." "But they will kill you." There was a hint of protest in his voice. Elle broke away from his hug in order to look at him in the eyes. "You don''t have to worry about me. I can protect myself. Our main priority here is to save your parents. Erick¡­ please trust me with this." she said as she gave him assurance. "We can do this together. We still have time to plan." Elle''s words were enough to calm his troubled mind. She was right. They could still plan and sort this out together. They would face this problem together as they helped each other. "Thank you, wifey. I understand." Erick was able to gather himself. Worrying too much wouldn''t help them. They should clear their minds and come up with a better plan to save them. With Elle supporting him, he knew they would be able to overcome this hurdle together. Then Elle held his arm as she intertwined their hands together. "Come¡­ I will show you something." Elle gently pulled him towards the secret bas.e.m.e.nt. Erick followed her as he let her drag him inside. He was startled to see what''s inside the hidden room inside the Cafe. He saw several sets of computers and monitors. On the corner side, he saw lockers and shelves. There were also different types of guns and firearms that were hung and displayed on the wall. Erick turned to Elle with his questioning look. She just smiled sheepishly before biting her lower lip. She nodded at him to confirm his assumption. "One of my hideouts," she whispered to him. Erick frowned and his eyes squinted in disbelief. Then he connected some dots. "Your Boss Charles is your¡­" before Erick could complete his sentence Elle bobbed her head as a response. Erick had not yet recovered from the shock of that revelation when suddenly his attention was caught by some faint sounds nearby. When he turned around he saw the four men sitting on the floor and being tied down with one another. His expression darkened right away. "Who are they?" "They were sent by the Azumi Twins to catch me too," Elle answered him truthfully. Erick became more upset after hearing that. "Why...you didn''t tell me right away?!" He couldn''t hide the unhappiness in his voice. Then he shot those men a death look with his sharp scrutinizing eyes which were fuming in rage. "Eh¡­ I was about to call you but suddenly you arrived here." Elle told him a lie to pacify him. Then she gave those four men a warning look telling them to keep their mouth shut or else she would really prick their precious thing using those poisoned needles. The four of them involuntarily pouted as they closed their mouth shut right away after seeing her dangerous look. Chapter 250 - 250: She Needs Our Help In a hospital ward, Phantom was lying on the sickbed to the room next to Brother Ling. Dr. Clara and Brother Yu were the ones who were watching over him. Dr. Clara just arrived this morning. She immediately talked to the doctor who was monitoring Phantom''s condition. Brother Yu already explained to her the situation. In order not to alarm the hospital, they never mentioned to them the bio-weapon. Besides, they had no idea what kind of bio-weapon was injected to Xu. If Master Phantom was exposed then did it mean that they might also be contaminated by that toxin? This was the question running to their minds. They were in a panic. Fortunately, Dr. Clara arrived to calm them. She told them not to panic and just advised them to have a general check-up too. After the result of their medical examination, it looked like they were not affected at all. They got a normal result. Now, they only had to worry about their Master''s condition. Dr. Clara and the attending physician were currently having a discussion regarding the test results of Phantom. "Everything seems normal except that we found something unusual in his blood. There are two strange substances present in his bloodstream which we couldn''t identify yet." The attending physician of Phantom explained to Dr. Clara. Dr. Clara''s eyebrows had drawn together into a deep frown as she repeated his words "Two substances present in his bloodstream?" The doctor nodded at her to confirm it and continued, "This is the first time I saw this kind of phenomenon. But it appears to me that the other one was already inside his system for a long time and remained inactive. However, it was triggered and awakened by the other one." "Is that a good thing or a bad thing doc?" Brother Yu butted in. He was not able to control himself from speaking even though he knew that it was disrespectful to interrupt the two doctors with their conversation. "As of this moment, I can''t tell you if this is bad or good. But based on my observation, I could only speculate one thing." The doctor told them truthfully. "What is it doc?" Dr. Clara asked him curiously. "It looks like the two substances are fighting each other. The other one has negative effects on his body while the other one was acting as antibodies which were protecting him against the bad effect of the other one." "You can try and check it Dr. Clara. I think you might come up with a better conclusion than mine as you see it by yourself." The Doctor said to her with admiration. He was very familiar with Dr. Clara. She was one of the famous and capable doctors in the country. She also had a lot of contributions in the field of medicine. She was a very passionate and dedicated doctor. After explaining everything to them, the doctor left. Only Dr. Clara and Brother Yu remained in Phantom''s ward. "Doc, I am wondering. If the doctor is right, does it mean Master Phantom has antibodies that can fight the effect of that toxin? Is he immune to that bio-weapon? But why? Did you give him or prescribed him any medicine before?" Dr. Clara paused for a moment. She was thinking hard. However she didn''t prescribe him any medicine before. One thing was bothering her. When the doctor mentioned the other substance which was already present in his systems for a very long time. ''When and where did he get that? Does it have something to do with his past?'' Dr. Clara thought to herself as she pondered. After some thought, she responded to him. "We are not sure about this yet. Don''t worry, I will run another test and check on him personally." With that, Brother Yu heaved a sigh of relief. Having Dr. Clara with them in times like this, it gave them a sense of security and assurance. Meanwhile, Phantom finally regained his consciousness as he slowly opened his eyes. He slowly grunted as he felt uncomfortable all over his body. Despite that, he forced himself to sit up. Suddenly, he felt light-headed and groggy. He rubbed his temples trying to relieve his head and ease the dizziness. He couldn''t put into words these unfamiliar feelings surging inside his body. But he still managed to sit up properly as he leaned his back for support. He frowned as he noticed the tiny medical hose which was connected to his left arm. It was an IV drip. He was about to remove the needle out of his skin when Dr. Clara stopped him. "Master Phantom!" Brother Yu exclaimed as he saw him. On the other hand, Phantom was a little bit surprised to see Dr. Clara. "Why are you here?" he asked her confusedly then he turned to brother Yu and said, "Why am I lying in a sickbed?" He tried to recall what happened to him but the last thing he remembered was the moment he and his henchmen were talking inside brother Ling''s ward. "They informed me that you got sick so I traveled here right away. I just arrived this morning." Dr. Clara answered him. "You fainted while you were sitting Master. When I came to you, your body was already burning hot." Brother Yu informed him. "How long was I out?" "Almost a day." Yu promptly said. "How do you feel, Master?" he added. "I''m fine," he replied with his weak and hoarse voice. "Don''t lie to your subordinate. It is obvious that you are not feeling well." Dr. Clara sounded unhappy. "Who would be fine after being exposed to a powerful toxin? Do you think you are superman?" she said to him with her eyebrows raised. Phantom just chuckled as he sensed the deep concern and unhappiness in her voice. Brother Yu just looked at his Master helplessly. Then suddenly Phantom''s phone rang. It was a call coming from Elle. "Master, Lady Boss is calling you. Should I answer it or not?" Phantom frowned as he asked him "Did she know what happened to me?" "No. We kept this from her in the meantime." Phantom nodded at him with a smile. "Very good. Don''t tell her. I don''t want her to worry. Give me the phone. I will answer it." Brother Yu gave him the phone. Phantom cleared his throat before he answered it. "Hello?" "Master, how are you? Are you busy?" Phantom''s expression softened after hearing Elle''s voice. "I am just fine. Don''t worry I am not busy. Do you need anything?" He tried to sound energetic so that she wouldn''t notice that he was not feeling well. "Master¡­" Elle paused for a moment. He could tell that she was hesitating. "Tell me," he urged her to speak up. He heard a heavy sigh from the other line before he heard her voice again. "I need your help!" He could hear the helplessness in her voice. "Sure. I am always here to support and give you assistance. What is it?" "The Azumi Twins were hired by the Dark Knight to kill me. They learned about my close relationship with Erick so they targeted him. Because of that, they kidnapped his parents. I need your help in rescuing them." This was the first time Elle had asked him badly for his assistance. Of course, he would be glad to help her. "Don''t worry. We will save them. Wait for me. I will go back there immediately." Phantom reassured her. "Thank you, Master. I will talk to you about our plan when you arrived here." "Alright. See you soon." Elle hung up the phone after that. When the phone call ended, Brother Yu and Dr. Clara looked at Phantom with different expressions on their faces. Worry and disbelief could be seen in Yu''s eyes while Dr. Clara was frowning because of unhappiness. "You are not in good health to do a mission right now." Dr. Clara had the urge to scold the old man in front of her. He just gave her a carefree smile. "What can I do? I am just a father who is eager to help his daughter. I know you can understand that." This time Phantom finally removed the needle of the IV drip in his arm. Then with his remaining strength, he stood up. "Yu, call Lu and Yan. You will come with me. We will go back to City Z right now. Your lady boss needs our help." With that, even Dr. Clara couldn''t make Phantom stay. Nothing could change his mind. He was always decisive and very determined with regard to problems concerning Elle. Chapter 251 - 251: Planning The next day, Kelsy and Kevin found out that the people they sent to take Chief Detective''s girl failed in their task. They didn''t know the further detail but they heard that they were caught in the act and were transferred to police custody afterward. Because of that, the Azumi twins considered them a bunch of incompetent fools. They were utterly disappointed with them. They didn''t know what the Dark Knight Organization would do to them. They might implicate the organization with this. Fortunately, The Dark Knight''s power was beyond their imagination. It even reached the authorities. They had men and helpers within. They would be the ones to handle those men who failed their organization. The Dark Knight Organization was known as a ruthless organization in the underworld. They won''t hesitate to sacrifice nor throw the lives of people or members who appeared to be useless for them. The Azumi Twins decided to forget about Erick''s girl. The important thing was they got his parents. They proceeded to their next plan. Kelsy called Erick again to inform him when and where they should do the deal. Unknown to them, Catseye was also there listening to their demands. Erick was still at home when he received the call coming from the Azumi Twins. He put the phone on speaker so that both of them could hear it. "Hello Chief Lee. Did you miss me? I think you really wait for my call right? Hmmm." Kelsy''s flirtatious voice could be heard from the other line. Elle couldn''t help but clench her fists in rage just by listening to her. ''Miss me my A*s! I have the urge to skin her alive right now. Don''t you dare flirt with my husband!'' Elle thought to herself as she was trying her best to suppress her fury. Erick cleared his throat before replying. He could sense the chilly aura emanating from his wife beside him. "Don''t beat around the bush. Just tell me what you want and what I need to do!" Erick said to her with his stern voice. Kelsy let out a soft giggle. She was really enjoying this. "So impatient, my dear. Are you excited to see me face to face? It will be my pleasure to meet you, handsome detective." Elle was in the blink of losing her cool. She was now looking daggers at the phone as she ground her teeth. "She''s clearly flirting with you. How dare she?! I want to argh...Kill her!" She mumbled to him in her low voice. Erick just looked at his wife helplessly. "Calm down wifey." Erick held her hands to pacify his wife. Because of that action, Elle was able to calm down a little bit. "Tell me the main point already for calling me today. I want to make sure that my parents are just fine." "Alright. You don''t know how to ride the fun, Chief Lee. Tsk tsk tsk. Boring!" Kelsy said to him as she clicked her tongue in disappointment. Then she continued, "As for your parents, I could guarantee their safety just make sure to bring Catseye to us in two days." "Hmmm¡­ regarding our meeting place. It will be in the middle of the sea! So romantic right for our first meeting!" Kelsy said to him enthusiastically. Erick frowned. "Middle of the sea?" "Yes¡­ meet us at M.V Athena on the coast of South Carolina. We will be waiting for you there the day after tomorrow at around 7:00 in the evening. Bring Catseye and we will let you leave together with your parents unharmed." "That''s all Chief Lee. Hope to see you there. Baboosh! Mwah!" Then Kelsy hung up the phone. Elle''s eyes darkened. "Did she just give you a goodbye kiss?" she said through her gritted teeth. Erick chose not to comment on that. He didn''t know whether to cry or laugh. Elle was acting like a jealous wife for the very first time. He could see how mad she was as of this moment. "Hey don''t look at me like that. Why do I feel like you are mad at me? I have done nothing wrong. I am faithful to you. I have no control over the way she would talk." Elle rolled her eyes. "Dummy! I am not mad at you." Erick heaved a sigh of relief. Then he pulled her into his arms as he hugged her. "Wifey¡­" "Hmm?" "This will be a dangerous mission. Please promise me one thing." "Sure. What is it?" "In order for me to focus on saving my parents, promise me that you will keep your safety first if anything goes wrong. No matter what happens you must stay alive. Understand?" Erick couldn''t hide his fear and worry about Elle''s safety. He knew that she was capable of protecting herself but he couldn''t help but feel anxious about this. Elle nodded her head. "Understood sir." "Don''t worry about me. Just put your trust in me, hubby. We will keep both of them safe," she added. There was certainty in her words. Erick squeezed her in his arms. He believed her but he couldn''t wash away the worry in his heart. "Hubby, I have two plans in mind, would you want to hear it? Plan A if your team will join us in this rescue mission and Plan B if we are the only ones doing this." Erick was a little bit surprised. Elle had already thought of a plan. "Okay. Tell me. I will listen." Elle was in the middle of explaining her two plans to him when they heard the ringing of the doorbell. Erick was the one who walked over the door to check the person outside. To his surprise, it was not only one person but there were lots of them outside. "Hello Chief, good morning!" It was Bryan who first greeted him. "Why are you all here?" he asked them in confusion. "Captain Jason?" Erick added the moment he saw him. The whole members of the Joint Task Force except Agent Marie, were there standing in front of him. Captain Jason held his shoulder as he said to him. "I heard what happened to your parents through your team. We are here to offer you a hand in rescuing them." Erick was tongue-tied at this moment. In the first place, he didn''t have any intention to involve his team with his personal problem. But now, here they were, standing at the front of his doorsteps while offering him their help. He didn''t expect this at all. But as of this moment, he felt touched and really grateful for them. They even came to him personally. Elle, who was watching them on the side, put on a gentle smile on her face. She already anticipated this to happen, that''s why she came up with a plan in her mind which involved Erick''s team. She knew that they wouldn''t stand still and do nothing knowing that Erick was in need of their help. She would be glad to work with them to save Erick''s parents. She knew that they would be a great help in this rescue mission. Erick invited his team to enter the house. They stayed there for almost a day just discussing the plan on how they would save his parents. He told them every detail except for the demand which the Azumi Twins wanted. He didn''t mention anything about Catseye. The Joint Task Force would also grab this opportunity to apprehend the Azumi Twins. Now, they became the suspects who were responsible for Agent Marie''s shooting incident. The team also learned about Marie''s amnesia. They were saddened by that news but they were glad that she already regained her consciousness. They didn''t know if Marie could still come back to work with her current condition. But, they wanted to do something for her. They wouldn''t let her sacrifice be put in vain. After several hours of brainstorming, they were able to polish their plan. Elle also joined them. She was just quietly listening to their exchange of ideas. They decided that only men would go in the frontline while the ladies would stay behind to monitor the happenings. They would also serve as the primary contact for a back-up. They acknowledged the Azumi Twins'' brilliant moves. They intentionally made the arrangement to meet in the middle of the sea to avoid having police back-up. Since they thought that Erick could do that easily if the negotiation would happen in any other place. After they settled with their strategic plan, it was time to leave. Other members of the Joint Task Force said their goodbye. They would prepare for the upcoming mission. Bryan was also about to leave when Elle approached him. "Bryan, can you stay with us for a while? I have something important to tell you." Bryan was taken aback because of Elle''s sudden request. He could also hear the seriousness in her voice. He couldn''t help but wonder. "Eh¡­ sure." Bryan said as he smiled at her sheepishly. Chapter 252 - 252: Leaving Him in Your Care With Elle''s request, Bryan decided to stay with the husband and wife for a while. Erick was busy preparing snacks for them while Bryan and Elle were sitting in the living room. Prior to this, Elle asked Erick how much he trusted Bryan. He gave her a positive answer. He told her that if he could choose among his colleagues to whom he could entrust his life with then it would be Bryan. Elle broke the silence and initiated a conversation with him. "Bryan¡­ can I ask you a favor?" Elle said to him. Of course, Bryan was dumbstruck at first. Elle suddenly asked him for a favor. "Okay. Let me hear it first. I will try if I can do it for you." Bryan said as he scratched his face. Elle couldn''t help but giggle seeing the reaction of Bryan. She could somehow sense some awkwardness coming from him. "Relax. I won''t eat you. Why are you looking so nervous?" Elle said to him while trying to lighten the atmosphere between them. Bryan smiled sheepishly at her. "You couldn''t blame me. It is seldom for you to request something. I honestly feel pressure right now. I could sense that it is really a serious matter this time." Elle''s gaze fell on the direction of the kitchen where Erick was busy doing something. A faint smile flashed on her face. "It''s about Erick. Can I entrust him with you? Will you always be there for him and be his support?" There was a gleam in her eyes as she said those words. Bryan felt relieved after hearing that. "Of course. Is that only what you want? You don''t need to ask me that. I am willing to do that even if you don''t ask me. I am his best friend, remember?" Bryan promptly replied to her as he waved his hand nonchalantly. Elle smiled at him, satisfied with his response. "Then I will be at ease knowing that someone like you is on his side." "Can you keep him safe during this rescue mission?" Elle added. This time Bryan''s expression became more serious. "I will make sure to protect him this time. I don''t want the past incident before to happen again. I failed to protect him when we were going after Black Shadow. I blamed myself for not able to do something for him. I don''t want to experience it once again." Elle was very delighted. She held his hands as she felt grateful to him. "Thank you, Bryan. I will leave Erick in your care. I believe in you." Bryan was rendered speechless. Elle was being too sentimental right now and he was not used to seeing her acting like this. They were sitting side by side while Elle was holding his hands when suddenly they heard someone clearing his throat in order to get their attention. Cough! Cough! It was Erick. He was now standing before them while holding the tray of snacks that he prepared. His eyes were fixed on Elle''s hands which were holding Bryan''s hands. Seeing the sharp eyes of Erick who were looking at them, Bryan immediately pushed Elle''s hands away. ''Why do I feel like I have done something wrong by seeing that kind of stare from him? I am innocent here!'' Bryan thought to himself. He was afraid that Erick would misunderstand that gesture. Elle, on the other hand, couldn''t help but giggle seeing Erick''s reaction. ''Is he jealous?'' "What?" Elle asked Erick upon meeting his questioning gaze. Erick frowned as he pouted. He immediately placed their food on the table and sat down in the middle of Bryan and Elle. Bryan: "..." Elle: "..." They had the same reaction as they looked at Erick with disbelief. Then it did not take long when a sudden burst of laughter could be heard in the living room. Elle was laughing and giggling non-stop in her seat. The two men exchanged glances with one another. The confusion was written all over their faces. Both of them had the same question in mind. ''Why Elle is laughing so hard?'' "Mr. Erick Lee¡­ I didn''t know¡­ you could be so petty like this. Getting jealous for nothing?" Elle mumbled in between her laugh. Erick''s frown deepened. His wife was clearly teasing and laughing at him as of this moment. Meanwhile, Bryan was tongue-tied because of the situation he was put into this time. ''Why did she have to voice it out. D*mn! I feel so awkward!'' Bryan was complaining inwardly. Erick''s eyes squinted as he continued to watch Elle. It looked like she had no plan to stop laughing. She was making him embarrassed by doing that. Leaving him with no choice, Erick suddenly pounced on her as he trapped her in his broad arms. Then a cheeky smile made its way on his lips before he brought her face closer to him as he sealed her lips with his. Bryan''s eyes widened in shock. ''F*ck! I am out here! Are they doing this to torture a single person like me?! So ruthless! So inconsiderate!'' He was cursing the couple who were currently kissing each other passionately. Bryan heaved a sigh of frustration. He just let the couple finish what they were doing as he silently picked up the bread on the table and stuff it in his mouth. When Erick was satisfied he released Elle. She was now panting and chasing her breath. She couldn''t believe it. She glared at Erick who was grinning from ear to ear right now. He didn''t hesitate to do that even though Bryan was still around. ''D*mn you, Erick! Where did your self-control go? So shameless!'' Elle couldn''t help but complain inwardly. When they turned on their left side, they saw Bryan who had an ugly expression on his face as he looked daggers at them. "Are you done or do you still want to continue? Just tell me so that I can now leave the two of you here and give you your privacy. Should I leave now?" Bryan said to them mockingly. Erick just gave him an apologetic look while Elle just shook her head helplessly at Erick, giving him a stare saying ''please behave from now on''. "Bryan, we still have something to tell you." Elle brought up the reason why she asked him to stay behind. Erick turned to look at her. "Are you sure about this?" there was a hint of worry and hesitation in his voice. Elle gave him a reassuring smile and she nodded at him as a response. Erick just sighed deeply as he let Elle do what she wanted. Bryan was looking at them confusedly. Now, he was curious. He could sense that this was a very important matter concerning Elle and Erick. Deep inside he was glad that they wanted to share it with him. This only meant that the couple trusted him a lot. Elle already made up her mind. She wanted to gamble with this and tell Bryan the truth. Besides, Erick already agreed on the proposal she told him before. "I haven''t told you the true reason why the Azumi Twins did this." It was Erick who talked first. Bryan nodded. "Yes. I am really wondering why they are targeting members of the Joint Task Force. First, it was agent Marie and now it was you. Is this just a coincidence?" Erick shook his head. "No. This is not a coincidence. There is a deeper reason for this." Erick paused for a moment and looked at Bryan intently before he continued. "They kidnapped my parents because they wanted me to bring Catseye to them." Bryan was startled after hearing that. After he recovered he burst out suddenly. "Are they fools?! Why are they targeting you just because of Catseye? I couldn''t believe it! They are very stupid! We didn''t even know where to find Catseye and now they are threatening you to bring Catseye to them! They are also lazy people! If they want to go after Catseye why don''t they do it by themselves? Now, they are just letting you do this hard work for them! So despicable!" Bryan spoke spontaneously as he was fuming in rage. Elle: "..." Erick: "..." Bryan''s blabbering mouth made the husband and wife speechless. As expected, this was a normal reaction coming from Bryan. They just looked at him helplessly. They gave him time to calm down first. When Elle made sure that he already settled his emotion, it was her turn to tell him the main point of this conversation. "Bryan¡­" she paused as she met his gaze then she continued. "I am Catseye." Chapter 253 - 253: Connecting the Dots "I am Catseye." It was the last sentence which he heard her utter to him using her solemn firm and calm voice. Bryan never expected to hear this again from her. It was just a few days ago when Elle had also mentioned this to him. ''Wait? Did I hear it wrong? Are my ears playing tricks with me?'' "Pardon? What did you just say? Can you repeat it? I think I heard it wrong." His brows furrowed as he said it. Elle took a deep breath before she spoke up again. Her eyes never left his face. "I said¡­ I am Catseye." Elle repeated her statement again. There''s no sign of humor nor playfulness in her tone, only seriousness. Bryan: "..." After hearing it twice Bryan''s expression was evidently astounded beyond belief. He didn''t know how to react as bewilderment had consumed his way of thinking. Both his eyes and mouth were wide open. He blinked several times as he watched Elle''s face. Then seconds later his gaze moved back and forth between Elle and Erick. The couple was just silently observing him and his reaction. Bryan: "!!!!!" After a moment of silence, Bryan burst into a peal of laughter. He started chuckling but he stopped midway when he noticed the seriousness in Erick and Elle''s faces. "Y-You¡­ b-both of you¡­ y-you are just kidding, right?" he stuttered as he asked them for confirmation. Both Erick and Elle shook their heads almost at the same time after hearing his question. Thud! It did not take long when they heard a loud thud. Bryan fell off his seat with his very shocked expression. He became pale and he temporarily lost the ability to speak. His spine stiffened and he froze in his spot. Erick and Elle exchanged meaningful glances with one another then they looked at Bryan worriedly. ''It looks like he is utterly shocked by this revelation.'' They thought to themselves. Erick extended his arm, offering a hand to help him stand up. However, Bryan remained still and unmoving in his spot. It seemed like he was having a hard time processing that information inside the unique brain of his. It took him a while to recover his wits. "Elle is Catseye?? Are you really Catseye?" Finally, he was able to utter some words. But the disbelief was still evident to his eyes. "Yes, I am. That is the truth." Elle promptly said to him. "Believe it or not, she is Catseye. I already confirmed it too. I discovered it just a few weeks ago." Erick also supported Elle''s statement to convince Bryan. "I am sorry for not telling you this. I am sorry for hiding this truth to our team," he added as he felt apologetic to him and his team. With that Bryan was convinced. He didn''t know what to feel as of this moment. He had conflicting thoughts about this. Bryan stood up and went back to his seat. He was still trying his best to calm his emotions. "W-Why are you suddenly telling me this?" "Because we trust you," Erick said to him. "Because we have to." Elle also replied to him. Bryan squinted his eyes as he gave the couple an accusing look. "A-Are you thinking...of asking me to help you cover up and hide this truth?" "No!" "No!" Elle and Erick answered him in unison. "Erick is planning to tell your team about the truth but this thing happened unexpectedly." Elle was referring to Erick''s parent kidnapping incident. She also defended Erick by telling this to Bryan. "So we decided to let you know about this first," she added. After hearing that, Bryan became silent once again. Then his mind began to wander back into the past. He tried to connect the past events relating to Elle as Catseye. Erick and Elle gave him time to accept the truth. They just quietly waiting for Bryan to say something. After several minutes of reminiscing, the significant memories just kept flashing on Bryan''s mind. "So when Catseye suddenly became idle and disappeared because she got injured that was the time you saved Elle. Erick, you are the one who rescued Catseye and you took her under your protection!" Bryan exclaimed from that realization. Elle and Erick just nodded at him. "D*mn!!! Now I know the reason why you did ask me before who is more beautiful between you and Selena? That was the day when I called you ugly! You took my words seriously and you bore a grudge against me!" Bryan''s eyes widened in horror as he remembered the scene between him and Elle when Erick caught them as if they were about to kiss. Elle bit her lower lip when she remembered it. Erick let out a soft chuckle. "Wait! Did you attack Selena that day because you are jealous when you learned that Selena and Erick had lunch together?" Bryan said while accusing Elle. Erick turned to look at Elle upon hearing that. "Did you really get jealous at that time?" Erick asked her expectantly. "No way!" Elle blatantly denied their accusations. The two men just raised their brows. They didn''t believe her. Elle shot them a sharp glare. "Oh, there''s one more thing. That one night when you suddenly disappeared and Erick searched for you all over the city because he was overly worried about you¡­ that was also the same night Catseye''s hideout exploded. You did it yourself, right?" Elle:"..." ''D*mn! I didn''t know that Bryan has a very sharp memory. I think I underestimated him.'' Elle thought to herself as she stared at Bryan amusingly. Bryan continued talking as he stated the past events one after another. "That night when Chief Lee got injured! You left the hospital to seek revenge against Reaper!! You killed him after knowing that he was the one who hurt Erick! Oh, I also remembered when you came back your arm was bleeding. Your wound was the result of your fight against Reaper! Oh my Gosh! So Dr. Gomez was right. You killed Repear as an act of revenge on behalf of Erick!" "Lastly, when we talked at Falcon Cafe about Erick''s decision of leaving Catseye''s case, you were not lying to me the moment you told me that Erick did that because you were Catseye! Sh!t! I was so stupid thinking that you were just joking at that time." Both Erick and Elle wanted to commend Bryan for finally connecting all the dots. But, did he really have to say those things one after another? Well, that was expected of him once his blabbering mouth was activated. "I guess you remember everything so well," Elle commented. Erick patted Bryan''s shoulder. "Good job, Buddy!" "So you are also the one who was giving us anonymous tips in the past! D*mn! Catseye was with us all along!" Then suddenly Bryan felt the chill all over his body from that thought. "You could easily kill us anytime without us knowing!" Bryan exclaimed in horror. Elle rolled her eyes skyward. "But I didn''t! You are still here, breathing. Alive and kicking!" Elle retorted. Then Bryan turned to Erick as if he didn''t hear what Elle had just said to him. He held both Erick''s shoulders. "Erick, my good friend! You are our savior! Thank you for making the devil fall for you. Because if you didn''t then we might end up being corpses already a long time ago!" Erick: "..." Elle''s ears heated up after hearing Bryan''s remarks. Without noticing the threatening gaze coming from Elle, Bryan continued his ranting. "I knew it. My sixth sense was right. The first time I saw her, there was something off with her. I could feel the frightening aura emanating from her. Just one look at her I couldn''t help but shiver in fear. I thought it was only my wild imagination but the truth was she was really a dangerous person. I am always scared of her." With Bryan''s confession, Elle didn''t know whether to laugh or get mad. But one thing was for sure, at this moment she had the urge to hit Bryan and make his blabbering mouth shut. Then Elle nudged Erick''s shoulder to get his attention. She gave him a pitiful look as if she was asking him to defend her. Bryan was clearly talking bad about her right now. Erick cleared his throat as he gave Bryan a warning look. Upon meeting Erick''s gaze, Bryan understood what he was trying to say. At last, Bryan stopped talking as he simply stole a glance at Elle who already looked unhappy. Chapter 254 - 254: Hoping For A New Start Bryan was obviously having a hard time dealing with this shocking revelation. But he had no choice but to accept the truth and put the other matters in the back of his mind in the meantime. Their main concern right now was the safety of Erick''s parents. After telling Bryan the truth about Elle''s identity as Catseye, the three of them discussed further the details of Elle''s plan for their rescue mission in saving Erick''s parents. "So are you telling me that you will come with us during this mission? Our team might be shocked once they see Casteye there with us! Are you serious?" Bryan asked Elle inquisitively. "No. I won''t literally come with you. I''ll go there with my team separately." Elle said as she corrected Bryan''s thoughts. "Eh¡­ you also have your own team? I thought you were just working alone! Oh, I remember you have one accomplice right. Who is he?" Bryan was able to adjust and the fear he felt toward Catseye a while ago slowly dissipated. Now, he was asking her casually. Upon hearing his question, Elle paused for a moment. She remembered how Bryan and Charles got along really well and they became close buddies. She didn''t know how Bryan would react once he learned that Charles was her accomplice so she decided to hide the truth from him. Besides, Bryan just recovered from a shocking revelation. She didn''t want to give him another one. She also asked for a favor from Erick. She didn''t want to implicate Charles with her crimes. She hoped that he would start a new life. After much thought, Elle responded to Bryan. "You don''t have to know him. Don''t ask too many questions. There are things that are better to be left unsaid. If you don''t know much then It is also for your safety." Elle threatened him so that he wouldn''t ask too many questions about her team. Her strategy was effective. Even though Bryan was very eager and curious to know everything but still, he controlled himself from asking her, afraid that something bad would happen if he learned a lot of things about Catseye. "So what''s the plan?" Bryan asked. "My team will serve as your back-up in shadow. So don''t worry too much. We have your backs. You just need to focus on securing Erick''s parents'' safety." Elle reassured them. "I am still worried about you. Can''t you just let my team and your team do this? Can you just stay with Rose and April? You don''t have to come with us. We can handle this." Erick couldn''t help but voice out his protest. Elle heaved a deep sigh. "Erick, we already talked about this. We will do this together. Trust me! I can protect myself. Besides, I really want to do this. Mom and Dad are also very important to me." "I agree with her. Catseye is very capable. I feel secure and confident knowing that she is on our side. Hehe," Bryan also supported Elle. "See¡­ even Bryan is acknowledging my skills. Why can''t you do that too?" Erick just heaved a sigh of defeat. "Alright. I won''t further argue with you regarding this. Just fulfill your promise to me!" Elle smiled tenderly as she nodded at him. "For now, don''t tell your team regarding this. I will communicate with the two of you during this mission." Then Elle picked up two small communication devices in her pocket and gave it to them. "Here¡­ we will talk with each other through this." The two men just nodded as they received the devices from her. Then Bryan raised his hand to have another inquiry. "One last question¡­ The Azumi Twins are expecting Erick to bring Catseye along with him. They might hurt Uncle Raymond and Aunt Sarah if they will not see Catseye with him. You still need to appear in front of them, right?" When they heard that Erick and Elle met each other''s gaze. Then they turned to look at Bryan meaningfully. "Hey¡­ why are you looking at me like that?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After spending several hours discussing their strategy and plan, Bryan finally left the husband and wife alone in their home. Tomorrow would be their final preparation together with the other members of the Joint Task Force. They had just finished having dinner. Erick took a shower first while Elle took the chance to contact Master Phantom. She learned that he just arrived at City Z together with his three henchmen. She told him over the phone about the overview of her plan. She would meet them tomorrow for the preparation and final briefing. They only had one day left before their upcoming encounter with the Azumi Twins. They assumed that there were also Dark Knight members who would come to help and assist the twins so they needed to be more careful this time. There should be no room for mistake and miscalculation or else someone''s life from their side would be put in danger. They couldn''t afford to lose another comrade or friend. This was also the right time to launch a counterattack and avenge their comrade- for Agent Marie and for Brother Xu. Elle wouldn''t also be generous this time. Besides, Erick''s parents also became her bottom line. She won''t hesitate to unleash her demon and make them experience her wrath. This would be the price they should pay for going against her and for touching her bottom line. Elle just finished talking with Phantom when Charles popped up in her mind. She decided to call him. The call had just gone through when Charle''s excited voice was heard. "Elle! How are you? I thought you have already forgotten me. I am glad that you call me now!" Elle couldn''t stop herself from smiling. She had to admit that she really missed Charles''s presence as well as his blabbering mouth. "You''re overthinking. Do you think I am still a heartless partner who will just forget about her partner after going through a lot of life and death situations for so many years?" Elle could hear his soft chuckles from the other line. "Of course not. I am just being overdramatic here. I am just missing you a lot. Can I come back already?" "Dummy! It was just only a few days ago when you had left City Z. How is your health?" Elle asked him with concern. "I am recovering well. Three days from now I can remove the cast in my legs and right arm," Charles replied cheerfully. "I am glad to hear that. How''s Uncle Antoine?" "He is doing good too. He keeps on telling me the stories about their previous missions of Master Phantom. He is also starting to train me. He taught me some tips and strategies about accomplishing different types of missions. I will be able to apply those when we start working together again!" Charles was very enthusiastic while talking to Elle about those things. Elle let out a soft chuckle. "Alright. That''s great. Behave and recuperate first. After your training, come back here. I am looking forward to a new Charles." "I will. Wait for me. I will not disappoint you!" Charles said to her confidently. "By the way, what happened to our Master''s mission?" Elle felt sad after remembering the bad news. "Something bad happened. We lost one comrade- Brother Xu. But don''t worry Master Phantom and the rest are just fine. We will not let his sacrifice be in vain. Master will make sure to punish the people responsible for his death." "F*ck those people. I have to recover fast and assist you and Master with avenging our brother''s death. Then we will punish those bastards who killed your family!" Charles said through his gritted teeth. A light flashed into Elle''s eyes. She wanted to finish her last mission once and for all. She was looking forward to a new life for her and for Charles together with the important people in their lives. Hoping for a new start. "Charles¡­" "Hmmm, yes, Elle?" "Take good care of yourself always!" "I will. You too!" "Charles?" she called him again by his name. Charles couldn''t help but chuckle. He loved to hear her voice calling his name. "Hmm?" "From now on, let''s try our best to live happily with no regrets." Charles was taken aback after hearing that. But he didn''t dwell much on it as he replied to her. "Yes! We must do that! We deserve to be happy!" Chapter 255 - 255: You Talk a Lot Tonight When her conversation with Charles ended Elle went inside her room to take a quick shower. After she freshened up, she checked Erick in his room but she didn''t see him inside. She searched him all over the house only to find him sitting outside the balcony. He looked like he was in deep thought. He couldn''t stop himself from worrying about his parents. Elle slowly approached him. She wanted to ease his troubles and cheer him up but she didn''t know how to. She could understand his feelings. She knew this situation was very hard for him knowing that the people important to him were in danger. Elle sat down beside him. When he felt her presence that''s the time Erick snapped out of his train thoughts. "Oh, you are here," Erick mumbled as he gave her a gentle smile. Elle returned his smile and immediately leaned on his right side as she placed her head on his shoulder. She grabbed his right arm and intertwined her fingers into his. That simple gesture coming from her was able to calm his troubled mind and it gave warmth in his heart. Having her beside him like this gave him strength and courage. "Hubby¡­ Mom and Dad will be alright. They have a very skilled son who is a famous and very intelligent detective in the country." Elle softly said to him. Erick couldn''t help letting out soft chuckles because of her remarks. "And they also have a very capable and talented daughter-in-law who is infamous and feared by everyone in the underground world," Elle added. "Together, we will save them both!" Elle said with so much conviction and certainty in her voice. "I know. I believe in our combined powers." Erick chuckled after saying that. "As long as we are together we can even conquer the world," Erick added as he bent down to plant a soft kiss on Elle''s forehead. "I don''t want to conquer the world. It is you who I want to conquer." Elle mumbled as she gazed up to look at him with her eyes filled with love and affection. A gleam of joy sparkled on Erick''s eyes upon hearing that. His heartbeat quickened inside his chest. He couldn''t stop smiling as a red flush creeping across his handsome face. Erick was blushing! "Want to conquer me? Mrs. Lee, let me tell you. You don''t have to do that. I already surrendered to you a long time ago- all of me¡­ my heart, my body, and my soul." Her soft giggle bubbled up after hearing that. It seemed like they both improved their sweet-talking skills. "Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" Elle suddenly asked him when she noticed Erick''s penetrating gaze. "I am just amazed by you, wifey. Looking back, at first, you were very cold and aloof. I considered you as a woman of a few words but now it seemed like your EQ had improved a lot. You have a gentle and sweet side too in contrast to Catseye''s qualities that we know." "Hmm, I think you became a great influence. You taught me how to open up. Your kind-hearted nature was able to warm my cold heart." Elle said as she squeezed his arm. "After saving Mom and Dad, we will need to be separated again. I will surely miss you a lot. Do we really have to do this? How can I have the heart to catch and punish my own wife?" Erick asked her. There was a hint of uncertainty and worry in his voice. "Yes, we have to. This is the right thing to do," Elle promptly replied. "Our situation might be very complicated as of this moment, but things will get better in the future. Just have faith in our love for each other," she said to him meaningfully. Then Elle extended her free hand as she pointed her finger at the night sky. The moon was shining bright and the sky was full of stars tonight. Elle and Erick gazed up. "In my darkest moment, I tried to let go of my burdens by killing myself but I was wrong. If I have one thing I learned in my life that is the phrase ''never give up''. Focus on the light coming from the stars and the moon instead of thinking how dark the night is. If I gave up my life before then I would have never met you today." Then Elle cupped his face as she continued. "Erick¡­.you became the light in my dark world. I lost my way and ended up in this sinful path but upon stumbling with you, I found my way back to the right track. Through this, I can redeem myself and start a new life with you. So do what you have to do as a man of justice. Don''t you ever hesitate to do the right thing just because of me." "I understand." Erick simply replied. He had conflicting thoughts about this but after hearing Elle''s words he was able to clear his mind. Erick took a heavy sigh. "Mrs. Lee, are you lecturing your husband with your philosophy in life? Surprisingly... You talk a lot tonight." Erick''s mood became better as he started to tease his wife. Then he pulled her against his body as he engulfed her into a warm embrace. Elle hugged him back as she buried herself deeper into his chest and nuzzled her nose into his neck. They stayed like that for several minutes, feeling each other''s warmth. "If you miss me, just look at the sky. Always think that we are living under the same sky. Although we will be separated from one another eventually we will still meet each other." "Yes, wifey. Hmmm, we still have Saturday and Sunday, remember?" The husband and wife burst into a peal of laughter as they remembered their time-freeze schedule. After a while, Elle brought up the topic about their upcoming Rescue Mission. "Oh¡­ regarding the rescue mission. We will become busy tomorrow for our preparation. I won''t be coming home. We will see each other at M.V Athena. Let''s keep our communication open. I will let you know if everything on our part is all set." "Okay. Just be careful. Bryan and I will also handle things on our side. I will give the team a final briefing tomorrow." "Hubby?" "Hmm?" "Do you think Bryan can pull it off?" Elle asked him, a little bit doubtful. Erick let out a soft chuckle seeing the worry in her eyes. He couldn''t help but pinch her cute nose. "You were the one who gave him that role. Why are you suddenly doubting him?" Elle pouted at him. "Don''t pinch my nose!" she complained. "Alright! Then let me just kiss you." With that, Erick bent down to kiss her nose. He also gave her a peck on her lips. "Satisfied now?" Elle just bobbed her head and smiled at him as a response. After that, she answered him. "I also believe in him. It''s just that I am worried about his blabbering mouth. I just wish he will just keep quiet and stay silent during the entire duration of the mission." Elle couldn''t help but frown from the thought. Erick let out another chuckle. "Don''t worry. I will guide him. Besides, you are also there backing us. I know he will follow your instructions very well. He is scared of you, remember?" Elle shook her head helplessly as she remembered Bryan''s reaction after knowing the truth that she was Catseye. "He was badmouthing me just a while ago. Is he really afraid of me? He talked non-stop and he even called me Devil! He was thinking that I would hurt and kill all of you if I just wanted to. Does my reputation really that bad?" Elle lamented. Erick scratched the back of his head as he watched his wife. " Ahem...Do you want an honest answer to that question?" Elle hit him on his chest and shot him a sharp glare. "Hmmph! Forget it! I already know the answer!" Erick couldn''t help but laugh out loud. Elle was still cute even though she looked annoyed. "Don''t be upset. Just don''t mind him. You couldn''t blame him. You have the reputation of the devilish assassin after all. However, in my eyes¡­ you are Elle, my sweet, beautiful, and loving wife¡­ my one and only Mrs. Lee. That''s what truly matters, don''t you agree?" With that, Erick succeeded in appeasing his upset wife. Chapter 256 - 256: Someone Was Looking For You The next whole day was spent in the preparation of the Joint Task Force and Catseye''s Team. Elle and Erick were both separated from each other in the meantime. As they had agreed, they would just see each other tomorrow evening at the meeting place which was set by the Azumi Twins. Elle''s team would infiltrate the M.V Athena first. Once Erick received her go signal then Erick''s team would also take their moves according to their plan. Since the negotiation would happen in a ship and in the middle of the sea, it was expected that they would need diving gears for them to conceal the other members'' presence. Fortunately, the mission would happen during night time. This was a secret mission of the Joint Task Force. Their Unit Chief and superiors had no idea about this. The Azumi Twins had warned Erick not to bring back-up nor inform the police authorities about this negotiation. However, if things would become risky and something would go wrong, Erick''s team would contact Rose and April for help. They would be the ones who would call the police back-up. Elle had also warned Erick to be wary and be. more careful in disclosing information about this mission to others aside from the Joint Task Force. She believed that the Dark Knight Organization had eyes and ears everywhere even in police departments. They couldn''t afford to have an information leakage that might jeopardize their safety in this rescue operation. At least, with no more outsiders involved then they would be at ease that there would be no traitor in the team. Meanwhile, Elle also went to her hideout. Phantom and others were already there, waiting for her arrival. When she arrived, she saw them sitting in her living room while checking and assembling their sniper rifles. Placed in the middle of the living room table was the skeletal map and blueprint of the M.V Athena. This big cruise ship was owned by the Dark Knight Organization. They were too extravagant, allowing the twins to use this ship. The moment Lu saw their Lady Boss, he stopped what he was doing and stood up immediately to greet her with his bright and cheerful smile. "Lady Boss!" Lu''s enthusiastic voice reverberated in the entire living room, catching the attention of others. There were only three henchmen who accompanied Phantom in returning to City Z. It was brother Yu, Yan, and Lu. Elle nodded as she returned their greetings. Her eyes roamed around the living room searching for Phantom. "Where''s Master Phantom?" she asked them when she didn''t see him. The three men exchanged meaningful glances before they responded to her. "Lady Boss! Master is not-" Lu was about to say something regarding Phantom''s condition when he stopped midway as Brother Yan stepped on his foot. "Ouch!" Lu was not able to complete his sentence. When he looked up, he met the warning gaze of brother Yu and brother Yan. He had no choice but to keep quiet. He was so excited and happy to see their Lady Boss that he forgot what Master Phantom had ordered them. ''You must not tell her about what happened to me in the hospital.'' Elle couldn''t help but sense that something was off with the actions of the three men in front of her. ''Are they hiding something from me?'' She started to have a doubt. "Lady Boss, Master Phantom is resting at one of your guest rooms. He is waiting for you." It was Brother Yu who answered her question. Elle just nodded at him before she went to meet Phantom. She knocked on the door twice before she made her presence known to Phantom. "Master, it''s me, Elle. Can I enter?" she said as she asked permission to him. "Come in." Phantom''s hoarse voice was heard from the inside. With his go signal, Elle entered the room. Then Phantom''s pale face greeted her sight. He was sitting on a chair near the bed. Elle couldn''t help but frown upon seeing his appearance. "Master, are you okay? You don''t look well." There was a hint of worry and concern in her soft voice. Phantom''s lips twitch into a gentle smile before he replied. "I am fine. I am just tired because of our long travel," he lied. "Come.. and sit." Phantom offered her the available wooden chair beside him. Elle complied as she walked over and sat down. "All our weapons are already prepared. Is there anything you want to request?" Phantom asked her immediately. Elle saw all the weapons in the living room, even the equipment and gear that they would use to infiltrate the ship without alarming their enemies. "Yes, Master. There is something missing. Code B. I think we will be needing it. Lots of Code B." There was a chilly glint in her eyes after saying that. Phantom was taken aback for a moment. Then after a few seconds, he let out soft chuckles. "You are not planning to spare them this time, are you?" he said with amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. Elle didn''t answer him but she just flashed her signature evil smile. "I just want to let them know that this is their biggest mistake¡­ going against me and trying to hurt the people who are dear to me." "Tsk Tsk Tsk¡­ they didn''t learn their lesson." Phantom clicked his tongue. He knew for sure that these people would have a taste of the devil''s viciousness. "So I guess Erick and the Task Force are also preparing now," he added. "Yes, Master." she simply replied. "The Dark Knight Organization was your former client. Now, they have the guts to hire someone just to kill you. After using you in eliminating their strong competitor, now they are trying to hunt you." Phantom''s eyes were filled with mockery because of that thought. "They wanted to bury the truth that they are the mastermind behind Jorge''s Assassination. But they are now too late. James Arison already learned their involvement. He starts making his move. He will avenge his father''s death no matter what." Elle could somehow empathize with James. They both had similar situations: Seeking revenge for their parents'' death. Phantom could guess what Elle was thinking as of this moment. "I am glad that you are able to handle the leader of the Skull Gang. It seemed like you really established a strong connection with James Arison. I didn''t expect that both of you would end up being friends." There was a gleam in his eyes while saying those words. Phantom was just observing in shadow but he knew what was happening on Elle''s end. Even he could tell that James Arison had feelings for Elle. On the other hand, Elle put on a faint smile as she remembered her last conversation with James. She was glad that things between them ended up having a positive outcome. After interacting with James for the past few months, she discovered that he was not that bad. She already felt content knowing that they didn''t need to treat each other as enemies. "Master, just in case we get into trouble and badly need some support we can contact James. He is willing to offer us some help especially if it is related to the Dark Knight Organization." "Hmmm. Alright! I will keep that in mind." Phantom paused for a moment then he decided to tell Elle what Antoine had discovered before regarding the relationship between Erick''s father and her father. "Elle¡­ do you remember? Before I left to rescue my men, I told you that I have something to tell you when I come back." "Yes Master, I do remember. What is it? You can tell me now." Elle was anticipating Phantom''s response. "Just a few months ago, Antoine contacted me because he learned that someone was investigating my track in the past and that person was looking for you." Elle was startled upon hearing that. "Looking for me?" she looked at him confusedly. Phantom nodded to confirm it before elaborating further details. "It is related to the case of your family''s death and your disappearance sixteen years ago. That person found out that you are still alive. Therefore he never stops looking and searching for you." As he told her the information, Phantom was carefully assessing Elle''s reaction. Aside from her shock expression, there was also a hint of puzzlement evident to her face. Then her eyes darkened as she remembered again her ugly past. "Who is that person? Is he one of those people who killed my family?" She said with her stern cold voice. She couldn''t hide the sorrow and fury that she felt as of this moment. "That person is Raymond Lee. Erick''s father." Chapter 257 - 257: Your Fathers Best Friend "That person is Raymond Lee. Erick''s father." The Shock and Confusion clouded Elle''s eyes the moment she heard that statement from Phantom. "R-Raymond Lee?" A deep frown appeared on her face as she continued, "Why does Erick''s Father is searching for me? What is his connection in my past?" Elle couldn''t help but feel anxious about this. She was having wild imaginations in her mind right now. ''Does Erick''s father have something to do with the attack that day? Is he also responsible for my family''s tragedy?'' These were the questions running in her mind. As if Phantom could read her worry by just seeing her expression, he decided to correct her wrong thoughts. After letting out a soft chuckle, he said to her. "Relax. Don''t misunderstand nor overthink. You don''t need to feel nervous and anxious about the things I am about to say." Elle just looked at him confusedly as she remained silent. She was waiting for Phantom to further explain to her what he had discovered. Phantom held her shoulders before he continued talking to her. "Erick''s father was one of the investigators assigned to your family''s massacre case sixteen years ago. They didn''t find any clue regarding the motive nor the mastermind." Phantom paused as he was assessing Elle''s reaction. She just nodded at him as she signaled him to continue. "As we all know, the case remained unresolved and the authorities just stopped looking further into this case. They even declared that you were already dead." "Yes, Master. I saw that in the case report you handed over to me before. But I didn''t know that Erick''s father was one of those investigators." Phantom rubbed his chin as he mulled over it. "Oh, I forgot to include the list of officers who were involved in the investigation. I focused on gathering the result of their investigation including the victims'' medical and autopsy reports." Elle just looked at her Master helplessly. "Anyway, that''s not the main point. What I want you to know is that Erick''s father never stops investigating this case and he continued searching for you. He believes that you are still alive. And just a few months ago he confirmed it after talking to some witnesses who had seen you before." Elle was rendered speechless. She had mixed emotions regarding this. What''s a great coincidence? Erick''s father was one of those officers who worked for her family''s case. "How do you feel about this?" Phantom asked her expectantly. Elle gazed up only to see Phantom smiling at her. "Honestly Master. I am not sure if I am happy or not. You know me. After all these years I lost my confidence and trust with the authorities. I even blamed them before for their incapability of not being able to solve this case nor catch the culprits." she replied truthfully. "That''s one of the reasons why I didn''t rely on the police authorities and I decided to put justice in my hands by hunting those bastards one after another in order to seek revenge. I end up being an assassin because of those heartless bastards. I always thought that people like them don''t deserve to live." Phantom fell silent. He could understand her feelings, besides he also experienced it before. And they had the same thought about this. However, he didn''t regret choosing this path for the sake of avenging his family''s death. His only regret was killing those people without knowing the real reason why his wife and his son had to die in their hands. He didn''t get the answer that he needed. Until now, he was still wondering why his wife and innocent child died tragically. His only consolation was he already bestowed the punishments that they deserved for those culprits who committed the crime. "But Master, I can''t understand why Erick''s father is doing this. He is already a retired policeman. What is the purpose of searching for me?" Elle''s voice pulled him back from those thoughts. Then Phantom looked at her with a faint smile on his face. "Maybe because he truly cares about your family and he is also concerned about you. Elle¡­ he is a very close friend of your father." Elle didn''t expect to hear that. She was utterly shocked and surprised as of this moment. "My father''s close friend??" Elle blurted out absentmindedly. Disbelief was written all over her face. "Yes, dear. He is your father''s best friend. I asked Antoine to investigate him. I want to make sure if he is a foe or not. And this is what he found out." Phantom explained to her. Suddenly, memories in the past crossed her mind. "Uncle Ray! He is Uncle Ray!" The complicated feelings that she had a while ago were all gone now. It was replaced by nostalgia and euphoria as she reminisced a portion of her memory in the past. Her father always mentioned Raymond as well as his son to her and her mother. Then realization crossed her features and along with it was a flash of happiness. Erick''s handsome face suddenly popped up in her mind. But this time it was not his appearance as an a.d.u.l.t but it was his younger version. It did not take long when a sudden burst of feminine laughter reverberated inside the room. Phantom just looked puzzled as he watched the girl before him, started laughing. "Care to share with me the funny things so that I can join you?" Phantom softly said to her with amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. Elle tried her best to suppress her laugh. She cleared her throat before responding to Phantom. "Sorry about that Master. I just remembered something. It was about Erick. I can''t believe that this is actually happening." "What about him?" He asked her confusedly. Elle bit her lower lip. She was debating to herself whether she would tell him or not. It was quite embarrassing on her part. On the other hand, Phantom was waiting for her to speak. He could see the gleam of joy and humor in her eyes. His interest was piqued further because of her reactions. After contemplating for a moment, Elle decided to share it with Phantom. "Just promise me that you won''t laugh at me, Master," Elle demanded from him. He just bobbed his head as agreement to her request. Elle took a deep breath before she told him the funny thing she remembered. "Master, when I was just ten years old I already saw Erick." "Really? You already met each other?" Elle shook her head. "No, Master. I only saw him in a picture which was sent to my father by Uncle Raymond." "Oh¡­ that''s how you meet him." "Hmm. So¡­ why is it you suddenly laughed a while ago. What is the funny thing about that?" Elle paused again for a moment. Then she started to talk spontaneously while defending herself. "Eh¡­ Master¡­ you know I was just a kid at that time and had not matured yet. I thought of random things and I also believed in handsome prince charming and fairytale stories." Phantom was just nodding his head while actively listening to her, indicating that he understood what she meant. "The moment I first saw his picture, I was mesmerized by his beauty. So with my innocent mind, I told my Dad that I would marry that boy in the picture." Phantom was dumbstruck upon hearing that. Elle couldn''t help but blush from embarrassment. She looked down as she couldn''t look straight into his eyes. After a moment of silence, it was Phantom''s turn to burst into a peal of laughter. He was not just laughing because of her statement but he found it very funny seeing how fl.u.s.tered and embarrassed Elle was. This was the first time he saw her blushing like a teenager. Now, he understood why she was reluctant at first to tell him. When he looked back at her, he saw her pouting and frowning. "Master! You''ve promised me that you won''t laugh at me!" Elle complained to him with her accusing tone. Phantom immediately stopped laughing and feigned innocence as he cleared his throat. "Ahem? Who''s laughing?" He turned to his left and right side. "See... No one is laughing." Phantom said nonchalantly as if he didn''t laugh just a while ago. Elle just shook her head in disbelief and heaved a sigh helplessly. ''Master Phantom is also shameless!'' "Ahem¡­ congratulations! You fulfilled what you had said sixteen years ago! You successfully married that boy in the picture!" Phantom said as he teased her. With that statement, Elle''s cheeks became redder as she felt a little bit embarrassed by his teasing. Chapter 258 - 258: The Day of Negotiation The day passed by too quickly. Now was the day Catseye and the Azumi Twins would have to confront each other. After her discovery yesterday, Elle became more determined to save Erick''s parents. She found out that her Dad and his Dad had a strong connection with each other. She was overjoyed by that revelation. After this mission, she decided to tell Erick about everything. His parents knew her parents as well. It was also the time to tell Raymond and Sarah about her identity as the missing daughter of Agent Cedrick Falcon. But as of now, she didn''t mention anything to Erick. She wanted to finish this mission first. This was not the appropriate time yet to tell him what she had discovered relating to their past connection with each other. Their next moves were already set in stone. On Elle''s team, she had Phantom, Lu, Yu, and Yan while on Erick''s side, he had Bryan, Captain Jason, June, Carl, and Allen. An hour before the agreed meet-up time, Elle''s team already succeeded in infiltrating the M.V Athena. The ship was currently docked in the middle of South Carolina''s coast. Erick''s team would also have to travel by boat to go there. M.V Athena was a mini version of a mainstream vessel that could accommodate 300-500 passengers per sailing. It had four level decks. Inside the cruise ship, there were pools, casinos, spas, restaurants, private rooms, and cabins, as well as a wide area for banquets. The inside looked like a hotel hall. Once you were inside you wouldn''t think that you are inside a ship and sailing in the middle of the sea. Just as expected, the ship was full of members of the Dark Knight Organization who were equipped with high powered firearms. There were approximately one hundred men inside. It seemed that the Azumi Twins and the Dark Knight Organization were being cautious upon meeting Catseye. Phantom and his henchmen posed themselves as crews from the ship''s galley which served as the kitchen and where the foods were being prepared. They grabbed the remaining time to roam around the ship and familiarize every part of it. Meanwhile, Elle was the one who searched for the location of Erick''s parents. After twenty minutes of surveying the ship, she found them in the middle decks along with the Azumi Twins. It was the main hall and banquet area inside the ship. Raymond and Sarah were being tied on the chairs. Several guards were also scattered in the area. Elle was wearing a crew''s uniform that''s why they didn''t suspect her. She immediately informed Erick of the location where his team should go upon boarding the ship. Aside from Bryan and Erick, the rest of the team should also sneak inside without alarming the enemies. Brother Lu was the one who was assigned to help them enter the ship without hassle. Currently, Kevin and Kelsy were leisurely drinking at the bar counter on the corner. Kelsy couldn''t help but check the time in the clock hanging on the wall. She seemed bored already. Quarter to Seven, Erick''s team successfully entered the ship. Lu gave them the instruction to proceed to the middle deck where Erick''s parents were being held captive. They didn''t expect that Erick was telling the truth when he told them that there was someone inside the ship who would help them. Lu was wearing a crew''s uniform also. He also wore a mask when he faced the members of the Joint Task Force. After talking with them, they went separate ways. The members of the Joint Task Force also split up into two teams: Captain Jason and Allen were together while June and Carl formed the other team. At exactly 7:00 o''clock in the evening, someone approached them. He informed the twins that Erick had arrived. "There is one ferry boat that just arrived. It docked on the rear side of our ship. When our men asked them to identify themselves, they told us that he was Chief Detective Erick Lee." "He was also with someone," The man added. Kelsy''s face brightened up with excitement upon hearing that. She immediately stood up from her seat. "That''s great! They are finally here. Tell our men to guide them and bring them here!" she said cheerfully as she gave him the order. The man picked up his handheld radio and relayed the order to their men on the lower deck who were currently facing Erick and his company. Meanwhile, Elle also informed her team to get ready. The show was about to start. "Master, it is time to move." Elle simply said through their communication device. It was her go signal. "Got it!" Phantom replied to her. On the other hand, Captain Jason and the rest were already inside the middle deck, silently waiting in their hiding spots. They were also contacting each other through their communication devices. Carl and June were both hiding on the spot near the location where Erick''s parents were tied down. "Chief Lee assigned to us this very important task. We should secure Uncle Raymond and Aunt Sarah no matter what!" June reminded Carl. "I know. We should act quickly. I think Chief Lee and Bryan already arrived." Carl responded in a low voice. They averted their gaze back to the hall. They were holding their guns while observing the situation. They noticed that lots of men started to gather around the area. "D*mn! Are we going to be fine? There are lots of them. We are outnumbered this time!" June voiced out his concern. Carl also became anxious. He started to have cold sweats. "Don''t worry about that. Chief Lee assured us that everything will be alright. Let''s just focus on what we have to do." Carl said to him. June took a heavy sigh before nodding at him. Several minutes had passed and some men entered the hall. It was Erick who was escorted by ten men. "Oh, Chief Lee is here!" June blurted out. Carl frowned when he looked at the direction of Erick. "Wait¡­ why is it he is alone? Where''s Sergeant Bryan? I thought they would come together." he couldn''t help but wonder. June also felt puzzled. "Yeah. That''s our plan. But where is he?" They peered the area but they didn''t see Bryan among those people. ''Is there a sudden change in our plan that we are not informed?" Carl commented again. After a few seconds, they noticed another presence alongside Erick. "Hey, Carl! Who''s that person beside Chief Erick?" The two men focused their eyes on the figure who was beside Erick. That person was wearing all black matching with a hood and black mask. They were both confused and curious at the same time about that person. "I have no idea! But I can''t understand. Why do I feel like I saw that similar get-up before? It has a familiar vibe to me but I couldn''t remember." Carl was thinking hard to remember where he had seen it before. They were still wondering when suddenly they heard Kelsy''s voice greeting the newcomers. "Oh My Gosh! It''s my pleasure to finally meet face to face the famous handsome and youngest chief detective of this country, Erick Lee!" There was a hint of admiration in her eyes as she said those words. Kevin also stood up from his seat as he walked over to Kelsy''s side. The men inside were looking at the newcomers, the person in black in particular. They became more alert after seeing that person. On the other hand, Erick remained silent as he didn''t respond to Kelsy''s greeting. Instead, he searched for his parents. When their gaze met the parents and son called each other. "Mom! Dad!" "Erick!" "My Son!" "Mom and Dad, don''t worry I''ve come to save you," Erick said to them. He was glad that his parents were just fine. Sarah started to cry while Raymond stayed vigilant with complicated emotions on his face. He was worried to see his son being surrounded by a large number of enemies. Even he didn''t know if they could leave this place safe and sound. But he wanted to trust his son. He knew he had come prepared before going there. Then seconds later, Kevin Azumi spoke up as he eyed the person in black who was very silent beside Erick. "Hello, Catseye! Welcome aboard!" Then a smug smile crept on his face after saying that. Every member of the Joint Task Force who was hiding in shadows as well as Erick''s parents were dumbstruck after hearing that. "Catseye?!" "Who''s Catseye?" "What did he mean by that?" "Is he referring to the person beside Erick?!" Chapter 259 - 259: Show Us Proof "Catseye?!" "Who''s Catseye?" "What did he mean by that?" "Is he referring to the person beside Erick?!" Members of the Joint Task Force aside from Erick and Bryan were oblivious of what was happening. They wondered why Catseye was suddenly mentioned by Kevin Azumi. June immediately contacted Captain Jason Team. Of course, even though they wanted to ask Erick about this they wouldn''t have an answer since he was busy with the on-going confrontation with the Twins. "Captain Jason¡­ Do you have any idea about this? What''s going on here?" June asked him inquisitively. Captain Jason and Allen were also having a hard time absorbing the situations. "Let''s wait, watch, and listen." Captain Jason simply said to them. He looked very serious while saying those words using his firm and authoritative voice. With his advice, the team just kept calm and fixed their eyes on the hall where Erick and the Azumi Twins were having their conversation. The person who was called by Kevin as Catseye just remained silent while standing beside Erick. It seemed that Kevin was ignored and the person had no interest in talking to him. Kevin Azumi couldn''t help but laugh due to the indifference that the figure in black was showing him. Kelsy also raised her eyebrows as she assessed the person. "Are you really Catseye?" Kevin voiced out his doubt. "Are you trying to stay mysterious although you are being surrounded by your enemies?" he asked again while looking intently at that person. "I think Catseye is mute and deaf." Kelsy flashed her taunting smile. She sounded sarcastic toward ''Catseye''. They felt impatient and became furious when the twins didn''t get any response. As if they were just talking in the air. Is Catseye looking down at them? Catseye is so arrogant! Kelsy turned to Erick. "Detective Lee, how can you prove to us that the person beside you is the real Catseye? What if you just bring us an impostor and you are trying to deceive us." Erick''s eyes darkened as he clenched his fists. "Do you think I have the guts to bring an impostor knowing that my parents'' lives are at stake?" Erick retorted. Kelsy let out a soft giggle. "You have the point Chief Lee but your words are not enough to make us believe you. Show us proof." Kelsy said in a demanding tone. After hearing that, the figure in black picked something inside the pocket. The men around them became alarmed seeing that action so they quickly pointed their guns in his direction. The figure in black froze seeing several numbers of guns aiming at them. They just relaxed when the Azumi Twins instructed the men to stop. With that, the person quickly threw something in front of Kelsy and Kevin. The twins frowned when they saw the two objects fell on the floor. Kevin signaled one man to pick it up and bring those objects to him. Upon assessing the objects, they found out that it was a death card and a dagger. Those were trademarks of Catseye. Kevin looked at them with mockery. "Are these the only proof you have? You are working in Catseye''s case so it''s natural that you have Catseye''s dagger and death cards. What if you just took these items from your headquarters?" This time the man in black leaned closer to Erick. "Hey Chief, what should we do? It looks like they are not buying the proof that we are giving them. They are still in doubt. What if they found out that I am not really Catseye. It will be the end of us!" Bryan whispered to him nervously. That''s right. The person beside Erick was Bryan. He was just pretending to be Catseye. This was the role Elle assigned to him the last time the three of them talked. "Relax. Just be calm. They will not know that you are an impostor. Besides they hadn''t seen Catseye''s face." Erick reassured him. Erick and Bryan''s conversation was interrupted when Kelsy spoke up again. "It seems like Catseye and Chief Lee are talking about something. Are you done? Can you also share it with us?" All eyes were on the two of them. They were anticipating Erick''s response. Erick was about to say something when he and Bryan suddenly heard Elle''s voice from the communication device. Bryan heaved a sigh of relief after hearing her while Erick''s expression softened. He knew that Elle was there watching over them. It gave them a sense of security. After Elle talked to them there was a sudden gleam of light flickered through Erick''s eyes. Then he moved his gaze back to the Azumi Twins before he spoke up. "Sorry about that. It appears like Catseye has no plan of talking directly to the both you that''s why he talked to me instead. He shared something to me that would make you believe that he is Catseye." "Oh, is that so? Then tell us!" Kelsy said with her eyebrows raised. A playful smile also appeared on her face. "We can only exchange hostages once his identity as Catseye is confirmed," she added as she reminded him about their negotiation. Erick''s eyes squinted after hearing that. But he concealed his emotion as he continued to speak. "Catseye and Black Shadow had an encounter a few weeks ago. They already made a truce. Catseye also got to talk with him and Black Shadow mentioned you to Catseye. He told Catseye that Azumi Twins were also after him." The mere mention of Black Shadow changed the mood of Kevin and Kelsy. The smile on Kelsy''s face also disappeared. Kevin clenched his jaw upon hearing Erick''s statement. He was mad knowing that Black Shadow even warned Catseye about them. Kelsy was also unhappy about this. She didn''t also expect Black Shadow to do that. ''What is he trying to do by giving a warning to Catseye?'' The Twins fell into silence. They had conflicting thoughts as of this moment. Then there was a moment of realization. Erick wouldn''t have known that since he did not have a connection with Black Shadow. Therefore it would be possible that Catseye was the one who knew all about this. Black Shadow also mentioned to them that he had an encounter with Catseye and confirmed his true identity. Because of that, the twins assumed that the person next to Erick was the real Catseye. The silent atmosphere was broken when they heard a sudden burst of laughter. It was Kelsy who started laughing. "Oh, I can''t believe it. Catseye is really here with us. I am dying to ask both of you¡­ what is your special relationship to each other?" Kevin also butted in. "I am also wondering and keep thinking that for the sake of your relationship, Catseye is willing to surrender to us in exchange for your parents'' safety." Erick had not responded yet when Kelsy threw another question. "Chief Detective Lee... Did you betray your team? Are you also protecting Catseye that''s why he is helping you right now?" This time it was Erick and Bryan''s turns to be rendered speechless. They knew that other members of the joint task force were also listening to their conversation as of this moment. They could imagine the different expressions of their colleagues. The confusion and puzzlement were evident to their faces along with so many questions running in their minds. Bryan and Erick were right. As of this moment, other members were asking each other what was happening right now and why this conversation was going on like this. "Hey ¡­ hey¡­ why are the Azumi Twins accusing Chief Lee of betraying us?" June couldn''t help but ponder. Carl didn''t know what to think. After listening to their conversation he could somehow grasp the situation. "It looks like the Azumi Twins threatened Erick using his parents and they demanded him to bring Catseye to them." It was the voice of Captain Jason that could be heard from the communication device. Allen also voiced out his opinion. "The Azumi Twins are also thinking that there is a special relationship going on between Chief Lee and Catseye. D*mn! Are they stupid? Where did that idea come from?" "Wait¡­ something was off about this. We knew that Catseye is a woman. But from the look of it, the person beside Erick appears to be a man. Are they also thinking that Catseye is a man?" Carl said, feeling doubtful. "Eh¡­ if that''s the case, who is telling the truth here?! I feel like I am going crazy just thinking about this." June complained to them. "And that man in black, who the hell is he?" June added. After that question, a sudden realization crossed their minds. "Bryan!" "Sergeant Velasquez!" "Bryan!" They exclaimed almost at the same time. Chapter 260 - 260: The Devil is Mad The members of the Joint Task Force just realized that the person beside Erick who was wearing all black matching with a hood and a mask was Bryan. They somehow put the pieces of the puzzle together but there were still a lot of questions running in their minds. Now, aside from the Azumi Twins, Erick''s team was also waiting and anticipating his response to the last question raised to him by the twins. "Come on Chief Detective Lee! Tell us. You don''t need to worry. We are the only ones here and your team is not around. Did you really betray your team? Are you protecting Catseye that''s why he is helping you right now?" Kelsy urged him to answer as she repeated her question. Erick''s expression darkened as he clenched his fists. Meanwhile, Bryan was staring at him worriedly. "Erick¡­ you don''t have to answer that question if you feel uncomfortable. Don''t get affected. No one betrays someone." Bryan said to him in a low voice. After saying that Bryan heard Elle''s voice. "Bryan, answer that question for me. Repeat what I am about to say." "Okay." Bryan simply replied. Then Bryan turned to Kelsy and for the first time, he finally spoke up. "Chief Detective Lee saved my life before not knowing about my true identity as Catseye. I was indebted to him, that''s why I am doing this. I owe him my life so I will not hesitate to return that favor." Bryan said to them. "Hmmm, interesting! So he saved you and he had no idea of your identity. Would you still save him if you knew his identity, Chief Lee?" Kelsy continued asking Erick. "Yes. I would do the same thing." Erick promptly replied. Bryan looked at him. ''That''s Erick, no matter who you are he will not hesitate to help a person in need.'' Kevin gave Kelsy a warning look. He already felt bored and he didn''t want to drag this for long. "Can we now proceed to our proper business?" Kevin couldn''t stop himself from voicing out his annoyance. Kelsy patted Kevin''s shoulder as if telling him to relax. "Oh, one last question¡­ when did you learn that he is Catseye?" Bryan also felt irritated by the way Kelsy was interrogating Erick. They also wanted to finish this and leave this place. So to satisfy her curiosity Bryan just spoke up again on Erick''s behalf. "Two days ago! I have no choice but to tell him the truth since I found out that you kidnapped his parents! You are so cunning and despicable! How dare you use innocent people for your gains? Let''s finish this once and for all! Do you want to fight me? Then let''s fight, fair and square! Ask these men to scram!" Bryan burst out uncontrollably, speaking what''s on his mind spontaneously. Erick: "..." Elle:"..." Joint Task Force: "..." Kevin: "..." Kelsy: "..." Dark Knight''s men: "..." They were all speechless after hearing Bryan''s words. They didn''t expect him to be that bold and talk much. Is that really Catseye? Upon noticing their strange look they were giving him Bryan raised his brows as he continued. "What?! Are you afraid of me?" Then Bryan let out a sarcastic laugh. "Well, that''s obvious. The Azumi Twins seem to be afraid of me and not confident enough to face me. Bringing a lot of men with them just to welcome me here. Tsk Tsk Tsk." Bryan sneered at them as he talked confidently. On the other hand, Elle massaged the space between her brows. This was what she was afraid of- Bryan''s Blabbering Mouth. She could feel that Bryan''s words just provoked the enemies around them most especially the Azumi Twins. Just from the expression of Kevin, she could tell that he was already thinking a lot of ways how to kill Bryan as of this moment. Dark Knight''s men were also ridiculing him on the side as they looked daggers at him. They couldn''t take his arrogance and overbearing confidence. Although they were already completely surrounded by the enemies he still had the guts to talk like that with his brave front. "My dear sister, since Catseye is very eager to go to his deathbed then why don''t we fulfill his request?" Kevin said to Kelsy meaningfully. Kelsy flashed her sly smile before she replied to her brother. "I agree with you this time, brother." Dark Knight''s men also put on a sinister smile and shot Bryan a stare as if the predators were looking at their poor prey. Erick and Bryan as well as the joint task force and Elle''s team could feel the change of atmosphere around the place. Now, there was a heavy tension filling the air. They became more vigilant and alert as if any moment the fight would break out and was about to happen. Seconds later, Kelsy signaled the two men guarding Erick''s parents to untie them. The Dark Knight''s men also held their firearms, getting ready to shoot at any moment if the circ.u.mstances would require them to do so. There were approximately fifty to sixty Dark Knight''s men being dispatched in that area while others were scattered in the other parts of the Ship. Erick and Bryan were surrounded by ten men. The rests were standing on guard in the different corners in that hall. The negotiation was happening in the center. Several pairs of eyes were focused on them including those people hiding in the shadow. Kelsy and Kevin also picked up their pistol. Sarah and Raymond were now having a worried look in their faces. Everyone was anticipating what would happen in the next few minutes. Kelsy gazed up to see Erick''s face. He was very quiet while having a serious expression. Kelsy couldn''t help but flash her seductive smile as she met Erick''s gaze. ''He''s so hot having that kind of expression. Oh, I am tempted to ravish this gorgeous man. I want to steal him a kiss.'' Kelsy thought to herself as she started to approach Erick. Bryan and Erick stayed on guard and alert. Seconds later, Kelsy was now standing in front of Erick. The smile never left her face. She was holding her pistol on her right hand so she used her left hand and tried to touch Erick''s face. When Bryan saw what Kelsy was trying to do, his eyes widened and his mouth gaped. ''Uh oh! Don''t! Don''t you dare touch him or else you will regret it. He is someone else''s man. Elle won''t forgive you!'' Bryan mumbled to himself. From the shadow, Elle could see clearly what was happening down there. Her eyes were now bloodshot as she watched Kelsy''s figure in front of Erick. She was fuming in rage just seeing the look in Kelsy''s face as she stared at Erick. ''Is she trying to seduce my man?'' Elle didn''t know if she would be able to control herself once Kelsy tried to do some tricks on Erick. She would surely go wild because of madness and fury. "Don''t you ever touch my man with your filthy hands. I swear I will cut them myself. Stay away from him right now!" Elle mumbled through her gritted teeth. Fortunately, before Kelsy''s hand could touch Erick''s face Erick grabbed it to stop her. "What are you doing?" Erick said to her sternly. Instead of being displeased by Erick''s act of rejection, Kelsy giggled in amus.e.m.e.nt. "Chief Lee, do you know what? If we are not after Catseye then I will demand you to sleep with me in exchange for your parents'' freedom." Kelsy blatantly said to him. "You have a very irresistible charm to women. Hmmm... I am a woman with a high standard and can hardly be pleased by men but seeing you I am very tempted to have a taste of your kissable lips." Erick''s eyes squinted after hearing that while Bryan was taken aback by Kelsy''s boldness. She was really courting death by coveting Catseye''s man. Then Bryan secretly contacted Elle. "Elle, calm down. Control yourself. We are still doing the negotiation. Don''t be jealous and don''t be mad. Don''t unleash your demon yet. Let''s secure Erick''s parents first." Bryan said nervously as he tried to pacify Elle. Bryan was more afraid of the angry Catseye than the enemies who currently surrounded them. Then after a few seconds, Bryan heard the stern cold voice of Elle. "Then get that b!tch away from my man, right now!" Just her mere voice could give him a chill and send shivers down his spine. ''D*mn. The devil is really mad!'' Chapter 261 - 261: I Entrust My Life in Your Hands "Then get that b!tch away from my man, right now!" Just her mere voice could give him a chill and send shivers down his spine. ''D*mn. The devil was really mad!'' Felt alarmed by hearing the danger and fury in Elle''s voice, Bryan immediately moved in the middle of Erick and Kelsy. "Since I am the one you are after, why don''t you kiss me instead? Just leave him alone!" Bryan suddenly blurted out desperately. Kelsy: "..." Erick: "..." Kevin: "..." Erick''s parents: "..." Joint Task Force Members: "..." Dark Knight''s men: "..." That remark from Catseye was really unexpected, enough to make everyone become speechless. ''Is Catseye trying to hit on Kelsy?'' This was the thought in mind of Dark Knight Members as they watched the scene unfolding before them. It took Kelsy for a while to recover her wits after hearing Bryan whom she thought was Catseye. She didn''t know whether to cry or laugh because of his shamelessness. Meanwhile, Elle was commending Bryan in shadow. "Good job Bryan! I will give you rewards after this. Just keep that b!tch away from Erick." Elle said through their communication device. It was Kevin who cleared his throat after everyone fell into silence. Cough! Cough! "Can we stop this nonsense already?! Let''s proceed to the negotiation and close this deal." Kevin said to them with a hint of annoyance and impatience in his voice. After seeing the warning glare coming from her twin brother, Kelsy decided to stop this teasing and proceeded to their initial plan. She signaled Bryan to move out of her way. She wanted to approach Erick and Bryan was shielding him against her. When Bryan didn''t move an inch, Kelsy heaved a deep sigh. Out of her irritation because of Bryan''s persistence of not allowing Kelsy to be near Erick, she raised her brows as she spoke to Bryan. "If you want to finish this once and for all then move away!" Kelsy said with her domineering aura. Bryan couldn''t care less and didn''t listen to her. He was not intimidated at all with Kelsy''s threatening look. He was more concerned for the other lady hiding in a shadow. However, Erick was the one who held Bryan''s shoulder and asked him to do what she said. They should finish this negotiation and secure his parents'' safety. With Erick''s request, Bryan moved aside. He understood what he wanted to do. Kelsy flashed her mischievous smile as she continued to approach Erick. The next thing she did was offering him the pistol in her hand. Dark Knight''s Men already confiscated their weapons upon entering the ship. Bryan only managed to hide that only dagger which he presented as proof of his identity. Bryan and Erick as well as others aside from Kevin and Dark Knight''s men were all confused why Kelsy was giving him a gun as of this moment. Upon seeing their confusion Kelsy let out a soft giggle before she said. "Hold this Chief Lee. This has something to do with our negotiation. Don''t worry I will explain everything, so both of you hear me out." Kelsy was the one who was doing the talking. Even though he was reluctant at first, in the end, Erick complied as he accepted the gun. Kelsy''s lips twitched into a wicked smile after giving the gun to Erick. Then she decided to tell them what they wanted them to do in order to have Erick''s parents. "Mr. Detective, here is the deal. I promise not to harm you and let you leave here together with your parents." Kelsy paused for a moment as she turned to look at Erick''s parents. They were already standing with four men guarding them and holding them in place. "But in exchange, I want you to bury a bullet into Catseye''s head using that gun in your hand. That''s very simple, am I right?" Bryan and Erick were both surprised after hearing that. ''Sh!t. The Azumi Twins were really despicable!'' Bryan was cursing them inwardly. The other members of the Joint Task Force became anxious after hearing that. The heavy tension was around them. They were now very worried about their comrade in the frontline. "Are they going to be fine?" June couldn''t help but ask his team. "Captain Jason, what should we do? Should we act now? It looks like Erick and Bryan are in a difficult situation now." Carl also said, his voice filled with concerns. "Don''t act recklessly. We should act after receiving the go signal. Chief Lee had reminded us about this and he told us to trust him. I know he was very prepared for this." Captain Jason said to his team. "Noted Captain!" "Aye Captain!" Then June voiced out again what''s on his mind. "Ahem. I just keep thinking. Who was the person who helped us enter this Ship a while ago? I am having this kind of feeling that we have some back-ups hiding in shadows. Is it possible that Catseye is really here with us?" The team was put in deep thought after hearing his rhetorical question. They couldn''t help it. If they were the only back-up Erick and Bryan have, then it would be really risky. They didn''t even know how they would leave this place unscathed knowing that they were surrounded by a large number of enemies. When they heard Erick''s voice they averted their gaze back to the center of the hall. "This is not what you told me before. You just asked me to bring Catseye here. Why are you doing this now?" Erick said with a very serious tone. There was a hint of protest in his voice. "Well¡­ Mr. Detective, you are not in the position to tell us what we want and what we have to do. Besides, after hearing your story I changed my mind." Kelsy said with her taunting smile. "You saved his life before so now I am giving you a chance to take it back. Catseye said he owed you his life so what''s wrong about this?" she added. "I think Catseye is willing to do this and won''t retaliate and fight back since you are his hero. Am I right Catseye?" she said as she turned to Bryan. Bryan was rendered speechless. He clenched his fists. He started to feel more anxious about this. ''D*mn! They are really cunning!'' Kelsy burst into a peal of laughter when Bryan became tongue-tied. "Are you afraid now, Catseye? You seem like you lose the capability to speak." Kelsy said with mockery in her voice. "Do you know our mantra? We, the Azumi Twins always get what we want no matter what. And this is the scenario that we want to happen: Chief Detective Lee killing Catseye." Kevin also joined the conversation. "Besides, this is a win-win situation for your Chief Detective Lee. Since my sister likes you, we want you to use this situation at your advantage. By killing Catseye, you will be able to close that case you are currently handling. You also might get your promotion after this." Bryan glared at the Azumi Twins. ''Win-win situation my a*s! Even if Chief Lee is assigned to Catseye''s case, he is not the kind of person who will just kill someone! He won''t ever hurt Catseye especially now that Catseye is the woman he loves.'' Meanwhile, there was a chilly glint evident to Erick''s eyes. He also didn''t like the way the Azumi Twins were plotting things. "Release my parents now!" Erick demanded the twins. Kelsy shook her head."No! No! No! You are not done with your task yet Mr. Detective." "Hmmm. Don''t worry. We will give you the motivation to do this." Kelsy turned to the men guarding Erick''s parents. After receiving her signal, the two of them picked up their gun and pointed it to Sarah and Raymond. Sarah jolted in fright. She couldn''t help but cry from nervousness. Raymond comforted his wife. "What are you trying to do here?!" Erick exclaimed through gritted teeth. He was enraged seeing his mother be frightened like that. This time Kelsy became serious. "No more playing. You need to choose Mr. Detective between Catseye and your parents. It''s now time to finish this. I will count one up to three. If you won''t shoot Catseye then I can''t guarantee your parents'' safety. Our men here are very eager to use their guns." Then Kelsy started to count. "One!" Bryan''s eyes widened in horror. ''Sh!t they are really serious now!'' The members of the joint task force were now very anxious in their hiding spot. "What should we do now!" Erick was also quiet, having conflicting thoughts. His gaze went back and forth between his parents and Bryan. His grip on the gun tightened. "Two!" After hearing that, Bryan looked at Erick worriedly. "Chief Lee!" He whispered in a low voice. ''Elle! Save me! I trust in you! Do something. I now entrust my life in your hands.'' Chapter 262 - 262: Counter-Attack Erick was also quiet while having conflicting thoughts. His gaze moved back and forth between his parents and Bryan. His grip on the gun tightened. "Two!" After hearing that, Bryan looked at Erick worriedly. "Chief Lee!" He whispered in a low voice. ''Elle! Save me! I trust in you! Do something. I now entrust my life in your hands.'' "This is not looking good! We should act now Captain!" June said in a panic. The members of the joint task force were already in their position, holding their guns and ready to shoot anytime. They were just waiting for their Captain''s go signal. When Kelsy was about to end the countdown and say ''three'' suddenly the surroundings were engulfed in complete darkness. The lights were put off. "Men... let''s move!" Captain Jason said as he gave the order. This was the go signal they were waiting for. Erick told them that once the lights were switched off that''s the time they should move. It was also the reason they brought infrared goggles which would help them to have clear visions in the dark. Soon, the joint task force came out of their hiding spots. June and Carl rushed towards the area where Erick''s parents were being held in place by the enemies. They grabbed this opportunity to attack. Seconds later, loud thuds, men''s groans, and whimpers could be heard in the hall. Erick and Bryan started to attack the men which were surrounding them, throwing hard punches on the enemies'' vital parts. They even tried to snatch some guns. Captain Jason and Allen helped them attack the men around Erick and Bryan. Meanwhile, the Azumi Twins could sense that there were on-going fights happening in the dark. They stayed vigilant and careful. "What are you waiting for! Call the others and tell them to go to the power control room and switch on the lights." Kevin yelled at their men. It was hard to fight blindly in the dark. They couldn''t fight back but they could only protect themselves against the attackers. Later on, they heard someone contacted others through the handheld radio. In contrast to the Azumi Twins'' situation, the joint task force could see clearly what was happening on the ground. They could even see Dark Knight''s men falling on the ground one after another. "Captain Jason¡­ it looks like we have snipers by our sides!" Allen exclaimed enthusiastically. "Let''s grab this opportunity to escape. Is everyone alright? How''re Erick''s parents?" Captain Jason asked them. "They are with us now!" June replied from the line. "We already secured them, Captain!" It was Carl who also responded. The Azumi Twins could somehow know what they were trying to do so they gave Dark Knight''s men another command. "Secure and block the exits. Don''t let them escape!" Kelsy shouted. Someone was also firing in their direction. Kelsy and Kevin were very fast to react as they grabbed some men beside them and used them as human shields. "F*ck. They successfully infiltrated this ship. They brought back-ups!" Kevin was cursing inwardly. "I will make sure they will not be able to leave this ship alive!" Kevin added. He was very agitated by this sudden change of situation. They thought they had the upper hand all along. But it got reversed suddenly in just a split of seconds. Their enemies launched their counter-attack. Just as what the Azumi Twins had ordered, there were several numbers of men waiting at the exit doors when the joint task force tried to escape through those routes. "D*mn! What should we do? There are so many of them. Can we hold this far? We only have limited ammunition." June blurted out his concerns as they continued exchanging shots with the Dark Knight''s men. "Keep firing. We have to move fast and reach the ferry boat before they will do something to it." Carl said. Sarah and Raymond were hiding on their backs. They hadn''t reached the lower deck. They were still in the middle deck of the Ship. On the other hand, Captain Jason, Bryan, Erick, and Allen were also together, escaping through the other exits. "Captain Jason, Allen, Bryan, go ahead first. I need to go somewhere. Once you arrive at the boat together with my parents you can leave as soon as possible even without me!" Erick said as he requested them. "Chief! What are you saying? We will not leave without you!" Bryan protested. Allen and Captain Jason were both confused about why Erick suddenly made that request. ''What is planning to do?'' However, Bryan could somehow understand what Erick was trying to do. He wanted to search for Elle. He knew that she was still on the Ship. He wanted to make sure that she would also escape safely. Without waiting for his colleagues to say another word Erick went back towards the middle deck. Captain Jason and the rest just exchanged meaningful glances with each other as they watched Erick''s retreating back until he vanished from their sights. Meanwhile, the lights inside the hall where the negotiation was happening a while ago came back. When the lights were switched on Kelsy and Kevin saw several members of the Dark Knight lying on the floor with gunshot wounds. Some were already unconscious and some were already dead. "Lu and Yan, please guide the joint task force members to reach their boat and escape safely." Elle gave them her command. "Noted Lady Boss!" "Aye Lady Boss!" After saying that, Lu and Yan left their current positions and proceeded to where the other members of the joint task force were. With their help, the rest of the members together with Erick''s parents finally reached their ferry boat. Lu and Yan made sure that the enemies wouldn''t be able to go near the boat. "June, where is my son?" Sarah asked them immediately in a worried tone. "Aunt Sarah, Chief Lee, and I got separated a while ago. Don''t worry. Bryan followed him." It was Allen who answered Sarah. "How about Captain Jason? Do you know where he is?" Carl asked Allen since he was the only person they saw upon arriving in the boat. Allen shook his head as he scratched his face. "Uhm, I thought he was following me but he suddenly disappeared. I don''t know where he is." "Eh¡­ where are they? We have to leave as soon as possible!" June said to them anxiously. "Chief Lee and Bryan said we can go ahead even without them but the problem is Captain Jason." "Let''s wait for them another more minutes," Raymond suggested to them. "I agree! I won''t leave this place without my son!" Sarah said with so much conviction. She was worried about Erick. June took a deep sigh before he said to them. "Fortunately, we have them!" June pointed the two snipers who kept guarding them and firing shots at their enemies. "Who are they? They are very skilled and sharpshooters! And it seems like they bring a lot of ammunition," June added. Carl and Allen just nodded. They also felt relieved to have those back-ups. If not for them then they would have difficulty reaching their boat. Dark Knight''s men just kept on targeting them and there were lots of them. Chapter 263 - 263: Youve Made One Mistake Tonight There were approximately twenty Dark Knight men who were still in the middle deck together with the Azumi Twins. Shock and horror were visible to their faces when they saw the dead bodies of their comrades. Kevin and Kelsy had grim expressions as they peered at their surroundings. They looked up while searching for the hiding spots of the snipers. Elle was still wearing the white uniform of a crew matching with a cap and a mask. Since the lights in the middle were restored she removed her infrared goggles. In her hands, she was holding her sniper''s rifle while looking at the remaining Dark Knight''s men and the Azumi Twins. She contacted Phantom. "Master, are you done installing the code B?" "Yes, dear. You can now activate those Code B at any moment." Phantom replied to her with his hoarse voice. Unknown to Elle, Phantom was still sick and he was feeling weak as of this moment. Despite that, he was able to accomplish his task: planting code B in the different parts of the ship. "Thank you, Master. I only have one thing left to do." Elle''s lips curled up into a wicked smile after saying that. "Ok dear, I''m on my way going there. Be careful." Phantom reminded her. "Don''t worry Master. I can handle this. Brother Yu is also here with me." Elle reassured him. "Alright. Wait for me. I''m coming." After her talk with Phantom, Elle focused her attention back to the Azumi Twins. Meanwhile, Kelsy and Kevin already discovered Elle''s hiding spot. They were very observant as they were able to sense her presence. "We know you are there. Why don''t you come out now and show us your face?" Kevin said as he stared in Elle''s direction. The men also pointed their guns in her direction. "Lady Boss, they already discovered your position. Leave now. Leave them to me." Brother Yu said through the communication device. "Don''t worry, Master Phantom is on his way going here. I still have something to say with the Azumi Twins. I promised someone that I will give them a good beating once we face each other." Elle said meaningfully at Brother Yu. After saying that Elle came out from her hiding spot to face the Azumi Twins. Kelsy and Kevin looked at her confusedly. ''A woman?!'' They couldn''t believe that the figure hiding was a woman. Even though they couldn''t see her face still they could tell base on her appearance that the person was a woman. "Who are you? All your comrades already ran away to escape. How come you are still here? Are you planning to catch us? Do you think you can do it alone? Or are you the sacrificial lamb?" Kelsy said to her mockingly. The other men stayed alert and vigilant as they pointed their guns at the person who just appeared in front of them. "We have to commend you for successfully infiltrating the Ship. You even wear a crew uniform in order to blend inside. Smart move!" Kelsy added as she praised her. Elle finally broke her silence. "My dear Azumi Twins¡­ I stay behind in order to give you a good beating. Someone named Black Shadow requested me to do this." Elle said as she let out a soft chuckle after uttering those words. The faces of the twins immediately darkened upon hearing her statements, most especially the name ''Black Shadow''. "Who are you? What is your relationship with Black Shadow? How come you know him?" It was Kelsy who bombarded her with those questions. She would always become interested in the things related to Black Shadow. As a girl, Elle could feel it. Kelsy had a thing for Black Shadow. With that, Elle couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows. "Kelsy Azumi. You are the kind of woman who doesn''t know how to be content with one man. How dare you try to flirt with Erick." Elle said using her stern cold voice. Displeasure was evident to her voice. Kelsy giggled after hearing that. "Oh¡­ are you mad because of that? Do you have the right? Why do I feel like you''re also very interested in the Chief Detective?" Elle just ignored Kelsy''s remarks. She would not allow her to laugh at her. She somehow knew how to attack Kelsy in her weak spot. "Tsk Tsk Tsk¡­ you tend to betray and deceive people. No wonder Black Shadow didn''t hesitate to do the same thing against you." Elle said to Kelsy, taunting her. A deep frown appeared on Kevin''s face while the smile on Kelsy''s face immediately disappeared after hearing that. ''What is she trying to say here? Black Shadow betraying me?'' "Are you trying to stir conflict between Black Shadow and Azumi Twins? Nice try dear. But sorry to say, you just failed" Kelsy sneered at her. Now it was Elle''s turn to burst into a peal of laughter. "Oh¡­ I should really give credit to Black Shadow. It looks like he really gained your trust. Tsk tsk tsk. Poor Kelsy. I pity you. You don''t have any idea that the man you trusted already betray you. Well, I couldn''t blame black¡­ since you''ve done really evil things even to him." Elle wanted to provoke and anger Kelsy. It seemed that her provocation was effective as Kelsy''s face could no longer be painted because of her grim expression. Elle was rejoicing inwardly. She wanted to get even at her after Kelsy tried to flirt with Erick a while ago. She was still fuming in rage until now. "Don''t beat around the bush. Why don''t you spill it out already? What did Black Shadow do behind our back?" Kevin couldn''t stand still as he voiced out his annoyance. Elle let out another chuckle. "Alright. Let me introduce myself so that you will be enlightened. I am Catseye, the real Catseye." Everyone was taken aback. They didn''t expect her to say that. "Catseye? Is she kidding us?" One of the men blurted out. They couldn''t believe what they had just heard. This woman in front of them was claiming that she was the real Catseye. "Hahaha. Are you trying to make us laugh with your ridiculous joke?" Kelsy said to her sarcastically. "Catseye my a*s!" she added. Kevin looked at Elle intently, eyeing her appearance from top to bottom. He couldn''t explain but he could sense the domineering and frightening aura emanating from the woman. He could tell that she was no ordinary woman. He wanted to believe her. She possessed the kind of aura that Catseye had. He didn''t feel this when he looked at the man in black a while ago. Meanwhile, Brother Yu was also shocked when he heard that. He had no idea that their Lady Boss was Catseye, the devilish assassin. They heard a lot of things about Catseye''s reputation. If this was true then his admiration for their Lady Boss intensified. ''Lu will be shocked once he learned about this revelation. I am sure he will see Lady Boss in another perspective, admiring and idolizing her to the max.'' Brother Yu thought to himself. It did not take long when Elle spoke up again. "Do you want more proof? Are you not wondering why I am always mentioning Black Shadow? Do you think he would tell me these things if I was a policewoman?" Elle was enjoying the denial and confusion that Kelsy was feeling right now. She thought it would be a huge blow to her knowing that Black Shadow had betrayed her. This was nice revenge. "He lied to you when he said that Catseye was a man. Haha, Funny thing. He considered me as his enemy, but after you betrayed and deceived him, he came to me and gave me a warning. He even helped me hide my true identity to the Azumi Twins. This was your fault." "Oh¡­ he is a prideful man, so he did that to give you a taste of your own medicine. So how does it feel to be deceived? Oh¡­ I think Black was furious when you hurt Agent Marie." Kelsy clenched her fists. She felt hurt and mad at the same time. ''Black Shadow lied to me because of that b!tch!'' On the other hand, Kevin had already grasped the situation. He was really convinced that the one talking to them right now was Catseye. And Black Shadow really deceived them as an act of revenge. Kevin burst into humorless laughter as he looked daggers at Elle. "I don''t care even if Black Shadow betrayed us. Catseye, you''ve made one mistake tonight. You already had the chance to escape but still, you stayed behind to confront us. Remember, it is you who we are after. Now, you will die here tonight! Without waiting for Elle to respond, Kevin fired his gun towards Elle''s direction. Chapter 264 - 264: Not Leaving Without You "Move to the middle deck! The real Catseye appeared!" The Dark Knight''s men were talking about the sudden appearance of the real Catseye. They just received an order to proceed immediately at the middle deck as a back-up. Their main goal tonight was to kill Catseye. So the men who were chasing after Erick''s team retreated as soon as they heard the order. The other members of the joint task force also heard those conversations. They were also surprised to learn that the real Catseye was there. "So Catseye is with us tonight. Does it mean Catseye is the one providing us support during this mission?" June blurted out as he watched Dark Knight''s men running away from their location. "Even I couldn''t believe it. Is this really happening? Catseye is helping us." Allen said as he pondered. Carl couldn''t help himself but frown. "If that is the case then it is possible that what we heard just a while ago regarding Catseye and Chief Lee might be true." "Maybe¡­ because if they have no connection then there''s no reason for Catseye to do this." Allen supported Carl''s assumption. "D*mn! Where are they? Captain, Chief Lee, and Bryan¡­ you must hurry and come back. We should grab this opportunity to escape." June said anxiously. Meanwhile, Brother Yan and Brother Lu were also having a conversation regarding the current situation. "Hey, Brother Yan! Why do you think they are still here? They should leave already." Lu asked Yan as he stared at the ferry boat of the Joint Task Force. "It looks like they are still waiting for others to come." Yan simply replied to him. "Brother Yan, who''s Catseye? They said the real Catseye already appeared. Is the guy who is wearing all black an impostor?" Lu asked him again curiously. "I have no idea. But Lady Boss had mentioned that after securing the hostages, she would try to lure our enemies and to divert their attention so that these people will be able to escape successfully." Yan said as he answered Lu''s inquiry. "Brother Yan, should we go back there? I think Lady Boss might need our help." Lu said with his concerned voice. Yan shook his head. "No! We should stay here and guard them. This is the task given to us by Lady Boss." Yan could see the hesitation in Lu''s eyes after he said those things to him. He could tell that Lu was very concerned about Elle and he was eager to help her. He heaved a deep sigh and said, "Don''t worry. Master Phantom and Brother Yu are there to assist Lady Boss. They will protect her and won''t let anything bad happen to her." "But I am also worried about Master Phantom. He is not in good condition. Do you think we did the right thing by hiding this to Lady Boss? What if he suddenly collapsed?" Brother Yan couldn''t refute that. Even he was not sure about this. They tried to convince Phantom to stay behind and just let them do this but he refused and insisted on doing this mission. After much thought and careful consideration, Brother Yan made his decision. "Okay, Lu. Go back there and help them. Protect Master Phantom and our Lady Boss. I will stay here to keep guarding them." Lu''s face brightened up after he heard Yan''s order. He nodded frantically and left immediately after thanking him. He was afraid that Brother Yan might change his mind so he didn''t waste any more time as he proceeded to the middle deck. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At the Middle Deck *** Gunshots could be heard around the area. After Kevin fired in Elle''s direction the other men also started shooting her. Fortunately, Elle was fast enough to react. She flipped over and rolled down to dodge the bullets. She also picked her gun and exchanged shots with the enemies. Brother Yu was there to assist her. He took care of the rest as he shot them one after another. "Brother, do something. There is also another sniper hiding." Kelsy said. "Let the Dark Knight''s men handle that sniper. Our main target is Catseye." Kevin simply replied. Other back-ups of Dark Knight were kept on coming in the middle deck. There were still a lot of them. Upon seeing that, Brother Yu contacted Elle once again. "Lady Boss. Are you okay? Do you still have enough bullets?" With that Elle checked her ammunition. Seeing the increasing number of enemies appearing in front of them, she was not sure if her bullets could still hold for so long. "Don''t worry. Ten minutes from now I will activate Code B. Just wanna make sure first that the Task Force members escape successfully." As the shooting continues, many Dark Knight''s men were killed but at the same time, Elle''s gun had no more bullets left. She stopped shooting and just remained hiding on the wall. Kevin and Kelsy also noticed that Catseye had stopped firing at them. They exchanged glances with one another as a meaningful smile appeared on their faces. They signal the other men to go and approach Catseye in her hiding spot. They wanted to confirm their assumption. It looked like she couldn''t fight back. As seconds passed by, they could feel the heavy tension in the air. The men remained alert and vigilant. They also felt nervous as they took their steps going to Catseye''s location. "D*mn. They are coming this way." Elle mumbled as she picked up her dagger. Just when they were one meter away from her hiding spot, they heard another gunshot. They were not able to go near her as some people started to fire at them. Master Phantom just arrived but someone''s presence made Elle startle in her spot. "What the hell is he doing here? He is supposed to escape now together with his team." Elle said as she saw Erick''s figure appeared in front of her, firing at the men who tried to come near her hiding spot. Elle immediately talked to Erick through their communication device. "Why are you still here? You should leave already!" Elle said to him firmly. There was a hint of annoyance and helplessness in her voice. "I can''t leave you here alone. We will escape together." Erick insisted. Seconds later, Elle''s eyes widened when another figure appeared beside Erick. It was Bryan. Both Elle and Erick were surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?" "What are you doing here?" They asked Bryan at the same time. Bryan smiled sheepishly before he replied, "If you are here to protect Elle, then I am here to protect you, Erick. That''s my main role." Elle just shook her head as she stared at the two men helplessly. ''What am I going to do with these two?'' Elle heaved a sigh of defeat. At first, she planned to finish this duel with the Azumi Twins but since Erick and Bryan refused to leave without her then she had no choice but to secure their safety first. "Ten minutes. Let''s leave and escape this place together." Elle said to them. Both Bryan and Erick nodded in agreement. Elle also saw Phantom above them as he took cover for them. She contacted him again for the change of plan. "Master, let''s escape now. I will activate also the code B." "Alright. Got it, dear. Let''s move quickly!" Phantom responded to her. The exchange of shots between the two opposing sides continued in the middle deck. Elle was also trying her best to run towards Erick and Bryan as they covered for her. Kevin and Kelsy could somehow understand what Erick''s team was trying to do here. They would escape together with Catseye that''s why they came back. They already confirmed that Catseye had no more bullets left. They should grab this opportunity to attack her. It did not take long when the two of them charged toward her direction. They should not miss this chance to kill her. Elle was able to go near Erick''s location. Phantom gave Elle a go signal to leave and he would take care of the rest. They were about to escape when Elle took one last glance at Phantom. She was looking at him when she saw Phantom suddenly collapsed in his spot. Elle froze on her spot the moment she witnessed that scene. She was in shock. "Master!" Elle shouted. Erick also halted on his step when he heard Elle''s voice. He turned to look at her. He could see the worries written all over her face. Then Erick saw Kevin just a few meters away from them, aiming his gun at Elle. "ELLE! WATCH OUT!" Erick also exclaimed. After that, another gunshot reverberated in the area. Bang! Chapter 265 - 265: Miscalculation Elle was in a trance after witnessing Phantom collapsed. Because of her worry towards her master she was distracted for a moment that she failed to notice Kevin and Kelsy''s advances. "ELLE! WATCH OUT!" Erick yelled as he warned her. Erick''s voice pulled her back from the dazed. However, it was too late for her to avoid the bullet. Elle just stood there frozen in her spot, waiting for the bullet to hit her. Then she heard the sounds of the gunshot. Bang! Bang! The first bullet missed to hit her because of Erick''s intervention. He also fired at Kevin''s direction. The two bullets collided with each other thus protecting Elle. But Kelsy also fired her gun aiming at Elle''s direction. This time Elle felt a large hand pulling her as Erick engulfed her, shielding her from Kelsy''s bullet. Bang! "Argh!" Erick grunted as he was the one who was hit. "Erick!" Elle mumbled. Elle''s eyes widened in fright. Her heart was racing rapidly on her chest because of her worry and nervousness. On impulse, Elle immediately threw her dagger towards the direction of Azumi Twins. "Argh!" Another groan was heard. This time it was Kevin. The dagger hit him in the right corner of his eyes. "Brother!" Kelsy exclaimed as she witnessed the scene. Both Kevin and Erick were bleeding because of their wounds. Bryan quickly took cover for Elle and Erick as he continued to exchange shots with the members of the Dark Knight. "Erick, are you alright? Why did you do that!" Elle said worriedly and anxiously at him. "Don''t worry this is not serious. The bullet only hit my left shoulder." Erick reassured her. Elle surveyed and assessed his body. She felt relieved when she confirmed that Erick was telling the truth. "I told you that I would protect you. Don''t be upset wifey. This is also a good way for redeeming myself. Just think of this as my punishment for shooting you before." Erick added to appease her as he felt like Elle wanted to scold him for shielding her. Elle turned to Bryan. "Bryan, come here, help Erick. He is currently wounded. I will take cover for you. Leave now!" After saying that Elle grabbed Erick''s gun. "I told you I will never leave without you!" Erick said with so much conviction. Elle just looked at him helplessly. "I am not planning to stay here. I am going with you. I will just follow you behind. Erick...please don''t argue with me. Trust me!" she begged him desperately. Erick just heaved a sigh of defeat before he complied with her plea. "We should leave now. This ship is gonna explode in less than 20 minutes," Elle added. "What?? This ship is gonna explode!!?" Bryan exclaimed as he repeated her last sentence. Elle just nodded as a response. With that, Bryan immediately pulled Erick and guided him towards the exit going to the lower deck. "Listen to her! We must hurry and leave now!" Bryan said. There was a hint of panic and urgency in his voice. Then someone appeared in their back. It was Captain Jason. Both Erick and Bryan were surprised upon seeing him. "Captain Jason!" "Captain Jason!" Erick and Bryan called him in unison. Jason just nodded at them. He frowned the moment he saw Erick was injured. "The two of you... Leave quickly! I will help her to take cover for all of us. Btw who is she?" "She''s the real Catseye!" Bryan blurted out. Captain Jason was taken aback for a moment but he recovered quickly. "Ok! Go now!" Captain Jason didn''t ask them further. Their main priority was to escape this place, safe and sound. The shooting continued for several minutes. Captain Jason''s arrival was a great help. With Elle and Captain Jason''s assistance, Bryan and Erick were able to leave the middle deck without hassle. Meanwhile, Elle didn''t waste any more time as she contacted Brother Yu. "Brother Yu, please secure Master Phantom. I saw him collapse just a while ago! Get him out of here as soon as possible. Keep him safe!" "Noted Lady Boss." Brother Yu followed Elle''s command. He was also worried after knowing that Master Phantom suddenly collapsed. He rushed into the Master''s location and saw him lying on the floor, unconscious. Yu immediately checked his body to know if he was wounded. Fortunately, there was no wound. Yu knew that Master Phantom was sick due to the bio-weapon exposure. His body was still weak and this mission exhausted him more. He started to carry Phantom when he heard Elle''s concerned and very anxious voice through their communication device. "How is Master? Does he have a gunshot wound?" "Lady Boss, Master is not hurt." "Then why did he suddenly collapse?" Elle asked him again. "I think he fainted due to exhaustion." Brother Yu paused for a moment. After contemplating for a moment, he decided to tell Elle the truth. "Lady Boss. I am sorry. Honestly, we hide something from you. Master Phantom is not feeling well. During our mission in the countryside, he was exposed to bio-weapon and his body did not fully recover yet." Elle was dumbfounded after hearing that. She had no idea that Master Phantom was sick. If she had known that she wouldn''t allow him to do this mission. "Why did you do that?!" Elle said through her gritted teeth. She was really upset right now. "Sorry, Lady Boss. It was an order from Master Phantom. He wanted to hide this and not make you worry." Elle''s grip on her gun tightened. She clenched her teeth as she fired continuously at their enemies. She wanted to vent her anger and frustration right now. "Stupid Old Man! Do you think I will be able to forgive myself if anything bad happens to him because of this mission!" She was really mad right now and very worried at the same time. Brother Yu just continued apologizing to Elle. He knew that their Lady Boss was very upset about what they have done. "Just keep that old man safe! I''ll make sure to give him a good scolding after this mission!" "I understand Lady Boss." After a few seconds, they heard the emergency alarm reverberated in the entire Ship along with the crew''s announcement. "Evacuate the Ship immediately! There are bombs. The ship will explode in less than 15 minutes from now." With that announcement, the attention of Dark Knight''s men had been diverted away from Catseye. They were in a panic. They needed to keep themselves safe first or else they would die there. Captain Jason and Elle grabbed that opportunity to follow Erick and Bryan. Meanwhile, Kevin was covering his right eyes which was still bleeding. He was trying his best to endure the pain. Kelsy was with him. "Brother¡­" Kelsy didn''t know what to say. Kevin brushed her off. "This is your fault! I told you not to believe Black Shadow! Because of his lie, we are also deceived by Catseye and that Chief Detective." Kevin was fuming in rage as of this moment. Kevin pushed Kelsy away from him. "We became a laughingstock for them!" "Go! Kill Catseye, if you don''t want to be a laughingstock!" Kevin was emanating a frightening aura. He wanted to kill Black Shadow as of this moment! He couldn''t accept the fact that Black Shadow outsmarted them. He felt like he became a fool because of that. Kelsy gritted her teeth. She somehow felt responsible for this. The man whom she trusted betrayed her. Even her twin brother got hurt in the process. She couldn''t blame Kevin as he was really disappointed with her. She was the one who insisted on her brother that Black Shadow wouldn''t lie to her. She was very confident, but in the end, she was wrong. Black Shadow already changed a lot. He was not the same man she knew before. To make it up with her twin brother, Kelsy immediately followed Catseye. She also made sure to give Dark Knight''s men an order to bring her twin brother to somewhere safe. They also heard the announcement that there were bombs in the different parts of the ship. She only had a few minutes left to make things right. Catseye must die tonight no matter what! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At the Lower Deck *** The members of the joint task force as well as Erick''s parents were patiently waiting for them to come. After a while, they saw two figures come out of the exit door. Their faces brightened up when they recognized them. The newcomers were Chief Lee and Sergeant Velasquez. The two of them headed straight and boarded the ferry boat. Their colleagues heaved a sigh of relief as they welcomed them cheerfully. "Chief Lee! Bryan! Now, it''s a good thing that you are here. We also heard the announcement! This Ship is gonna explode soon! We must hurry and leave!" June said to them. "We know that! That''s why we are here!" Bryan replied. He was still panting. They ran so fast just to get there. Sarah immediately hugged Erick. "Son, I am glad that you are just fine," she said with her trembling voice. She started to cry once again. "Mom, don''t cry. Everything will be alright. We are going to leave this scary place. I will protect you." Erick comforted his mother. Raymond just smiled as he watched the mother and son. He also felt relieved now that Erick was with them. "Where''s Captain Jason? Did you see him?" Carl asked them. "He is also coming this way¡­ together with Catseye." Bryan replied to him. Everyone except Erick was taken aback after hearing Bryan. ''Catseye is also coming with us?'' Disbelief was written all over their faces. Then after a while, another figure appeared coming from the exit door. "Oh, Catseye is here!" Bryan exclaimed as he pointed Elle to them. Everyone averted their gaze towards the direction where Elle''s figure suddenly appeared. Erick and Elle''s gaze met each other. He gave her a gentle smile while Elle waved at him. Suddenly, another loud bang resonated in the area. Bang! Bang! Bang! Chapter 266 - 266: Please Stay Alive The joy and relief Erick had felt upon seeing Elle immediately dissipated into thin air the moment he heard those gunshots. It seemed like his heart jumped out of his chest when he saw Elle fell on the ground in front of him. He wanted to call her name but the words were stuck in his throat. He couldn''t utter the words. He was in shock. The fear and horror were evident to his eyes. The rest who witnessed what had just happened was also in shock. Bryan''s eyes widened in fright. ''Elle has been shot!'' He thought to himself then he involuntarily turned only to see Erick''s pale face. He was looking at Elle with grave expressions on his face. Erick felt the panic like a cl.u.s.ter of spark plugs in his abdomen. Tension grew in his face as his mind kept on replaying the recent scene. His mind was screaming Elle''s name inside, his breathing became more rapid and his heart was racing faster. ''She''s hurt! She''s bleeding! She needs me. I need to be there!'' When Erick recovered from the shock, finally he was able to move. He had the urge to run towards her but Sarah held onto him tightly. "Son, where are you going? Just stay here with us." "Mom, please let me go. I need to go to her." Erick said to her pleadingly. He didn''t have time to explain. Now he didn''t care what his team would think about this. All he wanted to do was to go to Elle and save her. Hearing the desperate plea of her son and the worried expression on his face, Sarah let him go. "Chief Lee!" "Chief Lee!" Others called him out anxiously. They had no much time left. They must leave or else they would also be caught in the blast once this ship would explode. Bryan tugged his hair. Now, he was having a headache. Then he remembered what Elle had asked him before and their conversation. [ Elle: "It''s about Erick. Can I entrust him with you? Will you always be there for him and be his support?" ] [ Bryan: "Of course. Is that only what you want? You don''t need to ask me that. I am willing to do that even if you don''t ask me. I am his best friend, remember?" ] [ Elle: "Then I will be at ease knowing that someone like you is on his side. Can you keep him safe during this rescue mission?" ] [ Bryan: "I will make sure to protect him this time. I don''t want the past incident before to happen again. I failed to protect him when we were going after Black Shadow. I blamed myself for not able to do something for him. I don''t want to experience it once again." ] [ Elle: "Thank you, Bryan. I will leave Erick in your care. I believe in you." ] After reminiscing their conversation, Bryan followed Erick in a rush. When they were a few meters away from Elle, Captain Jason appeared as he emerged from the exit door. They saw him bent down and checked Elle''s pulse. Erick felt like his world had crumbled upon seeing the unconscious Elle lying on the floor, bleeding. He was about to run to her when suddenly they heard another gunshot coming from the exit door. Captain Jason immediately rolled down to dodge the bullet. After that, he stood up and ran towards Bryan and Erick''s direction. "What are you doing here! Go now! Move quickly. We have no time left!" Captain Jason yelled at them. But Erick ignored his warning as he continued to run towards Elle. However, Captain Jason quickly grabbed him. "What are you trying to do Erick?! Our mission here is done! We need to go!" Captain Jason exclaimed to him using his stern authoritative voice. "I said I Am Not Leaving Without Her!" Erick spat back at him, not minding their positions. "Are you insane?! You also want to die with her. It''s too late now. She''s dead! Let''s leave now. Your parents are there at the boat, waiting for you." Bryan was just standing on the side. He didn''t have the courage to interrupt those two men. Clearly, they were having an argument. "W-What did¡­ y-you say?" Erick said upon hearing Captain Jason''s statement. With his serious expression, Captain Jason repeated his statement. "I said she''s dead! Even if you stay here you can''t save her. It''s too late now, Erick!" Erick let out a humorless chuckle after hearing that. "You''re lying! She''s not dead. Let go of my hand, now!" Bryan looked at Erick worriedly. He could see that Erick was about to go mad because of his deep concern toward Elle. At this moment, he wouldn''t listen to anyone. Captain Jason turned to look at Bryan. He gave him a signal. From that stare alone, he could understand what Captain Jason was planning to do. He would bring Erick back to the ferry boat even if he needed to use force. And now, he was asking Bryan to cooperate with him. Bryan didn''t know what to do. This situation was also driving him nuts. He also wanted to save Elle but keeping Erick safe was his main priority. He also promised her to protect him no matter what. With that thought in mind, Bryan made his decision. He turned to Erick and told him something. "Buddy, I am sorry," Bryan mumbled. Erick looked at him confusedly. Captain Jason grabbed that opportunity to knock him down when he was still distracted by Bryan''s statement. Captain Jason hit him on the back of his head. Bryan quickly caught Erick before he fell down. Before Erick completely lost his consciousness he still managed to stretch his hand towards Elle''s direction as if he was trying to reach her as he took one last glimpse of her. ''No! No! I must stay awake! I should go to her and save her. Elle! Please¡­.wait for me¡­ wifey, please¡­ stay alive.'' A single tear rolled down from the corner of his eyes before complete darkness took control of him. Chapter 267 - 267: Fate Is Cruel { A Special Chapter having FL''s POV } ~?? Elle''s POV ??~ I am not afraid of dying. Dying is something I have longed for before. Since my parents died in my arms and had witnessed those cruel things that happened to them, I never had a peaceful moment in my life. The nightmare kept haunting me. The demon in my past never left me once. I almost go insane. I tried to stop my misery by disappearing in this world. But due to circ.u.mstances, I failed over and over again. Then I found my reason to live and that is to seek vengeance for their deaths and avenge them. Sad to say because of that I remained to this living hell. Sometimes I just wish that Mother and Father would come and fetch me. I am always hoping to see them and ask them to bring me with them. In sad times, I wanted to cry but I couldn''t. Until my heart became cold and numb. I reached the moment when I could no longer feel anything. All I wanted to do was to kill and to survive. Master Phantom became a vital part of my life. He accompanied me all throughout this journey, guiding me and training me to become stronger. Sometimes I could feel that he was acting like a father to me but I refused to accept it and ignored it. Having a father-figure around me would just remind me of the feeling of having a family and it would just give me pain as I remembered how I lost my own family. Along the way, I met Charles. He was someone who brought noises in my very quiet world. I kept thinking that we are both the same. Losing our parents at a very young age but how come he still had that very bright and cheerful personality in contrast to mine? Since then, every time I would hear his loud cheerful voice I couldn''t help myself but feel annoyed and irritated towards him. But Charles was an interesting fellow. Despite my cold treatment towards him he remained persistent and never tried to leave my side. Instead, he stuck with me like a permanent glue who kept on bothering and pestering me every day. It did not take long when I became used to his presence. Deep inside I started to like him and wanted to make him my brother and my friend. But I never showed him that I truly care about him. Having those two by my side helped me to keep going but still, it was not enough to give a sense of hope to live my life again. Because at that time, I felt like I was only existing but not actually living. This is what they called a living dead. They said that when you are about to die you will see a series of flashbacks that contain significant memories in your past. Why do I keep seeing my past moments with them? Am I going to die now? Am I dying? Is this the end of my lonely journey? I couldn''t help but smile with that thought. I think it is better this way. I am tired of this long battle. Mom¡­. Dad¡­ grandma¡­ grandpa¡­ will I be able to see you again? Sigh! I think I am not going to heaven. How can I see you? Only hell is waiting for me after the things I had done in the past. You are all good people. I was the only one who went astray and got lost in this sinful path. I was in this very deep thought when someone popped up in my mind. It was Erick. Seeing this familiar handsome face of the man I loved I couldn''t help but shed my tears. Why is my heart hurting like this? Then my mind wandered back to the recent moments before I fell into this deep slumber. It was just a while ago when I last saw his face. The moment our gaze met, I could see the relief and joy in his eyes as he gave me his most gentle smile. I waved my right hand at him, telling him that he didn''t need to worry and I am coming to his side. But then I heard the gunshots and something pierced me at my back. I felt the pain. I tried my best to endure it and keep my mind clear. I knew from that moment I needed to leave there. I looked at Erick worriedly. I saw the shock and horror in his eyes. I didn''t want to see him having such expressions. It hurt more to see him like that. I knew my body well. I believed that I was not hit in my vital parts but I couldn''t explain how I am feeling as of this moment. The burning sensation was spreading fast in my entire body like a raging wildfire. What is this kind of feeling? Something was not right. It seemed like it was no ordinary bullet. I tried to turn around to see the face of the person who shot me but I failed. In an instant, I felt limp and fell on the ground. My vision became blurred. I tried to fight the urge to sleep but my eyelids suddenly felt so heavy. After several seconds, I felt someone grab my hand, checking my pulse. That person also brought his hand at my neck, trying to feel my pulse. At that moment, I wanted to ask for help but to no avail, I couldn''t utter a word. Though my eyes were close I still had a remaining awareness of what was happening in my surroundings. Another sound of gunshots resonated in the area. Someone was shooting again in my direction. The person who checked my pulse stood up and left me. Then I heard another footstep coming in my direction. I was slowly losing my consciousness but I tried to fight it back and hold on a little bit longer. In my subconscious, I was waiting for someone. After a while, I heard the voice of the person whom I longed for at that moment. "I said I Am Not Leaving Without Her!" My heart skipped a beat hearing Erick''s voice. I wanted to see him badly. I mustered my remaining strength to open my eyes but I couldn''t. Once again I felt very helpless. Then I heard another voice. "Are you insane?! You also want to die with her. It''s too late now. She''s dead! Let''s leave now. Your parents are there at the boat, waiting for you." After hearing that my heart sank. I wanted to shout. That person was lying to Erick. No! I am not dead. I am alive. I continued to listen to their conversation. "W-What did¡­ y-you say?" Erick said to him. I could hear the worry and disbelief in his voice. I became more frustrated. The dizziness was slowly consuming me. I felt very weak as time went by. "I said she''s dead! Even if you stay here you can''t save her. It''s too late now, Erick!" Then I heard Erick let out a humorless chuckle. I could also feel his pain and fury by just listening to those words. I knew he was having a hard time. "You''re lying! She''s not dead. Let go of my hand, now!" Those words were the last words I heard coming from Erick. After that Bryan spoke up. "Buddy, I am sorry." When I heard Bryan say those words I already knew what they were planning to do. Should I feel bad or be happy with that? I couldn''t blame Bryan. I understood him. I was the one who asked him to protect Erick. He was just fulfilling his promise. A few seconds later, I heard the sound of footsteps drifting away from my location. I felt like the last string of hope that I had popped like a bubble. My world fell into pieces. I just wanted to see him one last time. I just wanted to touch him and feel his warmth one last time. I just wanted to say how much I love him for one last time. But in the end, fate didn''t allow me to do that. Why is fate always cruel to me? Why does it allow me to meet Erick, if, in the end, it will just separate us? Why does fate always separate me from people I loved? I smiled bitterly. A single tear involuntarily came out from the corner of my eyes then I was finally engulfed by darkness. Chapter 268 - 268: Too Late Captain Jason and Bryan managed to bring the unconscious Erick back to the ferry boat. The joint task force felt relieved now that they were all complete. Carl immediately turned on the engine of their ferry boat. Bryan was still having conflicting thoughts as of this moment while he was looking at Erick. He knew that once Erick woke up he would go mad. He doubted if Erick would be able to forgive him for doing this to him. With that thought in mind, Bryan couldn''t feel at ease. He kept looking back and forth between Erick and Elle. He wanted to do something for them. He knew that Erick would feel heartbroken if anything bad happens to Elle. ''But Captain Jason said Elle is already dead. I don''t think he would lie about that?'' Bryan thought to himself. He couldn''t still decide what he should do. ''D*mn! I feel miserable right now. My best friend won''t forgive me if we will just leave Elle like that.'' Bryan decided to bring her along with them. He stood up and jumped going back to M.V Athena. His colleagues as well as Erick''s parents were startled when they saw Bryan leaving their boat. June: "Bryan! Hey, come back here!" Captain Jason: "Sergeant Velasquez! What are you doing?!" Allen: "We have no much time left!!!" Everyone was now having a headache while looking at Bryan with disbelief. "Wait for another minute!" Bryan yelled as he ran towards Elle''s location. The confusion was visible to their faces as they watched Bryan''s back. "Why are Chief Lee and Sergeant Velasquez so worried about Catseye? They are very eager to save her." Allen couldn''t help but voice it out to them. June just heaved a deep sigh and shrugged while Captain Jason had an indescribable expression on his face. Brother Yan also saw what happened to their Lady Boss. Not only Bryan but also Brother Yan wanted to go to her. They were both rushing towards her direction. However, before they could go near her, there was a sudden blast in the rear side of the ship. One of the Code Bs which Phantom planted and installed just exploded thus blocking their way going to Elle. The two men cursed inwardly. Then another explosion happened on the other parts of the ship. "F*ck Sh!t! Why now?!" Bryan shouted his frustration. Then he heard his team calling him back. Brother Yan appreciated Bryan''s effort for trying to save their Lady Boss. But there was no more time left. Brother Yan knew that their Lady Boss didn''t want this fellow to be in danger so he talked to him. "Sir, I think you should go back now to your comrades. Just leave this to me." Brother Yan said to Bryan as he convinced him to leave already and escape together with his team. Even though he felt reluctant at first but Bryan had no choice. In the end, he went back to their boat and.the team started to leave the place and get away from M.V Anthena before another blast would happen. On the other hand, Brother Yan searched for another way so that he could go to Elle''s location. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Brother Yu succeeded in bringing Phantom to their boat. He also saw that the bombs which were installed by their Master had started to explode one after another. Now, he was patiently waiting for others to come. He tried to contact Brother Yan but he was not responding. He couldn''t standstill. He felt very anxious and restless as if he had a feeling that something bad happened. "Brothers¡­ don''t make me worry too much. Please call me back." Brother Yu mumbled to himself as he continued to peer his surroundings, trying his luck to see them. After a while, a figure walked over him. Brother Yu''s eyes widened as he saw the newcomer. "What happened to you?!" He exclaimed worriedly. The person who was standing before him was Brother Yan. He was wounded. His blood tainted his crew uniform. The blood was still dripping from his forehead. With his gloomy expression, Brother Yan spoke to him. "L-Lady Boss is... g-gone." Brother Yu frowned after hearing that. "What do you mean? What happened to Lady Boss? Where is she?" "She is hurt. I-I tried to save her¡­ but when I came to her location¡­ I didn''t see her there." Brother Yan said frustratedly as he clenched his fists. "While I was searching for her, another code B exploded, and some metal structure inside the Ship fell. Since my mind was very occupied at that time I failed to avoid it. Then it hit me." Brother Yan said as he explained how he got wounded. Brother Yu couldn''t believe it. He didn''t know what to say. He knew that this was a serious problem. Master Phantom fainted and he had no idea about his current condition. Then Brother Yan also got wounded. He hadn''t heard any updates from Brother Lu. And now, their Lady Boss was missing. They must find her no matter what. She was also wounded. The ship might sink after the rest of the bombs exploded. It was very chaotic there as of this moment. Dark Knight''s men were also busy evacuating the Ship in order to save their lives. Brother Yu heaved a deep sigh and said, "You''re wounded. Stay with Master Phantom. I''ll go and find Lady Boss." He was about to leave the boat when suddenly they heard another blast. This was the most powerful explosion. Brother Yan and Brother Yu watched the M.V Athena in horror. It was done. The smoke and fire spread in the different parts of the Ship like a wildfire in the forest. No one could stop this anymore. Brother Yan fell on the ground as if his energy was drained. The worry and fear clouded his eyes. On the other hand, Brother Yu froze in his spot as he watched the M.V Athena slowly sinking in the water. "F*ck! We are now too late!" Brother Yu mumbled as he clenched his jaw. Chapter 269 - 269: Mission Accomplished From a distance, the members of the Joint Task Force watched M.V Athena which was on fire as it slowly sank into the water. If there were people left inside the Ship during that big blast, there was a low chance of survival for them. Either they would sink together with the ship or die after their bodies were caught in the fire. They shivered from that thought. Luckily, they were able to escape before the explosion happened. They had no idea about this plan. No one expected nor thought of bombing the entire cruise ship. However, they had to admit that scenario gave them the advantage. In the first place, they were outnumbered by the enemies. They would have difficulty escaping given that there were large numbers of enemies who were after them. But since they heard the announcement that there were bombs, their enemies panicked. Their attention was diverted away from them as they prioritized saving their lives first rather than catching the members of the Joint Task Force. It helped them a lot to escape without hassle. And the good thing was no one among them got badly hurt. They were all safe and they succeeded in rescuing Erick''s parents. It was a mission accomplished. Thinking about that, they should be rejoicing now. However, for an unknown reason, they could feel the heavy atmosphere inside their ferry boat. The silence was deafening. There was a hint of gloominess filling the air around them as if they lost something during this mission. They kept on thinking. There were lots of absurd and unexpected things that happened all throughout this mission. The Azumi Twins kidnapped Erick''s parents and threatened him in exchange for Catseye''s life. Without their knowledge, Bryan pretended to be Catseye in front of the Azumi Twins. There were unknown people backing them. They even helped and protected them from the start until they safely escaped. And the most surprising thing was that the real Catseye appeared. She was with them all along. It seemed that Catseye''s team was the one who was helping them. A lot of questions had formed in their minds. Why did Catseye join them in this rescue mission? What is the real connection between Catseye and Erick? Did Erick already know Catseye''s identity? Was the person they saw a while ago the real Catseye? If so then does it mean Catseye died in this encounter? Carl, June, and Allen averted their gaze to the two persons who might be able to answer those questions. Erick was still unconscious and Sarah was beside him as she watched over her son. While Bryan was just standing still, unmoving in his spot as his gaze was fixed to the direction of M.V Athena. Captain Jason and Raymond were the ones piloting the ferry boat. Meanwhile, the three men were very eager to know the answers. They wanted to break the silence and talk to Bryan. They were about to start a conversation with him when they noticed that something was off with him. The three men exchanged glances with one another. Now, they were hesitating. "Is it just I or you can also see it? Is Sergeant Velasquez crying right now?" Carl asked June and Allen in a low voice. "Are those sparkling moisture in his face tears or just splash of sea waters?" Carl added. The two men also stared at Bryan intently, assessing his appearance. They couldn''t tell since they could only see his side figure. "Why do I feel that Bryan''s expression seems like he is down in the dumps?" June also shared his thoughts with his colleagues. Allen nodded in agreement. "That''s true. It is M.V Athena which is sinking right now but why do I also feel like it is Bryan''s heart, the one which is actually sinking?" Carl just shrugged and heaved a frustrated sigh. "Let''s forget asking him for now. We need to give him time and space as of this moment. It looks like Sergeant Velasquez took this incident very hard. He is still in shock." Carl said to Allen and June. "Oh, by the way, did any of you contact the South Carolina''s Coastguard? Have you reported this incident already?" Carl changed the topic. "Yes. I already gave them a short briefing of what happened. Captain Jason commanded me a while ago to contact the coastguard right away. They might be alarmed if they learned that a cruise ship just exploded so I explained to them the essential information so that they won''t panic." Allen replied to him. "Alright. It seems like we have a lot of explaining to do, especially to our superiors." Carl said worriedly. The three men just took a deep breath. They just wished that everything would be fine and they wouldn''t be punished severely by their superiors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, the Azumi Twins as well as some members of the Dark Knight Organization were also able to escape successfully before the final explosion happened. However, compared to their original numbers before, only a few managed to survive. They lost a lot of men during this mission. Only four speedboats remained, carrying less than twenty members of Dark Knight''s men including Kelsy, Kevin, Ship Captains, and the Ship crews. After leaving the area and docking on land, the Azumi Twins rushed into the nearby hospital. Kevin was severely injured in his right eye. Kelsy was so worried about her twin. Will the doctor be able to save his eye? Kelsy was anxiously waiting outside the operating room. Until now, she was fuming in anger because of Black Shadow''s betrayal. She was sitting on the bench when one member of Dark Knight approached her. The man stretched his arm as he gave her his mobile phone. Kelsy just looked at him indifferently with her eyebrows raised. "Senior Alfonzo wants to talk to you." the man said to her. After hearing that, Kels immediately accepted the phone. Then she signaled the man to leave. The man didn''t say a word and complied with her command. Kelsy gathered herself first as she concealed her fury and irritation. She took a deep breath before she spoke up. "Hello Senior Alfonso! I am glad that you called me first. I am about to call you and inform you about the good news. We accomplished the mission successfully. Catseye is now dead!" Kelsy said to him cheerfully using her sweet voice. "Is that so?" Alfonso replied to her apathetically. He didn''t sound pleased at all. Kelsy frowned after hearing his very short and simple response. "I said the infamous Devilish Assassin, Catseye is now dead. Why are you not happy Senior Alfonso?" Alfonso let out a sarcastic laugh. "Are you really asking me why I didn''t sound happy at all? Are you sure you have no idea at all?" There was a sense of danger in his voice as he mocked her. Kelsy''s grasp on the phone tightened as she clenched her teeth. Her expression darkened. But she tried to suppress her anger and acted calm as she continued to talk to Alfonso. "What are you talking about, Senior Alfonso?" Kelsy said in a calm manner while feigning ignorance. Alfonso let out another harsh laugh. There was no hint of humor at all. "Oh dear Kelsy¡­ you are so bold. You want me to spell it out for you? Tsk Tsk Tsk." Alfonso clicked his tongue as he showed her that he was utterly disappointed with their action. "Do you take me as a fool?" Alfonso said sarcastically. His stern cold voice was a clear indication that he was also enraged right now. "Our men also reported to me what happened. Who would be happy after hearing that one of our Cruise Ship which is worth billions just exploded and sank in the middle of the sea?!" Alfonso was now really serious. He even raised his voice to her. "F*ck [email protected]!t! We even lost around a hundred men just to kill one person!!! Are you really the most skilled and elite assassins of that Guild?" Alfonso was now venting his anger and frustration to Kelsy. On the other hand, Kelsey just rolled her eyes while listening to Alfonso''s rant. "Only eighty plus men Senior Alfonso, not hundred." Kelsy simply said as she corrected Alfonso. Kelsy was already in a bad mood. She didn''t want to be affected by Alfonso''s ridiculing words. She didn''t care. "Senior Alfonso¡­ let''s talk another time. Cool yourself down first. Just be happy. Our Mission was done! I am busy. Bye! Bye!" Kelsy didn''t wait for him to say another word as she quickly hung up the phone. They were supposed to rejoice for this so-called ''Mission Accomplished'' but it seemed that both parties were not happy at all with the outcome. Chapter 270 - 270: Shes Not Dead! On the same night, police investigators and coastguards responded immediately after they received the report regarding the M.V Athena that exploded on the coast of South Carolina. The reporters got a hold of this information also. After docking in the port, Bryan and Erick''s parents brought Erick into the hospital since he was wounded. He got shot after protecting Elle during their encounter with the Azumi Twins. Captain Jason and the rest of the team stayed behind to give their statements about the previous incident. Because of this, the Dark Knight wouldn''t have a peaceful night tonight. The authorities would investigate the connection between the owner of M.V. Athena and the Azumi Twins. Dark Knight''s operation would be compromised once the investigation would start. They should clean this mess and hide their trace as soon as possible or else the Dark Lord would surely erupt in fury once this incident would get out of their hands and might affect their other operations. Alfonso Ramirez had no choice but to travel back to City Z tonight. He was still in the countryside when he received the reports of this incident from their men. He was the one who would be blamed for this. This operation was his responsibility, to begin with. He was confident that everything would go according to Azumi''s plan but in the end, the outcome was very different from their expectation. He was utterly disappointed. According to them, Catseye was killed but the price they paid just to kill her was too much. Now, he was put in a difficult situation. He couldn''t consider this as a joyful occasion. It seemed that they had more losses than gains. ''Is Catseye''s life really worth this much?'' This was the thought in Alfonso''s mind after thinking of the possible consequences. He was cursing inwardly as he remembered his last phone call with Kelsy. "She dared hang up the phone when I was not yet done talking to her. [email protected]!t!" He was now boarding his private plane. He was rushing back to City Z before another complication would arise. He even contacted their people in the authorities to help him fix this problem. He must ensure that the Dark Knight Organization would not be implicated in this incident. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Arison''s Residence *** It was already 10:00 o''clock in the evening but James was still up. After getting Elle''s rejection of his proposal, James occupied himself with the company''s matter as well as Skull Gang''s operation. He wanted to keep his mind busy or else he would keep thinking about Elle. He was in his study flipping some doc.u.ments when his phone rang. It was a call coming from Spike. Since James was very immersed in what he was currently doing his phone rang for some time before he was able to notice it. A deep frown appeared on his tired face when he learned that it was Spike who was calling him. His interest was piqued. Spike won''t disturb him at this hour if this was not something important. James immediately pressed the answer button and the call got connected. "What is it?" James promptly asked him. "Boss¡­ something big happened tonight." Spike replied to him. "Alright. Go on." James just continued flipping the doc.u.ments using his other hand as he listened to Spike. "A cruise ship owned by Dark Knight Organization exploded and sank in South Carolina''s coast at around 9:00 o''clock this evening." James''s lips twitched into a triumphant smile after hearing that. "Whoah. That''s a piece of good news. I am also planning to do that but it seems that someone already took this job for us. To whom do I owe this great act? Who is responsible for this?" Spike paused for a moment as if he was hesitating to continue. He was not yet done telling him the full details but James already thought that it was great news. Spike was wondering if James would still consider this as a piece of good news once he learned the full details. "Hey, Spike. Are you still there? Did you not hear me?" Spike cleared his throat and apologized to James for his silence a while ago. "Sorry Boss. I am still here. Yes, I heard you." "Good. So tell me what exactly happened." Spike could sense that James was now in a bright mood because of what he had told him. He continued to supply him with more information, slowly and carefully. He didn''t want to shock him. Actually, when he learned about the incident he was also shocked. So now, Spike was not sure how James would react after knowing the whole story. "I heard that the Joint Task Force was involved in this." James frowned and asked Spike curiously, "You mean, Erick''s team? The team that was assigned to Catseye''s case?" "Yes, Boss." James couldn''t help letting out a chuckle upon hearing that. "Wow. I should commend them for that. But wait, why did they do that? Bombing a cruise ship? I can''t believe it!" James could no longer suppress his laughter. He found it very amusing. "Actually, they were not the only ones. I heard that Catseye and another pair of assassins known as Azumi Twins were also involved." Just a mere mention of Catseye was enough to make James become more interested in this. His laughter immediately stopped. He was now all ears to Spike as he put down the doc.u.ments in the table. James straightened on his seat and probed, "Elle was also there? What happened? Did the Joint Task Force catch her?" There was a hint of worry in his voice. Then James heard Spike take a deep breath before he continued speaking to him. "According to our source from the investigation department, the Joint Task Force was there for a rescue mission. The Azumi Twins together with some men held Erick''s parents as their hostages." Astonishment flickered through James''s eyes but he just kept silent as he didn''t want to interrupt him. "I think Catseye was there to help them. They said it was Catseye who planted the bombs on the cruise ship. Boss, Catseye was the main target of the Azumi Twins and I guess the members of the Dark Knight Organization were also there to assist the Twins." James knitted his brows and his face became frosty with a sudden surge of anger illuminating in his eyes. ''They wanted to hurt, Elle. I won''t let the Dark Knight do that.'' He promised to himself. Cutting the chase, James asked him."So what happened to Elle? Is she safe?" "Boss¡­ I am afraid to tell you but... Catseye was killed in that encounter." There was a moment of complete silence when Spike said that. After what it seemed like forever, James''s voice was heard again from the other line. "Come again? What did you say?" There was a hint of confusion and uncertainty in his voice. But it was more likely a denial. Spike became more anxious. He didn''t know if he could repeat those words again knowing that James would react negatively. ''[email protected]! Why do I feel like a storm is about to come?'' Spike thought to himself. Now he was regretting calling James tonight. ''I should have let him watch the news rather than informing him personally.'' Spike mumbled to himself. Spike knew that this would be the number one news on the television and the internet. Catseye belonged to the most wanted criminal and her death would shake the underground world and the country. But for some reason, Spike decided to inform James right away the moment he heard the news from their men. He could not deny the fact that James truly cared about Catseye. He knew that James would not be happy to hear this bad news. He was also concerned about how he would be able to take this. But Spike had no choice but to tell him. "Catseye died in this mission," Spike said to him once again. Thud! The phone slipped on James''s hand as his grasp loosened after hearing again that shocking bad news. Spike''s last sentence kept repeating in James''s mind. It seemed like his world just fell apart. Then his heart constricted inside his chest- an alarming feeling of tightness as he felt very suffocated. His mind was in shambles. He couldn''t believe it...No! he didn''t want to believe it nor accept it. "No way! She''s not dead! She''s not! She can''t die!" Chapter 271 - 271: Number One News Headline As expected, last night''s incident became the number one news headline in the media and the internet the next morning. The news regarding Catseye''s death spread fast in the entire country. [ Assassin was Killed by Fellow Assassins ] [ Catseye, the Devilish Assassin Died in the Encounter at South Carolina''s Coast ] [ Catseye''s Body Sank Along with M.V Athena at the Middle of the South Carolina''s Coast ] [ Catseye Got Caught in the Explosion. ] These were some of the articles written in the tabloid and posted on the internet. Underground syndicates felt relieved hearing this good news. Another threat was removed. Assassin Guild was also rejoicing since they believed that they finally got their revenge. Meanwhile, at City M, Antoine turned on the Television while Charles was preparing their breakfast. It was part of Antoine''s morning routine to watch the morning news program. This was one of his habits that Charles had noticed since he started living with him under one roof. Charles would make their coffee and then he would join him in the living room as they watched the news together. This became one of their bonding sessions every morning. This morning was no exception. Charles was wearing his bright smile as he held the two cups of coffee in his two hands. He walked towards the living room where Antoine was currently watching a morning news program on the television. { Breaking News } { The Devilish Assassin also known as Catseye was killed in the encounter last night at South Carolina''s Coast. According to the police authorities, Catseye was shot and killed before the M.V Athena sank in the water because of the big explosion. } A female reporter''s voice could be heard in the entire living room as she narrated that information. The video they were showing on the television was the area where M.V Athena sank. Several numbers of coastguard''s boats scattered in the area. The shipwreck and some parts of M.V Athena were floating in the sea. { The coastguard is currently doing its retrieval operation. They managed to retrieve several dead bodies. Some of them are not recognizable because they got caught in the fire. } Pak! Pak! The sound of glasses dropping on the floor- breaking and shattering sound, was suddenly heard. When Antoine turned around to see what happened, he saw Charles''s pale face looking shocked and frightened. The two cups of coffee he was holding before was now on the floor. He subconsciously dropped those cups after hearing the news. "U-Uncle Antoine¡­ are my ears playing tricks on me because I am missing Elle a lot? Tell me, I just heard it wrong, right? She is not referring to Catseye that we know, right Uncle?" Charles said to Antoine desperately. He even let out a soft chuckle as he shook his head. Antoine did not know what to say. He just stared at Charles worriedly. Even he himself couldn''t believe it. He was confused as of this moment. "Uncle Antoine! P-Please... say something. Answer me!" This time Charles felt the surge of a panic building inside him as he talked to him with a trembling voice. There was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. Antoine''s silence was making him more anxious. Then after a few seconds, finally Antoine spoke up. "Charles, calm down first. I didn''t know what really happened and why suddenly there was this kind of news about Catseye." After hearing that, Charles immediately dashed towards his room, rushing to pick his phone. He needed to have an answer now or else he would go crazy just thinking about it. With his trembling hands, he dialed Elle''s number. His tension lessened when he heard that it was ringing. "Please Elle, pick it up. Answer my call. I need to hear your voice." Charles mumbled as he waited for the call to be connected. However, after several rings, no one answered the phone. Then Charles checked his time. It''s only 6:30 in the morning. "Oh, she might still be sleeping." He said as he was convincing himself. Then he began cursing inwardly. He was nervous. He was afraid. He needed to hear her voice no matter what. He dialed her number over and over again but to his disappointment, no one responded. Then he remembered Master Phantom. This time he dialed his number. But his phone was unattended. He felt really helpless. He needed to talk to someone and ensure that Elle was alright. He thought about Erick but he didn''t have his number. Then Bryan popped up in his mind. He immediately called him but even Bryan was not answering. "[email protected]! What''s happening here?! Why the hell they are not answering my call!" After a few minutes of trying to contact people in his phonebook''s list, someone answered his call. Among the henchmen of Phantom, it was Brother Chou who finally answered Bryan''s call. "Where is Master Phantom? I want to talk to him!" Charles said as soon as the call got connected. "Brother Charles?" Brother Chou was a little bit surprised hearing Charles''s anxious voice. They were still at the hospital. They also didn''t know what was happening on their Master''s end. "I said, where''s Master?" Charles repeated his question while feeling impatient. "He went back to city Z a few days ago together with Brother Yu, Yan and Lu. It seems like they have an important mission to do together with Lady Boss." Brother Chou answered him obediently upon sensing the urgency in Charles''s voice. After that, Charles absentmindedly hung up the phone as he weakly sat down on his bed. "Mission? What kind of Mission? Elle didn''t mention anything to me. She just called me two days ago." The fear he felt intensified. His heartbeat quickened. ''What if Elle¡­'' Charles didn''t want to think about it. He shook his head as if he was trying to push the thought in the back of his mind. "It can''t be. This is impossible. That''s right. Erick won''t let anything happen to her. I know he will protect Elle at all costs." Charles was still trying his best to convince himself that nothing bad happened to Elle. "Charles¡­" Antoine''s voice snapped back Charles from the dazed. Charles averted his gaze in the direction of that voice only to see Antoine standing in front of his bedroom door. "Uncle Antoine. Let''s go back to City Z right now! I need to see Elle!" Charles said to him pleadingly. Antoine just nodded at him in agreement. Soon the two of them left City M as they set on a journey going back to City Z. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At City Z *** Meanwhile, Charles was not the only one who had seen that shocking news early this morning. Black Shadow also saw it. He was now staying at his new apartment. The news report regarding Catseye''s death just finished flashing on the television. Black Shadow was just staring at his flat-screen TV with an indescribable expression on his face. He was having conflicting thoughts about this. "The kitten just died??? This is unbelievable. I told her to give Azumi Twins a good beating, not to die in their hands. This is not the outcome that I am expecting." Black Shadow didn''t know what to feel as of this moment. "[email protected] you Catseye! You are really unfair. Is this how you pay me after I served as your driver before?" There was a hint of disbelief in his voice. Black Shadow couldn''t help letting out a mocking laugh. After laughing, there was a dark glint in his eyes as his expression became serious. It did not take long when his ringtone echoed in the entire room. Feeling irritated with the noise as it interrupted his deep thought, Black Shadow stood up to check his phone. His brows were drawn together the moment he saw the unfamiliar number on his phone screen. "Who the hell is trying to call me so early this morning?" Black Shadow mumbled before answering the call. As soon as the call got through, Kelsy''s angry voice could be heard from the other line. "F*ck you, Black! You lied to me! You betrayed me! I won''t forgive you! How dare you do this to us? Because of you, my brother got injured in his right eye and now he lost his sight! [email protected] you! You did this because of the b!tch woman?! She bewitched you! I will make sure that you will regret this Black!" Black Shadow was stunned in a moment after hearing that. It seemed like Catseye had told them something or else Kelsy wouldn''t be mad like this. Seconds later, Black Shadow''s lips curled up into a satisfied smile. It seemed like Catseye succeeded in giving the twins a lesson. "You have no right to talk to me like that. And don''t involve her in this. This is a conflict between us. Besides, I don''t really care. It was you who betrayed me first. Did you forget? You used me several times in the past. I''m just returning you the favor. You should be grateful for that. You know I could have done more than that." Without waiting for Kelsy''s response, Black Shadow hung up the phone. He immediately blocked her number. Black Shadow was enraged after Kelsy mentioned Marie. This was her fault in the first place then why she had to threaten him again using Marie. Because of them, Marie almost lost her life and now she even lost her memory. And Black Shadow was feeling miserable since then. He couldn''t accept the fact that Marie couldn''t even remember him. "I should thank Catseye for this. But I doubt if I could still tell her personally. Are you really gone, Kitten?" Chapter 272 - 272: Painful Cries *** At South Carolina''s Hospital *** Last night, the doctor successfully removed the bullet at the back part of Erick''s shoulder. Because of the anesthesia and medicine injected to Erick, he slept all night. Bryan and Erick''s parents stayed with him in the hospital. Bryan felt horrible since last night. He didn''t recover yet from the shock of everything that happened last night. He couldn''t sleep and felt restless. He was also thinking about Elle. If he was feeling miserable right now then how much more Erick would feel once he woke up and found out that Elle was gone. Bryan couldn''t imagine the hurt and pain Erick would feel. If he was blaming himself then how much more Erick? This was the first time Bryan felt this kind of fear. Fear of losing his best friend. Fear of seeing his best friend heartbroken. Fear of his best friend hating him. Bryan was looking so stressed. The dark circles underneath his eyes were visible. His eyes were red because of a lack of sleep and crying for several hours. Although he had tried hard, still, he couldn''t hold the tears from flowing since last night. Sarah saw Bryan sitting on the bench outside Erick''s ward. She decided to approach him. "Dear, you should go home first. Erick is now fine. His wound is not that serious so don''t worry about him. You should rest first. You are not looking good, dear. You might get sick." Sarah softly said to Bryan as she sat down beside him. Bryan gazed up to look at her. He was having complicated feelings. ''Aunt. I couldn''t leave. I must stay here and accompany him. I don''t know if he can handle the truth about Elle''s death.'' Bryan thought to himself. He wanted to tell Sarah but he couldn''t. Erick''s parents had no idea about Elle''s identity as Catseye. They didn''t even know that the woman Erick was trying to rescue in that Ship was Elle. How would they react if they knew the truth? Will they hate Elle since she is a wanted criminal or they will feel sad after knowing that Elle died? They were unaware of how Erick would feel after waking up without Elle by his side. Only Bryan would know how painful it would be for him, that''s why he should stay with Erick and comfort him. However, he didn''t know how he would be able to comfort him. "Aunt Sarah¡­ I am fine. I want to stay here. I will wait for Erick to wake up." "Alright. Thank you for saving us. I am very grateful to your team." "Don''t thank us. It is our job. Besides, you are also important to us. We are willing to help each other as a team in a situation like that." Sarah smiled at him. Then suddenly Sarah remembered someone. "Oh¡­ how about my daughter-in-law, Elle. Does she know what happened to us and Erick? She might be waiting for us at home. I should call her." A mere mention of Elle''s name was enough to make Bryan''s eyes misty. He felt the lump in his throat and the tightness inside his chest. He couldn''t respond to Sarah. Bryan clenched his jaw while suppressing the urge to cry in front of Sarah. Sarah didn''t notice the complicated expression of Bryan. She stood up. In her mind, she wanted to find a payphone near the hospital so that she could call Elle whom she thought was staying at home waiting for them. "Your daughter-in-law is an extraordinary woman. She is a brave one. She was the one who did a lot of work during this mission in order to save you, Aunt Sara." Bryan mumbled in a low voice as he watched Sarah''s retreating back. After that Bryan buried his face using his both hands. The guilt he felt for not able to save Elle was torturing him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was already 3:00 o''clock in the afternoon when Erick finally woke up. Raymond and Sarah went out to buy some food and other things that they needed while they were still in the hospital. The husband and wife also decided to drop by at Erick''s place to see Elle and inform her personally of what happened. It was Bryan who remained in the hospital, watching over Erick. When Erick opened his eyes, he noticed an unfamiliar environment. That moment he knew he was no longer inside the M.V Athena instead he was in the hospital. Then he felt alarmed when he remembered the last scene before he lost his consciousness. He was rushing to save Elle but Captain Jason stopped him. Erick immediately sat up. That sudden forceful movement caused him to feel the pain in his body especially on the part of his injury. "Argh!" He groaned. That''s when Bryan noticed that Erick already regained consciousness. "Erick! Be careful! Are you hurt? Wait¡­ I will call the doctor." Bryan exclaimed with his worried voice. He panicked when he saw Erick in pain. When he was about to leave Bryan felt a large arm grabbing his elbow. He stopped as his attention moved back to Erick. Bryan saw Erick''s questioning gaze. With just one look from him, Bryan''s heart sank as fast as a penny in a pond. The air was filled with overbearing tension the moment Erick spoke up. "Where is Elle? Is she safe? Is she also here in the hospital? Bring me to her!" Bryan could hear the helplessness and worry in Erick''s voice. And his eyes, he couldn''t look straight at his eyes which were giving him a hopeful look. Bryan was tongue-tied at that moment. He didn''t know what to respond to him. Erick was hoping¡­ hoping that Elle was also there in the hospital receiving treatment just like him. "Bryan!" Erick called his name firmly, waiting for his reply. "Erick¡­ I''m sorry." Bryan finally burst out. "Bryan¡­ that''s not the words I am expecting to hear from you. I am asking where is Elle. That''s not the answer to my question." Erick flatly said to Bryan. Bryan could no longer hold his tears as they rolled down from the corner of his eyes one drop after another. He clenched his fists and looked down. "Elle is gone," Bryan said in a low voice which was almost a whisper. The remaining hope that Erick had was killed in an instant by Bryan''s last three words. Erick''s grip on Bryan''s elbow loosened as if he let go of the rope that could only save his life. The light in Erick''s eyes disappeared. It was replaced by dullness and emptiness. It seemed like his world just stopped revolving and it was slowly falling into pieces. His expression was blank but deep inside there was a storm of feelings swirling around. He felt utterly devastated. No words could express nor describe the pain he was feeling right now. Nothing hurt more than having one''s hope crushed, not even death. Why? Why is this happening? Elle''s beautiful face crossed his mind. Erick felt like he was dying right now and his heart was being stabbed by billions of knives. He wished he could just die for him not to feel this pain. "Leave¡­" Erick mumbled in a low voice. But Bryan remained standing beside his sickbed. "I said Leave!" This time his voice was a little bit louder. Bryan didn''t move an inch. He was reluctant to leave Erick. What if Erick would do something to himself? "No. I will stay here beside you. Your parents asked me to watch over you." Bryan said stubbornly. "I SAID GET OUT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Erick shouted at him. Bryan jolted in fright. He was surprised by Erick''s sudden burst out of anger. "I-I¡­ " Bryan stuttered. He wanted to say he won''t leave but he stopped midway when he saw Erick closing his eyes as he lay down to his sickbed. Bryan felt hurt and defeated. He had no choice but to leave. This was the first time in his whole life that he heard Erick shouted at him like that. He knew that Erick wanted to have time and space alone. He mustered his remaining strength to take a step as he slowly left his ward. After a few seconds, the sound of the door closing was heard. The moment Erick heard that the feelings he was trying to suppress and hide a while ago just came out uncontrollably. Unknown to Erick, Bryan was just there, leaning behind the closed door. He was crying along with him. Bryan could hear his whimpers and his painful cries as Erick called out Elle''s name over and over again. Chapter 273 - 273: Shouldnt Let Her Stay By Your Side Bryan remained standing outside the door of Erick''s ward for almost an hour. He looked like a personal bodyguard. He didn''t even let the nurses enter his room when it was time to check Erick''s vitals and his condition. Sensing that something was off with Bryan''s expression, the nurse didn''t insist on coming in. Bryan thanked her and just asked her to come back again later. Bryan was in deep thoughts when he heard a familiar voice. "Bryan¡­ is Erick inside?" He was surprised to see Charles in front of him. There were still bruises visible in his face. ''What is he doing here?'' Bryan thought to himself. "Yes. How did you know that Erick is here?" Bryan asked him back. "Through his parents. I saw them a while ago at Erick''s place." Charles replied to him. "Can you move? I want to see him," Charles added. But Bryan stopped him. "Sorry, Buddy. I can''t allow you to enter. Erick is not receiving a visitor today. Just come back tomorrow." Bryan was oblivious of the reason why Charles suddenly appeared and wanted to meet Erick. However, Charles couldn''t care less about Bryan who was trying to block his way. Charles took a seven-hour journey just to reach City Z today. Antoine was with him when they headed straight at Erick''s place. That''s the time he met Erick''s parents. Sarah and Raymond were also puzzled when they didn''t see Elle in the house. Then Charles arrived in front of the doorstep asking for Elle. When he failed to get an answer, he decided to ask them about Erick''s whereabouts. They hadn''t informed him about the full details of what happened. Sarah just told him that Erick was currently admitted to South Carolina''s Hospital. After hearing that, he immediately bade them goodbye as Antoine and Charles drove fast going to the hospital. Now, he was standing outside Erick''s ward but for an unknown reason, Bryan was stopping him from entering the room. Charles was becoming more impatient since he was now worried-sick about Elle. In a hurry to find Elle, Charles forcefully shoved Bryan off and he quickly barged inside the room. "Hey! Did you not hear me?! I said you are not allowed to enter." Bryan yelled at him with disbelief. Charles just ignored Bryan''s complaints as he continued to walk over. Erick was now standing near the hospital''s window. He was staring blankly outside. He remained unmoving in his spot as if he didn''t hear the ruckus between Bryan and Charles. Charles just only took several large strides before he reached Erick. He didn''t beat around the bush as he promptly asked Erick, not minding his disrespectful manner after entering the room forcibly. "Chief Lee¡­ where''s Elle? She is somewhere safe, right? The news written in this are all fake, right? Tell me!" Charles said as he demanded an answer from him. He even stretched his arm which was holding a newspaper. He was showing Erick the news report regarding Elle''s death or rather Catseye''s death. On the other hand, Bryan who followed Charles inside halted on his step. He heard what Charles had said to Erick and the newspaper in his hand. Bryan looked at the two men confusedly, particularly to Charles. ''How come he knew about Elle''s identity as Catseye?'' Bryan was wondering to himself. Meanwhile, Erick remained silent as his gaze fell on the newspaper in Charles''s hand. His expression darkened immediately then he grabbed the newspaper out of Charles''s grasp. He scanned it. A few seconds later, Erick''s grip on the newspaper tightened. Not yet satisfied, Erick crumpled it in front of Charles and Bryan. Erick was emanating a cold and frightening aura. Bryan and Charles were both taken aback by his action. He appeared to be a different person compared to the Erick that they know. His eyes, there was no hint of warmth in them. However, to Charles''s mind, he didn''t have time to feel intimidated at him. He wanted an answer. He needed to hear that Elle was just fine. "Erick! Answer me! Where is Elle?" Upon hearing Elle''s name, Erick''s expression changed a little. His lifeless cold eyes showed a glint of despair and deep sorrow. "Elle¡­" Erick mumbled absentmindedly. He repeated Elle''s name several times as if he didn''t hear Charles''s question at all. It looked like his mind just focused on Elle''s name. Charles looked at Erick strangely. Then he turned to Bryan as if asking him ''what the hell is happening to him?''. It seemed that Erick was not in his right mind as of this moment. As Erick continued mumbling Elle''s name, the tears involuntarily came out of his eyes, pouring continuously like raindrops. Seeing Erick like that Charles could only draw his conclusion. Erick''s action was enough to get the answer to his question. Charles felt very weak in an instant. He almost fell if he was not able to lean on the wall. "No! No! It couldn''t be! We were just talking two nights ago. She said to me that she would wait for my return. Elle even told me that from now on, we will try our best to live happily with no regrets!" Charles started to act hysterically. Charles was losing his mind. He stared at Erick with bloodshot eyes. He felt the sudden surge of anger for the man in front of him. Charles couldn''t control his fury and frustration as he charged towards Erick, throwing him a punch on his face. Thud! "NO! Stop it!" Bryan exclaimed as he hurriedly ran in between the two men. He wanted to stop Charles from further hurting Erick. He tried his best to hold Charles. Erick fell backward due to the impact of Charles''s punch. But he didn''t feel the pain at all. There was something more painful than receiving this punch from someone. "You f*cksh!t! I thought you would be able to protect her that''s why I left her in your care! [email protected]! I am so stupid to believe that! I should have convinced her to stay away from you! I shouldn''t let her stay by your side! You caused this! You are the one who killed her! Pak! Bryan slapped Charles in the face after hearing the last sentence he said to Erick. Erick was already hurting this much. How dare he say those hurtful words to him!?? That slap was a wake-up call to Charles. Seeing Bryan looking very mad at him and Erick''s sorry state, he knew he went overboard and had said something he shouldn''t. But he couldn''t take those words back anymore. Then the ward was engulfed by deafening silence. Everyone was having gloomy expressions on their faces, intensifying the already sullen atmosphere inside. They were in that very awkward silence when Erick''s parents entered the room. Sarah and Raymond looked at the three men standing by the window with confusion. The husband and wife exchanged glances with one another having the same question in mind. ''What are they doing there? What''s wrong with their expressions?'' Then Sarah gasped in shock when she noticed something. There was blood in the left corner of Erick''s lips while there was a red mark on Charles''s left face which appeared to be a person''s palm. She didn''t say a word but she already knew that there was a fight that happened here before they arrived. Bryan didn''t know how to explain things to Erick''s parents. He somehow guessed that Raymond and Sarah already grasped the situation. Charles also felt embarrassed when Erick''s parents caught them in that state. After all, he was the culprit who just punched their injured son in his ward. No one spoke among them until Erick walked back to his sickbed as if the fight a while ago never happened. He lay down again and closed his eyes, indicating that he didn''t want to talk to anyone. Bryan was the one who broke the silence first. "Visiting hours is done. Uncle and Aunt, we will leave now. My friend and I will just come back tomorrow." Bryan politely said to the husband and wife before he grabbed Charles''s hand, dragging him out of the room. Raymond and Sarah just nodded at them. Charles slightly made a bow to bid them goodbye. They knew that something was wrong but the husband and wife didn''t want to disturb Erick. He looked like he wanted to rest. But Raymond and Sarah knew their son very well. They somehow sensed that he was intentionally ignoring them or rather he was deliberately hiding something from them. Chapter 274 - 274: Jamess Revenge Branch Leaders and high-ranking members of Skull Gang were all gathered at the meeting room in the main headquarters. James called them for a very important matter. Since James took over as the head of Skull Gang this was the second time he called for an emergency meeting wherein all the high ranking members of the Gang were gathered in one place despite their busy operations. The first time he organized a meeting like this was when Jorge Arison was assassinated. This time it looked like there was another serious matter they needed to deal with for calling out their presence. There were approximately fifty Branch Leaders and higher-ups who were able to show up. They were waiting for James to speak up. No one among them dared to speak first. By just looking at James''s face, they could tell that he was not in a good mood. He was sitting in one corner of that long oval-shaped table. The tension grew by minutes. James was emanating a very cold and frightening aura that made everyone chill by just observing on the side. Once he was angry he possessed the same domineering aura of his father. They felt really intimidated. That''s why even though James was still young he got the respect and admiration of all the members. Jorge Arison really prepared him well to become the next leader of this organization. When everyone was already settled down on their seats, James immediately discussed the main agenda of this meeting. " I seek your presence today because I am about to give you a very important mission today. As we all know, the Dark Knight Organization was the one responsible for my father''s death." After hearing his first remarks, everyone nodded as they were now aware of this truth. Some showed an expression of fury. They wanted to get revenge for their former leader. They didn''t expect that Dark Knight Organization would be this cunning and had done the first move to attack them by killing their Leader. "Just give us your order and we will do our best to fulfill it." One of the branch leaders spoke up to show his support for James''s decision and plans. Others also agreed on him. "Gather our most elite fighters and mobilize them. Tonight, I want you to attack five branches of Dark Knight Organization here at City Z and to other nearby Cities! Destroy them!" James gave them the order using his firm authoritative voice. There was a glint of vengeance in his eyes when he was saying those words. Meanwhile, everyone was rendered speechless hearing his order. It seemed that James wanted to go in an all-out war. And the most shocking thing was he wanted to do it tonight. As in tonight! They wondered what triggered him to do this. At first, he wanted to do his revenge little by little, snatching Dark Knight''s resources and sabotaging their transaction and operation in secret. But now, James had changed his mind and decided to face the enemies head-on. They didn''t know if this was the right thing to do. The members had different thoughts about this. They preferred his first plan more than this new one. Seeing the hesitation in their faces, James''s expression darkened. He won''t allow them to oppose his decision. He wanted to do this to satiate his anger towards the Dark Knight Organization. They dared touch the woman he liked! He was doing this not just to avenge his father but also to avenge Elle. "If you won''t agree with my decision then you are now free to leave this organization! I don''t need cowards people!" They immediately apologized to him as they were threatened by James''s words. They asked him not to misunderstand their silence. They didn''t dare to oppose him. With that, James was satisfied with their response. He didn''t waste more time as he wrapped it up. "Do well in this mission and I will give you rewards after this. Don''t disappoint me! I want to see a good result tonight. This is all for today. Meeting adjourned!" ...¡­???????... Nighttime came and the Skull Gang launched their surprised attack at the five branches of Dark Knight Organization. Dark Knight didn''t anticipate this move that''s why Skull Gang got the upper hand in these battles. No Mercy! Skull Gang showed Dark Knight their wrath as they destroyed their five branches at the same time that night. Many Dark Knight''s members were killed in the encounter. They were not able to fight back. Skull Gang only got a few fatalities. It was a complete loss for Dark Knight. It would take some time for them to recover. Dark Lord learned about the bad news that happened to their branches. He was fuming in fury but it was already too late. He couldn''t do something to stop it. In just one night, the underground world was shaken up. Skull Gang''s attack made everyone in turmoil. It was a clear indication of waging a war with the Dark Knight Organization. Now, the start of a long power battle between these two big organizations had just begun. After this tragic incident, the Dark Knight Organization came into realization. Their efforts of killing Catseye was put into vain. They just wasted their time and resources targeting a mere assassin since, in the end, Skull Gang still learned the truth about their involvement in the assassination of Jorge Arison. On the same night, James Arison left City Z as he went abroad using his private jet. This move was also necessary just in case Dark Knight would try to attack again the Skull Gang Head. But unknown to others, he had also other personal reasons for doing that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** South Carolina''s Hospital *** Sarah and Raymond were worried about Erick. They could tell that something was off since he was behaving oddly in front of them. His food also remained untouched since this afternoon, even the dinner they prepared for him. He was unusually very quiet. Though his face was void of any emotion, Sarah could feel that Erick was not fine at all. This was the very first time they saw their son acting like this. ''What happened? What''s wrong with him? Is he in shock?'' The husband and wife couldn''t help but ponder within themselves. Erick seemed like he was not paying attention to his surroundings. He was spacing out with a blank expression on his face. He was there physically but it looked like his mind was wandering in a different place. Raymond urged his wife to talk with Erick. He couldn''t bear to see him like this anymore. If he had a problem or something was bothering him then as his parents, they wanted him to know that they were there for him. Erick was lying on his sickbed. Though his eyes were closed, Sarah knew that he was still awake. So, she sat down on the side of his bed as she tried to engage a conversation with him. "My son¡­ Erick?" Sarah called him softly as she touched his hand. Upon hearing his mother''s gentle voice Erick opened his eyes. He sat up and faced her. There was a wave of emotions flashing in his eyes as he looked into his mother''s concerned eyes. In an instant, the wall he tried to build since he woke up today just collapsed. He felt really miserable and helpless. The pain and sorrow were drowning him. He needed to find a release or else he would really go mad for real. No need to say a word, Sarah already saw the overwhelming sadness in Erick''s eyes thus she stretched her arms and pulled Erick into a warm hug. Raymond just watched the mother and son duo quietly on the side. After a few seconds, Sarah could feel Erick''s trembling body in her arms as he began to sob. Erick could no longer hide nor suppress his emotions anymore. Though she was startled and felt puzzled, Sarah just hugged Erick more tightly as she rubbed and patted his back, trying to comfort him. Then Erick spoke something in between his cries. "Mom¡­ Elle¡­.she is Catseye and she is¡­ she is-" Erick couldn''t say the last word ''gone''. He couldn''t accept it yet. With that one sentence coming from Erick, Raymond and Sarah found the answers to their questions. They were shocked by this revelation. However, their feelings towards Elle didn''t change. They didn''t want to jump into conclusion and judge her right away. Now, they could understand why Erick was acting like this. He appeared to be hurting so much as of this moment. Sarah and Raymond also felt heartbroken and sad about what happened. ''So the Catseye he was trying to save last night is Elle.'' Chapter 275 - 275: Catseyes Case Closed Two days had passed since the encounter happened at South Carolina''s coast. The members of the joint task force who were involved in that incident were summoned by their Unit Head and superiors. Because they hid this operation to their superiors, all members of Team Alpha Cinco and Special Task Force Eagles were slightly reprimanded. They even got a one-week suspension as punishment. But at the same time, they were praised by their Unit Head and congratulated the whole team. Since Catseye was now dead then the case related to Catseye would now be officially resolved. Along with the closing of Catseye''s case, the Unit Head also asked them to give a comprehensive report regarding the whole incident. That incident was a great benefit for the XXX Crime Investigation Bureau. Since Casteye was a high-profiled criminal, the government officials were planning to promote the members of the Joint Task Force in a much higher position or rank. After facing their Unit Head, the team decided to visit Erick in the hospital after lunchtime. Bryan headed to the hospital first without waiting for his colleagues. When he reached Erick''s ward he saw Sarah panicking. "Aunt Sarah, what''s wrong?" "Bryan¡­ Erick is missing. He was here a while ago. I just went out to buy some food but when I came back he is gone." "What? He''s missing. Where''s Uncle Raymond?" "He went to the Hospital''s CCTV control room to check about Erick''s whereabouts." ''Where is he? What if he will try to kill himself?'' Bryan''s worry intensified by that thought. Then a certain place in the hospital popped up in his mind. Without explaining to Sarah, Bryan rushed in going to the rooftop. He ran as fast as he could, not minding the exhaustion of running in a five-floor emergency stair just to reach the rooftop. He could feel the surge of adrenaline rush in his entire body. When he arrived there, Bryan had confirmed that his suspicion was correct. Erick was there, standing near the edge. Horror filled Bryan''s eyes. He thought Erick was about to jump off the building. "Erick! No!" Bryan shouted as he dashed towards Erick. He immediately grabbed Erick''s arm as he dragged him away from the edge of the rooftop. Erick was startled to see Bryan. He was about to talk when Bryan suddenly burst out. "Why are you doing this to yourself? Do you think this is the right thing to do? Committing suicide? Then how about your parents, Uncle Raymond and Aunt Sarah? Did you consider what they would feel if they found your body in the morgue instead in your ward?" Erick just stared at him blankly as he kept silent. Bryan continued to speak spontaneously, pouring his heart out. "How about us, the people who care about you? Are we not also important to you? Okay just forget us. But how about Elle? Do you think Elle will be happy if you do this?" Erick''s expression changed the moment Elle was mentioned to him. "Are you wasting her sacrifices? She did her best just to make you and your parents safe. And now you are throwing your life just like that?" Bryan didn''t stop. He couldn''t control his emotions. His tears started to fall down his face. "Did you know? Before the mission, Elle talked to me. She asked me for a favor. She wanted me to protect you. She was thinking about you. I understand if you are mad at me but at that time your safety is my priority! I promised her that I will protect you no matter what!" "Erick! You are not the only one suffering here. Why are you giving up so easily? I also care about Elle. I am hurting too. My guilty conscience is killing me day by day! I felt horrible. I am blaming myself for not able to save her." Erick knew what Bryan did. His parents told him last night that Bryan came back and tried to rescue Elle for the last minute however another explosion happened, obstructing him from going to Elle''s location. Bryan had no choice but to go back or else he would also get caught in the explosion. "If I could just turn back time¡­ then I wished I was the one who died, not her. I can''t bear to see you hurting like this. Apart from being colleagues, you''re my best friend." Erick frowned. Erick didn''t want anyone to die nor be hurt. Then Bryan suddenly kneeled before Erick as he pleaded to him. "Erick, please live¡­ for Elle''s sake¡­ please treasure your life and continue living. I know it''s hard, but we are always here for you. This is not the end, Erick." "Elle still has a mission left. Do you remember our conversation with her? She said something about Catseye taking her revenge. Erick¡­ I found it¡­ the connection between Jefferson Gong and Carlo Vello. They were the original members of the Los Mollasses Gang a few years back. I think Catseye''s revenge is related to the Los Mollasses Gang." Seconds later, Bryan felt a hand brushing his hair and gently patting his head. Then he heard Erick utter something. "Good job! Thank you Bryan for reminding me." After saying that Erick held Bryan''s shoulder as he guided him to stand up. "By the way, I am here because I just want to breathe some fresh air. I am not planning to jump off this building." Erick corrected Bryan''s thought before he walked past him. After hearing that, Bryan was rendered speechless. He stayed rooted in his spot as he watched Erick''s back until he vanished from his sight. "I am not imagining things, right? Erick¡­ he smiled faintly just a while ago." Though Erick''s expression didn''t change as his eyes were still lifeless, that faint smile from Erick was enough to console Bryan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the afternoon, the members of the Joint Task Force arrived at the hospital however Erick refused to see them. He was not yet ready to face them. Bryan and Erick had also talked prior to their arrival. Erick already made up his decision. He asked Bryan to tell the team the truth about Catseye. This was also what Elle wanted for him to do. "What did you say? Elle is Catseye?!" Rose blurted out in disbelief when Bryan told them the truth. The team already returned to the headquarters. They were currently discussing the incident that happened as Bryan explained to them the situation. Everyone had an astonished expression on their faces. This was a shocking revelation. "No wonder, Chief Lee was greatly affected by that incident," June said. He felt sorry for Erick. "That explains why he was so worried when he was rushing to Catseye." Carl also shared his thoughts with them. "I am sorry I didn''t know. I-I lied to him that she was already dead. I just wanted to protect him. There was no time left. Enemies were on our tails. They started shooting in our direction and Erick still wanted to rescue Catseye. There were also bombs." Captain Jason apologized as he felt guilty. Bryan looked at him with a questioning gaze. "So you mean C-Captain¡­ Elle was still alive at that time?" Bryan asked him desperately. "I felt her pulse but I thought with her wounds she won''t be able to live. Besides, saving her was not my priority." Captain Jason said to them truthfully. Everyone became silent. Others couldn''t blame Captain Jason. They understood his motive to protect his team first. Bryan didn''t know how he would tell Erick about this. Their conversation continued. Bryan told them everything he knew about Catseye and her plan that day. But he left out some information that would make Erick look like he already knew the truth a long time ago. He stuck to his story that Catseye just told Erick the truth because his parents got captured by the Azumi Twins because of her. He didn''t mention to them the marriage of Elle and Erick. With Bryan supplying them information, Captain Jason was able to make a comprehensive report about the incident. They couldn''t bring back the past. Though they were also saddened and had conflicting feelings about this truth, they needed to move on. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Elle was having an ending cycle of dreams. For the very first time, she felt the peace that she longed for. In her dreams, there was no demon nor nightmare haunting her. She was in a very quiet and solemn place. She could no longer feel the hatred in her heart because she was with her family right now. In a place that looked like a paradise, she was with them laughing and bonding together. She could feel the warmth and love of her mother''s touch. She could see the gentleness in her father''s eyes as he looked at her. He was telling her that he was very proud of her. Elle was very happy. This was the moment she yearned for her whole life. This blissful and joyful feeling, she didn''t want this to end. If this was just a dream then she would rather not wake up. Then suddenly out of nowhere, she heard a faint voice calling her. { "Elle¡­" } Elle frowned as she stood up and peered at her surroundings, looking for the person who was calling her. But to her disappointment, she didn''t see anyone. Only her parents were there with her. As time went by, she heard again that familiar voice. This time it was louder in her ears. { "Wifey¡­" } Her heart skipped a beat the moment she recognized that voice. It was Erick''s voice. Staying in this wonderful dream for so long, she forgot about him. Now that she remembered him, she realized how much she was missing him. She glanced at her parents with a complicated expression on her face. Then she heard his voice once again. { "This will be a dangerous mission. Please promise me one thing." } { "No matter what happens you must stay alive. Understand?" } Those words echoed in her ears coming from her subconscious, reaching down her heart. That was a wake-up call for her. "I remember¡­ I made a promise to Erick." Elle mumbled to herself. "Dad, Mom, I am sorry but I must wake up. I should come back to him, to my husband!" Elle said helplessly. After saying those words, the tears came without warning as they continued to seep down her face. Then she ran as fast as she could as she left that place, looking for the direction where Erick''s voice was coming from. She wanted to see him again so badly. There were still a lot of things she wanted to tell him. She was looking forward to spending her whole life with him, living happily while building their own family. "Erick¡­ hubby¡­.wait for me!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ??? 6 Months Later ??? Beep! Beep! The sound of the machine echoed inside a VIP ward of a prestigious hospital. There were two unconscious patients lying on each sickbed, one was a woman and one was a man. The two beds were three meters away from each other. There were lots of tubes connected to the patients'' body. Several high technology machines were also there monitoring their conditions. After a while, the door of the VIP room was opened. Then a pool of doctors wearing medical protective gear entered the room. One of the doctors flipped a chart containing the result of tests done to the two patients. "How is it, Doc Argus? How are the patients doing?" One of the doctors asked. Doctor Argus rubbed his chin before he spoke up. "It''s odd. The man''s condition was not looking good compared to the woman who directly received the toxin in her body." Then the doctor heaved a deep sigh. "The drug we created had still no effects on their bodies. We need to start again from the beginning and change the formula." His fellow doctors just nodded in agreement. They were about to leave when Doctor Argus saw the woman open her eyes. Doctor Argus subconsciously dropped the chart in his hand and immediately dashed towards the sickbed of the woman. "Oh, God! It''s a miracle! She wakes up!" [ The End of the First Volume: Fateful Encounter ] Chapter 276 - 276: A Fresh Start ??? 2 YEARS LATER ??? They said no matter how painful life could be, people had to move forward, and leave the past behind, forget everything in order to continue living while persevering every day. But for someone, he seemed like his heart was stuck in the past. He continued living but he never forgot her even once. His memory of her was both his joy and sorrow. He was moving forward and persevering every day but he couldn''t leave the past behind. Time passed by too quickly. Today was the exact same day when Erick and Elle got separated because of the unfortunate incident two years ago. Erick didn''t know how he was able to survive these two years filled with sadness and loneliness. Maybe, he became used to feeling the pain of losing her and his heart just became cold and numb as time went by. Erick was now sailing at South Carolina''s coast. Every year, at times like this, he would rent a ferry boat and sail in the sea alone, visiting the area where the M.V Athena sank. Erick was staring blankly at the floating flowers in the water. He would always make sure to bring flowers for her. The retrieval operation lasted for 15 days but the coastguard failed to find Elle''s body. Erick didn''t know whether he should be glad or feel sad about it. Feeling sad because he was not able to give her a proper burial. Feeling glad because deep inside he was still hoping that she was still alive out there. "Elle¡­" Erick mumbled as he clenched his fists. Just a mere thought of Elle could send an excruciating pain deep down his heart. "I missed you so much, wifey." Tears were in his eyes but he tried to look brave. "You are so unfair, do you know that? Is this your revenge for breaking my promise before? You also broke your promise to me? You promised me that you would stay alive no matter what." Erick''s lips trembled as he tried to suppress a sob. "Elle¡­ if you are still alive please come back to me now. Please return to my side. I am begging you." Erick slammed his eyes shut as he gritted his teeth. "I wanted to see you again." Erick was so engrossed in his thought that he failed to notice the other ferry boat near his location. Aside from the boat captain and his two crews, there were two passengers in that boat. "Hey, Ali? I thought we were going to the beach. We are supposed to enjoy our time on an island with white sand. What are we doing here, in the middle of the sea? Don''t tell me you are planning to go fishing?!! " the girl glared at her friend as she complained to her. The girl called Ali just ignored her ranting as her eyes were focused on the figure standing in front deck of the nearby ferry boat. "Hey, girl! Did you not hear me?" the girl felt very frustrated as she walked beside Ali. "What are you doing? Where are you looking at?" The girl asked her as she followed her line of sight. Then she saw the other ferry boat. "Ali! Am I talking to the air?" She stomped her feet in annoyance. Ali rolled her eyes because of the girl''s ranting. "Sandy, can you keep quiet for a moment? After this, we will go to the beach. If you don''t stop nagging me then I will make you as bait to catch sharks." Sandy''s eyes widened in disbelief after hearing Ali''s threat. "So ruthless girl! Alright! I will keep my mouth shut. Happy? I will not accompany you to your trips in the future. Hmmph." Sandy pouted as she put on a pitiful face. Ali let out a soft chuckle and said, "I didn''t ask you to come with me. You are the one who insisted on tagging along with me." Sandy just stuck her tongue out at her. When her friend became silent and stopped nagging her, Ali moved her attention back to the person on the other boat. As she gazed at him intently, a wave of emotions flashed in her dark eyes. Her lips curled up in a faint smile. She felt the longing in her heart. "Let''s have a fresh start," she mumbled to herself. Meanwhile, Erick was pulled out of his deep thought when he heard the ringing of his mobile phone in his pocket. He gathered his emotions first before he answered it. "Hello, Bryan?" "Are you coming here to the headquarters today? Unit Head is looking for you. Should I cover up for you?" Bryan knew that Erick was currently in South Carolina. "It''s alright. I am coming in an hour. Why is he looking for me? A new case?" Erick asked him. "Not a case but I heard that it''s a very important mission this time," Bryan replied to him. "I got it." Erick simply said. "Erick¡­?" "Hmm" "Oh...it''s nothing. Never mind. See you later." "Alright." Erick hung up after that. Bryan seemed like he had something to say but he was not able to voice it out. He knew Erick was still mourning because of Elle''s death and he never truly moved on. He wanted to console him even a little but he didn''t know how to. Bryan took a deep sigh. In his mind, he was grateful that Erick came back to his normal daily routine. He was really afraid that Erick would break down and go mad due to Elle''s death. He thought he couldn''t handle it. But Erick didn''t give up his life despite the overwhelming pain and sorrow he was feeling. However, a lot of things had changed since then. Erick was no longer the same Erick they knew before. He became aloof as if he created an invisible wall, not letting anyone in. They could no longer see the gentleness in his eyes, the warmth was missing. He was back to being a workaholic. Though he was with them physically he became distant to everyone around him. But Bryan never left his side. He remained true to his words when he said to Elle that he would always be there for Erick. His colleagues were hoping that the Erick they had used to know would come back someday. They were missing the old him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** After an hour, Erick arrived at their headquarters. He headed straight to their Unit Head''s office. He knocked a few times before he entered the room. Erick saluted as he greeted his superior politely before he spoke up. "Sir, I heard from Sergeant Velasquez that you are looking for me." "Yes, please sit down first." The Unit Chief said as he signaled him to sit down on the vacant chair in front of his desk. Erick gladly complied. Then the Unit Head handed over a white folder containing printed doc.u.ments. Erick accepted it. "Tomorrow, Senator Alex Mondragon, one of the presidential candidates, will launch his election campaign. He received a death threat that''s why his team went to our headquarters, asking us to investigate who sent the threat as well as to protect him." "I like you to handle this case. I know you will be able to do this job very well." There was a hint of pride and admiration in his voice. "Noted, Sir. I, together with my team, will do our best." Erick reassured him. "Don''t worry, Senator Mondragon also applied for protection and hired people from one of the prestigious security agencies in the country. Your main task is to trace and catch the culprit who is giving him the death threats." "I understand, sir." After briefing Erick of the situation, the Unit Head dismissed him. He took a deep sigh as he watched Erick''s retreating back. He considered Erick as one of the pillars of their Crime Investigation Bureau. He had high expectations for him. He was a very intelligent and capable detective that he had ever known. He shook his head as he remembered how Erick refused the promotion he had offered him two years ago when they solved Catseye''s case. All the members of the Joint Task Force were entitled to have high ranking positions but since Erick declined the offer, his team members in Alpha Cinco also didn''t accept it. Only the members of the Special Task Force accepted the promotion. He couldn''t understand what Erick and his team were thinking at that time. But since he admired and acknowledged their great works, he had no choice but to respect their decision. Chapter 277 - 277: Extremely Loyal and Faithful *** XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** The next day, Erick asked his team to prepare. The five of them would attend the event at RC Convention Center where Senator Alex Mondragon and his party would launch their first election campaign. The event would happen at around 1:00 o''clock in the afternoon. They were currently having a final briefing when a visitor arrived. That person was Selena Arison. She brought some home-cooked food. If there was one thing that didn''t change for the last two years then it was the fact that Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee''s charm to attract women never fades. A lot of women were still lining up and trying to catch Erick''s attention and Selena Arison was no exception. Ever since Elle disappeared into the picture, she never stopped in pursuing and winning Erick''s heart. The team''s discussion was interrupted when they heard the knock outside the door. "Come in." Erick plainly said. When the door was opened Selena greeted their sights. She was holding two paper bags containing the home-cooked food that she prepared early this morning. "Miss Selena, good morning!" It was June who acknowledged her presence first. "Sorry for interrupting you. It looks like you are in the middle of discussing something important." Selena smiled shyly at them as she apologized. "It''s okay. We just finished wrapping up." Erick simply said. Selena''s face brightened up after hearing Erick''s remarks. She stared at him with so much affection. "Right timing! I brought food. You can have your breakfast first. If you already have eaten your breakfast just consider these as snacks." Selena said cheerfully as she raised the two paper bags in her hands. Meanwhile, Bryan and June approached Selena as they offered her to carry the paper bag on her behalf. Selena handed over the paper bag to them. "You don''t have to do these more often Miss Selena. You are spoiling us too much. Anyway, thank you so much for this. We really love the food you cook. Very delicious!" June thanked her enthusiastically. He never forgot to praise her cooking skills. April and Rose just exchanged glances with one another. They knew Selena''s motive for doing this. It was not new to them to see Selena coming in and out of their headquarters. For the past two years, she became their regular visitor every week. June signaled the others to get out of the room. Upon noticing his signal, they knew what June was trying to do. He wanted them to leave and give Selena and Erick some time alone in his office. Bryan was reluctant to leave but June dragged him out of the room. Rose and April followed them behind. "Hey stop dragging me. We can also eat inside and join Erick." Bryan complained to June. June hit Bryan in the head. "Are you dumb? Selena came here not because of us. It''s for Chief Lee." June spat back at him. Bryan frowned and retorted, "I am not dumb. You are the stupid one! Erick won''t look at other girls even if that girl is Selena Arison." April and Rose nodded in agreement with Bryan''s statement. "I agree. It won''t work. Chief Lee seems like he already put barriers around his heart and no woman will be able to move nor touch his frozen heart." April shared her thoughts with them. April just took a deep sigh and shrugged. June shot them a cold glare. "Do you really want to see our old Chief Lee?" June asked them as he raised his brows. Rose: "Of course!" April: "Yes." Bryan: "I am hoping." "Then why are you contradicting me?!" June told them exasperatedly. The three of them just kept silent. "What Erick needs right now is to find someone who will heal his broken heart. He should need to open up and have a second chance in love for him to forget his first love and finally move on." June explained to them. Rose just looked at June helplessly while April waved her hand nonchalantly, dismissing June''s suggestion. On the other hand, Bryan held June''s shoulder as he shook his head. "Buddy¡­ put yourself in Erick''s shoes then only you will know. Believe me¡­ that is easy to say but extremely difficult to do." April and Rose agreed again on Bryan''s words. Then the three of them returned to their respective tables. "Hey¡­ hey¡­ why are you giving up so easily? Though it''s difficult still it''s possible! Plausible!" June didn''t plan to back down so he kept on insisting his side of the argument. Bryan heaved a frustrated sigh. "That will only be possible if Elle will rise from the dead or another girl will appear in front of Erick who has the same face of Elle. Erick is extremely loyal and faithful! He would rather spend his time WORKING! WORK and WORK alone, than to entertain girls!" Bryan emphasized the word ''work'' three times just to enlighten June. Finally, June couldn''t refute that. But June refused to accept defeat and stubbornly spoke up once again. "If that''s the case then let''s find a woman who is extremely similar and looks like Elle," June suggested to them. Bryan, April, and Rose just looked at him with disbelief. He really took Bryan''s words seriously and even thought of that absurd suggestion. "I think you are just hungry. Let''s just eat." Rose said to change the topic. Meanwhile, compared to the noisy and lively argument the four of them having outside, the atmosphere was very quiet inside Erick''s office. Though Erick was not that accommodating unlike before, he was still acting a gentleman in front of her. He was having a small talk with Selena, responding to her queries from time to time. Selena felt content with this kind of set-up. She was very happy to be with Erick. She would never get tired as she was very determined to win his heart. When she learned the truth that Elle was Catseye she was utterly shocked. She hated her more but after knowing that she died Selena could not contain her happiness. Aside from getting her revenge, Selena had given another chance to possess Erick. She seized that opportunity to be closer to Erick. "Erick¡­ you lose some weight. You should eat more." Selena softly said as she put more food on Erick''s plate. "Okay," Erick plainly replied. Selena smiled sweetly after hearing his response. She felt like she was his girlfriend right now and Erick was obedient to her. "Do you have a mission today?" "Yes." "Oh¡­ be careful always. Make sure to keep yourself safe, okay?" There was a hint of concern in her voice. Upon hearing that Erick was put in the dazed. Elle''s beautiful face suddenly appeared in his mind. He remembered how Elle protected him, making him and his parents safe. ''She died protecting us. I will not let her sacrifice be in vain.'' Erick thought to himself. Erick''s mood changed after that. He even lost his appetite. He excused himself and went to the comfort room. He felt like his heart was being squeezed once again. He remained there for several minutes, trying to calm his emotions down. It was really difficult for him, showing his brave front to others but deep inside he was totally broken, slowly dying day by day. Chapter 278 - 278: A Familiar Figure *** At RC Convention Center *** Team Alpha Cinco drove going to the venue at around 11:00 am. After thirty minutes they finally arrived there. Erick and his team immediately went to meet Senator Mondragon to introduce themselves. There were a large number of supporters who were present. The RC Convention Center could accommodate a maximum of five thousand people. Because of the death threat, the security inside was very tight. Several men in black scattered in the area. Their uniform had a logo indicating that they came from Golden Tiger Security Agency. There was also a bomb squad with them. This event would be shown to the National Television that''s why reporters from different Media Channels were also invited. There would be a press conference in the last part of this event. Senator Mondragon and his party were staying in a room as they waited for the program to start. Erick met the Head of the security team, together with the other men, who was guiding the door of that room. Erick and his team showed their identification cards and access pass. After that guards allowed them to enter and escorted them to see Senator Mondragon. Mondragon''s assistant was the one who introduced Erick''s team to Senator Mondragon. "Oh, I am glad you came. You are the ones sent by XXX Crime Investigation Bureau." Alex Mondragon welcomed them with his gentle smile. The team slightly bowed to greet him politely. "Honestly, I heard a lot of positive things regarding your team. So now I have nothing to worry since your team is taking this mission." "Thank you for believing in us. Rest assured that we will do our best to find the culprit and protect you." Erick said to him in a very calm manner. "Chief Lee, this is my first time meeting you. It''s really a great pleasure. I admire you a lot. You are famous too. Hmm." Mondragon praised Erick. Erick just gave him a timid smile. They were in the middle of discussing the death threats which Senator Mondragon was receiving lately when a very fine lady in her mid-20s entered the room. She was 5 feet and 4 inches tall. She had blue eyes which were very clear like the ocean. She was an epitome of a western beauty- s.e.xy, hot, and very charming. Her shoulder-level wavy brunette hair looked very soft. Elegance and confidence could be seen in her posture and in the way she moved. She possessed a domineering aura, indicating that she was an independent and strong woman. She ignored the people inside as her attention was focused on Senator Mondragon. When she reached his spot, she bent down and kissed him on his right cheek. "Dad, are you ready? Today is your big day." She mumbled sweetly as she looked lovingly at her father. "Omo, my dear, you are making me embarrassed. Don''t you see that I have my guests right now?" Senator Mondragon said as he teased his daughter. That''s the time, the lady in her red floral dress averted her gaze to Erick''s team. And her eyes stopped at Erick''s handsome face. Senator Mondragon cleared his throat and said. "Forgive my daughter for interrupting our discussion. She didn''t mean to look disrespectful." His daughter pouted when she heard that. "Oh, by the way, She''s my one and only daughter, Diana." "It''s our pleasure to meet you, Lady Diana," Rose said as she greeted her. "Me too." Diana simply replied to her but her eyes still lingered on Erick''s face. Her face expressed her satisfaction as a sweet bright smile playing in the corners of her mouth. Erick and his team introduced themselves to her one after another. But Diana''s interest only focused on Erick. After their conversation with Senator Mondragon and his lovely daughter, team Alpha Cinco proceeded to the venue. They stayed alert and on guard in their respective position. At exactly 1:00 pm, the program started. There were invited artists and showbiz personalities who performed on stage. Then the official announcement of the candidacy of Senator Mondragon and his party happened. Senator Mondragon shared his plans and advocacies if ever he would win this coming election. He talked about education, health, and environmental issues. Those were his priorities. The supporters were cheering. They gave him a round of applause after his speech. Their respect and admiration for him intensified. Senator had a good record as a public official. People loved him for his compassionate heart. He was the greatest contender in this presidential election. Because of that he also gathered hatred from other people who wanted power for their personal gains. No wonder he was receiving death threats. The event lasted for three hours. The press conference followed after that. It looked like everything went smoothly and nothing bad happened. But Erick and his team did not lower their guard down. Their eyes roamed around the venue, searching for suspicious people. After a while, the press con was finished. Some reporters started to leave but the crowd remained as they waited for Mondragon''s party to leave first. Senator Mondragon even approached some of his supporters under the watch of his skilled bodyguards. Diana was also with him as they both entertained the supporters. They thanked them for coming today. Erick was peering his surroundings when he caught a glimpse of a very familiar figure. He was startled for a moment. His gaze never left that person. His breathing became uneven and his heartbeat seemed too loud in his ears. ''My eyes are not playing tricks on me, right?'' Then he saw that figure walking towards the west exit gate of the convention center. Erick didn''t waste more time as he chased after that person. Bryan saw Erick who was running very fast from a distance. "What''s happening? Where is he going? Is he chasing a suspicious person?" Bryan mumbled as he quickly followed Erick. Meanwhile, in the exit gate, Erick finally caught up with that person. With complicated emotions on his face, Erick continued running towards that person. Then he shouted to catch her attention. "ELLE!" Chapter 279 - 279: Shes Not A Ghost "ELLE!" Erick yelled as he rushed towards her direction. The woman whom Erick called Elle halted on her steps and turned to the direction of that voice. In no time, Erick reached her spot and pulled her against his body, hugging her tightly. "Oh my! Oh my! Who is this very handsome guy?!" The girl beside them gasped in surprise as she watched the scene unfolding in front of her. The girl in his arms didn''t protest nor push Erick away. Instead, her body acted on its own as she hugged him back. When Erick felt that soft arms wrapping his body as if he found what he had lost for these past two years. The girl who was witnessing this scene didn''t know whether to cry or laugh. She was utterly shocked because of her friend''s boldness. ''Oh my?! What happened to the earth?! She is hugging a complete stranger? I am not dreaming right?!'' After no one knows how long, Erick released the petite girl from that very tight hug. With tears-burned eyes, Erick watched the girl before him intently. The girl subconsciously raised her hand to wipe his tears using her bare hands. Then after a few seconds, she spoke up. "Mr. De...Handsome, don''t cry. I am not dead...yet." the woman mumbled as she glanced at him meaningfully. Erick''s eyes widened after hearing that familiar voice. ''There''s no mistake. She''s Elle!'' "ALIYAH ROSS!!! What the hell are you doing? Flirting with a complete stranger! Get away from him quickly! Come here! You didn''t know he might be a stalker or a¡­ handsome pervert!" When Ali heard that nagging voice, she became clear-headed right away and she realized her mistake. ''Dang! My mistake. I am not supposed to do this! I should have controlled myself more or else everything will be ruined.'' Ali thought as she scolded herself inwardly. Meanwhile, Erick moved his gaze back and forth between the two ladies. His brows were drawn together in a frown. ''Who is Aliyah Ross? Why is she calling Elle a different name?'' Then he gave Aliyah a questioning gaze as if asking her to explain. She was about to say something when a sudden commotion happened. They heard the sound of gunshots resonating inside the venue followed by people''s panicking shout. A few seconds later, the crowd was running towards their direction. They were rushing to go out of the convention center. Erick was distracted. He was not able to take action quickly. The panicking crowd ran in between them bumping them harshly thus separating the two of them. When he looked at her previous spot, she was already gone. "Elle!" He shouted again and called her. Erick continued shouting Elle''s name as he searched for her in the crowd. But to his disappointment, he lost her in the crowd. Suddenly, Erick felt a hand grabbing his elbow. He turned around only to see Bryan. "Erick¡­ what''s wrong? You seem like you have seen a ghost." Bryan mumbled as he assessed Erick''s expression. "No. She is not a ghost. She''s real!" Erick said as a response. Bryan looked at him confusedly. ''Eh¡­ what is he talking about?'' Though he wanted to ask him further this was not the proper time to do that. "Let''s go back. There is a sniper inside. The guards and security personnel are chasing after him right now!" Bryan said as he pulled Erick back inside the convention center. Erick took one last glance at the direction where the girl who looked like Elle vanished in his sight. ''I''ll find you. I need to confirm that Elle is alive.'' Erick promised to himself before he followed Bryan. Meanwhile, the girl whom Erick was trying to find was now outside the convention center together with the panicking crowd. "Oh my gosh! Ali! A lot of absurd things are happening today!" "Hmm. Sandy, you can let go of my hand now." Sandy shot her a glare. "How dare you?! You even let a complete stranger hug you. Your friend is just holding your hand and now you are asking me to let go of your hand! Are you favoring a stranger over your friend?!" Aliyah just let out a soft chuckle and said, "I didn''t mean that. It''s just that¡­ you are gripping me too tightly." Then Sandy''s gaze fell on their hands. Indeed, she was gripping her too tightly because of nervousness. When she heard the gunshot and saw the people running towards their direction Sandy immediately grabbed Aliyah''s hand and dragged her out of that place. "Oh, sorry about that!" Sandy apologized as she released her hand from her grasp. She gazed up only to see the sullen expression of her friend. "Hey, what''s wrong? Did you cry? Are you hurting somewhere? Did you bring your medicine with you?" Sandy bombarded her with questions as she became worried about her. Without waiting for her response, Sandy grabbed Aliyah''s bag and searched for her medicine right away. "Hey, calm down. I''m alright." "You don''t look fine for me." Sandy spat back at her. "Here, take this! Your doctor advised you to take this medicine as soon as you feel the pain. Did you forget that?" Sandy was acting like a concerned mother, insisting her child to take the medicine. Aliyah just sighed helplessly, watching her very persistent friend. "I swear I am fine. I am a little bit shocked about what had just happened there." ''I just didn''t expect to bump into him this soon.'' Aliyah added to her thoughts. She tried her best to convince her friend to believe her. Finally, Sandy calmed down and felt relieved when she saw her sincerity in her eyes. She was telling the truth. She seemed okay now. "Hmm alright. Let''s go to our car. Josh is already there, waiting for us. This place is still dangerous. We should leave now! We still have many articles to write today." Sandy suggested to her. Aliyah looked at her with disbelief. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Sandy said as she raised her brows at her. "Are you really a reporter? A situation like this is a big scope. We should shoot this live-action!" "Are you insane? Do you want to stay here and get shot by the killer there? Or do you want to see that handsome pervert once again?" Sandy gave her a suspicious look. Cough! Cough! Aliyah choked on Sandy''s last question. ''Did she see through me? But wait... [email protected]! Does she really think of him as a pervert?! I want to hit her head and knock some senses out of her.'' "So?" Sandy probed as she waited for her response. Aliyah let out a forced laugh as she denied her accusation. "You are just overthinking. Why are you getting so worked up?" "Because I am jealous! It''s so unfair! Why it has to be you, not me? I am more huggable than you. Hmmph!" Aliyah: "..." Aliyah was at a loss for words after hearing that. "But kidding aside, do you know him?" Sandy asked her again. Aliyah paused for a moment before she answered her. "N-No. I think he just mistook me for someone." "Oh, is that so? Then why did you cling onto him too?" Now, she sounded really suspicious. ''[email protected]! This girl has a lot of questions. I just want to keep her mouth shut!'' Aliyah took a deep breath and said, "Well¡­ What can I do? I was starstruck at that time. I was bewitched by his heavenly beauty." Sandy was flabbergasted by her remarks. It did not take long when she burst into a peal of laughter. "Starstruck my @ss! [email protected] Ali! I couldn''t believe that you have that word inside your vocabulary! It''s a miracle! Hahaha¡­ we had seen a lot of handsome and good looking men but I''ve never seen you take a second look at them, even once. You totally ignored them!" "And just a while ago, you looked like a statue of liberty who froze in your spot when that handsome pervert guy suddenly hugged you!" Aliyah frowned in annoyance and exclaimed, "Can you stop calling him a pervert!" "Hahahaha¡­ see! You are even defending him now. Tsk Tsk Tsk." Sandy shook her head as she continued to tease her friend. She continued interrogating her. "And what''s with you, touching his face? Oh¡­ Mr. Handsome, don''t cry. I am not dead yet." Sandy exaggeratedly reenacted her action just a while ago and mimicked her words in an overacting manner. "Of course, people cry if someone dies. What''s wrong with my sentence?! I am just trying to console a charming man who is shedding tears in front of me!" ''[email protected]! I want to bury this girl alive and cut her tongue off!'' Swoosh! In order for Aliyah to prevent herself from doing that, she snatched her bag out of Sandy''s grasp and marched out, leaving her alone in that place. She went ahead without looking back as she went to the parking lot. "Hey, Ali! You, heartless woman! Wait for me!" Sandy yelled as she quickly chased after her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, inside the RC Convention Center where the shooting incident happened, the security personnel and the members of Team Alpha Cinco were able to secure Senator Mondragon''s safety together with his other colleagues. Fortunately, no civilian got injured during the incident however the culprit had escaped. They guarded the Senator and the rest and transferred them immediately to a safe place. On the other hand, Erick went to the CCTV control room to check the footage. He confirmed that the culprit was a man. But they failed to have a clear shot of his face. He was wearing a cap and a mask. One thing was bothering Erick. It seemed that the true motive of the guy was to create a commotion and just frightened the people. If he was just an amateur then he would not be able to escape easily. But since he was an expert then how come no one got hurt? Chapter 280 - 280: Why She Didnt Come Back? After Team Alpha Cinco escorted Senator Mondragon and his party safely, leaving the RC Convention Center, they returned to the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters. They would investigate thoroughly today''s incident. Erick asked the team to list down the name of the possible mastermind who had a motive to hurt Senator Mondragon, including his opponents in politics. His team immediately followed his order. Meanwhile, Bryan noticed that something was off with Erick since they left RC Convention Center. He looked so troubled. Something was bothering him. So Bryan decided to talk to him. "If you are tired, you can go home first. You might get sick if you will not take care of your health. For these past few months, you were always working overtime." Bryan said as he looked at Erick worriedly. However, Erick remained silent in his seat. He seemed that his mind was wandering somewhere and he was not paying attention to Bryan. Bryan thought Erick didn''t like to talk about this so he changed the topic. "Did you also notice? The incident was quite suspicious. The sniper didn''t use a silencer on his gun as if he was intentionally revealing himself. I thought you already saw someone suspicious that''s why you were running towards the exit. Anyway, what are your thoughts about this incident? After saying that, finally Bryan got his attention as Erick fixed his gaze to him. "I think¡­ Elle didn''t die that day." Erick said to Bryan with certainty in his voice. Bryan: "..." Bryan was rendered speechless. He didn''t expect Erick to say that. He thought he was thinking about this afternoon''s shooting incident. But he was mistaken. Erick was definitely thinking about Elle. ''But why is he mentioning that out of the blue?'' Bryan pondered to himself. Seeing the confusion in Bryan''s eyes, Erick elaborated his assumption or rather his suspicion. "Her body was not found during the retrieval operation. There was a chance that she survived that day." Erick said desperately. There was a gleam of hope in his eyes. "Bryan¡­ Elle is alive. I could feel it. I always believe that she survived. All these years, I am still hoping that one day we will meet again. I-I never truly accepted that she was¡­ gone." Bryan was tongue-tied. He was a little bit surprised that Erick was sharing his true feelings with him right now. It''s been a long time since Erick opened up to someone. Since that unfortunate incident two years ago, Erick had been shutting himself off to the world. He learned to build a wall, hiding his true feelings from others. Since Bryan remained quiet Erick continued speaking. "I saw her. Bryan¡­ I saw Elle. She was also there in the convention center." Erick smiled faintly as he remembered what happened this afternoon. But his smile disappeared in an instant after seeing Bryan''s expression. "What? You didn''t believe me, right?" Erick''s expression darkened. He let out a humorless laugh as he clenched his fists. "Just forget that I have said these things to you." Erick sounded upset and disappointed due to Bryan''s reaction. Bryan felt alarmed. He didn''t mean to make Erick mad. "Erick¡­ I didn''t say that I don''t believe you. But¡­ I doubt if that person is Elle. What if they just look alike?" "But they have the same voice." Erick justified. Bryan paused for a moment, contemplating whether to say what''s on his mind or just let it be. He didn''t want to hurt Erick. He knew he was still hoping. He didn''t have the heart to crush again his remaining hope. As if Erick sensed that Bryan had something in his mind, he urged him to speak up. "Talk!" He said to him firmly. Bryan shook his head. "I said¡­ talk or I''ll never talk to you again regarding these things." Erick threatened him so Bryan had no choice but to tell him what''s on his mind right now. "Two years had passed. If Elle was alive¡­ then why she didn''t come back?" Bryan looked down after saying that. Bryan''s statement was like a dagger piercing his heart. ''If Elle was alive then why she didn''t come back?'' Those words kept replaying on Erick''s mind and his heart ached once again. He felt limp on his seat. "Bryan...leave! I want to be alone." Erick mumbled in a low voice. Bryan closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. This was the reason he wanted to keep that thought in his mind. It seemed like he added salt to Erick''s wound after saying that statement. ''I should have told him a lie. You are really stupid Bryan. [email protected] fool!'' He was cursing himself. Bryan had no choice but to leave Erick. When Bryan disappeared from his sight, Erick buried his face using his two hands. He was hurting inside. "I am not mistaken. That person is definitely Elle¡­but why? Did you forget about me already? Did I disappoint you that much? Is that the reason why you didn''t want to return to my side?" "Or .. you don''t love me anymore, do you?" With that thought, Erick''s tears poured down once again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the other hand, Bryan''s mood was not looking good also since he left Erick''s office. He was silent while having a gloomy expression on his face. April tried to cheer him up so when they left the office that night she invited him to have dinner in her place. Bryan and April were exclusively dating for two years now. Six months after April gave Bryan a chance, she became his girlfriend officially. April became Bryan''s strength in his saddest moment. He was grateful that April accepted his love. They''d just done eating dinner. They went to the living room to spend more time together. Seeing Bryan in his low spirits, April decided to talk to him. "Hey, why are you so feeling down again? You look so stressed." April softly said to him. Bryan could feel her concern for him. He couldn''t help but smile faintly. "Don''t worry. I am just fine. Do I look so haggard? Are you having a second thought now? Want to break up with me?" Bryan said as he teased her. April just rolled her eyes at him. Bryan let out a soft chuckle when he saw her reaction. "I am just kidding." Then Bryan''s expression became serious again. April could feel that behind Bryan''s smile he was hiding his pain and sadness. "Bry¡­ don''t be too harsh to yourself." April mumbled as she held his hand. Bryan was taken aback for a moment. He knew April was trying to console him. "I know you are still blaming yourself about what happened to Elle. But you don''t have to do that. That was not your fault. Even Chief Lee didn''t put a blame on you." When Bryan turned to look at her, April could see the glint of sadness in his eyes. Hearing her kind words, Bryan suddenly felt the lump in his throat and his eyes became misty. April gave him a gentle smile and said, "For these past two years, you changed Bry. Do you know that? You matured a lot!" Bryan felt very helpless. Now he couldn''t hold his tears any longer. "I couldn''t help it. I felt that I am responsible for Erick''s suffering. I thought I protected him but why do I feel like I failed? Yes, my best friend is alive but he looks like he is not actually living." Bryan said with his trembling voice. April could see his pain. She brought her free hand to his face as she wiped his tears. "Everything will be fine. Erick is a strong-willed man. He can overcome this hurdle. Don''t worry too much. Take care of yourself too. You were under a lot of stress lately. You are also losing some weight. How can you support Erick if you are also slowly breaking into pieces?" Bryan smiled at her tenderly. "Don''t worry about me. Compared to Erick, I have you by my side. You are giving me strength and courage just like now." "Of course I should! I was your friend before I became your girlfriend. It''s only natural that I give you support and encouragement when you are feeling down." "Hmm. Is that true? If I could remember, you told me before that you are only my colleague, not a friend. You are always bullying me!" Bryan put on a pitiful face as he complained to her. The two of them ended up laughing so hard when they remembered how they always fought before, teasing and annoying each other. After a few seconds, Bryan stopped laughing and looked at her intently. "April¡­ thank you for comforting me¡­ I love you so much." After saying that Bryan bent down as he brought his face closer to hers and sealed her lips with a gentle kiss. Chapter 281 - 281: * Comfort Zone * "April¡­ thank you for comforting me¡­ I love you so much." After saying that Bryan bent down as he brought his face closer to hers and sealed her lips with a gentle kiss. His kiss was not demanding but he took his time savoring her delicate lips. It was very soft, gentle, and lingering which made her ache to feel his lips everywhere. It lasted for so long until they chased their breaths and gasped for air after breaking apart from that long kiss. Then Bryan leaned over and rested his forehead on hers while gently caressing her face. He took a deep breath. And with a hoarse voice, he whispered. "I-I¡­ want you." Fl.u.s.tered by his sensual words, April''s cheeks reddened in an instant. She bit her lower lip and glanced at him. Not hearing any response from her, Bryan moved a certain distance to see her face. He gave her a pleading look and pouted. Seeing him acting like that, April couldn''t help but let out a soft giggle. She realized that Bryan''s had a cute side too. Finally, April nodded as she gave him her permission. With that Bryan''s face brightened up. April could see the passion in his sparkling eyes as he gazed at her. She loved it every time Bryan would look at her like she was the most wonderful woman in the world. Without waiting for Bryan, April captured his neck in the noose of her arms directing his head down to her with a gentle touch of her hand on the back of his neck. This time she was the one who covered his lips with hers. She kissed him deeper and harder with a fervent need. Bryan who was startled at first began to return her kiss with the same intensity. After a few seconds, April felt his strong arms on her waist, lifting her into his arms and carrying her towards her bedroom. She hooked her arms into his neck and wrapped her legs around his body. As they moved in the direction of her bed, their lips never left each other. When they reached her bed, he gently put her down before he took off his shirt. Then Bryan''s well-toned body was revealed in her sight. Her gaze fell on his chest down to his six-pack abs. Though he had lost some weight he maintained his muscular build. April couldn''t help but lick her lips as she feasted her eyes on the man before her. ''I couldn''t remember when was the start he became more charming and attractive in my eyes.'' April mumbled to herself. Before she thought she would be having a hard time moving on after her heart got broken because of Erick. But after that passionate night between Bryan and her, her attention was diverted. She was also shocked at that time when Bryan confessed his love to her, asking her for a chance. She didn''t expect that Bryan had loved her secretly for a long time. They always fought like cats and dogs. So who would think that Bryan had feelings for her? Since that night, Bryan changed his attitude towards her. He really showed her a different side of him. He stopped annoying her and he acted as a sweet gentleman who always cared for her. Then, later on, she realized that Bryan intentionally fought her and annoyed her before just to catch her attention. April snapped out of that thoughts when she felt his hand lifting her shirts. She raised both her hands so that Bryan could remove her clothes easily. Seconds later her narrow shoulders, b.r.e.a.s.t, and voluptuous body were exposed to him. He caught her lips once again. In no time, all their clothes were scattered on the floor. He pushed her, her back lying on the bed while Bryan was on top of her. Then he released her lips as his mouth moved down, his warm lips planting feather-like kisses along her neck and shoulders. She closed her eyes as she felt the flow of the strange sensation he was giving her. Bryan continued nibbling, licking, and planting gentle bites on her sensitive parts. She let him take the lead. She just relaxed, enjoying the way his hand and mouth kneaded and suckled her b.r.e.a.s.t. She shuddered beneath him, letting out soft whimpers and m.o.a.ns. "Oh??? I love to hear your m.o.a.ns. So nice and pleasant." Bryan whispered to her ear. Then he gently kissed and bit her ear going down her jaw and collarbone. The hotness of his touch turned as electric currents that worked their paths through the different parts of her body, sending an overwhelming pleasure. He took his time pleasuring her. Her m.o.a.ns were like pieces of music into his ears. He felt blissful seeing his woman''s satisfied expression as she enjoyed his every touch. It was making him more turned on. April really knew how he wanted to be comforted by her. She was willing to submit everything to him even her body as she trusted him wholeheartedly. That''s why he was always very gentle when making love with her. He would always ask her permission first before he would act harder. Because he loved her so much, he tried his best to control his l.u.s.t and desire. He would always focus on making her comfortable rather than pleasuring himself. Bryan''s mouth continued playing with her b.r.e.a.s.t, sucking, licking, and biting her aroused n.i.p.p.l.es while his other hand gently squeezing and massaging her other b.r.e.a.s.t. His free hand also made its way down her most private part. When his fingers had touched her wet core April gasped and m.o.a.ned in pleasure. He started to thrust his two fingers inside her hole making April quiver from that sudden surge of pleasant sensation. "Ah! Bry...yes. I-l like it. Oh...Don''t stop! Oh! Please faster. Harder!" April demanded in between her m.o.a.ns. Sometimes, his very gentle act could make April impatient. He would always put her on the edge where April had no choice but to beg him to move harder. Upon hearing her desperate plea Bryan would always comply and fulfill her request. His fingers moved faster and harder, thrusting in and out of her core. His hot mouth never left her b.r.e.a.s.t. His other hand continued squeezing and rubbing her other b.r.e.a.s.t. "Bry! Bry! Oh, Bry¡­" April couldn''t help but m.o.a.n his name as her orgasm came. He let her body recover first from that intense pleasure. Then he moved up to look at her face. His eyes were filled with love and affection for her. April was still panting. Her breathing was ragged and uneven. "You are so beautiful," Bryan mumbled before he planted a soft kiss on her forehead. With her blushing face, April softly said to him. "Let''s do it." Hearing her go signal, Bryan positioned himself in between her thighs. April could feel his bulging erection under her belly. Her heart fluttered in anticipation as he met his penetrating gaze. She cupped his face and smiled at him lovingly. Without breaking their eye contact, Bryan guided his already hardened manhood into her entrance. April felt him rubbing the tip of his shaft in her wet core, spreading her love juices over his shaft. Soft m.o.a.ns escaped her mouth once again. "I''m going in," Bryan mumbled before he finally impaled her. April was still too tight for him. So they both m.o.a.ned in pleasure when he filled her. Bryan was careful in his movement as he started to thrust in and out of her. He made sure that she would be used to his size first before he could go deeper. Several minutes later, Bryan started to changed his movement, hammering and pounding her deeper and faster. April liked it harder so she urged him to move harder. And Bryan gladly complied as he let himself drown in ecstasy. Their passionate lovemaking lasted for three hours. Their bodies were now covered with sweats. His arms surrounded her in a warm gentle embrace as he cuddled her. "Sleep here tonight. It''s already late for you to go home. I don''t think you still have energy left for you to drive." April said to him. Bryan let out a husky laugh. "It''s your fault. You drained all my energy. It is really hard to please you." Bryan teased her. "How dare you?! You were the one who asked for this!" April spat back at him as she pinched his arm. Bryan burst out into another chuckle. "I am just kidding. Besides, I really have no plan of going home tonight. I want to stay by your side. You know... you are my comfort zone." Chapter 282 - 282: Afraid To Lose You Last night''s intimate moment between Bryan and April had helped him forget his troubles. Truly, April was his comfort zone. She relieved him from those stressful thoughts and finally, he was able to sleep comfortably. He liked the feeling of having her by his side. She snuggled next to him and they slept in each other''s arms until the sun rays coming from the window awakened Bryan. He was lying sideways facing April with one hand supporting his head. He was watching April who was still sound asleep. He couldn''t help but caress her face. His finger traced her features- eyebrows, nose, and lips. That soft touch coming from Bryan awakened April. When she opened her eyes, Bryan''s loving eyes and gentle smile greeted her sight. "Good morning, sweety!" Bryan''s deep and husky voice sounded very pleasant in her ears. In her sleepy state, she replied while rubbing her eyes. "Good morning, cutie." After hearing the word ''cutie'' Bryan let out a soft chuckle before he gave her a peck on her cheek. Then he pulled her gently against him. April jolted and became sober when their bodies touched. They were still not wearing anything underneath, only the blanket covering their n.a.k.e.d bodies. As she remembered last night''s passionate moment, April felt her cheeks burning instantly and her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. Bryan had awakened a desire in her that she never knew existed and never thought about before now. Meanwhile, Bryan was also very engrossed in his own thought while he was staring intently at his beloved woman in his arms. Seconds later, he voiced out what he was thinking as of this moment. He lifted her chin so that their eyes would meet before he spoke up. "Every time I will wake up in the morning the first thing I want to see is you. Your presence always warms my heart. Just a mere touch from you can make my heartbeat into a frenzy." "And¡­ every time you look at me like that with your loving eyes and blushing face, I think my mind is going crazy from too much happiness. I think I was totally bewitched by you the moment I first saw you." April felt touched by just listening to his sweet words. Bryan was telling her how much he loved her. She knew he was sincere in his every word. Between the two of them, it was always Bryan who was so vocal about his feelings. Not breaking their eye contact, Bryan continued. "I thought I had only a crush on you or it was just a normal physical attraction. But as time went by, I got to know you more. Then my feelings for you became deeper. I couldn''t deny it anymore. I realized it was no longer a crush or attraction, but love." "But I could feel that you only look at me as a friend. I was afraid that if I confess to you, our relationship will change. I tried my best to hide it. I even did a lot of annoying things just to catch your attention so we always ended up fighting." Bryan and April laughed as they recalled the past. "Yeah, you were an eyesore to me in the past, do you know that? You irritated me so much." April admitted to him. "Do I still look like that in your eyes?" Bryan pouted as he asked her that. Her giggles bubbled up in the entire room. Bryan sighed helplessly while watching the woman in his arms laughing at him. Seeing his ugly expression, April touched his face and said, "Don''t worry. You are a cutie now in my eyes!" With those simple words she uttered, Bryan''s mood was lifted. His eyes were gleaming in joy. "Do you know how devastated I was when I saw you confessed to Erick during Rose''s birthday? My heart was filled with jealousy and at the same time my heart was hurting when I saw you cry and heartbroken because of Erick." Rose was at a loss for words. She felt embarrassed every time she would remember that. "You secretly fancied Erick while I was also loving you in secret. What a twisted fate, right? I lost my hope that night. I learned the reason why you didn''t look at other men. You already had someone in your heart." There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he said those words. "After all, how can I compete with Erick? He is more handsome, smart, and very capable. How can I replace him in your heart? I was angry because I felt really insecure because of my best friend." Bryan continued to pour his heart out. "Hey, don''t be sad. It''s all in the past now. I am now your girlfriend. Why are you bringing up this topic? Don''t tell me you are still jealous of Erick?" April said as she looked at him with disbelief. "Erick is still a single man. What if you decide to break up with me and pursue him? You said before that you regretted not making the move first. What if you will also try to win his heart now?" Bryan was showing her his fears and worries. April couldn''t help but hit him in the head. "SERIOUSLY? Are you really thinking that I''ll do that? Sergeant Bryan Velasquez! If you won''t stop talking like that then get up and get out of my bed, right now!" April pushed him away and sat up immediately because she was infuriated by him. ''This insecure dumb man¡­ what a pain in the @ss?! Does he think so lowly of me? How could he?!'' April was cursing him inwardly. Because she was angry, she didn''t notice that her action a while ago made her reveal her half-n.a.k.e.d body to him. Bryan felt something hardened under his belly the moment April''s n.a.k.e.d body came into his view. He gulped several times and bit his lower lip trying to fight the desire which was suddenly awakened. He felt hot. When April sensed his unusual silence, she turned to Bryan only to see his burning gaze aiming at her n.a.k.e.d body. She immediately used her two hands to cover her b.r.e.a.s.ts. "What are you looking at? Get out!" April yelled at him. April''s eyes widened when Bryan didn''t say a word as he obediently got off the bed. She shot him a cold glare when she saw him bend down to pick up his clothes scattered on the floor. Bryan put his clothes on before he silently left her bedroom. April was both mad and flabbergasted by Bryan''s action. "[email protected] you Bryan! Don''t you dare come back here or else I will kill you!" April shouted with an angry voice as she threw the pillows towards the door where Bryan disappeared from her sight. She lay down again and covered her body from head to toe underneath the blanket. She was really mad at him. The tears welled up in her eyes. She was utterly disappointed when Bryan walked out just like that. Just a while ago he was filling her with sweet words. How could he leave her just like that? After a few minutes, she heard footsteps coming in. Bryan returned to her bedroom. "Why are you still here?? I said I will kill you if you come back!" April yelled again underneath the blanket. But Bryan didn''t speak up. He remained silent. April didn''t know what he was doing. So she removed the blanket covering her head to see him. Then April saw Bryan beside her bed kneeling before her. She frowned as she looked at him confusedly. ''What is he trying to do now? Does he think I will easily forgive him just because he kneels in front of me? No way!'' April thought to herself. She folded her arms over her chest. Her lips already formed a thin line and her eyes were cold as she stared at him. "Get out! You can''t appease me even if you kneel there for the whole day! I am totally disappointed with your action. You have no faith in me! I felt really insulted." Bryan gazed up and looked straight in her eyes. With his soft voice, he started to explain himself to her. "I am very sorry. I didn''t mean to anger you nor insult you. All I wanted to say is¡­ I am afraid to lose you." Chapter 283 - 283: Thanks To Her Bryan gazed up and looked straight in her eyes. With his soft voice, he started to explain himself to her. "I am very sorry. I didn''t mean to anger you nor insult you. All I wanted to say is¡­ I am afraid to lose you." April didn''t know whether to believe him or not. Seeing her doubt, Bryan didn''t stop and just continued speaking what''s on his mind. "April, you are the only strength and courage I have right now. I don''t know how I can live without you." "That''s why today¡­" Bryan paused midway. Then seconds later, he raised his right hand and stretched it to her. In his palm, there was a small box. Inside that box was a diamond ring. April was utterly shocked seeing that object in his arms. Bryan, in his kneeling position, he was holding that sparkling object which only meant one thing: he was proposing to her. "April¡­ will you accept me to be your husband? Will you spend your lifetime with me? April¡­ will you marry me?" April''s eyes widened and her mouth gaped. She was currently tongue-tied. Her heart was beating rapidly and crazily inside her chest. "Honestly, I bought this ring the day you accepted my love and you became officially my girlfriend. Since that day, I always have this ring with me. But I couldn''t find the right timing and couldn''t muster my courage to ask you." "I was always hesitating. Then that unfortunate event happened. Seeing Erick suffering every day I thought I don''t deserve to be happy, that''s why I couldn''t find my courage to ask you this not until last night. You told me¡­ Bryan, don''t be too harsh to yourself. With those words, I realized you are right." "April¡­ I love you so much. I am always looking forward to spending my present and my future with you. Will you accept me?" April could see his pure and genuine love for her pouring out his gaze. She thought he would just leave like that but she was mistaken. Her heart was filled with an overwhelming joy right now. Her mind was still in shock and couldn''t absorb everything yet. So instead of answering him, she asked him absentmindedly. "Then why did you leave me when I ordered you to get out?" Bryan couldn''t believe this girl. He was very nervous right now to the extent that his heart was about to explode from anticipating her answer. But then, here she was¡­ asking him that kind of question. Bryan heaved a frustrated sigh but he still answered her in the end. He needed to satisfy her curiosity first or else he might not get the answer he wanted to hear from her. "I left this ring in the car so I went out to get it. I couldn''t propose to you without it." Bryan explained to her. "Oh, that''s the reason why," April mumbled in a low voice. Bryan couldn''t stand it anymore. The tension he felt grew by seconds. He needed to hear her answer. This long wait was driving him nuts. He held April''s hand and with his desperate voice, he asked her again. "April¡­ will you be my wife? Please say yes. Please marry me!" Hearing his anxious voice, April realized that she had not given him an answer yet. The worry and nervousness were reflected in his eyes. April wiped the tears in her eyes. She cried just a while ago because she thought Bryan didn''t care and just left her. Now, the anger, disappointment, and unhappiness she felt towards him were long gone. April put on her bright and charming smile before she moved closer to Bryan and pulled him up so that they were now eye level and just centimeters away from each other. She whispered "yes" before she closed their distance and kissed him on his lips. She was conveying her feelings for him through that long passionate kiss. Bryan''s face was now brimming with so much joy and happiness. Finally, he was able to propose, and the woman he loved accepted his marriage proposal. For him, today was his very lucky day and he was the luckiest guy in the world. He couldn''t help but shed tears of joy. He was kissing her intensely as he savored this moment. When they broke apart, he hugged her again tightly. "Thank you¡­ thank you. I will make sure that you will not regret this. I will make you happy. I will treasure and cherish you." "I know. Thank you, Bry. I am also waiting for this. I have waited for you to ask me to marry you. I thought you haven''t considered this thing yet. We already slept several times but to my disappointment, you never brought up the topic about marriage." April admitted to him. Now April understood why Bryan took him that long before he found his courage to propose to her. It was because of guilt. He blamed himself for the unfortunate incident that happened between Erick and Elle. "I am sorry about that." Bryan apologized to her. April just patted his head and said. "Don''t apologize. I understand you. I know how you feel. But I am really grateful that you found your courage. You are not alone in this battle. Your burden is also my burden." Bryan was really glad to hear that from her. He released her and held her shoulders. "But I still have something to confess to you," Bryan said nervously. "Okay. What is it? Just tell me." "I will tell you but promise me first that you won''t go back to your words. You will marry me, no matter what, right?" April''s eyes squinted as she looked at him suspiciously. "Hmmph. Don''t tell me¡­ you already have a child? Did you cheat on me? Did you i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e another woman?" April said accusingly. Cough! Cough! Bryan choked because of her accusing remarks. He didn''t know whether he should cry or laugh. "I didn''t know that you have a wild imagination, sweety. That''s not the case." Bryan defended himself. "Hmm, okay. Then we have no problem. That''s the only reason I would back out. Now, tell me." Bryan gulped nervously before he spoke up. "Sweety, do you remember that incident two years ago when someone tried to rob you?" "Yes. That''s the time you took the bullet on my behalf. Fortunately, the robber only used a tranquilizer gun. What about it?" "Actually¡­ the truth is¡­" Bryan was having a hard time completing his sentence. He was afraid that April might get mad once again. But he had no choice. He needed to be honest with his future wife. He should tell her the truth now. "That was all planned by us. I was problematic at that time. You were avoiding me and didn''t want to talk to me. So I asked Elle and Charles for advice. That''s the suggestion of Elle." April just remained silent with an indescribable expression on her face. Bryan couldn''t tell what''s on her mind. "Our plan was for me to save you and I would look like a hero in front of you. I am very sorry for deceiving you." Bryan said in a low voice. "If you wanted to beat me or shout at me then do it. Just don''t hate me, April. Please don''t!" Bryan said pleadingly. Bryan closed his eyes, waiting for April to punch him and scold him. But to his surprise, his expectation never happened. "I don''t need to do that twice. I''d already beaten you before because of that." April said. There was a hint of humor in her voice. Bryan opened his eyes and gave her a questioning gaze. "What do you mean by that?" "I already knew the truth a long time ago." April simply replied as she shrugged at him. Bryan was at a loss for words. ''She already knew?! But how?'' As if April had read his mind, she suddenly burst into a peal of laughter. "Hahaha, I guess you truly didn''t remember. I thought you were just pretending before." "Please enlighten me, sweety. When did you learn the truth?" April pinched his cheeks and answered him. "Dummy. You told me all about it. You spilled the beans using your mouth. Remember two weeks after that Rescue Mission happened. You were feeling down, mourning together with Erick about Elle''s death." Bryan''s eyes widened in realization. "Don''t tell me¡­ you were the true culprit who had beaten me? When I woke up I got several bruises in my face." April nodded, confirming his words. "You were very drunk at that time. You talked non- stop. You laughed and cried while you were talking about Elle. Then suddenly you brought that topic. Telling me how grateful you are to Elle. Because of her suggestion, you succeeded in getting a chance from me." ''[email protected]! I''m screwed. My future wife is so brutal. She''d beaten me up into pulp! So frightening!'' "Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" Bryan just gave her a forced smile and said. "Nothing. Hehe" "So¡­ you are not gonna beat me now, are you? You are not mad anymore." Bryan asked her nervously. Since April was now in a good mood after Bryan proposed to her she had no reason to get mad at him. "Nope. I said I already punished you before." Bryan heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that. Unknown to him, April was also grateful for that incident. Because if it didn''t happen then she wouldn''t have given Bryan that chance. ''Elle was really unique and smart. She was the one who thought of that suggestion. Thanks to her, Bryan and I got together.'' April couldn''t help but smile. Chapter 284 - 284: Waiting For Your Return In contrast to the blissful atmosphere in April''s apartment, loneliness was the only word that could describe the atmosphere in Erick''s place. The warm place filled with love was long gone. Erick didn''t have a good sleep. Nothing changed. Either he would stay up all night or would take sleeping pills just to get some sleep. Though Erick would fall asleep normally sometimes due to exhaustion there was a time he would wake up in the middle of the night because of nightmares. Then every time he woke up it would always be the same ordinary day every day. His world had lost its light. There was a missing piece in his life that no one can replace nor fill in. His heart became numb and empty. His mind was full of happy and sad memories of her. It was really a miracle that he was able to live on despite all these. This was because of that one hope he had been holding on for the past two years. The hope of meeting her once again in this lifetime. As time went by that hope was slowly fading but thanks to that last encounter, his hope was strengthened once again. He saw her. He finally saw her. But Bryan was telling him that the person he saw just only looked exactly the same as Elle. It was a different person, not Elle. But his heart was telling him a different thing. He was certain. That person was definitely Elle. "Aliyah Ross," Erick mumbled. He was lying on his bed while staring blankly at the ceiling. "Elle probably has a deeper reason for not coming back for these past two years. I didn''t care as long as she''s alive. I will be happy with that. But I will definitely find the truth." Erick said to himself with so much conviction. "Elle¡­ I believe you. You said no matter what happens you will find your way back to me. Wifey, I will be waiting for your return." "But wifey. I felt really miserable. Don''t make me wait for too long. I am missing you a lot. I am about to go mad. If I have to search all the corners of City Z and this country just to see you again then I will do that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For the past three days, Team Alpha Cinco became busy investigating the shooting incident which was related to the death threats Senator Mondragon was recently receiving. Fortunately, there were witnesses who were able to describe some physical features of the sniper. "Approximately a six feet and five inches tall man, having a strong build with broad shoulders and muscular body. He had dark tousled hair and tanned skin. There was a long black-inked dragon tattoo on his arm." June said as he read the information they gathered from the witnesses. The team was currently having a meeting in the conference room. "The most notable thing about him is that his right eye was covered by a black cloth." Bryan also shared with the team. "Alright. Write a list of all the male wanted criminals and hired assassins who had injured his right eye." Erick gave his order to his team. Then suddenly, Bryan and Erick met each other''s gaze. A certain man crossed their minds. Kevin Azumi! Two years ago, he received a fatal hit from Elle''s dagger. They heard from the underground world that his right eye was severely injured and had lost his sight. Kevin Azumi might be one of the possible suspects. After wrapping up, Erick dismissed the team. The rest of them already left the headquarters while Erick remained again for another overtime work. Then after a while, someone entered his office. That person was Selena Arison. Since Selena became a regular visitor, the guards were already familiar with her. That''s why even though it was already past the working hours, they still allowed her to enter the office. They already knew that she came to see Chief Detective Erick Lee. The guards even mistook them as a couple. But Selena never corrected their wrong assumption. "Selena, why are you here?" Erick was surprised to see her. "I know you will be working overtime again so I brought you food for dinner. Have some bites first before you go home." Although Erick was aloof to other women he was acting differently when it comes to Selena. He was entertaining her because he somewhat felt sorry for her for the reason that Elle was the one who killed her father. Erick had no idea about what happened between Jorge Arison and Elle. All he knew that Catseye killed him but he didn''t know that Jorge was already dying due to his illness. Besides, Jorge was also grateful to Casteye for fulfilling what he wanted. His generous and kind attitude towards Selena, she mistook it as Erick''s reciprocating her feelings. That''s why she''s too blind to believe that Erick had slowly begun liking her. After an hour of staying together inside his office, the two of them finally decided to go home. Erick had asked Selena to go home but she insisted on waiting for him. They were now standing at the entrance of the building. " Erick, my brother is returning from States two weeks from now. We are planning to hold a welcome party for him. Are you available? I want to invite you and your team." Erick paused for a moment. He didn''t like going to the party but he didn''t know how to reject her invitation. "I''ll try. It depends on our schedule. I will let you know if we can attend." Selena was glad to hear that. Erick didn''t refuse her invitation. "Alright. I hope you can make it." Selena said as she smiled sweetly at him. Erick just nodded. He also bade her goodbye. He was about to leave when Selena grabbed his hand. He stopped and turned to face her again. "Erick¡­ " Selena seemed like she wanted to say something to Erick. Meanwhile, Erick was not paying attention to her. Suddenly he felt something strange as if he was being watched by someone right now. His ''gut feeling'' was telling him to turn in the corner. So he did. That was the moment Selena was trying to kiss him on the lips but since he suddenly turned his head, her lips landed on his face. Then suddenly they heard a loud clanking sound nearby. Dang! That sound came from that corner where Erick was now looking at. ''Someone was there!'' Not minding Selena''s action, Erick traced his steps towards the direction where that sound came from. Then he heard footsteps running away from that location. When he reached that location, the person was already gone. But he saw the metal trash bin lying on the ground. It looked like someone had kicked it so hard. Erick frowned as he wondered who was the person who did this. Because of that person''s action, the plastic garbage inside that trash bin was now scattered on the ground. Erick shook his head and sighed helplessly. He would clean up this first before going home. "Selena go home first. I will have to clean this first." Erick said to her. And with that, Selena''s action just a while ago totally slipped out his mind. It was totally ignored and forgotten by Erick in an instant. Chapter 285 - 285: We Meet Again! Elle was in a bad mood when she arrived at their office this morning. She was still fuming in rage as jealousy filled her heart. She could still vividly remember the scene she had witnessed last night. After her work yesterday, she decided to see Erick at the headquarters. She knew that Erick was always going home late. She learned that after following him for these past two weeks. She was waiting for him outside their headquarters, hiding from a corner, when Erick and Selena appeared at the entrance of the building. Selena became more charming and pretty since she last saw her. She was cheerfully conversing with Erick. Though Erick''s expression was neutral, he was acting like a gentleman when he opened the glass door for her. Erick was about to go separate ways with Selena when suddenly Selena grabbed his arm to stop him. Elle''s face darkened when she saw Selena''s hand on Erick. She had the urge to run in between them and yank his arm away from Selena. Fortunately, she was able to restrain herself from doing that. Elle had just calmed herself down when Selena did something that put Elle on the verge of bursting in fury. Selena kissed Erick on his right cheek. Elle clenched her fists as she watched that scene with her bloodshot eyes. A murderous aura was emanating around her. Her eyes were clouded by hatred, anger, and jealousy. Trying her best to control her raging fury, Elle saw the trash bin which was made of steel beside her. Wanted to vent her anger, Elle kicked the trash bin very hard, producing a loud sound that caught the attention of the two persons. When she heard the footsteps coming in her direction Elle realized her mistake. Erick was now walking towards her. Felt alarmed that she might get caught, Elle quickly ran and left as fast as she could. Though she was itching to tell him that she''s alive Elle couldn''t reveal to him that she was Elle. Catseye and Elle were both dead in the eyes of everyone. It was better to leave it that way. She didn''t want to put Erick in a difficult situation just like before where he needed to choose between love and duty. She didn''t want to become his burden nor a source of guilt by trying to protect her in the authorities. She didn''t want him to face a difficult decision once again where he would be forced to catch his own wife for the sake of his duty and responsibility as a man of justice. After she got separated from him, Elle realized that life is too short just to waste her time being punished for her crimes. Because she knew that if she remained Elle then Erick would have to catch her and put her into prison. She was not a saint nor an angel. She was not also a self-righteous person who would always choose the right thing. This time she wanted to be selfish in a positive way. To have a fresh start with Erick while having her new identity as Aliyah Ross. Elle was gone but Aliyah appeared to make a comeback to his life. She wanted to do it after finishing her last mission but now it was impossible. Elle couldn''t stand to see other women trying to covet her man. Her flower was very beautiful that it attracted a lot of bees. Elle smiled from that thought. Did she just compare Erick to a flower? It''s been two weeks since she returned to City Z. For these past few weeks, she had been watching Erick from a distance. She missed him a lot. It took her two years to come back because of her medical condition. The day she bumped into him at RC Convention Center was really unexpected. It was pure coincidence. She had no idea that Erick and his team would be there. She was there as Aliyah Ross, doing her job as a professional reporter. She had not prepared mentally for that surprise encounter, that''s why she almost blew her cover and made a mistake when Erick suddenly hugged her. She was yearning to be wrapped again in his strong arms so subconsciously she hugged him back. Her heart ached for him when she saw his tears. There was a gleam of longing and sadness flashing in his dark brown eyes. She was not able to control herself. She immediately wiped his tears and she almost called him Mr. Detective when she was trying to comfort him. "Mr. Handsome. Don''t cry, I am not dead...yet!" Those were the words that her mind could come up at that moment as she wanted to ease his pain and sorrow. Deep inside she was glad. She was afraid that Erick had already moved on and had forgotten her. But seeing him acting like that, she found out that Erick was still thinking about her. She was wondering if Erick had suffered a lot for these past two years because of her absence. Because if he did, then Elle had a lot of things to do to make it up for him. With a resolution in mind, Elle stood up from her cubicle and proceeded to their Line Manager''s office. She needed to make a move or else her man might be stolen from her by another woman. Several minutes later, Elle left their superior''s office with a bright smile on her face. She immediately approached Sandy who was talking to Josh, their assigned cameraman. "Oh, Ali! Where have you been?" Sandy asked her as soon as she saw her. "From our manager''s office," She simply replied to her. "Hmm. It seems like you are now in a good mood. Your expression is now a little bit better compared to this morning. You looked like you''ve eaten a lot of bitter gourds when you arrived. You were wearing a bitter and ugly expression. Hahaha." Sandy didn''t forget to tease her. Elle rolled her eyes skyward. ''Her blabbering mouth is much worse than to someone I know. If she has just an idea of what I did to those people who irritated me before, using their talkative mouth, I bet she wouldn''t dare to tease me like this.'' Then Elle suddenly remembered Charles. ''I wonder how he is doing now. Is he living just fine? I missed him too.'' "Hey, penny for your thoughts. You are spacing out again Miss Ross. What are you thinking?" Sandy said as she waved her hands in front of Elle''s face. Josh just looked at Sandy helplessly. He somehow pitied Aliyah for having a partner like Sandy who had no break when it comes to speaking. Truly, she''s worthy of being a reporter. This job suited her well. With her remaining patience, Elle just ignored Sandy''s teasing. Then she raised the doc.u.ment in her hand. "Good news! We got a new assignment!" Elle said to them cheerfully. Sandy immediately snatched the paper in Elle''s hand. She scanned it for a few seconds. After that, her expression changed. "What is this? DOC.U.MENTARY? No Aliyah! I will not do this! It''s too boring! This is what I hated most!" Sandy complained to her. Now, she was acting like a spoiled brat princess. "Whether you like it or not, I will do this." Without allowing her to voice out another objection, Elle signaled Josh to bring his camera. They would go somewhere. Sandy had no choice but to follow them. After the twenty minutes drive, Elle, Sandy, and Josh were now standing in the entrance building of the XXX Crime Investigation Bureau. "Eh? What the hell are we doing here? Josh, did you put the wrong address in your car''s GPS?" Sandy said exasperatedly. "This is the address instructed to me by Ali!" Josh replied to her as he scratched the back of his head. Sandy turned to Elle. "Ali, we are supposed to feature Senator Mondragon in this assignment so please enlighten me why we are here in a Crime Investigation Headquarters instead of Mondragon''s residence?" Elle just smiled and shrugged at her. Then she entered the building without waiting for them. Meanwhile, Erick and his team were currently having a meeting at his office when they heard a knock outside the door. "Come in!" After a few seconds, the door was opened and a slender figure of a woman came into their view. The moment she entered that room everyone was stupefied. "Holy Sh!t" "Am I seeing a ghost!" "[email protected]!" "Catseye?!" "Hello. We meet again!" Elle said as her eyes lingered on Erick''s face. Chapter 286 - 286: Their Paths Crossed Again After a few seconds, the door was opened and a slender figure of a woman came into their view. The moment she entered that room everyone was stupefied. "Holy Sh!t" "Am I seeing a ghost!" "[email protected]!" "Catseye?!" "Hello. We meet again!" Elle said as her eyes fell on Erick''s face. Among the people inside that room, Erick was the one who was greatly affected by the sudden appearance of this unexpected visitor. It was just a few days ago when Erick had planned in mind to search for her in all the corners of City Z. ''I will find my way back to you!'' Those words coming from Elle lingered on his mind. That face! That smile! That voice! He had waited for long just to see her face and hear her voice once again. This was the second time around this week. Their paths crossed again. Though they were not alone in that room Erick''s eyes could only see her. He felt that familiar feeling, everything in their surroundings had stopped moving but his world started revolving again as it had seen its source of light. His numb heart started to beat once again. Not just a normal pounding, it was running wild inside his chest. His empty and dull eyes found their color back. They were sparkling with warmth as he looked at her. "You''re back. You''re finally back!" Erick mumbled to himself. Erick''s feet moved on its own accord as he traced his steps towards her. The corner of his lips stretched out forming a soft and gentle smile. When he reached her, his hand reached out as he touched her face, gently caressing her cheeks using his thumbs. His penetrating gaze lingered on her face for several minutes. It seemed like two years didn''t happen. She still looked the same, very beautiful in his eyes. And finally, Erick engulfed her into his strong arms, pulling her against his body and hugging her tightly. June: "..." Bryan: "..." April: "..." Rose: "..." The four of them froze in their spots, utterly shocked and tongue-tied as of this moment. Someone who looked exactly the same as Elle just appeared in front of them. And one more surprising thing was that they saw Erick smile once again. His warm and gentle smile that they missed so much. And his empty eyes which were void of any emotions suddenly changed into those eyes full of life. They were now on the edge of their wits. A lot of questions running in their mind as of now. What was happening here? Is she really Elle? How is that possible? If she''s Elle then she''s Casteye then how come she has the guts to come here at the headquarters? Is she not afraid to go into prison? Is she surrendering herself? Or maybe she is not Elle. They had not yet recovered from the shock when the girl whom Erick wrapping in his arms tightly also hugged him back. They gasped in surprise. Then suddenly they heard a loud voice coming from the door. "ALIYAH ROSS! You are doing this again! Does hugging strangers become your hobby now!" Sandy came inside in a hurried manner. Dang! She came in time and ruined the moment once again. Her voice served as a wake-up call again for Elle who had forgotten her true reason why she came here. ''I didn''t know whether I should be grateful or be annoyed with her.'' Then Sandy quickly yanked her friend out of Erick''s arms, trying her best to separate the two of them. When she saw Erick''s face, Sandy''s eyes widened in surprise. "You Again! HANDSOME PERVERT!" She exclaimed. The disbelief and shock were written all over her face. June: "Handsome Pervert?!" Bryan: "Handsome Pervert?! April: "Handsome Pervert?!" Rose: "Handsome Pervert?!" The four of them repeated Sandy''s last two words. They couldn''t believe it. Someone just called their Chief a handsome pervert. Elle on the other hand gritted her teeth and clenched her fists after hearing again those words from Sandy. She told her to stop calling Erick ''pervert'' but she did it once again. And this time she blurted it out in front of Erick''s colleagues. ''Oh, God! Please help me control myself for not burying this girl alive.'' Meanwhile, Erick was also at a loss for words. He also heard it very clear. This girl called him a pervert once again. Then the room was engulfed with an awkward silence. Then another person entered the room. He was carrying a video camera. "Ali? Are we shooting today or you will just conduct an off-cam interview with them?" Josh asked her. He was the one who broke the silence. "Ali? Who''s Ali?" June voiced out his confusion. Then Josh pointed his finger to Elle as his answer to that question. Sandy butted in once again as she introduced herself as well as Aliyah and Josh to Erick''s team. "Hello everyone. I am Sandy and this girl with me is Aliyah or Ali for short. We are reporters from Morning Star Media Network. And he is Josh, our cameraman." June turned to Elle and asked her. "So you are not Elle?" "I-" Elle was not able to respond since Sandy cut her off immediately. "Hahaha. Of course, she''s not! Her name is Aliyah Ross. By the way, who is Elle?" Everyone fell into silence once again. No one among them had dared to answer her question, afraid that they might say something that would awaken hurtful memories for Erick. "She''s my woman." Erick said firmly as his eyes were fixed on Elle. "Oh! Then why are you all asking Ali if she is Elle?" Sandy had a followed-up question. "Because she is Elle," Erick replied with certainty in his voice. "Ehhhhhh!!! Hey Aliyah Ross¡­ explain! Are you two- uhmm" Before Sandy could finish her sentence Elle immediately covered her mouth with her bare hands and gave her a warning look. Then she turned to Erick and his team as she apologized. "I am sorry everyone! This is just a big misunderstanding! Please don''t mind her. Actually, we are here for work-related activity assigned to us by our office. And¡­" Elle was not able to finish her explanation when she saw Erick''s intense gaze. He was obviously assessing her behavior and action. He was giving her a kind of stare that says ''I can see through you. You will not be able to hide from me, Elle.'' ''[email protected] Elle! You are not someone who will blow your cover on your first day. Get a grip of your self. Do your best and conceal your identity. You have done that before. You could also do it again.'' Elle reminded herself. Cough! Cough! Elle cleared her throat and calmed down. She picked up something from the back pocket of her jeans. "This is my I.D. We really came from Morning Star Media Network. I already talked to your Unit Head and asked his permission to conduct an interview with you." "Interview for what?" Erick asked her. But his eyes were asking her a different thing. ''Are you not really admitting that you are Elle?'' Elle could somehow understand what''s on his mind. But Elle tried her best to ignore it. She concealed her emotions and faced him professionally like a true reporter. ''I won''t admit it. Not today nor tomorrow¡­ nor even in the future.'' She thought to herself. Chapter 287 - 287: Quite Tempting! Erick''s team was just staring at the closed door of his office. Aliyah, together with Sandy, was currently conducting an interview with Erick. Just a while ago Erick asked them what this interview was all about. It turned out that Aliyah''s team was trying to feature Senator Mondragon in a doc.u.mentary program. At first, they were also confused about how this becomes related to them. Then Aliyah explained to them that since they were handling a case related to Senator Mondragon''s death threats, it was necessary to interview them about that part. Erick''s team was really shaken after seeing a person who was very much alike with Elle. They looked identical both their face and voice. How was that possible? It took them a day to recover their wits. They couldn''t help but discuss this very surprising thing within the team. "Hey guys, what do you think about this? Do you think this is really a big coincidence that two different persons really look exactly the same?" June shared his thoughts with the team. Rose shook her head. "I don''t think so. Unless they are identical twins. Oh my gosh! What if Elle and Aliyah are identical twins and they got separated during birth or during childhood. A situation like that often happens in the movies." "Eh¡­ that''s one possibility. But... this is not a movie!" June commented. "But things in the movie are adopted from real-life situations. What if Elle was separated from her family and suffered a lot during her childhood. Then someone from an underground syndicate took care of her and trained her to become an assassin." Rose said as she voiced out her wild imagination. "That''s also possible." April agreed on Rose''s assumption. Then the three of them averted their gaze at Bryan who was very quiet on his seat. "Hey, Bryan. Why are you having a serious expression? You are creeping me out. What''s wrong with you?" June asked him. April and Rose looked at Bryan worriedly. He really changed a lot. "Actually, I am worried about Erick. Did you notice how he acted a while ago?" Bryan said to them seriously. "Yes, it seems like our old Chief Lee returned! That''s a good thing right! Why are you worried?" June answered him enthusiastically. "That''s not what I am worrying about. Erick was insisting that Aliyah is Elle. I am worried that his longing for Elle is clouding his mind right now. He believes that Elle is still alive out there. He never accepted that Elle died two years ago. I am afraid that he would be hurt again in the end." The team fell into silence after hearing Bryan''s remarks. "I am also wishing that Elle is still alive so that Erick won''t suffer this much. But now, a person who looks like Elle appeared in front of him. He believes that she''s Elle. What if that person is not Elle and Elle is gone forever. How will he be able to handle the truth? How will he act? I don''t want him to be hurt again. Deep inside, I want him to move on and find his new happiness." They could feel the deep concern of Bryan towards Erick. They understood that all he just wanted was for Erick to be happy. June tugged his hair. "Just a few days ago, we are talking about finding a girl who looks like Elle. And now, someone appears but we are acting problematic like this. I wonder what our Chief Lee will do after meeting this girl." The four of them sighed deeply as they stared again at the closed door of Erick''s office. They didn''t know if Aliyah Ross''s appearance was a good thing or bad thing for Erick. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Erick just finished his off-cam interview with Sandy and Aliyah. During the entire duration of the interview, his gaze never left Aliyah''s face. Sandy''s presence became invisible to him. She appeared to be the third wheel between Erick and Aliyah. For that reason, Sandy''s expression was dark as the bottom of a pot when she went out of Erick''s Office. On the other hand, Aliyah was still inside, bidding her goodbye to Erick. "Thank you, Chief Lee, for allowing us to do this interview. I know this is beyond your work but still, you accommodate us." Aliyah said to him as she thanked him. "Are you leaving already?" Erick asked her. His expression showed that he didn''t want her to leave yet. Aliyah just nodded and smiled at him as a response. Then she extended her right hand as she offered him a handshake. Erick gladly accepted it and held her hand. Aliyah was about to release his hand but Erick refused to let go. His grip on her hand tightened as he gently squeezed it. "Ahem¡­ Chief Lee¡­ I think you can let go of my hand." Aliyah said to him awkwardly. But Erick didn''t listen to her. He just stood there in front of her unmoving while holding her hand. He had complicated expressions on his face. Erick had a lot of things in his mind right now in which he wanted to tell her. His observant eyes were assessing her face and her reaction. But he failed to figure her out. Aliyah was now very calmed and composed in front of him. Looking at her expression alone, Erick couldn''t tell what''s going on in her mind. She concealed her emotions very well. Then after his long silence, Erick spoke up. "Are you sure you are a reporter¡­ not an actress?" Aliyah: "..." She didn''t expect him to say that. She was at a loss for words and couldn''t utter a single one. Seeing her reaction, Erick couldn''t help but smile. He flashed his signature charming and cheeky smile at her that made Elle dumbfounded for a moment. "Nevermind. I am just kidding." Erick let out a soft chuckle. Erick finally let go of her hand. That action made Aliyah a little bit disappointed deep inside but she didn''t show him that. "Thanks again, Chief Lee." After saying that Aliyah turned her back and was ready to leave. But she just only took two steps when she heard Erick''s voice once again. "If you are really grateful then why don''t you treat me to lunch today?" Erick said those words in a very cool manner. With that, Aliyah halted on her steps. Her heart was beating rapidly inside her chest. She paused for a moment, contemplating. ''[email protected] His suggestion is quite tempting...BUT This is a trap. Don''t give in.'' Aliyah reminded herself. Aliyah turned back to face him and answered, "Hmm. Sure, let''s go. Where do you want to eat?" Dang! The prey just took the bait. Though she knew the danger of blowing her cover and reminded herself many times, in the end, she couldn''t resist the temptation of having lunch with him, eating meals together once again. On the other hand, Erick''s mood brightened up when she said that. He was worried that she would disregard his suggestion. He was glad that she didn''t. "Hmm. I know a place. Just leave it to me." He replied cheerfully. Erick immediately took his car keys and his wallet. With large strides, Erick reached her spot in an instant. "Let''s go!" Erick said with a gentle smile on his face. Then he grabbed her hand and gently pulled her as they went out of his office. Chapter 288 - 288: You Owe Me Two Meals When Erick and Elle got out of his office, their entangled hands caught the attention of his team. They could see the bright expression plaster on Erick''s face. That gentle smile returned to his lips again and erased the creases between his brows. It''s been a long time since the last time he smiled like that. His eyes held a glint of joy as he stared at Elle. "Chief Lee finally learns to smile again!" June blurted out. In contrast to Erick, Elle was trying her best to suppress her smile as she followed him while watching their hands. She missed holding his hand like this. She felt the joy and satisfaction in her heart. Erick ignored their presence as he continued to pull Elle with him, going out of their headquarters. "Where are they going?" Rose asked curiously. April just shrugged at her. Of course, no one knows except Erick. "This is what I am worried about. Erick is seeing Elle in the persona of Aliyah. Can''t he differentiate the two persons?" Bryan said as he sighed deeply. All of them were just staring at the retreating back of Erick and Elle until they vanished in their line of sights. A few minutes after Erick and Elle left, Sandy went back to Team Alpha Cinco''s office looking for Elle. "Guys, did you see Ali?" Sandy asked Erick''s team. "She just went out together with our Chief. You didn''t see them outside, did you?" June answered her. "What?! She left without letting us know! Urgh! Aliyah Ross! That girl! She''s giving me a headache!" Sandy exclaimed as she complained to them. "Why do I feel like this Sandy girl is treating Aliyah as a kid and she is acting like Aliyah''s guardian? She even called Chief Lee a pervert. Tsk Tsk Tsk." Rose whispered to April. There was a hint of annoyance and displeasure in her voice. April just let out a soft giggle and whispered back at her. "You don''t like her, do you? It seems that she made a bad impression from you." Rose nodded and said, "Yes, I don''t! Because she accused our Chief Lee as a pervert." "Calm down. She just misunderstood Chief Lee. Besides, she just appears to be overprotective of her friend, Aliyah." April was trying to appease Rose. "Alright! I will forgive her this time. I will give her another chance." Rose said. She sighed helplessly as she watched Sandy who was now trying to call Aliyah. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Erick and Elle just arrived in a restaurant. It was just a ten-minute drive from XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters. Erick guided her inside and opened the glass door for her. He even pulled a chair for her and let her sit down first before he sat down on the opposite chair. The waiter greeted them politely and gave them the menu list. He even poured and filled their glass with welcome drinks. The restaurant had a cozy ambiance inside. The interior design was suited for a couple having romantic meals together. The tables were also separated from each other by the booth to give their customers privacy. Elle didn''t know what Erick was thinking by bringing her to that kind of restaurant. If she''s not the real Elle then she would really feel weird and awkward by his action. Then Elle raised her eyebrows as she observed Erick who was busy scanning the food on the menu list. ''This is our first time coming here together. Did Erick often go here and eat with someone for these past two years?'' Elle couldn''t help but ponder. She gritted her teeth from that thought. She couldn''t help but feel jealous as she remembered Selena. In her mind, Elle was thinking that Erick and Selena might have visited this place. She thought that the two of them became so close. ''Does Erick develop a feeling towards Selena? I disappeared for two years. What if he already likes someone else? Am I too late now?'' Elle had lost her appetite. Her mood also changed. The smile on her face disappeared. She didn''t notice that she was now wearing an ugly expression on her face. "Hey, what''s wrong? You don''t like the food here?" Erick asked her worriedly. With her glaring eyes, Elle angrily spoke to him. "Why did you choose this place, Chief Lee? I don''t like it. The food here also looks so expensive! Are you taking advantage of me because this lunch is my treat?" Erick blinked several times as he looked at her confusedly. He had no idea why suddenly Elle reacted like that. ''Is she mad?'' Elle was still frowning, waiting for his response. "Do you often come here?" Elle added. She was really curious. "No. This is also my first time coming here. I just heard this place from Bryan. He and April always come here." Erick answered her truthfully. Elle was taken aback by his response. It seemed like she was mistaken. Erick didn''t sound like he was lying. She believed him. Cough! Cough! Elle cleared her throat. She couldn''t look straight in his eyes. She felt embarrassed for overreacting. She even raised her voice at him due to anger and jealousy. "I am sorry for not consulting you. I thought you will also like this place. But If you don''t like this place then we can leave now and find another one." Erick softly said to her. ''[email protected]! I ruined the moment. Why can''t I control my anger these days? What should I do now?'' "Ahem¡­ Sorry. I didn''t mean what I had said a while ago. Hehe, Actually... this place looks good. I am just mistaken. The food is not that expensive. Hehe, you can order anything you want!" "Are you sure?" Erick asked her again, feeling doubtful. "Of course, yes! Hehe, I just pretend that I don''t like it here. I am just trying to test you a while ago." Elle just spouted things that came in her mind. She didn''t know how to justify her sudden burst out a while ago. "Is that so?" Erick chuckled. "Are you really good at pretending? Hmmm. But I guess you are not good at lying." Erick said to her meaningfully. Cough! Cough! Elle choked on her drinks after hearing Erick''s meaningful remarks. Elle could read behind the lines. She knew what Erick was referring to by saying that. "Hey, easy! Drink slowly." Erick said as he gave her the tissue. ''Easy my @ss! This is your fault!'' Elle cursed him inwardly. "Are you okay?" There was a genuine concern in his voice as he asked her that. "I am just fine. Let''s order now." "Hmm. Actually, I also brought you here because I heard this restaurant is serving the most delicious beef steak in town. You like beef steak very much!" Erick said to her matter of factly. Her back stiffened after hearing the word ''Beef Steak''. It looked like it was Erick who was testing her right now. When she glanced at him, he was eyeing her, a wry and clever smile twisting his lips. A soft giggle escaped Elle''s lips. "When did I mention I like beef steak that much? Chief Lee, you are wrong." Elle said to him confidently. A mischievous smile appeared on her lovely face. ''I only like the beefsteak you cook, Erick! That''s what I like most.'' Elle thought to herself. Erick just looked at her helplessly. He couldn''t help but frown. How could he be wrong? He knew that Elle liked beef steak a lot. She always requested him to cook that food. Now, she was really denying it. Liar! As if, Elle could read his mind she spoke up to defend herself. "Chief Lee, believe me. I am not lying. I don''t like the beefsteak here." She said truthfully to him. ''Because it tastes different from your cooking.'' she wanted to add but she just kept it in her mind. When Erick saw her sincere eyes, he was convinced that she was not lying. Unaware that Elle only liked the beefsteak he cooked, now, he felt very confused. ''Did her taste also change? She liked beef steak in the past.'' In the end, they still ordered beefsteak and other food. After the food was served, they took their lunch together. This was the most enjoyable meal Erick had for the past two years. Not because of the delicious food nor the luxurious and nice atmosphere inside the restaurant, but because Elle was with him. "Are you full?" Elle asked him. "Yeah. Very full." Erick cheerfully replied. "You eat a lot today. Hmm. I wonder why you look so thin. You should eat more and stay healthy. You don''t look well." Elle blurted out of the blue. Erick paused for a moment after hearing that. He gazed up to see her face. ''[email protected] Elle! Stupid! It is a slip of a tongue.'' Elle scolded herself inwardly. "Do I look ugly now? Am I less attractive in your eyes, now?" Erick asked her seriously. Elle let out a forced laugh. "Why are you asking me that, Chief Lee?" Then Erick became silent. Elle felt a little bit awkward. Then Erick spoke up again. "Can I ask you something?" "Eh¡­ s-sure. What is it?" Elle didn''t know why but she felt really nervous as Erick was looking at her with a very serious expression on his face. "If you are not Elle then why did you hug me back? Not only once but twice." Erick asked her directly to the point. Elle let out another forced laugh. She could feel the tension building up between them. Elle bit her lower lip before she replied. "Because¡­ you are so handsome! I can''t resist your charm!" Erick was rendered speechless by her response. ''Sh!t. I am doomed! Can''t you come up with a better excuse, Elle? Why do you have to say that? Where''s your pride as a lady?'' Elle''s cheeks reddened quickly from embarrassment. ''I-I have to go to the comfort room!" Elle stood up immediately and ran to flee. Erick just watched her figure running away to escape. Because of her answer, the insecurities he felt a while ago disappeared immediately. "She still finds me handsome," Erick mumbled to himself. Then a husky laugh bubbled up in their booth. After a few minutes of calming herself down in the comfort room, Elle went back to their table. She picked up her purse and went to the counter to pay for their bills. "Table 3 Bills please!" Elle said to the cashier. "Ma''am, your boyfriend already paid your bills!" The cashier said to her politely. ''Boyfriend?!'' Elle''s eyes widened. She was supposed to treat him. Erick followed her and now he was standing beside her. Elle faced him with an eyebrow raised. "I should be the one paying our bills!" She complained to him. Erick put on his cool smile and said. "It''s alright. Don''t worry. This is not free. Now, you owe me two meals! Let''s eat together again next time!" Chapter 289 - 289: Bribe After their lunch, Erick and Elle were now heading back to XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters. "Elle?" Erick called out "Huh?" Elle responded. Erick chuckled. Then Elle turned to look at him, pouting. "Ali! I am Ali, not Elle." Elle corrected him. Erick snorted and just continued driving. Elle felt relieved. Erick didn''t insist on bringing up the topic of Elle. Erick stole glances at her from time to time. He even slowed down his driving, prolonging their journey going back to the headquarters. Elle noticed what he was trying to do but she didn''t mind it as she just went along with him. "Thank you for today." Erick softly said to her. ''Thank you for staying alive and coming back.'' This was what Erick truly meant by saying that. Elle just put on a faint smile as she nodded at him. "I should be the one thanking you. After all, you were the one who paid for our bills." Erick let out a husky laugh. "Don''t thank me. I said it''s not free. You have to make it up for me and return the favor. You owe me¡­ remember?" "Hmm. Yeah, I know. Don''t worry. I promise I will make it up to you." Elle said to him meaningfully. ''I have a lot of catching up to do with you. We lost our two years.'' Elle thought to herself. Then Erick picked up his phone from his pocket and handed it over to Elle. She looked down, watching the phone in his hand confusedly. "I''m driving. Can you please add your number in my phone? I want to keep in touch with you¡­ Elle, I mean Ali." Erick explained to her. "Is that okay with you?" Erick added. Elle''s lips twitched but she tried her best to suppress her smile. She gladly accepted his phone and registered her phone number on it. "Okay, Chief Lee. Hmm. Can you also update me if you have a great story for us to cover? You know things such as big scopes, exclusive interviews, and interesting cases. I want to be the first reporter to respond to the scene." Elle smiled and winked at him. Erick couldn''t help letting out a soft chuckle. "Ahem¡­ I think you are the one taking advantage of me." Erick said jokingly. "Hmm¡­ but others also do this. Our fellow reporters have connections with the police authorities that''s why they always get big scopes. Don''t you want to be our connection? Hmm, it''s okay if you don''t want to. I''ll just find someone else." Erick frowned after hearing that. "Why will you find someone else if I am already here? You can take advantage of me all you want. I won''t stop you. So¡­ use me well." Now, it was Elle''s turn to burst out laughing. "What bribe do you want, Chief Lee? I don''t think you are generous enough to do this without asking for any return." Elle teased him. "Hmm, I am not accepting a bribe from anyone. But since you bring that up. Then I will make you an exception. You are right, I should ask for a return for me to benefit from this connection too." Erick said as he played along with her. "Ok. It''s a deal. Anyway, what bribe do you want to receive in exchange or should I say how much? Name your price." Elle said to him confidently. Erick stopped the car and he averted his gaze to the petite girl sitting beside him. With his twinkling eyes and charming smile on his face, he leaned over closer to her and said. "I want you." Elle:"..." She froze on her seat. His closeness made her mind go blank. She couldn''t think clearly as his scent was intoxicating her. She tried to speak but couldn''t utter a word. Her cheeks heated up instantly. Her stomach fluttered, her heartbeat fast. ''[email protected] Erick! Why are you torturing me like this? I don''t have strong self-control. I want to ravish you here right now!'' Elle couldn''t help but bite her lips as she tried to restrain herself from doing something inappropriate. Erick didn''t move away from her. He missed her a lot that he was also on the edge of his self-control right now. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to kiss her. But as much as he wanted to do that, still, he couldn''t. Not unless Elle would stop pretending and admit to him that she was Elle. Elle could also see the yearning in Erick''s eyes as his eyes lingered on her eyes down to her lips. Elle felt like she was losing her oxygen as she held her breath. Her mind was slowly losing its control over her body. Then they heard the loud honking sound coming from the car behind them. That magical moment was ruined. ''Oh, God! Thank you. You are still helping me until now.'' Elle mumbled to herself. She took her courage to push Erick away from her. Then Erick continued driving the car. She laughed nervously to ease the awkward atmosphere. "Chief Lee... I think your joke is quite frightening. I didn''t know you are the kind of person who will ask for that kind of thing as a bribe. I think so highly of you so don''t disappoint me." Erick just looked at her innocently. "I am not joking," Erick said to her firmly. Elle didn''t know whether she should be glad or be mad at him. "Eh¡­ are you saying that you really want me as a bribe? Do I look like an easy girl in your eyes? How unprofessional and inappropriate behavior you have here, Chief Lee?!" Elle squinted her eyes at him and ranted. Then Erick''s eyes widened in realization. Elle misunderstood what he meant. Erick was not able to control himself and burst out into a peal of laughter. "Hey, why are you laughing now?" she asked him, the confusion was written all over her face. "I think you misunderstood what I had said a while ago. Sorry for not elaborating on it. I mean I want you to give me some of your precious time. If I want to ask you and invite you out I hope you will not refuse me. That''s the bribe I want." Erick explained to her. "But¡­ if you also want that ''thing'' in your mind¡­ I can also consider that." Erick added as he gave her a cheeky grin. "Aw!" Erick grunted as Elle punched him on his shoulder after saying his last statement. "Are you really a pervert, Chief Lee?" Elle said as she shot him a sharp glare. Erick let out another husky laugh. "I am not the one who was having perverted thoughts just a while ago." Erick teased her. Erick received another punch from Elle. ''Erick never changed. His shamelessness is still to the highest level.'' She thought to herself as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. Erick stopped teasing her. She was now looking mad. But he was enjoying this simple moment with her. He was really grateful. He waited for so long and now she was back. He would not force her to tell him the truth. He would wait for her if she was ready to talk about everything that happened in the past two years. He knew she had her reason for doing this. ''I will not force you but I will make you speak the truth willingly.'' There was a gleam in his eyes when he thought about that. Chapter 290 - 290: Lets Investigate Her When Erick and Elle reached the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters they saw Sandy and Josh standing in the entrance of the building, waiting for Elle. With her grim expression, Sandy immediately dragged Elle away from Erick. Josh politely greeted Erick before he followed Sandy and Elle going to their company''s car. As expected, Sandy ranted at her friend for leaving without even telling them. "Ali! How dare you leave us here? Where did you go with that Chief Detective? You are always disappearing! What if something happens to you? You are my responsibility here. Did you forget?" "Hey, calm down. I just went out for lunch. Why are you overreacting like this? Nothing will happen to me, especially the person with me is a detective." Elle said helplessly to Sandy. Sandy glared at her. "I will report this to your guardian! You are doing a lot of weird things lately since the day you arrived here at City Z." Elle felt alarmed when Sandy mentioned about her guardian. She immediately held Sandy''s hand and said, "Sandy, please don''t! I promise I will behave now." Seeing the pleading look coming from Elle, Sandy just heaved a sigh of defeat. "Alright! Alright! I won''t tell him anything. But from now on, don''t disappear from my sight without telling me. Is that clear?" Elle just nodded in agreement. "Okay. Let''s go now and visit Senator Mondragon. We need to set an appointment with his secretary for our one on one exclusive interview with him." With that, the three of them left the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters. Meanwhile, Erick had just entered their office. His team was dumbstruck to see him with a very bright mood. The smile never left his face. "Oh my gosh! Chief Lee looks very charming every time he smiles like that." Rose mumbled, her eyes filled with admiration. "Omoh! I feel like crying right now. I missed Erick''s old self," she added, as she wiped her invisible tears. April couldn''t help but laugh at Rose''s reaction. On the other hand, June rubbed his chin, thinking. "I wonder where did Aliyah and Chief Lee go this afternoon?" June said as he pondered to himself. "I think they took their lunch together," Bryan responded to June. The three of them agreed on Bryan''s remarks. Then June asked them to go near him. He had something to discuss with them. Bryan, Rose, and April exchanged glances with one another before they went to June''s table as they gathered together. "I have a suggestion. Let''s find out if Aliyah is Elle. Her action is a little bit suspicious. Did you see how she hugged Erick back a while ago? She might be Elle. Do you agree with me?" June shared his thoughts with them. But Rose contradicted June''s statement. "There''s nothing suspicious there. Any woman is willing to throw herself to Chief Lee. I will be more shocked if she slapped Chief Lee because he hugged her suddenly." "I agree with Rose!" April said which garnered a warning look from Bryan. "So you also want to throw yourself to Erick?" Bryan said, there was a hint of jealousy in his voice. Cough! Cough! "Of course not!" April denied but she couldn''t look at him straight in the eyes. A deep frown appeared on Bryan''s face. April quickly wrapped her arms around his waist to appease her jealous man. "Cutie¡­ don''t be upset! I''m yours now, did you forget?" April softly said to him. Bryan knew that she was referring to the marriage proposal she accepted. And just like that, April succeeded in appeasing the jealous Bryan. "Ouch. My eyes are hurting. When did these two become sweet like this?" June turned to Rose and asked her. Rose just shrugged and laughed at them. Bryan hit June''s head. "Ouch!" "We are overloading with sweetness because we love each other!" Bryan said to June confidently. "Fine! Fine! You don''t have to hit me for that!" June complained. "Back to our main topic. Let''s investigate Aliyah Ross." June suggested to them. April: "Ok!" Rose: "Let''s try!" Only Bryan didn''t respond. "Are you not wondering? If Elle is alive then why she didn''t come back for these past two years?" Bryan told them his doubts. The three paused for a moment, thinking about Bryan''s rhetorical question. Suddenly Rose raised her hand. "What if she lost her memory just like agent Marie?" "That''s right! It might be the case!" June agreed to her. "Bryan, what''s wrong?" April said as she noticed his troubled face. "Are you thinking that Elle died that day?" Rose asked Bryan. "I don''t know. I also wished that she survived. But I just don''t want to give Erick a false hope." Bryan said to them truthfully. "That''s why we need to do this. Let''s investigate Aliyah''s background. If she''s Elle then that''s good news." June insisted. "Erick is thinking that she''s Elle. Will this investigation be helpful? So what if we couldn''t find anything. Do we have the heart to crush Erick''s hope once again?" Everyone could feel the heaviness in Bryan''s words. "Come on, Bryan. Don''t be so pessimistic. If the result of our investigation is not good then let''s just hide it from Erick." "Alright. Let''s do that." In the end, Bryan agreed on June''s suggestion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Elle''s Apartment *** Today was a long and busy day for Elle. After conducting an interview at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters, setting up an appointment with Senator Mondragon, Sandy and Elle wrote six news articles which had to be submitted before COB ( close of business). When she arrived home, she slumped her body at the soft cushion of her bed. She felt exhausted. Ever since her body was poisoned by a toxin she easily got tired and felt weak sometimes. She decided to take a quick shower before she could finally rest tonight. She just got out of the bathroom when her phone suddenly rang. It was a long-distance call from abroad. "Doc Argus, how are you? Great timing, I am about to call you." Elle greeted the person on the other line. "Ali, we are doing great here. I should be the one asking you that. How''s my miracle patient? Is your body doing better now?" Doctor Argus asked her. "Yeah¡­ I think I fully recovered now," Elle replied. "Don''t be so confident, dear. Take good care of your health. There are still residues of toxins in your system. We don''t know if you will be experiencing another aftereffect. It''s a good thing that your body develops antibodies to fight the effect of that toxin." "I understand doc. By the way, how is he?" There was deep concern in her voice as she asked him that. Elle heard Doctor Argus heaved a deep sigh before he answered her. "His condition is stable for now. But still, he is in a coma. We are also giving him medicines that will protect his organs from the negative effect of the toxin. I call you because of that. But don''t worry, we are doing our best to make the antidote. Can you send us again another blood sample of yours?" She felt saddened after hearing the news from Doctor Argus. Until now, there was no progress in his condition. "Alright, doc. I will send you another blood sample, first thing tomorrow. Please take good care of him. Please save him, doc." "I will. Just leave it to us. Don''t worry too much. You should also monitor yourself. If you feel something unusual report it to me asap.Okay?" Doc Argus reminded her. "I know my body well, doc. Have confidence in me. Remember, I am your miracle patient." Elle reassured him. Doctor Argus let out a soft chuckle because of her response. "Hahaha. I know. It''s just that I couldn''t help it. Supremo will kill us if something bad happens to you." Elle''s face was filled with complicated emotions after Doctor Argus mentioned Supremo. "Ali, are you still there?" Doctor Argus asked her when she suddenly became silent. "Yes, I am still here." "Ahem. Is it true that you and Supremo fought about something?" Doctor Argus asked her curiously. "Huh? Where did you hear that?" "His men got a lot of scolding. He''s been in a bad mood lately. I thought it was because of you." Doctor Argus said matter of factly while teasing her. "We didn''t fight. We''re okay." Elle simply said as she laughed awkwardly. "Okay. I believe you. Maybe he is just moody because of your absence. Tsk tsk tsk. Why don''t you give him a call? His subordinates are suffering because of him. Give him advice. I know he will listen to you." Elle took a deep breath and said. "Ok. I''ll give it a try." After reminding her a few times Doctor Argus hung up the phone. "Hmmm. What''s wrong with him. I thought we already agreed on our terms. Why is he having a mood swing now?" Elle mumbled to herself. Elle was about to call the person whom they called Supremo when she received another call. This time Elle''s fatigue dissipated into thin air in an instant after seeing the caller''s name. It was Erick. She answered it right away. "Chief Lee, is there an interesting case that we can cover that''s why you call me?" Elle asked him enthusiastically. Erick chuckled from the other line. "Yes, it''s an exclusive interview," Erick said. "Okay. With whom?" "With me." There was a hint of humor in his voice when saying that. Elle was at a loss for words. ''So shameless!'' "I just did an exclusive interview with you this morning." "Hmmm. This time it''s different. Let''s make this interview a personal one!" Chapter 291 - 291: A Song For You "Hmmm. This time it''s different. Let''s make this interview a personal one!" Erick said using his suave tone. His voice was filled with meaningful thoughts. Elle''s lips stretched out into an amusing smile. If there''s only one good thing that happened in her entire day then that was meeting Erick and spending some time with him once again. Elle put on her headphones as she lay down to her bed leisurely. She placed her phone on her right side. "What do you mean, Chief Lee?" Elle probed as she smiled from ear to ear. She looked like a teenager who was talking to her crush over the phone, trying to sound calm although she wanted to yell from too much joy and happiness. ''[email protected] Just hearing his cool voice can make my heart flutter like this.'' Elle thought to herself. Elle heard Erick''s chuckles from the other line. She loved hearing his laughter. She missed him so much. "Hmm, you can ask me anything. Are you not curious about me?" Erick responded to her. In truth, Erick wanted to know how she''s been doing for these past two years, trying his luck if Elle would mention anything to him. Of course, he was also curious if Elle was thinking of him and wanted to know if she also wanted to know how he''s been living for these past two years. Would Elle fall in his trick? On the other hand, Elle was aware of what Erick was trying to do. He opted to catch a fish in its own mouth. She admitted to herself that she was also eager to know Erick''s whereabouts in the past two years. However, she won''t give in this time. ''Curiosity could kill a cat!'' she reminded herself. "I am sorry, Chief Lee but I haven''t prepared any questions yet. This interview has caught me off guard." Erick let out another chuckle. "You don''t have to. I said you can ask anything. Anything that comes from your mind, most especially from your heart." Erick said as he urged her. "O-Okay¡­ so what are you doing now?" Elle simply asked him. "Sitting outside the balcony, talking to you while looking at the stars¡­ and at the night sky in particular." Erick paused for a moment then he continued. "Someone told me before that even though we will be separated, I will just have to look at the sky every time I am missing her. Then one day we will eventually meet each other again." "I''ve done that for these past two years. Do you know Ali, her words are very true. We met again." Elle could imagine Erick''s face, flashing a gentle smile as he said those words. She closed her eyes, calming the storm of emotions swirling inside her heart. But she failed to stop her tears from falling. She didn''t know what or how she would respond to him. "Chief Lee¡­ " "Hmmm?" "Let''s move to another question," Elle said, trying to change the topic. She was afraid that if Erick would continue like this, her resolve might be broken and she would admit to him right here right now that she''s Elle. "Sure¡­" But Elle was hesitating to ask him another question. What if Erick would intentionally bring up the past in her every question? She should not allow him to do a lot of talking tonight or else she would lose her remaining self-control. "Chief Lee¡­ I changed my mind. Don''t want to ask you any more questions. Do you want me to sing a song for you, instead?" Elle couldn''t tell him directly her true feelings right now but she could relay those feelings to him through a song. "Hmm sure. I like that!" Erick promptly said to her. "Okay. But please go inside your room now and lie down. It''s very cold outside." Elle said to him with her concerned voice. "I''ll sing you a song until you fall asleep," she added. "Really? Will you do that for me?" Erick said, his voice filled with excitement and anticipation. "Yes, I will." Then Elle heard the opening and closing sound of the door. It seemed that Erick already entered the house going to his bedroom. Seconds later, Elle heard Erick''s voice from the other line. "I''m already inside. Now, sing me a song¡­ please." Cough! Cough! Elle cleared her throat first before she started to sing the song entitled ''A thousand Miles'' by Vanessa Carlton. She thought that she could relate her feelings right now to the lyrics of the song. ?*Makin'' my way downtown*? ?*Walkin'' fast, faces pass and I''m homebound*? ?*Starin'' blankly ahead, just making my way*? ?*Makin'' a way through the crowd*? ?*And I need you*? ?*And I miss you*? ?*And now I wonder*? ?*If I could fall into the sky*? ?*Do you think time would pass me by?*? ?*''Cause you know I''d walk a thousand miles*? ?*If I could just see you tonight*? ?* It''s always times like these when I think of you*? ?*And I wonder if you ever think of me*? ?*''Cause everything''s so wrong and I don''t belong*? ?*Living in your precious memory*? ?*''Cause I''ll need you*? ?*And I''ll miss you*? ?*And now I wonder*? While listening to her voice, Erick could somehow understand the message Elle was conveying to him. ''She missed me. She also missed me!'' Erick felt that he finally found the missing piece. The strong emotions buried inside his heart were just pouring out. His eyes were tearing up, this time it was not because of sorrow but because of happiness. When Elle had finished the song, Erick couldn''t contain his joy as he clapped his hands, praising her as if Elle was beside him. "I love you¡­" he suddenly blurted out which put Elle into a deep stupor. Then Erick spoke up again. "I mean I love your voice." Elle couldn''t respond as she had not yet recovered from the dazed after hearing those three magic words coming from Erick. ''I wonder how long I will be able to hold and continue pretending that I am not Elle. Erick, you are driving me crazy.'' Hearing her silence, Erick decided to do something for her. "Ahem¡­ let me return the favor. This time I will be the one to sing you a song." Erick said shyly. He didn''t wait for her to respond as he began to sing a song entitled ''Right Here Waiting'' by Richard Max. ?* Oceans apart day after day *? ?* And I slowly go insane *? ?* I hear your voice on the line *? ?* But it doesn''t stop the pain*? ?* If I see you next to never *? ?* How can we say forever *? ?* Wherever you go *? ?* Whatever you do *? ?* I will be right here waiting for you *? ?* Whatever it takes *? ?* Or how my heart breaks *? ?* I will be right here waiting for you *? ?* I took for granted, all the times *? ?* That I thought would last somehow *? ?* I hear the laughter, I taste the tears *? ?* But I can''t get near you now *? ?* Oh, can''t you see it, baby, *? ?* You''ve got me going crazy *? The song he chose was a reflection of his feelings for these past two years as he waited for her. The sorrow, the pain, the longing, and the loneliness he felt. At the same time, it conveyed his hope and his faith that Elle would come back to his side no matter what. That''s the reason he was able to endure the hardsh.i.p.s of waiting for her while drowning himself in the loneliness and emptiness. He also felt the fears and uncertainties. But for him, it was better to have a little ray of hope or even a false hope than to accept that Elle was already gone and not coming back anymore. He suffered but Elle was worth the wait. She was alive. And now, she returned. That''s all that matters. Even though she didn''t want to admit yet. Erick definitely knew that she''s Elle. He was very certain. No mistake. Aliyah and Elle were only one person- his beloved woman, his wife. "I miss you," Erick mumbled after he completed the song. As much as she wanted to say ''I miss you too'' Elle couldn''t say it out loud. She just pretended that she didn''t hear anything. Elle remained true to her words when she said she would sing for him until he fell asleep. After a while, Erick drifted off to sleep while Elle was still singing. Her voice was soothing and very pleasant in his ears that it washed away all his worries. For these past two years, finally, he got a peaceful sleep tonight. Chapter 292 - 292: Mysterious Sender *** XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** It was a long time since Erick had experienced a good night''s sleep. Last night, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow while listening to Elle''s singing. This time, no nightmares, only sweet dreams with Elle. Because of that, Erick woke up very late today. And when he went to work, Erick felt refreshed. It seemed that one night was able to compensate him after experiencing a lot of sleepless nights for these past two years. He thanked Elle and apologized to her at the same time after waking up this morning. He tried to call her but it looked like she was still asleep. So he just sent her a text message. [ Erick: Good morning! How''s your sleep? Thanks for the lullaby last night. Because of that, I had good sleep and I also dreamed of you. By the way, I am sorry, I was not able to say good night. ] This was the message he sent this morning but until now Erick didn''t receive any reply from her yet. He was now at his office, just staring at his phone and waiting for her response. A knocking sound outside the door pulled him out of his daydream. "Chief Lee, this is Allen. May I enter?" "Please come in." Allen greeted Erick with a bright smile while Erick nodded at him as a response. Other members of Alpha Cinco also went inside Erick''s office. Erick looked at his team confusedly. "Do you also need something?" He asked them. Allen laughed when he saw Erick''s questioning gaze. "Chief Lee, I dropped by here since I want to talk to you and your team," Allen said as he scratched his face, feeling a little bit shy. "Oh, alright." Erick simply said as he signaled them to find their comfortable place and sit down. After they settled down, Allen told them the reason for his sudden visit. "Agent Marie will be celebrating her 28th Birthday one week from now. I am planning to hold a party for her and invite all her former colleagues when she was still working as an agent here. I hope you can also attend this small gathering." "Wow, that''s so nice. You are so thoughtful, Allen!" Rose said cheerfully. "I like that. We will make sure to come. We miss her already!" April said as she assured Allen that they would make time to attend the party. "I smell something fishy. Be honest with us Allen. Are you dating Marie?" June asked him. "Of course not!" Allen replied promptly, but his face was blushing. "Maybe you mean Not Yet! I know you like her!" Bryan also commented as he teased Allen. "Huh? Am I that obvious?" "You move like a turtle. Very slow. Don''t tell us you didn''t confess to her yet." June said that made Allen becomes more flushed. "Well. I haven''t. You know¡­ I am still waiting for the right time. Besides, she lost her memory so I don''t have the courage to confess to her." Allen admitted to them. Since their team joined forces because of Catseye''s case, each member became close to one another like friends. That''s why Allen could openly share his feelings with them right now. The girls just shook their heads while Bryan and June had the urge to hit Allen in the head. On the other hand, Erick looked at Allen helplessly. "It''s been two years but you haven''t made a move yet? Tsk tsk tsk. Be a man, Allen!" Rose ranted at him. Allen felt like he was put in a hot seat as of this moment. "Hey, don''t look at me like that. Alright! Alright! I will try to confess during her birthday. Can you help me out with the preparation?" Allen shamelessly requested them. Erick: "Sure, why not!" Bryan: "Count me in!" April: "Me too!" Rose: "Of course, me also!" June: "I am so excited! This gathering will also serve as our reunion! Then we never know another couple will be formed at the end of the party." "Thank you, guys! I love you all!" Allen said as he felt grateful to them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, the girl whom they were talking about was currently entertaining a customer in her flower shop. Marie had not yet recovered her memory. Because of that incident two years ago, her parents became afraid of almost losing their daughter. So they decided not to let their daughter work again as a policewoman. That''s the main reason they put up a flower shop for her to manage. Though she recovered well some of her ability like shooting skill was affected by her injury. She even underwent physical therapy as the left part of her body was paralyzed for more than three months. Fortunately, her body function on her left side went back to normal after completing her six-month therapy. Now, Marie was living well away from the dangerous jobs she had used to do in the past. However, aside from her lost memory, she felt that something was missing. On the positive side, managing the flower shop gave her another hope and had helped her cope up with the anxiety she felt before because of losing her memories. Even though it was hard in the beginning, Marie didn''t give up and had moved on. She didn''t want to waste this second chance that God had given to her. She tried her best to live simply and happily together with her family. However, she couldn''t deny the fact that deep inside, she was still hoping that one day she would recover her lost memories. "Thank you. Come again, Ma''am." Marie politely said to her customer after she finished accommodating her. Her customer had just left when a delivery man arrived at her shop. Marie was not surprised as she saw the delivery man who was holding a bouquet of daffodils flowers. "Good morning, Ma''am. This is your golden daffodils for today. I wonder what color will it be tomorrow." The delivery man said to her comfortably. They were now familiar with each other. Marie let out a soft chuckle as she accepted the flower. What an irony, she was managing a flower shop, and yet someone was sending her flowers every day. For these past two years, she had been receiving different colors of daffodils flowers from a mysterious man. "I wish he will show me his face and personally deliver these flowers to me," Marie mumbled as she watched the flowers with a gentle smile on her face. "You still have no idea, who is he?" the delivery man asked her curiously. Marie just shook her head and said. "I only knew him by his initials. B.S" Along with the flowers was a card. Sometimes the card contained simple messages such as: "You''re so lovely when you smile." "Wishing you good health and happy life." "I will be guarding and watching you from a distance." "I always remember you." There were also times that the card didn''t contain any message, only initials of the sender written as [ From B.S. ] "Maybe he is your close friend who is secretly in love with you or someone who wants to have a fresh start with you." The delivery man shared his thoughts with her. "Why do you think so?" Marie asked him curiously. "I felt like I became your regular delivery man because of this flower." The man scratched his head shyly. "The truth is I am also curious about this mysterious sender. He is very consistent, sending you flowers for these past two years. So one time I researched what is the meaning of the daffodil flower. I found out that it symbolizes rebirth or a new beginning. It can also mean unrequited love." Marie couldn''t help letting out a soft giggle. "Me too. I did that. That''s why I become so intrigued by this person. Hmm. Anyway, do you think he also received my messages?" "Yes. Someone was picking it up in our office every time he would send this daffodil." The delivery man answered with certainty. For the past six months, Marie also started sending the person a flower and a message. Replying to him and asking him to meet her personally. But to her disappointment, he never came nor visited her. Marie put the flowers in the base then she also picked up a bouquet of Aster flowers and put the card where she had written her message beforehand. She handed it over to the delivery man. "Have you seen his face?" "Sad to say, no, Ma''am. Different persons are coming to our office on his behalf." "I hope this time he will show up after he read my message," Marie said with a hopeful look in her eyes. "Don''t worry Ma''am. I am positive that the two of you will meet soon." Chapter 293 - 293: A Lot of Things To Do In a memorial cemetery of City Z, there were two men in black suits standing in front of a tombstone. There was a hint of sadness and regrets in their eyes. "Brother Yu, do you think they are in good hands now? Are they happy? I bet they are enjoying somewhere in a very quiet and peaceful paradise." Yan said as his lips stretched out in a bitter smile. "If we were not late, we could have saved them, right?" Yan added. The guilt could be heard from his voice. "Yan¡­ it''s been two years now. Even if we cry right now we couldn''t bring their lives back." Yu said as he held his shoulder. "But I can''t help it. I felt sorry for our Lady Boss as well as for Master Phantom¡­" Yan clenched his fists as he looked down, trying to suppress his sobs. "We need to be strong. Everything happens for a reason. It''s no one''s fault. Accident and misfortune... sometimes they are unavoidable in our mission." Brother Yu was trying to console Yan. "We should move on and keep going. We will not waste their sacrifices. We still have something to do. Let''s focus on continuing Lady Boss''s unfinished mission. I think that''s also what Master Phantom would like us to do if he''s here." As the mere mention of Master Phantom, Brother Yan was not able to hold his tears anymore. "I miss them, Brother Xu, Brother Lu, Lady Boss, and¡­ I miss Master Phantom." Yan mumbled through his trembling voice. Brother Yu sighed deeply. He gave him his handkerchief and said. "Stop crying. You''re a man. I thought only Lu would cry in a situation like this. I couldn''t believe that you are also crying." Yan accepted it and wiped his tears. "Did you receive any updates from Brother Chou?" Yu asked him as he changed the topic. "Yes, he called me yesterday. He said they were having a hard time tracking and monitoring Alfonso Ramirez''s whereabouts. For the last two years, the Dark Knight became more careful. They keep changing the locations of their bio-weapons'' facility." Yan reported to Brother Yu. After all, Yu was the leader of Phantom''s henchmen. Yu nodded as he heard that. "The Dark Knight Organization is very cautious. They learned their lesson in the past. That organization is also very occupied right now with its on-going battle with the Skull Gang. We must seize this opportunity to find those bio-weapons facilities most especially Alfonso Ramirez." "I understand, Brother Yu." Brother Yu looked at his wrist as he checked the time on his watch. "It''s time to leave. Dr. Clara reminded me this morning. She wanted to meet us. We need to go to her clinic now." After paying their last respect, Brother Yu and Brother Yan left the cemetery. They headed straight to Dr. Clara. When the two of them arrived at her clinic, Dr. Clara just finished prescribing medicine to her out-patient. Elena was also there, assisting her. For the past two years, Dr. Clara was helping Elena to reach her dream to become a doctor. With Dr. Clara''s influence and connection, Elena was able to finish her BS Nursing Course within two years. She was now also a licensed nurse. Now, she proceeded to Medical School to pursue her dreams and become a doctor. During her free time, Elena was assisting Dr. Clara in her clinic. With that, she was also learning from her. "Oh, Brother Yu, you''re here! Long time no see!" Elena greeted Yu the moment she saw him. "Hi Elena, your nurse''s uniform is suited to you very well compared to a cafe uniform," Yu said to her. Upon hearing the word Cafe, Elena''s expression became sullen. A lot of things have changed for the past two years. Falcon Cafe had stopped operating. Elena had not heard any news about Elle, Charles, and Phantom. She wondered how they were doing now. Seeing Elena who suddenly fell silent, Brother Yu realized his mistake. No one had told Elena about the truth. He knew how difficult it was for her. She was clueless about everything that happened in the past. "Oh, by the way, this is my brother Yan. Yan, she''s Elena, my former colleague before." Brother Yu introduced them to each other as he changed the topic. "Hi, nice meeting you." Elena tried her best to conceal the sadness she felt. "Me too. It''s my pleasure." Brother Yan said as they shook their hands. "Brother Yu and Brother Yan, I have to go now. I still have my class. Dr. Clara is in her office, waiting for the two of you." Elena said as she bade them goodbye. When Elena left, Brother Yu and Brother Yan immediately went to see Dr. Clara in her office. They knocked several times before they entered. Dr. Clara was wearing her doctor''s uniform, sitting on a couch while flipping one of the patients'' charts. "Oh, you two came. Please sit down first." Dr. Clara greeted them with a smile as she invited them to sit in the vacant space of the couch. Brother Yu and Brother Yan had just sat down when another figure entered Dr. Clara''s office. The moment the two men saw the face of the newcomer, they were stunned in a moment. Then after they recovered, their shocked expressions were replaced by happiness and relief. Yu: "Master Phantom!" Yan: "Master Phantom!" They both exclaimed as they stood up and rushed in his direction. Not minding their action, the two of them immediately hugged Phantom. They couldn''t contain their joy to finally see him once again. Yan: "Master, we missed you a lot!" Yu: "Master, how are you. How have you been?" Phantom just let out a soft chuckle. He didn''t expect to see this side of his henchmen. They''re also sweet and clingy. This was the first time they hugged him like this. He just looked at them helplessly and patted their backs. Dr. Clara was also smiling seeing this touching reunion. She never mentioned to them that Phantom was already back. She wanted to surprise them. Two years ago, when Phantom was also poisoned by the toxin. Phantom collapsed during their mission. After that, he was bedridden for six months while his body was fighting the toxins inside his system. Dr. Clara brought him abroad. There were more advanced technologies and medicines at Abroad that could help Phantom to recover fast. She asked her doctor friend to take care of him as she returned to City Z after three months. Phantom requested Dr. Clara to guide his henchmen until he fully recovered. Dr. Clara hid the truth from him for six months because she didn''t want him to be affected emotionally as he was still recuperating. She was afraid that Phantom would give up his treatment if he knew that Elle was gone. When she ensured that Phantom was recovering well, Dr. Clara decided to tell him the truth. Phantom also felt devastated when he learned what happened to Elle. At first, he didn''t want to believe it. He was in denial. He even asked his henchmen to find Elle and Lu. The search lasted for a year but they couldn''t find them. That''s the time he gave up. He blamed himself for not able to do something. He mourned day and night! Once again, he failed to protect someone very dear and important to him. He lost another child, his daughter. He had sworn that whoever did this to Elle, they would pay the price. So he persevered. He focused on his recovery. He would come back and avenge her death. He stayed there for two years, preparing everything. And now, he was back. He would collect the debts. "Men, we have a lot of things to do. Let''s do this for your brothers and sister." Phantom said to them. Now, Brother Yu and Brother Yan felt very determined. Those simple words coming from Phantom meant a lot to them. It gave them a sense of courage and strength. "Yes, Master. Just tell us what to do." Brother Yan said. "We waited so long for this day to come. This time, we will never fail nor disappoint you, Master!" Brother Yu said with so much conviction in his voice. Phantom just smiled at them. He was glad to have found these men, his newly found family. He would do his best to protect them. This time he would make sure that no one would shed another blood from their sides. Chapter 294 - 294: Ill Break Your Arm Into Pieces Three days had passed since Elle and her team had set an appointment with Senator Mondragon. Today was the scheduled date of their exclusive interview with him. That''s why Elle and Sandy together with Josh were now standing at the entrance gate of Mondragon''s Villa. Sandy was now looking very pissed off as of this moment. The guard won''t allow them to enter even though they already showed their Identification Cards that they came from a Media Network. Since that shooting incident happened during the Campaign Launching of Senator Mondragon at RC Convention Center, the security tightened and became more strict. "Sirs, can you let us in? We are not dangerous people! Please call Senator Mondragon''s assistant to confirm our visit today. We set an appointment with him three days ago." Josh was now the one talking to the two guards. Elle had no plan of explaining things to the guard while Sandy was already at her limits. She tried to explain many times but the guard just won''t listen to them. She was now mad. "That''s why I told you I don''t want to do this doc.u.mentary! This is your fault, Ali!" Sandy complained to Elle as she stomped her feet in irritation. Elle sighed helplessly. She had an ulterior motive that''s why she volunteered to their line manager to do this doc.u.mentary. Elle learned that Erick''s team was handling the case about Mondragon''s death threats. Since she wanted to meet Erick in a ''natural'' way without being suspected, she chose this assignment. She didn''t expect that meeting a very important personality like a senator, would be this hard. Well, it was given since the man was a strong candidate for president this coming election. They were now waiting there for almost thirty minutes. By just observing from the sideline, Elle could sense something with the guard. She was thinking whether they were really doing this for strict security purposes or for another ground. She could feel that their stubbornness was to the highest level. It seemed that the two men were doing this intentionally and dragging this for too long. What are they thinking? They wanted a bribe. No, that''s not the case. These guards were paid with a high salary. They didn''t need to ask for money. Elle raised her eyebrow when she saw the guards looking at her and Sandy as if they were flaunting their dominance. ''Are they trying to look cool in front of us? So lame?'' Elle thought to herself. "Hey, you, the lady in pink. Why are you so quiet? Won''t you talk to us? You never know, we might let you in if you do the negotiation." One guard said as he talked to Elle with a smirk on his face. Elle was wearing blue high waist fitted jeans and a pink shirt while Sandy was wearing skinny jeans and a purple blouse. So it was clear that he was referring to Elle. Sandy''s face could no longer be painted as she was fuming in rage. She didn''t like how these guards treat them. How dare he talk to Elle like that? He was obviously trying to hit on her. Sandy had the urge to punch him in the face. Elle held Sandy''s hand to calm her down. She concealed her annoyance as she faced the guard with her fake sweetest smile. "Hmm. Alright, sir. So now I speak. Will you now let us enter?" Elle said in a very calm manner. The two men laughed seeing her obedience. Finally, she spoke up. "Are you really harmless, Miss? How can you prove us?" The man said to her with a provoking look in his eyes as he stared intently at Elle. Josh felt alarmed. He was the guy so he needed to protect these two ladies from these guards. "Ali, Sandy, I think we should leave. Let''s postpone this interview and come back next time." Josh suggested as he gave them a meaningful glance. "Yes, let''s do that!" Sandy exclaimed as she glared at the two guards. She hooked her arm around Elle''s hand and said, "Let''s go, Ali!" The two guards looked surprised. They didn''t expect them to leave just like that so he stopped them. "Hey, don''t leave. Okay. We will now let you in." The other guard said to them. After hearing that, the three of them halted as they turned around to face the two guards once again. "Really? We can now enter the villa?" Josh asked them with disbelief. The two guards nodded. "Thank you, sirs." Josh thanked them cheerfully. They were about to enter the gate but the guard stopped them once again. "I thought we can now go in. Why are you blocking our way again!" Sandy complained to them. "Of course, you can. But we have to do some security checks first. We will do a body check. What if you are hiding weapons inside your body? We will not let our Senator''s life be in danger because of negligence." The guard said as he eyed them from head to toe, feasting his eyes with his beautiful prey. Of course, they were not a fool. Elle and Sandy could see the ill-intentions and bad motives in those l.u.s.tful eyes. "Ali. My hand is itching to slap someone''s face right now. Please don''t stop me." Sandy mumbled to Elle in her low voice. Elle held Sandy''s hand once again. "Then let your lady guard do that to us." Elle flatly said. She looked calm but there was a chilly glint in her dark alluring eyes. The two guards shook their heads as they burst out laughing. "Ahem. Just let us do it. Promise, we will be gentle in doing it. Don''t worry. You will like it." That''s it. Sandy reached the end of her patience. Pak! A loud slapping sound was heard. Josh, Sandy, and the two guards were stunned for a moment. Sandy was about to slap the guard but it was Elle who acted first. The guard who received the hard slap coming from Elle was now furious. Felt embarrassed by what happened to him, the guard immediately charged towards Elle as he dragged her hand harshly. "You b!tch! How dare you slap me! You want it hard huh. Then I''ll give you one." The guard also raised his hand to slap Elle. However before his palm could hit Elle''s face, someone had interfered and caught his arm, stopping his movement mid-air. The guard grunted. The newcomer was gripping his hand too tightly that he felt like his wrist would be broken at any moment. "Who are you? Let go of my hand!" The guard angrily shouted at the person who stopped him. "Touch her and try to lay a hand on her then I swear I will break this arm into pieces." A deep husky voice of a man was heard. His aura was too frightening. His cold sharp eyes were looking at the man with a deathly glare. One stare from him could make the guard cower in fear. The guard suddenly felt the cold sweats all over his body. Meanwhile, Elle stayed rooted in her spot as she gazed up to see Erick''s face. She knew that it was him the moment she heard his familiar voice. Chapter 295 - 295: So Cool "Handsome Pervert!" Sandy exclaimed in surprise. "Chief Detective Lee!" Josh said with relief as if he found a hero who could save them in this predicament. "Erick.." Elle mumbled in a low voice which was almost a whisper. "Argh!" The guard grunted when Erick slightly twisted his arm. "Who are you? STOP or else I''ll shoot!" The other guard warned Erick as he pointed a gun in his direction. Sandy and Josh gasped in horror after seeing the gun pointing in Erick''s direction. On the other hand, Elle''s eyes darkened as she clenched her fists. ''How dare he point a gun at Erick? Is he courting death?'' Elle thought to herself. Meanwhile, the other members of Alpha Cinco also rushed in their direction. Bryan also picked his gun when he saw the scene. "Hey, freeze! Put your gun down! We are from the Crime Investigation Bureau." Bryan warned the other guard as he also aimed his gun at him. "Hey, everyone. Calm down first. Let''s talk this out in a peaceful manner." June butted in as he showed them his badge, trying to calm the situation. Meanwhile, Erick couldn''t care less about the others as his focus was fixed to the man who tried to hurt Elle. "Let Go Of Her Hand Now!" Erick firmly said with his stern cold voice. His bloodshot eyes were still looking daggers at the man. The guard was still holding Elle''s arm as he dragged her a while ago. Seeing Erick''s dangerous glare, the guard finally released Elle''s hand. Erick did the same. Then he gently pulled Elle towards his backside as if he was trying to shield her using his own body. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He asked her. There was a hint of deep concern in his voice. Erick''s expression softened when he looked at her. Elle just shook her head absentmindedly. She was still in a trance. Erick''s action was really cool that her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She had the urge to throw herself to him and reward him with a kiss. His protective gesture had touched her heart. Erick and his team also planned to visit Senator Mondragon today. They would give him the initial reports and updates about the progress of this case. Erick was the one driving the car. His team was also with him. Before they reached the front gate, Erick already saw Elle from the distance. He smiled immediately after seeing her familiar figure. He saw them talking to the guards then suddenly the three people turned their back and started walking away from the guards. Afraid that Elle would leave without even seeing him, he immediately parked the car near the gate. He stepped out of the car quickly which made his team wonder. He took large strides towards Elle''s direction. When he was just two meters away from them, Erick witnessed Elle slapping the guard. That''s the time he ran, worried that something might happen to her. He became furious when he saw the guard drag Elle in a very harsh manner. Fortunately, he was able to reach her on time before she was hit by the guard. "She is the one who is at fault here. He hit me first!" The guard ranted, massaging his hurt wrist. Sandy couldn''t hold her anger anymore. She stepped forward and defended Elle. "You are the one who is harassing us. We can sue you for attempted s.e.x.u.a.l assault or shall we say s.e.x.u.a.l harassment! We already told you many times that we are here to conduct an interview but you refused to let us in! You made us wait for thirty minutes!" Sandy poured out spontaneously. "That''s right. We were about to leave but you stopped us, saying that we could now enter. But suddenly you are saying that you need to conduct a body search first. Ali asked you to call a lady guard to do it but you two insisted on doing it and talked some inappropriate words to the ladies." Josh also spoke up as he supported Sandy''s claim. Upon hearing that, Erick''s face darkened once again. He had the urge to beat someone. He couldn''t tolerate this kind of dirty action. The worst-case was they tried to harass his woman. Erick was about to charge against the man but Elle held his arm and stopped him. "Hey, calm down," Elle mumbled softly. Her simple words had helped Erick to cool down a little bit. "You are spouting nonsense! Do you have proof? How dare you hit a senatorial bodyguard? Hitting me is like you are hitting and insulting Senator Mondragon, himself! Both of you will pay for this! I am the one who will sue you!" The guard kept on denying his wrongdoing. He even put the blame on Erick and Elle. Suddenly, three sports cars arrived. Since they were still doing their arguments outside the gate, the three cars stopped in their spot. A gorgeous lady in her white floral dress alighted from one of the cars. That was Diana, Senator Mondragon''s daughter. Upon seeing their senorita, the two guards broke their brave font and greeted her politely like puppies wagging their tails to their owner. "What''s happening here?" Diana asked everyone. Her annoyance and irritation were reflected in her authoritative voice. She looked upset seeing these people blocking their way. But her expression changed in an instant upon noticing the most handsome guy among those people. She recognized Erick immediately. His face never left her mind since the day she first saw him. "Oh, it''s you, Chief Detective Lee." Her tone also changed. She said in a very sweet manner. Her face showed an expression of delight for seeing him once again. "Miss Diana¡­" Erick plainly said as he acknowledged her presence. "Why are you here? Is there a problem?" Diana asked again, noticing the atmosphere filled with tension. It was Sandy who explained to Diana, everything that happened without leaving any details. After several minutes of listening to Sandy''s long and spontaneous statements, Diana somehow grasped the situation. "Oh, so that''s what happened," Diana mumbled as she gave the two guards a ridiculing look. "The two of you. You are fired!" Chapter 296 - 296: Another Bee "The two of you. You are fired!" The two guards didn''t expect to lose their jobs because of this incident. They begged Diana and asked her to give them a second chance but she was firm with her decision. Mistake or not, she didn''t care. Diana fired them not because she totally believed Sandy''s story but because she knew how Erick was so mad and upset with the two guards. She wanted to impress him and showed the others that she was the boss here. After fixing the situation, Diana''s socialite friends called her. They waited for several minutes. Diana invited Erick''s team and Elle''s team to go inside the villa and come with her. Everyone entered Mondragon''s Villa. Others were amazed to see the surroundings inside. It looked like a combination of a resort and a hacienda. There were pools, golf course, ranch, and a mini forest. The mansion was located in the heart of the villa. It took them a ten-minute drive to reach the house. If you are inside you wouldn''t think that it was located in the city but in the countryside instead. You would feel very refreshed seeing the vast green area, flower gardens, and tall trees. No wonder, Senator Alex Mondragon''s advocacy focused on environmental protection. Diana and her circle of friends were planning to do horseback riding today that''s why her friends were there with her. She asked them to go first while she would entertain Erick''s team and the reporters. "Please sit down first. I will call Dad and inform him that you are here." Diana said to them. Diana excused herself to them. "Unfortunately, April and Rose didn''t come with us today. I am sure they will be happy to see this place. So wonderful!" June commented. "Yeah, the scenery is so beautiful." Bryan agreed with him. Meanwhile Josh and Sandy were peering the enormous house. They couldn''t help but admire the interior design wherein they felt like they were in a medieval period. On the other hand, Erick''s attention was fixed to the lady sitting beside him. He held her arm, checking if she was hurt or got some bruises after the guard dragged her a while ago. Erick was still enraged every time he would remember that scene. "Chief Lee¡­ what are you doing?" Elle said awkwardly as she watched Erick checking her arm. Erick heaved a sigh of relief when he made sure that she was not hurt. He ignored her question as he rubbed her arm. Elle didn''t know whether to cry or laugh. Erick''s overprotectiveness was to the highest level. "Chief Lee¡­ this is so awkward. Can you stop doing that?" Elle said to him in a low voice. Erick complied as he heard that. "Are you sure you''re just fine?" Erick asked her worriedly. "Yeah. Thank you. I really appreciate your action." ''If you didn''t interfere then I might have beat that guard already.'' Elle wanted to add but she just kept it in her mind. "You don''t have to thank me. It''s my responsibility to protect you." Erick said in a very serious tone. When Sandy saw Erick and Elle sitting together, she immediately sat down in between them, pushing Erick aside. The two were startled by Sandy''s sudden action. ''This girl really knows when to ruin the moment.'' Elle sighed helplessly at that thought. After a while, Diana went back. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Dad is still in an important meeting. It will take time before he can go home." Diana informed them. "Miss Aliyah and Miss Sandy, I think you can go back next time. Don''t worry I will personally set the schedule for your interview with my Dad." Diana reassured them. "Okay, Miss Diana. We understand." Sandy replied to her. She was a little bit disappointed. After that trouble a while ago, in the end, they couldn''t do the interview with Senator Mondragon. Then Diana turned to Erick. "Chief Lee, you and your team can wait for Dad. I will accompany you for a while until he comes back. You can also share with me the updates of my father''s case." Diana said to him with a charming smile on her face. Elle frowned after hearing that. ''Wait, something is not right here. She wants us to leave but let Erick''s team stay. What a biased treatment?'' "Do you want a tour with the villa? We can do that as we wait for Dad." Diana suggested to Erick''s team. "Yes, we love that!" June promptly responded. His eyes were brimming with excitement. Elle couldn''t tolerate this. At first, she wanted to turn a blind eye but this was too much. Diana was clearly showing her interest in Erick. Diana''s secret motive didn''t escape Elle''s observant eyes. Elle had observed how Diana''s attitude changed every time she would talk to him. How her blue eyes lingered on Erick''s face with so much admiration. "[email protected]! There''s another ''Bee'' here." Elle mumbled. "Huh? What Bee?" Sandy asked her confusedly. Elle didn''t answer. She just remained silent, thinking. "Ali, let''s go," Sandy said as she stood up. Erick felt disappointed. He didn''t want to be separated again with Elle. He wanted to spend more time with her. It''s been three days since he hadn''t seen her. He missed her so much. Elle was also avoiding his calls for the past three days. That''s why he was glad to see her there. He thought he would be able to talk to her. He wanted to confront her and asked her the reason why she was ignoring him for these past three days. "Hey, Ali? What are you waiting for? Don''t just sit there. Come here. We are leaving!" Sandy called her out once again. Elle finally stood up but she didn''t take a step. "We are not leaving," Elle said firmly. Everyone looked at Elle strangely. "What do you mean, Miss Aliyah?" Diana was the one who asked her. "Miss Diana, I am sorry. But we must do this interview today. That''s why we can''t leave. We will also wait for Senator Mondragon. This doc.u.mentary program is also very important. It can also help boost Senator Mondragon''s popularity." Elle paused for a moment as she gave Sandy and Josh a warning look that says ''Don''t talk. Just let me handle this.'' Sandy: "..." Josh: "..." "We also have deadlines. And next week our schedules are full. If we can''t do this today then there will be no more opportunities. Our manager might also give up this program and just let us feature another person. I think he is also planning to feature another presidential candidate." "So¡­ Miss Diana, will you let us stay and wait, or do you want us to just...leave?" Elle asked Diana as she gave her a meaningful look. ''This girl! I can''t figure out what she is planning to do here? She is obviously spouting nonsense. What a good liar!'' Sandy thought to herself as she looked at Elle with disbelief. But Sandy just kept quiet and played along with her. She didn''t have the heart to reveal her friend''s lie in front of these people. Meanwhile, Diana was also hesitant to make them stay. She just thought of them as mere reporters who were not worthy to be her guests. Erick''s team was the only one she wanted to accommodate. ''Well, my father does not need this program anyway. He is already famous enough. He is the strongest candidate and quite popular with the people. Does this girl think I care about this doc.u.mentary program? She is wrong about that.'' Diana was about to say no when Erick suddenly spoke up. "I think Senator Mondragon is already popular. Others would think that doing this doc.u.mentary program is not necessary." Diana couldn''t suppress her smile after hearing Erick. They were thinking about the same thing. On the other hand, Elle was taken aback by Erick''s statement. Her face became frosty as she shot him a sharp glare. ''Erick Lee! Are you betraying me?! You also want me to leave so that you can flirt with this princess?! How dare you oppose me!'' Elle was trying her best to control her anger when Erick spoke up once again. "Senator Mondragon is very humble¡­ I guess this time he needs to step up and flaunt to the people all the good things he did in the past. All his accomplishments. So this doc.u.mentary program is also not a bad thing. What do you think, Miss Diana? Do you agree with me?" K.O! Since Erick already shared his thoughts Diana had no other choice but to let the reporters stay or else it would look like she didn''t agree with Erick''s statement. She didn''t want to look bad nor oppose Erick''s idea. Chapter 297 - 297: Horseback Riding Diana asked her Butler to escort her visitors going to the horse stables and arena. Her friends were already there waiting for them. Diana would just change into her riding clothes. When Erick and Elle together with their colleagues arrived in the horseback riding Arena, Diana''s friends were already riding their designated horses. There were also three professional trainers, watching and guiding them to ensure their safety. "Whoa! This is my first time seeing different breed of horses in person." June mumbled in awe as he watched the horses. "Me too!" Bryan said. "Amazing!" Josh also blurted out. "I want to ride those horses too!" Sandy said with eagerness in her voice. Elle and Erick were also admiring the horses in front of them. "They look like professional riders with their riding clothes!" June said as he watched Diana''s friends. The butler couldn''t help letting out soft chuckles. "Indeed. Miss Diana and her friends are all professional riders. Horseback riding became their hobby since they were still little kids." The Butler proudly said to them. "Really?" Sandy couldn''t believe it. "Well, that is very much expected for those rich kids," she added. "There are twenty horses in the stables. Four breeds¡­ quarter horses which are trained specifically for the discipline. They have smooth gait and calm demeanor." One of the trainers approached them and started to talk about horses. They just listened to him attentively. "There are also Tennessee Walking Horses known for their graceful and comfortable gait. Another breed is the Carolina Marsh Tucky. And the favorite horse of Se?orita Diana is the Morgan horse. If you are looking for a trail, pleasure riding companion, or competitive sports horse then that would be Morgan horse." "Wow¡­ that''s nice. I want to ride that horse too!" Sandy said enthusiastically. "Sorry, dear. You can''t as of now." Diana''s voice was heard. When they turned to look at her, she was already wearing her riding clothes, a red helmet matched with red gloves, black paddock boots which were knee height. Her slender and s.e.xy figure was emphasized after wearing a black fitted long-sleeved shirt and blue jodhpurs. A red safety vest completed the picture. She looked very cool and elegant at the same time. "Why?" Sandy asked, feeling disappointed. That''s the time Diana''s friend went to meet them. "Because you are not wearing proper riding clothes." It was the trainer who answered Sandy''s query. "Ah ok." "Diana! Finally, you are here. Hmm, we see... you also bring other guests" a husky voice caught their attention. He was one of Diana''s friends. Diana smiled at him before she spoke up. "Okay. I should introduce everyone first." "This guy who just spoke up is Jeff. The guy beside him is Jake, he is the older brother of Jeff." "Hello, guys!" Jake put on a suave smile and waved his hand to greet them. "This is Kisses, my cousin. Isabelle, my best friend. The lady in yellow is Laura, my friend way back in college." The three ladies just smiled at them while Diana started to introduce Erick and his team as well as Elle and her companions. "These are Aliyah, Sandy, and Josh, reporters from Morning Star Media Network." "Oh¡­ how about these three handsome guys with you, my dearest cousin?" Kisses asked her curiously. "They came from the Crime Investigation Bureau. They are assigned to my father''s case." Diana replied to her with a charming smile on her face. "Sergeant Bryan and Sergeant June¡­" Diana paused and she turned to Erick. "And lastly, this is Chief Detective Erick Lee, their team leader," Diana said to them using her sweetest voice. The Ladies gasped in surprise. "Oh, that''s why he looks familiar to me. He is Erick Lee, the famous Chief Detective of the country!" Isabelle exclaimed in excitement. Erick just nodded to greet them. He was not used to being the center of attention. He felt a little bit uncomfortable right now. June and Bryan just exchanged meaningful glances with each other. The reaction of these girls was not new to them. Meanwhile, there was also another person who was unhappy for the attention Erick was receiving from them. On the outside, Elle looked so calm but deep inside, there was a raging storm of fury. If the girls had their eyes on Erick, the guys also had someone in mind. "Anyway¡­ if you also want to ride a horse then I have a solution for that. Why don''t you ride with us? We can guide you and keep you safe during the ride even though you are not wearing the appropriate riding clothes." Jake suggested. "Oh, right. You don''t have to worry. We are professional riders." Kisses supported Jake''s suggestion. "Is that okay?" Sandy asked them, feeling hopeful. She really wanted to ride a horse. "Of course yes, you will just have to partner with one of us." Jeff also said. "Yeah, I like that. I also want to try!" June said cheerfully. There was a hint of anticipation and excitement in his voice. Diana didn''t object with the idea as she glanced at Erick''s direction. Riding with Erick in just one horse, that''s not a bad idea. "Ahem. Nice suggestion. What a coincidence? There''s an equal number of boys and girls. You can partner up with each other, beginners and professional riders." The trainer butted in. Diana immediately walked towards Erick. "Do you want to ride with me, Chief Lee?" Diana asked him sweetly. She didn''t waste her time. She didn''t allow others to approach Erick. Fast move Diana! So the other girls had no choice but to pick the other guys. They knew Diana well. She was obviously telling them to f*ck off. Kisses went to Bryan, Isabelle to Josh, Laura to June. Meanwhile, Jeff and Jake both approached Elle. "Hey, pretty, would you like to be my riding companion?" Jake put on his charming smile as he extended his arm. "Ahem¡­ I think I am the one who is more suited to you. See¡­ we are wearing the same color today. Pink. Be my partner, my lady in pink!" Jeff said and winked at her, trying to impress her using his suave tone. "Huh? Then what about me?" Sandy complained to them in disbelief. ''I am the one who badly wants to ride a horse not her.'' Sandy thought to herself. Elle frowned. She was not paying attention to the two guys. She was looking at Erick, waiting for his answer whether he would accept Diana''s offer or not. Because if he would, then God only knows what Elle could do to them. ''Say yes, then I swear, I will make this a memorable experience that you will never try to ride a horse again.'' Elle had sworn to herself. At the same time, Erick''s gaze was fixed to Elle and to the two guys who were inviting her to be their partner. ''If you say yes in either one of them, I will surely punish you, Elle. Don''t you dare go with them! You knew how I could easily get jealous.'' Erick already had a grim expression on his face. Jake: "Miss Aliyah?" Jeff: "My lady?" They were waiting for her answer. When Elle met Erick''s gaze, her lips curled up into a playful smile. "I-" Elle didn''t finish her words as Erick immediately cut her off. "She can''t! She''s allergic to¡­ horses." Erick blurted out. He couldn''t bear to stand still. Elle raised her brows as she stared at him. "Me too¡­ I can''t. I am also allergic to horses," Erick added. Sandy: "..." ''When did Aliyah become allergic to horses? And Handsome Pervert too? He is allergic to horses. What a ridiculous joke?'' Sandy darted her gaze back and forth between Erick and Elle. Meanwhile, everyone was rendered speechless. They didn''t expect that. June and Bryan looked at Erick confusedly. They knew him for almost a decade but they didn''t hear anything about Erick''s allergy. Allergic to Horses? Since when? Elle tried her best to suppress her laughter. Erick''s excuse was really unexpected. He was not good at lying. ''[email protected], Erick! What a cutie?! I want to pinch your cheeks. Allergic to horses? Really?'' Elle was laughing inwardly. Then Erick looked at her pleadingly which says ''hey, say something. Help me out with this.'' Cough! Cough! Elle cleared her throat before she decided to connive with her man, supporting his lies. "Yes, that''s true. I am sorry about that." Elle said as she smiled at them apologetically. Chapter 298 - 298: A Bet Because two people were ''allergic to horses'' Diana and her friends just went on to the initial plan, leaving Erick and Elle alone as they rode the horses with their designated partners. Only Diana and Jake had no riding companion. Erick was glad that he could spend some time alone with Elle. They were just sitting on the bench under the tree near the horseback riding arena. Since her plan of riding together with Erick was ruined, Diana was not in a good mood. Despite that, she tried her best to ride her horse expertly, hoping that Erick would be impressed with her riding skills. However, to her disappointment, Erick didn''t even glance in her direction. He was busy conversing with Elle. "Ali, why are you not answering my calls? You didn''t even return any of my messages. You are intentionally ignoring me, aren''t you?" Erick asked her, feeling dejected. Elle knew that Erick would confront her the moment they saw each other. He was right. She was intentionally ignoring him for these past three days. Of course, she did that because she didn''t want to be so obvious. Erick was still insisting that she was Elle. If she gave him more attention then he would really be convinced that she''s Elle. She wanted to win him back as Aliyah Ross, not as Elle. She needed to keep pretending. Elle was dead. Catseye was dead. "Sorry about that. I was so occupied for these past few days, Chief Lee. I had to submit four articles daily. Haizt. I am so tired. My brain cells are also dying slowly day by day." Elle said as her alibi. Her acting was so overrated. But Erick didn''t dwell on it. "Drama queen!" Erick mumbled before he burst out laughing. Elle frowned and said, "I heard that!" She knew that Erick was not convinced. Erick stopped laughing and turned to face Elle. " If your brain cells are dying, don''t you know that I am also dying day by day from waiting for you." Another K.O. from Mr. Detective! Elle was at a loss for words. She didn''t know what to respond to. She could only bit her lower lip as she felt pressured by his intense gaze. "Hey, stop biting your lips. It''s quite distracting¡­ you know." ''I have the urge to kiss you.'' Erick wanted to add but he didn''t. Elle immediately complied. Then she looked away. "Chief Lee, I didn''t know you are allergic to horses. I am also surprised. Are you my doctor? Even I, myself, have no idea that I am allergic to horses. Both of us, seriously? What a coincidence?" Elle said as she changed the topic. Erick let out another chuckle. "Why? Why did you cooperate with me and supported my lies a while ago?" There was a gleam of joy in his eyes as he anticipated her answer. "Because you were begging me to do so. I told you before that you really had an irresistible charm. Now, do you believe me? You got me with just one pleading look! Tsk tsk tsk" Elle sighed helplessly. Erick was now grinning from ear to ear. All his unhappiness caused by Elle''s action of avoiding him for these past few days just disappeared because of those words coming from her. "Now, you are forgiven. Don''t avoid me again in the future." Erick said to her. "Alright¡­ I will try..." Erick pouted after hearing that. "Please don''t try... please do it. I will not stop pestering you every day." Elle giggled because of Erick''s persistence. "So cute¡­" Elle couldn''t help but mumble. "I heard that," Erick said with a bright smile on his face. Elle shook her head in denial. "I didn''t say anything." "Liar!" The two of them met each other''s gaze and ended up bursting into waves of laughter. ********** The horseback riding activity of the group lasted for an hour. The riders returned the horses to the stables. Kisses, Diana''s cousin, approached her privately. "Dear Cousin, tell me honestly. You like Detective Lee, right? You have a crush on him!" It sounded more like a tease rather than a question. Diana rolled her eyes in annoyance. She didn''t like it if someone was putting his or her nose to other affairs. She hated nosy people. "Hey, don''t be mad. I just want to help you. I think you have the chance. I asked his colleague about Erick. We talked a lot about him. Are you not curious?" Kisses gave Diana a taunting smile. Diana raised her eyebrows as she eyed her cousin. After her long silence, Diana finally gave in. "What did he say?" Kisses knew it. Diana would be interested to hear what they had talked about regarding Erick. "He is still single." "I already know that." "Hmm, eh how about his ideal woman. Do you know what he likes?" Diana rolled her eyes. She was becoming impatient now. "Kisses! For goodness''s sake, can you stop beating around the bush and just spill it out all at once?" "Oh okay. I heard that Erick likes a strong, smart, beautiful, and fierce woman who knows how to fight... holds a gun and a sharpshooter. I think you are very qualified! You have all those qualities." Kisses said proudly as she praised her. "Is that so?" "Yes. So¡­ why don''t you flaunt your shooting skills to him? Let''s invite them to play a game and join us. I think Erick will be amazed by your talents." Kisses suggested to her. Unknown to them, when Kisses asked Bryan about Erick''s ideal woman, Bryan could only think of Elle''s qualities as Catseye. That''s the reason he told her those things. He failed to tell her that Erick only liked one woman and that was Elle. Diana put on a mischievous smile. She liked Kisses'' idea. "Okay. Since Dad is not yet around. Let''s entertain them first. And give them a good show to watch." "Yes. That''s the spirit! Let''s go!" It did not take long when Diana and her friends approached Elle and Erick''s team who were sitting and resting on the bench under the trees. "Did you enjoy the horseback riding activity?" Diana asked them. June: "Absolutely. Thank you so much for allowing us to do it!" Bryan: "Thank you, guys. We enjoyed it." Josh: "This is one of a kind experience for me! Thanks a lot." Sandy: "Thank you, Jeff! It''s really nice of you, teaching me how to ride a horse." Jeff: "It''s my pleasure, dear." Then Diana turned to Erick and Elle. "I am sorry about the allergy. I hope you didn''t get bored while waiting for us." Elle just gave her a timid smile. "No worries, Miss Diana. I really enjoyed just watching you guys from afar." Erick lied once again. He didn''t even take a glance at the arena. His eyes were fixed only to Elle. "Dad is not yet around. Why don''t you join us in our next activity? This time there is no horse involved." Diana said to them. "What is it this time?" June asked her curiously. "Target Shooting!" It was Kisses who answered him. Everyone seemed interested in the next activity including Erick and Elle. "So... is everyone in?" Diana asked them again. Everyone nodded in agreement. Since everyone wanted to join, Diana didn''t waste any more time as she called their butcher to bring their several golf carts which would serve as their service going to the location of their next activity. While waiting for their service to arrive, Erick secretly approached Elle. "Hey, do you want to make a bet with me in the next activity?" Erick said as he challenged her. Elle was not the kind of person who would refuse a challenge. "Hmm¡­ sure. But don''t you think this is unfair? You are a well-trained and skilled shooter. I am at a disadvantage here." Elle slightly complained to him. Another soft chuckle escaped his mouth. "Alright. Just hit the bullseye even once then you win." "Hmm, so what''s the prize for the winner?" Elle asked him inquisitively. "If you win then it depends on you what prize you want to receive from me. Just tell me anything, I will fulfill it for you. But if you lose, give me your one day. Let''s have a date." Erick told her his conditions. Now, Elle should decide whether to accept it or not. "Okay¡­ deal!" ''Target shooting! Hmm. So easy. It''s no biggie!'' Elle thought to herself confidently. Chapter 299 - 299: Make Me Hit The Bullseye ''Target shooting! Hmm. So easy. It''s no biggie!'' Elle thought to herself confidently. However, it turned out to be the opposite of what she had expected. Indeed, this was a real distinction of reality vs expectation. The target shooting in which Diana and her friends were talking about was none other than but archery. A f*cking archery in which Elle had not tried even before. She was trained to use a gun for shooting, as well as darts and daggers but never a bow and arrows. "Archery is a unique sport. I know some of you are used to holding guns but today it would be different. You will be using a bow and arrows in this activity. We will also divide the group and make 6 teams with two members in each team. We will determine the team through a draw lot." Diana explained to everyone. "There are six colors to be picked through a draw lot. The two persons who pick the same colors will form as a team," Diana added before she let everyone pick their designated colors. After a few seconds, the six teams were finalized. Josh and Sandy= Team Yellow Bryan and June= Team Green Kisses and Jeff= Team White Laura and Isabelle= Team Black Diana and Erick= Team Blue Jake and Elle= Team Red "Each team will be given ten arrows to shoot. So five arrows per member. There are corresponding points when the arrow hits the different areas in the target. Ten is the highest and one is the lowest. The bullseye is worth ten points. The combined scores of each team member will be tallied to determine the final winners. Do you have any questions?" It was Sandy who raised her hand. "Ahem, Diana, can we have a practice first before we officially start the game? This is my first time holding a bow and an arrow." Sandy requested. "Is anyone here who wants to agree with Miss Sandy''s suggestion?" Diana consulted everyone. Josh, June, Bryan, and Elle raised their hands, signifying that they also want to practice shooting first. Erick chuckled when he saw Elle raising her hand. In his mind, he thought Elle was becoming competitive this time. Meanwhile, Elle saw Erick''s reaction. She just shot him a glare. "Alright, we will give you time to practice shooting. Is a twenty-minute practice enough for you, guys?" Diana allowed them to do that. Sandy: "Yes, Miss Diana!" "Okay, you can practice with your team!" With that, everyone took their designated bow and arrows and they practiced shooting together with their partners. Just like horseback riding, Diana was an expert in archery. Diana was very glad that Erick became her partner this time. She even helped Erick to practice, giving him tips on how to aim and release the arrow. She was enjoying it. She appeared to be a trainer while Erick was her trainee. Erick was a fast learner. In just a few minutes, he was able to control his shooting, easily hitting the target. Diana was also able to show him her shooting skills. She would always hit the bullseye. Meanwhile, On Elle''s part, she was having difficulty. Ten minutes had passed but still, she had not hit the target. Her arrows always fell on the ground, failing to reach the target. ''[email protected]! This is quite difficult. Argh. It''s starting to strain my arms. I feel strange. I think... my body did not hundred percent recover yet.'' Sandy noticed Elle was already sweating a lot. It''s only been ten minutes since they started to practice. "Hey, Ali. Are you okay? Don''t force your body. The doctor advised you to refrain from activities that require you to exhaust too much energy." Sandy told her with a concerned voice. "Don''t worry. I am fine. It''s just that this is my first time doing this." Elle smiled faintly as she reassured her. Then Elle turned to Erick''s direction. She saw Erick was improving a lot as minutes passed by. "I see¡­ He is really enjoying this huh." Elle clenched her fist seeing Diana and Erick laughing together. They were just rejoicing since Erick finally hit the bullseye because of Diana''s help. But little did she know, Erick was laughing not because of that, but because of her. Erick stole glances at Elle from time to time, secretly observing her. He even caught her staring at his direction with an annoyed expression. She was already wearing ugly expression but Erick still found it very cute. He couldn''t help but laugh out loud because of that. Oblivious of what Erick was truly thinking, with her glaring eyes and a raging fury inside her, Elle tried to shoot the target once again. Swoosh! Dang! It failed to hit the target once again. "[email protected]! Can I just use darts and daggers!??" Elle exclaimed in annoyance. She was in a bad mood now. She hated to admit but Diana really looked cool every time she hit the bullseye. Elle knew that Diana was obviously trying to impress Erick. And it seemed that she already succeeded in doing so. ''Erick Lee! I won''t allow you to win! I won''t! I will win this and I will make you my slave for one week. How dare you laugh with another woman? Just you wait!'' Unknown to Elle, several pairs of eyes were also watching them. "Hmm, who do you think is the strongest duo right now?" Kisses asked her friends. "Obviously, Diana and Detective Lee," Jeff said matter-of-factly. Isabelle shook her head "I pity Jake. I think he''s not gonna win today. Look at his partner." Then the four of them averted their gaze at Elle. They even laughed at her as she failed to hit the target many times. "I think they are the weakest duo today," Laura said while belittling Jake and Elle. Jeff, Kisses, and Isabelle nodded in agreement. They burst out laughing at that thought. At the same time, June and Bryan were also talking about Elle. "I think Aliyah is not Elle. See¡­ she''s having difficulty right now. If she is Catseye then she can do this easily. Right?" June shared his thoughts with Bryan. Bryan was having conflicting thoughts. "What if she''s just faking it to avoid suspicion?" "I don''t think so. Can you see it? She''s already bathing in her own sweats. She also looks tired already." June said as he noticed the bead of sweats on Elle''s forehead. On the other hand, Jake had been silently observing her since the beginning. He just let her be and didn''t disturb her since Elle wanted to do it alone. But looking at her right now, Jake couldn''t stand still any longer. He took his steps going to Elle. "Miss Aliyah, I think you need my help now!" Jake said to her helplessly. "Do you want me to teach you?" Jake softly said as he offered her a hand. Elle paused for a moment, watching Jake in front of her. He looked like he really wanted to help her. After much thought and careful consideration, Elle decided to ask him for help. "Sure¡­ are you good in archery?" Elle asked him, feeling doubtful. Sensing her doubts, Jake let out a husky laugh. "Well, slight only. Want me to show you? Then after that, you can decide whether you will trust me to teach you or not" Jake was not the kind of person who wanted to brag. "Hmm, sure. Show me then!" Jake smiled at her before he picked up the bow and the arrows. He shot ten arrows in a row. All of them hit the bullseye! Elle was dumbfounded. ''Is that what he meant by saying ''slightly good''. Is he kidding me? He is not just good! He is an expert!'' After that, Jake faced her again. "Ahem, so Miss Aliyah, did I pass? Am I now qualified to be your trainer?" Jake asked her anxiously. He didn''t know why but he felt nervous right now. He didn''t intend to brag his skills in archery by hitting the bullseye ten times. He did that because he just wanted to make Elle trust him and allow him to teach her. "Jake¡­ can you make me hit the bullseye after the remaining eight minutes of our practice shooting?" Elle said as she looked at him amusingly. Jake''s face brightened up after hearing that. "Yes, I will! Leave it to me!" Jake responded to her enthusiastically. Chapter 300 - 300: I Am Jealous! Without wasting the remaining practice time left, Jake began teaching Elle the proper stance and technique of shooting the arrows to hit the target. Jake ensured first that Elle was wearing hand protection so he gave her arm guard and shooting glove. "Huh?" Elle didn''t accept the items. She just gave Jake a questioning look. Seeing the confusion in Elle''s face, Jake let out a soft chuckle. ''She''s really pretty no matter what expression she puts on.'' Jake thought to himself. "This arm guard will protect you from the snap of the string while this shooting glove will protect your fingers from the strain of pulling the string back. It will make you comfortable while shooting. These can also help you to have good accuracy and smooth shot." Jake explained to her very carefully. "Is that so?" Elle asked him as she picked up the glove and the arm guard. Jake suddenly held her arm and raised her fingers to show her. "See this? there is a red mark on your fingers, caused by the excessive pulling of the string. You are hurting your hand that''s why instead of improving, your shooting is becoming¡­" Jake didn''t finish his sentence as he was afraid Elle would be upset and feel offended. "Worse" Elle said as she completed what Jake wanted to say. Jake looked down as he scratched his face, feeling shy. Elle giggled. "Don''t worry. I am not mad. You are just being honest." "Hmm. So pretty." That''s the only words Jake could utter as he was dazed while looking at Elle who was currently giggling. "Hey, what''s next?" Elle asked him. Her voice pulled him out of his daydream. Jake apologized then he continued to teach her. He taught her the perfect stance- how her feet should be placed, how far to pull the string back, and how to aim. "Breathe steadily when you shoot. Don''t hold your breath. Take a slow normal breath. That will keep you calm." Jake advised her. She was now in her position, shooting arrows. Jake continued giving her tips. "Get comfortable with gripping and drawing the bow then you will become accurate at aiming," Jake said as he was cheerfully watching her. Elle''s shooting had improved a lot already after a few minutes. Her shots were already hitting the target. Jake was amazed by her. She was also a fast learner. Elle''s body became used to doing this. Elle took a short break and faced Jake with a pitiful face. Jake handed her bottled water to drink. "Hey, what''s wrong? You are doing great." Jake praised her to cheer her up. "I couldn''t hit the bullseye yet. Our practice shooting is going to end now." Elle said to him, feeling frustrated. Jake just chuckled. "Okay. Let''s try one last shot!" Elle nodded as she picked up her bow and arrow once again. This time Jake went to her back and helped her position herself properly, checking her form and adjusting her stance, thus holding her waist, fixing the position of her arms and feet. When he saw that everything was set, he gave her the signal. With this last shot, Elle remembered everything Jake had taught her. She followed his every instruction. After calming herself, she took a deep breath and released the arrow in her hand. Swoosh! She hit the bullseye! "Oh my gosh. I DID IT!" Elle exclaimed, rejoicing. "Yes, you did!" Jake was also smiling from ear to ear. "Good job! Miss Aliyah!" "Thank you, Jake!" Unknown to them, their interactions since they started practicing together were being watched by a certain someone. And that someone was already boiling with rage and jealousy. Erick''s expression was very dark and frosty as he looked at Team Red with his glowering eyes. He even started shooting arrows, hitting the bullseye many times while imagining that his target was Jake. Diana also noticed the sudden changes in Erick''s mood. He was emanating a chilly and threatening aura. His silence was quite frightening. Diana didn''t even know how to approach him. The practice shooting was done. They would start the official game in a while. They just let everyone take a short break first before they resumed the game. Elle excused herself as she went to the comfort room. She felt very hot. She wanted to wash her face with cold water to refresh herself. Little did she know that someone had followed her. "Whoa! Now I feel refreshed!" Elle mumbled after washing her face up. She was now looking at her reflection in the big mirror. She couldn''t help but smile. ''Erick Lee¡­ you are gonna lose today!'' She was caught off guard when someone suddenly grabbed her from behind. She was utterly shocked when she saw that person. "Eri¡­ Chief Lee? What are you doing here? This is a comfort room for girls! Are you lost?" Elle exclaimed. Surprise and disbelief were written all over her face. Erick didn''t answer her. He just remained silent while staring at Elle with a very serious face. "Hey, what''s wrong with you? Why are you making a face like that?" Elle asked him once again as she noticed his grim expression. "I am jealous¡­ Very Jealous!" Erick admitted to her truthfully. Elle was utterly astounded. ''Jealous?! Hey, I didn''t do anything.'' Seeing Elle was still in a trance, Erick moved forward. Elle stiffened as he stepped closer and placed a gentle hand on each of her shoulders. Their closeness was making her heart run wild inside her chest. Erick started to rub her shoulders going down her arms. Then his hand moved on her little round waist. Elle held her breath. Erick''s touch was making her body feel so hot. Elle didn''t notice that Erick already pushed her in the cold wall, trapping her petite figure with his strong large body. ''[email protected]! What is he planning to do?'' Elle was already cursing inwardly. His intense gaze was making her weak. He was melting her the way he looked at her. The love, desire, and l.u.s.t were reflected in his mesmerizing brown eyes. Erick leaned over, their faces were only centimeters away from each other. They could feel each other''s breath. Badum! Badum! Elle could hear the loud beatings of her heart. She felt nervous and excited at the same time. Elle could no longer handle the pressure so she closed her eyes, anticipating a kiss to happen. Seconds had passed but the much-awaited kiss didn''t happen. When she opened her eyes, Elle saw Erick grinning cheekily in front of her. His grim expression was long gone. ''Sh!t! Is he playing with me?! Did I just give in to him? [email protected] you, Elle! So stupid!'' Elle was scolding herself inwardly. Then she heard Erick''s deep and husky voice. "Admit to me now that you are Elle then I will kiss you," Erick said as he brought his fingers into her face, gently caressing and touching her lower lip. ''No way!'' Elle screamed in her mind. Erick was obviously torturing her. He was testing her self-control using his art of seduction, making her confess at the same time. Feeling annoyed with herself, Elle was so determined not to fall on his tricks. With her glaring eyes, Elle opened her mouth and bit his fingers which were touching her lower lip. Erick froze in his spot. It didn''t hurt but it felt so good. Elle''s action sent a jolt of electricity all throughout his body. She ignited the flame of desire within him. Wrong move, Elle! Chapter 301 - 301: No Other Woman Seeing Erick was dazed, Elle grabbed that opportunity to launch a counterattack. Now, it was her turn to tease him. Elle put her arms on his strong hard chest. Erick groaned due to the sudden surge of heat inside him. She began to caress his chest using her palms, drawing circles on his shirts. Her touch was adding fuel to the fire of his desire. "I already told you before, Chief Lee. You have an irresistible charm. Following me here is like you are throwing yourself to me. So who am I to refuse that?" Elle whispered to him seductively. Erick took a deep breath, trying to maintain his wits. He closed his eyes, fighting the urge to touch her. He was playing with fire. He thought he could handle it very well but Elle was affecting him too much. He was on the verge of losing his self-control. All he wanted to hear from her was to admit that she''s Elle. Then he wouldn''t have to fight this anymore. But Elle was really stubborn. She didn''t want to give in. Elle tiptoed and leaned closer to his ear. "Chief Lee¡­ stop thinking about Elle. Don''t look for a person who''s not here. I am the one who''s in front of you. I am not Elle. I am Ali¡­ Aliyah Ross." Elle''s voice was so soft and sweet, very tempting. "Hmm¡­ can I kiss you now? Or do you want to kiss me? Choose one¡­ Either I kiss you or you kiss me." Erick could feel her hot breath on his ear and neck. "I...I-I can''t kiss you¡­ if you are not Elle." Erick mustered his remaining self-control and responded to her. Elle''s lips curled up in a taunting smile. Elle felt that Erick''s grip on her waist tightened. He was really fighting it. "If you can''t then I will be the one to kiss you¡­" Elle said with her mellow voice. "N-No! You can''t¡­" Erick''s ragged and raspy voice echoed inside the comfort room. There was a hint of helplessness in his tone. "But your body¡­ is telling me the opposite. I know you want it¡­" Elle continued to tease the poor guy. Her lips already brushed his jawline. Erick groaned inwardly as he felt her soft delicate lips touching his skin. ''[email protected], Elle! You are driving me crazy!'' "Because my body knows that you are Elle. That''s why I want you¡­ so badly." Erick justified himself. Erick and Elle, they were both stubborn. Elle heaved a deep sigh. "Erick Lee. You are insane!" "Yes I am. It''s because of you." This time Erick opened his eyes. He''s back to normal. He succeeded in controlling his urge. He was now calm and composed while looking straight in Elle''s eyes. "How long are you gonna pretend?" Erick asked her desperately. There were conflicting emotions, flickering in her dark eyes right now. Elle looked away first. "Can''t you just see me as Me... as who I am?" Elle asked him. Her words were full of meanings. Erick saw a gleam of sadness when Elle said those words to him. He was rendered speechless. Then their surroundings were engulfed by deafening silence. After what seemed like ages, Erick spoke up once again. "I am sorry," Erick mumbled as he lifted her chin so that their eyes could meet. ''I told myself that I wouldn''t force her. Then why the hell I am doing this? Erick¡­ you are a Dumbfool.'' Erick thought to himself. Elle gazed up only to see Erick''s gentle and loving smile. She felt puzzled. ''Why is he suddenly apologizing?'' Then Erick bent down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. This gesture of his had warmed her heart. It was simple but sweet... and filled with respect. ''He told me that he won''t kiss me until I admitted that I''m Elle but why¡­? A kiss on a forehead? Is this an exception?'' Elle couldn''t help but ponder. Erick pinched her nose. "Aw!" He chuckled and said, "That''s your punishment for making me jealous." "Making you jealous??! When did I do that?" Elle complained to him with disbelief. Erick was about to reply when suddenly they heard footsteps and faint voices coming in. Elle and Erick exchanged glances with each other. Then they remembered that they were currently in the lady''s comfort room and Erick was not supposed to be there. ''Sh!t. If Sandy will see Erick here then she will really be convinced that Erick is a pervert. Erick''s good reputation will also be ruined if other girls will find him inside.'' Elle acted quickly as she pulled Erick inside one of the toilet cubicles. She signaled him to remain quiet. Erick just nodded in agreement. The cubicle was not that spacious, so it''s a little bit stuffy inside for the two people. The three ladies had entered. They were Isabelle, Kisses, and Laura. They were conversing as they fixed themselves, retouching their makeup. "Hey, I think Jake likes that reporter girl named Aliyah." Kisses brought the topic up. "Why do you think so?" Laura probed. "Did you see how very patient he was while teaching her a while ago? He is not acting like that to us. Remember, when I asked him before to teach me, he even scolded me many times." Kisses lamented at them. Erick and Elle could hear them clearly. Then Elle felt a sudden chill in the atmosphere inside. Erick''s expression became frosty once again. Elle could only bite her lower lip as she saw Erick clenching his fist. ''[email protected]! He''s mad¡­ he''s jealous because of Jake.'' Elle just realized the reason why Erick felt jealous. Then they heard Isabelle''s laughter. "Well, she''s beautiful, isn''t she? Jake was bewitched by her. But don''t worry, she will be the reason why Jake will lose today. Diana and Chief Lee will dominate the game." Isabelle said with certainty in her voice. "I agree¡­ they look good together... Erick and Diana. A beautiful couple¡­ right?" Kisses shared her thoughts with them. "Yeah, obviously, Diana is very fond of the Chief Detective. It is very seldom for her to show her interest with men. She has a very high standard." Laura commented. This time Elle was the one emanating a threatening aura. When Erick glanced at her, he saw her smiling. But her smile was quite frightening. There''s a gleam of anger in her dark eyes. Erick shook his head and gave her an appealing look which was telling her that ''Don''t listen to them. I am innocent. I have no idea. I have nothing to do with Diana.'' Elle just raised her brows and squinted her eyes at him. ''I don''t believe you. You seemed like you were enjoying her company a while ago.'' Erick felt alarmed seeing Elle''s reaction. ''Hey, why is she looking at me like that. I am the one who has the reason to be jealous here, not her.'' To pacify his woman, Erick just pulled Elle against his body and wrapped her into a warm hug. Then he whispered to her, "No other woman." "There''s only one in my heart. And you already know who that woman is." Elle suppressed her urge to smile. She liked it. She loved to be buried in his chest and be engulfed by his strong arms while Erick was whispering sweet words to her. Chapter 302 - 302: Show Them What Youve Got It did not take long when the three ladies left the comfort room. Erick and Elle felt relieved that the ladies didn''t notice their presence. Elle sighed deeply and shook her head, "They love to talk about others behind their backs. They didn''t even check whether someone is here with them and might hear them." Erick blinked several times as he looked at her with disbelief. "If they did that then they should have caught us here. Do you want that to happen?" Elle gazed up to see his face. Elle pinched his cheeks and sneered at him. "Don''t complain! You''re the one who barged in here. I am just protecting your reputation or else someone would really think you are a pervert." Erick smirked at her. "Actually I didn''t mind if they caught us here together." Elle blushed when she heard that. She somehow knew what Erick was thinking. Elle could only hit him on his chest. "Let''s go back," she said as she unlocked the cubicle''s door. Erick followed her behind. They were about to go out of the comfort room when Erick grabbed Elle once again to stop her. "Wait¡­" "What?" Elle asked him. "I could see that you are very eager to win this bet. You even let another guy touch your hands, your shoulders and your waist¡­ just to learn archery¡­" Erick paused for a while. Unhappiness could be heard from his voice. Elle didn''t know what to say to him as of this moment. She had no intention of making him jealous. "Ali¡­ do you really hate the idea of going out with me for a date? Is that the reason you don''t want to lose?" Erick looked down. He was afraid to see the answer in her eyes. Elle was taken aback by his out-of-the-blue questions. Elle could feel the worry and insecurity that Erick was having right now. "That''s not the case. It''s just that¡­" Elle couldn''t complete her sentence. ''I got mad when I saw you and Diana laughing together a while ago that''s why I wanted to beat you so badly today.'' Elle thought to herself but she won''t dare to voice it out. Erick was still holding her hand, waiting for her answer. "It''s just that...what?" Erick urged her to continue. Elle sighed helplessly. "I don''t want to look bad. Diana and her friends are really good at archery and they look very cool. Did you hear it too right? They are thinking that I am the weakest. I should prove them wrong, shouldn''t I?" Erick moved his eyes back to her face. "You don''t need to compete with them. Their opinions don''t matter. For me, you are not the weakest. You are the best. You are number one." Erick said to console her. Elle wanted to commend this guy. He really knew how to make her feel good with his sweet words. But she wouldn''t show him that. Elle yanked her arm away from Erick as she turned around. "Liar! Your Elle is number one, not me!" Elle complained to him before she walked out of the comfort room without waiting for Erick. Bam! Erick heard the closing of the door. He was left speechless in his spot. "Is she mad? I am not lying¡­ because she''s Elle. Is she jealous of herself? What a stubborn and troublesome girl!" Erick couldn''t help but mumble to himself. When they arrived, everyone was already there waiting for them. Diana announced the start of their official game. Each team chose the first member who would shoot the first five arrows. After a few minutes, the first round was finished. The first shooters and their corresponding acc.u.mulated points were the following: Josh= Team Yellow ( 45 points ) Bryan= Team Green ( 45 points ) Jeff= Team White ( 47 points ) Laura= Team Black ( 46 points ) Erick= Team Blue ( 50 points ) Jake= Team Red ( 50 points ) The second shooters were now preparing for their turns. Both, the Red Team and the Blue Team were in the lead. The final winners would now depend on the performance of the second shooters. Elle approached Jake. She wanted to ask him something. "Jake¡­" "Yes, Miss Ali? Are you nervous?" "No¡­ I heard that you were always the winner every time you and your friends would play this game." Jake laughed, feeling a little bit shy. "I just got lucky every time, that''s why." "You are so humble. Hmm, are you not worried that your winning streak will be broken today because of me?" Jake was stunned in a moment. He didn''t expect Aliyah to ask him that. ''Does she feel pressured because of that?'' Then Jake gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Miss Aliyah, don''t think about that. I really don''t mind whether we win or lose today. The most important thing is¡­ I want you to enjoy this game." Elle could hear the sincerity in his voice. "Hmm, alright. You will not blame me, will you?" Elle asked him again. She somehow felt grateful for Jake. He taught her very well. Jake let out a soft chuckle as he looked at Elle amusingly. "No, I will not do that. Don''t feel pressured because of me. This is just a game." Elle just nodded and smiled at him. The second round started. Diana really showed them her skills. Not minding the others, she focused on her shooting. She was the first one to finish and she hit the bullseye five times. The blue team got a perfect score of 100. Others just watched her in awe. The second players of the other teams even stopped shooting just to watch Diana a while ago. She felt proud of herself as she became the center of attention. She turned to Erick. "Chief Lee, I am so glad to have you as a partner today. I think we are a great duo." Diana said to him confidently. Erick just gave her an awkward smile and said, "Nice shots, Miss Diana. You are really great." Then Erick averted his gaze back to Elle''s direction. He had conflicting thoughts right now. After he heard her reason, Erick wanted to see her step up and show others what she''s capable of doing. Erick knew that she could do it. But deep down, he was also hoping that Elle couldn''t hit the bullseye. He wanted to win their bet and have a date with her. But he didn''t want to be selfish. He understood her feelings. So Erick approached Elle before she made her shot. "Ali¡­ do your best! Show them what you''ve got!" Erick said to her to cheer her up. Elle was dumbfounded for a moment. She didn''t expect him to do that. ''Is he telling me to win this?" Elle thought to herself. Elle nodded and gave Erick a meaningful smile before she went to her shooting position. Others were all eyes on her. They were also curious to see how Elle''s shooting performance would be today. Elle was holding the arrow in a perfect stance. She looked so calm. Her eyes were very focused on the target. Her form right now looked like she was not a beginner. Jake and Erick were staring at her with so much anticipation. ''Will she be able to hit the bullseye?'' Others were asking this question in their minds. On the other hand, Jake and Erick were both thinking something different from others. ''I know¡­ she can do it!'' After a few seconds, Elle finally took the shots, five arrows in a row. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Everyone was stupefied. Astonishment flickered through their eyes as they watched Elle strangely. They couldn''t believe what they had just witnessed. Then suddenly they heard Elle''s giggles. "Uh oh! My Bad. I think I am really the worst. I couldn''t hit the bullseye." Elle said apologetically as she scratched her face. ''Worst my @ss?!'' ''Is she kidding us?!'' That''s right. Elle didn''t hit the bullseye. But what made the others speechless in surprise was that Elle''s five arrows hit the target on the same spot. As in¡­ five arrows hit the same spot...one and only spot on the target! Though she didn''t hit the bullseye her amazing shots showed them she had great control and shooting accuracy. Who the hell would think that a beginner like her could hit the same spot five times? Could they just consider that as luck or a coincidence? ''[email protected]! They underestimated her!'' Chapter 303 - 303: Hes My Man! Others didn''t recover yet from that surprising scene caused by Elle. The people who were belittling her just a while ago had changed their impression of her. They saw her in a new light. She''s not weak. However, in the end, Elle and Jake ended up getting the lowest rank. Since Elle''s arrow hit the area which was only worth 1 point. Diana and Erick were the final winners. But Diana was not that happy since the spotlight was taken away from her by Elle. Everyone greeted the winners cheerfully while Elle approached Jake. "Ahem, I am sorry about that. I think today is not your lucky day. Having me as your partner." Elle felt a little bit guilty towards Jake. Jake burst out laughing. "You''re wrong, Miss Ali. I think today is my very lucky day instead. I got to witness that kind of shot. It''s really a great pleasure to have you as my partner. Hmm, are you just faking it a while ago? I didn''t know you have such great control. You are a sharpshooter!" Elle smiled faintly at him. Elle was also surprised by herself. Her body just cooperated with her today. She noticed that her concentration had improved a lot. At first, she was really having a hard time. But since Jake taught her the proper way of doing archery, she learned fast and was able to familiarize herself with the techniques. "I am not faking it. I was really having difficulty at first but thanks to you I was able to adjust. I guess I am just a fast learner." Elle told him honestly. Jake let out another chuckle. "May I ask you something?" Jake gave her a questioning look. "Sure, what is it?" "I know you could have hit the bullseye if you really wanted to. But why is it ...you didn''t¡­?" Jake was really curious. Elle couldn''t help but smile hearing that. She turned to look at Erick before she gave Jake an answer. "Simply because I couldn''t hit the bullseye," Elle said meaningfully. Jake just shook his head helplessly. He couldn''t figure out what Elle meant by saying that. What a clever woman?! She did that intentionally to let Erick win the bet and at the same time to impress others and show them her skills. She didn''t want to brag but she couldn''t tolerate them as they looked down at her. At first, she was very determined to win against Erick. She conditioned herself to hit the bullseye once the official game started. But after Erick confronted her in the comfort room, she had changed her mind. Erick became jealous because of Jake. And his question really bothered her a lot. { "Ali¡­ do you really hate the idea of going out with me for a date? Is that the reason you don''t want to lose?" } Elle couldn''t forget Erick''s face when he asked her those questions. She didn''t have the heart to see him sad and upset so she made a decision. Letting him win the bet was the only thing she could think of to appease her jealous man. She was very glad to do that. After a while, the Butler informed them that Senator Mondragon just arrived at the mansion. Erick and Elle together with their colleagues bade Diana''s friends goodbye. Diana accompanied them to meet her father. They went back together at the Mansion while Diana''s friends continued to enjoy their stay, playing golf. Erick made sure to sit beside Elle. While on their way, Erick talked to Elle secretly once again. "I told you¡­ you are the best!" Erick said in a low voice. He was now in a bright mood. Elle looked at him helplessly. "Why are you smiling like a fool, Chief Lee?" Elle said, trying to mock him. Erick leaned closer as he whispered to her, "Because you let me win our bet!" He said matter-of-factly. "Oops. Don''t deny it!" he added. Erick was now grinning widely as he looked at her intently. Elle rolled her eyes. "Who said that I let you win? Or should I say, who said that you won our bet?" Erick curled up his lips in a triumphant smile. "Me!" he said. His eyes were brimming with joy. She raised her brows and snorted. "Did you forget? You said that I will win once I hit the bullseye even once, right?" Erick bobbed his head frantically as a response. "Then¡­ I am the winner. Not you!" Elle said nonchalantly. Erick frowned. "Eh¡­ why do you think so?" Seeing Erick''s confusion, Elle let out a soft giggle. "I hit the bullseye once¡­ during the practice shooting!" Erick''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Hey, that''s not counted!" Erick complained to her. His voice was a little bit loud that it caught the attention of their colleagues. Elle shot him a warning glare. Erick smiled at them awkwardly, feigning ignorance as if he was not the one who just spoke up just a while ago. Fortunately, others didn''t pay more attention to Elle and Erick as they looked away, moving their gaze back to the surroundings. They were admiring the beautiful landscapes around them. Erick nudged Elle''s shoulder to make her look in his direction. "What?" "Hey, that one is not counted," Erick said desperately. Erick gave her a pleading look while pouting like a kid. He put on a pitiful face, trying to convince Elle. Seeing him acting like that, Elle could no longer contain her laughter. She burst out laughing at him. The truth was she was just teasing him that''s the reason why she didn''t admit immediately that she lost to him. "Stop laughing¡­ Just tell me that I won! Please¡­ Ali!" Elle stopped laughing. But the bright smile never left her face. She looked at him with her beautiful radiant eyes and said, "Chief Lee... I admit defeat. You won!" "Yes!" Erick exclaimed, rejoicing as he punched the air. With his sparkling eyes and a gentle smile, he said to her. "You owe me a date¡­ or rather... you owe me one day of your time! So that means, you have to be with me within twenty-four hours!" "Shall we do it this coming Saturday? Are you free?" His voice was filled with excitement as he asked her. "Hmm. Okay! Let''s do that this coming Saturday!" "Thanks, Ali!" ********** When they reached the Mansion, Senator Mondragon was already sitting in the balcony, waiting for them. He asked their helpers to serve some snacks for their visitors. Diana introduced Elle''s team to him. Senator Mondragon already knew Erick and his team. He apologized to them for the delay. "Hmm, so who wants to talk to me first? I don''t know who should I entertain first, handsome guys or beautiful ladies?" Senator Mondragon said to them jokingly. "Dad, I think you can entertain the reporters from Morning Star Media Network first. I can talk to Chief Lee and his team while you are doing the interview." Diana suggested. Of course, she had the motive of spending more time with Erick that''s why she suggested that. "After all, Ladies should come first, am I right Dad?" Diana added. Elle frowned after hearing that. "Senator Mondragon¡­ I would also suggest that you should talk with the detectives first. After all, your safety is the main priority here. We can also wait¡­ so don''t worry about us." Elle said. Diana raised her brows. She noticed that this Aliyah girl was always opposing her ever since they met. Josh and Sandy were also puzzled why Aliyah was acting like this. Senator Mondragon just moved his eyes back and forth between Elle and his daughter Diana. ''Why do I feel like there is a heavy tension filling the atmosphere right now?'' Senator Mondragon thought to himself as he watched the two young ladies. "What can you say, Chief Lee?" This time Diana asked Erick. She knew that Erick was a gentleman so she was positive that Erick would agree and support her suggestion to let her Dad entertain the ladies first. Everyone averted their gaze to Erick, anticipating his response. ''[email protected]¡­ why do I suddenly feel intense pressure on my shoulders?'' Erick thought to himself. Then Erick turned to Elle who was now giving him a threatening look. Cough! Cough! Erick cleared his throat first before he spoke up. "Senator Mondragon¡­ honestly, we still have lots of work to do in the headquarters today, so... may I request if you could talk to us first? Anyway, this discussion will not take that long." Bryan: "..." June: "..." Elle''s lips twitched in a suppressed smile after hearing Erick''s statement. She was rejoicing inwardly. ''He''s my man! Of course, he should be on my side!'' Chapter 304 - 304: Your Master Chef It was already 4:00 o''clock in the afternoon when Elle and her team finished their interview with Senator Mondragon. They also asked him to do a video shoot for this doc.u.mentary program. They also got his consent and permission to disclose and include some private and personal information about him. They would show them the edited videos and compilations before showing it on the Television. The producers and editors would finalize everything. "Ali, what are your impressions about Senator Mondragon?" Sandy asked her out of the blue. Elle paused for a moment. She was recalling their interactions with him. "Hmm, he has a charm that could easily capture people''s hearts. He is also easy to talk to, approachable, friendly, and¡­ has a sense of humor." Elle said as she enumerated some of his qualities. Sandy nodded as she agreed with Elle''s remarks. "He is also humble and generous. No wonder, he is considered as the cleanest politician in the country." Sandy commented. Elle frowned when something popped up in her mind. She somehow felt strange. She didn''t know why but she sensed something more about Senator Alex Mondragon. "Hmm. But my true impression about him is that¡­ he is a mysterious guy." Elle had a nagging feeling but she couldn''t figure it out yet. "Huh? Mysterious? Why do you think so?" Sandy asked her confusedly. "I don''t know. It''s just my sixth sense¡­ I guess. Hmm¡­ never mind." Elle simply said as she shrugged at her. "Hmmm, alright! By the way, Diana and her father have opposite behaviors. I feel like she is quite intimidating and not easy to deal with." Sandy shared her thoughts with her. "Hmm. I agree with you. But she''s quite capable like her father. She''s smart and a very talented woman. She also has a strong personality. In short¡­ I don''t like her." Elle admitted to them. Josh who was just listening to their conversation, burst out laughing. "Ali¡­ I think. The feeling is mutual. It seems like she doesn''t like you too. You are always contradicting her." Josh butted in. Elle just gave him a timid smile as her response. When they reached the gate, they were surprised to see the three people outside. Erick and his team were still there, in their car. "Ali¡­ I thought they went back to their headquarters as soon as their talk with Senator Mondragon was done. Why are they still here?" Sandy asked her with disbelief. "I have no idea," Elle said. She was also wondering why they were still there. Then they saw Erick wave at them. Josh stopped the car beside them. He was the one driving while Elle and Sandy were sitting at the passenger seat in the back. Erick approached their car. He went to the side where Elle was sitting. He knocked at her window. She lowered the car window to face him. "Hey, Chief Lee¡­ what''s up?" Elle said as she greeted him. "Can I ask a favor?" Erick said to her while grinning widely. "Handsome pervert! Why are you still here? I thought you have lots of work in the headquarters." Sandy butted in, interrupting Erick and Elle. Elle rolled her eyes skyward after hearing Sandy calling Erick a ''handsome pervert'' once again. "We ran out of gas. So I want to ask you for a favor. Can you drop my colleagues to the headquarters¡­ please?" Erick requested. "Sure, Chief Lee." Josh was the one who answered. "Thanks, Josh," Erick said. Elle frowned and asked him, "How about you? You''re not coming with us?" Erick gave her a meaningful look before he responded. "I will be staying for a while. I am just waiting for someone to deliver some gas. I can''t leave my car here." Then Elle felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She picked it up and saw a message. A light flickered through her eyes when she read the message. Meanwhile, Bryan and June got inside the car. June sat down in the front passenger seat while Bryan joined Sandy and Elle at the back passenger seat. Erick thanked them once again before he returned to his car. Josh just turned on the engine when Elle suddenly stepped out of the car. "Hey, Ali! Where are you going?" Sandy promptly asked her. "Go ahead first. I just remember I still have something to discuss with Chief Lee regarding Senator Mondragon''s case." Elle said as her alibi. She didn''t let Sandy speak another word as she immediately closed the car door and left. Bam! ''What the hell is she doing again this time? She could also ask the two agents here.'' Sandy thought to herself as she watched Elle''s retreating back. Sandy just shook her head and heaved a sigh of defeat. "Let''s go, Josh!" Sandy said as she signaled him to drive the car and leave. On the other hand, Erick was smiling from ear to ear when he saw Elle walking towards his direction. He immediately got out of his car and opened the car door in the front passenger. Elle let out a soft chuckle before she stepped inside the car. The message which she received a while ago came from Erick. [ Time to pay me your debt. Let''s have dinner tonight. ] According to Erick, she owed him two meals. So here she was, ready to repay the first one. "Hmm¡­ Chief Lee¡­ it''s still too early for dinner." Elle said to him. "You are not coming back to the headquarters? You still have two working hours left," Elle added. "No worries. It''s alright for me to go home early today. Besides, I''ve always worked overtime in the past two years. No one will try to complain against me." Erick said as he started the car. "Hey, I thought you ran out of gas?" Erick let out another chuckle. "I lied." Elle couldn''t believe this guy. "You are lying more often Chief Lee. That''s not a good habit." "Heh¡­ you should tell that to yourself also." Erick retorted as he smirked at her. Dang! Another K.O from Mr. Detective. Elle couldn''t refute that. She could only glare at him. "So, where are we going to eat?" Elle asked him. "Home!" Erick simply said to her. Elle''s heart skipped a beat after hearing the word ''Home''. Two years had passed. She wondered how Erick''s place would look like now. When she was with him, she would always feel at home. Erick''s side was her true home. And she missed it a lot. "How can I treat you tonight?" Elle asked him again. "We will go to the supermarket first. You will be the one to pay for the ingredients. Hmm, if you want¡­ you can also cook for me." Erick shamelessly suggested to her. There was a gleam of joy and excitement in his eyes. "I like the first suggestion but the second one¡­ hmm, let''s forget it!" A husky laugh escaped his lips. "I knew it. You are not fond of cooking." Elle pouted. "It''s not because of that. I am tired. My hands are also hurting because of shooting arrows. Can''t cook tonight." "Alright! I believe you. I''ll be your Master Chef tonight, Ma''am!" Elle''s giggle bubbled up inside the car. She got what she wanted. She missed Erick''s cooking. And tonight, Erick would cook for her. Chapter 305 - 305: A Middle-Aged Man Elle and Erick had just finished buying all the ingredients of the menu for tonight''s dinner. Of course, Erick chose Elle''s favorites- Beefsteak and Curry. Elle didn''t protest. She just let him buy everything he wanted. As an agreement, Elle was the one who paid for everything. There were only two of them but Erick bought a lot. Elle wondered if they could finish all of those tonight. It was already 5:30 pm when they left the supermarket. After putting the things at the back passenger seat, Erick guided Elle in the front seat and opened the car door for her. She thanked him before she got in. Erick just nodded with a grin. Then he went around to the driver''s side. He put the car key, turning his car on. They began to head out the exit of the parking lot. After a few minutes, they reached a crossing. Erick was waiting for their turn when he saw something from the corner of his eyes. In an alley which was just a few meters away from them, Erick saw a group of five men beating someone. Erick frowned immediately witnessing the scene. Elle noticed the changes in Erick''s expression so she peered into the car window, following his line of sight. Then she also saw the same scene. Erick quickly turned the car on the side of the road and stopped. "Stay in the car. Don''t leave here, okay? Dial the police emergency hotline and make a call." Erick softly instructed her as he gave her his phone. "Hey, what are you going to do?" Elle asked him worriedly. "Don''t worry. I''ll be fine. Just stay here." Erick mumbled as he gave her a reassuring smile. Erick didn''t wait for Elle to reply. He stepped out of the car and ran towards the alley where they saw someone being brutally beaten by five men. Elle knew what Erick was trying to do. He wanted to rescue the poor man. "[email protected]! Is he stupid? What if those men are carrying guns?! What does he think of himself, a hero? ARGH!" Elle mumbled in annoyance. She searched Erick''s bag and she saw his gun in there. Elle cursed inwardly. "He didn''t even bring his gun!" She called the police and reported what was happening in the area. Elle followed his instruction except for one. She wouldn''t sit still and wait for him inside the car. Elle immediately followed Erick. *********** "You stupid old man! If you don''t have the ability to pay your debts then don''t borrow money!" The man screamed angrily as he continued to kick the middle-aged man lying on the ground in his stomach. "And how dare you come to our gambling house without enough money?!" "This serves you right!" The other man said as he chuckled sarcastically. The other man also threw two punches, hitting the man on his jaw and cheekbones. They continued to assault the poor man who almost losing his consciousness. But the man kept enduring the pain. He didn''t even cry nor shout in pain. He was just silent as he received those punches and kicks. "Hey, stop that!" The five men stopped their beatings as they turned around to face the newcomer. The five men snorted as they looked at Erick mockingly. "Leave now! If you don''t want to get involved here. Or do you want some beatings too?" One man warned Erick. From their appearance alone, Erick knew that these men were members of a gang around this area. Their skins were covered by black-inked tattoos, had piercing in the nose and ears, and their smells were mixed with cigarette smoke and liquors. Erick brought his hand on his waist. That''s when he noticed that he didn''t bring his gun. He remembered that he put it inside his bag when he and Elle went inside the supermarket. ''[email protected]! Stupid Me! It skips my mind.'' Erick cursed himself. The five men were now flashing their sinister smile as they eyed Erick. "Well, since we are in a bad mood because of a certain someone. We could use you to vent our anger right now. Just a few beatings will do." The five men circled him. They sensed that Erick could fight by just looking at his body build. So to be cautious enough, the five men picked up their hidden weapons. Fortunately, they didn''t bring a gun with them. Two men were armed with a curved-bladed carpet knife, while the other three had switchblade and stiletto knives. Erick could feel the air filled with danger and killing intent. This was clearly a five on one. He stood there with no fear, waiting for them to attack first. They attacked Erick one after another, charging in from different directions. One man swung his fist which was holding a stiletto knife. Erick took a side step as he backed up. The first attacker had missed. Another one plunged his switchblade knife to his stomach. Erick had caught his arm, twisting it to loosen his grasp to his knife, thus dropping it on the ground. Erick gave him a hard kick to his stomach. The second attacker fell back. The other two attacked him all at once. Erick knew that the thrust would be to his chest and the other one was aimed at his back. Erick dodged to the side in one swift move. Erick turned around, giving the man a flying kick. He hit the man on his face, causing him to stumble and falling flat on his face. Erick threw another punch to one of his attackers. His balled fist collided with his opponent''s cheekbones, flaying his neck backward. Another man was down. "Hey get up! Let''s attack him at the same time." The remaining standing man shouted to others. Everyone stood up and was about to attack Erick once again when they heard a feminine voice from behind. "Freeze! This is the police. Drop your weapons or else I will shoot!" Erick''s eyes widened when he saw Elle standing behind the back of those five men. She was holding a gun. ''Why is she here?! She didn''t listen to me. I told her to stay in the car. And that gun! Where did she get that?" Then after a few seconds, Erick realized that it was his gun. The five men turned around to face Elle. They somehow felt threatened when they saw the gun as well as the badge in her other hand. The five men didn''t waste time as they quickly ran away from the place. They didn''t want to get caught by a police officer. Elle heaved a sigh of relief when the five men disappeared from her sight. She took her steps towards Erick whose expression was as dark as charcoal. Erick: "What are you doing here?!" Elle: "Detective Lee, you''re so stupid!" Both of them complained to each other. "It''s dangerous here. I told you to stay in the car!" Erick ranted at her. "If you really know that it''s dangerous here then why are you so stupid running here without bringing your gun?" Elle spat back at him. Erick couldn''t refute that. He was at a loss for words. They were still having their arguments when they heard someone chuckle on the sides. It was the middle-aged man who was attacked by those gangsters. Erick and Elle immediately approached the man who was now sitting on the ground. Erick dropped on his knee as he checked the man. "Mister, are you okay?" Erick asked him worriedly. "Sir, don''t worry. You are safe now. I also called the police." Elle also said to him. The man felt alarmed when he heard that. "So you lied? You are not a police?" The middle-aged man asked her. Elle just nodded with a grin. "But he''s a detective." She pointed Erick. "And I called them, the real one," she added. She''s referring to the police. "No, don''t call the police. Please!" The middle-aged man said with his panicked voice. Elle and Erick exchanged glances with each other. Seeing the suspicions in their eyes, the man spoke up again. "I am not a bad person¡­ I am not a criminal nor a wanted person¡­ I have my personal reason that''s why I don''t want to meet police officers." the man explained to them. He sounded sincere. "Ok sir, please calm down. We will just bring you to the hospital." Erick muttered as he helped him to stand up. "No¡­, please... no hospital." The man begged once again. Then the man felt a sudden gush of pain jolted throughout his body. His stomach ached, his head was pounding, and his legs began to weaken. He spouted blood and fell in slow motion. The middle-aged man fainted on Erick''s arms. Elle: "Mister!" Erick: "Mister!" Chapter 306 - 306: Missing *** At Erick''s Place *** The ringing sound of the doorbell reverberated inside the entire house. Elle was the one who walked over to welcome the visitor outside. "Erick what the-" Dr. Gomez was not able to finish his sentence the moment Elle''s face greeted his sight. He stayed rooted in his spot, his mouth hung open but no words came out as his eyes lingered on Elle''s face. He was shocked beyond belief. He shook his head and blinked several times, as he thought that his eyes were just playing tricks on him. But nothing happened. Elle was still there standing in front of him, eyeing him with an unreadable expression on her face. Erick followed Elle behind and saw Dr. Gomez who looked like a frozen statue outside. It took a few hard shakes for Dr. Gomez to awaken from his baffled state. "Hey, are you with us? Get a grip on yourself! There''s a patient inside that needs your help." Erick said to him with urgency in his voice. After Dr. Gomez recovered from his deep stupor, he gave Erick a questioning gaze while pointing Elle. Erick took a deep sigh and said, " I will explain later. Please follow me first. We have an injured man inside." Erick didn''t wait for him to respond as he immediately pulled him inside the house going to his room where the unconscious patient was lying in bed. Dr. Gomez brought his medical kit as per the instruction of Erick. Elle shook her head as she watched the back of the two men. She didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Dr. Gomez''s reaction was too much as if he had just seen a ghost. ''He might be thinking that I am a ghost. Well¡­ I couldn''t blame him¡­ I and the ''dead person'' they know look exactly the same. I should have done plastic surgery in the first place before coming back here to avoid a scene like this.'' Elle thought to herself jokingly. Elle proceeded to the kitchen as she helped Erick in the preparation of ingredients. They were supposed to enjoy this dinner alone together but due to the circ.u.mstances, their initial plan got ruined. Erick left Dr. Gomez in his room as he allowed him to treat the wound of the man they rescued from gangsters just a while ago. Since he pleaded not to bring him to the hospital, Erick decided to bring him home and called Dr. Gomez over. Fortunately, Dr. Gomez would be in the morning shift that''s why he was free tonight. When Erick went back to the kitchen, Elle had just done preparing the ingredients including the meat and spices. He couldn''t help but smile seeing Elle standing by his kitchen once again. The house felt very lonely without her presence for the past two years. "Hey, do you still need me here? You''ve already done most of the works." Erick grinned at her then traced his steps towards her. Elle rolled her eyes playfully. "Of course, you''re the Master Chef, did you forget?" Erick chuckled as he took the tray of ingredients in her hand. "Okay¡­ now it''s my turn. Just sit back and enjoy... Let me do this. Do you want to watch television in the living room while waiting?" Elle shook her head and grabbed a chair. She sat down beside the dining table as she watched Erick. Her eyes were following his every action. "I''ll stay. I want to watch you while you''re cooking." Erick paused what he was doing as he turned around to face her. Those words alone could make his heart flutter. He longed for this. In the past, every time he cooked, Elle would always accompany him in the kitchen as she watched him. Sometimes, she would always hug him from behind while he sliced the vegetables and other ingredients. If he was too immersed in his cooking, Elle would just suddenly steal a kiss from him on his cheeks. Every time she got bored of waiting, she would always do things to distract him and their food would always end up getting burnt. In the end, they would just order food and have it delivered to their home. Erick put on a gentle smile as he reminisced those memories. Elle, also known as Catseye, had playful and naughty sides too in which Erick was the only one who was aware of this. "Hey, Chief Lee? Why are you just standing there? Smiling like a fool again?" Elle asked lifting an eyebrow. Elle''s voice pulled him back out of his wandering thoughts. "Hmm, come here¡­ I''ll teach you how to cook. I''ll give you my secret recipe." Erick said with a grin. Elle''s face brightened up. She nodded and flashed her lovely smile before she cheerfully went to his side. After they were done cooking, Elle prepared the table while Erick proceeded to his room to call Dr. Gomez and invite him to have dinner with them. The middle-aged man was still sound asleep. Upon reaching the dining area, Erick immediately introduced Dr. Gomez to Elle. "You''re Aliyah¡­ not Elle? You and Elle look alike!" Dr. Gomez asked her in disbelief. "Are you her twin sister?" He added. Elle let out a forced laugh. "Since the day I met Erick and his friends, everyone is calling me Elle. Argh! Kinda frustrating!" Elle pouted in frustration. ''Because you are Elle.'' Erick thought to himself as he looked at her helplessly. "I''m sorry Miss Aliyah. But it is really hard to believe that two different persons have the same face¡­ and voice? Unless you are identical twins?" Dr. Gomez insisted. Elle heaved a deep sigh. "I think I should ask my parents¡­ maybe I have a twin sister." "Parents? Do you still have parents? As in biological parents?" Erick asked her curiously. Elle rolled her eyes once again. "Yes, I do have. They are happily living in New York. Do I need to call them now? Do you want to talk to them?" Erick fell silent. He was just observing Elle with complicated emotions. "Hehe¡­ no need Miss Aliyah. I believe you." Dr. Gomez said awkwardly. "Let''s have dinner first. I am really hungry." Elle said to end the topic. The three of them sat down together and started eating their food. "By the way, Doc, how is he?" Elle asked him regarding the condition of the middle-aged man. "I cleaned and sanitized his wounds. He was covered by bruises. He was badly beaten. I injected him pain relievers. He will wake up by tomorrow. He needs to get an X-ray to check whether he got some broken bones or fractures." "But he refused to go to the hospital," Erick said. "Hmm, just bring him to some laboratory clinic. I''ll write him a prescription and laboratory request. I will be the one to interpret the result." Dr. Gomez suggested. "He''s quite weird. He doesn''t look like a bad guy but he doesn''t want to see a doctor nor a policeman. I am curious about his reason.." Elle couldn''t help but ponder. Dr. Gomez just shrugged as he continued to dig in his food. He was enjoying his meal. The food was delicious. "I''ll talk to him once he wakes up." Erick simply stated. As much as Erick wanted to spend more time with Elle, he had no choice but to forget that idea as of this moment. Elle decided to leave together with Dr. Gomez after their dinner. Since Erick was currently taking care of an injured stranger, he couldn''t leave him at the house alone. So Erick just asked Dr. Gomez to drop off Elle to her apartment. His doctor friend gladly complied with his request. Just a few moments after Elle and Dr. Gomez left, Erick received a call from his hired man. He hired someone to follow and monitor Roland Bienvenido''s whereabouts. Roland Bienvenido was one of the original members of Los Molasses Gang 16 years ago together with Carlo Vello, Jefferson Gong, and Diego De Dios. After the Gang members went to separate ways, Roland Bienvenido reestablished and recruited new members of Los Molasses Gang. He became the new leader. Erick continued investigating them, especially their relationsh.i.p.s, and how they were connected to Elle''s past. Erick knew that Elle''s revenge had something to do with those people. Erick hired someone to trace the other original members. He was determined to uncover the truth regarding Elle''s past. "Chief Lee¡­ we got a problem. Roland Bienvenido just went missing!" Chapter 307 - 307: Overflowing Kindness The middle-aged man woke up with a huge gasp escaping from the unpleasant memories of yesterday''s incident that came to him again in the form of a dream. He felt the throbbing pain throughout his body. "Mister, good morning." When the man looked up, he saw Erick holding a tray of food. The middle-aged man glanced at him with confusion. "Where am I?" "At my house. By the way, I am Erick." Erick muttered as he slowly put down the tray of food on the bedside table. The middle-aged man sat up and leaned back on the headboard of the bed. "Thank you for saving me, Erick¡­ and thank you for not calling the cops nor bringing me in the hospital." The middle-aged aga man softly said to him, feeling grateful for what Erick had done. Erick just nodded with a smile. "You should eat. You haven''t eaten anything since last night. My doctor friend came over here. He''s the one who treated your wounds. He said you need to have an X-ray. We can go to the laboratory clinic if you don''t want to ho to hospitals." The middle-aged man just kept silent. His gaze fell on the tray of food. This was the first time someone had helped and cared for him like this. "You are so kind and generous, helping a stranger. Are you not afraid that I am a bad guy? What if I am just lying to you? Why did you listen to me instead of calling and reporting me to the cops?" The middle-aged man felt like he wanted to scold his young savior. Erick just let out a soft chuckle. "I can protect myself. What can an old man who was beaten so badly do to me? I am a healthy young man. Besides, I am also a detective." Erick said, trying to lighten the atmosphere between them. This time the middle-aged man burst out laughing. "I am Matt¡­ Matt Carter." The middle-aged man introduced himself to Erick. "It''s my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Carter," Erick responded with a smile. "Oh, where''s the young bold and brave lady with you last night? Is she your wife or your girlfriend?" Matt asked, peering at the room while looking for Elle. "She''s my wife," Erick stated, his eyes filled with love and tenderness. His lips curled up into a gentle smile. "Oh, your wife is bold and very fierce. I really thought she''s a policewoman. Where''s she?." Matt let out a soft chuckle as he remembered how Elle suddenly appeared before them, facing those gangsters with no fear. "She''s temporarily living in her apartment. But don''t worry, I will make her come back here¡­ soon." Erick said to him meaningfully. "Hmm, you mean you are both living separately as of now. I couldn''t understand young couples nowadays. Tsk tsk tsk." Matt shook his head. Then he began to eat his food. "What is her name?" Matt asked him out of the blue. Erick paused for a moment. He was thinking of what he should reply to that question. "Elle¡­Ali" Erick mumbled. Even he didn''t know what to call her. He wanted to call her Elle but she was insisting on calling her Ali or Aliyah. "Elle? Ali?" Matt repeated as he frowned. "Aliyah ''Elle'' Ross. That''s her name." Erick said as he made up his mind. "Oh, she has a nice name." Erick let Mr. Carter finish his food while he took a shower. He decided to take a day off today to accompany the middle-aged man. He would try to talk to him regarding yesterday''s incident. He wanted to help him. He could somehow sense that this old man was not a dangerous man but he appeared to be a mysterious one. He was not sure whether the man would trust him completely but he would try his best to make him feel safe and comfortable in his presence. When Erick got out of the bathroom, Mr. Carter was no longer in his bed. Erick swung his bedroom door open and ran out, darting his eyes searching for him. Erick heaved a sigh of relief when he saw him in the kitchen, washing the dishes. "Mr. Carter, you don''t have to do that. You are still weak." Erick said to him helplessly. Erick stopped him as he turned off the faucet. He took the plates in Mr. Carter''s hand. "You should rest." Erick insisted. There was a genuine concern in his eyes. Mr. Carter smiled at him. He appreciated Erick''s thoughtfulness and generosity. Erick guided him to the chair near the table and let him sit down. "Don''t worry about me. I know my body well. By the way, you don''t have to bring me to the Laboratory clinic. I only have a few broken ribs but it will heal naturally. I knew the proper medicine to drink. Tell your doctor friend that he had done a good job taking care of me last night." Mr. Carter said. He sounded very reassuring. Erick gave him a questioning gaze. Mr. Carter burst out laughing once again. "I have some knowledge in the field of medicines. Though you might not believe me because I just look like a poor old man who is broke." He said nonchalantly. Mr. Carter laughed again when he saw the confusion in Erick''s face. "Haha. I know you heard about my debts and my gambling issue. Those gangsters were so loud and noisy. Now I felt embarrassed to face my young savior. I don''t even have money to repay you for your help." "I am not expecting anything for a return. I just did that because it was the right thing to do." Erick stated firmly. "But Mr. Carter, as your savior, please let me ask you a favor," Erick added, looking at him seriously. Mr. Carter was taken aback by Erick''s seriousness. He just nodded at him, anticipating his request. "Can you please stop going to those dangerous places owned by those gangsters? And please stop gambling. This is for your own good." Mr. Carter was rendered speechless once again. This young man''s kindness was overflowing. He didn''t expect him to ask him that. He thought Erick would ask him something that would benefit himself. But in the end, he was still thinking about Mr. Carter''s safety. "If you also need protection against those gangsters, I can also help you with that." Erick offered him another hand. ''Haha, this man never fails to amaze me.'' Mr. Carter thought to himself. "Hahaha¡­ young man¡­ Tell me honestly. Are you an angel? I couldn''t believe that there are still good Samaritans like you in this very dangerous world." There was a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt in his voice. Erick: "..." Erick was baffled. He didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. This old man just compared him to an angel and a good Samaritan. He didn''t know what to say. "Hahaha¡­ why are you looking at me like that, young man?" Erick just smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Nothing sir." Erick simply stated. Then Mr. Carter suddenly became serious. "Young man. I know you are curious about why I didn''t allow you to bring me to the hospital nor call the police. I am sorry I couldn''t tell you the reason why. I know you are a good person but I don''t want you to be involved. I am not a dangerous man but the danger is always hunting me. I don''t want innocent people to be hurt because of me. But I am really glad to meet you." Mr. Carter patted Erick''s shoulder. "But I will make sure to return this favor in the future. If ever you need my help, I will not hesitate to give you a hand." Erick nodded. "I understand. I won''t force you to tell me. But Mr. Carter¡­ will you promise me to do what I just requested from you? Don''t waste your life because of money. Don''t go back to the gambling house. Live a happy and simple life together with your family." Mr. Carter''s expression became sullen when he heard the word ''family''. "How I wish I still have one." He said with a bitter smile on his face. "I am sorry... I didn''t mean to¡­" "It''s alright, young man. I lost them a long time ago. You don''t need to apologize. Anyway, don''t worry about me. I will fulfill your request. I promise. Thank you, Erick." Chapter 308 - 308: Are You Sick? On the same day, Mr. Carter requested Erick to drive him to his place. He didn''t want to stay longer with Erick and be a hassle to him. He also felt better after taking pain killers. "Are you sure, you will be alright? Do you have someone to watch over you at your place?" Erick asked him worriedly. They were both inside Erick''s car. "Hmm. Nope. But I can handle myself, young man." "Oh¡­ too bad. I was not able to talk with your wife." There was a hint of disappointment in his voice. A light flashed in Erick''s eyes after hearing Mr. Carter''s remarks. The corner of his mouth stretched out in a wide grin. An idea popped up in his mind. "Do you want to meet her?" Erick asked him with a hidden motive in his mind. ''Because I also want to see her right now.'' He thought to himself. "Is it possible?" Mr. Carter probed, glancing at Erick. "Of course, yes! We can drop by her office and visit her before I send you to your place. What do you think, Mr. Carter?" Erick suggested to him enthusiastically. "Why do I feel like you are the one who badly wants to meet her, today?" Mr. Carter teased him with a lopsided grin. Erick just smiled awkwardly, feeling a little bit embarrassed. "Kid¡­ you''re so transparent. Easily to read. Hahaha! Don''t tell me, you two are back in the courting stage." Bingo! Mr. Carter guessed it right! Erick didn''t answer but his expressions already spoke for himself. Mr. Carter couldn''t contain his laughter as he burst out laughing. Erick''s cheeks heated up. He could only scratch his face, enduring the teasing of Mr. Carter. It was too late to deny it. He already found out by just looking at his reddened face. It took them a twenty-minute drive to reach her office. They arrived at the entrance of Morning Star Media Network by exactly 9:00 am. Erick parked the car first before he picked up his phone and dialed Elle''s number. It rang several times before the call got connected. "Good morning, Chief Lee! Why did you call me as early as this? Do you have a big scope for us?" Elle''s bright soft voice could be heard from the other line. Erick couldn''t hold his smile after hearing the voice of the woman he missed so much. Mr. Carter just shook his head while watching Erick on the side. ''This man fell head over heels in love with his wife.'' "Where are you?" Erick asked her instead of answering her question. "Here¡­ at our office. Why?" Elle responded. "Can you go outside and meet us? I am here at the front of your office building. Someone wants to see you." Erick softly said. "What? You''re here?! You didn''t go to work?!" Elle exclaimed shock and disbelief could be heard in her voice. Erick let out a husky laugh. "Come¡­ we will be waiting for you." Erick immediately hung up the phone. He was rejoicing. Elle seemed really surprised. It didn''t cross her mind that Erick would go directly to her office without informing her. Erick roamed his eyes around, then he saw a Cafe nearby. "I think we should grab some drinks and meet her at the Cafe," Erick suggested to Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter just nodded at him. Then Erick sent Elle a message that they would wait for her in the Cafe at the front of their office building. Erick and Mr. Carter entered the Cafe. They chose the table near the entrance so that Elle could easily find them. Erick went to the counter to order drinks for the three of them. He bought three different flavors of milkshake along with blueberry cheesecake. After a few minutes, Elle arrived. She immediately saw Erick and the middle-aged man sitting near the entrance door of the Cafe. Erick waved at her as soon as their eyes met. "Hey, I didn''t expect you to see here!" Elle promptly said to Erick upon reaching their table. "A surprise visit," Erick stated with a wide smile. Elle rolled her eyes skyward. "What if I am on the field? Luckily I am not. Tell me first if you will come." Cough! Cough! Mr. Carter cleared his throat, letting the two people know that he was also there with them. That''s the time Elle averted her gaze to the person sitting on the opposite side of Erick. Elle slightly bowed her head and greeted him with an awkward smile. She recognized the person. He was the middle-aged man they rescued against the gangsters yesterday. "How are you, mister?" Elle asked him politely. "I am good. Thank you. Sit down first." Mr. Carter softly said to her. Elle nodded before she sat down beside Erick. Now, the two of them were facing Mr. Carter. "Are you the person Chief Lee referring to when he said that someone wanted to meet me?" "Yes, I want to thank the two of you for saving me yesterday!" Mr. Carter gave her a grateful look. "Oh...let me introduce the two of you." Erick butted in. "This is Mr. Matt Carter. Mr. Carter, this is Elle¡­ I mean Ali." Erick changed her name upon seeing the warning glare coming from Elle when he mentioned the name ''Elle''. "Nice to meet you Mr. Carter," Elle said as she extended her right hand to offer him a handshake. Mr. Carter smiled and gladly accepted her hand. "My pleasure is mine." After a few seconds of being in contact with Elle''s hand, A deep frown appeared on his face. "Miss Aliyah, are you sick?" Mr. Carter blurted out. Elle and Erick looked at him confusedly. Elle smiled awkwardly before she retreated her hand back. "No, Mr. Carter. I am just fine. I am in good health." Elle firmly said. "Oh, let me rephrase it. Were you sick in the past?" Mr. Carter was still frowning as he asked her again. Elle was dumbfounded for a moment. "N-No!" Elle replied after she recovered. Meanwhile, Erick glanced at her worriedly. He brought his hand to her forehead to check her temperature. "Hey, what are you doing? I said I''m fine." Elle complained as she removed Erick''s hand. "Yes, you look just fine. You have a normal temperature." Erick stated. Mr. Carter just shrugged his shoulders. "Forget it. I was just asking." But deep inside, Mr. Carter felt something strange. He had his suspicion. But since Aliyah told them that she was fine, he didn''t dwell on it. He just pushed the thought in the back of his mind. They had a little chitchat together. After finishing their drinks, Elle decided to go back to their office. She also received a message from Sandy. She was now looking for her. "Sorry, Chief Lee¡­ Mr. Carter. I am afraid I have to go back now or else my line manager will notice my absence. My partner is also looking for me now. Thank you for visiting me. Let''s meet again next time." Elle stood up as she bade them goodbye. "Mr. Carter, take care of yourself. Listen to Chief Lee''s advice. Don''t go back to those dangerous places." Elle added. "I will, Miss Aliyah." Mr. Carter responded. Elle was about to leave when Erick called her out. "Wait, I forgot to tell you something." Elle turned back to face him. "What is it?" "Our former colleague is celebrating her birthday two days from now. I wonder if you are available. Would you like to go with me and attend the party?" Erick invited her. Elle paused for a moment, thinking. "What time? Where''s the venue? What is the dress code?" " 8:00 am. Centennial Resort. It is a pool party so you have to bring¡­" Erick didn''t finish his sentence as his gaze fell on her body. "Bikini." Mr. Carter was the one who finished Erick''s sentence. Elle''s eyes widened after hearing that. Then she let out a forced laugh. "I am sorry Chief Lee. But I have to check my schedules first. I will let you know if I can join you on that day." ''[email protected]! Bikini?! No way. I can''t.'' Elle thought to herself. Without waiting for Erick, Elle turned around and she walked away. Erick just watched her retreating back. In his mind, he was hoping that Elle would say yes. He also wanted to find something. If she would wear a swimsuit then he might see her scars. Then there''s no way for her to deny that she''s Elle. Chapter 309 - 309: No Daffodils For Today Two days before Marie''s birthday, Allen did his best to manage everything. He arranged the venue, contacted their colleagues as he invited them, and even went to Marie''s house to connive with her parents for this surprise birthday party. Bryan, Rose, and April helped him in the preparation. The upcoming party also held great importance for Allen. That day he would step up to muster his courage and confess his feelings for her. He was excited and nervous at the same time. No one knew how this event would end up but he just wished that Marie would give him a chance¡­ a chance to love her with all his heart. The two of them had been working together as part of Special Task Force Eagle for the past three years. He got to know her. He had been admiring her since then. He was even aware of Marie''s failed relationsh.i.p.s in the past. If Marie needed a drinking buddy, Allen was always there for her. He became her shoulders to cry on. She would always vent her frustration with him. They became closer as good friends but his feelings for her deepened as time went by. He decided to confess to her once they solved Catseye''s case. However, that mischief happened. Marie got injured and almost lost her life. And the saddest thing was Marie also lost her memories. He regretted not telling her sooner. After that, he couldn''t find the courage to confess since Marie couldn''t remember anything. He needed to start from scratch and make new memories with her. For the past two years, Allen always made sure to visit and stay closer to Marie. He knew how hard it was for her, having no recollection of her past. She couldn''t recognize her friends and colleagues even her parents. But Allen served as her time machine. He would always talk to her, telling her stories of what Marie was used to do in the past. He patiently introduced her to their former colleagues and her friends. Sometimes he would bring photo albums, then Allen would start talking about the moments behind those photos. Just like that, they became good friends once again. Marie became comfortable with him. Allen had helped her adjust to her difficult situation. After meeting Marie''s parents, Allen decided to drop by her flower shop. When he entered the shop, he saw Marie arranging the flowers. Her hair was tied in a bun. She was wearing a simple yellow dress. She was simply beautiful with her get-up. She was too immersed with what she was doing that she failed to notice Allen''s presence. Allen remained quiet as he watched her. His eyes were following her every move. There was a wide grin on his face. After a while, Allen decided to let her know about his presence. He went to her back and tried to tickle her on her waist. "Oh my.. what the!" Marie gasped in surprise when she felt a hand on her waist trying to tickle her. Thud! "Aw!" Allen squealed in pain after Marie''s elbow hit his abdomen. "Allen!" Marie exclaimed after she saw his face. "Are you stupid?! Frightening me like that!" Marie complained to him, putting her arms in her waist. Allen chuckled seeing her annoyed expression. "I am sorry. I just want to surprise and tease you. I''ve been here for several minutes now but still, you did not notice me." Allen explained. "That was a hard hit¡­. You know!" Allen added as he rubbed his hurt abdomen. Marie just shook her head helplessly. "It''s your fault!" Marie said as she pouted. "I know." Allen chuckled once again, scratching his face. "By the way, why are you here?" Marie asked him, putting the flowers away before she turned to face him again. "I missed you, that''s why I came to see you," Allen stated. Marie was stunned for a moment after hearing that. Allen let out another soft chuckle. "Hey¡­ I am just kidding! Why are you giving me a face like that?" Marie shot him a glare. "I knew it! You are just here to piss me off!" Allen pinched her cheeks. "Hey don''t be mad. I brought you your favorite snacks!" Marie''s face brightened up as he mentioned her favorite snacks. "Really?" "[email protected] You are really easy to bribe. Tsk tsk tsk. Come¡­ let''s have some snacks first." Allen gently pulled her towards the bench inside the shop. They sat down and started to dig in the food he brought. The favorite snack of Marie which Allen was referring to was a homemade coconut baked ch.i.p.s with chocolate fillings. It was baked by Allen, himself. "Now, I forgive you!" Marie blurted out cheerfully. "Hmmm. So delicious. I really really really like it!" ''I hope you will like the one who baked this too.'' Allen thought to himself as he watched Marie who was happily eating the coconut ch.i.p.s. After a while, Allen got a call from the headquarters. As much as he wanted to stay and spend more time with Marie but he couldn''t. Duty called! Soon, he bade her goodbye and left. Marie was glad to see him today. She won''t feel bored every time Allen would come around and accompany her. Today was not a busy day in her flower shop. There were only a few customers dropping by. Marie checked her watch. She frowned, wondering why the delivery man of her daffodils flower was not yet around. At this hour of the day, he would always come to deliver the flowers. "Why is he taking so long to arrive? Does it mean Mr. B.S didn''t send any flowers today? But why? Did something wrong happen to him? Is he busy?" Marie mumbled to herself as she pondered. Several hours had passed but the delivery which Marie was expecting didn''t arrive. Because of that, she felt sad and anxious at the same time. She was worried about the sender. ''What if something bad happened to him? This is the first time he missed sending flowers. Should I call the delivery man''s office to ask about him?'' "Oh gosh. What am I thinking? Forget it¡­ maybe he is just busy today." Marie said, convincing herself but deep down, she felt bothered. To push the thoughts away, Marie just occupied herself arranging flowers in her shop. She was busy cutting the thorns of the roses when a customer entered her shop. Marie immediately stopped what she was doing as she faced the customer. "Hello, welcome to our flower shop. How may I help you¡­ s-sir?" Marie didn''t know why but the moment she saw her customer''s face her heart suddenly skipped a beat. ''Is it because the customer in front of her is a very gorgeous man?'' Badum! Badum! Badum! Her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest when the man suddenly flashed his very charismatic smile that could melt any woman''s heart. ''Sh!t! Don''t just stand there like a fool Marie! Talk¡­ talk to him!'' Marie scolded herself inwardly as she didn''t know what to do. Why is she suddenly acting so foolish like this? This was not the first time she saw handsome men. But this person had a different effect on her. "Hi!" The man greeted her with his cool voice. ''His voice¡­ he sounded familiar. Do I know him?'' After what seemed like ages, finally, Marie had recovered her wits. "Hmm, sir¡­ what flowers do you want to order? We have so many fresh flowers here. You can choose the one that you like most. I will arrange it for you." Marie sounded very calm but deep down she felt very nervous¡­ and excited? Excited for what? The man smiled once again at her before he spoke up. "I am not here to buy some flowers. I came here to meet you. I got your message. Sorry¡­ I forgot to buy daffodils flowers today. I rushed here as soon as I arrived today." Marie gasped in surprise after hearing his remarks. ''Got my message? Daffodils flowers?'' "A-Are you¡­ are you Mr. B.S? The sender of daffodils flowers?" She was baffled. She didn''t expect him to come today personally. She waited for this moment to finally meet him. But now he was here, she was still shocked. ''[email protected]! Mr. B.S¡­ is so masculine¡­ like a living Adonis!'' The man extended his hand as he introduced himself to her. "Yes, I am that Mr. B.S. Brandon Stone¡­ this is my name." Chapter 310 - 310: Fulfilling Her Wish The man extended his hand as he introduced himself to her. "Yes, I am that Mr. B.S. Brandon Stone¡­ this is my name." Marie reached out to hold his hand. The moment her hand got in contact with his, she felt the sudden surge of spark deep inside her heart. ''Who is this man? Why am I feeling this way towards him? I feel strange.'' Marie couldn''t help but wonder. "I''m Marie Mendez. It''s my pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Stone." Marie tried her best to be calmed. She gave him a faint smile, her eyes still lingered on Brandon''s face, or shall we say Black Shadow''s face. Of course, he couldn''t introduce himself as Black Shadow. Black Shadow was a wanted criminal. Marie had no memories of him so she couldn''t recognize him. She would freak out once she learned that he was Black Shadow, one of the infamous assassins. By just looking at Marie''s reaction, Black Shadow could sense that she was restless and¡­ nervous. But why? He couldn''t help but ask himself. ''Do I look frightening to her? Is she afraid of me?'' Black Shadow didn''t know what to say to make Marie comfortable with his presence. He couldn''t tell her ''Don''t be nervous. I am not a bad guy.'' Because he was certainly a bad guy. But as consolation, though he was a bad guy he had no ill-intention for her. He didn''t plan to hurt her instead he wanted to protect her¡­ protect her against Kelsy''s threat. He had been doing that for the past two years. Kelsy hated Marie. She was blaming her for Black Shadow''s betrayal. She wanted to harm her but he protected Marie in shadow. Kevin and Kelsy¡­ both of them were trying to hunt Black Shadow. He made use of that opportunity to divert their attention away from Marie. That''s one of the reasons why he couldn''t appear in front of her for these past two years. But after receiving Marie''s message, Black Shadow could no longer stand still and do nothing. He also wanted to meet her in person and talked to her once again. [ Mr. BS, I would like you to know that this coming 22nd day of the month, I will be celebrating my birthday. Can you grant me my birthday wish? Will you meet me in person? I want to see you. ] That was the message he got from her a few days ago. He didn''t have the heart to refuse her request. He came today to fulfill her wish. Before appearing in front of her, Black Shadow made sure that the Azumi Twins would be busy with some matters. Black Shadow knew the danger he would cause her if the Azumi Twins saw him and Marie together. So he made a preparation. He gave the Azumi Twins a difficult task, diverting their attention. Black Shadow also made a certain decision two years ago. In order to ensure Marie''s safety, he accepted James''s offer to work for him full time. James was also helping Black Shadow, fighting against the Azumi Twins ever since he learned that they were responsible for killing Catseye two years ago. He seized that opportunity. He didn''t regret it. Skull Gang was very helpful to him. They assigned people who were also protecting Marie in secret. "Mr. Stone?" Marie called her out since Black Shadow seemed like he didn''t have the intention to let go of her hand. Her voice snapped Black Shadow out of his wandering thoughts. "I am sorry about that. It''s just that it''s been a long time since the last time I saw you up close." Black Shadow said apologetically, releasing her hand from his grasp. An awkward laugh escaped her mouth. She didn''t know how to react in front of him. She was still starstruck by this gentleman called Brandon Stone. Her gaze moved from his face going down his body, eyeing him from top to bottom and vice versa. His dark hair was styled up and off his forehead and typically featured his short hair on the sides of his head with his long hair on top. That pompadour style suited him very well. So [email protected] gorgeous. He was wearing black sunglasses. Every time he smiled his two cute dimples would appear near the side corner of his lips just below his tantalizing eyes. So [email protected] charming. And his very manly get-up could make any woman drool because of his broad shoulders and strong body build. By just watching him, Marie could guess that there were lots of hard muscles beneath his blue shirts and a leather jacket. Marie suddenly felt her cheeks heated up having those thoughts in mind. ''[email protected]! What am I doing? Why am I thinking like this? MARIE¡­ BEHAVE! He''s your guest, your visitor. Don''t ruin it. He might have received a wrong idea about me.'' Marie reminded herself. "Mr. Stone, you may take your seat first. I''ll get you some drinks. What do you want? Coffee, tea, juice, or soda?" "Brandon¡­" Black Shadow stated instead of answering her question. "Huh?" Marie halted on her steps as she turned to look at him. "I mean just call me Brandon. Mr. Stone is too formal." He explained to her as he saw the confusion in her eyes. Marie nodded with a smile. "Alright, Brandon¡­ now tell me¡­ what do you want to drink?" Marie asked him once again. Black Shadow paused for a moment, looking at her intently. His penetrating gaze was making her more nervous. "Do you mind if I ask you out right now? Let''s go and grab some drinks somewhere¡­ not here." Black Shadow suggested. His eyes were sparkling with anticipation. Marie was tongue-tied for a moment. That was very surprising. Brandon Stone was asking her out for their first meeting? She should say no right? Since he was still a stranger. However, for an unknown reason, she didn''t feel that he was a stranger to her. She felt secure with his presence as if she had known him before. After a few seconds of silence, Marie gave him her answer. "Sure¡­ I don''t mind. Let''s go?" Chapter 311 - 311: We Knew Each Other Marie accepted Black Shadow''s invitation of going out for a drink. Since he fulfilled her wish and met her in person, she wanted to spend more time with him and know him better. There''s something in him that piqued Marie''s interest. She was curious about this man. She would like to know if she had met him before¡­ if he was someone whom she had also forgotten because of her amnesia. She would find out their past connection and the relationship between them. She had to know it no matter what. Going out with him right now was a good opportunity to do that¡­ to find the answer she was looking for. Marie closed her flower shop. She grabbed her bag and went outside where Black Shadow was waiting for him. When she approached him, he was already standing beside his motorcycle. "Are we using this for the ride?" Marie asked him, pointing her finger toward his motorcycle. Marie didn''t know why but she felt like this scene was quite familiar as if it already happened in the past. "Yes¡­ I am sorry. I like motorcycles compared to four wheels. Are you uncomfortable with this?" Black Shadow asked her. "No, I don''t mind. But¡­ look at me. I am wearing a dress. How am I supposed to ride in your motorcycle?" Black Shadow let out a husky laugh before answering her inquiry. "Don''t worry. I will keep you safe during the ride. You just have to sit behind me. You sit sideways with both your legs on the same side. And... hold on to me tight." Black Shadow emphasized his last sentence. That last statement coming from him made her blush. ''Why is it he had to be serious while saying those words in a suave tone?'' Marie thought to herself. "Hop in!" he said with a grin, extending his arm for her. Marie nodded and smiled at him faintly. Black Shadow turned on his motorcycle. He made sure first that Marie was wearing a helmet before they left. Marie followed the instructions given to her by Black. She was sitting behind him sideways. She put her hands on his waist, holding him tightly. At first, she thought she would feel awkward but surprisingly, she liked the feeling of their bodies being closed together like this. And¡­ she loved his masculine scent¡­ the fragrance of his cologne was very pleasant in her nose. She was not paying attention to the road nor in her surroundings. Her mind was occupied by the man driving the motorcycle. Meanwhile, Black Shadow remained true to his words. He was careful, driving the motorcycle at a slow speed, making her safe during the ride. He was also checking her from time to time. The cheeky smile never left his face as he felt Marie''s tight grasp on his waist. She was really holding him, almost squeezing his waist. He missed this feeling, the feeling of her soft hands¡­ the feeling of her warm body closed to his. He wondered how he was able to endure these past two years without getting near her. Now, he wanted to be with her. Does he love her? No¡­ that''s impossible. He already forgot the feeling of being in love. He stopped believing in love. Then what is this? What was the name of this feeling he felt for her, right now? He couldn''t name it. All he knew was that he wanted to protect her and keep her safe. He wanted to be with her. And every time he was with her, he was very happy¡­ and his heart was racing rapidly in excitement. After a twenty-minute drive, Black Shadow and Marie reached their destination. Marie got off the motorcycle and removed her helmet. She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, fixing it. After a while, she peered at her surroundings. She frowned in confusion when she learned that they were actually inside the campus of ZK University, one of the prestigious schools in City Z. It was already 5:00 o''clock in the afternoon and most of the students started to leave the campus. "Eh, what are we doing here? I thought we would grab some drinks somewhere?" She asked, looking at him confusedly. Black Shadow just put on a cool smile. Without answering her question, he grabbed her hands and gently pulled her. Marie just sighed deeply and quietly followed his track. After a few minutes of walking, they stopped at the soccer field. There were still students playing and practicing soccer in the field. ''Eh, did he bring me here to watch a practice game of these athletes?'' Marie mumbled to herself. She wanted to ask him but she was shy to voice it out. So she just kept silent. Black Shadow once again took his steps, pulling her towards the benches. He released her hand then he held both her shoulders, pushing her down and making her sit down. "Stay here. Don''t leave. Wait for me. I am gonna buy some drinks first. What do you want to drink?" Black Shadow softly said to her. She felt like a kid who was being instructed by her parents to stay and behave while they are not around. She didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. ''Please don''t treat me like a kid.'' "Hmm. Ok. I understand. Just buy me a soda." Marie responded to him. Black Shadow nodded and flashed another charming smile before he left her. It did not take long when he returned, holding a plastic bag that contained snacks and drinks. "Why do I feel like this is a date?" Marie mumbled as she watched Black Shadow''s figure walking towards her. Her face heated up once again at that thought. She''s blushing and she couldn''t help it. Black Shadow sat down beside her, giving her the snacks he bought. She thanked him. Then Black Shadow opened up the canned soda before giving it to her. ''[email protected]! He''s thoughtful too!'' Marie gladly accepted it. After much thought, she could no longer keep her silence. Marie spoke up to confront him. "Brandon¡­ Do we know each other? I am sorry but I am suffering from amnesia. I couldn''t remember my memories in the past." There was a hint of sadness and disappointment in her voice as she said those words. If they knew each other before then she wanted to remember it. But too bad, she couldn''t remember anything. That''s what made her sad and feel disappointed. Black Shadow somehow sensed that she was feeling down right now. "Don''t force yourself to remember the past. You are doing great now. Don''t be sad. Everything happened for a reason." he was trying to console her. "I know¡­ but not remembering those memories, I feel like I am incomplete. There are lots of missing pieces. I lost half of myself." Marie didn''t know why she was suddenly opening up to him, sharing her true feelings with him. Black Shadow clenched his fists as he felt a tinge of pain deep inside his heart. He felt responsible for what happened to Marie. He was the reason why she was hurt and lost her memory. He was the reason why she was suffering like this. "I am sorry¡­ I truly am." He mumbled. Marie was stunned in a moment. She didn''t want him to feel sorry for her. ''Does he feel pity towards me?'' Marie let out a soft giggle to lighten the mood. "Dummy! Why are you apologizing to me? What happened to me is not your fault. I was a policewoman before. That''s why things like that happened to me. By the way, you didn''t answer my question yet." Marie said, hitting Black Shadow on his shoulder. Allen told Marie that what happened to her was related to the case they were handling before. It was Catseye''s Case. He also informed her that she was playing undercover at that time. That''s the only thing she knew. Since Marie''s parents didn''t want her to think about her work, they requested her colleagues not to talk or mention to her about things related to her work as an agent. As Black Shadow heard her, he turned to look at her straight in her eyes. "I brought you here because this was the place where I spent the most memorable night with you¡­ watching the night skies together, star gazing while talking about life and stuff." "Yes, we knew each other before..." He said and paused for a moment. Marie was taken aback by that revelation. She had not yet recovered when Black Shadow spoke again a shocking thing to her. "I am your man¡­ " he added. Marie: "..." Chapter 312 - 312: Start All Over Again "I am your man¡­" Marie: "..." If she was shocked then that was an understatement. She was utterly astounded beyond belief. ''Did I hear it, right? He was telling me that he¡­ he is my man?!'' Marie opened her mouth but no words came out. Her eyes were wide open, bewilderment surfacing in those eyes. Marie totally froze in her spot while looking at Black Shadow. Black Shadow couldn''t help but let out a soft chuckle seeing her cute and funny reaction. She looked so pure and innocent as of this moment. ''What''s wrong with her? Did my words appear to be unreasonable and unbelievable to her? But hell¡­ I am [email protected] serious!'' He marveled at that thought. Then an idea popped up in Black Shadow''s mind. "You don''t believe me huh. Then let me prove it to you." He mumbled to her, his lips turned up into a c.o.c.ky smile. Black Shadow suddenly held her chin and he leaned closer to her. After a few seconds, Marie felt his soft warm lips brushing hers. He kissed her! He kissed her in that public place which was surrounded by university students. What if someone saw them? But Black Shadow didn''t care about other people. He longed for this kiss. He missed her delicate lips. They''d kissed so many times before. He felt like he was already addicted to kissing her. Meanwhile, Marie felt like her mind was on the brink of losing its rationality. He was driving her nuts. Her heart began to pound crazily once again inside her chest. It felt like it was about to explode from too much nervousness¡­ and excitement! Black''s lips were moving softly and gently, savoring her. There''s no urgency¡­ just pure tenderness as he allowed his lips to taste every part of her lips. Her stomach fluttered and her whole body stiffened. She felt like there were a thousand bolts of electricity traveling throughout her nerves. For some unknown reasons, Marie couldn''t stop him as if she was also yearning for this kiss for so long. There was no resistance on her part. Her body loved this strange yet familiar feeling. Seconds later, Marie''s lips moved on its own accord, responding to his action and mimicking his soft and gentle movement. ''[email protected]! I like how he makes me feel this way!'' Now she also raised her hands, holding Black Shadow''s face in place and pulling him closer. Black Shadow smiled in between their kisses. He was enjoying it. He was glad that Marie didn''t reject him instead she was very accommodating. ''That''s my girl! Hmm. Like what I have said I am a bad guy. And a bad guy like me would not hesitate to seize this moment and take advantage of this opportunity.'' With that thought in mind, Black Shadow''s free hand moved up to her back, pulling her closer to him as he deepened the kiss. The gentleness was long gone. He kissed her passionately and hungrily like there was no tomorrow. When they broke apart, they''re both gasping for air. ''That was so intense!'' Marie thought to herself, holding her chest while panting. She looked down, avoiding his gaze. She felt embarrassed after what they did. What if he would think that she was an easy girl? Seeing her acting shy like this, Black Shadow could not contain his laughter. Her blush deepened immediately, a red flush creeping over her cheeks. "Though your mind forgot about me your body could remember." Black Shadow stated with certainty. ''Hey, something weird with his statement. It should be heart not body¡­ though your mind forgot about me your heart could remember.'' Marie thought to herself, gazing up to meet Black Shadow''s eyes. "Now¡­ Do you believe me? I am your man!" Black insisted. Marie wrinkled her brows, giving him a hard punch on his shoulder. "Aw!" Black winced a little. "If you are my man then why did you just appear in front of me now? You should have done that a long time ago. Why it took you two years? Why? Where have you been for these past two years?" Marie suddenly became upset. She bombarded him with questions. Black Shadow could see the frustration in her eyes. He remained silent, not responding to her. "Do you think I will accept you now just because you''ve sent me daffodils flowers every day for the past two years?" "Oh¡­ maybe you are one of my loser ex-boyfriends before. Allen told me about my failures in relationsh.i.p.s in the past." Marie said trying to provoke him. But instead of getting mad, Black Shadow ended up bursting in laughter. He also remembered her story about her loser ex-boyfriends before. "Hey, please don''t insult me by comparing me to those a*sholes who didn''t even know your true worth. Marie, believe me. I am not like them. Call me a loser but I won''t take you for granted unlike what they did to you by your loser ex-boyfriends." "Then explain! Why did you just approach me now? You should have done that sooner." She asked him, demanding an answer. "Oh¡­ my friends and my parents¡­ they didn''t mention you before. Are you telling me the truth?" Marie added as the realization came to her. "Because I am your secret man. They do not know about me. We are in a kind of secret relationship. I was your man but not actually your boyfriend. We agreed to see each other and date. It was a mutual understanding." What Black Shadow was telling her right now was partly true. He just omitted the ''spying thing'' which was the main reason why Marie had approached him before. "What?! That thing happened in the past?!" Marie couldn''t believe it. "Yes! You said you have to try this new set-up because you are tired of having failures in your past relationsh.i.p.s." Marie wished that the ground would open up for her right now and swallowed her whole. She felt very embarrassed. "So... Are you telling me that we are not in that kind of a serious relationship? That''s the reason why you never showed up in front of me for the past two years?" Well, thanks to that, Black Shadow now could use her statement as an alibi. Of course, he couldn''t tell her about the Azumi Twins and his true reason. "Sort of. That''s one of the reasons." Black Shadow said to confirm it. "Then what''re the other reasons?" Marie asked with intrigue. There was a moment of silence after that. After a while, Black Shadow faced her, eyeing her with his intense and penetrating gaze. "The other reason¡­ I didn''t know what you truly feel about me before you lost your memory. I am not sure if you really cared about me or you were just pretending that you care." There was a heaviness in those words. Black Shadow was sincere. Until now, he kept on wondering if everything that happened between him and her was all lies and just part of her job. No genuine feelings involved. Marie took a deep sigh. "How I wish I could remember so that I could answer your question." Black Shadow moved his gaze back to her face. A warm smile hung on his lips. "Then why don''t we start all over again?" Black Shadow softly said to her. Chapter 313 - 313: Joint Task Force Mini-Reunion Time passed by too quickly. Today was the celebration of Marie''s 28th Birthday. She thought she would just celebrate her birthday together with her parents. But surprisingly, when her parents brought her to the Centennial Resort some of her friends and former colleagues were already there waiting for them. They reserved one pool area in the resort, exclusively for the party. She was glad to see them. She found out that it was Allen who organized this pool party for her. She was grateful to him. "Marie! Happy Birthday! We miss you so much, sis!" It was Jane who greeted her first. Jane was her partner in Special Task Force Eagle. "Thank you, Jane." Rose and April also approached her. They gave her a hug before greeting a happy birthday. Marie''s parents entertained their other guests while Marie stayed with her former colleagues in the task force. The girls were having a conversation when June and Bryan arrived in the venue. They walked towards them to greet the girls. Carl and Allen also joined the group. "This seems to be a mini-reunion for the members of the joint task force!" June blurted out cheerfully. "Yes¡­ and as usual, our two heads are late. Where is Chief Lee and Captain Jason?" Carl commented, peering at the area while searching for Chief Lee and Captain Jason. "It''s Major General Jason now, not Captain." Allen corrected him. "Salute to our three Senior Sergeants!" Bryan said to them, emphasizing their promotion. Allen, Carl, and Jane were promoted as Senior Sergeants while Captain Jason was promoted as Major General. This happened after Catseye''s case was closed. Only the members of Alpha Cinco refused the promotion. The group erupted into a peal of laughter. Though Marie couldn''t remember everything she still felt comfortable with their company. "By the way, did you bring your swimwear? Let''s forget about everything and just enjoy the day!" Rose said, her eyes filled with excitement. "Of course, yes! That''s one of the reasons why we are here! Right timing, the weather is hot today. Let''s soak in the pool all day!" June declared. "Hey¡­ hey¡­ let''s eat first and wait for others to arrive. Chief Lee and Captain Jason are not yet here." Allen reminded them. April secretly approached Bryan. "Hey, do you think Aliyah will come today? You said that Chief Lee invited her, right?" "Yes, but I am not sure if she''s available today," Bryan replied to her. "Hehe¡­ I hope she can make it. I wonder what will be the reaction of the former members of Special Task Force Eagle once they see her." April let out a soft giggle. "I could still remember our funny reaction when Aliyah appeared in front of us. We were shocked. We thought she''s a ghost!" she added as she continued laughing. "I bet¡­ they will also be surprised!" Bryan said with a grin. "Let''s wait for Chief Lee. We never know he''s late because he went to fetch Aliyah." **************** Meanwhile, the two people whom Bryan and April were talking about were now together. Erick dropped by her apartment. He went there to pick her up. Now, they were on their way to the venue. "I''m glad you can come with me today. I thought you would reject my invitation." Erick said. "Do you think this is a good idea? I think I will be out of place there. Remember, I am an outsider. I didn''t even know the celebrant. I feel like I am gatecrashing with this party." Elle lamented at him. ''You knew them! You are just pretending that you don''t know them.'' Erick thought to himself. Erick merely smiled but didn''t respond. Elle heaved a sigh of frustration. "Why are you doing this to me, Chief Lee? You know I couldn''t say no to you!" Erick chuckled. "Can you just call me, Erick? Stop calling me Chief Lee. You are not my colleague nor my subordinate." "But others also call you that, not only your subordinates and colleagues." Erick averted his gaze to Elle. "But you are not others. You are you. You are special!" "You are just saying this because I look like your Elle." she quietly grumbled, but it was loud enough for Erick to hear. ''Because you are definitely Elle!'' Erick had no plan to argue with her today so he changed the topic. "Before I forget¡­ I would like to ask you." Erick paused for a moment before he continued. "Did you bring swimwear?" he asked with anticipation. Elle rolled her eyes skyward after hearing that. "No!" Elle promptly said. "Huh? Why not?" "I have no plan to go swimming. I am allergic to chlorine and pool waters. Do you want me to get sick?" Erick couldn''t refute that. He knew she wanted to hide her scars from him. He already expected this. Seeing the disappointment in Erick''s expression, Elle spoke up again. "Next time, invite me to go to the beach. Then I might consider wearing a swimsuit in front of you." Elle said with a taunting smile on her lovely face. Erick suddenly stopped the car after hearing her statement. "Hey, why did you stop?" Elle asked, looking at him with confusion. Erick turned sideways to face her. "Do you want to go to the beach now?" "Erick... Seriously? Are you asking me that, right now? For goodness'' sake, we are here to attend a birthday party of your friend!" Elle said exasperatedly. Erick gazed at her with a trace of warmth in his eyes. His face instantly lit up as a gentle smile hung on his lips. ''Oh gosh. How could this man be so good-looking as he smiles like this!'' Elle complained to herself. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?!" "I like it¡­ I love to hear you calling my name." Erick said with a satisfied smile on his face. Elle was rendered speechless. She didn''t know what to say. After a while, Erick averted his gaze back to the road and continued driving. The smile on his face didn''t disappear. *************** Back to the Centennial Resort, Major Jason also arrived. Now, they were just waiting for Erick to complete the team. Unknown to them, there was also another presence, watching over them not too far away. Black Shadow was there, waiting for the right timing to greet Marie personally in secret. Chapter 314 - 314: What Are You Doing Here? Just as expected, members of the Special Task Force Eagles had the same surprised expression when they saw Elle together with Erick. Their reactions were almost the same as Bryan, June, Rose, and April the first time Elle appeared in front of them at the headquarters. Carl: "Oh gosh, does Elle rise from the dead? Allen: "Who is she?" Jane: "Tell me I am not dreaming. She''s not Catseye, is she?" Captain Jason: "..." Marie: "???" ''What are they talking about?'' Marie thought to herself as she had no recollection of Elle. Meanwhile, the four members of Alpha Cinco burst out laughing as they watched the funny reactions of their colleagues in the joint task force. Even Captain Jason was tongue-tied at the moment. How could it be two different people had the same face? "I already saw this kind of reaction before¡­" Elle said awkwardly, letting out a forced laugh. "Hi everyone, I am Aliyah Ross... Ali for short, a reporter from Morning Star Media Network! Apology for gatecrashing. Chief Lee insisted on bringing me here." Elle introduced herself to them. "I knew it! There''s no way that she''s Elle!" Carl exclaimed. Allen also heaved a sigh of relief. "Whoa! I thought Elle came back. Anyway¡­ Nice meeting you, Miss Aliyah Ross. I am Allen. Let''s be friends starting today." The others also introduced themselves to Elle. Elle fell silent the instant her gaze met Captain Jason''s eyes. The scene in the M.V Athena suddenly crossed her mind. ''It was Captain Jason who lied to Erick that I was already dead. I still wonder why he did that. Does he really hate Catseye so much?'' Elle couldn''t help but ponder. Erick and Elle joined them. Since they were now complete, the group started to eat and enjoyed the food. Rose nudged June''s shoulder to capture his attention. She leaned closer and whispered something to him. "Eh, do you think Chief Lee is courting Aliyah since she looks like Elle?" Rose asked him with intrigue. "I don''t know. Maybe yes. Maybe no. Do you want to ask Chief Lee directly?" June whispered back. Rose rolled her eyes. "Fool. If I want to ask him directly then I shouldn''t have asked you this." June just let out a soft chuckle. As usual, Erick was very attentive to Elle. He made sure that she won''t feel out of place. His attention was fixed on her. By just watching the two of them, they felt like they had witnessed this familiar scene before- Elle and Erick moments during Rose'' birthday party. They couldn''t help but be reminded of Elle. ''Is Erick falling for this girl just because she looks like Elle?'' This was the question running in their mind right now. However, they couldn''t deny the fact that Erick returned to his usual self since the moment Aliyah came to them. They were glad to see Erick smiling once again. The group announced the start of the pool party. Everyone changed to their swimwear. Others started to swim and enjoy soaking in the pool. Only the joint task force remained in their tables. "Thank you for this surprise party. I am really happy to be with you once again." Marie thanked everyone. June leaned over to Allen. "Hey, are you ready for the confession later?" "Yes. I think so. But I am a little bit nervous." Allen admitted. "You can do it, man! You have our support." June encouraged him. Allen just nodded with a smile. Meanwhile, April and Bryan called the attention of their colleagues. "Hey everyone can you lend us some ears. We have something to announce and share with you, today." Bryan said to them. Everyone averted their gaze to Bryan and April. "We decided to get married next month!" April shared with them, there was a gleam of joy in her eyes. "Whoa! Really?" Rose exclaimed with excitement Bryan and April raised their entangled hands as they showed everyone their engagement rings. Jane: "Oh my gosh!" Marie: "So sweet!" Carl: "Congrats to both of you!" Allen: "Whoa, we will have another reunion at your wedding!" June: "I knew it! Finally, you decided to take the next level of your relationship!" Captain Jason: "I will be one of your sponsors in this wedding." Erick and Elle just smiled as they looked at the couple. They were happy for them. ''You owe me this Bryan. I helped you in the past. Hahaha¡­ Thanks to my brilliant idea. Good job. You made her fall for you.'' Elle thought to herself. Then suddenly Elle felt a hand grabbing hers. It was Erick. She turned to look at him confusedly. "Bryan should have been my Best Man during my wedding. But I guess, it won''t happen now." Erick stated. Elle was rendered speechless. That was their plan before. Both Elle and Erick were looking forward for their wedding ceremony. But unfortunately, it didn''t happen. Elle felt a little bit uncomfortable remembering the past. She stood up and excused herself. "Erick¡­ I will just go to the comfort room." "Alright." Erick nodded then he released her hand from his grasp. Elle needed to have some privacy first to calm herself down and gather her emotion. She was on her way to the comfort room when she suddenly bumped into someone. Thud! "Aw¡­ sorry, Miss!" "It''s alright. No worries." When their eyes met and saw each other''s face, the two of them were stunned for a moment. ''Black Shadow?!'' ''Catseye?!'' Elle was the first one who recovered from the shock. In an instant, she was able to conceal her emotions, pretending that she didn''t know him. Elle slightly bowed her head and decided to walk away. But before she could take a step, Black Shadow had grabbed her elbow right away. "Hey, Mister, what are you doing?" Elle asked him, removing his arm away from her. "Kitten! You are alive?!" Black Shadow mumbled in disbelief. Elle wrinkled her brows, feigning ignorance. "Kitten? Who''s that? Sorry, Mister. I think you just mistook me for someone." Black Shadow squinted his eyes as he observed Elle''s reaction. "Did you also lose your memory? You can''t recognize me?" "You are frightening me. Can you let go of my hand? I didn''t know you. I don''t have any idea what you are talking about." Elle continued pretending that she couldn''t recognize him. "Then who are you?" Black Shadow asked, lifting an eyebrow. Elle rolled her eyes skyward before taking her calling card in her wallet. She gave it to Black Shadow. "I am Aliyah Ross, from Morning Star Media Network." Black Shadow burst out laughing. He didn''t completely believe her. He knew that assassins had several aliases and identities. What if Aliyah Ross was one of Catseye''s identities? What he did was he pulled Elle in an area where no one could see them. "Hey! Stop pulling me!" Elle complained. Elle didn''t show much resistance or else Black Shadow would notice that She''s really Elle. She should act like a normal girl, someone who couldn''t fight back. "Now, we are just alone here. Now, talk to me and spill the beans! What are you doing here? The Task Force is also here. Are they aware that you are alive? Where have you been these past two years?" Black Shadow bombarded her with so many questions. ''[email protected] you Black Shadow! The hell¡­ are you asking me this. I should be the one asking him. What is he doing here? Don''t tell me¡­ he''s here because of Marie.'' "Hey, kitten¡­ " Instead of answering him, Elle shouted. "Help! Somebody! HELP Me! He-ummh" Black Shadow immediately covered Elle''s mouth. "Hey, why are you yelling?! [email protected] Kitten! What kind of play are you playing right now?" "Aw!" Black Shadow grunted Elle bit his hand. "Hey you weirdo! I am not Kitten! Why are you keep on calling me Kitten!?" Then Elle took a step back away from him. Pretending that she was in a state of panic. Her eyes darted everywhere, fretting over what to do. "Don''t come near me! Are you a pervert? Why did you bring me here? Are you planning to r*pe me?" Black Shadow was dumbfounded as he watched the panicking woman in front of him. ''Did I really mistook her? This woman and Catseye look exactly the same. Are they different persons?'' "Hey calm down. I am not gonna hurt you. I am sorry. I think I was just mistaken." Elle smiled inwardly. "Do you believe me now?" Elle asked him. "Yes." "So, will you let me go now? Can I leave now?" Black Shadow heaved a sigh of defeat. "Alright¡­ you can leave but grant me my request first." "Request? What is it then? I will do it. Just promise me that you will let me go and won''t hurt me." Elle continued pretending as damsel in distress. "Yes.. I will. Hmm¡­ come here. Let''s take a picture together. That''s my request." Black Shadow said to her with a wide grin. Elle:"..." ''Seriously Black? Taking a picture together. What are you planning to do with my picture?'' "So¡­ it''s a deal?" "Why should I do that? You are a stranger. This is the first time we met!" Elle complained to him. ''[email protected], I want to hit him and punch him in the face!'' Elle was trying to keep her cool. Black Shadow extended his arm to her. "By the way, I am Brandon¡­ Brandon Stone. Nice to meet you, Aliyah Ross." "Now...you know my name. And I know you. We are not strangers to each other anymore." Elle:"..." After saying that, Black Shadow moved closer to her, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer as he took their selfie picture using his mobile phone. Chapter 315 - 315: An Innocent Seducer Elle didn''t expect to stumble with Black Shadow in that place today. He was also one persistent fellow. Just like Erick, Black Shadow was hard to convince that she''s not Elle. Elle knew that Black Shadow didn''t completely believe her. He was a bit suspicious of her to the extent of taking a picture with her. She couldn''t understand why he had to do that. For what purpose? However, Elle had no choice but to play along with him, or else she might raise his suspicion if she refused him. She was also bothered by Black Shadow''s attitude towards her. He was acting like they were close to each other. His expression showed that he was glad to see her. She couldn''t forget the look in his eyes when he thought that Catseye was alive. She saw a gleam of joy and relief. But why? She couldn''t figure out Black Shadow. She thought he would be the first one to rejoice after hearing the news that Catseye was dead but it seemed that it was the opposite. "Brandon Stone¡­" Elle mumbled to herself, a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "So he is using this identity right now. Hmm for what?" After a while, Elle burst out laughing. "I think I know the answer," Elle said, glancing at Marie. She just returned to the pool. Her CR break was interrupted by Black Shadow. In the end, Elle just went back without going to the comfort room. Elle shook her head with a grin. "So bold¡­ he came here even though the place was full of police officers and agents just because of her. Hmmm¡­ A certain someone is learning to love once again." But the smile on her face quickly disappeared when she looked at Erick''s direction. The Chief Detective was now surrounded by ladies in their bikini outfit. Those were Marie''s friends in College. "I just disappeared for a few minutes and now there are lots of unwanted bees surrounding my flower boy," Elle mumbled through gritted teeth. With her glaring eyes, she walked faster going back to her man. "Chief Lee¡­ come on, join us!" The girl in a pink bikini outfit invited Erick to the pool. "Yes¡­ Chief Lee. Why are you just sitting here? Your colleagues are already enjoying the pool water." Another girl in her blue and purple bikini said, flashing her charming smile at Erick. "What are you waiting for, Chief Lee? Let''s dip in the water!" Another girl tried to persuade him. Erick was wearing white Sleeveless Tee and denim shorts. His pool party get-up today flaunted his beautiful manly physique, making these ladies couldn''t take their eyes off his body. They could see through his thin clothes his strong hard chest and well-toned abs. The girls couldn''t help but drool over at that sight. When they saw him sitting alone, they grabbed this opportunity to initiate a conversation with him and get close to him. They were waiting for Erick to respond when suddenly they heard a feminine voice behind their back. "He is waiting for me." Elle confidently said with a playful smile on her lips. Erick''s eyes lit up upon seeing the girl. She was right. He was waiting for her. The three ladies averted their gaze to Elle, eyeing her from top to bottom. Seeing her wearing a shirt and jeans, the ladies couldn''t help but raise their eyebrows. ''This is a pool party, why is she wearing that?'' The girl in a pink bikini giggled and asked her with a provoking smile. "Are you going to swim with those clothes? Seriously?" "Yeah¡­ this is a pool party!" One girl said, giving her a ridiculing look. Erick was suppressing his laughter then he gave Elle a kind of look saying ''I told you. You should bring swimwear.'' Elle just shot Erick a cold stare. Seeing her annoyed expression, Erick couldn''t help letting out soft chuckles. "She''s allergic to chlorine and pool water," Erick said to them, there was a gleam of humor in his eyes. "Oh!" One girl exclaimed exasperatedly, covering her mouth using her one hand. "Tsk tsk tsk. Too bad, she can''t enjoy this." The girl said, mocking Elle. Then the three ladies exchanged meaningful glances with one another. Elle was about to lose her patience. These girls were really trying to provoke and annoy her. What she hated most was Erick who was just watching on the side while enjoying the show. Is he trying to use these girls to challenge and force her to join them at the pool today? ''Forget it. I won''t fall in this kind of trick.'' "Hmm¡­ you know what, I guess you are right. I shouldn''t be here today." After saying that, Elle turned her back on them, walking away. Erick''s eyes widened after seeing Elle walking towards the exit. He stood up and followed her immediately. It did not take long when Erick was able to catch up with her. He grabbed her hand to stop her. "Hey, where are you going?" Elle faced him wearing an ugly expression. "Can''t you see? Are you blind? I''m leaving!" Elle said coldly to him. Erick just looked at her helplessly. "Let go. Just go back there and enjoy the party with those ladies!" Elle added. ''She''s mad!'' Erick ended up bursting into waves of laughter. Elle yanked her hand out of his grasp. Then she folded her arms over her chest, facing him with her dark expression. "Do you think something is funny? Why are you laughing?" Elle didn''t hide her irritation from him. With his sparkling eyes and bright smile, he asked her. "Are you jealous?" "Yes!... I mean No!" Erick let out another husky laugh. ''[email protected], Erick! Just leave me alone. I hate you!'' "Which is which? Is that a yes or a no?" Erick probed. Elle pouted in annoyance. "Did you bring me here just to annoy me, Mr. Detective?" "No¡­ I brought you here because I wanted to be with you." "I hate you!" Elle blurted out "Why?" Erick asked her with a grin. "Because¡­ you are so gorgeous and charming! Attracting lots of girls!" Erick chuckled once again. "So are you going to leave just like that?" Erick asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Then what do you want me to do?" "You should stay and guard the thing that belongs to you." Elle: "..." ''Is he telling me that he belongs to me?'' "So¡­ are you still leaving? Leaving me here¡­ alone¡­ with those ladies?" Erick asked her with a cheeky smile on his face. ''[email protected] Erick! You''re intentionally doing this to me! Luring me using his own self as bait.'' " Just do whatever you want. Why do I care?" Elle was still stubborn, not giving in. "Because you are my date today!" Erick said matter-of-factly. "Since when did that happen?" "A guy inviting a girl to a party¡­ means the guy asked the girl to be his date for that party. Now, did you get it?" Elle just heaved a sigh of defeat. "Alright. I''ll stay. But no swimming! Will you still enjoy this?" Erick bobbed his head to confirm. "I am not here to swim. I just want to be your company." Then Elle squinted her eyes at him. "Then why the hell did you wear these clothes, flaunting your body to those women?!" Erick scratched his face. "I didn''t do it for them¡­" Erick paused, a blush dusted over his cheeks. Elle: "..." Erick couldn''t complete his sentence but by just looking at his blushing face Elle could somehow grasp the whole thoughts of what he was trying to say. He dressed up like that to flaunt his physique to her. His expression said ''FOR HER EYES ONLY!'' [email protected] Erick! What an innocent seducer! Meanwhile, not too far away from Erick and Elle''s spot, a pair of eyes were watching them in shadow. "I couldn''t believe it. The girl who looks like Kitten is also close to that Chief Detective. Is this just pure coincidence or is there a deeper story behind this?" Black Shadow''s lips turned up in a mischievous smile. "Interesting." He mumbled to himself. Then Black Shadow looked down, watching his picture together with her on his mobile phone. In the picture, he was grinning widely while the girl was frowning. She was glaring her eyes in irritation. Black Shadow chuckled. "I wonder what will be his reaction once he sees this photo." Chapter 316 - 316: Im Coming Back "I wonder what will be his reaction once he sees this photo." Black Shadow was thinking about a certain someone as he said those words. To him¡­ it''s no secret that James had feelings for Catseye. He was fully aware of that fact. Since the news of Catseye''s death spread on the National TV and underground world, Black Shadow knew a certain person who was greatly affected by it. That person was James Arison. Black Shadow became James''s confidant in bringing down Dark Knight''s several operations. James was hell-bent in avenging Catseye''s death. Since then no one had ever mentioned the name Catseye in front of the Skull Gang Head. And the battle between Dark Knight and Skull Gang was still on-going until now. James went abroad two years ago to strengthen Skull Gang''s forces. They spread their power outside the country. James was leading the Skull Gang very well. He couldn''t destroy the Dark Knight Organization easily. For an unknown reason, it had unimaginably powerful connections outside. James was doing his best to weaken the alliances of the Dark Knight Organization outside the country. That''s what he was doing for these past two years. On the other hand, Black Shadow became one of his pillars of support. Having him on his sides had strengthened Skull Gang''s power in this country. They had great teamwork. If we have to put or describe their current relationship into words then it would be- James was the King then Black Shadow was his Strongest and Loyal General. So this very Loyal General of the King had just found something interesting that he could make use to tease the King. Black Shadow''s eyes lit up and an idea brought a mischievous smile to his lips. "Let''s distract and disturb the Supreme Mighty Leader of the Skull Gang. Hahahaha!" After saying that, he tapped his phone several times. "It''s done. Now¡­ I have to wait for his reaction." *************** *** Night Time: At Five Star Hotel, Abroad *** Meanwhile, James Arison was currently having a business deal with one of the potential allies that could assist them in their fight against the Dark Knight Organization when his phone vibrated. When he checked his phone, he saw that it was a message coming from Black Shadow. It was very seldom for Black to contact him or message him unless it was an important matter. He immediately opened his message. The moment he saw his message, James''s eyes widened in astonishment. Black Shadow''s message did not contain any text but he sent a picture to James. That was the picture he had taken a while ago together with Elle. James stood up quickly from his seat as he walked away, leaving the people in that private room. He didn''t even glance at them nor excused himself. Everyone just watched his retreating back, wondering if something was wrong or they had offended him, that''s why he walked out just like that, not even saying a single word to them. When James was already alone, he dialed Black Shadow''s number. The call just got connected when Black Shadow''s laughter erupted from the other line. "Hahaha. Wow, that''s so fast! It only took five seconds. I knew it. I already expected that you would call me but I am surprised that you did it right away. Hahahaha." Black Shadow said spontaneously, teasing James. "What is this picture all about?" James asked him with so much seriousness in his voice. "Hey, Chillax! Calm down. Don''t be so worked up! I know what you are thinking. You saw her picture, right? The girl who looks like Catseye. I also thought at first that she is Catseye but that girl blatantly denied it. She said she is Aliyah Ross, a reporter from Morning Star Media Network." Black Shadow started to explain everything to James. James was just quietly listening to him. "It just so happened that I accidentally bumped into her in this Resort. I confronted her but she said she didn''t know me. She couldn''t recognize me. But I have my doubts. Do you know what is more interesting?" Black Shadow intentionally paused for a moment to give him suspense. "What is it?" James asked him, feeling a little bit impatient. "That same girl is also closed with Chief Detective Lee. I saw them together, talking. They look so friendly with each other. It looks like she also met some of the members of the Joint Task Force. What a coincidence right? Same face and having the same circle of friends." "So my friend¡­ this is quite big for such information. Hmmm, care to give me some bonus? This long-distance call is also worth it for the pieces of information I just gave you." Black Shadow shamelessly said to James. But only silence was heard by Black Shadow on the other line after he talked too much. "Hey¡­ James...Are you still there? Are you listening to me? Did you faint?!" Black Shadow was the only guy who would dare annoy and tease the Skull Gang Leader. Toot! James hung up the phone without responding to him. He was having conflicting thoughts right now and he had no plan of wasting his time entertaining Black Shadow''s antics. After gathering his thoughts, James called someone from City Z. It was Spike. "Boss? Did something wrong happen?" Spike asked, a little bit shocked for this surprise call. "Choose one of our most trusted men. Tell him to follow and monitor someone for me." James gave Spike a command. "Who''s that person?" Spike asked him "A girl with a name¡­ Aliyah Ross. She''s a reporter at Morning Star Media Network." James promptly answered him. "Ok Boss. I got it!" Spike responded. "Arrange everything¡­ and tell my Mom and Selena. I am coming back to City Z next week¡­ a little bit earlier from my original plan." He instructed Spike. "Noted Boss. I understand. I will relay your message to Lady Selena." After that, James hung up the phone. He leaned his back on the wall for support. Then he closed his eyes while clenching the phone in his hand. "Elle¡­" James mumbled. Chapter 317 - 317: Torn Between Two Men The Pool Party continued at the Centennial Resort. Everyone stayed over until evening. Staying true to his words, Erick stuck to Elle''s side like a tattoo. He ignored other women who were trying to catch his attention. On the other hand, some guests already took their leave and said goodbye to the celebrant. Members of the Joint Task Force and some relatives remained in the venue. The venue was reserved until 10:00 pm. After soaking in the pool for a whole day, now everyone continued the birthday celebration by singing along with Karaoke. While everyone was having a good time, Allen was preparing for his confession. There was also a certain guy who was still waiting for the right timing to meet Marie. Members of the Joint Task Force never left Marie''s side for the whole day that''s why Black Shadow couldn''t show up in front of her. Now, he was waiting for this party to end. He felt bored already. He just spent his time playing mobile games on his phone to lessen his boredom. Black Shadow averted his gaze to the people who were singing and dancing with the music. ''[email protected]! These guys¡­ Are they partying until midnight?!'' Everyone was having dinner when Elle''s phone vibrated. It was an overseas call. Elle frowned when she saw the caller I.D. For some unknown reasons, she became anxious, hesitating whether she should answer the call or not. Erick also noticed that Elle''s phone was vibrating. "Hey, I think someone is calling you," Erick told her, nudging her shoulder. { Supremo } That''s the caller I.D. appearing on her phone screen. Elle nodded at him with an awkward smile before she stood up and excused herself to answer the phone. After several minutes, Elle returned with an indescribable expression on her face. "Hey what''s wrong?" Erick asked her, sensing the changes in her mood. Elle smiled at him faintly, shaking her head. "Nothing serious. By the way, Erick¡­ something came up. I am afraid I have to leave first. Thank you for today. I really had fun." "Are you leaving already?" The disappointment was written all over his face. "Yes." "Alright¡­ I will drive you home." Erick stood up and was about to inform his team when Elle stopped him. "No need! Just stay with them. I have to go somewhere. It''s work-related. Sandy and I are working on an important project." Erick was reluctant to let her leave alone but Elle insisted on letting him stay and be with his team. "Don''t worry, Chief Lee¡­ we will see each other this Saturday. Did you forget?" Elle paused and leaned on him, whispering. "Our date!" Elle winked at him after saying that. And with that, Elle was able to persuade Erick to stay. "Alright, see you on Saturday. Take care. Call me once you reach your apartment, alright? Let me know if you arrive safely." Erick said, reminding her like she was a child. "Yes, Chief!" After saying her goodbye to Erick''s colleagues and the celebrant, Elle left the Centennial Resort in a rush. *************** After dinner, the group went back to jamming and singing. Everyone was very occupied when Marie received a secret note, written in a piece of paper. [ Go to the Centennial Resort Garden¡­ I will be waiting for you. ] That was the message written on the note but the sender forgot to put his name that''s why Marie had no idea who had sent it. Out of curiosity, she followed the instructions and Marie secretly proceeded to the Centennial Garden, just a few meters away from the pool area. It was already dark but when she reached the garden, she saw several candles lining up on the ground, forming a pathway going to the center of the garden. ''Wow¡­ beautiful!'' The faint lights coming from the candles matched with the different flowers around gave off a romantic vibe. She continued to follow the path until she reached the center of the garden. In the middle of the garden, there were also several lighted candles that formed a big heart shape. And at the center, she saw a man holding a bouquet of roses, smiling and staring at her intently. "A-Allen?" Marie mumbled in confusion. "What are you doing here? You were the one who sent me the note?" She asked him. Allen just nodded with a gentle smile on his face. Marie was bewildered. She was frozen in her spot. Deep down inside, her heart started to beat rapidly. She had a nagging feeling about this. She could not understand but she was really nervous as of this moment. Little did she know, just like her Allen was very nervous right now. Then she saw Allen scratching his face, feeling a little bit shy. "Ahem¡­ this is also part of my birthday surprise for you." Allen said to her sincerely. Allen approached Marie, pulling her gently towards the center. "This is for you." Allen handed the bouquet of red roses over to Marie. "Thank you." She accepted it with a smile. After that, there was a moment of silence. Both of them felt the awkward atmosphere surrounding them. After a while, they met each other''s gaze and ended up bursting into a peal of laughter. "Argh¡­ this is so awkward!" Allen mumbled. Marie let out a soft giggle and said "I know right." "Anyway, a birthday party without a gift is not complete," Allen stated, picking up something at the back pocket of his jeans. It was a jewelry box. He stretched his arm as he opened the box while showing it to Marie. A silver necklace with a half crescent moon pendant came into her view. Marie gasped in surprise. "Wow, it''s beautiful and it looks expensive¡­ I didn''t know if I should accept it or not. What if you will try to use this to blackmail me once we get into a fight?" Marie said jokingly to lighten the mood. Allen chuckled. "Dummy. I won''t do that. I am giving this to you as your birthday gift!" "Alright. I am just kidding. You don''t have to call me, Dummy!" They burst out laughing once again. Then Allen suddenly stopped laughing as he became serious. He mustered all his courage to do this. "Marie¡­ I have something to tell. Will you hear me out?" Badum! Badum! "S-Sure¡­ tell me." Allen looked straight at her eyes. His gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds before he spoke up. "Marie¡­ I don''t know how do you feel about me. But I have to tell you this before I end up regretting it." "The truth is¡­ I like you Marie, not just a friend¡­ but more than that. No¡­ that''s not the right words¡­" Allen was having a hard time putting his feelings into words. He was really nervous. ''[email protected] Allen! Don''t mess this up! Be a man!'' Allen took a deep breath before he continued. "Marie, I love you! I think I''ve loved you since we started working together in the special task force. I kept this for a long time now." Marie had no words right now. She was shocked by this sudden confession coming from her colleague who was also her good friend. "I was planning to confess my feelings for you after solving our last case but that unfortunate incident happened." "You lost your memory. So¡­ my confession got postponed." Allen said to her then letting out a soft chuckle. "So now, I decided to confess¡­ I hope you will give me a chance¡­ don''t worry. You don''t have to answer me right away. I will not force you to love me¡­ but please¡­ give me a chance to show you how much I care about you¡­ how much I love you." Marie was tongue-tied. She had mixed emotions right now. She was confused. Just a few days ago, she met with a certain guy named Brandon Stone who claimed to be her man. He asked her to start all over again. And now, Allen who was her former colleague and her good friend at the same time just confessed his feelings towards her. She didn''t know what to feel nor what to think right now. She felt like she was torn between the two men. She had not given Brandon Stone her answer yet and now Allen was also asking her to give him a chance. ''What should I do now?'' ********** Unknown to them, what was happening in that garden right now was being witnessed by Black Shadow. He heard everything. When Marie left the venue going to the garden, Black Shadow was following her behind. He thought it was a perfect opportunity to meet her since she was alone. But he didn''t expect that a certain someone was already waiting for Marie in the garden. Black Shadow even wanted to commend Allen for the effort he put into for this surprise. He had to admit that Allen was so thoughtful and romantic, preparing everything like that. He felt insecure about himself. He had not thought of doing things like these for Marie. What made Black Shadow feel more defeated was Allen told Marie that he loved her in which Black Shadow couldn''t tell her that since he didn''t believe in those words anymore. Without waiting for Marie''s response, Black Shadow started to walk away with a heavy heart. He couldn''t describe what he was feeling right now. Is he mad? Angry? But with whom? To the guy who had just confessed to Marie or to his own self? "Black Shadow¡­ you are really a pathetic loser." He mumbled to himself, smiling bitterly. Chapter 318 - 318: White Room Marie''s Birthday Celebration ended at exactly 10:00 o''clock in the evening. Everyone bade each other goodbye. They had all the fun today and they were glad to have this mini-reunion. When everyone went separate ways, Bryan, April, June, Rose and Carl, the five of them immediately approached Allen. They were the ones who helped him with the preparation. They were aware that Allen and Marie had talked in the garden just a while ago. They were eager to know the result of his confession. "Hey, how is it?" June asked him, putting a hand around Allen''s shoulder. Everyone was all eyes on him anticipating a piece of good news from him. Allen looked down as he felt a little bit embarrassed. He could only scratch his face. But the five people never left him alone until they got the answer that they wanted to hear. After a while, Allen faced them with a wide smile on his face. "I did it! I tell her everything I feel about her!" Allen said to them proudly. "So what did she say?" It was Rose who asked him. "She''s shocked." Allen simply stated. "Huh? Is that it?" April urged him to say something more. "Dude! Come on¡­.spill out the beans. We are dying to know." Carl said feeling a little bit impatient. Allen chuckled. "Actually... she said she needed more time to think it through. She hadn''t given me an answer yet." Everyone sighed in frustration. "Hey, why are you all giving me a face like that? Hahaha I am the one who confessed but why is it, the five of you seem the ones who are greatly affected? Besides, no need to feel sad about this. She didn''t turn me down." Allen said to them, looking to the positive sides. "I was very happy that I was able to tell her my feelings. That''s good enough for me," he added. "That''s true! It will take time but she''s worth the wait!" Bryan said meaningfully, glancing at April. A blush subconsciously overtaken April''s face. That gesture didn''t escape the observant eyes of their colleagues. So the engaged couple received a good teasing from them. Meanwhile, Marie together with her parents were driving back home. Her birthday was almost over yet Marie was still waiting for a certain someone to greet her. She hadn''t hear anything from him since this morning. ''Did he forget about my birthday?'' Marie pondered to herself. She got lost in her thoughts whenever she recalled the day Black Shadow appeared in front of her at her flower shop. She subconsciously touched her lower lip as the memory of that intense kiss they shared together just a few days ago had crossed her mind. Before she could realize it, the car already stopped in their front gate. They finally reached their home. Just when they were about to enter the gate, Marie saw someone just a few meters away from their gate. He was standing beside his motorcycle. "Dad wait! stop the car¡­ I am getting out." Her Dad did as she had requested. "Where are you going?" Her mom asked her in confusion. "I will just talk to my friend. He''s here. He was not able to attend the party." Marie said as she pointed her forefinger to the man''s direction. Her Mom just nodded at her. Marie stepped out of the car immediately and walked towards Black Shadow. "Hey¡­ I thought you wouldn''t show up today. I am glad you still make it. There''s still one hour and half before my birthday ends today." Marie said to him cheerfully. Black Shadow let out a soft chuckle. "Better late than never." Marie also giggled hearing his remarks. Then she stretched her right hand in front of him. Black Shadow stared at her empty palm with confusion. "Where''s my gift? You are here to greet me right?" Marie shamelessly said to him, giving him a playful smile. Black Shadow let out another chuckle before putting his hand over her palm. "Gift?" Black Shadow asked her Marie bobbed her head as a response. "Here is your gift¡­" Black Shadow mumbled before pulling her against his body and wrapped her into a warm embrace. Marie was stunned for a moment. Her heart was acting abnormal again, beating loudly and rapidly inside her chest. She had not yet recovered from the dazed when Black Shadow lowered his head, planting a kiss on her forehead. "This is my gift. Do you like it?" She heard him whisper in her ear. ''Sh!t. I think I''m gonna suffer from a heart attack because of this guy. So shameless!'' Marie thought to herself, a blush creeping over her cheeks. "Happy Birthday!" Black Shadow mumbled once again. He pulled her closer, hugging her tightly. Marie hugged him back and said, "Thank you." ''I really like it¡­ your gift.'' Marie added in her thoughts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On that same night, while the members of the joint task force were having some fun there was someone who was suffering in agony. In a certain white room, there was a middle- aged guy being restrained by metal cuffs, in the center, both his feet and arms stretched out forming an X pattern in a standing position. He was not alone in that room. There was someone with him who was wearing all black. That person''s face was covered by Black Mask. The figure in black was holding a dagger tainted by blood. The middle-aged man started begging once again with his hoarse and tired voice. "Please¡­ let me go. I-I already told you everything I know about what happened before¡­" "I am telling the truth¡­ I don''t know who gave us the order to attack the Falcon Family¡­ we were just following our leader¡­ Alfonso." The man started to cry, begging the man in black non-stop. "Please¡­ don''t kill me¡­ you already tortured me for three days now¡­ It hurts¡­ It''s really painful¡­" Then a sinister laugh echoed inside the room. "Beg as much as you want. But you will never leave this place alive¡­ I am not done yet with you." "Do you want to know¡­ what I am thinking right now?" "NO...NO¡­ PLEASE STOP! DON''T KILL ME! I am begging you. Who are you? Why are you doing this to me? What is your connection with the Falcon family?" Roland Bienvenido screamed hysterically while begging desperately. Another sinister laughter reverberated in the entire room. That sounds intensified the fear that Roland Bienvenido was feeling as of this moment. He felt like he was facing a living devil. This person had no mercy¡­ ruthless and vicious. "Tsk tsk tsk¡­ Dear Roland¡­ I came here to collect your debts." "Oh by the way¡­ I really loved to hear you screaming like that. It makes me more excited. Oh¡­ and my bloodthirst¡­ you are the only one who could satisfy that." "No! No! Please spare my life." "Just endure this¡­ a little bit more dear. You should be glad¡­ you are my first victim as I announce to the world that Catseye is back!" "W-What do you mean??? C-Catseye? Y-You are Catseye¡­ but Catseye was already dead¡­ how could you be Catseye?" Roland stuttered because of intense fear and nervousness. The figure in black merely smiled but didn''t respond. The man approached Roland in an instant, thrusting the dagger in his stomach. "Arghhh!" Roland squealed in pain as he felt the dagger being plunged inside his body. "Catseye is alive! Time to make the world know that Catseye has returned! Hahahaha!" Roland Bienvenido''s cries and screams echoed in the entire white room¡­ it lasted for several hours until finally, his voice was no longer heard. He died¡­ with a very tragic death in that white room. Chapter 319 - 319: Catseye Is Back! As early in the morning, Erick received a call from Police Officer Kim, requesting members of XXX Crime Investigation Bureau to head over a crime scene area. He didn''t give Erick the full detail but it sounded very urgent. Erick also called Bryan, instructing him to go with him as well. Erick suddenly remembered Elle''s request. Since he also wanted to see her Erick informed her about this big scope. Erick: "Good morning! Elle: "Good morning too, Chief Lee!" Erick: "I told you just call me Erick. By the way, where are you?" Elle: "Hmmm¡­ still at my place. Why?" Erick: "I have a scope for your team to cover. It''s some kind of murder case. You might see some unpleasant and unsightly scenes. Do you still want to come? I am on my way to the location now. Elle: "Yes, of course! This is also part of our job as reporters. Hearing her persistence and determination, Erick gave her the location. Erick smiled the moment he received her reply, telling him that Elle together with her team was now also on the way going to the place. Both of them were unaware of what was waiting for them in the crime scene that would truly shake them once they saw it. Among them, Bryan was the first one who arrived since the address was nearer to his house compared to Erick and Elle. Several police officers were also there headed by Police Officer Kim. They were already taking pictures of the crime scene and gathering some useful evidence. The crime happened in a small concrete bungalow house at the District of Whales. There was a white room inside the house. It was not an old house rather it was a newly built house but no one was occupying it. There were no neighboring houses in the area so it was a perfect place to do a crime and to murder someone, without worrying about witnesses. When Bryan entered the room he was shocked beyond belief seeing the brutal scene in front of him. But that''s not the only reason why he was utterly astonished. "H-How could this happen?" That''s the only words he could utter at that moment. Officer Kim stood beside him, shaking his head. "I also have no idea. This is the main reason I requested Chief Lee''s presence here." Then they heard the sound of approaching cars outside. "I think that''s Chief Detective Lee." Officer Kim mumbled. Elle and Erick arrived at the same time. Sandy and Josh were also there. Erick guided them inside. He was the one who talked to the police officers to let the reporters in together with him. They were still in the entrance door of the white room but they could already smell the stinky metallic scent of blood. Erick stopped Elle for a moment, giving her handkerchief first to cover her nose. "Chief Lee!" "Erick!" Both Officer Kim and Bryan called him out but the moment they saw Elle beside Erick the two forgot what they were about to say to Erick. Officer Kim just stood there bewildered. He didn''t expect to see Elle. He was also aware of the story about Elle''s identity as Catseye and that she was already dead. On the other hand, Bryan was giving Elle a strange look as if he was assessing her thoroughly, hoping that he would be able to see some clue. But when he averted his gaze to Erick, Bryan''s expression was filled with worries and uncertainties. Meanwhile, Elle and Erick, both of them froze as their eyes saw a certain portion of the wall wherein a message was written in blood. [ CATSEYE IS BACK TO COLLECT SOME DEBTS! THE DEVIL IS COMING YOUR WAY! ] ''No! No! This is not my doing!'' Elle was screaming hysterically in her mind. Elle''s face instantly became pale. She staggered and almost fell but fortunately, Erick was there beside her, holding her the moment he noticed her trembling in shock. She was quite shaken. Complicated emotions flickered through Erick''s eyes as he darted his gaze back and forth between Elle and the bloody notes written on the wall. The entire room was engulfed with deafening silence. Then suddenly they heard a surprised gasp. It was Sandy. She entered the room together with Josh. They didn''t expect to see this. The white room became red as the blood of the victim splattered all over the place. The corpse was still there on his standing position where his feet and arms were restrained by cuffs. He was hung into the two metal posts at the center of the room. The smell of blood smothered their senses, suffocating their breaths. Sandy had the urge to throw up. "Oh my gosh! This is so brutal!" Sandy exclaimed. "Erick¡­" Bryan called him out worriedly. Erick''s eyes darkened when he recognized the victim''s face. The person was Roland Bienvenido, the new leader of Los Molasses Gang. He hired someone to follow him but three days ago he suddenly went missing. Over the two years, Erick did his best to stop the Los Molasses gang and their operations. He succeeded in weakening the power of the gang. He put a lot of members into prison. Only Roland Bienvenido remained at large. Then he went missing. It turned out that someone had kidnapped him and tortured him, Erick didn''t expect to see him again as a corpse. "The person who did this might be full of resentment. Like a psycho who stabbed him anywhere he could." Josh commented, breaking the silence. "No that''s not the case. The culprit stabbed him in places that cause the most severe pain. He stabbed and twisted the knife. He watched him die a very painful death." One member of the medical forensic team said to them. Officer Kim walked towards Erick. "Chief Lee¡­ I got an anonymous tip early this morning. I guess the culprit was the one who reported this incident. As you have seen in the wall, the person is claiming that he or she is Catseye. The culprit purposely did this to let everyone know that Catseye is back." Officer Kim shared his thoughts with them. Upon hearing that, Elle clenched her fists. Officer Kim continued. "This style of killing was also the same on how Catseye killed her victims before. But this Catseye became much more brutal compared to before. It''s quite alarming. This is the main reason I called you here. You were the one handling Catseye''s case before and everyone knows that she''s dead. I want to know your thoughts about this." "Do you think Catseye is alive? And now she''s back." Officer Kim asked Erick but his eyes were fixed on Elle. There was a moment of silence once again after Officer Kim spoke up. Bryan was also anticipating Erick''s answer. Before Erick could give them his answer, Elle suddenly collapsed. Thud! She fell on Erick''s arm. Erick: ''Elle!'' Sandy: "Ali!" Josh: "Miss Aliyah!" "Hey¡­ are you okay? What''s wrong? Did you bring your medicine? Where is it? Josh, pick Aliyah''s bag in the car, Go! Quickly!" Sandy said in her panicked voice. Panic already clouded Elle''s mind. She couldn''t hear Sandy nor anyone in her surroundings. Her breathing became more rapid, her heart racing faster. Fragmented memories of what she had done in the past came flashing into her mind. Her thoughts seemed to jump from one thing to another, recalling the bloody scene of every killing she did. ''Am I this ruthless¡­ so vicious¡­ so evil? What Erick would think about me now? I thought I would be able to have a fresh start. Catseye was dead in the eyes of everyone. I wanted to bury that in the past. Why suddenly this is happening now?'' Elle felt the tightening of her heart inside her chest. She couldn''t breathe. She felt like she was about to blackout. The room spun and all she could see was blood. ''Erick will hate me! He will hate me! No! I didn''t do this. Catseye didn''t do this!'' All her fears were pouring out uncontrollably, suffocating her. Meanwhile, Erick felt alarmed seeing Elle like this. He felt her fingers holding onto his shirt too tightly. "Hey, what''s happening to her?" Bryan asked worriedly. "I think it''s a panic attack." The member of the forensic team said. "Make her relax and calm down." The man suggested. "I am here¡­ please calm down. Breath¡­ slowly breath¡­" Erick was gently stroking her back. "Look at me¡­ I am right here. Don''t be afraid." Erick softly said, caressing her face. His face was painted with worries and concern. When Elle heard that familiar voice she felt a sense of comfort. She finally started to calm down and her breathing slowly came back to normal. "Erick¡­" Tears fell down her cheeks as she mumbled his name. Chapter 320 - 320: I Will Catch Him Myself! "How is she?" Bryan promptly asked Erick after returning inside the white room. Erick carried Elle, bringing her to their company service van. "She''s now fine. She finally calmed down, resting at the van for a while. She refused to go home." Erick said. Then Erick and Bryan took a peek outside where Sandy and Josh were preparing to shoot and do a live broadcast. Officer Kim approached them. He could no longer hold his curiosity. "Who''s the girl who looks like Elle?" Officer Kim asked them with intrigue. "She''s Aliyah Ross, a reporter from Morning Star Media Network." It was Bryan who answered Officer Kim''s inquiry. Officer Kim just nodded and didn''t ask them further. He had something more important to discuss with them. "We also found these items here. The culprit purposely left these." Officer Kim said, showing them the items inside a small transparent plastic bag. Bryan and Erick had the same expression. A deep frown appeared on their faces. They were very familiar with those two items- Catseye''s personalized dagger and death card. Even the culprit possessed items that were considered as Catseye''s trademark. "Sh?T! These belong to Catseye. There''s no way that this Catseye is fake." Bryan exclaimed. Erick picked up the plastic bag, assessing the objects. Positive¡­ these items looked authentic and not just counterfeit. Now, Erick had conflicting thoughts about this. Deep inside he knew that Elle didn''t do this but the evidence showed that the culprit was Catseye. The culprit told them that he or she did this because of revenge- collecting debts. This was related to Catseye or Elle''s revenge. The victim was Roland Bienvenido. Erick knew that he had something to do with Elle''s past. So this incident was clearly pointing Elle as the main culprit. However, everyone thought that Elle was dead. Catseye was dead. Why suddenly someone appeared, claiming that he or she was Catseye. But everything happened coincidentally when someone who looked like Elle came to them just a few days ago and now Catseye also appeared, proclaiming his or her comeback. Erick was thinking hard when Bryan''s voice suddenly pulled him out of his deep thoughts. "Erick¡­" Bryan signaled him to follow him and go somewhere. He wanted to talk to Erick privately. The two of them went outside, heading straight to the backyard of the house. When they were now both alone, Bryan confronted Erick. "Erick, are you really convinced that Elle is alive? That Aliyah is Elle? Because if Catseye is alive then the primary suspect for this murder case will be Aliyah Ross. She looks exactly the same as Elle." Bryan said to him seriously. Erick furrowed his brows. He didn''t like hearing Bryan putting the blame on Elle or Aliyah. "I don''t think so. Even if Elle is alive, she will not do this." Erick said with certainty in his voice. Bryan sighed helplessly. "Aliyah Ross¡­ she''s acting strange. And that sudden panic attacks a while ago¡­ How would you explain that?" Bryan stated, feeling suspicious about Aliyah. Erick stayed silent and didn''t reply. Even he, himself, had no idea why suddenly Elle experienced a panic attack moments ago. "And last night¡­ I saw her leave in a rash. Where did she go? Why she left the party so early?" Bryan questioned him. "Stop accusing Elle¡­ I mean Aliyah. She had a reason for leaving the party early. She had work to do together with her team, Sandy." Erick said, defending Elle. "Alright. I believe you. Sorry I didn''t mean to upset you. Don''t get mad. I am just thinking about the possibilities." Bryan said to Erick apologetically. "I know. I understand." Erick simply stated. "But Erick¡­. Can we ask Sandy to confirm if she was really with Aliyah last night?" Bryan suggested. Erick just nodded at him in agreement. After that, the two of them approached Sandy and Josh, who just finished shooting their live broadcast. "Chief Lee and Sergeant Velasquez, thank you for allowing us to cover this big news." Josh thanked them. Erick just nodded at him. "It''s alright. No need to thank us. We know you are also doing your job." Bryan responded to Josh. On the other hand, Sandy spoke to Erick. "Chief Lee, thank you for what you did for Aliyah a while ago. I am really grateful to you." Sandy softly said. Sincerity could be heard in her voice. She cared about Aliyah so she didn''t want to see her like that. "No need to mention it," Erick said. ''Don''t thank me. It''s my responsibility to protect her¡­ I don''t want to see her hurting. I''ll do anything for her.'' Erick thought to himself. "Miss Sandy, if you don''t mind can I ask you something?" Bryan butted in. "Sure, Sergeant Velasquez." "Just wanna ask, were you working last night with Aliyah?" he asked her curiously. Sandy paused for a moment, confusion surfacing in her eyes. She had no idea why Bryan was asking her that with so much seriousness. But in the end, she still gave him an honest answer. "Aliyah took a leave of absence yesterday because she told me that she would attend someone''s birthday party. So we didn''t see each other yesterday. We didn''t work last night as well." Bryan and Erick were rendered speechless. They had one thought in mind. Elle lied to Erick last night! This raised another suspicion to Bryan¡­.as well as to Erick. *************** Meanwhile, the girl whom they were talking about was also racking her brain so hard, trying to figure out how the hell this incident happened. Who is the true culprit? Why is it the culprit is using her alias? What''s the purpose of letting everyone know that Catseye is alive? How did the culprit know about Catseye''s revenge? The culprit even murdered one of the people in Elle''s list whom she was supposed to collect debts for attacking her family. Elle was leaning her head at the backseat with her eyes closed. She was massaging her temples. What happened a while ago was unexpected. She was not able to suppress her negative emotions. She was utterly shocked and she lost control over her mind. She panicked as she was not prepared about this. She felt like everything she had planned before coming back here was ruined in an instant because of this incident. Catseye should be dead. It should remain that way. Why the hell someone tried to bring Catseye back from the dead? ''Who did this? Master Phantom? No¡­ I knew him. He wouldn''t do this. Yes, he can be as brutal as this but he wouldn''t use my name¡­ he would not use Catseye''s name especially now that he thought I was already dead.'' ''Could the person be Charles? No¡­ that''s also impossible. He is the kind of guy who will faint from just a mere sight of blood. Though he is a man, Charles has a weak heart and can''t be as ruthless as this.'' ''Argh! I think my head is gonna burst just thinking about it.'' Elle tugged her hair in frustration. Then a certain man crossed her mind- Supremo! ''I need to talk to him. Maybe he knows something about this!'' "[email protected]! I swear I will catch him! Whoever did this I will catch him myself!" Elle had sworn to herself. Chapter 321 - 321: Supremos Order The news regarding Catseye''s comeback spread fast across the country like a raging wildfire in a forest just a few minutes after Morning Star Media Network released the live broadcast done by Sandy at the crime scene. It also became the number one trending topic on the internet. Who would have thought the Catseye who died at South Carolina''s coast two years ago would suddenly appear, killing another victim in a very brutal and merciless way. The country, as well as the underground world, was shaken once again. It caught a lot of attention and garnered different reactions from everyone. Some people were shocked and frightened. There were some who couldn''t believe it. How could a person who died just rise up again from the dead? Was Catseye a true devil? Did Catseye really possess nine lives like a cat? How could this be possible? Is someone just imitating Catseye? But the real cause of their panic, uneasiness, and fear was the message left by Catseye. [ CATSEYE IS BACK TO COLLECT SOME DEBTS! THE DEVIL IS COMING YOUR WAY! ] What debt was she referring to? Revenge for what? For killing her two years ago? The devil is coming your way! Who was Catseye talking about here? Who would be Casteye''s next target? Her enemies? Dark Knight Organization? Assassin Guild? Azumi Twins? No one knew the exact answer. This piece of news brought unrest to the members of the Assassin Guild. Everyone was aware that the Azumi Twins were involved in the incident at South Carolina''s coast two years ago. They were afraid that Catseye would try to infiltrate their headquarters once again and this time she would not hesitate to plant bombs, making them explode for real. Because of this thought, the members of the Assassin Guild decided not to stay around in their headquarters nor gather together in one place. This served as a precautionary measure to ensure their safety and avoid being trapped in a surprise attack. On the other hand, the higher-ups of the Dark Knight Organization were enraged upon hearing the news. They lost billions of money two years ago just for the sake of killing Catseye. And now, they heard the news of Catseye being alive and planning to get revenge. Who would be happy about this? They couldn''t afford to have another dangerous enemy right now since they were still undergoing a war against Skull Gang. The higher-ups of the Dark Knight summoned all the members who were involved during the last encounter with Catseye at South Carolina''s coast including the Azumi Twins. They needed an explanation from them to clarify this issue. They were the ones who attested that Catseye died two years ago. So what was the meaning of this? Someone appeared claiming that he or she was Catseye. They should solve this mystery as soon as possible before the Dark Lord would punish them for their incapability to handle one mere assassin. They could never forget how the Dark Lord became furious after knowing that they wasted a lot of resources just to target one assassin. Everyone suffered from his wrath after that. They got punished severely. They didn''t want that to happen again. Meanwhile, Kevin Azumi had also watched the news. The name Catseye whenever mentioned to him would bring unpleasant memories in the past. He couldn''t help boiling with fury. Catseye was the one who injured his right eye and because of that, he lost his sight. He was dying to get revenge but since Catseye already died two years ago he couldn''t do it. And now, he was glad that Catseye was back and alive. He had some score to settle with her. He wouldn''t waste this second chance. This time he would be the one to give her a painful death. "You should have stayed in hiding and lived quietly, Catseye. You''ve made another mistake. Are you declaring war with us once again?" Kevin mumbled through gritted teeth. His eyes were fixed on the television. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The news about Catseye''s comeback also reached someone who was a million miles away from City Z. In one of the Hospital''s VIP wards, a man in his black suit was talking to Dr. Argus when his assistant approached them, holding a tablet in his arms. "Supremo... Apology for disrupting your discussion, but you have to see this." His assistant told him with urgency in his voice. Supremo accepted the tablet from his assistant. His eyes darkened and his brows were drawn together in a deep frown after reading the news article about Catseye flashed on the tablet''s screen. Dr. Argus also took a peek on the tablet, satisfying his curiosity. Supremo''s assistant looked very restless and nervous the moment he felt the chilly aura emanating from his boss. "I-I think¡­ the Queen is in trouble right now. Someone is using her alias." His assistant could no longer hold his tongue. He tended to speak too much whenever he was anxious. Supremo just shot him a cold stare saying ''You don''t need to tell me the things that I already know.'' Suddenly, Dr. Argus burst out laughing. "You are really protective of your queen. Why don''t you follow her there? Why are you still here, lurking around in this hospital?" He said, giving Supremo a teasing look. "She gave me the responsibility to save that man. I wouldn''t stay here if you are doing your job well." Supremo spat back at Dr. Argus. "When will you finish creating the antidotes? We still need that to ensure that her life won''t be in danger anymore," he added. Supremo''s assistant suppressed the urge to laugh. Dr. Argus was tongue-tied just like that. He had no way to refute Supremo''s statement. They failed to produce the antidotes over and over again. Just yesterday, they injected the newly created antidote to their VIP patient. However, the result was negative. The patient went to shock. Fortunately, they were able to stabilize his condition after. Supremo called Elle immediately to inform her. That''s the reason why Elle suddenly left the party in a hurry. She went home and did a video call with him. Supremo didn''t waste his time as he left the hospital immediately together with his assistant, heading back to their headquarters. After reaching his office, he picked up a small box inside his drawer. He handed it over to his assistant. "Send this to Sherlock. He knows what to do with it. Give all background information about Aliyah Ross to those people who are trying to investigate her identity." Supremo commanded his assistant. "Understood, Supremo." The assistant accepted the small box. He knew that Supremo''s order would always for the sake of their Queen. "Do you need anything more, Supremo?" he added. Supremo fell silent for a moment. He quietly sat down, leaning his back on his chair. He just closed his eyes. He did that to conceal the complicated emotions reflecting in his eyes. His assistant thought it was his cue of dismissing him. So he turned to leave. But the moment he reached the door he heard Supremo''s voice. "Call Ashton. Tell him to see me today for my final instruction. I already informed him that I would leave everything here in his care for the meantime. I will go to City Z. Stay here with Ashton. Assist him." His assistant was taken back after hearing that. He really listened to Dr. Argus''s suggestion. He would follow their Queen. "Noted, Supremo!" Chapter 323 - 323: Im the One who Killed Her *** At Dark Knight''s Headquarters *** Branch Leaders and several higher-ups were all gathered in a conference room. In front of them, there were members who were lining up. They were the ones who were involved in the operation at South Carolina''s coast two years ago. "Did anyone contact the Assassin Guild? Where are the Azumi Twins?" one of the Branch Leaders spoke up, looking for the Azumi Twins. "Yes, we did. They said the Azumi Twins couldn''t come today. They were very occupied. They had a very complicated mission." Someone answered the query. "Did they hear the news about Catseye''s comeback?" He asked again. "Yes, they did. The Azumi Twins sent us a message." "What is it?" It was Alfonso Ramirez who spoke up."They said even if they come here they can''t answer our question." "Are they kidding us? They were the one who we hired before to kill Catseye. Are they washing their hands now, since Catseye is alive?" Alfonso was enraged. "No. It''s not like that. They said they were not the ones who killed Catseye. It''s one of our own people." "What??!" Everyone had different reactions after hearing that. The noise of arguments inside the meeting room intensified. Then one branch leader turned to the members in front of them. "Who among you killed Catseye? Did you see her die?" The members exchanged glances with one another. But no one among them stepped up to claim that he or she had killed Catseye. Bang! "F*ck! So Catseye is really alive!" Alfonso hit the table because of his anger. But suddenly the door of the meeting room was opened. They averted their gaze at the newcomer. They didn''t expect him to come. "Snake?!" "What is he doing here?" Then the man who entered greeted them with a smirk. "Hello everyone! It looks like you are having a lot of tension here. Do we have problems?" "What are you doing here, Snake?" Alfonso asked him, lifting an eyebrow. "I am here to give you peace of mind." The man whom they called Snake let out a mocking laugh. They shot him a cold stare. This person was acting so rude in front of them. He was confident since he had great backing. He was one of the few trusted men of the Dark Lord. "Snake! We have no time to entertain and play along with your game. We are here discussing a very serious matter!" One higher-up could no longer hold his irritation with this guy. Instead of getting mad, Snake burst out into another laughter. "Game? Hahaha. I am not playing. Just like I said, I am here to give you peace of mind so listen to me very carefully." Snake stated with a taunting smile on his lips. "Catseye is dead. The one who appeared is most likely an impostor." Snake said to them with certainty. "How sure are you, Snake?" They asked him. "Because I was the one who killed Catseye." Snake said matter-of-factly. There was a moment of silence after that. No one expected that Snake was also there at M.V Athena. The other members gasped as if they realized something. Positive, they saw Snake that day ."I shot Catseye using one of our bio-weapons. So there''s no way that she would survive unless she had an antidote in which I was very sure she didn''t have. Only our facility could produce the antidote, am I right Mr. Alfonso?" A sly smile appeared on Snake''s face. Alfonso''s eyes widened both in disbelief and furry. "You¡­ y-you were the one who stole one of the bio-weapons!!!"Alfonso looked daggers at Snake with his bloodshot eyes. Snake chuckled once again. "I didn''t steal it. I had permission from the Dark Lord. He had no confidence in you Alfonso that''s why the Dark Lord personally asked me to handle the things and make sure to kill Catseye that day." "Do you think he would forgive you if one of our bio-weapons was stolen? See¡­ he didn''t punish you two years ago since he knew about it." Snake said with a mocking smile, provoking Alfonso. One of the higher-ups spoke up to ease the tension between Alfonso and Snake. "That''s good news then. We had nothing to worry about. Catseye was dead. Someone was just using her alias." "That''s true!" Others agreed with his statement. Now, they somehow felt relieved by knowing this information. "Okay! Since I already gave you the answer that you want, I have no reason to stay here longer. Baboosh gentlemen! Have a nice day!" After saying that, Snake left and vanished from their sights. ''[email protected] you Snake! You were born to be a traitor! I will not forget the embarrassment you caused me today! Time will come, the Dark Lord will acknowledge me more than you. Just you wait!'' Alfonso mumbled to himself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Elle''s Apartment *** It was already nighttime when Elle woke up. She smelled a sweet and delicious aroma coming from the direction of her kitchen. Then someone crossed her mind- Erick! She immediately got off the bed and traced her steps towards the kitchen. When she arrived there, she saw a man with an apron standing near the gas stove. Erick was cooking. Elle looked at him with disbelief. He really stayed and never left. He even cooked for her. ''[email protected]! I am really the luckiest girl in the world to have a man who can cook for me. He is so thoughtful and sweet. Argh! He also looks s.e.xy with an apron.'' Elle was not only drooling because of the delicious smell of food but because of the most handsome and s.e.xy Chef in front of her. As if Erick had sensed someone was looking at him, he turned around only to see Elle standing near the dining table who was intently staring at him. "You are now awake. Are you hungry?" Erick asked her, flashing his most charming smile. "Yes, I am!" Elle promptly said. ''I want to eat you¡­ to devour you.'' Elle added to her thoughts. But she didn''t dare to voice it out. "Alright¡­ I''ll be done with this soon. Wait, dear. Chapter 324 - 324: Who Is Supremo? Erick had set the table already. The foods were prepared. So he went to Elle''s room to inform her that dinner was ready. When he entered her room, he heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. Elle was taking a shower. Erick stayed rooted on his spot but his gaze was fixed to the closed door of Elle''s bathroom. He was having conflicting thoughts right now. Before he could realize it his feet already moved on their own, approaching the bathroom. He raised his hand, touching the doorknob. To his surprise, it was not locked. But Erick remained still, contemplating what to do. ''Should I go in or not?'' There was a gleam of hesitation in his eyes. He knew this was inappropriate, barging into her bathroom while she was taking a shower. But, he wanted to confirm something- Elle''s scar. He could see it right now and Elle had no choice but to admit the truth. After a moment of thinking, Erick finally made up his mind. He released the doorknob from his grasp as he shook his head, pushing the thoughts of entering the bathroom without Elle''s consent at the back of his mind. ''No¡­ this is not the right thing to do. Erick, you are not a pervert! What are you thinking?'' Erick cursed himself inwardly. He was about to leave when the loud sound of Elle''s ringtone reverberated in the entire room. Erick saw her phone on her bedside table. He walked over to see who''s calling her. { Supremo } It was the same caller I.D he saw when someone called her last night during Marie''s birthday party. Erick knitted his brows together as his interest was piqued by this caller. "Who is Supremo?" Erick mumbled in a low voice. Erick bent down to pick her phone up. He was planning to answer the phone on Elle''s behalf. He was curious about this caller. And his caller I.D was so intriguing. It''s not the name of a person but more likely an alias. Erick was about to press the answer button when Elle came out of her bathroom. "Erick?" She called him out. Erick turned to face her. Elle was wearing her bathrobe. There were small water droplets still dripping from her wet hair. Her cheeks were also red because of that warm bath. Her appearance was quite tempting in his eyes. He forgot about the call since all he could think of at that moment was Elle and her breathtakingly beautiful and seductive wet look. After a few seconds, the phone''s ringtone echoed once again inside the room. The sound snapped Erick out of the dazed. When he looked at her phone, it was still Supremo who was calling her. Elle noticed her phone at Erick''s hand. She started to walk towards him to get her phone. Her sweet fresh scent hung in the room, and it swirled around Erick''s senses, intoxicating him. ''[email protected], I should get out before I lose my mind and do something to her.'' Erick thought to himself. He handed the phone over to her and said. "Supremo is calling you." Elle''s eyes widened after hearing that, her heart raced. She felt nervous. Erick almost answered the phone. "H-He''s my father." Elle promptly said to him. She stuttered a little bit. Erick just nodded. "The dinner is ready. Come to the dining room after you talk to him." Erick said before leaving the room. Erick still managed to hear Elle when she answered the call. "Hey, Dad!" Bam! Erick closed the door behind him. His heart was still beating rapidly on his chest. He almost lost control a while ago. He had the urge to push her down her bed and kiss her passionately. ''F*ck. I want her¡­ I want to possess her. I miss touching her¡­'' Erick heaved a deep sigh, trying to calm himself down. Then he proceeded to the dining room in a rash. He needed to get away from her as soon as possible or else his beast would be out of control and would succ.u.mb to his inner desire. Meanwhile, Elle was currently talking with Supremo inside her room. She made sure to lock the door, then she moved far away from it, afraid that Erick might hear their conversation. "Dad?? Why are you calling me that?" Elle heard the confusion in Supremo''s voice from the other line. Elle bit her lower lip. She did that because Erick was there. She told him that Supremo was her Dad. Elle let out a forced laugh. "Because you are acting like one." Supremo fell silent after that. "Hey, don''t be upset. I am just kidding." Elle said when he didn''t respond to her. "What happened? I saw the news. Why you didn''t call me right away?" Supremo didn''t hide his unhappiness from her. "I was about to call you but, when I came home, I fell asleep right away. I felt exhausted." "Are you okay? How do you feel? Are you sick? Should I call Dr. Argus to check on you? Why don''t you go to the hospital now?" A deep concern could be heard from his voice. Elle let out a soft chuckle once again. "I am just fine. I feel better now after I got some sleep. By the way, I just want to ask you. Do you have something to do with this incident?" Elle brought up the topic of Catseye as she confronted him. "No¡­ I didn''t do it. Are you suspecting me of trying to mess up your plan?" Supremo asked her with disbelief. "Hey, don''t be so worked up. I am just asking. Are you having a mood swing once again?" Elle heard Supremo sigh. "I am worried about you¡­ Elle. That''s why I am acting like this." He was sincere. Elle was rendered speechless. She was aware of his feelings towards her. She somehow felt the guilt deep down her heart. ''I''m sorry.'' Elle thought to herself. After her long silence, Elle spoke up once again. "Don''t worry. I can handle myself. I am not a kid. You are acting like a father once again. I will call you if ever I will be in trouble. Trust me, okay?" Elle tried her best to sound cheerful, reassuring the man on the other line. "Okay¡­ I understand. Just take care of yourself, please." "Yes¡­ I will!" Chapter 325 - 325: Let Me Cover This Case *** At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** After yesterday''s incident, the Unit Head of Crime Investigation Bureau summoned Erick at his office. When Erick entered, he saw Major General Jason inside, talking to their Unit Head. He gave them a salute before greeting them. The Unit Head signaled him to sit down. "I know you are already aware of why I call you here." The Unit Head stated, looking at Erick. "Yes sir. I think this is with regards to yesterday''s incident, the reappearance of Catseye." Erick politely responded. The Unit Head nodded to confirm it. "I also requested the presence of Major General Jason because he was the former Team Captain of Special Task Force Eagle that was handling Catseye''s case." He explained to them. "Thank you for coming General Jason," he added. "No need to mention it, Unit Chief," Gen. Jason smiled at him. "Okay¡­ I will be direct with the two of you. I want to hear your opinion about this Catseye''s comeback. Do you think we made a mistake for thinking that she died two years ago?" Erick and Jason exchanged meaningful glances with each other, giving each other the chance to speak first. Erick had a bad feeling about this. Jason saw Elle during Marie''s party, what if he would implicate Aliyah''s name in this case? "I don''t think the culprit at Bienvenido''s Murder Case is the same Catseye whom we were chasing before," Erick said with certainty in his voice. "So Chief Lee¡­ you are saying that a different person is using Catseye''s alias for committing a crime? How about you General? What do you think?" The Unit Head asked them once again. "I agree with Chief Lee. I think this Catseye is a different person." Jason simply stated. The Unit Head rubbed his chin, thinking about something. After a while, he spoke up once again. "Alright. Since the two of you have the same opinion regarding this matter, I think we don''t need to reopen and investigate Catseye''s case that we closed two years ago. Instead, we will conduct a new investigation for this case. Are you willing to be assigned in this case once again, Chief Lee?" The Unit Chief was aware of some portions of the story between Erick and Catseye. In the report they submitted two years ago, it stated that Erick saved Catseye''s life without knowing her identity. Then she stayed with Erick for her protection while hiding her identity. It was also written in the report that Catseye felt indebted to Erick that''s why she came to help them in rescuing his parents after being kidnapped by the Azumi Twins. The Unit Head was thinking that because of that Chief Lee had suffered some emotional trauma after being deceived by Catseye. That''s the reason why he was asking him right now if he still wanted to work with this new case. Meanwhile, Erick was thinking of clearing Elle''s name. He knew that Elle didn''t do that brutal killing. "Yes, sir. I want to take this case. I will catch the culprit who is trying to use Catseye''s name while committing a brutal crime." Erick said with so much conviction in his voice. The Unit Head was glad to hear that. He thought that Erick''s team would be the right team to be assigned in this case. "Good! It''s already decided. You and your team will investigate this case too. Now you are handling two cases¡­ Senator Mondragon''s death threats and this one." "Noted sir." "Oh by the way¡­ I heard that there was a reporter who looks like Catseye." The Unit Head suddenly mentioned Aliyah. Erick was taken aback upon hearing that. He thought Aliyah would not be implicated anymore, but he was mistaken. "Please do a background check on her just to make sure that she is not Catseye." Erick didn''t know what to feel about this but he had no choice but to do it. "I understand, sir." He said in a low voice. Jason just patted Erick''s shoulder. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Morning Star Media Network Office *** Meanwhile, Elle''s team was also talking to their line manager. He was commending the team for the big scope they covered yesterday. "Congratulations! Our live broadcast yesterday was a big hit. We were the first network that got exclusive coverage, reporting the epic comeback of the infamous Assassin." Everyone was happy to hear that except Elle. Still, she was able to conceal her negative emotions. "This happened because Miss Aliyah got a good connection to someone from XXX Crime Investigation Bureau!" Josh proudly said. Their line manager let out a soft chuckle. "Good job, Aliyah! This is expected from our famous international reporter coming from abroad! We are lucky to have both Sandy and you in this company." He was praising them. That''s right. Sandy and Aliyah were both reporters from abroad. Since Aliyah came back to city Z, their media company abroad referred them to Morning Star Media Network. They got the job here immediately. Of course, Aliyah Ross was created to be Elle''s new identity. They made a lot of preparations before coming back to city Z. Everything was possible with the help of Supremo. Even if Erick''s team would investigate her background, they would not know that she''s Elle. Everything was arranged beforehand. Aliyah Ross had a job and a successful career abroad. She also had friends and family which Catseye didn''t have. Of course, Aliyah''s parents were people of Supremo. Birth Certificate, Diploma, and other necessary doc.u.ments for proof of her identity- She had all that. That''s how Supremo supported her, helping her bury her past identity as Elle and as Catseye. But someone was messing up their plan. Catseye suddenly appeared and Elle was so determined to catch the impostor. "Sir, I have a request!" Elle directly said to their line manager. "Tell me¡­" Josh and Sandy looked at her silently. ''Here we go again with Aliyah''s new request. What is she thinking once again?'' "Let me cover this Catseye''s case. I will follow this story and coordinate with the assigned investigators. I want to uncover the truth behind Catseye''s identity. This will be another big scope for us." Sandy: "..." Josh: "..." ''She did it once again without consulting us. Are we really a team? This is dangerous, chasing after a vicious killer!'' Sandy thought to herself. "Hmm. I like the idea. You have my approval about this!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back to XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters After receiving the order from the Unit Head, Erick immediately gathered his team in his office, informing them about this new case. "We will work together with Officer Kim''s team regarding this new case," Erick said to them, referring to Catseye''s case. "Wow! We are back in chasing Catseye!" June blurted out. "Is Elle really alive?" Rose whispered to April. "I don''t know," April whispered back. Bryan just remained silent. "Conduct a thorough background investigation about Aliyah Ross," Erick said with complicated emotions in his eyes. Everyone was taken aback after hearing that. They were now thinking that if Catseye was alive then Aliyah might have been Elle. Then the four of them exchanged glances with one another. Just a few days ago, they had already agreed on doing an investigation of Aliyah Ross''s personal background behind Erick''s back. Now, they didn''t need to hide it from him whatever result they would be able to gather. "Noted, Chief!" They said in unison. Speaking of the devil! Just a few moments after they had mentioned Aliyah Ross, Elle appeared in their office together with Josh and Sandy. Everyone fell silent. Erick was also surprised to see her. "Hi, Miss Ali!" It was June who greeted her with a sheepish smile on his face. He somehow felt guilty since they were just talking about her, thinking that she might be the Catseye and the culprit in Bienvenido''s Murder Case. Elle smiled and nodded as a response greeting to him. They also greeted Sandy and Josh. Erick''s eyes softened when he looked at Elle. "Why are you here?" Erick asked her, skipping formalities. "Chief Lee¡­ I heard you will be working on Catseye''s case. Is that true?" Elle asked him instead of answering his question. "Y-Yes¡­" Erick felt anxious. He was worried about whether she would be upset about it or not. "I want to cooperate and work with your team. Will you allow us to cover this story about Catseye''s case?" Elle didn''t beat around the bush. Everyone had no words to say. They didn''t see this coming. Aliyah Ross who was suspected to be Elle came to their office saying she would cover this Catseye''s case! Chapter 326 - 326: The King of Gambling *** At Grand SunCity Casino *** After Jefferson Gong was killed two years ago and his illegal activities were revealed to the public, the Gong Casino immediately closed down by the government. However, City Z wouldn''t be complete without Casino. The hotel and casino industry was one of the famous attractions for wealthy men in noisy Cities. Another Casino was built so that people in the City would have a nice place to play and gamble as well as to attract big spenders. Among the different games in the casino, the game of poker was the most popular. With millions of cash prizes, progressive jackpots, and quick wins it''s one of the most lucrative casino card games to play, but this game required skill to master. And now, someone was rocking the Casino House tonight! The King of Gambling returned and he was back to town, playing poker in one of the card rooms. It had only been an hour since he started playing but he already got consecutive wins, winning a pot every game set. He always tipped the dealer whenever he won. His opponents were losing lots of money already. The dealer began the new round. The betting started once again. The King of Gambling was very relaxed on his seat, placing bets in front of him. By just looking at his face, they couldn''t tell what he was thinking. ''He is playing poker and he is also wearing a poker face.'' That''s what his opponents were thinking. His cards were in plain sight. He placed a chip on them while his opponents always kept their hands on their cards. The betting continued. When the round ended, he won another pot. Other players could no longer continue. They couldn''t believe that the person whom they called King of Gambling had this kind of great luck. They stood up and left the card room with a gloomy expression. They looked very pissed off but they couldn''t do anything about it. They had no evidence of whether that man was cheating or not. He unbelievably won every round since he started playing. The King of Gambling and the dealer were the only ones who were left in the card room. "Sir Congratulations! You won again. Here are your ch.i.p.s. You can exchange them in the Casino counter to claim your cash money." The dealer said to him cheerfully. The dealer was very familiar with him because he became a regular customer of this Casino. The man simply nodded at him before giving him another tip. After that, the man finally stood up, bringing all the ch.i.p.s he had won in the game. When he was about to leave the card room, someone entered. "Charles¡­" the newcomer softly called his name. "Master?" He also mumbled upon seeing the face of the person. There was a moment of silence. The two men just stayed rooted on their spots, eyeing each other. Both of them had complicated emotions in their eyes. "You are back." Charles plainly said to him, no hint of warmth at all. He was the first one to break the silence. Phantom was dumbfounded after hearing the distant tone in Charles''s voice. He didn''t know what to feel at that moment. Charles was acting strange. He looked different from the Charles he had known before. "What happened to you?" Phantom asked him worriedly. "I should be the one asking you that? You were the one who disappeared." Charles responded to him coldly. "Come with me. Let''s talk somewhere, not here." Phantom said as he signaled Charles to follow him. The two left the Casino. Charles was unusually very quiet during the entire duration of their journey. Phantom brought him to his place. After entering the house, they proceeded in the living room. Charles sat down on the couch while Phantom went to the kitchen to grab two canned beers for them. He gave one beer to Charles. He gladly accepted it. Then Phantom sat down beside him. "What are you doing, Charles? Why are you gambling again?" He started to question him. Charles didn''t respond. He just opened the canned beer and started to drink it. Phantom frowned seeing Charles''s action. "Charles¡­ Talk to me. Are you mad at me?" Phantom confronted him. Charles merely gave him a bitter smile. "Uncle Antoine told me everything. Why did you do that? I thought I was part of your family." There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. Phantom furrowed his brows in confusion. "What are you talking about? Of course, you are my family, Charles. You are like a son to me." Charles let out humorless laughter after hearing that. "Then why did you and Elle send me away? Both of you deceived me! You persuaded me to leave City Z. No one informed me about your last mission. Am I really that useless in the eyes of both of you?" Charles began to vent his frustration and disappointment with Phantom. "I was clueless of what was happening then suddenly I just heard in the news that Elle died! Master, why did you do this to me? I already told you before that I want to follow and serve Elle. You knew that I would offer my life for her. Why did you take it from me, Master? Why? Why did you send me away? I should have been there with her! Protecting her! But now¡­ she''s gone!" Tears were in his eyes but Charles tried to look brave. Every word that Charles threw at Phantom was like a knife stabbing his heart. He knew how Charles felt. Losing Elle was too painful for both of them. That''s why Phantom couldn''t blame Charles if he was mad at him. Phantom clenched his fists. He was hurting inside. Even though two years had passed Elle''s death was still a fresh wound in their hearts that would never heal easily. "I am sorry, Charles. It was me who failed to protect her. I understand if you hate me." Phantom looked down, suppressing the urge to cry in front of him. "But please don''t think that way. The three of us are family. Elle and I didn''t do that to deceive you. You are not useless. You are important to me most especially to Elle. That''s the reason why she decided to send you away. She wanted to keep you safe, away from this dangerous life." Phantom started to explain the reason for sending Charles away. "I knew you wanted to stay with her but after what happened to you, Elle blamed herself. She was scared for your safety. She requested me and I didn''t have the heart to refuse her. She cared so much about you, Charles. She wanted you to be happy and start a new life." "That''s bullsh?t!" Charles stood up, clenching the canned beer in his hand. "Happy?! Start a new life? How am I supposed to start a new life and live happily without her, Master! How?!" He yelled. Charles could no longer keep his cool. "If I had one regret in my life then that was the day I left City Z! I didn''t know that day would also be the last day I would ever see Elle alive!" After saying that, Charles quickly ran away, swung the door open, and left the house without looking back. Chapter 327 - 327: * Touch Me! * After leaving Phantom''s place, Charles headed straight to a nightclub. He was back to his old vices- gambling, clubbing, and women. If he wanted to forget something, he would drown himself with alcohol and women. His anger and frustration faded with the first two rounds of beers and disappeared completely by the fourth. Then he began to flirt with beautiful women inside the club, dancing and making out with them. Charles had changed over the two years. His attitude whenever he was in a club seemed to be happy go lucky but deep down he was just a lonely boy who was still mourning after losing the most important girl in his life. He wanted to erase that sadness and sorrow by seeking pleasure and enjoyment with other women. On the other hand, Charles had a different character whenever he was gambling. He would become serious and calm while wearing his expressionless front. Then he would start rocking the gambling house, winning lots of money in every game he played. He was living his life like that in contrast to the simple and happy life Elle wanted for him. Things didn''t go according to her wish. Since Elle disappeared from his life Charles got lost and couldn''t find the right way back to where he was supposed to be. After having a good time, Charles decided to leave the club. He was on his way to the exit when he saw a girl wearing a purple strapless dress being escorted by a man out of the club. Charles was about to walk the other way when he noticed something suspicious with the man. The girl started struggling on his grasp, pushing the man away with all her might. "Let me go! Leave me alone!" The man peered at his surroundings and he saw Charles staring at them. To avoid catching bystanders'' attention, the man forcefully dragged the girl towards the dark alley near the club. "Help! Help!" The girl started shouting. Charles could hear it clearly. In the end, he could not ignore it so he followed them. When he reached the spot, he saw the man pinning the girl on the wall. He started to nibble on the girl''s earlobe down to her neck. "Go away! Please, don''t touch me!" The girl begged. "Don''t fight it. I know you want it too." the man murmured. He didn''t listen as he continued his advances against the girl. She tried to get out of his grip but the man was stronger than her. She also started to feel dizzy. "Stop that! She said let go. She didn''t want you!" Charles finally intervened. "Mind your own business!" The man snarled at him. Charles didn''t waste his time as he charged towards the guy. He grabbed him on his collar and yanked him away from the girl. Then he threw two hard punches, hitting the man''s face. The man groaned in pain. He was not prepared for that. He cursed inwardly through his gritted teeth. He tried to fight back, throwing punches in Charles''s direction. But to his disappointment, he missed. Charles was really fast in dodging his attacks. Then suddenly, Charles caught his head. In one swift move, he hit the man''s head into the wall. Knock out! The man collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Charles immediately grabbed the girl''s hand as they ran away from the dark alley. He brought her into his car. "Where do you live? I will give you a ride." Charles said to her. He was now sitting in the driver''s seat while the girl was in the front passenger seat. She told him her address. Charles turned the car on and started driving it away from the club. "Thank you for saving me from that a*shole!" The girl spoke up, feeling both grateful and angry. Grateful for the man who saved her and angry for the man who tried to take advantage of her. "No need to mention it. Next time, find a decent guy." Charles flatly said to her. The girl took a deep sigh. "I just went there tonight to relieve my stress. My partner at work has been giving me a headache lately. I didn''t expect to stumble with that a*shole! I thought he was a good guy! He even offered me free drinks. But it turned out he had a bad motive ever since the beginning." The girl lamented at him, speaking spontaneously without a stop. Charles didn''t respond. He was very focused on driving. After a while, the girl felt strange. It seemed like there was a fire spreading all over her body. She didn''t know what to do. She moved and moved, trying to make herself comfortable on her seat. Charles had sensed her uneasiness so he averted his gaze on the girl beside him. "What''s wrong?" He asked with a frown. "I-I feel so hot," she said. Then her eyes widened in realization and exclaimed. "F*ck! I think that a*shole must have put something in my drinks. He drugged me!" Charles didn''t know what to say. ''It was her fault for drinking something that came from a stranger. So careless.'' He thought to himself as he looked at the girl helplessly. He just continued driving, all eyes on the road. There were still lots of cars in the street. "F*ck! I am horny! I could no longer fight it!" the girl cursed under her breath. Then she turned to her savior who was quietly driving the car. Then the girl remembered how this charming man had saved her a while ago. ''He''s cool¡­ and handsome.'' "Touch me! Please!" The girl suddenly blurted out. Charles almost hit the back of the car they were following upon hearing her. He got distracted by her statement. ''What the hell? Did I just hear it wrong?'' Charles mumbled to himself before looking back to the girl on his passenger seat. "What did you say?" Charles asked her in confusion. The girl pouted before she answered him. "I said touch me." "Please!" she added with her pleading look. "I could no longer hold it. I feel like I am going to explode if I can''t relieve myself now! Please, help me!" After saying that, she took his hand and brought it between her legs. ''[email protected], is she serious? How am I supposed to concentrate on my driving?'' Charles was complaining on his thoughts. But he was just a man who was used to making out with beautiful women. And this girl on his passenger seat was no exception. Besides, she badly needed him now, so he couldn''t refuse her request. He moved his hand higher under her dress. It went further between her thighs. She m.o.a.ned aloud when his fingers had touched the fabric of her panties. She opened her legs wider to give his fingers more access. He started rubbing her through her underwear. It was already soaking wet. He moved her panties aside and touched her clit. She m.o.a.ned and groaned in pleasure. She bucked her h.i.p.s against his fingers. "Y-Yes¡­ that''s it! I-It feels good!'' the girl said in between her m.o.a.ns. It was really hot inside the car for the fact that they were stuck in traffic while doing this kind of foreplay. Both of them became more turned on because of that thought. Charles could already feel his member hardened, throbbing inside his jeans. He groaned inwardly. He didn''t know why he was suddenly doing this in his car while driving. ''This girl was the reason I was put in this predicament.'' He mumbled to himself. "Please¡­ I want.. more..." she panted. Charles could only sigh deeply before he fulfilled her demand. He started to plunge two fingers inside her, finger f*cking her during the ride. Not yet satisfied, the girl grabbed his hand and started to control it. She slid his fingers all the way in and out of her at a very fast pace. She let out a grunt, enjoying the overwhelming pleasure. She felt like she was almost there, building up her orgasm. With one last hard thrust, she reached her climax and found her release. Charles didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. His hand just became her s*xtoy. When he retreated his hand it was already covered by her warm juices. "Thanks! You saved me once again! By the way, what''s your name?" the girl said after she recovered from her mind-blowing climax. "I''m Charles. How about you?" "Nice meeting you, Charles! I''m Sandy." Chapter 328 - 328: * Ill Help You * "I''m Charles. How about you?" "Nice meeting you, Charles! I''m Sandy." She cheerfully said, extending her right hand at him for a handshake. Charles was just looking at her hand with a frown, hesitating whether to accept it or not. His free hand was still covered by her warm juices. As if Sandy read his mind, she let out a soft giggle."Sorry about that. Hehe." She said, retreating her hand as she took something inside her shoulder bag. "Give me your hand! I''ll clean it for you." Sandy was already holding a tissue and a hand sanitizer. Charles just nodded, stretching his arm to her. He moved his gaze back on the road as he continued driving while Sandy was cleaning his hand. "Charles?" Sandy called him out. "Hmm?" He simply responded, not looking at her. "Why are you not asking me to give you a hand now? I think you need my help too." Sandy randomly said to him. Charles frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" he probed, glancing at her direction. Sandy giggled once again. Then she pointed her forefinger towards his pants. "I am talking about that." She said, flashing her playful smile. Sandy was referring to his erection, bulging in his pants. Charles: "..." He was tongue-tied while looking at the girl with utter disbelief. At that certain moment, Charles came into a realization. The girl whom he saved was not the shy and conservative type of girl. She''s a naughty girl who loved to talk too much! ''Why am I seeing my self in her?'' He thought to himself. "So¡­?" Sandy urged him, anticipating Charles''s response. "If I say so then what are you going to do?" Charles finally spoke up, lifting an eyebrow. Sandy bit her lower lip as she gave him a meaningful gaze. She didn''t utter a single word but her eyes were sparkling with excitement while smiling at him seductively. With her expression alone Charles got the cue. After getting out of the traffic, he immediately hit the gas pedal. He drove and pulled off to the nearest parking lot that was empty and dark. Then he turned the headlights off. Sandy suddenly palmed his bulge through his pants. Charles let out a soft grunt with that sudden touch. "I am right. You really need my help." Sandy said with a teasing smile on her face. "It''s your fault in the first place." Charles slightly complained at her. Sandy let out another giggle."Alright. I will make it up to you now, my dear savior."After saying that, Sandy left her seat and hopped on top of him, straddling him. "Hey, careful," Charles said, supporting her back. Then Charles adjusted his seat, slightly slanting it downward to give them more space. Sandy leaned closer to him, whispering something to his ear. "We will do this with our clothes on. But don''t worry¡­ I will help you and make you c.u.m." Her sensual voice aroused him more. Charles just nodded at her. After a while, Sandy started to move on top of him, grinding herself against his hardened erection. A soft groan escaped his mouth. Charles could see her round b.r.e.a.s.ts bouncing in her every move. Though she said they would do it with clothes on Charles could not fight the need and temptation of touching her twin peaks. "Sandy¡­ may I? May I caress you?" He said with his raspy voice, asking her permission. Seeing the desire in his eyes, Sandy didn''t refuse his request."Alright. Undress me!" She gave him her go signal. Charles'' hand moved up, unzipping her dress. After a few seconds, he pulled her dress down, revealing her flawless skin and almost n.a.k.e.d top body. Next, he unclasped her black lacy bra and her beautiful b.r.e.a.s.ts were completely exposed to him. He bent his head down to lick her hard rosy n.i.p.p.l.e. She m.o.a.ned, feeling his warm and moist tongue feasting on her crown. He took it in his mouth and gently sucked it. She m.o.a.ned and tugged on his hair. His one hand was stroking her n.a.k.e.d back and the other one was holding her waist, guiding her movement as he continued tasting and suckling her soft b.r.e.a.s.ts. Sandy continued moving her h.i.p.s, grinding and sliding back and forth on top of him. Charles felt his manhood twitch. He groaned and thrust his h.i.p.s forward, rubbing himself further against her. After a few moments of continuous grinding, he finally reached his climax and came. ''F*ck! I really came in my pants!'' he cursed under his breath. Sandy also convulsed on top of him as she found her second orgasm tonight. "That¡­ was.. so hot and intense." She said, panting. "Now, we are even!" she added. She was now leaning and resting on Charles'' hard chest. After a while, their laughter erupted inside the car. "Let''s call it a night. I still have to drive you home." Charles said to her. Sandy just nodded with a smile. She moved back to her seat and fixed herself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next morning, Sandy excitedly approached Elle in their office. She was really in a good mood. "Ali!" Sandy exclaimed as she suddenly hugged Elle upon seeing her. Elle wrinkled her brows, eyeing Sandy in confusion. "Why are you so hyper early this morning?" Elle simply asked her. Sandy let out a soft chuckle before answering. "Ali, I have to thank you for stressing me out lately. Because of that, I met my knight in shining armor last night!" She said enthusiastically. Elle just rolled her eyes at her. "What did you do last night? Don''t tell me you went clubbing again?" Sandy nodded her head frantically, confirming Elle''s guess. Elle just shook her head helplessly at the girl before her. "Manhunt again, Sandy? When will you stop playing with guys? Find a decent guy and have a serious relationship!" Elle said as friendly advice. Sandy burst out into laughter. "He also said that to me¡­ finding a decent guy. I think you will like each other once both of you meet. You both think alike." Sandy teased her. Elle raised her brows. "Sandy, leave me alone. I still have a mystery to solve." Sandy pouted and shot her a sharp glare. "Hmmp¡­ now you are playing like a detective, Ali! Why do you like to do things that are very dangerous?" "Because it is exciting." Elle simply stated. Sandy heaved a frustrated sigh. "Alright. I won''t argue with you. But listen to me¡­ I met a very interesting guy last night. Are you not curious? You should ask me because I am your friend." Sandy continued pestering Elle. Elle knew Sandy very well. She was the kind of girl who would not stop bothering you until she told you everything she wanted to say. Especially now, she had an exciting story to tell. Elle just took a deep breath before pulling Sandy towards their office cubicle. "I will give you ten minutes. Just ten minutes. Now talk!" Upon hearing that, Sandy''s face brightened up as she pulled a chair beside Elle. "Last night, I went to the nightclub. And there was this a*shole who tried to take advantage of me. He even drugged me." she started narrating what happened last night. "What? Sandy¡­ can you be more careful next time?! Are you trying to get yourself r*pe by a stranger?" She scolded her. Sandy patted her shoulder. "I know! I won''t do it again. From now on I''ll be more careful." Then she continued her story. "He dragged me to a dark alley, forcing me to make out with him but I struggled so hard. Then, my knight shining armor came to my rescue." Elle didn''t know what to do with this girl. After what happened to her last night she was still in a bright mood today, looking so happy while recalling last night''s incident. "He was so cool, beating that a*shole. He fought so well and moved very fast. That as*hole didn''t even hit him. He was not able to fight back. In just a few seconds, he knocked out the bad guy and I was saved!" Sandy proudly said. "Lucky for you. You almost got r*pe if not for that guy. You must treat him well." Elle stated with relief. "Of course! I treated him very well. You can ask him yourself." "I''ll tell you the most exciting thing that happened last night," she added. Sandy''s lips turned up into a mischievous smile. Then she leaned over as she whispered something to Elle."I-I and my savior, we make out in his car." Cough! Cough! Elle choked on her saliva after hearing her last words. "He also has a nice name¡­ his name is Cha-" "Sandy! Aliyah! Our line manager wants to see us in his office, right now!" Josh suddenly called their attention, interrupting Sandy. Chapter 330 - 330: Working Together Again *** At Charles''s Place *** Ring! Ring! Elena''s phone was ringing and vibrating inside her back. Someone was calling her. Charles decided to answer the phone since Elena had not regained her consciousness yet. After she fainted in the restaurant, Charles brought her into his house. She was currently sleeping in his bed. He glanced at her before picking up the phone. Dr. Clara''s name flashed on her phone screen. He immediately answered the call. "Elena... where are you, dear?" Dr. Clara''s soft and gentle voice greeted Charles''s ear. "Dr. Clara, it''s me. Charles." He didn''t waste time as he let her know that he was the one on the other line, not Elena. "Charles!" Dr. Clara felt delighted upon hearing his voice. "Are you with Elena right now?" she added. "Yeah¡­ she''s here in my place. She fainted a while ago." "Huh? She fainted?! Why? What happened to her? Is she alright?" Dr. Clara''s voice was filled with worries and concerns. "Don''t worry. It''s not serious. I think she was just quite shaken after hearing from me that Elle died. I told her that because I thought she also deserved to know what happened to her. She cared about Elle too." Charles said to her truthfully. Dr. Clara fell silent for a moment. She somehow felt sorry for Elena. She didn''t tell her anything about Elle. She chose to hide it from Elena. "I understand. I need to go there and talk to her." Dr. Clara said after being quiet. Charles gave Dr. Clara his address. After fifteen minutes, she arrived at Charles''s place. But she was not alone, Phantom was with her. Charles was a little bit surprised to see Phantom. He felt awkward facing him right now because of their last encounter. Dr. Clara proceeded in his room to check Elena''s condition while the two men went to the living room. The living room was engulfed by deafening silence. Phantom and Charles were both sitting quietly. No one initiated to talk. After a while, Dr. Clara came out of his room. Elena was still asleep. She decided not to wake her up. Elena was shocked and emotionally exhausted. She knew how hard it was for Elena knowing that her savior who was also she considered sister already passed away. Upon reaching the living room, Dr. Clara had sensed the weird atmosphere surrounding the two men. Something was off with them. They were both acting strangely. Dr. Clara sighed deeply before talking to them. "What''s wrong with your faces? Why do I feel like you are not happy to see each other?" The two men just merely averted their gaze to her and didn''t respond. Dr. Clara raised her brows seeing their reactions. "Great timing! The two of you are here. I have something to ask you." Dr. Clara looked at them seriously. "Roland Bienvenido was reported dead. Killed by assassin Catseye. Who among you has something to do with that?" she directly confronted them. Both men were astonished after hearing her direct-to-the-point question. Charles and Phantom had indescribable expressions on their faces. Dr. Clara couldn''t figure out what they were thinking at that moment. She was waiting for their response but it seemed like no one between the two men wanted to speak up. Dr. Clara heaved a deep sigh once again. "Alright, I won''t force you if you didn''t want to talk about it. But whoever did that, I just want to say something to him. Do you think Elle would be happy because of that? I just hope that you two would consider what Elle would feel before making a hasty decision." "How I wish that both of you have nothing to do with this." Dr. Clara said to them meaningfully. "Oh, the two of you really need to talk. I''ll go ahead first, I have a patient waiting for me at my clinic. Charles, please send Elena to our home once she wakes up." She said, bidding goodbye to them. Then Dr. Clara turned to Phantom and said, "Old man, you came here because you wanted to see Charles, so don''t waste your time and talk!"The two men remained silent as they watched Dr. Clara''s retreating back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** Erick gathered his team in the conference room. They would plan out and strategize their next move on how they would catch the new Catseye. They were about to start their meeting when suddenly they heard a knock. After that, two men entered the room. June: "Allen?" Bryan: "Carl?" Rose: "Senior Sergeants!" April: "Both of you! Why are you here? The two men just chuckled upon seeing their different reactions. Then Carl approached Erick, giving him a piece of paper. Erick gladly accepted it and read the content. It was a notice of transfer. "Sorry guys for barging in but whether you like it or not, starting today Carl and I will become part of this team!" Allen spoke up. "Wow! Really?" Rose asked them with excitement. "Is that true? But why?" June also asked in confusion. "The Unit Head transferred them to our department, effective today. They will be assisting us in this case." It was Erick who answered them, showing them the notice of transfer. "Yey! That''s great! We will be working together again as one team!" April said, feeling delighted. "Welcome to our team, Senior Sergeants, Allen, and Carl!" Bryan exclaimed cheerfully. "Thanks, guys!" Allen said with a wide smile. "[email protected]! I am so happy to be working again with this amazing team!" Carl blurted out with excitement. "We are also glad to have you here as part of our team," Erick said to them. After greeting each other and settling down inside the conference room, the team started their meeting. Erick shared with the team the pieces of information he had gathered over the two years about the original members of Los Molasses Gang. He informed the team that he conducted a private investigation regarding Catseye''s past. Erick and Bryan were aware of the revenge that Elle was trying to do before. They somehow connected the dots pinpointing the Los Molasses Gang. "Elle told me that her parents were murdered in front of her when she was still a child. As we all know, she attacked Gong, Vello, and De Dios for revenge. We investigated their past connection. They are original members of Los Molasses Gang." Erick said as he showed them on the projector screen the other members. Harry Yao- was killed a long time ago Jefferson Gong- dead Carlo Vello- in prison Diego De Dios- in prison Roland Bienvenido- dead" Among the original members, we only have three people left who are more likely to be the next target of this Catseye." Erick continued supplying them with information. "Alfonso Ramirez, Samuel Sy, and Edson Tyler. I have background information of Sy and Tyler however I couldn''t trace Ramirez''s whereabouts for these past two years." "So what are you suggesting now, Chief Lee?" It was Carl who spoke up."We will divide our team. One team will monitor Samuel Sy and the other team will follow Edson Tyler. We will also work with Officer Kim''s team during our surveillance operation." Erick stated. "Wow¡­ that''s nice. Since we already know Catseye''s probable next target, we will just keep an eye on them, waiting for Catseye to attack. And once Catseye appears that''s the time we will make a move to catch her or him." Allen said with amus.e.m.e.nt. "Yes¡­ but we have to stay vigilant and alert. We never know the exact time or day Catseye will make a move against them. This mission will require a lot of effort and time from us." Erick reminded them. June: "We understand, Chief!" Bryan: "It''s part of our job! We have no complaints about that!" The meeting lasted for two hours. They divided the task. Bryan and April would focus on Senator Mondragon''s case. June, Rose, and Allen were assigned to monitor Edson Tyler. Erick and Carl would be monitoring Samuel Sy. When the meeting ended, the team proceeded to their Department Office. They added two more tables for Allen and Carl. They were setting up their table arrangement when Selena''s assistant entered the office. She was quite busy lately that''s why she was not able to come personally today. The assistant gave the team the invitation cards for the upcoming welcome party for James. It was rescheduled two weeks earlier than the original date. Chapter 331 - 331: Surveillance Operation 1 Today was Saturday. It was supposedly the day when Erick and Elle would have a date. However, today was also the date when Erick''s team would start their 24 hours of surveillance, monitoring, and following Edson Tyler and Samuel Sy. Edson Tyler- 45 years old, a successful businessman. He established his own trading company 15 years ago. His company was working with different kinds of products that are sold for consumers, businesses, and government purposes. They were also doing fine with importing and exporting goods and services. Meanwhile, Samuel Sy- 50 years old, an owner of five-star hotels in the country. He focused on the hotel business. He owned the famous Sky Hotel having 25 branches across the whole country. This was one mystery Erick wanted to solve. Why is it the ordinary members of a gang before suddenly became wealthy men and had established their different businesses? Who is behind them, supporting and backing them in shadow? Is this related to the murder of Elle''s parents? Erick was so determined to find the answer. So as much as he wanted to have a date with Elle today, he needed to do his job. This was also for Elle''s sake. He must catch the new Catseye to clear Elle''s name and he must also investigate these people who might be responsible for killing Elle''s parents. Feeling dejected, Erick decided to call Elle and postponed their date today. Elle: "Hello?" Erick: "Good morning! Where are you?" Elle: "Good morning, Chief Lee! I am at my apartment. Are you going to pick me up?" Erick closed his eyes in frustration after hearing Elle''s question. ''[email protected] She is waiting for me. So stupid of me for not informing her ahead of time.'' Erick cursed himself inwardly. Now, he didn''t know how he would be able to bring up the topic of postponing their date today. Elle: "Chief Lee? Are you still there? Erick: "Y-Yes¡­"Elle: "Is there something wrong? Do you have something to tell me?" Elle could sense that something was bothering Erick today. Erick: "Honestly, yes. I have something to tell you. But please¡­ don''t be upset with me." Elle could hear Erick heave a deep sigh from the other line. Elle: "It''s alright. Just tell me." Erick: "I am afraid¡­ we have to¡­ c-cancel our date today." He didn''t know how he was able to complete his sentence. He felt sad. He was looking forward to having a date with her. He already planned out everything- the things he would do, the place where he would bring her, the food he would cook for her. But because of Catseye''s new case, he couldn''t do those things for now. Elle also became silent for a moment. Erick felt alarmed. He thought Elle was mad so he spoke up again to explain. Erick: "Today will be the start of our 24 hours surveillance with the probable targets of Catseye. We will be following them in order to catch Catseye. But promise¡­ I will make it up to you next time. I am sorry. I truly am." Elle: "Hmmm. Alright, I understand. If you are really sorry then come and pick me up." Erick: "Huh? Why?" He couldn''t understand her. He thought she understood the situation then why she was telling him to pick her up. Elle: "Because I am coming with you. I will stick with you today. This is what you want when you asked for that 24 hours date, right? You want me to be with you? So¡­ we can still do this even if you are working. Erick was rendered speechless. Elle was right. His original motive was to spend time with her for twenty-four hours. However, he was still hesitating. Erick: "But¡­ this is dangerous for you. I can''t do that." Elle: "Chief Lee¡­ this is not dangerous. I will just stay with you in the car while we are following a person. How can you say that this is dangerous? Besides, you are there with me. I know you will protect me. You will not let anything bad happen to me, am I right?" Elle tried her best to persuade Erick. She also wanted to catch Catseye. And this was a good opportunity to do that- to join Erick''s team in this surveillance operation! Meanwhile, Elle''s last words kept replaying on Erick''s mind. { "Besides, you are there with me. I know you will protect me. You will not let anything bad happen to me, am I right?" } After his long silence, Erick finally spoke up again. Erick: "Yes¡­ I will protect you. This time, I won''t let anything bad happen to you no matter what." Elle''s lips curled up into a triumphant smile. She succeeded in convincing Erick. Elle: "Alright! I will be waiting for you. Bye, Erick! See you." Elle didn''t wait for Erick to say another word as she immediately hung up the phone, afraid that Erick would change his mind. When the call ended, Erick realized that Elle outsmarted him. He said he would protect her but he didn''t say that he agreed on bringing her with him during this surveillance operation. ''What a clever woman?! She''s always does anything she wants. What am I gonna do with this girl?'' Erick mumbled to himself, looking at his phone screen with disbelief. Erick had no choice but to fetch Elle in her apartment. After a while, they proceeded to the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters where Carl was already waiting for him. He was his partner in this operation. They transferred to a black sedan car. This car would serve as their service today. Carl was surprised to see Elle or rather Aliyah Ross. He didn''t expect that she would be coming today. But Elle explained that this was also part of her job as a reporter. She also had the approval of Erick as the team leader for this case. A few days ago, she told the team that her team would cover this Catseye''s case. So starting today, Elle''s team would also cooperate with Erick''s team, catching and uncovering Catseye''s identity. Soon, they drove towards the location of their target. "Why are you wearing a suit, Sergeant?" Elle asked Carl curiously. Erick and Carl exchanged glances with each other before bursting out laughing. "Miss Ali, watch me today. I will become James Bond today." Carl said confidently. Erick just shook his head. He decided to elaborate on Carl''s answer."He will pose as a wealthy VIP client of this hotel. Then he will create some commotion so that he will be able to meet the hotel owner, Samuel Sy." "Samuel Sy?" Elle was surprised when she heard that name. He was one of the people included in her revenge list. He was also responsible for the tragic incident that happened to Elle''s family in the past. She wondered how Erick and his team were able to know that Samuel Sy would be one of the next targets of this new Catseye. Did Erick know that she was also trying to get her revenge against Samuel Sy? Erick nodded at her with a gentle smile."We got information that he will be staying here today at his hotel. We are planning to plant a spying device on him without his knowledge." "How will you do that?" Elle probed. Erick and Carl just gave her a meaningful and reassuring smile. Chapter 332 - 332: Date at Sky Hotel "How will you do that?" Elle probed Erick and Carl just gave her a meaningful and reassuring smile. Then Carl showed her a rectangular box containing a silver watch for men. It looked elegant and expensive, having exquisite design. "I will give this to him as a gift. We heard that Samuel Sy loves collecting wristwatches. This is not an ordinary watch. It contains spying devices such as GPS locator, voice recording and mini spying camera. All in one!" Carl proudly said to her. Elle nodded. "I understand but what I am asking is how will you create a commotion that will make the hotel owner meet you?" Erick and Carl fell silent. Then Erick turned to Carl. "She''s right. What are you planning to do?" he asked Carl. Carl just smiled sheepishly at them, scratching his face. "Well, I am going to complain about the room service and will pretend to be mad and disappointed. Then I will ask the hotel staff to call their owner to see me." Carl responded. Elle shook her head helplessly. "We can''t guarantee that he will face you. There''s a high possibility that only the hotel manager will try to fix the problem. That''s their job. They couldn''t hassle their big boss just for the sake of a small complaint coming from their ''VIP guest'' who is not even close to the hotel owner." "I agree with her." Erick said. Carl sighed deeply. "I didn''t think much about that. So what should we do now? Chief Lee, do you have plan B?" Erick rubbed his chin, thinking about an alternative plan. Then suddenly Elle raised her hand. "I have a suggestion. I will also come with you. And book a room beside yours. You will start to complain and scold the hotel staff then after that I will come into the picture. The Hotel owner cares about their hotel image and reputation. Once you learn that I am a reporter, you will ask me to write an article about their bad services then they will feel threatened. They had no choice but to seek the presence of their big boss to fix the problem." "Wow! That''s a very nice plan, Miss Ali!" Carl commended her. It was only Erick who opposed the idea. "Hey, you said you will just stay here in the car." Erick said unhappily to her. "Since I am here, it''s better to help you out with this mission." Elle insisted. "No!" Erick said stubbornly. "Yes!" "I said No!" Carl just moved his gaze back and forth between Erick and Elle who looked like having lovers'' quarrel. ''Why do I feel like I am the third wheel here?" Carl lamented to himself. ********** After the long argument between Erick and Elle, finally, the three of them came up with a sound decision. The three persons ended up coming together inside the Sky Hotel, booking two rooms. Elle and Erick would stay together in one room. Since Carl was posing as a wealthy VIP guest, they chose the Royal Suite which was the most expensive room in the hotel. The cost was equivalent to the amount of Erick''s one month salary. Carl''s room was part of the operation so XXX Crime Investigation Bureau would shoulder the expenses. However, Elle and Erick''s room was not included in the budget so Erick was the one paying for it. And now, Elle felt guilty towards Erick. She was the one who suggested this. "Hey, why are you making such a pitiful face?" Erick chuckled upon seeing Elle''s guilty expression. Both of them were already inside their room. Elle bit her lower lip. "Erick¡­ don''t worry. Once I get my salary this month I will pay you for this." Erick let out another husky laugh. "No need. It''s my treat. Remember, we are also having a date today. I am the guy so I should be the one treating you. Let''s just enjoy our date here in the most expensive five star hotel in the City Z." Elle and Erick ended up bursting into a peal of laughter. They looked around and they had to admit that the suite was really cozy. It featured a blue sky motif and collection of contemporary art. The bedroom was pure luxury, having King sized bed and spacious closets. The bathroom was made of different marble stones, having double sinks and ample lighting. There was also a large bathtub inside, surrounded by petals and scented candles. The living room was spacious with plenty of neutral-colored seating options like Italian leather couches with cozy pillows. There was a large flat screen TV where guests could enjoy watching movies and different shows. The dining area could accommodate eight guests which made for a great place to enjoy a culinary experience and overlooking views of the City Z at night. After a while, a room service arrived, providing them a different menu matched with champagne and red wines for welcome drinks. Erick approached the hotel staff and whispered something to him. The staff just nodded at him with a smile before leaving their room. After a few minutes, the staff came back, holding a bouquet of red and white roses. Elle was already enjoying the food when Erick walked towards her while hiding the bouquet of roses in his back. When Elle gazed up, Erick was already smiling at her tenderly. "Erick, come. Have some bites and taste the food." Elle invited him to join her. That''s the time Erick showed her the bouquet of roses. "A bouquet of roses for a beautiful lady." Erick said, extending his arm to her which was holding the flowers. Elle''s eyes widened in surprise. Erick still managed to give her flowers in times like this. Elle felt touched as she watched the beautiful flowers. She happily accepted it. "Thank you, Erick. I like it!" Elle softly said, her eyes sparkling with joy. Elle brought the flowers closer to her nose, smelling their fragrance. Erick couldn''t take his eyes off her. He loved to see her lovely and charming smile. She''s so beautiful as always. His hand reflexively moved on its own accord, caressing Elle''s face. Elle''s body stiffened when she felt Erick''s warm touch. Her heart began to run wild inside her chest. Her stomach fluttered. When she looked up she saw Erick''s intense and penetrating gaze. She was lost in his deep mesmerizing dark brown eyes. Erick slowly lowered his head. Badum! Badum! Badum! Badum! Their eyes never left each other. Their hearts were pounding rapidly in synchronized movement. Both of them were lost for a moment in their own magical world. Are they going to kiss? Will they finally succ.u.mb to their longing and desires for each other? Their faces were only centimeters apart when suddenly a music reverberated in the entire room. Because of that, Elle''s rationality came back to her. The love spell was immediately broken. Elle looked away, avoiding Erick''s gaze. Erick had mixed feelings seeing Elle''s action. They almost kissed but the music ruined it. Erick groaned inwardly. He was the one who requested the staff to play music for them. The song which was currently playing was the song ''All of Me'' by John Legend. It was the song which Elle chose during the romantic dinner she prepared for Erick. To lessen the awkward atmosphere between them because of the interrupted kiss, Erick extended his arm to Elle, inviting her for a dance. "May I have the honor to dance with you, my Lady?" Elle remembered everything. This song, the romantic dinner and the dance she shared with Erick. She tried her best to suppress her urge to cry. Elle just nodded as she accepted Erick''s invitation, placing her hand on his. Erick gave her a gentle smile as he guided her in the open space. Soon, they danced with the music. Just like old times, Erick was holding her waist while Elle''s hands were placed on his shoulders. They both missed this moment. They never imagined that they would experience this once again. Their hearts were both singing with joy and happiness. Erick seized this moment. He would never let Elle disappear from his side ever again. Erick gently pulled her closer against his body. He hugged her tightly. He missed her so much. Elle, on the other hand, didn''t protest. She hugged him back, burying herself deeper into his body. She loved to feel his warmth. It gave her a sense of comfort and love. Chapter 333 - 333: First Move Succeeded Who would have thought that Elle and Erick would still be able to date during this surveillance operation? Erick thought that spending an equivalent amount of his one month salary was all worth it. Every smile that he could see in Elle''s face and every second he spent with her were all priceless. He couldn''t contain the happiness he felt as of this moment. However, they were not there just to enjoy the day. They had a purpose. They were there to accomplish a mission. And it was time to make their moves. Elle and Erick received a cue from Carl. He was about to do the first scenario. A few seconds after they got the signal from Carl, a loud voice could be heard in the hallway just outside their Hotel room. That angry authoritative voice came from Carl. He was currently scolding the hotel staff who was assigned to deliver food in his room. "I couldn''t believe that the staff here are very clumsy and careless! See¡­ you ruined my thousand-dollar suit!" "How will you pay for it, huh? And the food you served! [email protected]! Are you planning to poison me? How dare you serve me food with c.o.c.kroaches floating in the soup?!" Carl continued lashing out at the poor hotel staff. "Call your owner! I want to talk to him, right now!" ''Sorry, dear. I have to do this.'' Carl thought to himself, feeling guilty towards the staff who was being roasted by his fake anger. Carl was the one who intentionally bumped into the hotel stuff thus staining his suit with the red wine. He was also the one who put dead c.o.c.kroaches on the soup. The hotel staff was looking so tense and problematic right now. He thought that he might lose his job today. He was just silently looking down, accepting every angry word Carl threw at him. All he could do was to apologize to their ''VIP guest'' while praying that he would not get fired today. After a while, the hotel manager arrived. "Sir, please calm down. We are sorry about this. We will try our best to compensate you. We also investigate our kitchen staff for what happened today." The manager tried to appease Carl. "Call your hotel owner. I heard he is here. I want to talk to him. Do you think just a mere manager could solve this issue?" Carl insisted on seeing their big boss. The hotel manager was reluctant after hearing Carl''s demand. "Sorry, sir... Mr. Sy is quite busy today. He sent me here to fix this problem." The manager said. ''Miss Aliyah was right. They won''t allow their Big Boss to be hassled by this.'' Carl thought to himself. That''s the time Elle came out of her hotel room. Erick was behind her. He was wearing a mask and a cap, pretending that he was her cameraman. "What''s happening here?" Elle asked them curiously. "Oh, I am glad that another hotel guest is here. May I know your name, Miss? I want you to be my witness. I want to make a complaint about their hotel services." Carl said, moving closer to Elle. "I am Aliyah Ross, a reporter from Morning Star Media Network. What''s the problem here, sir?" Elle emphasized that she was a reporter. "Wow¡­.that''s nice. I am Carlos Russell, the CEO of the largest Telecom Company at City K. I came here in City Z for a business meeting. I didn''t expect that the famous five-star hotel in this City has bad services. I am quite disappointed." "Miss Aliyah, can you do me a favor? You are a reporter, right? Why don''t you write an article about their bad services? I am willing to be interviewed by you. I think this is a big scope for you." Carl said with his sly smirk. Carl pulled her towards the food cart. "See this, Ms. Ross. There are c.o.c.kroaches in the food that they served to me. I can forgive the clumsiness of their staff for ruining my suit but this one is unforgivable." The hotel manager felt alarmed after hearing that. It seemed that their VIP guest won''t just accept their apology and compensation. He wanted to ruin the name and reputation of their hotel. "Sir please, let''s talk this out first. We are willing to compensate you." The manager said desperately, trying to convince Carl. "Talk? Hmm¡­ I will only talk to your hotel owner! If not, then I will let the country know about this incident. Miss Aliyah, could you please help me with that?" Before Elle could respond, the hotel manager butted in. "Alright sir, come with me. I will bring you to Mr. Sy''s office." Carl and Elle exchanged meaningful glances with one another. Their first move was a success. "Alright! But the reporter will have to come with us." Carl said, secretly winking at Erick and Elle. "Alright, sir. No problem." The hotel manager replied promptly. Soon, the four of them headed to Samuel Sy''s office. When they were about to enter the room, Elle halted on her steps. She didn''t know if she could maintain her cool once she saw Samuel Sy. ''I think tagging along with them is not a good idea. What if I suddenly break down again once I see him?'' Elle wanted to turn and walk away. She clenched her fists. She was afraid of what she might do during this face to face. Erick noticed the troubled expression of Elle. He knew she was hesitating and worrying about something. Suddenly, Elle felt strong arms holding her waist from behind. It was Erick. Then she heard him whisper something to her ear. "Don''t be afraid. I am here with you." Erick murmured to her. His words immediately washed away her worries. His presence gave her a sense of security. She felt very safe. Because of that, Elle found her courage to take a step. She had nothing to worry about. She wouldn''t let her demon overpower her as long as Erick was with her. Finally, she entered the room, feeling at ease. Chapter 334 - 334: Things He Did For Her Samuel Sy was already expecting their arrival. The hotel manager had informed him of the current situation. Samuel welcomed them with a wide smile on his face, trying to look more polite and accommodating. He invited them to sit down. There were two leather couches inside, seats for his guests, and visitors. The hotel manager introduced them to each other. "Sir, this is Mr. Carl Russell, our VIP guest." the hotel manager paused then he turned to Elle. "This is also one of our hotel guests occupying the Royal Suite next to Mr. Russell, Miss Aliyah Ross. She is a reporter from Morning Star Media Network. Along with her is her cameraman, Josh." "Everyone, this is our hotel owner, Mr. Samuel Sy." "It''s my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sy," Carl said, extending his arm to him for a handshake. Samuel held his hand and said, "Apology Mr. Russell that we have to meet under these unpleasant circ.u.mstances. I am really sorry for our shortcomings." After saying that, Samuel Sy moved his gaze to Elle. She didn''t know what she should feel at that moment, finally facing the man up closed. He was one of those men who caused her misery. Elle tried her best to maintain her cool. She looked very calm outside but deep inside she was already burning with rage. Samuel Sy offered her a handshake but she just merely glanced at his hand, unmoving in her spot. Her face was void of any emotion. Carl and the hotel manager just watched her in confusion. It looked like she had no plan of accepting Samuel''s hand. The manager felt like it was quite rude and disrespectful if she would not do a handshake with the big boss. Samuel Sy suddenly felt the awkward atmosphere between the two of them. He felt very embarrassed as Elle ignored his greetings. To save Samuel''s face as well as Elle from that awkward situation, it was Erick who accepted his hand. "Nice meeting you Mr. Sy. Sorry about that but Miss Aliyah is not in good health right now that''s why she couldn''t touch you. She is afraid that you might catch a cold because of that, am I right Ms. Ali?" Erick told them some alibi. Because of Erick''s sudden intervention, Elle realized her mistake. She just nodded absentmindedly. Samuel let out a chuckle. "Alright. I understand." Carl and Samuel continued their negotiation about the unpleasant incident he experienced in the hotel. Elle could not hear nor absorb their conversation since her mind was already wandering back to her past. It was Samuel Sy who held Elle in place as she watched her parents being beaten by Alfonso and others. She tried her best to escape from his grasp but failed. She struggled but couldn''t do anything. She was just a weak and helpless kid at that time. Elle clenched her fists as she reminisced the past. Her body tensed up. She was fighting it inside. She needed to control her anger and restrained herself from hurting the sc.u.m in front of her. Unknown to her, Erick was just silently observing her on the side. He was worried. He could see that she was not in herself. She was greatly affected by Samuel''s presence. This was one of the reasons he opposed her suggestion a while ago. Elle was having an internal battle when she felt a warm hand holding her hand. It was Erick. He did that to let her know that he was with her. That gesture comforted Elle a lot. She gazed up, giving Erick a faint smile. Staying in a closed room with the man she hated and couldn''t do something to vent her anger was like a torture for Elle. But thanks to Erick''s presence, she managed to endure it. Finally, Carl and Samuel finished their conversation and reconciled. Carl accepted Samuel''s apology and compensation for the poor hotel service he had received. Carl also befriended Samuel. He was able to give him the spying watch without raising any suspicion. Samuel even wore Carl''s gift in front of him. It was a mission accomplished. As long as Samuel was wearing that watch they could easily monitor his movement as well as his surroundings. If someone tried to attack him, they would know it. Elle could finally relax after leaving Samuel''s office. But she felt really exhausted¡­ emotionally exhausted. She even staggered to her feet, swaying a little upon leaving the office. Erick guided her, going back to their room. When they reached their room, Elle slumped her body on the soft cushion of the king-sized bed. Erick sat beside her. "Are you okay?" he asked her worriedly. Elle smiled at him before closing her eyes and said. "Yeah, I am fine. I''m just tired because of work. I was not able to have enough sleep last night." "Okay. You can rest here for a while and get some sleep. Carl and I will continue monitoring Samuel Sy. It seems like he will be staying here for a night." "Erick¡­ can I ask you something?" Elle opened her eyes and sat up. "Sure," Erick promptly said. "How did you know that Samuel Sy might be the next target of Catseye? Why do you think so?" Elle was really curious about this and Erick was willing to give her answer. "I knew that Catseye was doing her revenge against Gong, Vello, and De Dios. I investigated their connection with one another. I found out that they were the original members of Los Molasses Gang. So I believe that her revenge has something to do with the Los Molasses Gang." Erick paused for a moment, looking at Elle intently. Erick continued. "I''ve been tracking all the members for these past two years. Roland Bienvenido was also part of that gang as well as Samuel Sy and two other persons. The other team is also following Edson Tyler. There is only one member left who is out of my radar. Alfonso Ramirez." Elle was taken aback after hearing that. ''He did that for these past two years.'' "W-Why did you do that?" "Because I promised to help her and give justice to her parents. I think they were the ones who were responsible for her parents'' death." Erick was staring at her straight in her eyes. Elle had no words to say. She was overwhelmed by this revelation. Erick was trying to uncover the truth behind her parents'' death. He was also chasing after those men. After her long silence, Elle threw Erick another question. "So do you believe that Catseye didn''t die two years ago?" Erick smiled and said, "Yes. I believe she''s alive." Elle looked down, clenching her fists. "S-So¡­ you also think that she was the one who killed Roland Bienvenido?" "No! I know she didn''t do it. Someone is just using her alias. I am certain and I will bet my life for it. She didn''t kill Roland." Erick said to her with certainty. Elle didn''t expect that answer coming from him She could feel the sincerity and conviction in his every word. She felt relieved. Her heart was filled with overflowing happiness because Erick didn''t think that she was the one who did that brutal killing. Elle looked at him with so much love and affection. She had the urge to hug and kiss this man right now. Too bad she couldn''t do it. Her mind was stopping her from doing that. ''Erick¡­ thank you for believing in me. This means a lot to me.'' Elle thought to herself. Elle could only smile at him."Detective¡­ you are really a great man. Hmm." Erick chuckled after hearing her remarks. "You think so highly of me, my Lady." Elle also giggled. "Yeah¡­ you never fail to amaze me, Chief Inspector Detective Lee. So let''s do this together and catch this Catseye!" Erick nodded, "Yes, we will catch this impostor. But before that, you should rest first. Go and sleep." Elle frowned and pouted. "I can''t do that. What if Catseye suddenly make an appearance while I am sleeping. I will miss the action." Erick shook his head while looking at her helplessly. "I said sleep." Elle heaved a deep sigh and said "Aye, sir!" In the end, Elle fell asleep while Erick and Carl continued their surveillance operation. Evening came but there was still no sign of Catseye lurking around Samuel Sy. Officer Kim''s team would come for their change shift. They would take over the surveillance operation from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am. Erick approached the bed where Elle was currently sleeping. After hesitating for a while, Erick finally succ.u.mbed to his desire. He joined her and lay down beside her. He took some rest and cuddled her while she was asleep. Chapter 335 - 335: Another Victim When Elle woke up, it was already night time. She slept comfortably. She felt strange. Though the room temperature was very cold the bed was warm as if someone was there a while ago, hugging her. It gave her a familiar feeling that she couldn''t explain. After a while, she got off the bed, searching for Erick. Then she found him in the living room area, looking at the laptop. The spying devices were now activated and connected to Carl and Erick''s laptop. He turned to her direction after he sensed her presence. He heard her footsteps coming in and her faint scent came to his senses. When their eyes met, Erick gave her a gentle smile. "You''re awake," Erick mumbled. "Yes, I think I overslept." Elle looked at him apologetically. Erick chuckled as he remembered how comfortable Elle was when he was cuddling her a while ago. He was glad that she didn''t wake up or else Elle would kick him out of the bed. ''Nothing change. She still sleeps like a baby.'' Erick thought to himself. Elle frowned upon seeing his bright smile. ''Why is he smiling like a fool?'' Elle pondered to herself. Elle sat down beside him. "How is it?" Erick knew she was referring to the surveillance operation they were currently doing. He shook his head and said, "No sign of Catseye. Everything seems normal. No one is suspicious. Samuel Sy is currently in the hotel lobby talking with the manager." Elle just nodded, glancing at the laptop''s screen. A video showing Samuel''s surroundings was playing on the screen. It was a shot taken by the spying camera on his wristwatch. "Officer Kim and his team are already on standby. They will take over the surveillance operation at around 8:00 pm. Do you want to go home with me or stay here?" Erick asked her in anticipation. Elle looked at him in confusion. Erick chuckled once again before he decided to elaborate his statement. "Did you forget? Today is our 24 hours date so you have to stick with me. That''s why I am asking you if you want to go home with me tonight or we should just stay here and enjoy this Royal Suite?" Elle paused for a moment, contemplating what she should choose. ''I prefer to come with him in his place but if I do that then I am ruining my cover. He will have more reasons to think that I am Elle. I know he is still thinking that I am Elle, from the way he looks at me¡­ the way he treats me.'' "Let''s just stay here. Remember, you spent a lot of money just for this Royal suite. Let''s make the most of our hotel experience here." Elle told him her decision. "Hmm, Okay. Let''s do that." Erick said cheerfully. Elle and Erick enjoyed the luxury of being VIP guests in that Hotel. Booking the Royal Suite was enough to be considered as a VIP guest of Sky Hotel. They looked like a couple having their honeymoon. They had another romantic dinner. They watched and enjoyed the overlooking night view of City Z. They stayed up all night watching different types of movies. They were truly happy just simply because they were together. They had another memorable night of their lives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The weekend passed by too quickly. Today was Monday and it was the busiest day of the week for everyone who was working. Employees of the XXX Crime Investigation Bureau were no exception. Erick''s team had been working non-stop for these past few days keeping an eye on the probable next targets of Catseye. Unfortunately, Catseye didn''t make a move against those two persons. However, today they heard another piece of bad news. Catseye didn''t attack Edson Tyler nor Samuel Sy but the devilish assassin killed another person. Erick and his team went to the crime scene immediately upon receiving the report from Officer Kim. Elle and her team also came. Erick didn''t allow them to enter the crime scene first. He was afraid that something might happen again to Elle. He only allowed Josh to come with them to take some pictures and videos. The location of the crime scene was an apartment. But they couldn''t trace who was the owner of that apartment. This time they couldn''t identify the victim. It was a man in his mid-30s. Erick and his team were puzzled about Catseye''s motive in killing this anonymous person. The way Catseye killed his or her victim was different from his or her previous killings. No blood had been spilled. The victim''s body was hung and strangled to death. Catseye left the death card beside the dead body. There was also another note on the wall written in red paints. [ THIS IS MY GREETING TO ALFONSO ] "Chief Lee, what is the meaning of this? Is Catseye referring to Alfonso Ramirez? Is he the next target? And who is this guy?" Bryan asked Erick inquisitively. A deep frown creased on Erick''s face as he watched the bloody notes and the body of the victim. "I think Catseye is giving Alfonso a warning. I believe he is Alfonso Ramirez who is included in our list. This person might be related to him." Erick answered Bryan with his serious tone. "[email protected]! He is the only person we couldn''t locate. What we should do now?" Bryan said, feeling frustrated. "We must find him." Erick simply stated, clenching his jaw. Meanwhile, Elle was watching the video taken by Josh. She was surprised to see the victim''s face. She didn''t know this person. She also saw the notes. It was clearly a warning to Alfonso. ''Catseye, who are you? What are you planning to do? What will be your next move?'' Elle was thinking hard. She needed to know the identity of this new victim to get an answer. Elle and Erick were having the same thought. They believed that this person might be related to Alfonso. ''But why don''t kill Alfonso directly? Why did you kill this person, Catseye!?'' Elle was having a hard time absorbing everything that was happening. Chapter 336 - 336: Could It Be A Traitor? Charles was having his breakfast when he saw the news about Catseye being flashed on his living room''s television. Watching a morning news program- he got this habit after living with Antoine for two years. He fixed his gaze on the TV screen. The crime scene was being shown in the video while the news anchor was narrating the details of what happened. [ "The new Catseye strikes again, killing a man in his mid-30s. The identity of the victim is still unknown. Police precinct #134 received the report from an anonymous tip early this morning." ] [ "The police officers headed by Officer Kim and agents from XXX Crime Investigation Bureau headed by Chief Detective Inspector Lee rushed to the crime scene after receiving the report." ] [ "The victim was hung in the ceiling of this apartment building, strangled to death. The new Catseye left the death card, claiming that he or she was the one responsible for this murder."] Charles frowned as he continued watching the news. "Who''s that man?" he mumbled. "What the hell is this? There''s another Catseye?!" The Disbelief and puzzlement were written over his face. [ "Catseye also left a message. It was written in red paints." ] The warning note was now being flashed on the screen. ?[ THIS IS MY GREETING TO ALFONSO ]? [ "Now, let''s hear our interview with the officer-in-charged of this case." ] After the news anchor said that, Erick appeared on the TV. He was the one interviewed by the reporter. The camera was focused only on Erick but the reporter''s questioning could still be heard in the background. She threw him several questions while Erick answered everything. Charles''s eyes darkened upon seeing Erick''s face. Until now, he couldn''t forgive him for what happened to Elle. He hated him so much. "Erick Lee!" Charles mumbled through his gritted teeth. [ Reporter: "Are you the one handling this case, Chief Detective Inspector Lee? " ] [ Erick: "Yes, I am. This case was forwarded to the XXX Crime Investigation Bureau since we were working on Catseyes''s case for so many years before it was resolved two years ago. Our Unit Head assigned this case to my team once again." ] [ Reporter: "What is your stand about this case, Chief Lee? Do you think Catseye didn''t die two years ago and now she''s back, committing more crimes and murdering people?" ] "Nevertheless, they are bad people. They deserved it." Charles couldn''t help but share his opinion. [ Erick: "All I can say for now is that this Catseye is not the same Catseye whom we were chasing two years ago. This is a different person. We will do our best to catch this new Catseye." ] "You seem like you are doing well, Erick." Charles hissed while looking at Erick with his scrutinizing and ridiculing eyes. Erick''s interview was done. The camera moved to the news anchor who was saying her last statement. [ "That''s our breaking news for today. This is Sandy, from Morning Star Media." ] Cough! Cough! Charles choked on his coffee the moment he saw the face of the reporter. He was baffled to see that face once again. "[email protected]! T-That girl?! That reporter girl! She''s the one who I saved in the nightclub just a few nights ago! The one who..." Charles couldn''t finish his sentence. He felt a little bit embarrassed after remembering what happened between them inside his car. "F*ck! I can''t believe this. She''s a reporter, for goodness''s sake! How could she do that with me? Does she not care about her image?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Catseye''s message was delivered to the intended person since Alfonso Ramirez also saw that news. He was having a gloomy expression early this morning because of that news. He somehow knew that he was the Alfonso who Catseye was referring to in his or her note. The person who was killed by Catseye was related to him. He was his previous assistant and middleman who was working for him in the Research Facility in the countryside two years ago. "Why this Catseye is targeting me?" Alfonso was racking his brain, trying to figure out Catseye''s motive. He felt really troubled by this. He had a nagging feeling that this action had something to do with his past deed. The reason why he was thinking about this was that Roland Bienvenido was one of the victims. "Snake is very sure and certain that the original Catseye died two years ago. So who is this new Catseye? And why members of Los Molasses Gang were being targeted by both Catseye?" There were lots of questions running in his mind right now. "Two years ago, Jefferson Gong was killed by Catseye. Carlo Vello and Diego De Dios were imprisoned because someone revealed their illegal activities. After two years, another Catseye appears, killing Roland Bienvenido. And now, I am the next target!" "F*ck! Who is this person? How come he is knowledgeable about our connection with each other? Does this Catseye know what we did in the past? But no one knew that we were the culprits in Falcon Family''s massacre. No witnesses." Alfonso was now walking back and forth across his room. He was really bothered by this incident. "Could it be, there''s a traitor? The eight of us broke our ties and had sworn that no one would bring up nor talk about that incident ever again. No...Tyler and Sy, they would never talk nor betray us." After a while, a certain someone popped up in his mind. "Snake! Aside from us, he was also aware of what happened 18 years ago. [email protected] you Snake! Are you the one playing tricks on me now? Are you using Catseye to threaten and frighten me? I won''t let you get away with this! Once I find the proof, I will make you pay for this! A traitor will always be a traitor!" Alfonso was fuming in rage just thinking that all of these were just part of Snake''s sneaky play. Alfonso immediately called his subordinates and gave them a task to spy and monitor Snake''s movement and whereabouts. He was suspecting him. Chapter 337 - 337: Not A Simple Case Two days had passed but still, there was no sign of Catseye nor suspicious movement around Edson Tyler and Samuel Sy. Erick''s team also strengthened their intel in tracking Alfonso''s whereabouts. Officer Kim''s team and Erick''s team interchanged the schedule of their surveillance operation. Today, Officer Kim''s team would take over the Day Shift while Erick''s team was assigned for Night Shift. Erick gathered his team for a meeting. They would be exchanging updates and information regarding their investigation. "How''s the progress in identifying the identity of Catseye''s recent victim?" Erick asked his team. "Chief, I found him in our database. His name is Arthur Siovaki, 37 years old. He is a native from Province Ork. That''s the only information included in our system." Rose replied to him. "Chief Lee, I feel something strange about this. I wonder why there''s only a small amount of information in our database about this man. Honestly, I found this as very absurd." Rose added, raising her suspicion. Everyone fell silent including Erick. They were thinking of possible reasons for this. Suddenly, April spoke up, breaking the silence. "Chief Lee, I remember something. This is not the first case when our database only gives us such small details about a certain person." Everyone averted their gaze to April, feeling intrigued. Erick signaled her to continue. "Remember, two years ago? The MV. Athena''s incident. We tried to identify some dead bodies which were retrieved by the coastguards. The database also gave us this kind of background information that was not significant in the case." April shared with them. A light flashed through Erick''s eyes. He somehow knew the answer to this. "Dark Knight¡­ They are members of the Dark Knight Organization. Elle mentioned that organization to me and Bryan. This organization is not just an ordinary syndicate. They are powerful enough to hide their traces. That''s the main reason we failed to provide proof and evidence about their involvement in the MV. Athena''s incident." Erick could not hide his frustration just thinking about the past. The Dark Knight moved quickly after that incident. They cleaned their mess and they were not implicated in that incident two years ago. The Azumi Twins took all the responsibility, denying that an organization hired them. They declared that they chased after Catseye as part of their revenge. Avenging their fellow members who were killed by Catseye. Assassin Guild announced their sole involvement during that operation. "So, this might be our clue. There is a possibility that this Arthur Siovaki is also a member of the Dark Knight Organization." Carl blurted out. "As well as Alfonso Ramirez! That''s why we had difficulty tracking him!" Allen also shared his deductions with the team. "Catseye killed Arthur since he is related to Alfonso. Is Catseye also targeting the Dark Knight Organization?" Bryan couldn''t help but ask them. "That''s also possible." Erick simply stated, but he was still having conflicting thoughts about this. "Oh my, so bold and fearless. This new Catseye seems like he or she is going against some powerful organization like the Dark Knight. Then how about Skull Gang? As far as I could remember, Skull Gang also hired Black Shadow to hunt Catseye before." June said exasperatedly. "I heard from the underground world that Skull Gang and Dark Knight are having their war. So what''s going on here? Will this Catseye interfere and attack both organizations?" Allen also commented, giving them his speculation. "Whoah¡­ wait. Hold on, guys! Don''t give us quite a shock. I am having goosebumps just thinking about this! Are we going to investigate these two powerful organizations in the underground as well?" Rose complained, her voice filled with worries. There was another moment of silence after that. Erick massaged his temples. He knew that this case was not that simple. By looking at these assumptions and speculations, he couldn''t deny the fact that investigating this case might lead them to a much more dangerous mission. For the past two years, he spent his time conducting a secret investigation on Los Molasses Gang, Skull Gang, and The Dark Knight Organization. That''s one of the reasons he always worked overtime. He was maximizing all the resources he had just to find some answers. He was doing this for Elle. He didn''t care about going against powerful organizations by himself but he couldn''t afford to involve his team with this. He didn''t want to put their lives in danger. "I can''t guarantee that the Skull Gang or the Dark Knight will not be implicated in this case. But for now, let''s just focus on how we will catch this new Catseye first. Don''t worry too much. I will not let anyone of you be in danger because of this mission. As your team leader, you are now my responsibility. Just trust me." Erick said, reassuring them. ''Just leave those organizations to me.'' Erick added to his thoughts. Everyone felt touched upon hearing Erick''s statements. They admired him more. He had leadership skills, confidence, and capability. They believed in him. Ther never doubted him once. They knew how Erick cared about his team. He was the most trustworthy man they had ever met... and also the most generous and kind-hearted man. When he was with them, it boosted their team''s morale and confidence. They had nothing to worry about. That''s the good effect and influence of Erick on his team. Now, they were more motivated to work and solve this case together as one team. They were also aware of how this case was important to Erick because of Elle. Erick never changed his feelings towards Elle even though she was Catseye. Erick loved her unconditionally despite the fact that she''s an assassin. It was no secret for them as well that Elle tried to change because of Erick. They loved each other so much. Too bad, that unfortunate incident happened two years ago thus separating Erick and Elle. Meanwhile, the meeting continued. "Now, let''s move to our next agenda. Who is going to report next?" June raised his hand and said, "Chief Lee, I got the result of the investigation about Miss Aliyah Ross''s background information." Chapter 338 - 338: The Ring Sherlock: "Supremo, I''ve done what you asked me to do." Supremo: "Good! I''ll be waiting for a positive result." Sherlock''s lips turned up into a lopsided grin after hearing Supremo''s remarks. Sherlock: "You have nothing to worry, Supremo. You know how I work. I''ve never disappointed you." This time, it was Supremo''s turn to smile as his lips tugged upwards creating a satisfied smirk on his handsome face. Supremo: "Yeah, I know that. I can always count on you, Sherlock. So how''s Aliyah doing for the past few days?" Sherlock: "Our Queen is really determined to catch the impostor. She and her team are working closely with the members of XXX Crime Investigation Bureau headed by Chief Detective Lee." There was a moment of silence on the other line after Sherlock said that information to Supremo. Sherlock: "Supremo? Is there something wrong?" Supremo: "Nothing. Just continue to keep an eye on her. Make sure she''s safe." Sherlock: "Got it, Supremo. I know what to do." After giving Sherlock his final instruction, Supremo hung up the phone. He was preparing for his flight. Today, he was going to City Z. Elle had no idea about this. He intentionally hid his plan from her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** The meeting continued. Now, it was June''s turn to report what they got on Aliyah''s background. He connected his laptop to the projector screen inside the conference room. He flashed some pictures of Aliyah Ross which were taken when she was still in the States. Then June started to share the information with the team. Everyone was so focused on the screen, most especially Erick. "Aliyah Ross, the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ross. Ross Family has been living in the City of Palm Spring for two decades now. Her parents were from City Z but they migrated to the States 20 years ago." "These are the shots of the legal doc.u.ments about the proof of her identity. Her Birth Certificate, Diploma, IDs, and Passport. She was a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication, Major in Journalism, in one of the prestigious Universities at New Orleans." "She has a successful career as a reporter from a well-known Media Company in the States, the TNI Broadcasting Company. She worked there for one and a half years before she resigned. Miss Sandy is her co-worker and her friends." "And just recently, she decided to visit her parents'' homeland. That''s why she returned here at City Z together with her friend Sandy. TNI Broadcasting Company referred the two of them to Morning Star Media Company. That''s why they started working there as soon as they arrived here." "So, these are the pieces of information we got after investigating her background. Nothing is suspicious about her. Although she looks like Elle, Aliyah Ross is a different person. She couldn''t be Elle." When June had finished his report, everyone fixed their gaze towards Erick. They were anticipating his reaction. Meanwhile, Erick remained unmoving on his seat. His eyes were still glued on the projector screen. He was tapping his fingers on the table, thinking silently. He had conflicting thoughts about this. ''What was written in the Doc.u.ments could be a lie. It is easy to make fake doc.u.ments nowadays.'' These were the thoughts in his mind right now. No one among them dared to speak first. They were waiting for Erick to say some words when suddenly they heard a knock outside the conference door. Knock! Knock! "Chief Lee, permission to enter. I am Officer Clint from the forensic team." The man stated his name and department. "Come in," Erick promptly. The man entered the conference room. Everyone was looking at him with confusion. "Do you have something to report to us, Officer Clint?" Erick asked him. "Yes, Chief Lee. Apology for interrupting your team meeting." Officer Clint slightly bowed down as he apologized. "It''s alright, Officer Clint. What do you have here for us?" "Chief Lee, I''m afraid I have to apologize once again. What I am about to tell you is related to the incident two years ago. I am sorry, it took me two years to tell you this." Everyone was baffled after hearing that. Meanwhile, Officer Clint continued speaking to them. "I know it''s late because of my negligence. But still, you need to know this. I almost forgot about the existence of this object until I heard that Catseye reappeared. Because of that, I remembered that I had this item in which one of the members of our medical team two years ago had retrieved from one of the dead unidentified burned bodies." Officer Clint picked up something from his pocket and handed it over to Erick. The small item was inside a very small transparent plastic bag. When Erick got a hold of that object, the astonishment flickered through his eyes. His team also saw it with their own eyes. It was a diamond ring. They felt puzzled the moment they saw Erick''s reaction. He was in between the state of shock and emotionally wrecked. His team looked at him worriedly. "Erick¡­ what''s wrong?" It was Bryan who found his courage to speak up and ask him. Erick just ignored Bryan. He turned to Officer Clint and asked him with his desperate and shaky voice. "W-Where did you get this...r-ring?" Officer Clint was taken aback by the sudden change of Erick''s expression. He looked like he was not in his usual self right now. In his mind, he already told him where he got that ring so he was wondering why Erick was asking him again. He had no choice but to say it once again. "From one of the unidentified burned dead bodies, a casualty during the explosion of MV. Athena two years ago." Thud! "Erick!" "Chief Lee!" They called him out as they witnessed Erick stagger on his footings and suddenly slump his body down his seat. He appeared to be utterly devastated right now. Bryan approached him immediately, facing him and holding his shoulders. "Erick, tell me. What is it?" Bryan softly said, pleading him to speak. Bryan had a bad feeling about this. He had seen this kind of Erick''s reaction before. Erick closed his eyes while clenching the ring on his hand. "T-This is... the ring¡­ I gave... to Elle after I proposed to her two years ago." Chapter 339 - 339: The Rain After The Sunny Day A stream of rain was splattering on the patio and then a bolt of lightning lit up the sky followed by the rumbling of thunder. It was a clear sunny day this morning. No one had expected that it would rain in the afternoon. Elle and Sandy were about to take their lunch. They were now approaching the entrance glass door of their office building. When they were finally out, Elle''s eyes found Erick, who stood in the rain, staring towards her direction, as if he was waiting for her. Elle''s brows knitted in a frown. ''What is he doing here? Why is it he is just standing there, in the middle of the rain?'' "Sandy, go ahead first," Elle said before she walked towards Erick in a rush. She was holding an umbrella. "Hey, Chief Lee! What are you doing here? Are you crazy? Why is it you didn''t enter the building?" Elle scolded him but her voice was filled with genuine concern. ''How long had he been standing here?'' Elle asked herself while eyeing Erick from top to bottom. His hair and his clothes were already drenched with the rain. Erick didn''t answer her. Melancholy descended over him as he stared at her face. He adjourned the meeting right away and came rushing there to see Elle. He needed to get some answers or else he would go nuts. "Let''s get out of this drenching rain first," Elle said helplessly as she took his hand. She darted through the pouring rain going back to the building while pulling Erick. Then Erick suddenly hugged her, never imagining anything could feel so right despite the rain and cold. It was a rib crushing hug. Though he''s wet and squeezing her too tightly with this embrace Elle didn''t mind it. However, she noticed that something was a bit off with Erick right now. "Erick, are you okay? Is there something wrong?" This time Elle''s voice was soft and gentle unlike before when she was scolding him a while ago. "T-Tell me¡­ tell me the truth. You are Elle, right! You are Elle¡­ please say it. Elle is alive. She''s not dead." Erick''s raspy voice rang in her ears. Elle was tongue-tied. She was not prepared for this. She could hear the helplessness and desperation in Erick''s voice. Without hearing any answer from her, Erick released her from that tight hug. His gaze fell on her face, meeting her eyes. Elle could see the sadness and pain in his eyes right now. But still, there was still a gleam of hope in them. Not breaking their eye contact, Erick spoke up again. "This is the last time I will ask you this. Please... tell me the truth while looking into my eyes. Who are you? Are you Elle or not?" "I-I¡­" Elle couldn''t finish her sentence. His intense gaze was quite pressuring. Elle didn''t know what to do or what to say at that moment. She was put in a dilemma. Her mind and her heart were having an internal conflict. Yes or No? Follow her heart or follow her mind? What is the right thing to do? Seeing Erick like this, her resolve was weakening. She was wavering. She wanted to say yes in order to wash away his pain. But if she told him now that she was Elle, things would be more difficult for her, for both of them. That''s what she thought at that moment. "Please¡­ say something." Erick''s eyes were now shedding tears in front of her. He was in pain. He was engulfed by intense sorrow. He felt like his world was falling into pieces once again. She was his only hope right now or else his life would go back to that darkness, with no lights and no happiness, only sadness and regrets remained. After her long silence, Elle finally found her courage to respond. She already made up her mind. After much thought and careful consideration, she came up with a certain decision. She would give him an answer which was not a lie. That''s her only consolation. "I am¡­ I am not Elle." Elle said to him while looking straight into his eyes. ''Yes, that''s true. I am not, Elle. Erick, that''s the truth. I am not Elle because I am Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon. Elle is just my other identity. I will tell you this at the right time.'' Elle had no idea that the last four words she uttered really broke Erick''s heart and killed his hope once again. Erick took a step back. He looked down, wiping his tears in his face. That''s the time Elle had noticed that Erick was holding something in his right hand. She heard him chuckle while looking down. His body shook because of his humorless chuckle. Erick opened his closed fist then Elle saw the ring in his palm. Elle''s eyes widened. She couldn''t be wrong. That ring was the same ring Erick had given her two years ago after he proposed to her. ''That''s my ring! I accidentally left this ring in the States. How come it''s here? How come Erick got a hold of this ring?'' Then someone crossed her mind- Supremo. Elle''s eyes darkened as she gritted her teeth. ''He made a move behind my back! He is aware of what is happening here. He sent someone to follow and monitor my every move. [email protected]! He knew all along that I already approached Erick.'' Elle didn''t know what to feel right now. She knew she was the one who broke his rule first and she felt guilty about that. But she couldn''t help but feel mad and upset about what he did. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard Erick''s voice once again. "I am sorry for this inconvenience. Please just forget what happened here. I was not in my right mind a while ago. Please forgive me, Ali, for my inappropriate action. I think I should leave now, Miss Ross." Erick''s voice was now as cold as the rain. He didn''t wait for Elle to say a word. He turned around and walked away, not looking back. "Erick!" Elle called him out. She had the urge to follow him but after what she did, she couldn''t find her courage to take a step and chase after him. It seemed like the sky was sympathizing with them. The sky was so dark, covered by gray clouds. Heavy rains continued to pour down from above like how their tears fell from the corner of their eyes like raindrops. With nothing but his troubled thoughts and broken self, the cold rain, and a lonely space inside his car that was parked down on the side road, he didn''t feel like leaving just yet. The rain splattered hard against his car windows and car windshield, drawing his gaze back to the direction where he left Elle. Erick punched his chest with his closed fist which was still holding Elle''s ring. "It hurts¡­ I felt like dying a thousand times once again." Erick looked outside, glancing at the sky. "Why? Why? Why are you doing this to me?... Why?" Lightning sparked above the clouds and the sky just answered him with a rumble of loud booming thunder. Chapter 340 - 340: Sherlock: The Sneaky Fellow When Erick left her, Elle just stayed rooted in her spot for only God knew how long. Her gaze was fixed to the direction where he disappeared from her sight. Her eyes were also red because of her tears. People who were passing by were looking at her strangely. They were talking about her as if she was a girl who was dumped or cheated on by her boyfriend based on her expression. Fortunately, Elle''s focus came back the moment she heard the ringtone of her cellphone. She realized that she was still in the public place and people around her were giving her a weird and curious look. Elle immediately fixed herself, wiping the tears in her face as she answered the phone. "Hey, Ali? Where are you? It''s already been half an hour. Why are you not here yet? Our foods are already served here. Come here now. Same location, Table # 3." The caller was Sandy. They were supposed to have their lunch when Elle saw Erick outside their office building. "K¡­ I''m coming." After saying that, Elle quickly hung up the phone. With a heavy heart, Elle followed Sandy to the Fastfood Chain where they usually ate their lunch. It was just a walking distance from their office. The rain finally stopped. After a while, she arrived at the said location. Elle barely touched her food. She lost her appetite and didn''t feel hungry at all. "What happened to you? Why is it you look like sh!t? Are you sick? Did you bring your medicine?" Sandy said at her, lifting an eyebrow. ''Yes, I am sick. But no medicine can cure this illness nor can help me stop this pain. This illness is called lovesickness. Only Erick can cure [email protected]¡­ this is so tiring and exhausting. Erick, my hubby, I am sorry. This is all my fault. I''m in a big mess right now!'' Elle thought to herself. "HELLO to the world, Aliyah!" Sandy yelled at her while waving her hand in front of Elle''s face. She did that because Elle didn''t respond to her. She succeeded in getting Elle''s attention and bringing her back out of her wandering thoughts. "Sandy!" Elle suddenly exclaimed. "What?" Sandy replied. "Tell me honestly. Did you talk to him? Are the two of you communicating? Are you reporting my every action to him?" Elle bombarded Sandy with so many questions, giving her an accusing look. "Whoa! Whoa! I can''t believe it, Aliyah Ross? Are you accusing me of spying on you and reporting everything to your overprotective knight in shining armor who is also your guardian?" Sandy reacted exasperatedly, pretending to be upset as she was slightly hurt by her accusation. Sandy knew the ''him'' who Elle was referring to. Elle just observed Sandy for a few seconds. ''No. I think it''s not Sandy.'' Elle mumbled to herself. She was very certain about it. Elle sighed deeply before apologizing to her friend. "I am sorry. I didn''t mean to upset you. I am just asking you." "That''s not the tone of someone who was just asking. It sounded more like you are accusing me already." Sandy pouted as she folded her arm over her chest. "I said I am sorry. Please forgive me, my dear, Sandy." Elle said, trying to appease her. "Alright. But just to make it clear¡­ I didn''t contact him. I was so busy with our work you know. The problem of the two of you is none of my business. Besides, you are my friend, not him. I won''t stab you in the back. He just told me to inform him if your old illness will start to act up again." Sandy still answered Elle''s inquiry. "Yeah¡­ I believe you. Sorry again." "Ok. Just take a few bites. You have not eaten anything yet. You need more energy for our work. If you get sick then I might really contact him. Is that what you want?" Sandy urged her to eat by threatening her. Elle had no choice but to comply. When they went back to the office, Elle couldn''t concentrate on her work. She was really distracted, thinking a lot of things. Erick''s face and their last interaction a while ago kept hounding her mind. She was also trying to figure out who was the person spying on her. She was always on high alert since the day she returned to the City Z. She trusted no one. She knew the danger she would be facing the moment she stepped back in this City. Some already saw her face and knew Catseye''s identity. And she was aware that there were people in the authorities who were working for the Dark Knight Organization. She was very careful not to alert the enemies. She didn''t even try to contact Master Phantom nor Charles. This time she didn''t want to involve the people she loved in her revenge. She would do it by herself using Supremo''s power. That''s why she was wondering now, despite being alert and cautious, how come someone was able to hide from her radar and was still able to do some spying. ''What a sneaky fellow?!'' Elle mumbled through gritted teeth. She was really mad and not in a good mood especially after hurting the man she loved. She tried calling Supremo to confront him but his phone was switched off. After a few hours of racking her brain hard, she got some answers. Elle did some experiments to confirm her suspicion. And Viola! The mole just took the bait. Elle snuck out of their office. And she felt someone else''s presence, following her. After a while, she went back to their office wearing her signature evil smile. Elle approached Josh. "Hey, Josh¡­ Can I request something? If you do this for me I will take this as a great favor. Please." Elle said, trying to convince Josh to help her out. Josh felt weird and puzzled but seeing Elle''s pleading look, he was not able to refuse her. "Sure, Ms. Ali. What is it?" Josh said, agreeing to help her out. Elle smiled and said "Don''t tell this to Sandy. Ok?" Josh just nodded at her while scratching his face. "Great!" Elle said. Then after that, she gave him her instruction. She would implement her plan after working hours. Elle''s lips turned up into a sly smirk. She couldn''t wait to catch that person! ********** Office hours ended. Elle let Sandy leave first. She didn''t go with her. She told her that she still had something to do. Sandy just nodded at her and didn''t ask her further. When Elle made sure that Sandy completely left the building, she contacted Josh. Soon, she went to the parking lot where Josh was waiting for her. Most of the employees already went home. There were only a few cars present in the parking area. Josh waved at her the moment he saw her. Elle also waved back at him with a smile. The moment Elle reached him, Josh opened the car door for her. But Elle didn''t enter the car right away. Instead, she grabbed Josh''s hand which was holding the car door. Then Elle kicked the car door to close it. The next thing she did was twisting Josh''s hand and pushed him on the car. It happened so fast. Josh was not able to react. He was caught off guard by Elle''s sudden attack. He was now being pinned down on the hood of his car. "Aww! Miss Ali! What are you doing?" Josh asked her anxiously, grunting because Elle was applying force on his arm which was bound by her. "Talk now, if you don''t want me to break your arm for real. Who are you? Your code?" Elle said firmly. There was a hint of irritation in her voice. Elle''s smiling face was long gone. She was staring at him with her cold stare. "What are you talking about, miss Ali?!" Josh refused to give in. "Aaah!" He squealed in pain. Elle squinted her eyes at him. "Miss Ali your A*s! You know who I truly am. I am not bluffing. I will really break this arm. One¡­ two¡­" "AAAH! Our Queen please stop! I''ll talk now. I''m Sherlock. That''s my code name!" Josh promptly revealed himself. He had no choice. Their Queen had cornered him big time! He was deceived by her. Chapter 341 - 341: Interrogation Sherlock finally revealed himself to Elle. He had no choice. Their Queen had cornered him big time! He was deceived by her. This afternoon, he saw Elle acting a little bit weird and suspicious. She secretly snuck out of their office. Since Supremo wanted to make sure her safety, Sherlock followed her. It turned out it was just an act in order to catch him. Elle just went to a store nearby then she went back to their office with a wide grin. Unknown to Sherlock, he was already discovered by their Queen that''s why she was smiling. The moment he entered their office, Elle was already waiting for him. Then she approached him, asking a favor. Elle told him that she would go out tonight and do some surveillance to Catseye''s possible target. She asked him to accompany her and make it a secret to Sandy. He couldn''t refuse her request and besides, he needed to be close to her at all times to ensure her safety. That''s the main task given to him by Supremo. So he agreed. Elle told him that they would go together after work. So he waited for her in the parking lot. Never he imagined that he already blew his cover. Elle suddenly attacked him and he couldn''t fight back. Even if he could still he couldn''t hurt her. Their Queen was quite formidable and fearsome. For him, she was more frightening compared to Supremo when she''s angry. Elle, on the other hand, was already suspecting Josh. Thinking back, she realized that Josh was sometimes acting suspiciously. The way he was looking at her. Her suspicion intensified when she recalled that Josh was there, lurking around when she and Erick were having their conversation a while ago. Elle didn''t release his arm yet. She continued pinning him down his car''s hood, facing down. "I will ask you questions and I want you to answer me with the truth. If you lie to me then this arm will be done for. Understand?!" Elle''s cold voice could send a shiver to his spine. The Queen was furious! "Yes, my Queen! Just ask me anything." Sherlock promptly said. ''Supremo, forgive me! Your Queen is very smart and clever.'' "Since I arrived here, you were already following me, am I right?" "Yes." "So, did you arrange everything that''s why you became our assigned cameraman?" "Yes! I intentionally approached you. Aaah!" Sherlock exclaimed when Elle twisted his arm again and put more force against it. "So that''s mean, all my actions were being reported to Supremo since the day I arrived here." Elle''s grip on his arm tightened. "No! No! My Queen! You''re wrong!" Sherlock said anxiously. "Aaah!" "Heh¡­ I said no lies!" Elle warned him. "My Queen, believe me. I am not lying! I just started reporting to Supremo the day Catseye reappeared! The truth is I followed you here in this company so that I would be closer to you. Supremo didn''t ask me to do this. It''s my own initiative." "Are you defending and covering up for your Supremo now?" Elle sneered at him. "Believe it or not, that''s the truth, my Queen. I just received an order from Supremo to follow and monitor you just a few weeks ago, the day before Catseye reappeared." Elle frowned after hearing that. "So you are not the one who reported to him that I am seeing Chief Detective Lee¡­ that I already approached him?" she asked him again. "No. I''m not! I didn''t¡­ I swear! Even if you break my two arms, I am telling the truth. But why? Will Supremo gonna be mad if you get close to the Chief Detective?" Sherlock still managed to gossip in his situation right now. Elle squinted her eyes at him before hitting his head. "Aw!" "Don''t ask me a question! I am the one interrogating you right now." Elle could sense that Sherlock was telling the truth. If he didn''t tell Supremo then why he had to assign his men to spy on her. "Then, what''s the reason why Supremo had asked you to spy on me?" "I don''t know. Maybe he sensed something would happen. See, after I got the order, Catseye''s impostor suddenly appeared. Don''t be mad at our Supremo, Queen. He just wanted to make sure that you are safe. That''s my priority task aside from reporting to him your every movement." Elle had conflicting thoughts right now. "One last question. How come my ring which I left in the States suddenly came into Erick''s possession?" Sherlock fell silent as he closed his eyes and cursed himself inwardly. ''Is that the reason why the Queen is really mad. Because of her ring!'' Sherlock wanted to cry right now. What if their Queen would really break his arm right now. "Please forgive me, my Queen! Please spare me. I am just following Supremo''s order. I know how much you treasure your ring but please forgive this poor subordinate of yours." Elle raised her brow. ''So Sherlock has something to do with this too.'' Her silence was making him more nervous. "My Queen, please talk to Supremo. He will give you an answer to that. All I know is that he asked me to do this for your own good." Elle sighed deeply before releasing Sherlock. Meanwhile, Sherlock heaved a sigh of relief the moment Elle stopped restraining him. He thought he was gonna die in her hands tonight. "I am trying to contact him but his phone was switched off." Sherlock avoided her gaze as he massaged his hurt arm. He knew why Supremo''s phone was switched off. He was probably on his flight right now going to City Z. This time Sherlock had no plan to betray his Supremo. He would not tell Elle that Supremo was coming. "My Queen, what should I do now?" Sherlock asked her carefully, afraid that he might anger her once again. Elle looked at him with her sharp eyes. "I am not done with you yet. I''ll decide what should I do to you after I confronted Supremo." Sherlock: "..." He thought he was already saved but he was mistaken. His punishment just got delayed since their Queen had not yet decided what kind of punishment she should give him. Chapter 342 - 342: A Thief in the Night Despite how devastated he was for everything that happened today, still, Erick went on duty for tonight''s surveillance operation. Carl didn''t know how to approach him. Erick was just sitting quietly inside their service van, watching the computer screen. Their car was parked in the vicinity area of Samuel Sy''s compound. He knew that Erick was still in shock because of the revelation Officer Clint had told them this morning. They were thinking that they finally found Elle''s missing body because of the ring. He knew how hard it was for Erick, killing the remaining hope he had that Elle was still alive out there. Erick left their office immediately then when he came back his clothes were all wet. He had no plan of changing his clothes, fortunately, Bryan was there. He brought him extra clothes and urged Erick to change or else he might catch a cold. But, it looked like Erick''s immune system also gave in today. He started sneezing and coughing. Carl glanced at him worriedly. "Chief Lee, I think you should go home now. You don''t look well. Did you take medicine?" Carl could no longer stay silent. "It''s alright¡­ Cough! Cough! I''m just fine." Erick simply stated. Carl just looked at their stubborn Chief helplessly. ''What is he doing? Trying to kill himself for overworking?'' Carl didn''t know how to handle Erick, that''s why he called a friend. He had no choice but to disturb Bryan tonight and inform him that Erick was not feeling well yet still insisting on staying. After half an hour, a car arrived at their location and Bryan alighted from it. He immediately approached Erick''s highly tinted service van. He knocked two times before the door was opened. It was Carl who let him enter. When Erick saw Bryan, his brows were automatically drawn together in a frown. "What are you doing here, Sergeant Velasquez?" Erick asked him with his hoarse voice. Bryan was looking at him with a very serious face. "I came to substitute you for tonight''s duty. Oh before that, I also came to pick you up and I am planning to drive you home." Erick was unhappy to hear that. "I said I am just fine." He turned to Carl with his chilly glint. ''[email protected], I am just worried about you, Chief.'' Carl was tongue-tied after seeing the cold and grim expression of Erick. Bryan sighed helplessly. "You need to rest, Chief Lee. You are not in your 100 percent condition to work tonight. If something might happen tonight and everything goes wrong because you are not feeling well then are you still insisting on staying here despite the fact that you might put yourself and your partner''s life in jeopardy?" K.O! Bryan just hit Erick''s soft spot. Even though Erick could be so stubborn sometimes, he was not the kind of person who would let his colleagues be put in danger. Erick also knew his body well. He could feel it too. He already had a fever but he just tried to endure it or rather he just ignored it. Having no way to refute Bryan, Erick moved from his seat, stepping out of the car. Carl and Bryan just followed him. "I''m sorry about this. I''ll just take a rest tonight. But tomorrow I''ll take over. Bryan, please assist Carl tonight. Report anything unusual to me. Is that clear?" Erick finally agreed on going home. Bryan: "Yes, Chief!" Carl: "Noted, Chief!" The two men felt relieved after they succeeded in convincing Erick to go home and rest. "Erick, just leave this to us," Bryan said as he tapped his shoulder. Erick just gave him a nod before turning back going towards Bryan''s car. Bryan just told Carl to wait for him. He would just drop Erick to his house. Unknown to them, Elle was also there, watching over them from a distance. After confronting Sherlock a while ago, she told him to scram. She took his car keys and used his car, without telling him where to go. Afraid that their Queen might become furious again, he had no choice but to follow her order. Sherlock just made a mental note to inform Supremo that his existence was already discovered by their Queen. "What''s wrong? Why did Erick and Bryan leave Carl? Is he the only one doing the surveillance tonight?" Elle mumbled to herself, wondering. "I should have planted a spying device on them too." In order to get some answers, Elle decided to show herself to Carl and just asked him directly. As usual, Carl was surprised to see her. "Miss Ali, what are you doing here?" Carl blurted out in disbelief. "I miss some action so I decided to come with you again for this surveillance operation," Elle said as an alibi. "Oh, I guess you really need a partner tonight. Why are you alone? Where''s Chief Lee?" Elle simply asked him. Carl just scratched his face while smiling awkwardly at her. ''If Chief Lee is here I am sure he won''t allow Aliyah to join us. She''s still a civilian.'' "I''m sorry, Miss Aliyah. I am afraid this time I can''t allow you to join us in this surveillance operation. It is dangerous. You shouldn''t be here. Besides, I am not alone. Bryan will be my partner tonight. Chief Lee is not feeling well. I think he has a cold right now." With that, Elle got the answer she needed. Erick was not feeling well so Bryan came here to fetch him. After dropping him at his place, Bryan would return and accompany Carl for tonight''s operation. "Alright! I think you are right. I shouldn''t be here right now." Elle said which made Carl feel grateful. He was glad that Aliyah didn''t insist on staying, unlike their stubborn Chief Lee. ''I should go and check on Erick.'' That''s what Elle was thinking at that moment. She was worried about him. She believed that he got sick because he was drenched with rain this afternoon. Elle bade Carl goodbye, leaving the place in a rush. She headed straight to Erick''s place. She parked nearby and saw Bryan''s car leave. She just remained in her car while watching Erick''s house. Soon, all the lights were turned off. Erick went to sleep. "[email protected], Elle! What are you thinking by coming here?" she asked herself exasperatedly. She forgot that she couldn''t let Erick see her. But she was worried about him. She wanted to see him and be with him. Elle was contemplating whether to just leave or go to Erick. After spending an hour of thinking about what to do, her concern for him took over her mind. She didn''t care anymore. She wanted to ensure that he was just fine. She took a deep breath and stepped out of her car. She made up her mind. She would try to sneak into the house and see Erick. She was thinking that Erick would be sleeping now especially if he took the medicine. Cold-Flu Medicine had some drowsy effects. "I will just take a peek on him then leave immediately." Elle kept saying that to herself, convincing herself that there''s nothing wrong with what she was planning to do as of this moment. "Just a peek¡­ just a short peek. It will not take long. I will be quick." Elle mumbled, walking towards Erick''s house''s main door. ''Sh?t¡­ why do I feel like I am a thief trying to break into someone else''s house tonight? Elle¡­ you are really insane, reckless, and crazily in love with this detective!'' Elle thought to herself as she carefully and quietly tried to open the locked door. Chapter 343 - 343: She Took Care of Him Elle successfully unlocked the door without making an unnecessary sound. This skill was one of the advantages of being a well-trained assassin. Now, she just applied it, not to kill someone but to make sure that someone was just fine. When she entered the house, the surroundings were very dark, fortunately she caught a glimpse of a faint light coming from Erick''s room. His lampshade was on. She took light steps towards his room. She was careful not to make a sound that would wake him up. When she reached his bedroom door, Elle stopped. For precautionary measures, before she went in, Elle covered half of her face using her handkerchief and tied her long hair in a bum. She wrapped her hand around the doorknob. Hallelujah, it''s not locked! She turned it from steel into a rag and slowly pushed the door open. She silently emerged from the door, tracing her steps towards his bed. Then she saw Erick''s sleeping figure. Suddenly, she jolted to the sound of him calling her name in a croaky whisper. Her heart jumped out in both shock and nervousness. At first, she thought Erick was awake but when she looked at him, his eyes were closed. "Elle¡­ Elle¡­ please don''t leave me." "Please come back to me¡­" Elle''s heart sunk. Erick was talking in his sleep and he was calling her with his desperate voice filled with sorrow and longing. After a while, she noticed something. Erick shivered violently, curling up on the bed under his blanket. On reflex, Elle moved closer and placed her hand over his forehead. Cold sweats glistened all over his face but his skin was so hot that it felt like it could burn her hand. He was having a high fever. Elle immediately ran through his supplies where he usually kept his medicine kit. She brought it with her back to his room. She checked his temperature using a thermometer. After a few seconds, she heard the beeping sound, indicating that it was done reading his temperature. Beep! Beep! ''[email protected], 38.5 degree Celsius?!'' Elle cursed inwardly. She scanned the medicine kit but couldn''t find any cold-flu medicine. ''Where did he put his meds?'' Elle mumbled, feeling worried-sicked at the man lying on the bed. She tried to check the drawer under his bedside table. The moment she opened the drawer, Elle''s eyes widened seeing several medicine bottles of sleeping pills. Elle frowned, "Is Erick having difficulty sleeping?" she murmured as she checked those medicine bottles. For an unknown reason, her heart suddenly ached for him. She wondered if she was the main cause of this. Then her tears began to fall down her face. But she didn''t mind it. She focused on finding medicine for his fever. Finally, she found what she was looking for. She ran out of his room again and when she came back she was already holding a glass of water. Her concerned eyes fell on Erick. "Sh!t¡­ what should I do now? Wake him up and feed him this medicine? Am I Crazy? I can''t do that. But if he does not take his medicine, his fever will not go down." Elle was put in a dilemma once again. She heaved a frustrated sigh before she sat down on his bed while putting the glass of water on the bedside table. She bit her lower lip, still undecided of what she should do. Then suddenly she remembered the moment when Erick had tricked her in feeding her the medicine she refused to take. Elle''s lips turned up into a bright smile, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "That''s right. I could also do that. And I can kiss him too without his knowledge." Elle mumbled to herself. She couldn''t understand herself, just a moment ago she was shedding tears and now, she was smiling like a fool having this kind of thought. "Elle, I think you are truly insane," she scolded herself. Without wasting any more time, Elle removed the handkerchief covering her face and took the medicine into her mouth. She leaned closer to Erick, gently holding his face. Then Elle lowered her head to claim his lips. She gently brushed his lips with hers, while her thumbs were caressing his face as if she was urging him to open up his mouth in order for her to enter. Erick didn''t give her a hard time. As if his body had recognized her lips even in his half-unconscious state, his own lips moved and accepted hers. He was responding to her kiss. The kiss deepened and Erick m.o.a.ned, Elle finally found the entrance, she immediately transferred the medicine into his mouth, she pushed it using her tongue. After that Elle broke the kiss, Erick groaned in protest when he felt the absence of her warm lips. Elle slightly giggled seeing Erick''s reaction. Though his eyes were closed his brows were drawn together in a frown. Elle reached the glass of water on the bedside table and took a sip. She went back to kiss him, transferring the water into his mouth. She did it thrice to make sure that Erick completely swallowed up the medicine. After she succeeded in feeding him the medicine, Elle planted a soft kiss on his forehead. His temperature was still high. "Thank you for teaching me that strategy. It''s quite handy you know." Elle mumbled, caressing Erick''s pale cheek. The next thing she did was to find a towel and soak it with the cold water. After that, she lay the towel over his hot forehead. She got an extra towel and soaked it again in the cold water. She started wiping his body. However, Erick was still shaking, shivering from the chill. Elle sighed helplessly. "Alright! I will stay for a while. If his fever stays down then I''ll leave." She lay down beside him and hugged Erick tightly, using her own body to give him warmth and lessen the chill. She covered their bodies with the blanket. She didn''t sleep. She watched over Erick for the whole night, waiting for his fever to go down. She took care of him like a wife taking care of her sick husband. Chapter 344 - 344: His Darkest Night *** { Two Hours Ago Before Elle Snuck Into Erick''s House¡­ } *** After Bryan left, Erick headed straight to his bedroom. He stumbled to the corner of his room beside his bed. He slumped his body to the cold floor, sitting while leaning his back on the side of his bed. His head was throbbing in pain. A wave of heat coursed through his body. The fever came fast, robbing Erick of his strength. But that''s not the only thing he was experiencing right now. His eyes sunken, having a wan and sullen expression. Everything ached- his body, his mind, and his heart. Tonight was one of his darkest nights. He sniffled quietly, then a single drop of grief welled up from the corner of his eye. He was alone, no one could see his vulnerable side right now so he let it all loose. The tears of pain started running down his cheeks. His heart was bleeding. He fished out the ring from his pocket and gazed at it intently. All his hopes just crumbled today, he felt very miserable. In his mind, he knew he couldn''t bring back the past. Because if he could then he wanted to change it. He won''t allow Elle to do that rescue mission with him or he would stop everything from happening that led to M.V Athena''s tragedy. He would protect his parents against the Azumi Twins and he would catch the Twin Assassin. But all of these were now just his wishful thinking. There was a voice at the back of his mind saying that all he could do now was to carry forward until a time would come when this searing pain was distant enough to forget everything. And maybe one day, it could erase those memories from his brain. But his heart was against that idea. He couldn''t do it. For him, it was better to live in this pain and suffering than to forget about Elle. Ashen faced, he clung into his chest, continuously weeping with his silent cries. "Elle¡­ what should I do now? How can I live happily without you by my side? Wifey¡­ can''t I just follow you and be with you?" He mumbled in between his sobs. "I-I am tired now¡­ I am missing you more each day¡­" Erick gritted his teeth as he slammed his eyes shut. "Can I just¡­ go with you now¡­ wifey?" With his current state, Erick had lost his will to live. After a while, with his remaining strength, he stood up, switching the lights off from the living room. When he came back to his room, he just lay down on his bed without taking any medicine. He closed his eyes, enduring all the pains both physical and emotional pains. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** { Present Time } *** Elle stayed with Erick all night. She lay down beside him, still hugging his body. Erick began to feel comfortable with her embrace. The crease in his forehead disappeared and now he looked peaceful while he was asleep. Elle''s eyes were fixed on his sleeping face. Her gaze lingered there for a very long time. After she got tired, Elle nuzzled her face in the crook of Erick''s neck, smelling his sweet intoxicating manly fragrance. Her arm was across his strong chest. "Oh, I miss you so much, hubby." Elle murmured, planting a gentle kiss on his jawline. "If I don''t have remaining self-control then I should have ravished you and take advantage of you by now. Too bad, my sanity is still intact." Elle took a deep sigh after saying that. "Why are you still so handsome and charming even if you are sick?" Elle said helplessly while caressing Erick''s face. Elle could feel that his fever finally went down. A wave of relief flooded her. After a while, a mixture of happiness and sadness flared in her eyes. She was smiling a little, the kind of a person''s smile who was determined not to weep. She was happy because she got to stay with him and she was able to take care of him. She was sad because she knew she still had to leave since Erick must not see her once he woke up. "I am sorry, Erick¡­ for causing and giving you too much pain. I hope someday you can still forgive me for doing this. I know it''s hard to love someone like me, a very complicated person with a dark past. If I could just bury the past and forget about this revenge thing then I could be with you. But¡­ still, I couldn''t do that. I know that this is so unfair to you. I should have let you go but I couldn''t. I am being so selfish." "Now, I can feel where this is going to be. Just thinking about it, my heart is slowly breaking into pieces. I am afraid I can''t already escape this. I am afraid I might do more things that will hurt you more. I''m not sure of how you will be able to handle it. If that happens¡­ will you hate me? Will you get tired of me? Will you stop loving me? Will I be able to handle it, if, at the end of this journey, I will end up losing you?" Elle''s hug tightened after thinking about those possibilities. She was uncertain of what the future might bring. She just hoped Erick would still be there for her after everything. Elle brought her face closer to his ear before whispering something to him. "I love you, Erick. I''d love you in the past, I still love you now and I will keep loving you in the future." She had sworn those words and sealed them with a gentle kiss on his lips. After that, Elle got off the bed. Bringing everything to their usual place- the medicine kit, the glass of water, and the towels- erasing the trace of her presence as if she had not come there. Elle fixed the blanket which was covering Erick''s body. She glanced at him for one last time before leaving his room silently. Elle didn''t see that a single teardrop escaped from the corner of Erick''s eyes the moment she left him. Chapter 345 - 345: A Dream That Feels So Real Clink! Splash! Clink! Splash! Erick woke to the clinking sound of metallic objects and the splashing sound of running water. It appeared that those sounds were coming from his kitchen. He slowly sat up and leaned back on the headboard of his bed. His eyelids were weighed down. He raised his hand to massage the space in between his brows. He felt strange. Last night was throbbing in pain and his temperature was hot. But the moment he touched his forehead he could feel that his temperature went back to normal. He knew that he was having a fever last night but he didn''t take any medicine so how come he was feeling much better now compared to last night. His mind was in shambles for a moment then he remembered something. He''d dreamt of her last night. He saw Elle in his dream. In his delirious state, he caught a glimpse of her and felt her familiar presence inside his room. Was it really a dream? It seemed to be true. He pondered to himself. Then he recalled yesterday''s event. But for some unknown reason, he didn''t feel so miserable, unlike yesterday. ''Is this because I saw her in my dream? And for the first time, my dream didn''t turn into a nightmare but the other way around. At first, I could see Elle leaving me. I saw her dying in my arms then suddenly those unpleasant scenes disappeared when I felt her presence.'' "Last night¡­ she took care of me. I felt her touch¡­ her warmth." Erick mumbled as he tried to remember what he had seen to what he thought was his dream. Then he brought his finger to his face, tracing his dry lips. "She kissed me, not once, not twice¡­ but she kissed me several times," Erick mumbled then his heart started to pound rapidly inside his chest. Badum! Badum! "Why do I feel like everything that happened was not just a dream? It feels so real! I heard her voice¡­ loud and clear. She said she was sorry. She said..." { "I love you, Erick. I''d love you in the past, I still love you now and I will keep loving you in the future." } His mind kept replaying those sweet words coming from her. On impulse, he got off the bed, stood up, and peered at his surroundings. Everything was all the same. No sign of someone else''s presence. Erick heaved a frustrated sigh. "Erick¡­ Here we go again, having another false hope." Kaa-chunk! Kaa-chunk! Erick heard again another faint sound coming from outside. This time it was a sound of a knife slicing something. Erick frowned, "There''s someone outside. Not only one. Who are they?" He could hear the sound of footsteps moving across the house. He became alert. He took light steps as he slowly opened his door. He proceeded to the kitchen where the sounds were coming from. Then he saw two figures working busily in his kitchen. "Mom?! Dad?!" Erick called them out with his surprised expression "What are you two doing here?" he asked them quizzically. "Oh, son! You''re awake." His mother, Sarah, stopped what she was doing and immediately ran towards Erick, hugging him. "Of course, we are cooking." His father cracked some jokes but Erick did not laugh so he gave him a serious answer. "We are here to visit our only son." Then Raymond looked at Sarah. They exchanged meaningful glances with each other. "Why is it you didn''t inform me that you are coming?" "Because this is an unplanned and surprise visit." This time it was Sarah who answered him "Why, son? Are you not happy to see us?" she added, pretending to be sad and upset. "Mom, of course not. I was just asking. I didn''t expect to see you as early as this. What time did you travel? Because if I could estimate it, you probably left our province by 11:00 pm last night." Raymond and Sarah paused for a moment. They met each other''s gazes once again as if they were communicating with their eyes. Erick was right, they left their province by 11:00 pm and headed straight to his place because they were so worried about Erick. How did they find out that Erick was having a hard time last night, that they became worried sick about their son? Well, that was a secret for now in which only the husband and wife were aware of it. After breakfast, Erick took a bath, getting ready for work, though he hadn''t completely recovered yet from his cold. ********** Erick arrived at their headquarters. Bryan, Carl, Allen, and June would come later this afternoon because they were the ones who did the surveillance operation last night. April and Rose were the only ones present this morning. They greeted Erick as soon as they saw him. Erick merely nodded at them before he entered his office. "Chief Lee went back to his abnormal self." Rose couldn''t help herself but mumble. April nodded her head in agreement. "I think he was still shaken by yesterday''s revelation." "Grrr¡­ I want to skin that Officer Clint alive! He was the cause of this." Rose said as she crumpled the scratch paper she was holding in her hand. April just giggled at Rose''s reaction. "Stop doing that. Let''s just help Chief Lee to move on." "Yeah¡­ I know. We should do that." Rose sighed deeply. It did not take long when Erick summoned them in his office, asking them for updates regarding Senator Mondragon''s death threat case. The three of them were discussing when they heard a knock. Erick told the person outside to come in. Erick had complex emotions upon seeing the newcomer. It was Elle. Rose and April noticed the change of attitude of Erick towards Elle or rather Aliyah. The warm smile that he always wore whenever he would see her was gone. Meanwhile, Elle was looking at Erick with a deep frown in her face. She came to visit to find out whether Erick stayed at home today or not. ''I knew it! He would still come at work even if he hadn''t completely recovered! Just last night he was burning with fever. What is he doing here? He should be at his house, resting.'' On reflex, Elle suddenly asked Erick, "Why are you here?" And to everyone''s surprise, Erick responded to her¡­ very coldly, "I should be the one asking you that. Why are you here... Miss Aliyah Ross?" Rose: "..." April: "..." ''What happened to the world or rather the weather? Why suddenly we feel the chill inside this room?'' Chapter 346 - 346: Cold Treatment "I should be the one asking you that. Why are you here... Miss Aliyah Ross?" Erick said to Elle apathetically with his cold voice. Rose: "..." April: "..." ''What happened to the world or rather the weather? Why suddenly we feel the chill inside this room?'' The two ladies could feel the tension building up in the air as of this moment. Chief Lee''s attitude towards Elle turned around 180 degrees, from being warm to being cold. And this was the first time Erick acted like this towards someone, that''s why Rose and April were utterly shocked right now. They were thinking of the same thing. ''Is Chief Lee acting very cold towards Aliyah because he hates the fact that Aliyah looks like Elle?'' ''Does it mean Erick already accepted that Elle was dead¡­ and Aliyah was not Elle.'' On the other hand, Elle was also taken aback by Erick''s response. She had to admit that she was hurt by this cold treatment. For the past, Erick didn''t usually call her by her name Aliyah Ross nor Ali. He was seldom calling her by that name. But this time, he called her Miss Aliyah Ross, which was too formal just like what he did yesterday. Elle could feel the bitterness in her heart. However, she was the one to blame for this. She hurt him. Now, she could tell that Erick was convinced that Elle was dead because of that ring. Erick avoided looking at Elle''s face so while he waited for her response, he lowered his gaze, flipping the doc.u.ment in his hand. "I''m sorry." Elle blurted out. Erick''s hand stopped flipping the doc.u.ment upon hearing her sorry. ''Sorry for what?'' "I''m sorry if I have offended you with my question, Chief Lee. I just thought you will be coming late since you are doing surveillance operations at night." Elle said, trying to sound polite and formal. "I see. No need to apologize for that. Again, why are you here, Miss Ross?" Erick''s tone of voice became normal unlike the coldness a while ago. Again, Erick didn''t look at Elle. April and Rose just stayed quiet on the sides, darting their gaze back and forth between Erick and Elle. "I-I came here to get an update about Catseye''s case," she said but in her mind, she was thinking about a different thing. ''I came here to check on you. I want to scold you and drag you out of this office to bring you back home.'' "Ok. Rose, can you please brief, Miss Aliyah about the progress of Catseye''s case? April and I will continue our discussion about Senator Mondragon''s case." Erick plainly said, no hint of any emotion at all. April had to nudge Rose''s shoulder for her to recover from her stupor. She couldn''t believe it. Every time Aliyah would come to their headquarters, it was always Erick who wanted to accommodate her and talk to her personally. And now, he just ordered her to accommodate Aliyah. "Y-Yes¡­ Chief. I understand¡­" Rose finally managed to respond at Erick. Then she turned to Elle. "Come here Miss Aliyah¡­ sit beside me." The four of them started discussing separately. After a while, Elle began to sneeze, thus getting the attention of Erick, April, and Rose. Achoo! Achoo! "I-I''m sorry about that." Elle apologized to them. Elle took her handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose. Her sneezing continued. Achoo! Erick and April were interrupted again. Erick simply glanced at Elle who was now sniffing. Her nose and eyes were now red. Erick frowned, ''Did she catch a cold too because of yesterday?'' "Miss Aliyah, are you okay? I think you should take cold-flu medicine as soon as possible before it becomes flu." Rose suggested to her while looking at her worriedly. "Thanks. Don''t worry about me. I will try to drop by the drugstore later when I go back to our office." Elle said, simply stealing a glance at Erick. Her gaze was fixed to Erick''s lips. ''I think I got this cold because I fed him medicine last night using my mouth.'' Then Elle shot Erick a sharp glare. ''I stayed up all night just to take care of you. But now, you still have the guts to come for work instead of resting at home.'' When Erick glanced at Elle''s direction, he caught her glaring at him. ''Why is she looking at me like that?'' The moment Elle met his gaze, she squinted her eyes at him while pouting. Erick''s mouth twitched, he was fighting a smile and suppressing a chuckle. When he could no longer hold it, Erick stood up and excused himself for a moment, leaving. The three women in his office. After a few minutes, Erick came back and heard Elle coughing. Cough! Cough! Now, this was the early symptoms of having flu. Elle didn''t want to hassle the team so she decided to leave. However before she could say goodbye to Rose and thanked her for the updates, Erick spoke up. "I think you should call it a day, Miss Ali. Go home and rest. I think you are not in good condition to go to work today." Elle looked at him with disbelief. ''I should be the one saying this to you right now.'' Elle shot Erick a cold stare and said, "I think Chief Lee, you should apply your advice to yourself." Erick: "..." Rose: "..." April: "..." Elle already lost her cool. She felt really sick and she was upset about Erick. She turned to Rose. "Thank you Agent Rose for these updates. I have to leave now. I will treat you for lunch some other time." She also bade April goodbye but she completely ignored Erick. Then she marched out of his office. Erick was rendered speechless. He was clueless about why Elle suddenly looked mad at him. After a few seconds, Erick ran out of his office to chase after Elle. He was able to catch up with her at the entrance of the building. Erick grabbed her arm and put something into her palm. "Here, take this." Erick simply said to her before he turned around and left. Elle looked at him with confusion. She wanted to ask him but Erick immediately disappeared from her sight. Then she looked down only to see the cold-flu medicine in her palm. Erick got it for her from their headquarters clinic when he went out just a while ago. "I prefer if you will feed me this medicine too, the same way I fed you last night," Elle mumbled as she glanced at the direction where Erick vanished from her line of sight. Meanwhile, Erick was now going back to his office. He was mumbling something. "Erick, what are you thinking? She''s not Elle. She''s not Elle. She''s not Elle!" Erick emphasized and repeated the last three words like it was his own mantra conditioning his mind. Erick was scolding himself inwardly. He didn''t know how he should act in front of Aliyah. After seeing the ring, he was convinced that Aliyah was not Elle¡­ that he was just mistaken for thinking that she was Elle. However, whenever he would look at her, his heart was telling him the opposite. He could still see Elle in her, not only because they both looked alike but there''s something in her that could make his heart feel Elle''s presence. Chapter 347 - 347: She Knew I Was Sick *** At XXX Investigation Headquarters *** When the four men arrived in the afternoon, April and Rose immediately gathered them and informed them about the happenings that transpired just this morning. Of course, Erick and Aliyah, or rather Elle became their topic. The ladies told the boys about the interaction and the exchange of arguments between the two. Rose: " Chief Lee went back to being a loner. His expression right now is like a blank paper. No hint of emotions at all, just like a robot. " Carl: " Finding the proof of Elle''s death was really shocking for our Chief. He finds it hard to accept it completely. " Bryan: " All this time, he was still hoping that she''s alive. I can''t imagine the pain he is going through right now. " Allen: " Sigh! What can we do to help him? " Everyone shook their heads. They had no idea. April: " Aliyah dropped by this morning." June: "So how is it? How did Erick react?" The two ladies sighed deeply, having grave expressions on their faces. Rose: "Chief Lee, acted very cold towards her." June: "Huh? Is that true?" The ladies just nodded to confirm it. The four men fell silent. April: "Aliyah was surprised to see Chief Lee in the office so she asked him why he''s here. Then Erick responded to her with a cold voice ''I should be the one asking you that! Why are you here?" Carl: "..." June: "..." Allen: "..." Bryan: "..." Rose: " That''s so unlikely of him, right?" The men just nodded in agreement. April: " We felt that Aliyah was a little bit hurt by his cold treatment but she just endured it. She said sorry and explained why she asked that question. " Rose: " Aliyah just said that she thought Erick would be late because he did the surveillance operation last night. " Carl: " I think that''s not the only reason why Miss Aliyah asked Chief Lee why he''s here. " June: "Huh? Why do you think so? What''s the other reason?" His colleagues looked at him intently, anticipating his answer. Carl: " Miss Aliyah came last night during our Surveillance Operation at Samuel Sy''s compound. " Everyone was startled to hear that, asking themselves what she was doing there. June: "So¡­ what happened next?" Carl: " She said she wanted to accompany me during the surveillance operation because she thought I was alone. I refused her. Then I told her that Chief Lee went home because he was not feeling well. So I think the reason Miss Aliyah asked Erick why he''s here in the office is that she is thinking that Erick should be staying at home and resting." April: " So Chief Lee was sick. And Aliyah knew. Now I get it why there was a hint of worry and concern in her voice when she asked him that. " Rose: "Oh, she''s so thoughtful. Too bad Chief Lee didn''t know it." Bryan: "So what Miss Aliyah did next?" Carl: "She just said okay then she left." Little did they know, Erick heard half of their conversations, especially the last portion. Erick furrowed his brows, "Aliyah knew that I was sick last night. " Then a light gleam flickered through Erick''s eyes. His gut feeling was telling him something. "Last night¡­ could it be¡­" Erick mumbled, lots of speculation running in his mind right now. Erick moved away from his office door, avoiding being caught by his colleagues that he was eavesdropping on their conversation. On the other hand, his team continued their discussion. Carl: "Do you think Miss Aliyah''s presence is making it more difficult for Chief Lee to move on? After all, she still looks like Elle." June: " I agree. I am also wondering. Should we stop collaborating with Aliyah''s team regarding this case? " April: " That''s not a good idea. I trust Chief Lee. He would get over this. Besides, he can still work with her professionally. So we don''t need to worry about that. " Allen: "Then why don''t we consult Chief Lee if he is okay or not about working with Miss Ross?" After saying that, they averted their gaze to Bryan since he was the only person who could bring this up to Erick. Bryan: "Hey! DON''T GIVE ME THAT KIND OF LOOK!" ********** Erick felt uneasy. Something was troubling his mind again. He couldn''t erase Aliyah''s upset expression in his mind. ''Was she upset because I''d still come to work despite the fact that I was so sick last night?'' For an unknown reason, he felt guilty about her. If she was Elle, Elle would also do the same. She would be mad and upset with him. He remembered how Elle threatened him before for not allowing him to go to work for another month unless he would fully recover. Thinking about that, Erick decided to go home early and rest. When he arrived home, he saw his parents talking in the living room. His mom stood up immediately upon seeing him. She approached him and kissed him on the cheek. "Son, it''s a miracle. You went home so early." Sarah blurted out cheerfully. "I decided to work from home for today, Mom. Besides, both you and Dad are here. I should make time for both of you." Erick said to her softly. "Good decision, son." Raymond approached him and tapped his back. Erick''s lips stretched into a smile but it didn''t reach his eyes. "Dad, Mom, I will just go to my study. Just call me if you need anything." Erick kissed his Mom''s forehead and nodded at his Dad before he left them in the living room. Erick sat down in his study for several minutes, not doing anything. He was just staring blankly at the wall. After a while, he decided to pick up some doc.u.ments inside his drawer. The doc.u.ments were all about Catseye''s Case two years ago. He decided to re-read it all over again, trying to find some clue about the Skull Gang and the Dark Knight Organization. After running through it, Erick separated the reports about the cases involving Jefferson Gong, Carlo Vello, and Diego De Dios. He posted the photos taken for the report in his corkboard and whiteboard. Chapter 348 - 348: Similar Photos He looked at them, analyzing the photos. Then Erick attached the recent photo of Roland Bienvenido on the board. All the pictures of the original members of Los Molasses Gang were pinned on the board. But only the photo of Alfonso Ramirez was not his recent photo. It was an old photo of him way back 18 years ago. Erick separated the photos of Ramirez, Sy, and Tyler. "Harry Yao, Elle killed him a long time ago. He died with a very tragic death in her hands." Erick mumbled to himself. "Jefferson Gong was also killed brutally. But she spared Carlo Vello and Diego De Dios as she just allowed them to go be imprisoned." ''My wifey listened to me and Bryan. Though she tortured them, she didn''t kill them and handed over them to the police authority.'' Erick smiled from that thought. "Roland Bienvenido, the recent victim among the 8 members. He also died brutally but this time it was not Elle." Who''s the suspect in his mind? There were two. Erick picked up a photo at the top side of the whiteboard. It was a photo of Charles, Elle''s friend, and Catseye''s partner in crime. Erick was suspecting him. Aside from Charles, Erick also suspected another person but this time he didn''t have a picture of him so he just put a Red Question Mark beside Charle''s photo. Then he wrote something- [ Mr. Morgan- Elle''s Savior ] Erick thought that they were the only two people who knew about Elle''s past and her plan of revenge. "I need to find Charles, know his current whereabouts, and confront him. I hope he is not the culprit. Elle wanted him to have a new life. She will not be happy." Erick was lost in his train of thoughts when he heard a knock. "Son, may I enter? I wanna talk to you." The person outside was Raymond. "Okay, Dad. Please come in." Erick grabbed a chair for his father before he sat down. "What do you want to talk about, Dad?" Erick asked him directly. "Recently, I got a lead regarding the Falcon Family Massacre Case," Raymond informed him. Erick was taken aback. He had forgotten about that case since he focused on Elle''s case for these past two years. "Sorry Dad, I promised you before that I would help you solve that case but I failed. I felt like I broke my promise. I was not able to help you in these past few years. Did I disappoint you, Dad?" Erick felt sorry for his father. Raymond just chuckled after hearing that. "Son, I understand. You don''t have to apologize. I know that these past two years have been hell for you." Raymond said with utmost sincerity in his voice. "Thanks, Dad. But don''t worry, I will make it up to you. If you need resources just tell me and I will help you. So what did you find out? Did you find Ma. Belle?" Raymond shook his head, feeling frustrated. "Still no news about her. I wonder why I couldn''t track her, as if she already erased all her traces. She changed her identity." "Don''t worry, Dad. If she''s still alive then let''s just wish that she''s been living a happy life now. Maybe it''s better for her to leave the past behind. Losing your parents in front of your eyes¡­ it was really painful for her, just like what happened to Elle." Erick solemnly said. His heart would always clench and tighten inside his chest whenever he would talk about Elle. Seeing the sadness in Erick''s eyes, Raymond decided to change the topic away from Elle. "One week before the massacre happened, Cedrick met with someone. He was a whistleblower about a factory which was manufacturing bio-weapons." Raymond''s eyes darkened as he remembered his best friend. "So, it''s possible that the mastermind in the Falcon Family Massacre was involved in this conspiracy. Production of bio-weapon was not prohibited in our country and it can be considered as an act of terrorism." Erick shared his deductions. "Yes, son. We are thinking about the same thing. I think there is a much bigger conspiracy behind this. How come 18 years ago no one recorded this report regarding his meet-up with the whistleblower? Even us, the investigators did not get a hold of this information." "Fortunately, I did my own digging in the past that''s I found this. I think someone with great power and influence had tried to cover up this case that''s why it remained unresolved." Raymond could not help but clench his fist from that thought. A great policeman was killed together with his family but no one couldn''t pinpoint who''s the true responsible for this. Even one culprit hadn''t caught. "Dad¡­ What''s the name of the whistleblower? Perhaps I could help you track his whereabouts¡­ if he or she is still alive." Erick asked him with determination in his eyes. "Mateo Hiroshito-Aganaki Carter." Erick paused for a moment. "Whoa, what a long and very unique name, Dad." Then the father and son duo ended up bursting into a peal of laughter. "I heard he is a genius man, a young scientist who just suddenly disappeared and reported missing when he was still 19 years old." "A scientist? So there''s a possibility that he is the one creating the bio-weapons. Am I right, Dad?" "Yes, son!" "Ok Dad, I''ll use the resources of XXX Crime Investigation secretly in order to track this man," Erick reassured Raymond. "Thanks, son, I know I can count on you regarding this. Just be careful. These people might have planted their spy on the police department as well as in your Investigation Bureau." Raymond warned him. "I understand, Dad. I know what to do." Raymond was about to leave when he saw the pictures on the whiteboard. "New Case, Son?" He asked Erick with intrigue. "Yes, both new and old cases of Catseye." Erick simply replied. "Oh, it''s regarding Elle''s case. Son, can I take a look for a moment? And see the reports?" Chapter 349 - 349: Elles True Identity "New Case, Son?" He asked Erick with intrigue. "Yes, both new and old cases of Catseye." Erick simply replied. "Oh, it''s regarding Elle''s case. Son, can I take a look for a moment? And see the reports?" Raymond asked Erick permission. He knew that those files were confidential. He was a retired policeman. He was no longer in the service so he was considered civilian now. He knew civilians were not allowed to see those confidential reports. On the other hand, Erick appreciated his father for asking permission first. He, who was part of the police forces before, knew the law and the rules. "It''s alright, Dad. Just promise me one thing." Erick: "What you see, what you hear, just leave it here!" Raymond: "What you see, what you hear, just leave it here!" They recited in unison. Then they burst out laughing once again. Erick was glad that in his saddest moment, his parents were always there for him. Just talking with them, it could make him forget his troubles even just for a while. "I am really curious. Catseye was really infamous and a very skilled assassin. I still couldn''t believe that our sweet daughter-in-law was a very formidable woman¡­ and a clever one. You have a really unique taste, son. No wonder, she''s the only woman who caught your attention and interest." "Not only my attention, Dad. She took my heart, making it her slave forever." Erick said meaningfully. There was a spark in his eyes when he was saying those words. Then Erick gave him a copy of the reports regarding Catseye''s case. Raymond just scanned through it and just focused on the important details. After reading the report, Erick led his father to the bulletin boards. "Dad, be honest¡­ are you disappointed with me that I fell for someone who committed several crimes?" Erick asked Raymond seriously. Raymond paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and rubbing his chin. After a while, he gave him an honest answer. "If I didn''t meet Elle and was not able to know her then maybe I would feel a little bit disappointed. Hmmm. But thinking about our moment with her, I could say that she is not pure evil. She still has good in her. It''s just that, her dark past became a great factor that led her in this sinful path. I couldn''t judge her just because of her crimes. Everyone deserves a second chance. And I think Elle found her second chance in you. The chance to correct her wrong." Erick was becoming emotional after hearing those meaningful remarks from his father. "Too bad¡­ she''s not here with us now." Erick''s voice croaked. He was fighting the urge to cry in front of his father. Erick chose to remain quiet as he gathered his emotions first. For him, it was unmanly of him to shed tears in front of his father. Raymond started to assess the photo''s of the victims in the white boards. He was observing it thoroughly. "Son, why did you separate these photos?" Raymond asked him curiously. "Compared to Catseye''s previous victims, she attacked these people, not because of her mission as a hired assassin. They were the people she wanted to get her revenge with. People who were responsible for her parents'' death." After watching the photos for quite a long time, Raymond felt that he saw those photos or rather photos that were very similar to the ones posted on the board. Raymond''s eyes widened when he remembered something. "Son, how young was Elle when her parents were murdered?" "She said she''s only ten years old." "Erick¡­ son¡­ I think I saw these photos before." "What do you mean, Dad?" "No, I mean¡­ I saw photos similar to these." Raymond pointed out the photos of Jefferson Gong, Carlo Vello, and Diego De Dios. Without waiting for Erick, Raymond ran out of his study to get something. He went to their room. He went back holding a flash drive. "Son, come here. You need to see this." Raymond said to him with urgency. He immediately switched on Erick''s desktop computer. He inserted the flash drive then after a few seconds of waiting, Raymond clicked the folder with a file name ''Falcon''s Case''. He clicked again another folder name ''Victims'' Photo.'' Erick was just standing beside his father, his eyes were focused on the computer screen. A picture of a security guard was being flashed on the screen. "Son, this is Manuel, the security guard of Falcon Family. He died because of a head injury. His head broke from a strong impact when he was hit by a baseball bat." Raymond explained to him. Erick didn''t speak. He just let his father talk. "This photo is similar to the photo of the dead body of Jefferson Gong. Elle made him wear a security guard uniform with the same design as Manuel''s uniform." "Son¡­ I don''t think this is just a coincidence. I read in the report that aside from multiple stabs, Gong also had a head injury caused by a baseball bat." Raymond clicked another picture. "This is Marites, Ma. Belle''s personal nanny. She was s.e.x.u.a.lly assaulted first by the suspects before they killed her." "Vello and De Dios, it was said in the report that they were kidnapped and tortured physically. They were also s.e.x.u.a.lly assaulted before they were handed over to the police." "Son, Elle was sending a secret message, a warning to those who were involved in her parents'' murder case. Vello and De Dios must be the culprit who s.e.x.u.a.lly assaulted Ma. Belle''s nanny." "You said, Elle witnessed her parents'' murder in their own house. She was also 10 years old when that incident happened. Oh my God, Son¡­ Erick¡­ I think¡­ Catseye''s revenge is related to Falcon''s Massacre Case¡­ Elle and Ma. Belle¡­ Oh, [email protected]¡­ Elle is the one we are looking for!" "Elle is the missing daughter of Cedrick and Jasmine Falcon. She''s Ma. Belle!" Erick was tongue-tied at the moment. No words could explain nor describe what he was feeling right now due to this discovery. The child he and his father were looking for all these years was Elle. Chapter 351 - 351: Both of Them are Scary ?? { Phone Conversation } ?? Supremo: "Sherlock¡­ Are you going to report something to me or not? Why did you call me if you will just stay silent like that?" Supremo felt a little impatient towards Sherlock. It was him who called him first but now, Supremo could somehow sense that Sherlock was hesitating to tell him what it is. Unknown to him, Sherlock was very anxious right now. He didn''t know how to bring up the topic to Supremo about his failure. It was just the other day, Sherlock assured him that he would do the job very well. He even said to him confidently that Supremo had nothing to worry about since he had never disappointed him before. ''Well, I guess... it will be alright since this is the first time I failed the mission he gave me. Just my first mistake.'' Sherlock was trying to convince himself. Though he couldn''t know where to start. He was ashamed since Supremo had high expectations of him and he told him that he would always count on him. He was still contemplating when Supremo spoke up again from the other line. Supremo: "Don''t drag this for too long. I will not wait for you for the whole day. I still have important things to do. Spill the beans now, Sherlock." Supremo: "Did something wrong happen with the task I gave you? Tell me now!" Sherlock felt alarmed upon noticing the change of tone in their Supremo''s voice. He was now upset. His words carried a cold authoritative and threatening aura. Sherlock: "No, Supremo. Indeed, it was a success. Chief Detective Lee and his team were now convinced that Catseye was already dead." With his survival instinct which was now working, Sherlock decided to tell him the good news first. Supremo stayed quiet so he continued. Sherlock: "Chief Lee even visited Miss Aliyah to her office to confirm something. I saw them talking. Afterward, Chief Lee left the building with his gloomy and sullen expression." Supremo: "Good job. That''s what I am expecting to hear from you. So why are you hesitating to talk a while ago?" Sherlock: "But¡­ something really bad happened. The Queen saw the ring. Chief Lee showed it to her that''s why she was¡­ furious." There was a moment of silence before Supremo spoke again. Supremo: "So what did she do?" Sherlock: " Forgive me, Supremo. I think because of that, the Queen had realized that you sent someone to spy on her." Supremo: "That''s not a surprise. She''s smart. That''s why you need to be more careful not to get caught by her." Sherlock gulped a mouthful of saliva before he told him the truth. He was sweating a lot, now. Sherlock: "I think I don''t have to be careful around her, Supremo. She¡­ she already caught me. She tricked me. I didn''t know that she was already suspecting me. The Queen is a really clever and formidable woman¡­ hehehe¡­ no wonder, our Supreme leader chose her to be our queen." Sherlock said that, trying his luck that his punishment would be lessened because of those last words. He knew that the Supremo doted on their Queen too much. 1 second... 2 seconds¡­ 3 seconds¡­ No response from Supremo yet, so Sherlock mustered his courage to talk again, though his heart was about to jump out of his chest because of too much nervousness. ''Both Supremo and The Queen are so scary.'' Sherlock: "Oh, by the way, Supremo¡­ she was contacting you yesterday but your phone was switched off. I think¡­ she wanted to talk to you about something¡­ and¡­ she looked really mad." Then Sherlock heard the loud sigh of Supremo. Supremo: " Let''s continue this talk in person. " He said that using his cold firm authoritative voice. Supremo immediately hung up the phone. Sherlock: "..." ''I think I f*ck up really big this time. Both the Supremo and the Queen are not yet done with me. I had a bad feeling about this.'' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, the girl Sherlock and Supremo were talking about was now walking out of her office together with Sandy. "Hey, Ali, I think you should take a sick leave tomorrow. Don''t come to work. You should rest. You look like you catch a cold." Sandy suggested to her friend. Then she put her hand on Elle''s forehead to check her temperature. She''s a little bit hot. "I''ll drop you to your apartment. Make sure to take cold-flu medicine. You are having a fever now." Sandy looked at her with her worried eyes. Just like Erick, Elle was also stubborn. After she left from XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters, she beaded straight to their office. She took the medicine given by Erick, however, due to emotional exhaustion and lack of sleep last night, her immune system weakened. Her cough worsened and now she already had a mild fever. She didn''t want it to get worst so Elle agreed on Sandy''s suggestion. "Alright¡­ please inform our team leader that I will be absent tomorrow. I will take a rest at home." "Good. Thank God, finally, you listen to me." Then, the two of them entered Sandy''s car. After 15 minutes, they reached Elle''s apartment. Sandy didn''t leave her not until she made sure that Elle had taken her dinner as well as her medicine. "Ali¡­ I am wondering¡­ did you notice how Josh acted today?" Sandy said randomly while she was watching Elle who was eating in front of her. "What do you mean?" Elle asked nonchalantly. "I knew that he was always a quiet person ever since we first met him. And he is always calm. But today, I didn''t know why he looked very uneasy and restless especially when talking with you. I also noticed that he was avoiding you today. Did something happen between the two of you?" Cough! Cough! Elle began to cough again. Sandy gave her a glass of water. She took a sip first, before giving Sandy a response. "Remember when I asked you yesterday if you are talking to my guardian and if you are the one reporting my every action to him?" Sandy just nodded. "Josh is the one spying on me. I confronted him yesterday. That''s why he felt awkward with me." Elle said, her lips curled up into a sly smile. "WHAT?! Josh is the spy?! [email protected]! I''m gonna give that guy a good beating tomorrow!" Chapter 352 - 352: I Forgive You "WHAT?! Josh is the spy?! [email protected]! I''m gonna give that guy a good beating tomorrow!" Sandy exclaimed in annoyance. Just like Elle, Sandy felt betrayed. "He''s acting like a good guy. But the truth is¡­ he is a traitor! Hmmp! I''m angry! Does it mean he didn''t trust you that''s why he sent someone to follow and monitor your every action?" She was referring to Supremo. Elle looked down, hiding her complicated emotions from Sandy. "I don''t know," Elle mumbled in a low voice. Sandy frowned upon noticing Elle''s troubled expression. Something was bothering her mind right now. Though she was curious about it, she decided not to pester her with her unending questions. "Alright. I won''t force you but if you need someone whom you can share your burden with, always remember that I am just one call away. I will listen to you once you are ready to share it with me." "I think¡­ you should rest now. Take your med and go to your room. I will be the one to take care of the dishes. After that, I will go home." Sandy began to pick up the plates. "You don''t have to do that. Go home now. I can handle this." Elle stopped her. "No. I INSIST!" With that, Elle finally gave in and she let Sandy do what she wanted. Elle obediently took her med and headed to her room. She could hear Sandy washing the dishes. Elle lay down on her bed and wrapped herself in the duvet. She felt a little bit cold but her body was warm. She closed her eyes, reliving the memories of yesterday''s incident as well as the night when she took care of Erick. She also recalled the interaction between Erick and her this morning. She denied Erick the truth of her identity. She was tired of this, always hiding her true self while using different identities. She had to hide even to the man she loved. Instead of winning him back, she ended up pushing him away. Now, he was acting cold towards her. She felt helpless and sad. Her negative emotions were adding to her misery, making her sicker. She was asking herself if she was still doing the right thing. After a while, Elle had sensed that Sandy already left. It did not take long when Elle''s phone suddenly rang. The moment she reached out to get it, she saw that Supremo was the one calling her. She frowned since she forgot to call him. She was distracted this whole day and contacting Supremo skipped her mind. She pressed the answer button then brought the phone in her ears. She didn''t say a word. She waited for him to speak up first. Elle didn''t know whether to feel guilty for him or get mad at him that''s why she chose to stay quiet in the meantime, gathering her emotions first. After a few seconds of silence, Supremo spoke up. "Are you mad at me?" His voice was gentle when he was speaking to her. Elle was taken aback by his question. She thought he would rant at her about breaking his rule first but he didn''t. Instead, his voice sounded like he was worried¡­ worried that Elle was mad at him. "Yes. I am¡­" Elle said to him truthfully with her hoarse voice. "Why did you do that? Making a move behind my back." ''Because¡­ I have to... or else, I might gonna lose you¡­ completely.'' Supremo thought to himself. But he didn''t dare to voice it out and said another thing. "This is what you want. I just helped you fulfill it. Now they will believe that you are dead. I have to do that, especially now that another Catseye appeared. We have to make everyone believe that you are dead. It was part of our plan." "Yes, that''s true¡­ but¡­" Elle wanted to tell him something but she chose not to continue. ''but¡­ you took something very important to me.'' That''s what she wanted to say but since she felt indebted to him and she was aware of his feelings for her, she didn''t have the heart to blame him for this mess. Because she knew the fact that she''s the one who started all of these. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to hurt you." Supremo said with utmost sincerity in his words. Elle closed her eyes once again, having conflicting thoughts. ''How can I hate this man if I know that everything he does is always for my sake? How can I get mad at him if I am aware that all he wanted to do is to keep me safe?'' Elle heaved a deep sigh and said, "Alright, I forgive you." "Then I feel at ease now hearing that." His voice became more cheerful now. "How about you? Are you not mad at me because of what I did? I was the one who broke your first rule." Elle confronted him. She was wondering what he was thinking right now. "Not mad¡­ but sad," He simply said. His honest answer added to the guilt Elle was already feeling. "Then¡­ I have to say sorry too. I am sorry." "No need. I have already forgiven you." Elle''s lips lifted in a faint curve. This man¡­ always had a soft spot for her. "So, can we erase that first rule?" Elle said, trying her luck that he would abolish the first rule in their deal. The rule of staying away from Erick and not approach him ever. Supremo became silent for a moment. Elle was anticipating his response, wishing that he would say yes and agree with her. "Alright. I''ll do that. But first¡­ I have two conditions." Elle rejoiced inwardly. "Sure! Tell me." "First, you need to comply and follow the second rule of our deal." "Yes, I know. I will do that. What''s the second?" The man on the other line paused again for a moment. Then after a few seconds, he told her the last condition. " Open this door for me." Elle: "..." ''What did he mean by that?'' Chapter 353 - 353: Uninvited Guest "Open this door for me," Supremo said in his low and deep voice. Elle: "..." ''What did he mean by that?'' "Pardon? What did you say? Or rather¡­ what do you mean by opening the door for you?" Elle asked him quizzically. "Well¡­ the door in your heart, can you open that for me¡­ so that I can enter?" Supremo said blatantly. ''And kick out the person who is already inside your heart for me to replace him.'' he wanted to add but he didn''t dare to voice it out to her. Elle''s lips opened up and closed again but she couldn''t utter a single word. She had no words to respond to that statement. Her silence remained on the other line. After that, it was followed by her hiccup. *Hiccup!* *Hiccup!* Elle suddenly felt a heavy pressure in her shoulders right now. She felt uneasy and uncomfortable whenever Supremo was talking openly to her just like that. He was making things more difficult for Elle. Elle bit her lower lip trying to stop her hiccup. It did not take long when she heard his chuckles over the phone. "I got you there! Are you nervous now? Don''t worry, I am just kidding." Supremo said, teasing her. Elle just rolled her eyes skyward. She wanted to punch this guy. She had just calmed down a little bit when Supremo blurted out another shocking word. "But I mean it literally. Please, open this door for me so that I can enter your apartment. I am outside of your apartment''s door, right now." Elle immediately sat up, with eyes open wide. She almost jumped out of the bed then paused for a moment. "No way¡­ are you also kidding this time, am I right?!" Elle asked him in disbelief. "No, I''m not. I''ll ring the bell for you so that you will believe me." After saying that, Elle heard the sound of her doorbell twice. Elle was quite surprised at this sudden visit. She thought this guy was doing a long-distance call and he was a million miles away from her. She had no idea that he was just outside her doorstep, getting ready to surprise her. And he succeeded! "Are you not going to open this door? Is this how you will treat your savior who flies a million miles away for 18 hours just to see you? Where did your hospitality attitude go, Miss Aliyah Ross?" Elle shook her head helplessly. This guy had multiple personalities. Sometimes he was quiet, cold, and too serious. Then suddenly, he would become gentle, talkative, and playful. But there were times she found him quite annoying too. Though she felt a little bit nauseous due to her fever, Elle still managed to reach her main door, welcoming her uninvited visitor. When she opened the door a handsome man wearing a dark blue coat, white shirts, and black pants greeted her sight. His eyes lit up and his lips curled up into gentle smile upon seeing her face. Deep down his heart, he knew he missed her so much. Though he was in the States physically his mind was always wandering to this place where Elle was. "Why are you here? When did you arrive? I thought you have to stay there for another three months. What happened?" Elle bombarded him with so many questions. "Easy. One question at a time. And¡­ will you let me in first? Let''s talk inside." Elle just nodded. Then the two of them entered the house. They sat down in her living room. "Have you eaten your dinner? If not, there are some foods left inside the refrigerator. I''ll heat it up for you." Elle was about to go to the kitchen when Supremo grabbed her elbow to stop her. "It''s alright. You don''t need to do that. I''m full." After saying that, he gently pulled her down to sit beside him. "Now talk," Elle said firmly. Then a light crease formed in her forehead as she frowned while looking at him. "I just arrived here at around 6:00 pm in the evening. Yesterday, I traveled from States going to Country J for some business deal. Then after that, I decided to come here to help and assist you personally." "Don''t worry, before I left I make sure that everything will be settled there even without me. Dr. Argus is closely monitoring him. We need to change our strategy now. Let''s be more aggressive this time. If they couldn''t create the antidote, then let''s find the antidote here." Elle merely lifted an eyebrow. She was still in doubt if that''s the only reason why he came here in a rush. "Ok. But why did you come here this late? You should have taken a rest first and just visit me in the morning." ''Because I want to see you!'' He thought to himself. Supremo was staring at her intently. Then he noticed that Elle looked pale. She''s also sniffing a little. Instead of giving her an answer, Supremo threw her a question. "Are you sick? Do you feel unwell?" There was a hint of deep concern in his voice. Reflexively, he brought his arm on her forehead, checking her temperature. It''s hot. She had a fever. "I''ll be fine. I already took flu medicine. Once I get enough sleep then I will feel better tomorrow. So I think¡­ we should call it a night. Let''s talk tomorrow. Go to your place and take a rest too. I know you are tired after that long flight." Elle said, dismissing Supremo. She wanted to rest too. She felt her eyelids becoming heavy. "Alright. You should sleep now." Supremo said, agreeing to her. Elle stood up getting ready to see him off. Supremo also stood up. But instead of walking towards the main door, he headed to her room. Elle followed him in confusion. "Hey, where do you think you are going? That''s not the way out of my apartment! That''s my room." Elle said to him exasperatedly. "Who said that I''m leaving your apartment? How can I just leave after knowing that you are sick? I''ll stay here to watch over you." Chapter 354 - 354: The Person By Her Side Though Elle opposed the idea of Supremo staying in her apartment tonight, she had no remaining strength to further argue with him. Besides, his decision was final. He was so determined to stay even if Elle was against it. Elle drifted off to sleep as soon as her body touched the soft cushion of her bed. She was not able to fight the dizziness. Her body was craving for a good sleep since yesterday she stayed up all night nursing Erick. If Elle took good care of Erick last night, tonight Supremo did the same for Elle. He watched over her while trying his best to make her fever go down. This kind of act was not new to him. He was used to taking care of her when she fell ill two years ago. He was the one who stayed by her side and the one who looked after her. He witnessed how Elle persevered to recover from the illness caused by the toxin inside her system. He knew her struggles and pains. He saw everything. It was a long battle for her before she was able to stand up with her own feet again. Thinking about those moments, he was so happy and very glad that he was by her side, helping her and encouraging her to fight back. He never got tired of taking care of her as if he became her personal nurse at that time. It was already dawn when the fever had left her and her temperature went back to normal. Supremo felt content watching her sound asleep in her bed. He sat on the bed beside her to see her face up close. There was a warm glow of happiness in his eyes as he looked at her. "Sweetdreams, my Queen," Supremo mumbled while caressing her face. Then he bent down, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next morning, everyone had gathered once again at Erick''s office for an emergency meeting. After the discovery of Elle''s true identity and making big progress on the Falcon Family Massacre Case, Erick was now in a much better mood compared to yesterday. His colleagues felt relieved to see him acting like that. He appeared to be enthusiastic and very eager to solve the case his team was handling. Erick changed the rotation of the surveillance operation. He chose to have less night shift schedules so that he could conduct some secret investigation during day time concerning the Falcon''s Massacre Case. Since Bryan would take his original schedule, Erick and April would be working closely together regarding Senator Mondragon''s Death Threats. By doing that, he would still have enough time to do his secret investigation since Mondragon''s case was not that heavy compared to Catseye''s case. He also needed to track a genius scientist who happened to be a whistleblower 18 years ago. After giving the team his final instructions, Erick adjourned the meeting. That''s the time Bryan was pressured by his colleagues to ask Erick and bring up the topic about Aliyah Ross. "Chief Lee, one last thing. Actually, we have something to consult you." Bryan said, after catching Erick''s attention. Erick looked at his team before he signaled Bryan to continue. "Do you think we should stop Miss Aliyah''s team from getting involved in our case? I think working with them regarding this case is quite risky. It might cause some problems in the future such as information leakage, and jeopardy to civilians'' safety. After all, reporters are still civilians. What''s your thoughts about this, Chief Lee?" Erick had an indescribable expression on his face after hearing that. His team couldn''t tell what he was thinking by just looking at his face. They were curious about Erick''s decision. Will he agree on the idea of stopping Aliyah''s team in covering a story for this case? Or will he let them continue collaborating with their team? "I''ll consult the Unit Head regarding this." Erick simply stated. Everyone was both flabbergasted and disappointed with his answer. That''s not the answer in which they were expecting him to say. They thought he would say either yes or no. But in the end, Erick didn''t give them a definite answer. ''Is he also undecided that''s why he will let the Unit Head make a decision for him?'' His team met each other''s gaze, having the same thought in mind. "Do you have any more concern?" Erick asked them. Everyone just shook their heads in unison. That''s the time, Sandy entered their office. "Oh, Miss Sandy, good morning!" June greeted her immediately. Sandy greeted him back and smiled at everyone. "Why are you here, Miss Sandy? Are you alone? Where''s Miss Aliyah?" June asked her while stealing a glance at Erick. He was hoping to see a certain reaction from their Chief upon mentioning Aliyah, but June failed. Erick was very composed while wearing his blank expression. "I have to consult Chief Lee about the story we wrote about this case. Aliyah finished writing the article yesterday. She is supposed to send this over today so that you can check whether you want us to revise some details or not. However, she is on sick leave right now." Erick''s brow knitted into a frown upon hearing Sandy''s last sentence. His blank expression was replaced by a worried one but in a brief moment, he was able to conceal them again. "I feel bad for Miss Aliyah. Yesterday, she had early signs of getting the flu. I advised her to drink flu med right away but it turned out she still got sick in the end." Rose mumbled. "Sigh* That woman, I told her to rest and go home yesterday but she refused! She''s really stubborn. Don''t worry, she promised me that she would just stay at home today and rest until she recovers." Sandy said, reassuring Rose. Erick looked like he didn''t care. But unknown to his colleagues, he already made a mental note that he would drop by her apartment today and check on her after his meeting with Senator Mondragon. Chapter 355 - 355: Her Fashion Style It was already late morning when Elle woke up. Supremo let her sleep all her wants. Because she got enough sleep she was feeling better now. Supremo took care of everything this morning. Though he didn''t know how to cook he still prepared breakfast for Elle. He did that by buying food in a restaurant near Elle''s apartment. He was glad that Elle looked very well now. She was not pale and her color went back to normal. However, she still had the cough. Supremo and Elle ate breakfast together. She looked at him worriedly. She could tell that Supremo stayed up all night by just looking at the dark circles under his eyes. "You should go to your place and sleep. You look like a big panda now with those big eyebags." Elle said, trying to start a conversation with him. Supremo just let out a husky laugh for her teasing words. "It''s alright. I am still handsome. Just a few dark circles could not make me less attractive, you know." Supremo said to her with a cheeky smile. Elle rolled her eyes exasperatedly due to his arrogance. "Whatever." Elle shrugged her shoulders and just continued eating. Supremo erupted into another peal of laughter. He also missed her annoyed expression. After their breakfast, Supremo stayed at her place for a while. He was reluctant to leave her. He still wanted to spend more time with her. Though Elle was always bringing up the topic of sending him off, Supremo just ignored her. He was treating Elle''s apartment as his own place. He even asked his right hand man to bring him a set of clothes at Elle''s apartment. The man was surprised to know that Supremo headed straight at Elle''s apartment instead of going to his own place. Upon giving Supremo the clothes, his subordinate immediately left Elle''s place. Elle got tired of convincing him to leave so she just let him be. Besides, she knew how much of a stubborn fellow he really was. It was already noon time when Supremo decided to take a shower first. It did not take long when Elle the buzzing sound of her doorbell. Elle thought that the person outside might be Sandy. In her mind, she was thinking that Sandy dropped by her apartment to make sure that she''s just fine. Without further ado, Elle approached her main door and opened it. But the sight that came into her view outside made Elle freeze on her spot, eyes wide open and her mouth gape. ''ERICK??? F*ck! What is he doing here¡­ why come today?!'' Elle''s mind started to panic. Her body immediately released cold sweats, her racing heart was very loud in her ears. She''s very nervous and uneasy. Reflexively, she turned to look inside, checking whether Supremo was in the back. She sighed inwardly when she didn''t see his figure. Meanwhile, Erick was silently observing Elle''s strange behaviour. Her expression was also weird. "How are-" Erick was about to ask her when Elle suddenly spoke up thus interrupting him. "What are you doing here?" Erick frowned after hearing her. She sounded like she was not happy to see him right now. ''Is she still mad at me?'' Erick pondered as he remembered her attitude towards him yesterday. Erick was clueless about what Elle was thinking. He misinterpreted it. Elle was not mad at him nor unhappy to see him. She just felt like she was a wife who was about to get caught by her husband cheating with another man. ''No! No! I''m not cheating. Erick is the only man I love.'' Elle mumbled to herself as she corrected her prior thoughts. "I received the article you wrote that''s the reason why I came here." Erick lied. The reason why he dropped by her apartment was to check on her. He heard that she was sick. ''Forget that [email protected] Article! Why do you have.to come today just because of that?'' Elle lamented inwardly. Elle was contemplating whether to send him off or not. She couldn''t let him in and talk about that article. Erick must not know that there was another guy right now inside her apartment because of several reasons. First, Erick didn''t need to see the guy in her apartment right now or else she would not know how she would explain to him her relationship with Supremo. Second, Erick was a very jealous man. Though he already believed that she was not Elle, she couldn''t afford Erick to misunderstand everything. Well...not for now. She''s not yet ready for that. A deep frown creased on Erick''s handsome face. He was waiting for Elle to invite him inside, but instead of doing that, she pulled the door closer to block his view inside her apartment. Elle also noticed Erick''s suspicious look. She cursed herself inwardly. She couldn''t invite him inside and at the same time she didn''t want to send him away. With a resolution in mind, Elle grabbed Erick''s hand as she stepped outside, closing the door behind. Erick looked at her in confusion. ''What is she trying to do?'' Without saying a word, Elle dragged Erick away from her apartment''s door. "Did you bring your car?" Elle asked him, continuously pulling him. Erick didn''t protest as he followed her lead. "Yes, I do." "Great, let''s go somewhere." Elle said. Then suddenly Erick halted on his steps, also stopping Elle. When she gazed up she saw Erick peering at her from top to bottom. "Are you going to go out with those clothes on?" Erick said unhappily while raising his brows. Elle was just wearing white plain shirts and shorts that exposed her long flawless legs. At her foot, she was wearing her comfy faux fur home slippers. Elle bit her lower lip. ''I don''t care about my get-up as long as we get out of here quickly, that''s what really matters to me.'' Elle faced him putting her arms to the sides of her waist. "What''s wrong with my clothes? Detective Lee! Don''t be so picky. This is called Fashion! My Fashion Style!" "Besides, don''t you find me cute and attractive with these?" Elle added. She put on a pitiful face while pouting at him with her beautiful puppy eyes look. Erick: "..." Chapter 356 - 356: White Lies "Besides, don''t you find me cute and attractive with these?" Elle added. She put on a pitiful face while pouting at him with her beautiful puppy eyes look. Erick: "..." He didn''t know how he would react after seeing her cute charming expression. She got him with that strategy. Erick could only bite his lower lip while looking up just to suppress his laughter. He had to admit that Elle looked good with her get-up- simple, comfy, homey and cute. [email protected], she''s pretty! But he won''t let other men see her exposed legs so Erick grabbed her hand. This time he was the one pulling her towards his car. When they reached it, Erick went to the driver''s side to get his jacket. After that, he went back to face Elle. Without saying a word, Erick tied his jacket''s sleeves around her waist, making it look like her skirts. Elle let out a soft giggle. She liked the way Erick was acting very possessive. ''Is this mean my legs are for his eyes only?'' Elle mumbled to herself. "Chief Lee, you are ruining my fashion style!" Elle pretended to complain, teasing Erick. Erick just frowned and narrowed his eyes at her, giving her a warning look. Elle just raised her fingers giving him a peace sign while smiling widely. "Get in the car now and tell me where we are going." Erick said, opening the car door for her. Elle didn''t think about that yet. She just wanted to leave there with him so that Supremo and Erick would not see each other. "Drugstore. I need to buy my medicine." Elle said randomly. With that, the two of them entered the car and headed to the nearest drugstore nearby. "Did you buy a car?" Erick said, starting a conversation with her. "Huh? What car?" Elle didn''t know what he was talking about. "The silver BMW car that was parked in front of your apartment. It''s yours, isn''t it?" Elle paused for a moment. ''Oh my, he even pays attention to that car. No, it''s not mine.'' Elle cleared her throat, ready to say some white lies. "Oh that car, it''s not mine. I just borrowed it with a friend." "Alright. The car looks expensive. It''s so nice to have a friend who can lend you a car. A boy or a girl?" Erick asked her again as if he was interrogating her. ''Why are you asking the gender? Can you just forget it?'' On impulse Elle blurted out "A girl." ''[email protected], Elle! That''s another lie again.'' Elle cursed herself while feeling guilty towards Erick. When Erick heard that, he just nodded and never asked her further. After ten minutes, they reached the drugstore. Erick parked the car and stepped out of the car first. He opened the door again for Elle. So gentleman! Elle wondered why Erick was acting differently today. It''s just yesterday that he was very cold towards her and now he was somehow treating her better. ''Is it because I am sick?'' "How do you feel?" Erick simply asked her. His expression was neutral. Elle didn''t know whether he asked her that out of courtesy or just because he was worried about her. "I had mild fever last night but I''m okay now. I just have to continue my med for my cough to disappear." Elle said. They already approached the drugstore''s staff and asked for medicine when Elle remembered that she didn''t bring any money with her. She wrinkled her brows and closed her eyes, gently hitting her forehead with her right palm. "Why? Do you feel hurt anywhere? Headache?" Erick promptly asked her, holding her shoulders. Elle looked down, biting her lower lip. "Erick¡­ do you have some money? I think¡­ I forgot to bring my wallet. Hehe. Can you lend me?" Erick looked at her helplessly. He didn''t know what he would do with this girl. He was worried. He thought she was having a headache that''s why she tapped her head a while ago. It turned out she didn''t bring money with her. Erick fished out his wallet on his jeans pocket. He was the one who paid for her medicine. Elle thanked him. "Oh by the way, what do you want to tell me about the article? Do I need to rewrite it and omit some vital information which you consider confidential and not intended for the public to see?" Now, it was Erick''s turn to think of a good answer for that since the true reason why he came to see her was to check on her, not to talk about the article. He didn''t finish reading it yet. Meanwhile, Elle wanted to know his feedback as soon as possible. She needed to go back to her apartment or else Supremo would wonder why she suddenly disappeared without informing him. She also had to convince Erick to drop her somewhere without driving her back to her apartment. She would just borrow money again for her fare. "I wrote down some notes on the article. I am planning to give it back to you but it turns out I also forgot to bring it with me." Erick lied. "Ah okay. So let''s discuss it another day. I think I will be able to go to work the day after tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" Erick nodded. "So do you have any more concerns that you wanna tell me right now?" Elle asked, trying to end this conversation quickly. Erick glanced at her with complex expressions on his face. He wanted to ask her something but he didn''t know if he should do it. After contemplating, Erick just said "Nothing." Elle just smiled at him and said, "Alright¡­ see you next time. I''ll come and visit your headquarters. By the way, you can go ahead, no need to drop me off to my apartment." Erick frowned. "I drive you back." "Hehe¡­ no thanks. I still have to go somewhere. I don''t want to hassle you Chief Lee. I know you are a busy person." Elle insisted. "I''m not busy today. Besides, look at yourself. Where do you think you are going with that clothes? Furthermore, you are still sick. Just stay at home. Come¡­ I''ll give you a ride." Erick didn''t give her room to protest. Erick grabbed her hand once again going towards his car. Elle was being problematic now. She just wished that Supremo was still taking the shower if ever Erick and her would arrive in her apartment. ********** Meanwhile, At Elle''s apartment, Supremo just got out of the bathroom. He put on much more comfortable clothes which were delivered to him by his subordinate. When he left her room, he searched Elle but he didn''t see her. "Where did she go? I thought she had a visitor..I heard the ringing of the doorbell a while ago." Supremo mumbled as he pondered to himself. He tried to call her but her phone was left in her apartment. "Did she just go outside to buy something? That girl¡­ she always does what she wants. She should have waited for me." Then suddenly, Supremo just heard the sound of a car that had just arrived outside her apartment. Chapter 357 - 357: Cant Force Her Heart Elle was restless the moment she and Erick arrived at her apartment. After thanking him and assuring him that they would see each other the day after tomorrow, Elle rushed out of his car. Erick was a little bit puzzled by her action. He watched her as Elle waved at him before entering the house. He was about to leave when his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of someone''s silhouette by the window. By the time he turned to look at it once again, the figure was already gone. Erick shook his head, wondering if he was just imagining it. Soon, he turned his car to leave her apartment. His next destination now was the prison. He would visit Carlo Vello and Diego De Dios to get some answers from them. When Erick was gone, Elle finally felt relieved. She thought that it was really a closed call. She was thankful that Supremo and Erick didn''t bump into each other today. However, unknown to her, Supremo already saw Erick. When he heard the sound of the car''s engine a while ago he peered to the window. He saw Elle alighted from the car and the person driving it was Erick. Supremo''s expression became ugly, his eyes were dark. He clenched his fists as his heart was drowning in jealousy. He was fully aware that Erick was still the man whom Elle loved. But he refused to give up. He would use their deal so that he would be more closer to her. He would seize every opportunity to win her heart and make her fall for him. Though he was in a bad mood right now, Supremo tried his best to control his emotions, especially when facing Elle. He would pretend that he didn''t see something today. He sat down on the sofa, waiting for Elle to enter the house. Supremo turned on the television. After a while, Elle emerged from the front door. Elle was taken aback when she saw Supremo sitting in the living room. ''He''s done taking shower. Did he see Erick and I together?'' Elle was having conflicting thoughts right now. She felt like she did something wrong for both men. ''Elle, you are really in a big mess right now. Finish this revenge thing already and fix everything back to where they should be.'' Elle thought to herself. She slowly approached Supremo and sat down beside him. As expected, he asked her immediately upon reaching him. "Where did you go? You suddenly disappeared," he asked. "I just bought some medicines in the drugstore nearby," Elle replied while showing him the plastic bag containing the medicine. Elle was glad that she had this kind of alibi. Supremo just nodded, his eyes were fixed on the TV screen. He knew it. Elle would lie to him because of Erick. He felt a tinge of pain deep down his heart. Then after that, there was a moment of awkward silence between them. In the end, Supremo was still the one who broke that silence. "Free your schedule this Saturday." Elle turned to look at him and asked, "Why?" "It''s now time to make your appearance and fulfill the second rule. I will introduce you to my people and to my allies. Use them and dispatch them whenever you need them. I''ll give you enough power to make orders. They will obey every command coming from their Queen." Elle was not against that idea. She needed to make a move now. She wanted to finish this once and for all. "I understand. Don''t worry, I am free on Saturday." "Good. I will send Sherlock to pick you up on Saturday. He will be the one to assist you as I prepare everything in the venue of our meeting place." "Oh, the Sneaky fellow that you sent to spy on me. He is a good actor, do you know that?" Elle said, lifting an eyebrow as she remembered how she was deceived by Josh. Supremo let out a chuckle. "No matter how sneaky he is, still you manage to catch him. Do you know that this is the first time he failed the mission I gave him? I admire you for that." "I am Catseye, the one and only true Catseye. And I hate people spying on me so I am giving you a head''s up¡­.Sherlock will get his punishment from me so don''t you dare stop me." Elle warned him. Supremo chuckled once again. "I am also planning to do that. Since you want to punish him then do so. He''s all yours. He''s at your mercy now, my Queen." "Should I punish you too since you are the instigator and the mastermind?" Elle said, challenging him. Supremo''s lips stretched out into a faint smile. "Do you still need to punish me? I felt like I was being punished already the moment I found out that you and he were together." Dang! It was a bullseye! Elle could not utter a word. She couldn''t stand this kind of conversation with him wherein Supremo was talking about his feelings openly to her. She felt uncomfortable. And she didn''t know what to do or what to say. She couldn''t appease him by saying that she would not see Erick because she couldn''t do that. She didn''t want to hurt this guy because he was also important to her. Yeah, she cared about him too. But her feelings for him and for Erick were different. She couldn''t force her heart to love him back like how she loved Erick. Elle was put in this difficult situation. She was indebted to this guy. She owed him her life. But she couldn''t let go of Erick. He was the only man her heart truly wanted. Her heart only belonged to him. That''s why she felt sorry for this guy beside her now. Elle was lost in her thoughts when suddenly Supremo stood up. "I have to go now. Make sure to take your medicine. Don''t exhaust yourself too much. I''ll see you this Saturday." Elle just nodded at him absentmindedly. Supremo smiled at her. "Don''t think too much. I am just fine." He said, patting her head gently before he left. Chapter 358 - 358: Choose Wisely After leaving Elle''s apartment, Erick headed straight to the City Z Jail Detention Center where Carlo Vello and Diego De Dios were being imprisoned. The jail guard immediately greeted Erick upon seeing him. Erick was a famous detective in the country that almost everyone in the police department knew him. He was also known for his kind-hearted nature that''s why his fellow men from the law enforcement department were very fond of him. He was approachable and easy to talk to. They admired and respected him to the core. That''s the reason why his request to visit Vello and De Dios was granted immediately even without prior notice. The jail guard who welcomed Erick led him to the interrogation room where Vello and De Dios were already waiting for his arrival. Erick made a request to talk to them privately. The Unit Head of the Detention Facility gave him permission to do that. So whatever conversation the three of them would have, it would not be recorded and no one was allowed to listen. Only the three of them would talk inside that room. When Erick entered the room, he saw Diego and Carlo sitting on the steel chairs side by side while their hands were restrained by handcuffs. There was also a small steel table in front of them, separating them from the available chair where Erick would sit. "Why did you call us here? We already said everything that we know about Catseye two years ago." Carlo said, feeling unhappy to see the detective. He could still remember that this detective was the one who attacked the main branch of Vello''s Spa. Carlo Vello and Diego De Dios thought that the reason for his sudden visit was related to Catseye''s new case. They were informed that the Catseye who died two years ago reappeared or someone might be impersonating Catseye. They were mad knowing that Catseye might still be alive. When they heard the news two years ago that she died, Carlo and Diego rejoiced inside their prison cell thinking that they finally got their revenge against Catseye. The gentleness in Erick''s eyes disappeared, replaced by chilly and frosty glint. He looked at them coldly and dangerously. These men in front of him were responsible for Elle''s misery. He hated them. He was just restraining himself from beating these two persons. Elle suffered a lot because of their crime. But, Erick knew that he was not allowed to do that. It was against the law and his morals. He had no choice but to fight the rage inside him and endure it until he finished talking to them. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. Then he answered Carlo Vello. "You haven''t told us everything. You leave some details that''s why I am here to ask you again hoping that both of you will cooperate with me." The two men met each other''s gaze before they burst out into sarcastic laughter. "You are just wasting your time here young man." It was Diego who spoke up. Erick just gave them a confident smirk before sitting in front of them. He looked at them straight in the eyes, pressuring them with his sharp and scrutinizing eyes. "Maybe you are right. You already talked about Catseye, so let''s change our topic now. Let''s talk about Falcon Family, the family you massacred eighteen years ago." There was a hint of hatred as Erick emphasized his every word to them. The smile on Diego''s and Carlo''s faces suddenly dissipated into thin air. They were not prepared for that very direct confrontation coming from the detective. Their eyes and mouth were wide open from shock and disbelief. ''How did he know that?'' ''Did Catseye tell the police regarding that incident eighteen years ago?'' "What are you talking about? We have no idea what you are referring to." Carlo said, denying Erick''s accusations. "Falcon family? This is the first time I heard that." Diego supported Carlo, both of them feigning ignorance about the crime they committed. Erick''s jaw hardened as he gritted his teeth. They were still denying everything though their expressions a while ago already betrayed them. "Let me clear this to you. I came here not to ask you whether you did it or not because I already knew that you were the culprits that the police authorities failed to catch 18 years ago. I came here to get an answer." "We are not the right persons who can give you the answer you are seeking." Carlo insisted. Erick''s face darkened. They were stubborn. They refused to talk. "Alfonso Ramirez, tell me where I can find him," Erick said firmly. The two men were taken aback once again. They didn''t expect that Erick also knew about Alfonso Ramirez''s involvement in that massacre case. They wondered where he got those pieces of information. "Did you hear about the brutal death of Los Molasses Gang''s new leader Roland Bienvenido? I wonder if this new Catseye will spare your lives even if you are already inside this prison." After hearing that, the two men somehow felt frightened. They heard the news about what happened to Roland. "Are you frightening us, detective?" Carlo snarled at him. "Do you think Catseye will try to kill us here, the place is surrounded by policemen. Hahaha. Your joke is really funny, detective," Diego said mockingly. Erick just smirked at them, the kind of smirk that sent shivers down their spines. "Are you underestimating the Devilish Assassin Catseye? Did you know that she even infiltrated a hideout full of assassins without being noticed? She could also do that here just to kill you." Carlo and Diego had no words to refute that. They heard the reputation of Catseye. She would always find a way to kill her target without fail. "I am here to offer you protection in exchange for information. If you are still undecided then I''ll give you three days to think it over. Just don''t take long, we never know who will be the next target of Catseye. It could be one of you." He said to them meaningfully. After saying that, Erick stood up but before he left, he said another word. "I''ll come back. Choose your decision wisely. Your life is at stake here." Then Erick got out of the interrogation room, leaving Diego and Carlo speechless on their seats. Chapter 359 - 359: Special Mission Erick came out of the interrogation room. He approached the jail guards and informed them that he was done talking to the prisoners. He also thanked them for accommodating him today. After personally visiting the Unit Head who was managing the Detention Facility, Erick left the place. Carlo Vello and Diego De Dios still had the audacity to feign innocence and deny the crimes they committed. No sign of regrets at all. No conscience! Erick couldn''t stand to see their smug smile. He wanted to break those faces. Fortunately, he was able to endure it and he succeeded in controlling his rage inside him. However, he was slowly losing his patience. Facing them for long while they''re becoming stubborn who refused to talk, Erick had no choice but to end this conversation as quickly as he could. He was afraid that he could no longer bear it. That''s the main reason he resorted to threatening them using Catseye. The truth was Erick also didn''t know whether Carlo and Diego would still be targeted by this new Catseye or not. He was eager to know and get some answers from them. What happened in the past? Who ordered them to kill Elle''s family? Who is backing them? Where''s Alfonso Ramirez? What are the things they know about him? These were just some of the many questions he wanted to ask them once they were already willing to talk and cooperate with him. Seeing their expressions before he left, Erick knew that his strategy was effective. He saw them waver from the dears of being targeted by Catseye. He was certain that the two of them were now considering to ensure their safety in exchange for the information they would give him. To pressure them more, Erick gave them three days to think it over while threatening them about what Catseye might do within that week. This now became a psychological battle. The days of uncertainty would make them feel more anxious and restless. Once they felt that, they might finally give in with the pressure and would immediately seek his presence to ask his help for total protection against Catseye''s attack. It was a good plan and a nice strategy. He would just wait for the positive result. However, Erick had miscalculated something- Alfonso Ramirez''s influence and intervention. An hour after Erick visited De Dios and Vello, Alfonso Ramirez also came to visit them. Just like Erick, he had come to ask them a few questions which were bothering him since Catseye''s reappearance. Carlo and Diego were surprised to see him. It had been so long since the last time they saw each other. They knew him. Alfonso won''t show himself personally to them unless it was a very serious and important matter. Even though their gang disbanded a long time ago, the bond and brotherhood among them still remained. "My old friend, it''s nice to see you again." Carlo greeted him cheerfully. "To whom do we owe this sudden surprising visit, our dear friend? Did you come to get us out here?" Diego said blatantly to him. They both knew that Alfonso Ramirez held so much influence and power now compared to before. He might be the answer to their dilemma right now. "I have questions that need some answers from both of you, my dear brothers," Alfonso told them with his serious expression. "Then ask. We will try to answer you as we can." Carlo promptly said in an attempt to curry favor with him. Carlo made a mental note to seek help and protection from Alfonso after they answered all his questions. They were afraid of the impending threat of Catseye for their lives. Alfonso: "Catseye was the one responsible for putting you in jail, right?" Carlo: "Yes, Catseye did!" Alfonso: "What the main reason for doing that to both of you?" Diego: "Catseye talked about collecting debts. The people who kidnapped us had mentioned about the Falcon Family Massacre." Alfonso''s eyes widened in disbelief after hearing that. Carlo: "Those people knew about what we did in the past! They tortured us because of that." Diego: "They wanted to know who gave us the order to kill Agent Falcon and his family. Catseye and her accomplice might be related to the Falcon Family. They did this to us for revenge." Alfonso: "This is not good and quite alarming. There might be a traitor. No one knew what happened in the past except us and the people who helped us cover up the crime." He paused for a moment, thinking. After a while, he continued. Alfonso: "Roland died just a few days ago. We are the targets, the original members of Los Molasses Gang. Jefferson, Roland, and Harry, they are all dead now. You two are now imprisoned here. Tyler, Sy, and I are the ones who will likely be targeted next." "This new Catseye also left a message for me. He or she killed one of my men as a warning." They felt a rush of panic when they heard that. Carlo: "My friend, give us protection here. What if Catseye will also come after us? Please¡­ help us." Alfonso: "Alright. Don''t worry. I will use my power and send people here who would keep you safe." Diego: "Thanks. We know we can always count on you. You are now big time!" Carlo: "By the way, before I forget, Aside from Catseye, Alfonso, you have to be wary of a certain detective. He just came here an hour before you. He asked us about you." Diego: "That''s true. The most surprising thing was he also knew what happened eighteen years ago. He knew our involvement in Falcon''s Family Massacre!" Alfonso''s face darkened. Their crime should not be revealed. They buried it already 18 years ago. But now, someone learned about it and now he was trying to do some digging. He must do something before it''s too late. "Don''t worry. Just leave it to me. I know what to do." Alfonso said, reassuring them. Alfonso got the answers he wanted. So he didn''t stay long in that Detention Center. The moment he got out and reached his car, he immediately called someone. After a few rings, the call got connected. Alfonso: "Hello! My dear Azumi Twins." Kevin: "Senior Alfonso, why did you call me?" Alfonso: "Oh, it''s you, Kevin. I thought Kelsy was there. Anyway, I have a special mission for you. Are you in?" Chapter 360 - 360: Annoying Fellow *** At Skull Gang Headquarters *** All the staff of Arison''s Holding and Mining Company was very busy these past few days as their Chairman was about to return. The same thing with the members of Skull Gang, they were preparing to welcome their Supreme Leader who was returning after finishing his deals with the outside alliances. Black Shadow and Spike were having a conversation about James''s comeback. Both of them were the people to whom James entrusted the Skull Gang''s operations in this country during his absence. "Is he really arriving this Saturday? Why is it he didn''t tell me that? Is he mad at me because of what I sent him before?" Black Shadow asked Spike quizzically Spike just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yeah, Boss is coming." James let out a husky laugh. "He is returning earlier than his original plan. Hahaha, I think it is because of the picture I sent him." Spike just shook his head as he watched Black Shadow helplessly. ''This man often forgets that James is still his boss. He really dares to annoy and tease our Skull Gang Leader.'' Spike thought to himself as he continued to flip some doc.u.ments in his hand. "By the way, Black, I came here to relay his message for you. He had a task for you." Spike proceeded to the main agenda of why he visited the Skull Gang Headquarters today. "Okay. Tell me¡­ what is it?" Black Shadow said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He wanted to have a more challenging task from James. "This coming Saturday there was an alliance meeting. But since Ms. Selena prepared a welcome party for Big Boss, he couldn''t personally attend this meeting thus he was sending you as his representative." Spike said to him. After hearing that, the excitement on Black Shadow''s face disappeared quickly. He hated meetings and gatherings. "That''s not fair. You will be having a party while I will be stuck with a boring alliance meeting! Can you do it instead of me, Spike? Besides, you are his right-hand man. You should be the one attending this, not me!" As usual, Black complained at him. He was not the kind of person who would blindly follow their Boss''s order. He was the only one who would dare to voice out his protest. "I can''t do that. I will be helping and assisting Miss Selena for this party. Besides, Boss entrusted the company and his family to me while he gave you the task to manage the Skull Gang. So this alliance meeting is part of your task." Spike blatantly refused Black Shadow''s plea. "[email protected]! Alright! I have no choice but to do this. I just hope that this alliance meeting won''t be a boring one!" "Behave well during the meeting, various powerful and influential leaders will be attending this meeting." Black raised his brow and said, "If you are that worried about how I will behave in front of them, then why don''t you just do it yourself?" "No! And that''s final. My priority is helping Miss Selena." Spike said firmly. "Hahaha because you like her, don''t you!" Black Shadow suddenly blurted out while laughing loudly. "Okay, Spike! I understand!" Spike frowned, "What are you talking about? Watch your mouth, Black Shadow!" "Hahaha. Deny it my friend! But I won''t buy your lies. Hahaha. Every time we talk you always mention Miss Selena, Lady Selena¡­ Selena and Selena. Tsk tsk tsk." Spike looked at him with a sharp glare. He wanted to cut Black Shadow''s tongue off. This fella could be annoying most of the time. On the other hand, Black Shadow didn''t know whether Spike''s face was red because of rage and irritation or because he was blushing. "Oh, by the way, Did James hear the news about Catseye?" he asked Spike curiously. "Yes. He is aware of it." He simply said. "What did he say? How did he react?" There was a glow of anticipation in Black Shadow''s eyes. Spike gazed at him with his serious face and said, "Why don''t you ask him that yourself? But I am warning you. Curiosity could kill a cat." Black Shadow burst out laughing once again. "No thanks! Haha but don''t worry about me¡­ I am not a cat. I am a tiger. Rawr!" He loved teasing and annoying Spike. Spike was almost losing his cool because of this annoying fellow in front of him. However, before he exploded from his teasing, his phone''s ringtone reverberated inside that room. It was a call coming from Selena. He answered it right away. Selena: "Did you hear any updates from my brother? I can''t contact him. Is he really coming this Saturday?" Spike: "Yes. He is quite busy, Lady Selena. He said not to disturb him since he is finishing all the remaining business deals abroad. Don''t worry, he already confirmed his arrival this coming Saturday. From the airport, he would go straight in the venue." Spike heard Selena heave a sigh of relief from the other line. Selena: "I am glad to hear that. Mom is so happy that he is coming earlier. We missed him so much. I just want to confirm. Is it true that my brother won''t allow any media reporters to attend the party?" Spike: "Yes, Lady Selena. He wanted it to be more private, having the closest people to Family Arison only. He won''t allow outsiders this time." Selena: "Ok. I understand. Tell him to contact me as soon as he''s free. I also informed him that I invited the Task Force Members who were assigned to our father''s case two years ago." Spike: "Yeah. He mentioned that too. He is not against that idea." Selena: "That''s great. I am hanging up now. Goodbye!" After the call ended, Spike saw Black Shadow grinning at him widely. "What?" Spike asked him in annoyance. "Nothing. I just wonder how you can maintain to act professionally in front of the girl you like." "STOP THAT NONSENSE, Black! Or else, I am gonna punch you!" "Haha, come at me, Buddy? Let''s see who will go home crying?" He challenged Spike. After a few seconds, loud thuds could be heard inside that room. It lasted for several minutes before the room had quiet down again. Chapter 361 - 361: Welcome Party *** At White Kingdom Grande Hotel *** The welcome party for James was held in a famous hotel which was the competitor of the Sky Hotel of Samuel Sy. Different higher-ups and directors from Arison Holdings as well as its Subsidiary Companies were present tonight. It was a very glamorous occasion that showed how powerful, influential, and wealthy Arison Family was even though Jorge Arison already passed away two years ago. The Arison Family stayed on the top because of Skull Gang''s operations in shadow. Aside from the employees of Arison''s Holdings and Mining Company, several wealthy families that were close to Arison were also there including Diana Mondragon. Senator Mondragon couldn''t make it so he let his daughter attend this party on his behalf. And Diana was very glad that she did since she saw Erick and his team. They were also invited to this welcome party. Erick''s team was being entertained by Selena when James entered the banquet hall. He greeted every guest he came across with. Spike was beside him. James approached his mother first before he proceeded to greet Selena and Erick''s team. Selena immediately threw herself and hugged her brother upon seeing him. "Finally, you are back. I miss you so much, my dear big Bro!" James hugged her back and said, "I miss you too, my little sis." "So sweet." Rose couldn''t help but mumble. Everyone just watched the touching reunion of the Arison''s Siblings. They were smiling. It''s also been a long time since they saw James Arison. He still looked gorgeous and handsome. His aura changed. He became more mature. He was no longer the Casanova that everyone knew before. His playfulness disappeared as he carried the heavy responsibility on his shoulders. After Selena and James parted from that warm hug, James and Erick met each other''s gaze. James nodded at him and Erick did the same. "Long time no see, Chief Lee. How have you been these past two years?" James asked him while giving him a meaningful look. Then a faint smile formed on the corner of his lips. "I''m glad to see you back, Mr. Arison." Erick politely said to him. But he didn''t answer his last question. Erick couldn''t say that he was doing fine because he was not. Without Elle by her side, every day was like a torture for him. He felt miserable. The pain of losing her was the hardest thing in his world to deal with. *************** *** At Elle''s Place *** Elle was all set with her long red satin plunge maxi dress matched with her simply pretty makeup, dangling earrings, and hair tied up in a beautiful french braid and buns. She looked elegant and stunning, worthy to be called the Queen. Josh was starstruck the moment he saw their queen. He was given the task by Supremo to drive her to the venue. Tonight would be the night when Supremo would introduce Elle to his men and allies. That''s what he told her. Josh or rather Sherlock was also wearing a three-piece dark blue suit. He had not yet recovered from the dazed as he just stayed rooted in his spot outside Elle''s apartment. Elle frowned upon seeing his reaction. She walked towards him and kicked his legs using one of her stiletto heels shoes. "Aww." That''s the moment Josh came back from his deep stupor. He massaged his hurt leg. The Queen was still mad at him. Elle just flashed her sinister evil smile. "Now you are awake." "Forgive me, my queen." That''s the only words he could utter before giving her a slight bow while greeting her. When Josh gazed up at her, Elle noticed the scarlet portion of his skin in the corner of his lips. Out of curiosity, she asked him, "What happened to your face?" Josh smiled at her sheepishly while scratching his face. "Sandy punched me on the face three times. It was really hard punches. I thought I lost a few teeth, thank God, I didn''t." Elle giggled after hearing that. "I love Sandy," she mumbled. "Yeah, I love her too." Josh also blurted out. Elle glanced at him, lifting an eyebrow. Josh chuckled and elaborated on his answer. "I should say that rather than saying I hate her or else I''m gonna lose my teeth for real if ever I receive another good beating from her." Elle nodded with a smile, "Very true." After that, the two of them entered the car. *************** *** At Venue for Alliance Meeting *** Meanwhile, in a fabulous and cozy secret hideout, there were around thirty men wearing their suits accompanied by their lady partners as well as by their respective bodyguards. They were waiting for others to come. A group of five men was currently having their conversation in their assigned table. A middle-aged man in his 40s asked his companions. "Do you think Supremo will make an appearance tonight?" Another middle-aged man spoke up. "I think so. I heard that he arrived here at City Z just a few days ago. But it was a secret. It just happened that one of my men saw him at the airport." "Good, it''s been a long time that we haven''t seen him." A man in his mid-30s also joined the conversation. "Supremo''s woman was also here. I am curious to see her face. They called them the Queen. I bet she is gorgeous and beautiful for her to capture Supremo''s heart." "True¡­ I also want to see her. Will she come here tonight with Supremo?" "I wonder what kind of woman she is." "Let''s just wait and see." They were in the middle of their conversation when someone arrived. "Oh, maybe that''s Supremo." One guy blurted out with excitement and anticipation. However, when the newcomer came into their view the men were a little bit disappointed. "Hello, Gentlemen! It''s nice to see you all here tonight." A man who was wearing a dark suit greeted everyone with enthusiasm. His c.o.c.ky grin never left his face. "Black Shadow?!" One man exclaimed as soon as he recognized the man. Chapter 362 - 362: Jamess Announcement *** At White Kingdom Grande Hotel *** There were more or less two hundred attendees for tonight''s party. Everyone started to enjoy the food while the live band was performing in the venue. James Arison approached the higher-ups and directors of Arison''s Holding. He thanked them for their presence. On the other hand, Selena stayed with Erick''s team, ensuring that they wouldn''t feel out of place in this party since almost everyone there was employees of Arison''s Holdings and Arison Family''s close friends. Diana Mondragon also decided to make her presence known to Erick and his team so she walked towards their table. She was aware that Selena''s attention was fixed on Erick. She could see the competition here and she was not the kind of girl who would back down on a challenge. ''Let''s see who is gonna win tonight.'' Diana thought to herself, her eyes lingered on Erick''s handsome face. Selena was wearing a white off-shoulder mermaid dress while Diana was wearing a black halter neck formal long dress with a high slit on the left side. Selena''s look gave off a vibe of woman''s innocence and angelic nature while Diana''s showed sophistication, fierce and alluring vibe. Both women were breathtakingly beautiful in their own unique ways. "Hi, everyone. I''m glad to see you all here." Diana greeted them with a bright smile the moment she reached their table. Her eyes moved from Bryan to June and stopped on Erick. June: "Miss Diana!" Bryan: "Lady Diana. You are here too" Erick: "Good evening, Miss Mondragon." Selena darted her gaze between Diana and Erick''s team. "Do you know each other?" Selena asked them curiously. "Yes, they are the officers-in-charge for my father''s case." Diana promptly answered her. "Yeah, that''s true." June also supported her statement. Selena just nodded, "Alright, I think I don''t need to introduce you to everyone since you already knew each other." "Yeah. By the way, can I join you here? I am not familiar with others but I am glad to see familiar faces here." Diana said while smiling sweetly at Erick. "Oh sure, you can. Please join us. We are happy to have you here." Selena said, inviting her to sit down on the available chair beside her. That''s the moment James also went to their table. He finished greeting all the directors and higher-ups of their company. "How are you doing, guys? Do you like the food here as well as the live music?" He asked them. James was now standing in front of them. Allen: "The food here tastes delicious!" Carl: "Yeah, don''t worry about us, Mr. Arison. We are enjoying your welcome party." June: "Thank you, Lady Selena, for inviting us all here." Selena let out a soft giggle. "No need to be so polite officers. I am really glad that you make it here despite your busy schedules. Besides, I consider you as my friends. You helped us a lot in giving my father the justice he deserves." Everyone fell silent after hearing her last words including James. He had not told her yet about their father''s illness. Meanwhile, others stole a glance at Erick, observing his reaction. But he maintained his usual and neutral expression. "By the way, brother¡­ I would like you to meet Ms. Diana Mondragon. She''s the daughter of Senator Alex Mondragon, our father''s close friend before." "Miss Diana, I know you already heard a lot about my brother, James Arison." Selena introduced James and Diana to each other. "Oh, he''s still single," she added while smiling mischievously. Others also laughed at Selena''s last remarks. They knew what she was trying to do here. She was match-making the two of them, Diana and James. James ignored his sister''s teasing. He extended his arm to Diana, offering her a handshake as he said, "It''s my pleasure to meet a lovely maiden like you, Miss Diana." Diana flashed her charming smile as she peered at James. She had to admit that James Arison was also a very good-looking man oozing with s.e.x appeal. Now, she would like to taste these two handsome species, Erick and James. She gladly accepted his hand while staring at him intently. "The pleasure is also mine," Diana said while gently squeezing James''s hand. After a while, the music stopped and they heard the voice of tonight''s emcee. She greeted everyone and said some introductory words before calling some important guests to the stage in order to leave messages for James. The first one who gave the message was James''s mother. She told everyone how much she missed her son and how happy she was right now since he finally returned after working abroad for the past two years. Everyone felt touched after hearing Mrs. Arison''s emotional message to her son James. Soon, Selena was also called out followed by some higher-ups and directors of their company. In the last part, the host called James to give his message to all the guests who were present tonight. James went to the mini stage. The host gave the microphone to him. "First of all, I would like to thank everyone for coming here tonight. I am really glad to know that you are happy to see me back. I thought no one would miss me." James said, trying to make some jokes. Everyone burst out laughing because of his last sentence. "My dear sister, Selena. I know you are the one who put so much effort into this party. I love you, sis. Sorry for giving you a hard time when I left the responsibility to you, working as the acting Chairman because of my absence. I promise I will make it up to you, dear sis." Another wave of laughter reverberated inside the venue. Then James continued to speak up. "My dear, I have two announcements to make. Please listen carefully." When they heard that, everyone kept quiet. All eyes were on James, anticipating his announcement. Selena and his mother also had no idea about this announcement. They were also curious about it. "I want to grab this opportunity to inform everyone that I am stepping down as the chairman of the Arison Holdings and Mining Company." Everyone gasped in surprise. They couldn''t believe it. The confusion and disbelief were visible to their faces. "Brother, what are you saying?" Selena mumbled to herself. She didn''t understand why he was doing this. "I know all of you are shock by my statement. Don''t worry, I will still be working and assisting my sister on managing the company. My absence helped her to assume the bigger role and I know she is now ready. This is the will of my late father, Jorge Arison. I am just honoring his last wish." Now, the guests could understand James''s decision. They nodded in agreement. They admired the relationship of the siblings. The elder brother was willing to step down for his sister. Unlike other siblings of wealthy families who tried to fight each other for inheritance. Everyone applauded James. Then suddenly Spike climbed up the stage and whispered something to James. A light flickered through James''s eyes. Then he left the stage, walking towards the direction of the entrance door of the banquet hall. He was still holding the microphone in his hand. They just watched him silently. After a while, the entrance door was opened and a woman in her long red satin plunge maxi dress greeted their sights. The words beautiful and gorgeous were not enough to describe the lady in a red dress. All their eyes were still fixed on the lady when they heard James''s voice once again. "And for my second announcement, I would like you to meet my lovely fiancee, Aliyah Ross." Chapter 363 - 363: Another Trick of Supremo "And for my second announcement, I would like you to meet my lovely fiancee, Aliyah Ross." James proudly announced to everyone as his gaze was locked on Elle''s stunning figure. His shocking announcement garnered different reactions from the people who were inside that banquet hall. They peered at Elle and James with their slacked-jaw and unblinking expression. The brief silence was followed by the sound of murmuring and whispering around the hall. "James Arison came back with his fiancee." "Did the two of them meet in the States?" "We didn''t hear any news that Chairman Arison had a girlfriend." "Who''s this lovely maiden? From which family she belongs to? Her surname is Ross." "But I can''t think of any wealthy and influential family with the surname Ross. Is her family living abroad? Is she a royalty there?" But aside from the curious spectators, there were two people who were really shocked to see Elle tonight. The first one was Selena Arison. She looked at her brother and to the woman whom he called Aliyah Ross, his fiancee. She had mixed emotions as of now. She was surprised and at the same time she was upset. How come her brother didn''t inform her about this? She knew that her mother was also clueless. She could tell by just looking at their mother''s expression alone. What made her more upset was that the woman beside her brother and the woman who killed their father had the same face. She couldn''t accept that her brother fell in love with someone having the same look as Elle! But Selena was not the only one who suffered from this shocking announcement. Erick who was silent in his spot was just looking at Elle with a blank expression. Though his face was void of any emotions, deep inside, his heart wanted to go berserk. There was a storm of thoughts haunting his mind right now. He didn''t know what he should feel anymore. The pain was now unbearable to the extent that his heart became numb, incapable of feeling any emotions. ''Fate¡­ how cruel you can be for doing this to me? What I have done wrong in my past life that you are making me suffer this much? What I felt when I saw that ring and she denied that she was Elle... was the same feeling I have as of this moment.'' Erick wanted to walk away but he couldn''t move his feet. He stayed rooted on his spot while his eyes were still staring at Elle''s direction. Erick''s mind was in shambles that he failed to notice the confusion in Elle''s eyes upon seeing the people around her. Her heart suddenly felt that something was wrong. This was not the scene she was expecting to see the moment she entered that door. Her confused eyes roamed around her surroundings. She felt a surge of panic when she saw familiar faces from the distance. Badum! Badum! Her heart started to race the moment her eyes found the man whom she badly wished was not there in the venue. When her eyes met his expressionless eyes, Elle suddenly felt weak on her knees. ''No! No! What''s happening here? Why am I here? I am not supposed to be here!'' Elle was screaming in agony inside her mind. She almost collapsed fortunately James was there, catching her and supporting her to steady her footings. Her face became pale but when he gazed up to look at James, her eyes were burning with rage. "WHAT. IS. THE. MEANING. OF. THIS?" Elle asked him through her gritted teeth. Her voice was low but firm as she emphasized her every word. She was mad! James had tricked her. This was not the plan. He told her that they were meeting his people, his men and his alliance. These people around them were not the Skull Gang members nor the members of his alliance. This was not the f*cking Alliance Meeting! Seeing the rage of Elle, James started to regret what he did. But he couldn''t undo this. He already started this. No backing down now. "Let''s talk after this. As of now, just play along with me. Besides, we already agreed that you will pretend to be my fiancee so that Skull Gang''s members would acknowledge you as the Queen. I promised you that you can use all the powers of Skull Gang for your revenge." James whispered to her, trying to calm her down. "These people are also my people. There''s nothing wrong for announcing to them that you are my woman." James added. "No! I. AM. NOT. YOUR. WOMAN!" James was hurt by those direct words coming from her but he tried to endure and conceal it. "I know. But you are pretending to be my woman. Please¡­ calm down. Don''t make a scene here, Elle." James softly said, desperately begging her. Elle peered at her surroundings. The guests were still watching them. When Elle glanced back at Erick''s direction, he was not looking at her anymore. He was now conversing with Diana. Elle clenched her fists. Her heart tightened as she felt like Erick didn''t care. ''Does he only consider me as a complete stranger now who just looks like his deceased wife?'' On the other hand, Selena and her mother were now walking towards them. Elle had no choice but to comply with James''s request in the meantime. "We should talk after this." Elle said after she finally calmed down. James gave her a grateful look before nodding at her. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen. Those are my two important announcements tonight. I have to end my message now because I think I have some explaining things to do with my Mom and my Sister." James said jokingly as he watched his mother and sister approaching them. The guests laughed again, oblivious of the on-going tension between James and Elle. After that he signaled Josh to give the microphone back to the emcee. With that, the host introduced the famous artists who would perform tonight to divert the attention of the guests away from James and his ''fiancee''. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, On Black Shadow''s end, his assumption was right. This alliance meeting was a boring occasion for him. Everyone was expecting to see Skull Gang''s Supreme Leader who was also known as Supremo. But it turned out, Supremo just let his representative attend this meeting. Of course, they couldn''t voice out their complaints and unhappiness since the person in front of them was Black Shadow. They couldn''t afford to offend him or else they might end up being dead. Though he was part of Skull Gang now, he was still considered a notorious assassin. They also feared him as they feared Catseye. As usual, their topic was all about how to win against the Dark Knight Organization. As per advice by Supremo, Black Shadow suggested to the alliance that they should make a move and target the bio-weapon facility of the Dark Knight Organization. Black Shadow also mentioned that Supremo was willing to reward the person or group who would be able to get or steal antidotes from the bio-weapon facilities. But in order to do that, they should find first the location of those hidden facilities. Supremo assured them that he would reward them greatly once they accomplished the mission. Chapter 364 - 364: The Cost of His Selfishness When his sister and his mother reached them, James formally introduced Elle to them. "Mom, Sis, like what I said a while ago, this is Aliyah Ross, my fiance. Ali, meet my beautiful Mom, Evana Arison and my sweet sister, Selena." Elle slightly bowed as she greeted James''s mother politely. She also smiled at Selena. She wished that her smile didn''t show any hint of awkwardness, because as of now, she really had no mood to smile in this kind of situation. She didn''t know how she would face Erick after this. James used underhanded strategy this time. She was lost in her train of thoughts when suddenly she felt a warm hug coming from Evana. "Though I am quite surprised, I''m happy to know that my son already had someone whom he wants to settle down with. Don''t worry, dear, I am not against your relationship. I will completely support you." This time Elle was certain, her lips twitched into a forced smile. She pretended to be someone else''s girlfriend before but she didn''t feel uncomfortable unlike tonight. ''[email protected]! I messed up big time!'' Selena was just quiet on the side, giving her brother a questioning gaze. She wanted to talk to him about this but this was not the right time to do it. James''s mother continued entertaining Elle. She asked her a lot of questions about herself, her family and her job. But Elle couldn''t concentrate since her mind was wandering right now. She was thinking about Erick. Meanwhile, the man whom Elle was thinking was currently talking with Diana and his team. His expression was normal and unreadable. His team didn''t know what was running on Erick''s mind right now. Although they were thinking that Aliyah was not Elle, they couldn''t stop themselves from worrying about their Chief after hearing that shocking announcement. Who would have thought that Aliyah Ross who happened to be a look alike of Elle was James''s fiancee? They''re wondering why they didn''t get that kind of information after they investigated Aliyah''s background. ''Were they secretly dating? Is their relationship very private?'' "Hey, what happened in your investigation? Why is it you didn''t find the relationship between Aliyah and James? If you did, maybe we won''t be shocked like this!" Rose whispered to June while complaining. "Well, I don''t know. Maybe they are not very open in the public. You know the thing ''private relationship'', right?" June said, defending himself. "Hey, lower your voice. Stop gossiping!" April slightly reprimanded the two of them. "Why? There''s nothing wrong about it. Besides, Chief Lee doesn''t look affected at all." June commented. Bryan hit June on his abdomen with his elbow, telling him to stop talking since Erick could also hear them. Bryan was not sure. At first, he saw the complicated emotions plastered on Erick''s face the moment he saw Aliyah. But in just a blink of an eye, his face became blank and expressionless. ''Is he really not affected at all, or he is just concealing his emotions?'' But when they looked at him, Erick was acting normal as he conversed with Diana. They had no idea what Erick was going through right now behind his mask. He was enduring it no matter how painful it was in order not to look pitiful in front of his colleagues and most especially to Elle'' and James''s eyes. Suddenly, the sweet music reverberated in the entire banquet hall. The emcee announced that the dance floor was now open. This part of the program became a tradition to every party, giving the guys the opportunity to dance with the ladies. Soon, the guests made their way to the dance floor together with their respective partners. As much as Selena wanted to enjoy this night together with Erick, she couldn''t do it. Her mood was greatly affected by Elle''s presence. She hated that face, the face who killed her father and the face whom Erick fell in love with. She just stayed with her mother, waiting for the chance to confront her brother privately. Because of this, Diana seized the moment to get closer with Erick. She even invited him first to dance with her. Erick didn''t answer right away. His eyes took a glance first at Elle who was currently being invited by James to dance with him. When he saw James leading Elle to the dance floor, Erick accepted Diana''s invitation. Deep down, Erick was hoping that Elle would come to him and explained that all of these were just misunderstanding. However, he knew it was just his wishful thinking. Elle even denied him the truth the last time he confronted her. So he was doubtful if Elle would come and try to explain things to him. But, instead of talking to him, she was avoiding him. Elle didn''t even glance at him.This was tearing his heart apart, over and over again. Now, the two pairs were already dancing on the dance floor. Elle didn''t know how long she could endure this. The moment she looked on her side, she saw Erick and Diana together. ''I should be the one by his side right now, dancing with him.'' Elle thought to herself. There was a gleam of sadness in her dark eyes. She couldn''t bear to see them together so she immediately looked away. She had no right to be mad or jealous. She was aware of that. Because, in the first place, she was the one to blame with this. Her grip tightened on James''s shoulders. He looked down only to see the wan expression on Elle''s beautiful face. There was no light in her eyes. Elle lowered her gaze, trying to hide her face. The tears welled up in the corner of her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. James saw her crying silently. He cursed himself inwardly. Because of his selfishness, Elle ended up being hurt. He started to regret his actions. He didn''t want to see her cry. With his conflicting thoughts, James gently pulled Elle closer to him and let her face bury in his chest to hide her crying face. Elle couldn''t afford to let others see her tears so she didn''t protest. Then her mind wandered back to what happened two years ago, thinking how she ended up in this difficult and complicated situation. Chapter 365 - 365: Flashback Elle''s mind wandered back to what happened two years ago, thinking of how she ended up in this difficult and complicated situation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ?{ FLASHBACK: 2 Years Ago¡­ }? Bryan and Brother Yan were supposed to save and rescue Elle however, a sudden blast happened on the rear side of the ship. With the strong impact of the explosion, metal and steel debris started to collapse one after another, thus blocking their way going to Elle. Brother Yan convinced Bryan to return to their boat while he would find another alternative path going to his Lady Boss''s location. The two men were rushing that they failed to notice the figure on the other side who was approaching Elle. The person was brother Lu. After hearing from Brother Yan that Elle stayed in the middle deck to lure and divert the attention of the enemies away from Erick''s team, Lu couldn''t bear to wait as he was worried about their Lady Boss''s safety. He left his position after getting permission from Brother Yan. Lu returned to the middle deck, feeling determined to help and assist their Lady Boss. By the time, he arrived at the middle deck, Elle and the others were all gone except for the remaining Dark Knight''s members. Lu immediately searched for Elle and Master Phantom. He just got out of another entrance in the middle deck when he heard the blast nearby. He turned to look at that direction and he saw the familiar figure of their Lady Boss lying on the ship floor unconscious. "LADY BOSS!" He exclaimed in horror. His eyes filled with panic and deep concern for Elle. He dashed toward her direction. The horror he felt intensified the moment he saw her bleeding. She had different gunshot wounds at her back. He kneeled beside her, tapping her shoulders while trying to wake her up. "Lady Boss! Lady Boss! Can you hear me? Please wake up!" Lu mumbled anxiously. He got no response from Elle. He checked her pulse. At first, he couldn''t sense any. Her pulse was very weak. He put his finger near her nose. She''s breathing! Lu felt relieved when he learned that she''s still alive, though her pulse was very weak. Amidst his half panicking state, his mind still managed to think quickly. "I need to stop her bleeding," Lu mumbled to himself. He tore up some fabrics of his shirt. He checked her- full body scan- searching for her wounds. He confirmed that Elle''s wound was at her back. He gently tilted her head and rolled her body on one side to have a clear view of her wounds at her back. He saw two bullet wounds, one on her left shoulder, and the other one was on the lower part just near her left kidney. But there was something that caught Lu''s attention while treating and binding her wounds using the cloth of his shirt and Elle''s black cloth mask. There was a dart looking bullet on the upper portion of her shoulder which was one inch away from her nape. There was a residue of green liquid coming out of her wound and that dart bullet. It was similar to the dart bullet of the tranquilizer gun. But that green liquid looked familiar to him. When he searched the memory in his mind, he remembered the night they rescued brother Xu and Brother Ling in the Bio-weapon facility of the Dark Knight. When he gazed back to Elle, he saw the blood oozing out from the corner of her mouth. Lu''s eyes widened in fright. "F*ck! They used a bio-weapon gun when they shot Lady Boss!" He already touched the bio-chemicals when he removed the dart out of her body. It was too late but he didn''t care even if he would also be exposed to the bio-weapon. His determination to save Elle didn''t waver. She was his priority. He had sworn to himself that he would protect their lady boss even if it cost him his life. He was willing to sacrifice his own life just to save her. Unfortunately, he had no time to bring her to where their boat was located. It was very far from their current spot. And the bombs that were planted in the different parts of the cruise ship started to explode one after another. After the consecutive blasts, the smoke and fire engulfed the M.V Athena, spreading fast in the different areas on the ship. He had no choice but to carry his Lady Boss and jumped into the water. The Ship was gonna sink and the biggest explosion was about to happen. Lu jumped into the water while carrying Elle into his arms. Brother Yan was just five minutes late when he arrived at Elle''s previous location. Lu and Elle were already gone. Brother Yan had no choice but to run to the other sides, searching for their Lady Boss who disappeared. He thought maybe Elle was awakened that she managed to stand up and walked around. But unfortunately, he didn''t see her. Meanwhile, when Lu and the unconscious Elle were already on the water, he wrapped his arm around her waist and began to swim away from MV Athena using sidestroke. When he felt like he was losing his strength Lu grabbed some floating debris near him. He settled the unconscious Elle in that improvised floating device so that he could pull her to shore by holding onto the floating debris and towing it while he swam. He wished that Master Phantom and his brothers would be able to see them floating in the water. If Master Phantom''s team couldn''t see them, then Lu prayed that some fishermen or coastguards would notice their presence despite the darkness of the night. Every minute and second that passed, his Lady Boss''s life was also being put in great danger. So he tried his best to swim faster with all his remaining strengths and energy. With his current strength, it was impossible for him to swim until they could reach the shore. His struggle was real. But he didn''t give up nor lose hope. Since there was an explosion that happened in the seat involving one cruise ship, he was positive that coastguards would come. So in the end, Brother Lu remained true to his words. He was the one who saved and protected their lady boss with his own life. Chapter 366 - 366: Flashback 2 ?{ FLASHBACK: 2 Years Ago¡­ }? Thirty minutes after M.V Athena exploded, Spike called James, informing him about the incident that happened at South Carolina''s Coast. Spike told him everything about the encounter between Catseye and the Joint Task Force against the Azumi Twins and the Dark Knight Organization. James and Spike were talking over the phone. "Boss¡­ I am afraid to tell you but¡­ Catseye was killed in that encounter." Spike said to him anxiously, worrying about his Boss''s reaction. There was a moment of complete silence when Spike said that. After only God knew how long, James''s voice was heard again from the other line. "Come again? What did you say?" He heard it clearly but James was in denial. "Catseye died in this mission," Spike said as he rephrased his words. Thud! The phone slid on his hand as his grasp loosened after hearing the bad news. James felt miserable at that time. He couldn''t believe it. He chose not to believe it. "No way! She''s not dead! She''s not!" After he recovered his wits from that shocking news, James picked up his phone again as he gave his command to Spike. "Get me the fastest speedboat at South Carolina asap! I''m going there myself to confirm if that news is true. ''I need to see her! This is not true. Elle is alive. She must¡­'' James thought to himself as he rushed out of his study, grabbing his car keys and jacket. It only took him a ten-minute drive to reach his destination. Spike was very efficient. He was already there with the speedboat, waiting for James''s arrival. They soon departed from the port and went straight to the location where M.V Athena exploded and sank. Coastguards were also there, conducting both rescue and retrieval operations. As if it was heaven''s will, James was the one who found Lu and Elle, floating just kilometers away from the shore. Lu looked very exhausted and already weak when they found them. Elle was still unconscious and barely alive. Fortunately, Lu succeeded in stopping her bleeding. Her gunshot wounds were not severe and critical. But the main concern was the effect of the toxin on the body of his Lady Boss. Lu was already exposed to it that''s why he felt so weak now. Then his prayer was answered. He was glad that someone found them. He waved his hand to the speedboat approaching them. James felt relieved the moment he saw Elle. He knew it. She was still alive. Without thinking, James jumped onto the water to personally get her. But Lu immediately stopped him. "No, don''t come near us. You are not wearing any protective gear. We are both infected by bio-weapon. Let me carry her. We need to bring her to the hospital as soon as possible or it will be too late for her. She also has two gunshot wounds at her back. I temporarily stopped the bleeding." After hearing Lu''s statement, Spike quickly reached James''s arm just in case he would insist on carrying Elle. The man beside her already said that they were infected by a bio-weapon. It''s dangerous. James didn''t protest. They distanced themselves away from both Lu and Elle. With his remaining strength, Lu carried Elle as he climbed on the speedboat. Spike concentrated on driving the speedboat while James called the best doctors he knew as well as their family doctor. He informed them about the situation. Their family doctor advised James to bring her to the nearest hospital in South Carolina. Then he would be the one to take care of the rest. The hospital where they brought Elle was the same hospital where Erick was admitted. Lu still managed to bring her inside the hospital. Upon arrival, they were welcomed by a pool of doctors wearing protective gear. Their quarantined rooms were also prepared. After putting Elle on the operating bed, Lu turned to James who was following them behind. He borrowed a piece of paper and a ballpen. "I have one more request. Can you please contact this number and inform him that we are here?" Lu requested James. The number he gave him was the contact number of Master Phantom. It did not take long after Lu gave James the number, he vomited blood and collapsed in front of them. The doctors immediately carried him on the sickbed and examined him. James was having conflicting thoughts as he watched the piece of paper in his hand. He didn''t know who was the owner of this number. He was thinking that this number belonged to Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee. With that thought in mind, James just crumpled the paper and threw it on the garbage bin. He made up his mind. This time, he would be the one to protect and take care of Elle. After removing the bullets on her body, Elle''s condition didn''t improve. Both Elle and Lu fell into a coma. The doctors checked their blood sample and they confirmed that there was biotoxin in their systems. The Arison Family Doctor advised James to bring them to the States where there were more high technology and advanced medicines that could treat the two patients. He referred him to Dr. Argus, a well-known doctor abroad. James agreed with his suggestion. On the same night, James prepared everything. He even asked Spike to hide this incident from everyone. He made sure that the hospital would not talk about the two VIP patients who came there tonight. James had already decided on his next moves. Elle and Catseye were now both dead in the eyes of many. No one should know that she was still alive. Though she didn''t pass the critical stage yet, James believed that she would survive this. He won''t ever give up on her. Never. Tomorrow night, he would bring Elle and her savior to the States for their treatment. But before that, James didn''t forget to make a move and take revenge against the Dark Knight Organization. They killed his father and now they tried to harm the woman he loved. He won''t forgive nor forget this. The next morning, James summoned the Branch Leaders and high-ranking members of Skull Gang. He gave an order to directly confront the Dark Knight Organization and launched their attack. That''s his first revenge. On the same night, James left the city Z together with Elle and Lu using his private plane. He would do everything within his power just to make Elle recover. *** End of Flashback *** Chapter 367 - 367: Am I Not Good Enough? As Elle reminisced what happened in the past, her tears continued to flow down her face. She got separated with Erick two years ago. Now, she came back but still she couldn''t be with him. She couldn''t involve him in this war since she knew Erick wouldn''t allow her to do things that were against the law. The two of them were different. She was the darkness while Erick was the light. She''s the bad one and he''s the good one. She joined forces with the Skull Gang in order to defeat the Dark Knight Organization. James promised to help her and support her in exchange, she just needed to stay with him. He let her use the power of the Skull Gang and its influence. She somehow suspected that the Dark Knight Organization might be responsible for killing her family 18 years ago. The reason for thinking that was the fact Dark Knight was backing and protecting Alfonso Ramirez. In order to go against that powerful organization, she made a deal with the Supremo. Because of that, all of these conflicts and misunderstanding between Erick and her were happening. There were times she wanted to let go of the past and just forget her revenge. If she could do that now then she didn''t have to lie with Erick anymore nor be afraid for his safety. However, whenever she would remember her parents, her family and every single person who died that day, her hatred and raging fury ignited deep down her heart. In the end, she couldn''t turn her back on them. ''Will Erick understand me? By the time I can tell him the truth, will he still accept me? Will he forgive me? Will he still love me?'' Elle felt like she was suffocating. She''s afraid that Erick would be taken away from her by others. Then the beautiful face of Diana as well as Selena crossed her mind. She knew that the two women were interested with Erick. Elle suddenly felt the jealousy and insecurities deep down her heart. Selena was a good person. She''s innocent and she''s not involved in any underground activities. She had no idea about Skull Gang''s operation. She would be the best candidate to be a good wife. What if Erick would fall in love with her? The same with Diana, she had similarities with Elle. She''s a strong-willed independent woman. She also came from a good family. Her father was a good and honest politician in the country. Any man would dream to have those two as his own wife. She was thinking that Erick was no exception. He could fall with either of the two. And that''s what she''s afraid of. Someone would replace her in Erick''s heart. Furthermore, James''s action was not helping her. He was trying to create more misunderstandings between the two of them. Elle''s clasp on James''s shoulder tightened more to the extent that he could already feel her nails digging through the fabric of his suit. Little did she know that her current position right now was causing Erick to misinterpret again. In Erick''s eyes, Elle looked like she was very comfortable with James. She was clinging onto James too tightly while her face was buried into his chest. Their bodies were too close to each other. James''s arms were holding her waist. Erick had the urge to charge to their direction and separate them. He wanted to yank Elle away from James. He was still wondering how the two of them ended up together. [email protected]! Just thinking about it, he felt like he was about to go mad. ''Did Elle betray me? Did she fake her death so that she could be with James?'' ''Was that the reason she didn''t come back to me for the past two years? She was happily living abroad with James, having a luxurious life?'' ''After all, James is a wealthy man. I couldn''t give her the fancy things which James could provide her.'' These were the thoughts clouding his mind right now. Oh, God, he just wanted to disappear at this moment and just end all his pain. "Ouch!" Diana winced as Erick stepped on her foot because he was very distracted. Her voice pulled him out of those negative thoughts. "I''m sorry, Miss Diana. Did I hurt you that much?" Erick quickly asked her with his concerned and apologetic voice. "Oh, Don''t worry. I''m alright." Diana gave him a faint smile. She was glad that Erick seemed to be very concerned about her. Erick simply nodded at her. After a while, Erick spoke up again, "Miss Diana, I am afraid but I think I can''t continue this dance anymore. I am sorry." ''The longer I stay here the longer I will suffer.'' Erick thought to himself. Diana just let out a soft giggle and said, "No need to apologize, Chief Lee. It''s already a great pleasure that you accepted my invitation and I became the first lady whom you brought in this dance floor tonight." Erick''s lip stretched into a forced smile. Soon, he led Diana back to their table. After reaching their table, he approached Allen and Carl who were enjoying their drinks. Bryan, April, Rose and June were still in the dance floor. "Allen, Carl, please send my goodbye to Miss Selena and the others. I have to go now. Let''s just see each other on Monday." Erick said to them. "You''re going home now, Chief?" Carl asked, wanted to confirm it once again. Erick just merely bobbed his head. "Okay Chief. Noted. Take care on your way home," Allen said. With that, Erick walked out of the banquet hall in a hurry. He couldn''t stand it any longer. Once, he was already outside, the tears he tried hard to hold within for a long time just poured down from the corners of his eyes. ''F*ck! I hate this feeling! I hate it¡­ I hate myself¡­ Am I not good enough for her?'' He didn''t ride the elevator, instead, he used the stairs to avoid seeing people. He went down from the 18th floor going to the lobby of the hotel using the emergency exit. Erick ran and ran with his tears blurring his visions. His sweats and tears had already mixed together. But hell¡­ he didn''t care anymore. He just wanted to let it loose¡­ to let it all out. Chapter 368 - 368: Saving Me Before But Killing Me Now By the time Elle raised her head to peer at her surroundings, Erick was already gone on the dance floor. When her eyes searched for him, she saw him walking out of the banquet hall in a rush. She didn''t know what came to her but her feet just automatically moved to follow him, leaving James on the dance floor. James''s eyes dimmed darkly as he watched Elle walking towards the glass door of the venue. When she got out, she saw Erick''s figure running away towards the emergency exit. Elle''s troubled heart was beating so fast. It was full of tears and heavy burdens. She ran to the direction where Erick went as she chased after him, removing her high heels in the process. She could hear his running footsteps just below her. However, before she could close their distance, a strong arm already grabbed her, thus stopping her. The person was James who also followed her. "Let Go of My Hand, Now!" she commanded him, feeling enraged. Her eyes and face were red. She was ready to throw a fit at any moment if ever James won''t release her hand. But James was also stubborn. He remained still, gripping her hand tightly. He had no plan of letting her go especially now. "What are you trying to do? What will you say to him if ever you will be able to catch up with him? You already lied to him. So what''s wrong with letting him think that you are my fiance?" James asked her. He also raised his voice at her. Pak! Elle slapped James on his left cheek as she was not able to control her fury. But Elle was taken aback after she realized what she did. James''s face reddened immediately after taking that hit. Then there was a moment of deafening silence between them. Elle felt a pang of guilt after slapping James. She had put so much force with that slap. Her body reflexively moved and it was too late to stop it. "You leave me with no choice. You force me to do this." Elle said in a low voice as she lowered her gaze. She couldn''t look straight at James''s eyes. The gleam of hurt was visible in his eyes. James didn''t budge. He was still holding her arm. He was afraid that once he let go, Elle would disappear completely from his side. "Hit me all you want. But I am sorry¡­ I won''t allow you to chase after him." James firmly said to her. Elle punched him on his chest several times. "Why are you doing this to me, James? Is this what you want? You are breaking my heart¡­ You knew that he is-" "STOP IT!" James exclaimed, interrupting her words. "Please, Elle stop. I don''t want to hear it." This time he lowered his voice as he mumbled his desperate plea. "James, I am grateful to you for saving my life. But¡­ what you are doing now¡­ is like you are killing me a thousand times." Elle said to him truthfully. That''s what she felt as of this moment. "Now, I am hurting Erick and I am aware that I am hurting your feelings too. Maybe¡­ it was better if I just died two years ago." After hearing that, James felt a rush of panic. He didn''t want that. He pulled her closer, hugging her. "No! Don''t say that!" James''s eyes began to tear up. The scariest moment in his life was the time he heard the news that Elle died. But fate became good to him as he found her alive. "I''m sorry¡­ I am sorry. Please forgive me, Elle. I didn''t mean to hurt you. I just¡­ I just¡­" James couldn''t continue his words. ''I just love you so much that''s why I am doing this.'' That''s what he wanted to tell her. But after seeing her cry, he felt like he had no rights to say that. Because if he did, he was afraid that Elle would question his love¡­and would question his way of showing his love and devotion for her. He couldn''t justify his act by just saying he loves her because he knew the fact that it was his selfishness that made him do this. Elle gently pushed James away from her. "If you do this again, trying to wedge more conflicts between me and Erick, then I have to forget our deal. Knowing that Elle died was already too much for him to handle. Please, don''t make him suffer more." After saying that, Elle left him. She decided to go home. There''s no reason for her to stay there. The show was over. She didn''t pursue her plan of going after Erick. James was right. Even if she followed him, she didn''t know what she should say to him. The moment Elle vanished from his sight, James weakly leaned on the wall for support. He regretted his actions. He broke her trust. His jealous selfish heart was the one to blame. He already expected this to happen. He knew that Elle and Erick would still meet each other as Elle returned to City Z. He conditioned himself to be more patient and understanding. But, he failed. The moment Black Shadow informed him that Aliyah, Elle''s new identity, was getting close again with Erick, he felt alarmed and threatened. He thought he would lose Elle once again In fact, Black Shadow had no idea that Elle was alive. Only Spike and Sherlock knew about Aliyah''s existence. James hid it from Black Shadow because he knew that Black had past relationship with the Azumi Twins who tried to kill Elle. It was no secret to him that Black Shadow had always thought of competing with Catseye. He was worried that Black Shadow might harm. her once he learned that Catseye was alive. So James didn''t tell him anything about Elle. That''s why James was quite shocked when Black Shadow sent him a picture together with her. He asked Spike to contact Sherlock. He asked Sherlock to keep his eyes on Elle for two reasons. First, to monitor Elle so that he would be informed about the happenings between Elle and Erick. Second, to protect Elle just in case Black Shadow would do something to her. James was oblivious that Black Shadow had already no ill-intent or bad motive towards Catseye. Instead, Black Shadow would be glad to know if Catseye was still alive. Chapter 369 - 369: Sorry Is Not Enough Today was Monday. Everyone was back to the office. Team Alpha Cinco couldn''t help but feel the gloomy ambiance inside their Chief''s Office. Though Erick was acting like there''s nothing wrong, his silence was quite frightening for his team. It seemed like he shut himself once again in his own world, building an invisible wall that stopping others from entering his personal space. They couldn''t figure out what was happening to him. He kept changing his mood. One day, he was cold. The next day, he was eager and enthusiastic about solving their case. And now, he was very calm and unusually quiet, his face void of any emotions. They were also reluctant to approach him. The team didn''t know how they would deal and communicate with him without being awkward. The aura emanating from him was quite intimidating. "Hey, Bryan, what''s wrong with Chief Lee? Why is it he is acting strangely once again?" Carl couldn''t help but ask the person closer to Erick. "How I wish I also know the answer." Bryan mumbled as he heaved a frustrated sigh. "I think it has something to do with Elle''s version 2.0." June blurted out of the blue. Everyone averted their gaze to June and asked him in unison. "Elle''s version 2.0?" June shrugged his shoulders at them and said, "Who else? It''s Miss Aliyah Ross who happened to be James Arison''s fiancee. What a great coincidence, right? We have small world after all!" "Uh oh! Spraking of the devil, she''s here!" Rose exclaimed upon seeing Elle through the glass door of their office. She was now approaching the main door. "Guys, behave! Watch your mouth!" April said while giving everyone a warning look. June: "Understood, Ma''am!" Carl: "Yes, Ma''am!" Allen: "Noted!" They mumbled almost at the same time. Rose just winked at April while Bryan nodded at her. "Good morning, officers!" Elle greeted them as soon as she entered their office. "Good morning!" "Good morning too, Miss Ross." "Hi Ali!" Everyone greeted her back with a wide smile. "Is Chief Lee here? Can I see him?" Elle asked the team. Everyone exchanged glances with one another, asking who would respond to her. Would she be alright meeting their moody Chief today? "Chief Lee is inside his office. He is quite busy but don''t worry, I''ll let him know that you are here. Just wait here for a while, Miss Aliyah." Bryan was the one who spoke up. Elle just nodded and said. "Oh, alright. By the way, just call me Ali or Aliyah, sergeant. Miss Aliyah is too formal." Bryan smiled and agreed on her before he entered Erick''s office. Once inside, Bryan saw Erick flipping some doc.u.ments while alternately looking at his laptop screen and those doc.u.ments in his hand. "What do you need, Sergeant Velasquez?" Erick asked him, without glancing at Bryan. "Aliyah Ross is outside, Chief Lee. She''s wondering if she could talk to you today. Are you available? Should I call her now, and let her in?" Bryan asked Erick carefully. He was observing Erick''s reaction. Upon hearing the name Aliyah Ross, Erick paused for a moment. Complicated emotions flashed in his dark brown eyes but he managed to conceal them in an instant. His face became expressionless and unreadable once again. One second¡­ Two seconds¡­ Three seconds¡­ Until the seconds became a minute, Bryan didn''t get any response from Erick. He stood there feeling awkward while Erick continued flipping the doc.u.ment. "Chief Lee?" He called out once again. "What is it?" Erick responded nonchalantly. "I said Aliyah is here. Maybe she wants to talk about Catseye''s case. Should I let her in?" Bryan asked him again. Erick stopped what he was doing and gazed up to meet Bryan''s eyes. With his glazed expression, Erick said to him, "I''m about to leave. I am visiting Vello and De Dios, today. If she is just here to talk about Catseye''s case then I have no time to accommodate a reporter today. I am busy." Erick''s voice was firm and cold enough to send shiver through Bryan''s spine. Bryan was clueless. He said that because what he needed was an explanation from her. He didn''t want to talk about anything else. Erick felt like he was betrayed. He was tired of this ''Lying Game''. If she won''t talk about the truth then there''s no reason for them to meet. As of now, Erick couldn''t bear to see her because he would just feel miserable. His aching heart could not afford to receive another big blow nor another lie from her, or else, Erick would completely lose himself. If that happened, then he didn''t know what he would do anymore. He needed to protect his remaining sanity. Meanwhile, Bryan was tongue-tied at the moment. He felt like he was in the middle of two colliding rocks. After his long silence, Bryan finally found his voice. "Okay Chief. I''ll tell her that you don''t want to see her." Erick shot him a cold stare after hearing that. ''Oops! That was just a slip of the tongue!'' Bryan mumbled to himself anxiously as he met Erick''s threatening gaze. "Hehe¡­ I mean¡­ I''ll tell her that you can''t see her because you are busy. Yeah, you are BUSY." Bryan said sheepishly, trying to redeem himself before Erick. "Why don''t you go now, Chief Lee. I thought you were going to visit De Dios and Vello?" Bryan said. ''Leave now and make your excuse true and believable.'' Bryan thought to himself while waiting for Erick''s response. However, before Erick could say another word, Elle suddenly entered the office. A deep frown appeared on Erick''s handsome face the moment he saw Elle. He clenched his fists, trying to calm himself. He was not ready to see her. On the other hand, Bryan looked at Elle with disbelief. How could she just enter without asking permission? Bryan could now feel the heavy air surrounding them. The atmosphere was filled with tension. ''[email protected]! Why do I feel like I want to flee right away and leave these two in order to save myself.'' Bryan started to have cold sweats all over his body. "Miss Ross, don''t you know how to knock? Or do you understand the word ''asking permission first''?" Erick said to her with his stone cold voice. Elle was taken aback by Erick''s distant tone. She knew she shouldn''t be doing this but she couldn''t help herself. She just wanted to see him. Elle lowered her gaze and said, "I''m sorry. Should I go out again and knock? Or since I already did it, can I just apologize and ask for your forgiveness, Chief Lee?" ''I''m sorry, Erick. Please forgive me about what happened last Saturday.'' That''s what Elle truly meant by apologizing to Erick. Erick closed his fists tightly once again. "When you made a mistake, or shall I say when you''ve hurt someone or you''ve been wronged, sometimes just saying or hearing, "Sorry," is not enough." Erick said to her meaningfully. Silence. The room was engulfed by silence after Erick said those words. Elle had no words to refute that. Just saying ''Sorry'' couldn''t fix everything. Bryan was just quietly darting his eyes back and forth between Erick and Elle. ''[email protected]! This is so awkward! Should I just leave?'' Chapter 370 - 370: Death Threat Bryan was just quietly darting his eyes back and forth between Erick and Elle. ''[email protected]! This is so awkward! Should I just leave?'' Bryan couldn''t explain but he was nervous as of now. Erick''s coldness was too frightening. And he had no idea why his choice of words were too heavy and deep. It seemed like he really meant it for someone- Aliyah Ross. ''Did Aliyah do something that made Erick very upset like this?'' Bryan marveled at that thought. Knock! Knock! Bryan heaved a sigh of relief after hearing the knocking sound outside the door. ''Thank God for this divine intervention. Now, I could breathe normally again.'' Bryan mumbled to himself before answering the person outside. "Please come in!" Bryan promptly said. Then Alle emerged from the door, together with a delivery man. "We have a package for Chief Lee." Allen said while looking at the three people inside who seemed like having a serious conversation. Allen could tell that by just looking at the sullen expression of Elle and serious expression of Erick. Then he immediately gave Bryan a questioning gaze as if asking him ''What is happening here? Is there something wrong?'' Bryan just merely moved his head, signalling Allen to leave. Allen just shrugged his shoulders before leaving the delivery man inside and closing the door. Bam! Since Erick had no intention to move from his spot, Bryan was the one who approached the delivery man to get the package. He also signed it on Erick''s behalf. To lighten the atmosphere and divert their attention, Bryan suggested to them to check the package. "Chief Lee, this is a package for you. But strange, there is no sender''s name. Do you want me to open and check it for you?" Erick''s eyes were still fixed on Elle''s face. The same with Elle, she was just silently staring at Erick with her guilty look. As a response to Bryan, Erick just simply stated the word "Okay." Upon getting his go signal, Bryan began opening the box. It was just a small square box with four inches height, length and width. He wondered what would be the item inside it and who was the one who sent it. After unboxing the package and Bryan saw the item inside, his mind stuttered for a moment. His eyes and mouth were wide open, an expression of stunned surprise was written all over his face. "C-Chief Lee¡­ you have to see this." Bryan mumbled in utter disbelief. Bryan''s strange reaction caught the attention of both Erick and Elle. They immediately moved closer to him to see what''s inside the box that made Bryan look very shocked. The first thing that came into their view was the bloody notes. The message was written on a white pad of paper with a red ink which looked like blood. [ YOU WILL BE THE NEXT ONE TO DIE. ] Astonishment flickered through their eyes. Who the hell sent this to Erick. They knew the fact that this was some kind of death threat. After reading the notes, they noticed another item beside that bloody note. It was Catseye''s Death Card! Elle''s eyes darkened immediately after seeing that familiar card. ''What the hell is going on here? Why did Erick receive a death threat from Catseye?'' Elle couldn''t help but curse inwardly while gritting her teeth. ''Why Erick this time?!!'' Meanwhile, Erick also didn''t expect to receive this kind of death threat. The funny thing was it came from the new Catseye. They assumed that the new Catseye was responsible for this because of the death card inside. But the real question was¡­ was it really from Catseye? But why? What animosity Catseye had against Erick? Was being the Officer-in-Charge of this case the main reason for sending this threat or there was a much deeper reason other than this? Erick remained calm and composed. Afterward, he let out a soft chuckle, breaking the silence inside his office. Bryan and Elle looked at him confusedly. "So I am the next target now? I think this is better. At least I don''t need to chase after Catseye, he or she will come to me personally." "Erick, this is not funny at all! And this is not something you should feel happy about! Catseye just gave you a death threat! A f*cking death threat, Erick! This means Catseye wants to kill you!" Bryan reprimanded Erick. Elle felt the same way as Bryan''s. She wanted to scold Erick too. This was not something that he should laugh about. However, Erick burst out into another laughter and said another word, making the current heavy atmosphere worse. "Well... I find it funny though, to think that I''m gonna die soon in Catseye''s hands. It''s my pleasure. Do you have any last words for me, before that happens?" Erick''s intense gaze was directed to Elle. She was taken aback by Erick''s words. She could sense that he meant something more by saying that. After a while, Elle''s pupils constricted as she narrowed her eyes at him. She didn''t want how Erick was treating this very serious matter as a joke. ''What is he implying? He didn''t care whether he would die or not?'' Without getting any response from Elle, Erick gave her a sarcastic smirk. "Well¡­ I think there''s nothing you want to tell me. So I think I should go now because I have to be diligent in solving this case before I die." He said with his mocking voice. Then he turned to Bryan, "Bring that to the forensic team and see if they could get something." After saying that, Erick picked up his phone on the table and his jacket hanging on his chair along with his car keys. "Hey, where do you think you''re going right now? Your life is in danger!" Bryan complained immediately, trying to stop Erick. Elle didn''t know what to do. Erick was acting differently and coldly in front of her. She couldn''t blame him. She knew she was responsible for this. Erick ignored Bryan. He left Elle a message before he walked out of his office. "By the way, Miss Ross. I am afraid to tell you that the collaboration you''ve requested us before about covering Catseye''s case¡­ was denied. Our Unit Head didn''t approve it. So please¡­ just stop covering this case and find a more suitable story which is not dangerous." Chapter 371 - 371: They Refused To Talk After leaving XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters, Erick drove to the City Z Jail Detention Center. Today, he came to get the answer of Carlo Vello and Diego De Dios about the proposal he gave them the last time he visited them. Erick was just one condition: Information in exchange for their protection. He knew that Carlo and Diego were quite frightened after he told them about the new Catseye. He was hoping for their positive response. However, Erick didn''t know that Alfonso Ramirez had already contacted both Diego and Carlo. He even assured them of their safety. "We meet again, detective!" Carlo said. There was confidence in his words. Erick''s brows creased into a frown, seeing how confident Carlo and Diego now. ''What happened? They didn''t look anxious now.'' "Did you think it over¡­ about my offer?" Erick asked them directly. "Are you willing to talk now?" he added. Carlo and Diego just burst out laughing while looking at him mockingly. "We already told you before. We have no idea about the incident you''ve mentioned to us. You''re mistaken." Diego said with a sly smirk on his face. Erick closed his fists tightly. He was trying his best not to lose his cool. "You''ve threatened the wrong people, Mr. Detective. We are not afraid of Catseye. She can come here if she likes. By doing that, then it will be advantageous to your end. Maybe Catseye might be get caught here." Carlo said, provoking Erick more. "Well¡­ I think there''s no reason for me to keep talking with the two of you. You are unwilling to take my offer. I hope you will not regret your decision." After saying that, Erick immediately stood up and left Carlo and Diego inside the interrogation room. The Jail guard noticed the gloomy expression of Erick after leaving the room. "How is it, Chief Lee? Your conversation with them didn''t go well?" the jail guard who was very fond of Erick asked him curiously. Erick shook his head and sighed deeply. "They refused to talk and cooperate with me." "Did something significant happen to them for the past few days? I thought after our last meeting, they would give in. But I was mistaken." Erick didn''t hide his disappointment. The jail guard looked at him helplessly. He turned to his sides, checking if there were other guards nearby. Upon confirming that there was none, the Jail Guard moved closer to Erick and whispered something to him. "Chief Lee, I didn''t know if this might help you. But I just happened to hear that Carlo and Diego were visited by their old friends before. It was the same day you visited them, just an hour after you left." Erick''s eyes lit up after hearing that. Maybe the person who visited them was the reason Carlo and Diego became confident like they were not afraid for their safety anymore. "Can you check the identity of that person who visited them. Here''s my number. Call me, if you find something." Erick softly said to the jail guard while giving him a grateful look. The jail guard smiled brightly after getting Erick''s number. He was his idol and he was very glad to help him. "Sure, Chief Lee. Just leave it to me. I will do it for you. Thanks for trusting me and giving me this task. I felt honored." Erick just returned his smile while patting the jail guard''s shoulder. "What is your name?" "Officer Christ Johnson, Sir!" The jail guard answered him with enthusiasm. "Thank you, Christ," Erick said to him with a smile. "Don''t worry, Chief Lee. I know you will find the answer you are seeking. Don''t give up. Cheer up!" The jail guard said a few encouraging words. Those words meant a lot to Erick. He somehow comforted him a little. He''d been going through a lot these days. He felt very tired and exhausted both physically, mentally, and emotionally. Then, Elle''s face just came flashing into his mind without a warning. He didn''t want to be mean towards her but he couldn''t help it. He felt sad, upset, and mad. He felt betrayed but still, he was doing all these for her. He didn''t know how things would end between them. He didn''t know how he should act in front of her anymore. Whenever he was with her, his heart was both sad and happy. Happy because she was still here, alive¡­ but sad because she couldn''t be with him anymore. Erick was thinking that she already loved someone else. That''s why he didn''t care anymore even if he received a death threat. ''If I die, will she mourn for me...the same way I mourned when I thought she died two years ago? Even though how many times she denied it, my heart was still telling me that she was Elle.'' ''Though I wavered after seeing the ring, after clearing my mind, I realized that she''s Elle. The moments we shared together these past few weeks, I felt Elle''s presence. Her face, her voice, her action¡­ the way she smiles and looks at me. I am very certain. She''s Elle.'' Erick was lost in his train of thoughts when the jail guard spoke up and tapped his shoulder to awaken him from his absentmindedness. "Chief Lee, is there something wrong?" He asked Erick with his concerned voice. Erick just gave him another faint smile. "Nothing. I think I should go now. Thanks for offering me your help. I really appreciate it." "No worries, Chief Lee! I''ll update you soon!" The jail guard reassured him. Erick was about to say goodbye to Christ when suddenly his phone rang. It was a call coming from Officer Kim. His team was the one following and monitoring Edson Tyler and Samuel Sy as of this moment. "I understand, Officer Kim. Please keep your eyes on them and record their conversation well. I''ll go straight to your location now." After hanging up, Erick left the Jail Detention Facility in a rush. Chapter 372 - 372: Indirect Confession Meanwhile, Alfonso Ramirez was currently having a secret meeting with Edson Tyler and Samuel Sy at the Sky Hotel. They were inside the office of Samuel Sy. This was the first time the three of them gathered once again after their gang disbanded 18 years ago. Unknown to the three men, their conversation was being recorded and listened to by Officer Kim and his team. Thanks to the spying device they planted on the two of them! Samuel: "My old friend, we didn''t expect to invite us and initiate this meeting first. We heard that you are not staying here at City Z. What brings you here, now?" Alfonso: "I believe you already heard the news about what happened to Roland. Three of our friends are now dead and two of them are in jail. Are you not afraid that you might be the next?" Everyone fell silent for a few moments. Samuel and Edson felt that this matter was really alarming. Edson: "What do you know about this? Can you enlighten us? We were busy managing our businesses, we didn''t notice that this matter was related to us. Alfonso: "The original Catseye who died two years ago and the one who appeared recently, both of them are targeting the former members of Los Molasses Gang." Samuel: "But why?" Alfonso: "I talked to Carlo and Diego last week. They said it''s related to the incident 18 years ago." There was a moment of silence once again. Meanwhile, Officer Kim and his team felt intrigued by the discussion the three men were having. They just found out that they knew the reason why Catseye was targeting them. Officer Kim wondered what happened 18 years ago. He wished that the three men would elaborate it. They had just mentioned the incident 18 years ago but they didn''t mention any details about it. Officer Kim already informed Erick that Edson and Tyler were currently meeting a person named Alfonso. They heard that when the three men greeted each other. After a while, they heard their voices once again. Edson: "So, what are we going to do now? Should we hire skilled bodyguards for our protection?" Alfonso: "Yeah, you should do that if you still want to live. We didn''t know who this Catseye truly was. I suspect that there was a traitor who was trying to frighten us by bringing up the past." Samuel: "A traitor, among us? We are brothers! We are loyal to each other. How can someone betray everyone?" Alfonso: "I am not talking about our brothers. I am referring to an outsider who was also aware of what happened 18 years ago." Edson: "Who is that person?" Alfonso: "Snake! The person who helped us cover up the crime. He''s getting on my nerves. I think he might be responsible for this!" Samuel: "Don''t jump into conclusion, Alfonso. You don''t have any proof. Besides, if he will bring up the past then he will also be implicated. I think he is a smart person. If I am in his position, then I will not do this just because there''s an on-going conflict between the two of you." Edson: "I agree with Samuel." Alfonso: "I understand. But I don''t trust him. You know he''s good at backstabbing and deceiving people. That''s why he is called Snake. Aside from us, he''s the one who knew what happened 18 years ago. Remember, there were no witnesses. We killed them all." Samuel: "That''s true. But did you hear that the daughter went missing? Her body was not found in the crime scene." Edson: "Do you think there''s a high possibility that she is the one doing this revenge?" Alfonso: "Oh common¡­ she was just a kid. Even if she survived, did you think she would still be able to live normally after witnessing those unpleasant scenes? I bet she would go crazy and insane. That traumatic event was hard for a kid like her to handle." Officer Kim and his team were rendered speechless. This appeared to be an indirect confession of their crime. They killed someone. No, they sounded like they killed everyone, not leaving any witnesses alive. It was a shocking revelation to them. Erick gave Officer Kim a brief overview of this case. He shared with him the speculation of why Erick thought that Samuel and Edson would be the next target of this new Catseye. Erick mentioned about Catseye''s revenge for the death of her family. Was the missing kid whom the three men were talking about really Catseye? Were they referring to Elle? If that was the case, then Officer Kim could now understand how Catseye ended up being so vicious and ruthless assassin. It must be related to her past. She sought vengeance and she put justice in her own hands by killing people most especially the murderers of her family. Officer Kim continued listening to their conversation when Erick arrived at their location. He immediately entered the service van. "Chief Lee, you are here!" Erick just nodded at them. "What''s the status?" "They are still talking inside Samuel Sy''s office. They are talking about Catseye and the incident 18 years ago." Officer Kim promptly replied to him. "Are you sure that the person inside is Alfonso?" Erick asked him. "Yes, it''s positive. It was him. Edson and Samuel are calling him by his name Alfonso. I recorded it. Listen to their previous conversation later. Come and listen to their current conversation now." Officer Kim said, giving Erick extra headphones. Erick sat down beside Officer Kim and put on the headphones. Then he heard Alfonso''s voice. Alfonso: "Don''t worry, my friends, I already assigned two experts to watch over you. But I still advise you to hire skilled bodyguards because I also gave those two experts a special mission. They couldn''t watch you twenty-four seven." Edson: "Alright! We understand. I''ll do that. I will contact the famous Security Agency in our country." Samuel: "So are we done here? Where are you going now?" Alfonso: "I have to go back to my precious facility. My lifeline depends on it. Just a simple reminder, don''t ever mention to anyone the incident 18 years ago. Is that clear?" Samuel: "Of course." Edson: "We already buried it in the past." The three men erupted into a peal of laughter. Little did they know that they just spilled some pieces of information to the police authorities indirectly. Truly, fish is caught by its mouth. Chapter 373 - 373: Change of Loyalty When Erick heard that Alfonso was about to leave, he got out of the service van and dashed towards the Sky hotel. He needed to see his face and followed him where he was staying. It was so hard to know Alfonso''s whereabouts. He was always out of Erick''s radar. Now that he appeared, Erick would grab this opportunity to gather more information about him. Officer Kim was talking to Erick through their communication devices. "They just got out of Samuel Sy''s office. They were now walking to the elevator." Officer Kim was feeding Erick information. They could hear and see their current location through the GPS tracker. Erick ran fast going to the lobby of the hotel. He decided to wait for him. "Where are they now, Officer Kim?" Erick asked him. "6th floor going down¡­ now they are on the 4th floor." Erick became alert. His eyes were fixed on the elevator. "Are the three of them still together?" "Yes¡­ they are now talking about business." Officer Kim promptly answered him. "They just reached the ground floor, Chief Lee. Be ready, they are about to go out of the elevator." Officer Kim added. "Noted," Erick simply stated. He already prepared his phone, ready to take some photos. After a few seconds, the VIP''s elevator in the lobby was opened. Five men emerged from it. Three middle-aged men wearing their three-piece business suit and two men in black who looked like bodyguards. Snap! Snap! The faint shutter sound of Erick''s phone camera could be heard as he continued clicking his phone. He got it! He got a clear shot of Alfonso Ramirez. Now, he proceeded to his next move. Edson Tyler and Alfonso Ramirez bade Samuel Sy their goodbye. They were now approaching the main entrance door of the Sky Hotel together with Alfonso''s bodyguards. Erick walked towards their direction with large strides. Then suddenly, he bumped with Alfonso Ramirez. "Ahh!" The bodyguards immediately apprehended Erick upon seeing him collide with their Big Boss. "Are you blind! Can''t you see where you are going?" Alfonso ranted at him while fixing his suit. "I''m sorry, sir. I''m sorry¡­ I am in a hurry. I didn''t see you. I was so distracted. Please forgive me." Erick immediately apologized to him while bowing his head. Both his arms were restrained by the two bodyguards. People in the lobby noticed the commotion. They started to look at their direction. Edson Tyler leaned closer to Alfonso and whispered, "Hey, just let it go. People are watching. Besides, he already apologized to you." With his brows drawn together, Alfonso signaled his bodyguards to release Erick. "Thank you, sir. Again I am really sorry." He apologized again. Alfonso just gave him a side-glance while sneering at him. After a while, he turned around, ignoring Erick''s apology. Edson Tyler just followed him. While the bodyguards opened the glass door for them. Erick''s eyes followed their retreating back until they vanished into his sight. Then a triumphant smirk stretched on his lips. "How is it, Chief Lee?" Officer Kim''s voice was heard on the communication device. "Mission accomplished. I planted the tracking device on Alfonso''s suite. Check you please check it to the GPS monitor." Erick politely requested Officer Kim. "Yes, Chief Lee! It''s working. The tracking device is already on. We can see that they are moving out of the parking lot of the hotel." Erick smiled after hearing that. "Good, now let''s wait. We will find his hideout soon." "Noted Chief!" Officer Kim said cheerfully. Erick walked out of the hotel while massaging his hurt wrist. The bodyguards applied to much force on him a while ago. But for him, it was all worth it. Now, Alfonso Ramirez would also be put under their surveillance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, a white minivan was also being parked in a corner near the Sky Hotel. Josh was in the driver''s seat while Elle was sitting on the front passenger seat. Josh was not making any sound. His heart was beating rapidly and loudly inside his chest. The beads of cold sweats were already forming on his forehead. He was very anxious as of this moment. Just a while ago, he received a call from Elle. He was being summoned by their Queen so he had no choice but to follow. Elle learned that Erick went to Sky Hotel after dropping by the City Z Detention Facility. She immediately asked Josh to drive her to that location. But the reason why Josh was being nervous right now was that Elle was holding her a dagger while playing it in her hands. She also mentioned about punishment. Josh was aware that their Queen had never forgotten about his punishment. It looked like today would be his judgment day. After her long silence, Elle started to speak up. "My dear, Josh, or rather Sherlock. Did you hear how I punish people who wronged me?" Elle''s voice was cold, her dark eyes filled with threat and danger. "Y-Yes...m-my Queen." Josh stuttered from too much nervousness. ''Lord, please save me.'' Josh was silently praying on his seat. Josh didn''t want to imagine how his fate would end today. After all, their Queen was still the true Catseye, the devilish assassin. She''s known for her viciousness and ruthlessness, no mercy. "I told Supremo that I would still punish you. And do you know what he said?" Elle turned to him with her signature evil smile. ''[email protected] I have a bad feeling about this. Supremo dotes on our Queen so much. He can even sell me just to satisfy her.'' Josh was too frightened to speak. He was tongue-tied. "He said you are mine now. I can do anything I want and he will not stop me since he is also planning to give you punishment. But since I asked him to let me handle it, he immediately agreed." After saying that, Elle let out a sinister laugh. "Please, my Queen. Forgive this poor subordinate of yours. I will not do it again. I am just following Supremo''s order. Please spare my life!" Josh mumbled his desperate plea, putting his palms together while facing Elle with his pitiful look. "Okay. I will forgive you and forget about your punishment. But in one condition, you will now obey all my orders. Is that clear?" Elle said to him using her authoritative voice. Josh''s face brightened up after hearing Elle''s statements. He somehow felt relieved now. "I understand, my Queen! I will do anything for you! I will now become your loyal dog. Use me all you want! My loyalty is now yours since Supremo abandons me." Josh lamented to her. Elle tried her best to suppress her laughter. Indeed, it felt like Supremo abandoned him since he didn''t even try to negotiate with Elle after she told him that she would still punish Sherlock for spying on her. Supremo used him as a scapegoat. In the first place, Supremo should be the one to blame since he was the one who gave Sherlock the task. But in order to appease Elle, James sacrificed his loyal subordinate for her to punish. And now, Elle changed her mind about punishing him because she found him very useful. "Good. Now, for my first order¡­. I want you to guard Chief Detective Lee 24/7. Follow him secretly. You have to protect him at all costs. If you fail then I will not hesitate to kill you. Your life also depends on what will happen to him. If he gets hurt, then you will get the same fate as him." Josh: "..." ''[email protected] Why do I feel like I am about to die soon? If not in the hands of our Queen then it will be in the hands of our mighty Supremo.'' Josh thought to himself. He was worried that once Supremo learned that he abandoned his post just to guard and monitor Chief Detective Lee then he would surely receive Supremo''s wrath. Supremo gave him the task to protect their Queen but now their Queen asked him to protect someone instead. He wished he could divide himself or he had a clone so that he could monitor and protect both Elle and Erick. However, he was no superhuman. He could only protect one. Seeing the hesitation in Josh''s face, Elle spoke again with her serious tone. "I thought you were willing to do anything for me. Why are you giving me that kind of look now? Did you just lie again to me?" Josh felt alarmed. He didn''t want his Queen to misunderstand. "No, I did not lie, my Queen! But honestly, I am worried about Supremo. He asked me to protect you. If something bad will happen to you because of my negligence then he will surely kill me too." Josh spoke to her truthfully. "You don''t have to worry. You have me. I will not let him touch you, just follow my order. You have my words. Besides, I can protect myself. My life is not in danger, unlike Erick. He was the one who received a death threat. Please, Josh, I am asking you this, not just an order, but as a favor. Please do it for me. Protecting Erick is like you are protecting my life too." This time Elle''s voice was soft and pleading. Josh had no heart to refuse his Queen, especially now that she was humbly asking him. He finally gave in. "Okay, my Queen. I will do as you say. I will protect the detective." Josh said to her with so much conviction. Elle gave him a faint smile. "Thank you, Josh." Chapter 374 - 374: Attack Erick and Carl were assigned for the Night shift''s surveillance operation. Their van was parked near the Sky Hotel. Samuel Sy decided to stay at the hotel for tonight. The Security Agency that he called this morning already sent three elite bodyguards who would protect him. Samuel was at ease because Alfonso assured him of his safety. Aside from the bodyguards he hired, there was someone who would watch over him in shadow. With those thoughts in mind, Samuel Sy drifted off to sleep peacefully, without worrying about troubles and dangers. Meanwhile, Erick and Carl were just inside their van, having a conversation about Alfonso''s whereabouts. "Chief Lee, where is Alfonso''s current location now?" Carl asked him inquisitively. Erick had mentioned to his team a while ago that he succeeded in planting a tracking device on Alfonso''s suit without his knowledge. He also forwarded his picture to them. Now, it would not be difficult to monitor Alfonso Ramirez, unlike before. They got his face and his location. "According to the GPS map, Alfonso is currently at City X. Officer Kim sent some men to investigate further his current hideout. We will get some updates from them by tomorrow morning." "That''s great. So, will you personally go to City X for the coming days?" Carl asked Erick about his plan. "Yes, I am planning to do that. I will ask Bryan to accompany you during this surveillance operation in my absence." Erick said to him truthfully. "Then who would go with you?" Carl probed. "Officer Kim will come with me at City X." Erick promptly replied to him. "Chief Lee¡­" Carl mumbled. He wanted to ask him something but he was hesitating. Erick turned to face him and said, "It''s okay. Just tell me what''s in your mind right now." He somehow sensed that Carl had something to tell him. "What are you planning to do about the death threat? Catseye''s death threat." Carl finally asked him. "I think you should report this to Unit Head and ask for protection," he added. Erick let out a soft chuckle before giving him an answer. "I don''t need protection. I can protect myself. Don''t worry, nothing bad will happen to me. If Catseye is really after me then I must say it is a good thing. We don''t need to find Catseye, he or she will come to me personally. Let''s grab that opportunity to catch Catseye." Erick said to Carl confidently. Carl just looked at him helplessly. He couldn''t believe that Chief Lee was not bothered by this death threat, instead, he looked at it from a positive perspective. ''[email protected]! Chief Lee is so cool. I think I am admiring him more each day.'' The two men continued their discussion about Alfonso. They didn''t notice that there was also a minivan being parked just a few meters away from their current spot. Josh and Elle were also there, trying to do surveillance and most especially, to watch over Erick. Josh told Elle to just stay at home tonight but she insisted on coming with him. She wouldn''t be at ease knowing that Erick''s life would be in danger at any time. Though she asked Josh to protect him, she still wanted to do it by herself. So the two of them ended up going together tonight. Even if Erick told her to stop covering this story, Elle would stay still doing nothing. She was also eager to find out who this Catseye was. And now, she had more reasons to catch this impostor since Erick just got a death threat from Catseye. What was Catseye''s motive for doing that? Catseye targeting Erick didn''t make sense to her. ''This impostor dares to give Erick a death threat! Once I catch this Catseye I will have to show him or her the wrath of the original one.'' Elle swore to herself. ********** At around 11:00 pm, Erick and Carl had heard something through the spying device installed on the watch that they gave Samuel Sy. "Who are you?" Samuel''s anxious voice was heard from the spying device. Erick and Carl got alerted after hearing that. They continued listening to him. "Guards! Guards!" Samuel started to yell, calling the attention of his bodyguards. Erick and Carl assumed that he was calling them through their walkie talkie. Erick and Carl exchanged meaningful glances with each other. They had a bad feeling about this after hearing the panicked voice of Samuel calling his guards. "Carl! Call Officer Kim for back up right away! I think Catseye is here." Erick had just finished telling that to Carl when they heard another scream coming from Samuel Sy. "Don''t come near me! Aaaaaah!" Then the sound of his scream was followed by loud thuds. Erick immediately got out of their van and dashed toward the Sky Hotel. Samuel''s room was on the 18th floor of the Sky Hotel. Erick needed to hurry. Upon entering the hotel, he immediately approached the receptionist in the front desk asking the specific room number of Samuel Sy. The Hotel Staff refused to disclose the information at first. Erick had no time to explain. He just showed them his I.D and told them that their Boss was in danger. He needed to get the number and the spare access card of Samuel''s room. Upon seeing the seriousness on Erick''s face and hearing the urgency in his voice, the receptionist quickly complied with his request. He even asked them to check the CCTV footage of the hotel before he ran towards the VIP elevator in a rush. Meanwhile, Carl just finished calling Officer Kim for back up. After that, he ran to follow Erick inside the hotel. Josh and Elle had witnessed everything. By just looking at Erick and Carl''s action, they could tell that there''s an emergency. ''Did Catseye appear?'' Without wasting any more time, the two of them also rushed towards the hotel, following Carl and Erick. "My Queen, I think¡­ Catseye makes the move now against Samuel Sy." Josh still managed to voice out his thoughts while they were running. "I know! Just remember what I told you. You must protect Erick at all costs." Elle reminded Josh. "Aye, Ma''am!" "But¡­ how do we explain to him our presence here?" Josh asked her. Elle rolled her eyes at him. "Stop asking a question. We must hurry." Josh just kept his mouth shut. But in the end, Elle still answered his question. "We are here because we want to cover this story. Just as simple as that." ********** On the other hand, Erick was already riding the elevator. He felt like the lift on the elevator was too slow. He just wished he could teleport right away inside Samuel''s room. The determination to catch Catseye was reflected in his eyes. He was really curious about this person who was trying to continue Elle''s revenge. What is his or her relationship with Elle? Is he or she not aware that Elle is alive? How will this person react once he or she sees Aliyah Ross? Is this person a friend or a foe? These were just some of the questions running in Erick''s mind right now. To answer those questions, he must catch this person and uncover Catseye''s identity first. After a few minutes that seemed to be like ages for Erick, the elevator finally reached the 18th floor. Erick was holding his gun on his right hand while the room key card was on his left. He ran fast towards the room of Samuel Sy but he remained cautious. He frowned the moment he reached room 18008. There were no bodyguards outside. As far as Erick could remember, Samuel Sy was given three elite bodyguards today and they were supposed to guard him 24/7. But how come they were nowhere at times like this? Erick carefully unlocked the door and silently entered the room. The inside was engulfed by darkness. But there was a faint light coming from the master''s bedroom. Erick could also hear Samuel''s groan and squeal. Loud thuds could be heard amidst the silence of the surroundings. Erick could somehow guess that Samuel Sy was being beaten right now. The bedroom door was opened. Erick proceeded with caution. His hand was gripping his gun tightly. He could feel the tension and adrenaline rush inside him. When he entered the room, he saw a figure wearing all black. By looking at the person''s body build, Erick could tell that he was a man. His get-up looked like he was a black ninja. Samuel Sy was now lying on the ground but Catseye continued his assault, giving him hard kicks on his abdomen. There was also blood coming out of Samuel''s mouth. Erick had complicated emotions on his face while seeing the scene. He knew that he should stop Catseye immediately but deep inside him, he wanted to see Samuel suffer. He listened to the conversation among Alfonso, Edson, and Samuel this afternoon. It seemed like they didn''t even feel a tinge of guilt for the crime they did 18 years ago. They even sounded very proud after what they have done to Falcon Family. They had no mercy even for a ten-year-old kid. Yes, they deserved to suffer or even feel the same pain that Elle had experienced before. But as much as he wanted to do that, his sense of justice and his righteousness were stopping him. So after hesitating for a while, he finally made up the right decision. "Stop! Or else I will shoot you. Raise your hand!" Erick exclaimed, catching the attention of Catseye. Chapter 375 - 375: Two Versus One "Stop! Or else I will shoot you. Raise your hand!" Erick exclaimed, catching the attention of Catseye. Catseye stopped what he was doing upon hearing Erick''s voice. His back was facing Erick but he could hear his footsteps coming in. Catseye slowly raised his hand since Erick was pointing a gun at him. "Turn around!" Erick commanded him once again. Catseye could tell that Erick was only a few steps away from him. He slowly turned around to face Erick. The faint light coming from the lampshade was enough for Catseye to see the seriousness of Erick''s expression. "Remove your mask," Erick said, his eyes were fixed on Catseye''s eyes. Catseye paused for a moment. The two of them were having a staring battle, eyeing each other intently. Erick was just one meter away from him. After a while, Catseye slowly brought his right hand to his face as if he was about to remove his mask. But the next thing he did was flashing a spotlight at Erick''s eyes thus blinding him for a few seconds. Catseye was already holding the small spotlight in his right hand even before Erick arrived. Blinded by the light, Erick was not able to avoid Catseye''s attack. He charged towards Erick, giving him a flying kick aimed at his hand that was holding the gun. Thud! Erick dropped the gun on the floor. Catseye kicked it again away from them. He started to throw punches at Erick. Fortunately, Erick was able to recover his vision as he blocked Catseye''s punches using his hands. Catseye became more aggressive as he continued attacking Erick. Throwing one punch after another, Catseye also moved and raised his right leg, aiming Erick''s abdomen. Erick dodged every punch that Catseye was giving him. His fist also blocked his leg. After being in the defense stance for a while, Erick began to counterattack. He threw several punches aiming at Catseye''s neck and face. Erick had one goal: to remove Catseye''s mask and uncover his identity. Catseye had somehow sensed what Erick was trying to do. He tried to dodge Erick''s hands, not allowing him to reach his mask. The two men continued exchanging blows when suddenly the secret door that was adjacent to the next room was opened. Someone emerged from the door. That person was grinning from ear to ear as he watched the two men fighting in front of him. They were engrossed with their fist''s fight that they failed to notice that someone already entered the room. The newcomer aimed his gun at the two men fighting before him. The sinister smile never left his face. He was thinking who between the two men would be the first one he would shoot. He was about to pull the trigger when Catseye noticed his presence. He saw the person pointing his gun at them. It looked like he would shoot Erick. Catseye''s eyes widened when he recognized the man. That person was Kevin Azumi. Without thinking twice, Catseye immediately pounced on Erick and pushed him down the floor. Kevin already took his shot. His gun had a silencer that''s why they didn''t hear the sound of it. Erick and Catseye were now on the floor. They succeeded in avoiding the first bullet. That was the moment Erick also noticed Kevin''s presence. At first, he was caught off guard when Catseye suddenly pounced on him, pushing him down. It turned out that Kevin was also there, shooting them both. Kevin continued targeting Erick. He rolled over, dodging the bullets. Catseye immediately picked up his dagger and threw it, aiming Kevin''s hand that was holding the gun. Swoosh! "Ahh!" The dagger hit his hand causing Kevin to drop the gun. Erick jumped forward trying to reach his gun that he dropped on the floor a while ago. Kevin was about to pick up his gun when Erick shot him. It hit his shoulder. "F*ck!" Kevin cursed through his gritted teeth the moment he felt the bullet in his shoulder. He got hit. ''[email protected]! Two versus one. I became too careless. I didn''t expect that the detective and this Catseye would join forces against me!'' Kevin thought to himself. He made the wrong decision. He regretted it. He should have shot Catseye first. On the other hand, Erick''s attention was now focused on Kevin Azumi. He stood up while his gun was still pointing at Kevin. He was surprised to see Kevin Azumi here. ''Is he working for Alfonso Ramirez again? Is he the protector Alfonso referring to?'' Erick pondered to himself. Meanwhile, Catseye heard the running footsteps coming in their direction. It seemed like Erick was not alone. He had some back-ups. ''I need to get out here as soon as possible.'' Catseye thought to himself. His gaze moved between Erick and Kevin. Then his eyes found the adjacent door where Kevin Azum came from. ''Gotcha! I have to thank him. I finally found my way out.'' Catseye rejoiced inwardly. He grabbed the opportunity that Erick was not paying attention to him. He fished out the injection in his pocket. He immediately charged at Erick, injecting him the sedative on his neck. Before Erick could realize what happened, the cold needle of the syringe was already buried on his skin. ''[email protected]! Catseye got me! I lowered my guard against him.'' Erick cursed himself inwardly. Then he suddenly felt the dizziness and he became light-headed. He knew it was too late. He was going to faint. Thud! Erick fell and collapsed on the floor. His consciousness was about to fade. But before that, he still managed to see Kevin Azumi getting up as he ran away from them. He was currently hurt and so his best option now was to escape. With his blurry vision, Erick saw Catseye picking his dagger on the floor. ''Will Catseye stab me? Am I going to die in his hand?'' "Catseye¡­ Who are you?" That was the last words he mumbled before he finally lost his consciousness. Chapter 376 - 376: You Dont Have To Do this "Catseye¡­ Who are you?" That was the last words he mumbled before he finally lost his consciousness. Catseye heard Erick. He just watched him fall asleep. Samuel Sy also fainted from the assault he got from Catseye. He shook his head. He was supposed to use that sedative on Samuel. Now, he had no time to abduct him. Erick''s team was on their way now. "Consider yourself lucky tonight. But don''t worry, I''ll come back again to get you." Catseye mumbled while glaring coldly at Samuel Sy. After saying that, Catseye dashed towards the other room through the adjacent door. Just like Kevin Azumi, he also fled to escape. After Catseye left the place, Carl, Josh, and Elle arrived at Samuel''s room. They saw each other in the elevator. Carl was very surprised to see Aliyah and Josh. [ Carl: "Ali? Josh? What are you doing here?" ] [ Josh: "We are here to cover the story. Is Catseye here?" ] [ Carl looked at them with disbelief. "Hey. Don''t make a reckless move. Don''t follow me. This is dangerous for both of you. I can''t guarantee your safety. Just stay here. ] [ Josh just smiled at him sheepishly. Elle was very silent. Her mind was occupied by Erick and Catseye. She was worried about Erick. He just went inside by himself. ] [ Josh: Don''t worry Sergeant. We know what to do. We will not interfere with your work. ] [ Carl felt like crying. ''If Chief Lee find out that they are here and I let them tag along then I will be done for this.'' ] That was the conversation in which the three of them had at the elevator a while ago before they reached Samuel''s room. Carl told them to stay outside but Elle didn''t listen to him. She was the first one to enter the room, not waiting for Carl and Josh. "Miss Aliyah, wait!" Carl called her out, feeling alarmed. ''[email protected]! She just entered the room. It''s dangerous! She''s a civilian. What is she thinking? I am doomed! Chief Lee won''t forgive me.'' Carl was worried about getting scolded by their Chief. Josh just looked at him helplessly. He could somehow understand Carl''s feelings as of this moment. At times like this, Josh knew that no one could stop their Queen from doing what she wanted. Upon entering the room, they couldn''t hear any sound inside. The room was unusually very quiet. ''Are we too late? Where is everyone?'' Carl thought to himself. Then he saw Aliyah running towards the bedroom. Carl and Josh followed her from behind. "Erick!" Elle yelled upon seeing Erick''s figure lying on the floor. She felt a rush of panic running through her nerves. Her heart was racing rapidly from both fear and nervousness. She felt like she was on the edge of the cliff. ''Is he hurt? F*ck! Please, Erick¡­ don''t die on me. Please stay alive.'' Elle was praying silently as she approached Erick. She kneeled on his side. "Erick, can you hear me? Please wake up!" She started shaking his body however she didn''t get any response. "Chief Lee!" Carl also exclaimed in horror upon seeing the unconscious Erick. Elle''s eyes darkened then she gazed at Carl who froze on his spot. "Sergeant! What are you doing? Go! Catch this f*cking Catseye! Now!" Elle yelled at him. Elle''s cold and frightening voice awakened Carl from his deep stupor. Unknowingly, he followed Elle''s command as he ran to search for Catseye. He also saw the adjacent door going to the next room. Carl also called Officer Kim, telling him to block all the exits of the hotel. Catseye was still inside the hotel. In just five minutes, the back-ups arrived. They also called for an ambulance. Erick and Samuel Sy were both unconscious. Josh didn''t know what to do. He was contemplating whether to follow Carl or remain with Elle. He didn''t receive her command and he was afraid to ask her. Elle was emanating a murderous aura right now. But her eyes were filled with worries and concerns for the man in her arms right now. Elle checked and scanned Erick''s body but she didn''t see any wound. ''What happened to him?'' Elle wondered to herself. She checked his pulse. She felt relieved after confirming that he had a pulse and he''s breathing. "Josh! Carry him. We will bring him to the hospital right now." Elle finally gave her command. Josh quickly followed her order. He knew that the ambulance was also on the way now. But he didn''t dare to voice it out. If their Queen wanted to bring him personally in the hospital then he would comply obediently. ''[email protected]! Chief Lee is so heavy!'' Josh complained inwardly. Erick was on his back. He had to carry him piggyback. Samuel Sy was left alone in that room as Elle and Josh brought Erick to the nearby hospital. Upon examining Erick, the doctor found out that everything was normal. He fell unconscious because of the sedative and it was not life-threatening. Elle felt relieved after hearing that. She almost had a heart attack after seeing Erick in his unconscious state. She stayed on his side until he woke up. ********** It was already 6:00 o''clock in the morning when Erick was awakened. He knew that he was inside the hospital. When he turned to the side, he saw Elle sleeping at his bedside. Her hands were folded together while her head lay on them. Erick was dumbfounded for a moment seeing her. ''So I am still alive. Catseye didn''t do anything to me.'' Erick thought to himself then he lowered his gaze to watch Elle. He had the urge to touch her face. ''Why are you here?'' A wave of mixed emotions flashed across his face. His heart was still aching but he was glad to see her. His eyes turned very gentle in an instant. ''Does it mean she still cares for me? But I still hate the fact that she was with James all these times when I was mourning for her death.'' Thinking about that, Erick''s expression changed immediately. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he decided to wake her up. He gently tapped her shoulder. Elle opened her eyes the moment she felt his touch. In her sleepy state, she rubbed her eyes and gazed up only to see Erick''s poker face looking at her. She became sober as soon as she met his gaze. She sat up immediately and said, "You are awake now. How do you feel? Are you hurting anywhere?" Erick could hear the genuine concern in her voice. He almost answered her with ''Yes, I am hurting here in my chest. My heart is hurting so much.'' But Erick was able to control himself. "Why are you here, Miss Ross?" Erick asked her coldly, looking away and avoiding her gaze. "Last night, we brought you here. Sergeant Carl was busy because of last night''s incident at the Sky Hotel so I volunteered to watch over you." Elle said as an alibi. "Miss Aliyah, you don''t have to do this. I''m fine. Go home now and leave." Elle could only bite her lower lip. She didn''t want to leave. Chapter 377 - 377: Framing Catseye "Miss Aliyah, you don''t have to do this. I''m fine. Go home now and leave." Elle could only bite her lower lip. She didn''t want to leave. Erick saw the reluctance in Elle''s eyes as well as the gleam of sadness. He wanted to take his words back but¡­ it was hard for him to face her like this. It would be best to avoid each other for a while. "I don''t-" Before Elle could finish her sentence Erick cut her off. "Miss Aliyah, I have a question for you," Erick mumbled. Elle was stunned for a moment hearing the seriousness in his tone. After she recovered, she just nodded her head and waited for him to tell her his question. ''Is he going to confront me about my relationship with James?'' Elle thought to herself, preparing what excuse she would give him. However, instead of confronting her directly about James, Erick asked her a different thing that made Elle lose her ability to speak. "What is more painful¡­ knowing the person you love died and she would not be coming back or knowing the person you love was alive but she didn''t love you anymore?" Erick told her that question while staring intently into her eyes. Erick''s lips turned up into a bitter smile. The sorrow and unimaginable pain were reflected in his eyes. Those words coming from him were like a sharp knife stabbing Elle''s heart right on the spot. At that moment she understood how miserable Erick was feeling right now. And it was all because of her¡­ because of her lies. But the last sentence bothered her more. If Erick was still thinking that she was Elle then now he believed that she didn''t love him anymore because of the incident last Saturday wherein James introduced her as his fiancee. Elle opened her mouth. She wanted to tell him that he was wrong¡­ that everything was just a misunderstanding. He was still the man she truly loved. The only man in her heart. But her words were stuck in her throat. She couldn''t utter any words. She stood there in front of him wearing her complex emotions. Should she just admit everything to him to clear this misunderstanding between them? All she needed to do was to speak of the truth so that Erick could understand what was happening. Why was it very hard for her to do that? What was stopping her as of this moment? "Erick¡­ I¡­" She finally found her voice but still had difficulty completing her words. Erick saw that Elle was still hesitating. She was undecided. That made Erick feel more disappointed. He finally looked away. "Aliyah¡­ I am asking you this favor. If you have no words to say to me then¡­ can you just go and leave me alone, please?" Erick begged her using his stern cold voice. He clenched his fists. Elle''s action was making him more miserable. He couldn''t figure out why she kept on coming to him even though she already had James as her man. ''Why is she doing this to me? To punish me more and make me look pitiful? I have already suffered a lot in the past two years. Is she that clueless about what I truly feel by seeing her with another man?'' After a while, Elle just remained frozen in her spot. She looked down as she couldn''t look at Erick''s eyes. Erick already told her to leave so there''s no reason for her to stay. Then suddenly, Carl entered Erick''s ward holding a plastic bag containing food. "Chief Lee, you are-" Carl was not able to continue his words as he sensed the strange atmosphere inside the room. The silence was deafening. Erick was looking in the opposite direction while Aliyah was just standing beside his sickbed, looking down the floor. ''What''s wrong with them?'' Carl wondered to himself. "I brought breakfast¡­" Carl mumbled once again to catch their attention. But no one glanced at his direction. Then after a few seconds, Elle slowly turned around, tracing her steps going out of Erick''s ward. Her eyes were dull and blank. She slowly walked out with heavy footsteps. She seemed absentminded as she continued walking without looking back. Carl looked at her worriedly. He wanted to approach her but he didn''t know what to say. In the end, he just watched her silently while she was leaving the ward. ''Did the two of them fight?'' Carl moved his gaze back to Erick. Erick squeezed his eyes shut, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling around within him. He didn''t want to push her away but he had no choice. This was the only thing he could think of for him to lessen the pain. But, why is it he felt like it was not effective? Sending her away, he felt another kind of pain. Could he really let go of her and forget about her? Could he really give her up now for him to move on? "Chief Lee?" Carl called him out anxiously. Erick gathered his thoughts and concealed his emotions. He opened his eyes and glanced at Carl. "How is it, Sergeant? Did you catch him?" Erick immediately asked him about Catseye, diverting his attention away from Elle. Carl paused for a moment. He wondered how Erick was able to change his mood in an instant as if the strange scene he just witnessed between Aliyah and Erick didn''t happen a while ago. "I''m sorry, Chief. Catseye escaped. We also checked the CCTV of the hotel and it seemed that Catseye hacked their system. No camera recorded his coming in and out of the hotel." Carl sat down on the vacant chair where Aliyah was sitting before. He placed the plastic bag on the table near the side of Erick''s sickbed before he continued speaking. "Afterward, we found Samuel''s three bodyguards in the room opposite to Samuel''s room. They were unconscious and being tied down. Catseye booked that room using a fake identity. Samuel was fairly beaten up and he was also admitted to this hospital." Carl paused for a while and he heaved a sigh of relief. "Chief, you scared us to death. We were glad that nothing bad happened to you. We saw blood on the floor. Did you manage to hurt Catseye? Did he inject sedative on you so that he could escape?" Carl asked him curiously. "Good thing, he ran away before you fell unconscious, or else he would be successful in harming you. After all, he wanted to kill you, that''s why he gave you a death threat." Carl added. Erick frowned as he remembered what happened last night. Then he shook his head. "I think Catseye was not the one who sent me the death threat." Erick promptly said. "Huh? What do you mean, Chief Lee?" Carl asked him in confusion. "I already fell unconscious before Catseye fled. He had the chance to kill me at that moment but he never did. I think he has no plan of killing me." Erick explained to Carl. "Then, how do we explain his motive of sending you the bloody notes and the death card? Did he send it just to frighten you?" Erick shook his head once again, dismissing Carl''s assumption. "My speculation is this¡­ someone wants to kill me but he is trying to frame-up Catseye. He used Catseye''s death card to let us think that Catseye is after my life but the truth is they just want to cover up their crime and blame Catseye for my death." Carl was startled after hearing that. That made sense. That scenario was possible and he believed Chief Lee. Besides, Catseye didn''t harm Erick even if he had the chance to do it. "By the way, the blood you saw in the hotel did not belong to Catseye. Kevin Azumi was also there last night. He came in using the adjacent door while Catseye and I were fighting." Erick''s statements surprised Carl once again. "Kevin tried to shoot us while we were engrossed fighting each other. Fortunately, Catseye was able to notice his presence. He also saved me that night. Kevin looked like he was targeting me but Catseye reacted quickly. If not for him, maybe I should have been shot by Kevin already." Carl''s eyes widened. He couldn''t believe what was happening now. "[email protected] This case is becoming more complicated each day. Now, Kevin Azumi appeared in the picture. But Catseye''s identity was really a big mystery. At first, he was fighting you, then the next thing he did was saving you. Do you have any idea who could this person be, Chief Lee?" Erick fell silent because of Carl''s last question. Even he, himself, was asking the same question. Who was this Catseye? Why is it he had the same ability as Elle? He could hack computer systems, he could fight and he was good at hitting his target using his dagger. He was strong. He was brutal to his victims but he saved Erick. Why? Why did he do that? What is he thinking? Erick was having a headache just thinking about it. He couldn''t be Elle since that person was surely a man. Was it Charles? But his aura was different from the Charles he knew. Elle had also mentioned to him that her accomplice never killed a person before that''s why she wanted him to have a new life and asked Erick not to chase after him. So, he was fifty percent in doubt if Charles was the current Catseye. Could the person be Elle''s savior¡­ her Master who trained her to become a full-fledged assassin? Erick didn''t meet him that''s why he had no clue about his attitude and behavior. Chapter 378 - 378: His Parents Confession After leaving the Hospital where Erick was admitted, Elle just continued walking without a clear destination in her mind. She had a blank expression on her face. She was thinking that she brought these upon herself. Erick didn''t want to see her now. She just realized that she was hurting him more whenever she was in front of him. Both of them were in pain. ''What I have done?'' She wanted to let it out but there''s no one whom she could talk to now. She had been walking non-stop for half an hour now. The sun was shining brightly in the sky. It was already 7:00 am. She was still walking on the busy streets of City Z when someone called her. "Elle." She stopped on her track the moment she heard her name. Someone was calling her ''Elle''. She frowned, wondering who''s that person. His voice was not familiar to her. She turned around to face the person who had just called her. Then she saw the middle-aged man waving at her just a few steps away from here. She was at a loss for words when she recognized the man. ''Mr. Carter? Did he just call me, Elle? Did he know me?'' She just stood there in her spot, unmoving. Mr. Carter was the one who approached her. "Oh, I''m glad to accidentally meet you here. Where are you going? Where''s your husband?" Mr. Carter greeted her gleefully. "My husband?" Elle mumbled in confusion. Mr. Carter bobbed his head and said, "Yes, your husband. The Chief Detective¡­ my savior." Elle was rendered speechless once again. She had no idea that Erick told Mr. Carter that they were husband and wife. Mr. Carter was also calling her Elle because Erick told him that her name was Aliyah Elle Ross. Mr. Carter erupted into a peal of laughter after seeing the surprised and confused expression of Elle. "Oh, sorry. I think¡­ Erick didn''t tell you that he told me before that you are his wife and you are in some kind of situation wherein you are both temporarily living separately in the meantime." Elle: "..." "I guess he hadn''t succeeded in convincing you yet to return to his side, am I right?" Mr. Carter just continued talking spontaneously. Then he shook his head and said, "I didn''t understand young couples nowadays. If you love each other then why are you both living separately? Especially you are both husband and wife. Both of you should be together. How can you stand being separated from each other?" Mr. Carter was voicing out his opinion. He was like a councilor who was giving advice to the troubled ones. Elle had no words to say. She was just staring at him with amus.e.m.e.nt. Every word he said were like stones hitting Elle''s heart one after another. Though he was clueless about what was going on between Erick and Elle, his words really made sense at that moment. "Hey, dear. Don''t misunderstand. I am not scolding you. I am just stating my opinion." Mr. Carter promptly said upon noticing Elle''s wordless reaction. After a while, Elle''s lips stretched out into a faint smile. "Mr. Carter. Thank you. My mind was very chaotic a while ago but after I heard your words, everything became clear to me now." Elle said while staring at Mr. Carter with her grateful look. Soon, Mr. Carter invited Elle to have breakfast with him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do you believe that our parents were our greatest heroes in this world? Their love for us¡­.for their children was unconditional. They could give us strength and comfort in our darkest moments. Just like how they taught us to stand up on our own. Just like how they offered us a hand every time we fell, helping us to rise back once again. We could always depend on them. Their love and concern for us could be our greatest back up in the saddest moments of our lives. They would willing to sacrifice and do everything just to protect us¡­ their beloved children. If we felt like giving up because our life messed up, our parents were always there to redeem us, cheering us up and encouraging us to fight back. They could make us feel that everything would be fine soon. And Erick''s parents were no exception. Their love and care for Erick would help him survive this hurdle. Erick was about to get discharged when his parents arrived in the hospital. They came right away after hearing the news about what happened to him. Sarah and Raymond felt relieved knowing that Erick was not badly hurt. Upon entering his ward, they saw Erick sitting quietly on his sickbed. He seemed like he was lost in his thoughts. They could tell that something was bothering him by just looking at his troubled expression. Raymond and Sarah would always feel their son''s pain even if Erick would try to hide it from them. Maybe it was because of the parent and child''s special bond. They could sense it¡­ Erick was not doing fine¡­ he was suffering¡­ he was hurting. Now, it was time to help their son and comfort him. They had something important to tell him. They hoped that what they had discovered today would be able to ease Erick''s pain. Raymond and Sarah slowly walked toward his sickbed. Erick gazed up when he noticed their presence. "Mom¡­ Dad¡­" There was a hint of helplessness in his voice when he called them. Sarah and Raymond smiled at him, looking tenderly at their son. When they reached his bed, Sarah sat down beside him while Raymond remained standing on the side of the bed, facing Erick. Sarah immediately hugged Erick. He badly needed his mother''s warmth right now. He somehow felt comforted with his mother''s loving touch. "Son¡­ We love you so much." Sarah mumbled with her hoarse voice. Erick stroked her hair and said, "I know, Mom. I love you too, both you and Dad." Raymond patted Erick''s shoulder. "Erick, listen to us, my dear son. We have something to confess to you." Sarah released Erick from that warm embrace. She nodded to support her husband. Erick darted his gaze back and forth between his mother and father. He was puzzled and confused but he listened to them. "Alright, Mom¡­ and Dad¡­ just tell me. Seeing you looking at me like that, now I am very curious." Erick let out a soft chuckle to lighten the mood. "Son, please forgive us. We did something against your will." Sarah said to him apologetically. Then she turned to her husband, giving him a signal to continue. "Two years ago, we knew how much you were greatly affected by Elle''s death. It was so hard for you. You were in so much sorrow. We witnessed the changes in you." Raymond paused for a moment, assessing his son''s reaction before he continued. "Our son who was full of life before suddenly disappeared. We thought you would not be able to handle the pain of losing her. We were so worried about you. Your mother became paranoid. She thought of negative things, afraid that you might think of killing yourself one day." Erick was dumbfounded after hearing his father''s remarks. "You were pretending that you were doing fine in front of us but we knew that once you were alone, you were still mourning for her. So we came up with a decision to secretly monitor you for the past two years. You are our only son, we can''t afford to lose you too." Raymond said to him truthfully. Erick looked down, "I am sorry, Dad. I am sorry, Mom. I made you worry about me too much. I didn''t mean to do that. I thought I was hiding it from you very well." "Was that the reason why every time I felt so miserable you were always paying me a surprise visit? How did you know that I was feeling down? How are you able to monitor me without my knowledge? Did you buy a house here at City Z... and follow me every day?" Erick asked them with his teasing smile. Raymond and Sarah exchanged meaningful glances with each other before they burst out laughing. "Of course not, we didn''t buy a house. We did something more than that. Something illegal¡­ something against your right to privacy." Sarah told her son, looking so guilty. Erick looked at his Mom with disbelief. "Something illegal? Against my right to privacy?" Raymond chuckled as he nodded his head. "Yes son, that''s why we are asking for your forgiveness." "What have you done, Mom? Dad?" Erick somehow felt anxious when he heard the word illegal. Sarah could only pout while Raymond took a deep sigh. "Erick, did you remember when we visited you just recently? We learned that you were having a hard time that night. You scared us when we saw you crying in your room and said something like this { I am tired now. I am missing you more each day. Can I just go with you now, wifey? } " Erick''s eyes widened in both shock and embarrassment. His mom and dad saw that? But how? Erick gave them a questioning gaze. Raymond continued explaining to Erick. "We thought you were thinking about committing suicide. So on the same night, after watching that video, your Mom and I immediately left the province to visit you. Son, we secretly planted a hidden camera in your room so that we could monitor you every day." Erick was tongue-tied as of this moment. His parents did that?! "And it was only today that we also found something in that recording. We didn''t finish watching what happened in your room that whole night because we left in a hurry. It just so happened that your Mom reviewed the video that day and she saw something." "Here, I transferred the file on my phone. You can watch it and see it for yourself. I know you will be surprised also once you see it." Raymond handed his phone over to Erick. Chapter 379 - 379: Saving Me From Despair "Here, I transferred the file on my phone. You can watch it and see it for yourself. I know you will be surprised also once you see it." Raymond handed his phone over to Erick. Erick gladly accepted his Father''s phone. Curiosity was written over his face. What did they see in the recording? Erick pressed the play button. His eyes were fixed on the phone screen. In the video, he could see that he was already lying on the bed. The lampshade was the only source of light inside his dark room. He remembered that he was having a fever at that time. Because he was not feeling well, he fell asleep right away. But still, he could feel uncomfortable over his entire body. He felt so cold but his body was burning hot. Raymond and Sarah were just looking at Erick silently. His attention was focused on the video. Later on, someone appeared in his room, walking slowly towards his bed. Indeed, Erick was surprised when he saw the petite figure of a woman. Her hair was tied up in a bun and half of her face was covered by a handkerchief. ''Who is she? What is she doing in my room?'' He was asking himself but his heart was already pounding like a drum, beating loudly and rapidly inside his chest. That figure was somehow familiar to him. Then he saw that his sleeping self started murmuring, calling Elle''s name. Because of that, the woman jolted in shock. A few moments later, the woman moved closer to him, placing her hand over his forehead. After that, the woman ran out of his room. Erick frowned, ''Where did she go?'' He wanted to see her again so he fast forwarded the video. When she was back, she was already holding a medicine kit. She checked his temperature. Then she scanned the medicine kit like she was looking for something. She didn''t find something so she moved to his drawer. The woman paused for a moment after seeing the medicine bottles of sleeping pills inside his drawer. "Wait, is she crying?" Erick mumbled upon noticing the glistening on her cheeks. He could barely see it but he still managed to notice it. She found the medicine she was looking for and got out of his room once again. She went back with a glass of water in her hands. Erick''s eyes turned gentle. ''She took care of me. But how was she able to feed me the medicine while I was asleep?'' He looked at her with intrigue and too much anticipation. Erick''s eyes widened the moment she recognized the woman. The person was Elle. He confirmed it when Elle removed the handkerchief covering her mouth. Badum! Badum! His heart was running wild already but it got worse the moment he saw the next thing she did. She took the medicine in her mouth and bent down to claim his lips. She was feeding him the medicine while kissing him at the same time! ''It was not a dream. It''s real. She came to my house on that night.'' His grip on the phone tightened. He saw himself responding to her kiss. She kissed him several times as she transferred water through their mouths. Erick felt like he was in a cloud nine as of this moment. All his negative feelings were suddenly washed away after watching the video. He witnessed everything she had done- How she took care of him all night. She stayed beside him, hugging him tightly. She started talking to him while he was sound asleep. She told him that she missed him and called him hubby. He heard everything she said to him including her apology. And the most important words he heard from her were: "I love you, Erick. I''d loved you in the past, I still love you now and I will keep loving you in the future." The light in his eyes came back. The warm glow of happiness sparkled on his face. His lips lifted upward into a bright smile like a ray of sunshine. He immediately pounced on his mother and embraced her tightly while saying, "Thank you, Mom!" Then he turned to his Dad, "Dad, Both you and Mom, had saved me in the pits of despair." Raymond and Sarah were about to ask him about Elle and the woman in the video when Erick suddenly got up from his bed. He picked up his clothes which were folded on the bench near the comfort room. He entered the CR. He quickly removed his patient''s gown and put on his clothes. After a few seconds, he got out while dialling a number on his phone. Raymond and Sarah just watched him move across the room. "Son, where are you going?" Sarah asked him in confusion when Erick reached the door. "This time, I''m gonna get the answer no matter what." Erick mumbled meaningfully. "See you later, Dad, Mom!" Erick said before he rushed out of his ward. He was running very fast. He was eager to see Elle. This time, he would ask her everything. He wouldn''t let her lie to him once again. He would do everything he could to make her confess. He believed her. She still loved him. Erick just realized that there''s something going on with Elle. He wanted to hear her explanation. What happened two years ago? Why did she end up with James? What was the reason why it took her two years before she came back? She said she loved him then why suddenly she became James''s fiancee? Erick continued calling her but she was not answering her phone. He rode the taxi going to Elle''s apartment. That''s the only place he could think of as of this moment. However after reaching her apartment, there''s no one inside. "Elle, where are you?" Erick mumbled to himself. He knew he was a little bit harsh on her this morning. He couldn''t help it. He was mad and he thought she betrayed him. He thought she didn''t love him anymore. Erick had no choice but to contact Rose and ask for her help in order to track Elle. He dialed her number and his call was answered right away. Rose: "Hello, Chief Lee, how are you?" Erick: "I''m fine. Rose, I have another favor to ask. Can you locate this number for me?" Rose: "Sure, Chief Lee." Erick gave her Aliyah''s number. Rose told him to wait for five minutes. After a while, Rose called him back telling him that she located the person. She sent him the address. It was a fast-food chain, not very far from the hospital where he was admitted. Erick commuted once again using a taxi going to the address. He was restless. He was both excited and nervous. [email protected]! He wanted to see her so badly. He closed his eyes trying to recall the feeling of her kiss. He felt it during his half unconscious state. He even responded to her. His body recognized her. ''I knew it. That moment felt so real. Why did I think that it was just a dream. What a fool?!'' Erick scolded himself inwardly. Every second passed felt like eternity. "Sir, Can you drive faster? It''s an emergency like a life and death situation!" Erick urged the taxi driver to speed up. The driver complied to his request and stepped on the gas pedal. After fifteen minutes, they reached the Fast Food Chain. Erick paid the driver and got out in a hurry. "Keep the change!" The driver thanked him for his generosity. Erick paid him five times the amount he was supposed to pay him. Meanwhile, Elle and Mr. Carter just finished eating their breakfast. They were just taking a nap and having a little chit-chat. Elle''s phone was in silent mode that''s why she didn''t notice Erick''s call. "So, how''s your husband? I haven''t seen him for a while. I am planning to visit him one of these days." Mr. Carter continued talking about Erick. Elle decided not to correct Mr. Carter besides Erick was really her husband. "He''s quite busy lately because of the new case he is handling." Elle answered him. "Oh¡­ a difficult case?" Elle just nodded with a smile. "Hmm, I guess he got stressed and very tired lately. That''s why I am telling you that you should come home and relieve his stress. Tsk tsk tsk. Both of you are so stubborn. He badly needs you now." Mr. Carter blatantly suggested to her. "Should I do that? I don''t think he will accept me now. I made things more difficult for him for the past few days." Elle said with her gloomy expression. Mr. Carter shook his head. "What did you do?" "I lied to him¡­ many times. We have a great misunderstanding. I don''t know how I can fix it." Mr. Carter rubbed his chin while staring at Elle intently. His lips stretched out into a wide grin when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure on the entrance. "I think communication is the key. If you lied to him then ask for forgiveness. Be honest with him and explain clearly the reasons why you have to do that. That''s very simple. I know you can fix it and he will listen to you. After all, I can feel that he loves you so much." Mr. Carter said to Elle meaningfully. Elle raised her head, feeling doubtful. "I don''t know how to and where to start explaining. How I wish the situation is just simple. But it doesn''t. Things around me are so complicated." "Then tell me everything¡­ lying to me will just make things more complicated." Elle''s body stiffened and she froze on the spot after hearing that familiar voice. It came from Erick. Chapter 380 - 380: Clearing the Misunderstanding "Then tell me everything¡­ lying to me will just make things more complicated." Elle''s body stiffened and she froze on the spot after hearing that familiar voice. It came from Erick. ''Erick?! How long has he been standing there?'' Elle thought to herself. She was at a loss for words. When she turned to Mr. Carter, he was already grinning from ear to ear, indicating that he already saw Erick even before he reached them. Erick immediately grabbed her hand, facing Mr. Carter. "Mr. Carter, I am sorry to interrupt the two of you, but can I borrow and take my wife for a moment? She and I need to have a heart to heart talk right now." Erick politely said to Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter burst out laughing before waving his hands nonchalantly. "Shooh! Shooh! Go ahead and take her. I think you have a lot of things to discuss." Mr. Carter replied with a wide grin on his face. "Elle, remember what I have told you," he added, winking at her. Elle just nodded at him. Her mind was still confused about what was happening. Just a while ago Erick pushed her away and so, she left him in the hospital. But now, Erick was there standing before her, calling her his wife and asking her to have a heart to heart talk. "Let''s go?" Erick asked her. He was still holding her hand. His grip was tight enough so that Elle would not be able to flee just in case she wanted to escape from him. Elle just nodded absentmindedly before she stood up. Erick gently tugged her arm as they got out of the Fast Food Chain. Erick didn''t bring his car so he had no choice but to ride another taxi. When the taxi stopped in front of them, Erick opened the car door at the back passenger seat, letting her enter the car first. Then he followed her, still holding her hand. Erick told the driver their destination. He planned on bringing her to his place. Elle''s heart was racing rapidly. She felt like there''s no escaping now. She had to face Erick and explained everything to him. The two of them were both silent during the entire journey. She couldn''t look at Erick''s face. She was afraid to see the hatred in his eyes. ''Is he still mad at me?'' Elle pondered to herself. Meanwhile, Erick was trying his best to control himself. He wanted to hug her, touch her and kiss her. He had been through a lot for these past few days. Despite everything that happened, he still missed her a lot. ''So unfair. I suffered too much. But she still managed to take advantage of me and kissed me without my knowledge. She only had the fun. What about me?'' Erick lamented inwardly. Erick''s brows knitted into a frown as he pouted on his seat. He averted his gaze to the girl beside him who was unusually quiet. She didn''t even glance at him. ''Still stubborn, Elle?'' Erick suddenly pulled her closer to him. Their closeness was making Elle become more nervous. Then after a while, she felt Erick slip his arm at her back before it settled on her waist. Elle almost forgot to breathe when she felt his arm wrapping her tiny waist. Her breathing became uneven. She bit her lower lip while clenching her fists. She was fighting the urge to hug Erick. After minutes of struggling and enduring, finally they reached Erick''s place. Fortunately, Erick''s parents were not yet home. The two of them still had their privacy. Upon entering the house, Erick pulled Elle to his room. Elle didn''t show any sign of resistance. She just let him pull her towards his room. Bam! Click! Erick closed the door behind them and locked it afterward. Elle gulped nervously when she saw Erick''s serious expression. His penetrating gaze was almost melting her. "Now talk." Erick said firmly. "You will never leave this room until you tell me everything. And I don''t want to hear another lie from you." ''[email protected]! Why is he pressuring me like this? Did he learn the truth already?'' "Why are you doing these?" Elle asked him. She wanted to make sure and confirm her suspicion. Erick squinted his eyes at her. ''Is she clueless? Why is it she is still asking me this? Isn''t it obvious that I want to hear the truth from her?'' With his pressuring gaze, Erick stepped closer to her. Subconsciously, Elle took a step back away from Erick, giving each other enough distance. Every time Erick was taking a step forward, Elle was moving backward. She just stopped when her legs bumped into his bed. Elle looked like a cornered sheep inside the lion''s den. Though she had the reputation of the devilish assassin, she''s a clawless and tamed Catseye in front of Erick. ''You don''t have any plan to talk yet, huh?'' Erick mumbled inwardly, lifting an eyebrow. Erick finally closed the gaps between them, holding her waist and the back of her head. Without allowing Elle to protest, Erick brought his face closer to hers, brushing her lips into a gentle kiss. For a moment, his warm lips felt reassuring then afterward, he deepened the kiss, seeking her lips hungrily. Pulling his head closer, Elle surrendered to the passion he always managed to arouse within her. ''Urgh! I miss him so much!'' Elle didn''t care anymore. This was what her heart''s desire¡­ she longed for this moment to be in his arms once again, kissing each other passionately. The kiss lasted for several minutes, sucking the breath out of them. After that long hard kiss, they drew back to grasp some air. His eyes scoured her face, lingered on the plump lips he had tasted. His eyes were sparkling with love and desire for her. It was the same with Elle. Erick cupped her face and rested his forehead on hers. "Please, stop hiding everything from me. I want to know the truth. Just tell me the truth, Elle. Explain to me. Or else I would really think and believe that you don''t love me anymore." Erick said with his desperate and pleading voice. "Am I not good enough for you? Because I am not rich, unlike James? Did I disappoint you that much because I failed to protect you two years ago? Why did you choose to be with him instead of me?" "Is it because of my work? Did you hate it? Did you hate the fact that I am a detective¡­ a great hindrance to your plan of avenging your family''s death?" Erick bombarded her with so many questions. Every word he threw at her was too deep and heavy. She could feel his pain¡­ his helplessness. Erick''s tears already flowed down his face. "No, Erick! It is not like that." Elle promptly said, trying to correct his wrong assumption. Elle raised her hands, caressing his face and wiping his tears. "Even if I have so many identities. I only have one heart¡­ and it belongs to you Erick. Only to you." Elle finally gave in, confessing her true feelings for him once again. Erick could hear the sincerity in her voice. Those words washed away the uncertainties in his heart. It felt like the heavy burden weighing on his heart for the past few days had been lifted after he heard those words coming from her. "The announcement you heard last Saturday was another lie. James and I are not in a romantic relationship. I just consider him as my friend, though I know James''s feeling towards me is more than that." Elle started explaining things to Erick. After a while, Elle sat down on his bed and Erick did the same thing. She had a lot of stories to tell¡­ a lot of explaining things to do. "What happened two years ago? Why did you just come back now?" Erick asked her. His attention was focused on her, anticipating her answer. Elle sighed deeply and held his hands before speaking. "I was badly injured. One of our brothers saved my life. His name was Lu. The person who shot me two years ago didn''t use an ordinary bullet. That person used a specialized gun with a bio-weapon as its bullet." Astonishment flickered through his eyes after hearing that. Elle was really in critical condition. Bio-weapon was no joke. It was already fortunate that Elle survived. "Erick, I am sorry if I couldn''t come back right away. I was in a coma for six month. They considered it a miracle when I woke up. Lu was also exposed to it and until now, his condition didn''t improve. He was still in a coma." Elle felt saddened as she remembered Lu. "James was the one who found us, floating in the middle of the sea near South Carolina''s port. Lu managed to tell him about the toxin inside my body. The day after that incident, he brought me and Lu in the States to receive further treatment." Erick didn''t know what to feel right now. He was grateful that James saved Elle. But he was also mad that he hid this truth from him. James knew his relationship with Elle. Erick could tell that James intentionally kept this from him. He was aware that James also had feelings for Elle. Erick immediately pulled her close in an embrace. "You were alive but he never told me. James took you away from me. I can''t let him do that once again. I will make sure that no one will separate us from each other again." Erick solemnly swore to Elle as well as to himself. Chapter 381 - 381: Answers After Erick had sworn those words, he bent down once again to claim her lips. He couldn''t help it. He wanted her. He had waited so long for this to happen. Finally, she was back and this time she already admitted her true identity. Elle had still a lot of things to explain but his lips already covered her mouth, thus stopping her from speaking. He kissed her with fervent need, sucking and nibbling on both her upper and lower lips. He''s literally hungry for her. [email protected]! Kissing her now felt like heaven. Meanwhile, Elle''s hands were clinging onto him tightly, pulling him closer to her. She wanted to make it up for those times she couldn''t touch him. She also endured it for a long time. It was hard to control yourself if all you wanted to do was to possess and claim the one you loved. Erick became more aggressive, plunging his tongue inside her mouth and searching for hers. Once he found her soft warm tongue, Erick licked and sucked it with his as if he was thirsty... thirsty of her. Before they knew it, they already indulged themselves in the pleasure of each other''s touch. The sound of their wet lips crushing each other echoed in Erick''s room. They continued kissing like there''s no tomorrow. When it was time to take some oxygen, Erick released her lips. Both of them were breathing heavily as if they had run a marathon. Their hearts were pounding in one synchronized movement as if telling each other that they could love one person in this lifetime¡­. Elle''s heart was beating only for him while Erick''s heart was beating only for her. When their eyes met, they saw the love and yearning for each other. That''s how they missed each other so much. After a while, Elle''s giggle bubbled up in the entire room. Erick gave her a questioning gaze. Upon seeing his reaction, she reached out to touch his face, gently caressing it using her fingers. "I thought you wanted to hear my explanation. Why are you interrupting me now? Chief Lee, you are being naughty! How am I supposed to talk if you are covering my mouth with yours?" Elle said, teasing him. "Don''t blame me. This is your fault. You made me wait for too long. I missed you so much. What is the reason why you used another identity after coming back? Even so, why did you have to hide it from me? I blamed myself every day for not able to protect you. I felt like dying every day without you by my side. I was barely hanging on. Why did you make me believe that Elle was already dead using that ring?" Erick poured his heart out to her. Now, this was the confrontation she was asking for. ''[email protected]! I am just teasing him. Now, he has become serious.'' Elle sighed deeply at that thought. Elle grabbed his arms and wrapped them around her body. She leaned her back on his chest and placed her head on his shoulder. Once she was satisfied with their current position, Elle began to answer all his questions. "First, I will tell you what happened to me two years ago. The reason why I was not able to come back even though I woke up from a coma after 6 months." Elle felt Erick squeezed her in his arms. He hugged her tightly. "When I woke up, my body was paralyzed. I can''t move any parts of my body except my eyes and my mouth. It turned out that the bio-weapon inside my body had a nerve paralyzing effect. It also attacked different internal organs." "Some doctors said it was already impossible for me to recover. A hopeless case. But some miracles happened. We didn''t know why or how but my condition became better compared to Lu. Some antibodies had formed inside my systems, fighting the toxin inside my body and protecting my organs." "The doctor couldn''t explain where I got those antibodies. They said it was already in my system and it was suddenly awakened and activated the moment the toxin spread all throughout my nerves. They said it was like an antidote or whatever. They are trying to make an antidote for Lu while examining my blood samples." "It must be hard for you too." Erick softly mumbled. "Yeah, Lu and I had undergone many clinical trials. But still, we failed to come up with an antidote." Elle lowered her gaze, feeling saddened whenever she would remember Lu''s critical condition. "I thought I won''t be able to move nor walk again. It took me one year and three months to finally move my body once again. My body function came back to normal. The medication, therapy, and rehabilitation helped my condition to improve. Then I spent the remaining three months preparing for my return. That''s the main reason I couldn''t come back for the past two years. I was also fighting hard. Sometimes I got tired... I felt like giving up. But deep inside, I want to recover 100% so that I could return to you." "But I had to admit, in those difficult times of my life, James was there, encouraging me not to give up because he himself didn''t give up on me. He took care of me personally. He looked like my personal nurse." Complicated emotions were flashed through Erick''s eyes after hearing that. He wished he was the one by Elle''s side at those moments. "Aww!" Elle grunted when she felt that Erick bit her shoulder. "Are you trying to make me jealous? Because if yes then you won. I am really jealous right now. I felt useless. Not able to do anything for you during those times." Erick lamented to her. Elle rolled her eyes. She forgot that Erick was a very jealous man. "Don''t be jealous. You helped me a lot too. You were the reason why I persevered. I wanted to go back to you with a hundred percent recovered. I was also worried that you might have forgotten me all these years. Besides, you could easily find another wife. Many girls are lining up for you." Elle voiced out her concern as well. "You are two-timing us! You are already married but you still have the guts to introduce yourself as someone else''s fiancee!" Erick ranted once again. Elle elbowed him on his abdomen. "I''m not done talking yet. Can you please listen to me first before accusing me! Hmmph." Erick chuckled. "I am just kidding. Can''t you appease your hubby rather than hurting him? That was a hard hit, do you know that?" "You are still shameless!" Elle said which made Erick let out another soft chuckle. "Shameless, only for you." Both of them erupted into a peal of laughter. "Hubby, to tell you the truth, I am really planning to approach you once I finish my last mission. However, after seeing other girls trying to get your attention, I couldn''t stay still so I ended up approaching you using my identity as Aliyah. Since Elle was dead in the eyes of many. I was planning to win you over as Aliyah Ross. But I miscalculated something. Even if I could hide my real identity to others, you could still see through me." "Ouch!" Erick bit her once again. "What do you think of me? A fool? I recognized you right away the moment I saw you. I couldn''t be mistaken. I know my wife, inside and out. Don''t underestimate my love for you. My heart can recognize you no matter what." "But I still hate the fact you keep on denying it to me¡­ lying and hiding. And what did you say??! You are planning to approach me after finishing your last mission! You are doing dangerous things once again. And what I hate most is that you don''t want me to be involved." Erick felt like scolding her stubborn wife. "Because I don''t want to repeat what happened two years ago. You and your parents'' lives were put in danger because of me. I want to keep you safe. My enemies are too powerful." Elle explained to him. "So why are you with James? Tell me honestly, did he know about your plan about avenging your parent''s death?" Elle paused for a moment, thinking of what she should reply to him. If he learned the truth then Erick would be upset. But if she lied again, Erick would also be mad again. Elle needed to choose between two lesser evil. Elle was about to give him an answer when suddenly they were interrupted by the knocking sound outside Erick''s room. Raymond and Sarah just returned home after processing Erick''s discharged paper at the hospital where he was admitted for one night. "Son, are you there?" Sarah continued knocking while calling Erick. Erick and Elle exchanged meaningful glances with each other. "Mom and Dad are here," Erick mumbled. Elle suddenly felt alarmed. "What should I do? I don''t think I am ready to face them. Besides, they thought I was already dead. They will be shocked once they see me here." Erick chuckled seeing her panicking expression. ''Mom and Dad will be happy to see you. Besides, you are the child of my father''s best friend. The little girl whom my father is searching.'' Both of them still had a lot of things they needed to reveal and share with each other. But it seemed like one day was not enough to talk about everything. "Alright¡­ I will give you more time. You don''t have to face them today. So¡­ Do you want me to hide you here? You are not allowed to leave my room. Mom and Dad will see you once you go out. So behave and Just Stay Here." There was a gleam in his eyes while saying those words. Then a cheeky smile appeared on his handsome face. Elle frowned. ''Why do I feel like he is up to something?'' Chapter 382 - 382: Cant Love Two Men At The Same Time Erick left Elle in his room. He went out to see his mother and father who were waiting for him to explain what''s going on. Sarah and Raymond had also seen Elle''s face. Though unlike Erick, they couldn''t recognize her right away since the light in his room was a little bit dim. But after hearing her voice and the words she said in the recording, they somehow suspected that the person was Elle. When Erick got out of his room, Sarah and Raymond were already waiting for him in the living room. Sarah looked at him worriedly. "Son, why is it you suddenly left the hospital? Where did you go? Is there something wrong?" Erick just smiled at her faintly and said, "No Mom, everything is fine now. I just went out to see someone and confirmed something." "Son¡­ about the video, Can you explain it to us? Is Elle alive? The woman in the video is Elle, isn''t she?" Raymond asked him, feeling hopeful. He wanted to know if Ma. Belle was alive. "Yes¡­ but Mom and Dad, can I make a request from both of you? Can you keep this as a secret as of now? The person who is after her life is still roaming around in this City. I don''t want her life to be in danger once again especially if her identity will be revealed to others." Sarah and Raymond agreed on Erick''s request. They didn''t want that to happen. They wanted to protect her. "I want to see her." His father said to him. "I will talk to her, Dad. But as of now, she is not yet ready to face you." Erick honestly said to them. "Why? I missed her already. I wanted to see my daughter, Elle." Sarah insisted. Erick just let out a chuckle. He was glad that his parents cared so much about Elle. "Don''t worry, Mom. I will convince her. You will meet her soon. She was just afraid that you might hate her because of her identity. She doesn''t know the truth that we already knew her true identity. She''s Uncle Cedrick''s daughter. I am planning to tell her that." "Ok son! Please convince her. Tell her that I missed her so much and I wanted to see her." Sarah softly said, feeling a little bit disappointed since Elle didn''t want to see them yet. "Okay, Mom," Erick said meaningfully. ''But for now, I wanted to spend time with her alone, Mom. I am sorry for being selfish and greedy. Elle and I have so many things to catch up with.'' Erick thought to himself while stealing a glance at the closed door of his bedroom. Meanwhile, the girl they were talking about was just lying on Erick''s bed. She didn''t sleep well in the hospital last night, that''s why she was a little bit drowsy as of this moment. She wondered what Erick and his parents were doing outside. She also missed them, especially Sarah. She doted on her so much, treating her like her own daughter. She felt the mother''s love from her. ''Mom, Dad¡­ too bad, our Reunion with Erick''s family didn''t happen. I know Mom and Mom Sarah would really get along well.'' Elle thought to herself. Then suddenly she sat up and leaned her back on the headboard of the bed. "Should I tell Erick that I am Ma. Belle? Hmmm, I wonder how he will react once he finds out." Elle mumbled. She was staring at the closed door when someone crossed her mind. It was James. "I reconciled with Erick but why is it my heart is not yet at ease? I feel sorry for him." Elle looked down. She was having conflicting thoughts as of this moment. "[email protected]! I feel so guilty about using James for my revenge. He doesn''t deserve this. I owe him my life." Elle mumbled while feeling down. She had to admit but James was the one who was stopping her from telling the whole truth from Erick. She also cared for James. She appreciated everything he had done for her for the past two years. James became her pillar of support in those difficult times. Deep down inside, she didn''t want him to get hurt. But Elle couldn''t help it. She couldn''t return the love he was giving her. Her heart was only beating for Erick. "What should I do now?" Elle buried her face using both hands. She thought her internal battle would be gone after she told Erick the truth¡­ but now, here she was¡­ having a lot of troubling thoughts. How she wished she knew how to fix this. Of all the people who could have saved her, why James? She really felt indebted to him. She even saw the other side of James. He was also loving and caring. He was a great man. If there''s no Erick then maybe she would also fall for James. But she couldn''t love two men at the same time. Now everything became more complicated between the three of them. She was torn between these two men who also became important to her. Both of them were her saviors. One guy was a friend who loved her so much and was willing to do anything for her. And the other one was the guy she truly loved who accepted her despite her dark side and who was also willing to do anything just to protect her. Of course, Erick also loved her as much as James. She was lost in her train of thoughts when Erick entered the room. He immediately approached Elle and engulfed her into his arms. His touch awakened her from the dazed. "Erick." She mumbled in surprise. Since she was lost in her thoughts, she didn''t notice that Erick was already inside. "Are you bored? Did I make you wait that long?" Erick asked her tenderly. Elle smiled and shook her head. "How''s Dad and Mom?" Elle promptly asked him. "They''re just fine. They wanted to see you but unfortunately, you refused to see them." Erick answered him directly. Elle was taken aback after hearing that. "They already knew that I was alive?" Elle asked him to confirm it. Erick bobbed his head, "Yeah, they knew." "Huh? Why? And How? Did you tell them?" Elle exclaimed with disbelief. "Hey calm down. Don''t accuse me like that wifey. It was you." Erick told her while grinning from ear to ear. "What do you mean it was me?" Elle looked at him confusedly. Erick suddenly burst out laughing as he remembered how Elle blew her cover. "It was your fault for sneaking into someone else''s house at midnight." Elle''s eyes widened after hearing that. ''What is he talking about? Did he know that I was here when he was sick? But how?'' Elle was racking her brain so hard. Upon noticing Elle''s confusion, Erick decided to enlighten his wife. "Actually, I didn''t know that you came here to take care of me that night. I thought it was just a dream. But fortunately, Mom and Dad did something behind my back. They planted a spying camera inside this room in order to monitor me because they are worried that their son would commit suicide because he lost his beloved wife." Elle was at a loss for words. She didn''t expect that. So that means everything she did in that room was recorded in the spying camera. "Oh my!" Elle raised her hand covering her mouth. "They saw everything?" She asked him again. Erick chuckled and just nodded. "As in everything? Even the moment I fed you the medicine?" Erick nodded again. "Argh!" Elle grabbed one pillow and buried her blushing face on it. ''[email protected]! I''m so embarrassed! I wish the ground would open up for me now.'' Erick could not suppress his laughter seeing the cute and embarrassed reaction of his wife. "Hey, what''s wrong? Don''t tell me you are being shy now, my dear wifey." Erick wanted to tease her. "It''s alright. Mom and Dad could understand. Besides, we are already husband and wife so kissing is just normal and they know that." Erick said, comforting his embarrassed wife. Elle raised her head as she gazed up at him. Her cheeks were still flushed. She pouted first before speaking. "Don''t laugh at me. I almost ravish you that night! What if I did that then Mom and Dad would think I am taking advantage of their sick son! [email protected]! I''m glad I was able to control myself!" Elle ranted at him which made Erick speechless. ''She wanted to ravish me that night. How I wish she did it.'' Erick thought to himself. After a while, he looked at her intently and said, "Hmmm, wifey, why don''t you do that now? You can ravish me now, all you want. Don''t worry, Mom and Dad already removed the spying camera." Elle met his gaze and raised her brow, "Seriously, Erick? Mom and Dad are just outside!" Erick flashed his cheeky grin while leaning on her, "Why don''t we do it again in my study¡­ just like old times?" Elle: "..." She was stupefied by her husband''s shamelessness. Without waiting for her response, Erick immediately scooped her up in his arms and carried her towards his study. "Hey, Erick¡­ put me down. I thought we were going to talk. What do you think you are doing right now?" Elle gently slapped his broad chest while complaining. But Erick ignored her protest and said, "We can still talk later after we are done. Besides, you have to make it up for me¡­ for breaking my heart because of your lies. Show me your love and devotion to me¡­ prove to me that I am the only guy you truly love." Chapter 383 - 383: They Are Back Together Upon entering his study, Erick made sure to lock the door. He didn''t want to be interrupted this time by his parents. He was so determined to punish this little kitten in his arms right now. But it would be a sweet punishment. She made him suffer for these past few days. And his jealousy towards James intensified his desire and need to possess her. He wanted to claim what truly belonged to him. He knew that Elle was not a thing that someone could possess but she was his wife, so for him, he had the right to say that she belonged to him, only to him. He wouldn''t let her escape this time. He would conquer her tonight, making sure that Elle would never look for another man. He would satisfy her, showering her with all his love and devotion. He said a while ago that Elle should prove to him that he was the only guy she loved but he was doing the other way around. He wanted to convey his feelings to her through this intimacy. Erick placed Elle on the edge of his study table in a sitting position. Elle stopped resisting him, instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck. For a moment their intense gazes met each other. Then Erick closed their gaps, kissing her passionately. It was lingering in a way that made her feel weak. After feasting enough on her lips, Erick drew back. He leaned over and whispered to her. "Let me show you how much I love you¡­ how much I''ve missed you¡­" Erick''s sensual voice entered her ears. Elle could only nod her head, giving him go signal. She also wanted this. She yearned for this moment. She wanted to feel his love once again. She wanted to make love with him, right here and right now. Erick''s hand lifted the hem of her shirt, slowly removing her clothes. Elle helped him by raising both her hands. Then Erick unclasped her bra, freeing her beautiful round b.r.e.a.s.ts. Now, she was half-n.a.k.e.d in front of Erick. A blush had subconsciously overtaken her face. She couldn''t help it. Erick''s intense gaze felt like he was slowly melting her. "Beautiful as ever¡­" Erick mumbled with his deep voice. His eyes were admiring her beauty and at the same time, they darkened with both l.u.s.t and desire for her. Erick didn''t waste any more time. His warm lips kissed their way down her neck and across her shoulder while his arms were holding her tiny waist. A soft m.o.a.n escaped her mouth at the feel of his warm mouth touching her bare skin. After a while his head moved further south, warmly pressing his lips to whatever place they happened to touch, her collar bones, the flesh just above and in between her twin peaks. And finally, his playful mouth found her right b.r.e.a.s.t, teasing her pink erected n.i.p.p.l.e. Elle''s breathing quickened. Oh, she missed this feeling wherein Erick was giving her an overwhelming pleasure. Erick began licking her crown like it was a lollipop, his tongue swirling around it. Afterward, he gently sucked on it while his one hand started massaging her other b.r.e.a.s.t. "Aah~" Elle could only gasp and m.o.a.n in pleasure while her both hands were clinging tightly on the edge of his table. She could already feel the wetness of her core. He made her so wet and throbbing. The flame of desire was awakened inside her. She wanted more and Erick didn''t disappoint her. Erick continued teasing her bare b.r.e.a.s.t with his mouth when his hands made its way to Elle''s pants. He began tugging her pants down her legs. Elle clutched on his shoulder, slightly lifted her buttocks so that Erick could easily remove her pants. In a brief moment, she was already n.a.k.e.d in front of him. All her clothes including her underwear were scattered on the floor. Erick left her for a few seconds, grabbing a chair and bringing it in front of her. Now he sat down on the chair, facing Elle who was sitting on top of his study table. Elle looked at him in confusion. ''What is he going to do next?'' Her heart started to beat rapidly inside her chest. Erick moved closer to her, instinctively Elle closed her legs to hide her bottom lips from Erick. Erick let out a husky laugh and said, "Don''t hide your precious pearl from me, dear wifey." "Hey, what are you going to do?" Elle asked Erick anxiously. "This time... I want to taste you down there." Erick said using his sensual voice. Elle was startled for a moment. Erick didn''t go that far before. "No!" She was both embarrassed and nervous. "Wifey, I want to try this. I want to satisfy and pleasure you¡­" he said pleadingly. "But I-" Elle couldn''t complete her protest upon seeing Erick''s pleading look. After a while, Elle sighed deeply, giving in to him. ''[email protected]! I''m glad I make it a habit to shave every day.'' Elle thought to herself. Erick smiled upon getting Elle''s permission. He held her legs, spreading it wide for him. When Erick moved closer, planting gentle kisses on her navel going down, Elle''s heart started to beat wildly and rapidly. Her dark alluring eyes were fixed on Erick and to his every movement. Her heart raced even faster with excitement and anticipation the moment Erick''s head got in between her thighs. ''Oh my¡­ he is really doing this for real.'' He gently parted her legs with both hands. Elle forcefully gulped her saliva. She became more aroused by just watching Erick. He teased her first by tracing the wetness of her core using his fingers. It garnered a sharp m.o.a.n coming from her. ''Is he planning to torture me with this?'' Elle bit her lower lip. Later on, Erick finally did it. Elle''s eyes rolled skyward when she felt his lips touching her most sensitive part. She couldn''t restrain the loud groans from her mouth the moment Erick licked her bottom lips. Elle brought her one hand to cover her mouth to suppress her m.o.a.ns, afraid that Erick''s parents would hear them. ''[email protected] It feels so good¡­ feels like¡­ heaven.'' She felt like she was going to fall. Her body felt weak and limp, writhing from that intense tingling sensation. Erick''s tongue started licking and sucking the warm liquid coming out of her core. She was soaking wet down there and Erick was licking her dry. His tongue started to invade and explore her entrance, thrusting in and out of her. Elle whined and shuddered. She grabbed his head for support, pushing him closer to her core. ''I feel like I''m going nuts. It feels so f*cking good!'' "Aah¡­ Aah~" Her sharp m.o.a.ns echoed inside his study. Erick felt proud and satisfied hearing Elle''s loud m.o.a.ns. This meant she was enjoying every action he was doing to her body now. "You taste sweet, wifey." Elle heard him rasp before he attacked her bottom lips once again. He licked, sucked, and kissed her down there like a hungry beast. She bent her head backward while m.o.a.ning loudly. She was drowning from the overflowing pleasure she was receiving from him. She was already struggling for breath and she felt something welling up inside her. Her body was twitching, wiggling her lower body from the intense pleasure she was getting. "E-Erick¡­ Aah~ I''m¡­ I''m c.u.m.m.i.n.g." Then she found her released, squirting love juices out of her core. Erick gladly sucked all of it until she got dry. She lay down on the table, feeling weak and exhausted. She just got a mindblowing orgasm after two years. She had not yet recovered from that overwhelming pleasure when suddenly she felt something hard and stiff poking her entrance. When she looked down, Erick was already standing in between her legs. He was still wearing his shirt on, but he was already n.a.k.e.d on his lower part of the body. Elle felt another burning sensation when Erick began rubbing the tip of his manhood on her entrance. Elle''s eyes widened, feeling helpless. ''Hubby, I didn''t get enough rest yet.'' She wanted to say but she just kept it in her mind. After a while, she felt Erick''s hands holding her waist as he positioned his hardened manhood on her tight entrance. Elle closed her eyes savoring the moment as Erick took his first thrust. His movement was very gentle. In every thrust, Erick was mumbling sweet words to her, telling her how he felt. "I love you... Elle." "I miss you so much every day... wifey." "You''re the only woman in my heart¡­" "I can''t love someone else except you." "I can''t¡­ I can''t lose you again¡­" "Losing you is like losing my life too." Elle''s eyes began to tear up after hearing those sweet and very emotional words coming from Erick. She felt the same way. Elle sat up and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly as he continued thrusting in and out of her. "Hubby, I am sorry. I will never leave your side ever again." "I love you so much¡­ you are the love of my life¡­ no one could ever replace you in my heart. I don''t want to lose you too." After hearing that, Erick sealed her lips with a hungry and passionate kiss. His heart could finally feel at ease, especially now that Elle was back to his side. It had been a long time since the last time the two of them became one like this- the union of their bodies as they showed their love for each other. Chapter 384 - 384: Feel Indebted To Him It was already dark outside when Erick and Elle finished their intimate session. It lasted for several hours. Erick didn''t stop until he was able to satiate his longing for her. Elle''s stamina weakened compared to before. She couldn''t catch up with Erick. She begged him to stop and let her rest. He had drained all her energy. Because she was exhausted, Elle was still sound asleep. Erick watched over Elle''s sleeping figure as he cuddled her beneath the cool sheets of his bed. His eyes lingered on her face, sparkling with happiness. He was really glad and grateful. She was alive. She didn''t die. And now they were back to each other''s arms. This time he would do everything just to protect her. He would help her to solve her parents'' case and bring justice for their deaths. He would ensure that everyone who was involved would be punished by the law. "Thank God for keeping her alive¡­ for allowing her to return to my side," Erick mumbled, his hand was now caressing her face. ''I love you so much¡­'' Erick couldn''t help himself but kiss her over and over again. He planted soft kisses on her forehead, cheeks, and lips. He couldn''t stop. His heart was singing with joy having her in his arms again. Elle was awakened by Erick''s warm lips. When he felt that Elle started responding, Erick gathered her in his arms, pulling her close while his lips seeking hers hungrily. When they broke apart, Elle''s charming smile greeted his sight. "I am no Sleeping Beauty nor Snow White, hubby. I am the devilish assassin. Why did you wake me up with a kiss?" Elle said teasingly, her twinkling eyes held a glint of humor. "Because you are my demoness¡­ you bewitched me and enslaved my heart forever. I couldn''t break the love spell you cast on me¡­ All I wanted is to possess you, claim you, and mark you that you are mine...Only mine." Erick whispered those sweet words to her. It sounded pleasing into her ears. Elle let out a soft giggle before cupping his face. "If I am your demoness then you are my angel, my savior. The demoness fell in love with the most handsome angel in this world." The husband and wife ended up bursting into a peal of laughter. "Are you hungry?" Erick asked her. He knew that it was already evening and they hadn''t eaten dinner yet. "How about Mom and Dad? They are outside right?" Elle asked him instead of answering his question. "Yes¡­ they knocked a few minutes ago, telling me to have dinner. I said they could eat without me, I would eat later. Don''t worry, I will bring you dinner in bed." Erick tapped the tip of her nose. "Don''t leave¡­ please stay with me tonight," Erick added pleadingly. "Hmmm, okay. I''ll leave tomorrow at dawn when Mom and Dad are still sleeping." "Okay. I will drop you in your apartment. But¡­ can''t you just stay here from now on?" Erick asked her. Elle paused for a moment. She was thinking that she couldn''t do that as of now. Besides, she was living as Aliyah Rose right now, living with Erick would blow her cover. Others would suspect her as Elle. She still had a big mystery to solve both 18 years ago and 2 years ago. She couldn''t afford to reveal her identity to others now except to Erick. And she had one more concern aside from that¡­it was about James. How could she explain this to him, that she and Erick were back together? James would be hurt. Furthermore, they had a deal and she broke it once again. Elle gazed up to meet Erick''s eyes. "Hubby, about that¡­ can you give me more time? Please... let''s keep this a secret in the meantime. Please treat me as Aliyah Ross in front of your colleagues, not as Elle." A long helpless sigh escaped his lips as he said, "Yeah. I know. I understand. If that''s what you want, then I can do that for you." "Thank you," Elle muttered, her lips returning to his, kissing him softly. After she drew back, Erick chuckled. "Is that a bribe for agreeing in your terms?" "Hmm, yes... if that''s what you think so. You can also have all of me as a bribe." Elle softly mumbled, a seductive smile playing across her face. Erick raised his brow and said, "Don''t challenge me, dear wifey, or else, you will start begging again just to make me stop." After hearing that, Elle pouted and decided not to tease him anymore. She''s not yet ready for another round. She also felt sore down there. Erick was gentle but he could also be rough once his beast would overtake him. "Hubby, can I have another request?" Elle blurted out, giving Erick a pleading look. Erick pulled her close to his body and said, "What is it? Just tell me." Erick was smiling widely. He loved to hear Elle calling him hubby once again. "It''s about James. Please don''t get mad at him¡­ and don''t be jealous." Elle was careful with her words, afraid that Erick might be upset. Erick didn''t speak. He just let her finish what she was about to say. He was listening. Elle couldn''t figure out what he was thinking right now. She couldn''t tell since she didn''t see his expression. Her head was resting on his chest while he was hugging her. "He is my friend. That''s the only relationship we have." Elle reassured him. "Promise. I will settle things between us. But please don''t forbid me of getting in touch with him." Elle couldn''t tell Erick that James was the leader of Skull Gang. James''s connection to Skull Gang was a secret to the public as well as to the police authority. As of now, Elle didn''t know how she would explain everything to Erick. There were still things she couldn''t reveal to him or else the situation would become more complicated. She already broke her deal with James. She couldn''t afford to betray him by revealing his identity as the Skull Gang Leader to Erick. Elle had already made up her mind. She would talk to James and be honest with him. She didn''t want to be unfair with Erick and James just because of her revenge. If she had to do this alone without the help of Skull Gang, then she would do it. She didn''t want to take advantage of James. She couldn''t return his affection. This was the only thing she could do for him, rather than giving him false hopes. One way or another, she would still end up hurting his feelings. Elle''s mind was still occupied by James when Erick finally spoke up. "I couldn''t hate him. After all, he was the one who saved you. I will be forever grateful for him because of that. I knew he used every power he had just to make you recover." "If I was the one who found you that night, I am not sure if I could also do what he had done. I am just an ordinary detective. I am not rich¡­ I don''t have influence. He brought you in the states and spent a lot of money for your recovery. I had to admit that was something I couldn''t afford to do." Erick said to her truthfully. That thoughts made Erick feel insecure. He felt like he was useless. He clenched his jaw, feeling dejected. "Maybe it was God''s will that James was the one who found you that night. He had the capability and resources to help you heal and recover." Erick softly said to her, concealing his disappointment about himself. "Just like you, I feel indebted to him. So I could forgive him for hiding the truth from me that you were alive. The most important thing for me is that you are safe and alive," Erick added. Elle could hear the sincerity in his every word. Erick was not selfish but he was very understanding. He didn''t judge James right away. He didn''t dwell on the negative things like how he suffered all these years thinking that Elle died that night because James hid the truth from him. Instead, Erick considered the positive sides of everything. Elle was alive so he didn''t care if he suffered too much in the past. "Hubby, you know what¡­ you are one of a kind. I am very lucky that I met you in this lifetime. Thank God, He sent his angel in order for me to be saved from the darkness. I will never allow others to take you away from me." "Erick Lee¡­ you are mine. Only mine. I won''t hesitate to kill anybody if they tried to take you away from me!" Elle said with so much conviction. Erick chuckled. "I love my wife¡­ being so possessive like this. But I don''t want you to kill anymore. Don''t worry, wifey. No one will be able to steal me from you. This is well-guarded." Erick said, bringing her hand to his chest where his heart was beating loudly. "So that means¡­ you will not forbid me from seeing James? And you will not be jealous if you see us together?" Elle asked him again. "Ouch!" Elle grunted as Erick bit her shoulder once again. "I will not stop you nor forbid you from talking with him. But¡­ I am still jealous. I will still get jealous." Erick lamented to her. "So every time you will do that, you have to compensate me. Hmm." Erick added as a condition. "You have to serve me and satisfy me¡­" Erick whispered to her with his sensual voice before pouncing on her once again. "Erick!!! Uhmm~" Elle''s words were swallowed up by him in an instant. Chapter 385 - 385: Lunch Invitation On the same night, Charles went clubbing because he was not in a good mood recently. He went to the same Night Club where he accidentally met Sandy. In that place, he accidentally stumbled again with Sandy and Josh. It just so happened that Sandy also invited Josh to have fun tonight since she was happy that Team Alpha Cinco denied Aliyah''s request to cover the story about Catseye''s case. She was overjoyed and relieved. At least, a dangerous scope was removed to their work. She wanted to invite Aliyah but for an unknown reason, she couldn''t contact her. She was thinking that maybe she was together with James. She heard from Josh that James had returned to City Z. She always thought that Aliyah and James were a couple. In the States, she often met him with Aliyah as he was always accompanying her wherever she went. That''s one of the reasons why she couldn''t believe Aliyah when she didn''t complain against the Chief Detective after hugging her twice. She even suspected Aliyah of two-timing the two men. Little did she know that the person whom she was trying to contact since this afternoon was currently having a passionate session with the handsome Chief Detective, not James. And as for Josh, he decided to tag along with Sandy for two reasons. First, he didn''t want to upset her and wanted to curry her favor. Besides, Sandy was still a friend of their Queen. He didn''t want to offend her by rejecting her invitation or else he would receive another hard punch from her. For the second reason, he wanted to unwind and have a break because he was put under a lot of pressure and stress for the past few days because of their mighty Supremo and their Queen. They had been drinking for two hours now. After having enough drinks, Sandy dragged Josh on the dance floor. They''d indulged themselves in the loud Disco music while dancing freely and wildly. While the two were enjoying their dance, there was someone who was silently drinking in the bar counter. The person was Charles. He looked like he was having deep thoughts. Something was bothering him. The lonely feeling started to sprout again inside him. He felt that something was missing. It was Elle. He couldn''t forget her. ''I f*ck up. Why is it I am missing you more each day? Returning here at City Z, all I could see was your memory¡­ our memories together.'' His lips twisted into a wry smile. After saying those words, he took the glass of whiskey and lifted it to his lips, threw back his head, and drank it with just one gulp. An unknown amount of time passed, Charles just continued refilling his glass with whiskey while drinking it non-stop. He wanted to drown himself so that he could forget his sorrow and pain. But he was still sober. Now, he had a strong tolerance for alcoholic drinks. ''Elle¡­ you are so unfair. I thought we were partners¡­ but why did you leave me first?'' Charles was ranting his sentiments on his mind when suddenly someone smacked his back so hard, enough for a soft grunt escaped his mouth. "Hey, Charles! My dear Savior! You are also here. I am glad to see you again." Charles became soberer when he heard that familiar voice. When he turned around, he saw the woman whom he shared a steamy make-out session inside his car. "You?!" Charles exclaimed with disbelief. He didn''t expect to see her again. "Yes, it''s me. Sandy. Did you forget me already? Remember¡­ you and me¡­ in your car~" "Stop! Stop! I know you! I didn''t forget." Charles promptly said, interrupting Sandy for saying the rest of her words. He couldn''t believe this girl. How could she mention that thing as if it was just a natural happening that they could talk to in the public? She was the girl so she must be more reserved than him when talking about those things. But it was exactly the opposite. ''She talks non-stop without a break. Does she not care about her reputation? She''s a reporter too. Now I know why she chose that job. It suits her very well.'' "Oh, by the way, this is Josh. Josh, this is Charles." Sandy introduced the two men from each other. That''s the moment Charles realized the existence of Josh who was standing behind Sandy. Charles nodded at Josh and then turned back to Sandy. "Hmm, Is he the one? Did you finally find a decent guy, now?" Charles asked while eyeing Josh from top to bottom. Sandy let out a soft giggle before answering him. "Nah! He''s not a pure decent guy." Sandy promptly said, shaking her head. Josh''s brows knitted into a frown. ''What is she talking about? Me? Not pure decent? Why?'' "Don''t be deceived by his good looks. He is just half decent because he secretly spied on my friend. So I beat him up." Sandy explained to them. Charles''s lips twitched in disbelief. "For real? You couldn''t even beat the guy who was harassing you at that time. I had to interfere just to save you. And now you are telling me you beat this guy who was spying on your friend. Should I believe you." Josh: "..." ''Hello, guys! I am still here. I am the one you two are talking about. Am I invisible in the eyes of the two of you?'' Josh lamented to himself as his gaze darted back and forth between Charles and Sandy. Sandy giggled once again. This time she sat down on the vacant chair beside Charles. "Yeah¡­ because I was a hundred percent sober when I beat him." Sandy proudly said to Charles. Josh also joined them as he sat down next to Sandy. "Hey, did you forget that I am still here? I could hear you." Josh complained to Sandy. Sandy rolled her eyes and said, "I know. I am intentionally doing this so that you will feel ashamed after going behind our back, you fool!" Charles just looked at them helplessly. "Hmm, you know what¡­ the two of you match together. Hehe." Charles forgot his troubles after entertaining Josh and Sandy. Josh laughed out loud while Sandy shot him a sharp glare causing him to stop laughing right away. "Anyway, do you mind if we join you here? Let''s drink together. The more the merrier." Sandy didn''t sound like she was asking permission. She just said that for formalities but she already decided to drink with him. She was curious about her savior. She wanted to know more about him. Charles agreed. The three of them had a little chit-chat while having their drinks. They got along very well up to the point where Sandy invited Charles for a lunch tomorrow. "Hey, let''s meet again tomorrow. I will introduce you to my friend. I think she will like you too. Are you free?" Sandy blurted out suddenly. "Tomorrow? Hmm sure. I am free." Charles said. "Give us your number. Put it here." Josh was the one who initiated to get Charles number. He gave him the phone so that Charles could type his number himself. Charles accepted his phone and registered his number. After a few seconds, he handed it back to Josh. "So Bro, let''s see each other tomorrow," Josh mumbled after getting his phone back. "Sure. Just tell me the place for our meet-up." "Yeah! We will." Sandy promptly said. Sandy clapped her hands in excitement. She was eager to introduce her savior to Aliyah. She just wanted to brag that her savior was cool so she wanted her to meet him. After the last round of drinks, Charles bade them goodbye. He was a little bit tipsy now but he could still manage to drive. Josh also convinced Sandy to go home. They still had work tomorrow. Josh was thinking that he should have enough rest since Elle had given him the task to guard and monitor Chief Detective Lee. He could only sigh deeply whenever he would remember Supremo and Queen. ''Why do I have two superiors? They gave me two different tasks. [email protected]! I should be careful not to be found out by Supremo.'' After a while, the three of them went separate ways. Josh would drop Sandy in her apartment while Charles would drive his car. When Charles arrived at his place, he was shocked to see Elena sitting outside his balcony. She was waiting for him. "Elena? What are you doing here? It''s almost midnight. How long had you been waiting here?" Charles had the urge to scold this girl in front of him. "Brother Charles!" Elena''s eyes lit up when she saw Charles. She stopped calling him ''Boss Charles''. The last time they saw each other, Charles told her just to call him Brother Charles just like how she was calling Brother Yu and Brother Lu before. "I came here to visit you. I brought dinner. But by the time I arrived, your house was still locked. So I just waited here, thinking that you will return home soon." ''What should I do with this innocent girl? Why did she have to wait for me if she could just leave?'' "Alright. Let''s go inside first?" Charles said, unlocking his door. "Brother, did you drink?" Elena asked him the moment she smelled his manly scent mixed with the strong scent of whisky. "Just a little." Charles lied. In fact, he was already feeling dizzy and lightheaded. He even puked several times while on the way to his place. Chapter 386 - 386: First Kiss After unlocking the door, Charles guided Elena into his house. It was just a small concrete bungalow house with one room, living room, kitchen, dining area, space for working out, and a balcony. It was spacious enough for one man. If Elle could see Charles''s house then she would be shocked to see how organized it was unlike before. Elle didn''t often visit Charles because his house was quite messy before. Things were scattered everywhere. You would have a headache by just seeing the insides. But Charles had changed. Now, he organized his things very well because when Elle was still with him, she often nagged Charles about his untidy behavior. When they got inside the house, Charles told Elena to wait in the dining area as he changed his clothes first. She headed straight to the kitchen and heated the food. After a while, Charles returned, already wearing his pajama. He took a quick shower to wash away his drunkenness. When Elena saw his figure, she couldn''t help but admire his build. Charles became more muscular and s.e.xier compared to before. She could see the bulge of his six-pack abs underneath his fitting white thin shirt. She gulped forcefully while feasting her eyes on Charles''s magnificent body. He became more attractive in her eyes. She immediately looked away as she felt the blood rushing on her cheeks. She was blushing! "You must be hungry now. Come, let''s eat." Charles said, grabbing a chair beside Elena. Elena just nodded but she didn''t speak. She was trying her best to calm her emotion down and clear her mind. Her heart was beating loudly and rapidly because of their closeness. Charles had always this kind of effect on her. Elena looked like a teenager who was anxiously talking to her ultimate crush as of this moment. She was restless and nervous but at the same time, she was very happy. His mere presence excited her more. They finished all the food that Elena prepared for both of them. "Let''s rest now. You can use my room. I will sleep in the living room." Charles softly said to her after they finished cleaning the table and washing the dishes. "I''m sorry for this hassle. I think I can just-" Elena was about to volunteer to sleep in the living room when Charles cut her off immediately. "You are my guest, Elena. You are also a girl. How can a man like me allow you to sleep in the living room while I am enjoying the soft bed? Go to my room now and rest. You still have a duty in the hospital tomorrow morning." Charles gently pushed her back going to her room. "Okay, brother. Good night. Sweet dreams." Elena said before entering his room. "Good night. Have a good sleep." Charles mumbled before he walked towards the living room. ********** Two hours had passed when Elena was awakened by a faint sound. She''s a light sleeper that''s why even a faint noise could wake her up easily. She rubbed her eyes and focused on listening to the sound. It looked like someone was crying. The soft and low whimpers were coming from the outside. Elena got off the bed to trace the noise. It led her to the living room where Charles was staying. The light coming from the moon and the street lights outside were enough for her to have a clear vision of her path even if the lights inside the house were switched off. When Elena arrived in the living room, she saw Charles sitting on the floor while his back was leaning on the lower part of the sofa. His body was shaking. ''Is Brother Charles crying?'' Elena thought to herself upon seeing the scene. She could hear his soft whimpers as if he was trying to suppress his voice from making any sound. She slowly traced her steps towards him. She confirmed it. Charles was crying. Charles didn''t notice Elena''s presence yet. Seeing him like that, Elena felt a tinge of pain and sadness in her heart. "Elle¡­" Elena heard him mumble in between his cries. At that moment, Elena''s heart sank. She knew Charles was acting like that because of her sister Elle. "Elle¡­" Charles called her name once again while clutching his chest. Elena could feel his pain, his sorrow, and his helplessness. He was still mourning for Elle''s death. Elena wondered if Charles would always cry like this at night while thinking about Elle. Elena''s eyes began to tear up as well. If she was hurting because of Elle''s death then how much more Charles? They were good friends for a very long time. Elena couldn''t stand it. She wanted to comfort him and ease his pain even a little. Without thinking twice, her feet moved towards Charles. "B-Brother Charles¡­" Elena softly mumbled as she kneeled beside him. Charles paused in his spot the moment he heard her soft mellow voice. He didn''t want her to see him cry but it was already too late. "E-Elena? W-What are you doing here? I thought you were already asleep?" Charles asked her while wiping the tears on his cheeks. He was glad that Elena didn''t turn on the lights. If she did then he would feel more embarrassed if she saw his crying face clearly. He was in a sorry state as of the moment. "You are missing her¡­ our sis Elle," Elena said instead of answering Charles''s inquiry. Charles lowered his gaze, closing his hand into a fist. "Yeah¡­ so badly." Charles gave her an honest answer. Then his tears started to fall down his face once again. He couldn''t help it. At night, when he was alone, his mind would always keep thinking about Elle. He felt really miserable. "Are you crying every night for the past two years because of sis?" Elena asked him again. She didn''t know why but she wanted to confirm it. "Yeah¡­" Charles said in a low voice that was almost a whisper. "Do you¡­ do you l-love her?" She suddenly asked him out of the blue. Charles bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. It took him several seconds before he finally answered her. "Yes¡­ I do." Elena''s lips turned up into a faint smile. ''No wonder, Brother Charles couldn''t move on even if two years had already passed since Sis Elle died.'' Elena turned to Charles. She didn''t know where she got the courage. She cupped his face using her little hands and brought her face closer to him. "Think of me¡­ imagine that I am her¡­ even just for tonight," Elena whispered before she finally closed their gaps and sealed his lips with a kiss. This was her first kiss. Her heart was running wild from both excitement and nervousness. Her lips were trembling as she pressed them to his mouth. She didn''t know if what she was doing was right. She just wanted to ease his pain. Her heart was also aching. She didn''t want him to be sad. At that moment, she confirmed her true feelings for him. It was not just a mere crush nor a mere admiration, not just mere physical attraction. Before she knew it, she had already fallen for him two years ago. Her heart never stopped loving him even if they got separated. She was always hoping to see him once again. And now that he was back, Elena mustered up her courage and showed him how much she cared about him. On the other hand, Charles was caught off guard when Elena''s warm lips touched his. He went blank for a moment, his mind took time to absorb what was happening. ''What is she doing?'' Charles''s mind was clouded by the sweetness of her lips. Elena was not actually doing the right kiss. She was just pressing her lips on his. Charles could sense that she had not experienced this before and this was her first. Thinking about that, Charles''s heart skipped a beat. For an unknown reason, he was glad to be her first kiss. He didn''t want to disappoint her. He wanted to give her the most memorable and amazing first kiss. With that, Charles''s lips started to move slowly and gently, savoring every moment that their lips were in contact. He began to nibble on her lower lip. He even ran his tongue in between her lips, giving them moisture. Elena''s heart pounded even faster. She closed her eyes from the wonderful sensation Charles''s expert mouth was giving her. After feasting on her lower lip, he transferred his attention to her upper lip, nibbling, licking, and sucking it. Elena couldn''t help letting out a soft m.o.a.n. ''It feels so good. I love this feeling.'' Elena thought to herself. After a while, Charles plunged his tongue in between her lips, seeking an entrance. Elena parted her lips, allowing Charles''s tongue to invade and explore the inside of her mouth. The gentle kiss deepened and it became more sensual and passionate. Charles''s hand was now holding her chin and the back of her head, pulling her closer as he played with her tongue. Elena let herself drown to the pleasure she was receiving from him through this kiss. She craved for more. She felt like she got addicted after tasting his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck. As time went by, Elena learned to respond and return his kiss with the same intensity as his. The kiss lasted for several minutes before they broke apart to grasp some air. Their heavy breathing was heard amidst the silence of the night. No one spoke up. Both of them were avoiding each other''s gaze. ''[email protected]! This atmosphere suddenly becomes awkward. What should I do? Charles, you are the man. For goodness''s sake, speak up and tell her something.'' "Eh¡­ Elena¡­ are you... hungry? Do you want to eat?" Elena: "..." ''Seriously...Charles? You f*ck up, for real!'' He cursed himself inwardly. Even Charles, himself, couldn''t believe why he said those words. That''s the only words he could say after that passionate kiss. Chapter 387 - 387: Couldnt Meet Them Yet Things between Charles and Elena became awkward after they shared that passionate kiss. Elena didn''t regret doing it however she felt embarrassed after she realized what she did. She''s the one who initiated the kiss first. She just wanted to comfort Charles. She wondered if she did the right thing. Little did she know, her action really helped Charles to forget about Elle in the meantime because as of now his mind was occupied by Elena. ''Why did she do that?'' He kept asking himself. Charles reflexively raised his hand, touching his lips. He could still vividly remember the pleasant sensation caused by her warm lips being in contact with his. Then suddenly Charles cursed himself inwardly as he remembered what he said to her after that kiss. { "Eh¡­ Elena¡­ are you... hungry? Do you want to eat?" } { Elena just looked at him with her dumbfounded expression. Charles didn''t know what to do. He scratched his face thinking about what he should tell her next. } { Fortunately, Elena responded to him after she recovered from her dazed. } { "Brother Charles¡­ I am not hungry right now. I think it''s better if I will return to your room now and sleep. I will have to go to the hospital as early this morning." } { After refusing Charles''s random invitation about eating something, Elena fled quickly going back to his room. She needed to escape because her heart was about to explode if she stayed there with him. } Charles took a deep breath as he averted his gaze to the closed door of his room. He wondered if Elena was already asleep. "I took her first kiss. How can I become responsible for that? She''s too young for me¡­ and she''s so innocent. I should distance myself from her or else she might end up getting hurt in the end. I am not a good person. She deserves a much better person than me." Charles tugged his hair tightly. His mind was in a mess right now. "[email protected]! What am I thinking? It was just a kiss. It meant nothing to her. Maybe she was just carried away by her emotion after seeing me crying. She just wanted to comfort me." Charles mumbled, convincing himself. In the end, Charles couldn''t sleep. It was already morning when Charles''s mind got tired of thinking and he drifted off to sleep. When he woke up, Elena already left. She also prepared his breakfast before leaving. A note was placed on the dining table beside the food she prepared. [ Brother Charles, this soup is good for a hangover. Please don''t skip your breakfast. Sorry if I didn''t wake you up. I couldn''t disturb your good sleep. ] Charles felt touched by Elena''s sweet and thoughtful act. As a return, he made sure to finish all the food she cooked for him. After taking his breakfast, he did his daily routine of working out and exercising at his mini gym. This became his habit that''s why Charles gained more muscles over these two years. Antoine also helped him with his discipline. An hour before noon, Charles received a message from Josh, reminding him about their lunch today. "Oh, I almost forgot about lunch. Hmmm, these fellows are interesting. I couldn''t believe that I had a good time with them last night." Charles mumbled, his eyes were fixed on his phone. "I gotta go and meet them." After saying that, Charles proceeded to his bathroom and took a shower. When he was done putting his clothes on, he received another message from Josh, telling him where they would meet. The place was near the Morning Star Media Network Building. Soon, he left his house going to the location. *************** Meanwhile, at Morning Star''s office, Sandy and Josh were silently observing Elle. They wondered why she looked exhausted. ''What happened to her? Was she sick again?'' However, though she was looking very tired Elle was giving off a positive vibe. She was in a good mood today. Her expression was more relaxed today unlike before. That''s the reason why Sandy and Josh couldn''t figure her out. ''Maybe something good happened to her yesterday.'' That''s what they were thinking. Unknown to them, Elle already reconciled with Erick that''s the reason why she looked cheerful and at ease today. Unfortunately, she felt very tired because of Erick. He exhausted her last night, draining all her energy by making her come over and over again. She lost count of how many times they made love. Sandy finally decided to approach her. "Ali, are you okay? Are you not feeling well?" Elle stopped typing on her keyboard and gazed up to see Sandy. "Yeah, I''m fine," Elle said as a response. Sandy nodded and tapped her shoulder. "Let''s take a break and eat lunch. Same place. I have someone to introduce to you." "My Savior," Sandy added with a wide smile on her face. "Okay," Elle said as she stood up. Soon, the three of them walked out of their building. After a while, they arrived at the restaurant where the three of them often ate their lunch. After ordering food, Elle decided to go to the washroom first. "[email protected]! Erick really punished me last night." Elle said while looking at her reflection in the mirror. She tilted her head while pulling down her collar a little bit. Elle heaved a helpless sigh when she saw the love bites made by Erick. ''My good boy hubby turned into a beast, marking me on every part of my body. I am still sore down there.'' Elle thought to herself as she fixed her uniform, trying to hide her hickeys. "Just you wait, Erick. When I recover my stamina just like before, I will also suck you dry." Elle mumbled, her lips curled up into a playful smile. After she was done washing her hands and fixing herself, Elle went out of the Wash Room going to their table. From the distance, she saw a guy who was now talking with Josh and Sandy. Elle halted on her steps the moment she recognized the person. It was Charles. On impulse, Elle quickly found a hiding place inside that restaurant so that Charles wouldn''t see her. "So Sandy''s savior is the Charles whom I also knew." She was not ready to face him and she would blow her cover the moment Charles would see her. Sandy had no idea about her identity as Elle. "But how come even Josh seems like he is familiar with Charles too?" Elle secretly watching them. Then her eyes focused on Charles''s figure. He was sitting beside Sandy. Elle had conflicting thoughts right now. One part of her wanted to meet Charles and joined them. She wondered how he was doing in the past two years. She missed her partner, her friend, and her brother. Charles''s changes in appearance didn''t escape Elle''s observant eyes. "He looks different from the Charles I remember two years ago. Sandy told me that he fought so well when he saved her. So my little bro learned how to fight now." Elle smiled at that thought. ''He fulfilled his promise. He trained and came back stronger. I am very proud of you, Charles.'' As much as she wanted to tell him that now, still, she couldn''t. She was not ready. This is not yet the time to meet him nor Master Phantom. She didn''t want to bother them anymore because of her revenge. She wanted them to live simply and happily away from the danger. Elle''s eyes started to burn with tears. She missed them so much both Phantom and Charles. They were the only family she had left. She wanted to protect them this time. "I wonder if Master Phantom is also doing fine," Elle mumbled to herself. She made up her mind. She needed to leave there now. She couldn''t afford to let Charles see her. With that resolution in mind, Elle searched for another way to go out of the restaurant where Sandy, Charles, and Josh would not be able to notice her. ***** Meanwhile, on their table, Sandy noticed that Elle had been gone for too long now. Charles was already there but Elle was still nowhere. "Where''s Ali? What took her this long to come out of the washroom?" Sandy asked while roaming her eyes around the restaurant. "Hey, why don''t you check on her? Follow her in the washroom. What if she already fainted? She seemed very tired today." Josh suggested to her, feeling worried about their Queen. Sandy nodded and excused herself first, leaving the two men at their table. But to Sandy''s surprise, Elle was already gone. She couldn''t see her inside the washroom. "Where did she go?" Then she immediately picked up her phone inside her pocket. She dialed Elle''s number. After three rings, her call got connected. Sandy: "Ali, where are you?" Elle: " Sorry Sandy, I forgot to tell you. Something came up. I''m on the way now at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters. Erick''s team accepted our collaboration. We will cover Catseye''s case once again. Sandy: "What?! Are you kidding me, Ali?! Tell me this is just a prank call!" Sandy didn''t mind the fact that Elle left without informing them. The one she couldn''t accept was Elle telling her that they would cover Catseye''s case once again. Chapter 388 - 388: Acting in Front of His Colleagues Elle was not lying when she told Sandy that she was on the way now, going to XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters. As Erick gave Elle a ride this morning, they talked about the collaboration requested by her in which the Unit Head denied. It turned out Erick was the only one who made that decision. The Unit Head was not consulted at all. He said that because he just wanted to avoid working with Elle after he learned that she became James''s fiancee. Since Erick and Elle already reconciled with each other, she would continue covering Catseye''s case for the purpose of catching Catseye and unfolding his identity. After hearing Sandy''s reaction over the phone, Elle could tell that she was upset about this. She didn''t want to do this but since she was part of Aliyah''s team, she had no choice but to comply. Of course, Sandy was against this not only because she was thinking about her safety but also because she was worried about Elle. Sandy could see the determination in her for doing this case. After informing Sandy, Elle hung up the phone immediately before Sandy could rant at her. She knew her well. If she didn''t end the call, Sandy would continue to nag her. She was now riding a taxi. Her mind wandered back again to Charles. ''I will try to monitor and visit him secretly next time. I want to find out how he is doing. I will do the same with Master Phantom. I wonder if he''s already back here. I learned that he also took medication in the States. I hope he is doing fine now.'' Elle thought to herself. When she was in the States, she requested James to find the whereabouts of Master Phatom. As far as she could remember, he was also exposed to bio-weapon two years ago. Through Supremo''s help, they were able to track him. She learned that Master Phantom was also staying in one of the hospitals in the States, doing his recovery. However, she couldn''t visit him due to her health condition. She blamed herself for Phantom''s mischief. She was the one who asked his help to track down Alfonso. That''s why she felt responsible when Phantom got hurt. With that, Elle decided not to involve him with her revenge once she came back to City Z. She didn''t want to put their lives in danger once again- both Phantom and Charles, as well as her other brothers, Phantom''s henchmen. The guilt consumed her heart especially now that Lu''s condition didn''t improve yet. He was still in critical condition. No antidotes. He was barely hanging. He was in this predicament because he saved her. Erick told her that they already traced Alfonso''s location. Now, Elle was so determined. She needed to find a way and steal antidotes at Alfonso''s bio-weapon facility. Now, it was her turn to save Lu. She would use her skills not to kill someone but to save someone. She would now protect everyone close to her heart with all her might. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** Erick''s team noticed the changes in Erick''s mood the moment he entered their office this morning. Everyone was puzzled why suddenly Chief Lee became lively and cheerful once again. They could feel the positive vibes emanating from him. They were worried that once the day passed Erick''s mood would change again. Despite that, they were glad to see him like this instead of seeing his sullen and gloomy expressions. They wondered if the progress of their case had something to do with this. Erick informed them that they would be having another team meeting this afternoon after lunch. They would summarize all the findings of Catseye''s case for the past few days. They knew that they were making progress. Since Chief Lee was in a good mood today, the team decided to invite him to eat lunch together. They would try their luck whether he would not refuse them today, unlike before. As usual, Bryan was the one who was urged by the team to talk with Erick. He was about to enter Erick''s office when Elle arrived. Alpha Cinco didn''t expect her arrival today. "Eh, why is it Miss Aliyah is here? I thought their request to cover this case was denied by Unit Head?" June whispered to Carl who was beside him. Carl just sighed deeply. He remembered how stubborn Aliyah Ross was. The night Samuel Sy was attacked by Catseye in his hotel room, Aliyah and Josh were there. Carl knew that Aliyah was aware of the surveillance operation they were doing against Samuel Sy. She even helped them before. That''s why, even though her request was denied, she was still doing her own investigation about the case. Furthermore, Aliyah knew that they were monitoring Samuel Sy at the hotel that''s why she also came that night even without permission from Erick. "[email protected]! I forgot to tell Chief Lee about Aliyah." Carl tapped his forehead. He was worried that Chief Lee and Aliyah would get into arguments once again just like how Bryan described to them what happened between Aliyah and Erick on that same day. "Hello, officers! Good noon!" Elle greeted them with a bright smile. Everyone was dumbfounded after seeing her expression. They couldn''t explain but she was giving off the same positive vibe that Chief Lee had. Carl frowned in confusion and disbelief. This was not the kind of expression she was wearing the last time he saw her yesterday at the hospital. He thought Erick and Aliyah had another argument yesterday. ''[email protected]! I couldn''t figure out these two people. What''s happening to them? So weird!'' Carl pondered to himself why eyeing Elle strangely. Meanwhile, everyone greeted her back with a smile though they felt a little bit awkward. "Hi, Ms. Aliyah! Are you here to see Chief Lee?" It was Bryan who asked her. Others were also curious whether she was here because of Erick. ''Are they going to fight again?'' Elle nodded with a smile, "Yes, I came to see him. Is he inside?" Elle pointed out Erick''s closed office door. Bryan scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to reply. He was hesitating, afraid that Erick''s mood would change if he would see Aliyah. Others also averted their gaze to Bryan, anticipating his reply. "Eh--" Bryan didn''t finish his sentence because Erick''s office suddenly opened and he emerged from the door. They didn''t know if they were just imagining it but the moment Erick saw Elle, his eyes sparkled with delight and his lips turned up into a gentle smile. But since Erick remembered Elle''s request to treat her as Aliyah Ross in front of his colleagues, Erick''s soft expression changed in an instant. He was able to conceal his emotions. Now, he looked calm and composed, his expression was unreadable. But deep inside, his heart was singing with joy. They just got separated for several hours but he already missed her so badly. His body also reacted the moment he remembered last night''s happenings inside his room. He conquered her. He made her scream his name over and over again. ''[email protected]! I want to kiss and hug her now!'' Erick''s eyes darkened with l.u.s.t but his colleagues misinterpreted it. They thought Erick was not happy to see Aliyah. The gentleness in his expression a while ago was just an imagination. Now, Erick was wearing a very serious expression. Everyone inside felt the tension except for Erick and Elle. ''I want to commend my hubby. He also knows how to act and pretend.'' Elle laughed inwardly. "Do you need something, Miss Aliyah?" Erick said with his flat tone. The room was engulfed by deafening silence. Erick''s colleagues were rendered speechless. ''Is Chief Lee acting cold again towards Aliyah?'' Elle suppressed the urge to smile. "Yes, may I talk to you for a moment?" Erick nodded and said, "Okay. Follow me inside." Erick signaled her to come inside his office. Erick''s colleagues exchanged meaningful glances with each other. They were asking Bryan to do something. But Bryan just narrowed his eyes at his colleagues as if telling them, ''Why Me Again?!! Why are you pushing all this responsibility to me?!'' Erick''s team had no choice but to wait for them outside, hoping that the two people inside would just be fine talking with each other. They wished no conflict would arise between the two of them. But little did they know, the conflict they were thinking would not happen. The moment Elle and Erick entered his office, he locked the door immediately and pulled her into his arms. He crushed her lips with his in a hungry kiss. He couldn''t get enough of her. He wanted to kiss her forever... every day. He was addicted to her. Elle giggled in between their kisses. She didn''t expect Erick to be this bold and aggressive. He launched an attack as soon as they got out of his colleagues'' radar. With a playful thought in mind, Elle intentionally bit Erick''s lower lip until it was swollen. She wondered how he would explain that to his colleagues if ever they noticed it. Chapter 389 - 389: Findings It took half an hour before Erick and Elle got out of his office. It was already past 12:00. Erick''s colleagues were already hungry but no one among them initiated to disturb the two people inside. The team agreed on waiting for them outside. They would invite them for lunch, but they didn''t expect that the two people would spend thirty minutes inside just talking. Unknown to them, Erick and Elle didn''t talk, instead, they were busy kissing and making out inside his office. When they were already out, they saw the strange looks coming from Erick''s colleagues. Elle suddenly became anxious. ''Why are they giving us that kind of look? Did they learn what we have done inside?'' Elle wondered while biting her lower lip. Then she turned to Erick, glaring at him with her flushed cheeks. ''This is your fault! Where did your self-control go, Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee?'' Erick just shrugged at her, feigning innocence. His mouth twitched as he was fighting a smile. "Chief Lee, Aliyah, let''s go, join us and grab some lunch," Bryan said, breaking the awkward silence. Elle just gave him a faint smile while Erick simply nodded at him. After that, everyone left the office to eat lunch outside. ******************* After the lunch break, Alpha Cinco together with Elle returned to the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters. Everyone gathered inside the conference room for a meeting regarding Catseye''s case. "Okay, everyone, prepare your individual updates. Officer Kim is also attending this meeting. He will be there for five minutes." Erick said to them. He was in the front, setting up the laptop and the projector screen. Just like what Elle had expected, Erick''s team noticed Erick''s swollen lips. During lunchtime, they already saw it. They were wondering why suddenly Erick''s lip looked like that as if someone bit him or punch him in the lips. It looked normal this morning. Carl and Bryan automatically looked at Elle suspiciously while having weird speculation. "Did she slap Chief Lee for acting so cold towards her?" Bryan whispered to Carl. Carl averted his gaze back to Erick, assessing his face. He just scratched the back of his head then shook his head. They disregarded those thoughts right away. It wouldn''t be possible since the moment two of them went out of his office, everything seemed normal as if they talked peacefully and didn''t get into a fight. ''Maybe Chief Lee just accidentally bit his lips.'' They thought to themselves. Five minutes later, Officer Kim entered the conference room. He greeted everyone with a smile. Everyone warmly welcomed Officer Kim and his company. Two of them from their Department would attend this meeting. "Since everyone is here. Let''s start our meeting. First, I would like you to know that Aliyah''s team would continue collaborating with us. They will cover this story that''s why she is also joining us here. Don''t worry, she already signed the waiver. She will keep all the significant information about this case confidential." Erick said, explaining Aliyah''s presence to the team. Everyone just nodded at him in approval. "I believe everyone here had read the report of Senior Sergeant Carl about the incident that happened at Sky Hotel wherein Catseye attacked Samuel Sy." "Yes, Chief Lee!" Everyone said in unison except for Elle. "Okay. I will enumerate our findings." Erick clicked his mouse and a PowerPoint presentation was displayed on the projection screen. "Number One Findings: This new Catseye is a man. I confirmed it after fighting him face to face." "Number two: Catseye is not the one who sent me the death threat. He saved me and didn''t harm me even if he had the chance to do so. He just knocked me down using a sedative." Elle was a little bit surprised after hearing that. Erick didn''t mention it to her, yesterday. She tapped her forehead gently. ''Oh great, because instead of talking, we were busy doing something inside his room.'' Elle was not the only one who got surprised by that revelation. Erick''s team really thought that Catseye was targeting Chief Lee. Erick continued. He was the one doing all the talking for now while others were listening attentively and actively on their seats. "Number Three: There''s someone who wants to kill me but he is using Catseye to cover up this. They are framing Catseye. They want us to believe that Catseye is the one to blame if ever something bad happens to me." Everyone has become serious after hearing that, most especially Elle. Someone was trying to kill Erick and framing Catseye for it. "Do you know any motive for threatening your life, Chief Lee?" It was Officer Kim who suddenly asked that question. Erick nodded, "Yes, I had a suspicion. Did you hear the recording right? I believe they are doing this because I am investigating the incident that happened 18 years ago. Original members of Los Molasses Gang were involved in a massacre case 18 years ago, that was our number four findings." "I am curious, Chief Lee. So does it mean, Catseye''s revenge had something to do with their crimes 18 years ago? Was Elle the missing child they were talking about in the recordings?" Officer Kim asked Erick once again. Erick glanced at Elle first before answering that question. She nodded, giving him permission to tell them the truth. "Yes, she was the missing child. Her family was killed by the Los Molasses Gang. She became an assassin in order to avenge her family''s death." Everyone had complicated emotions on their faces the moment they heard that. They somehow felt sorry for Elle. Now they understood why she turned into a vicious and ruthless assassin before. "I received the death threat after I talked with Carlo and Diego about their crime 18 years ago. It turned out Alfonso also visited them that day. Now, I suspected Alfonso as the one who gave me this death threat." Now, everything made sense. They could grasp the situation. Alfonso found out that Chief Lee was investigating the crime they committed 18 years ago. He planned to kill him without getting suspicious. He decided to use Catseye as a scapegoat. It was like killing two birds using one stone. "Number Five: Kevin Azumi or Azumi Twins were working again for Alfonso. They were the experts Alfonso was referring to in the recordings. That''s the reason why Kevin was also present that night. He was there to protect Samuel Sy, to kill Catseye and me." "[email protected]! Alfonso Ramirez is a sly fox!" Bryan blurted out. Everyone agreed to his remarks. On the other hand, Elle was now thinking so many ways how she could punish Alfonso. She couldn''t wait to catch that bastard. Her hands turned into fists. She wanted to beat that guy so badly¡­ wanted to kill him. The hatred was consuming her heart right now. "Number Six Findings: Someone helped the Los Molasses Gang to cover up their crimes. Alfonso called him Snake. I suspect that Snake has connections in the police authority that''s why the death of Elle''s family members remained unresolved. Police failed to collect evidence that would connect the Los Molasses Gang in that massacre." "Chief Lee, do you know the name of Elle''s family household?" Bryan asked him curiously. Erick paused for a moment. His eyes were fixed on Elle''s face. He was giving her a meaningful look but Elle had no idea what was running on his mind. She thought Erick didn''t know her Family Name. She didn''t inform him. She planned to tell him after the rescue mission but the mischief happened. They got separated for two years. After his long silence, Erick looked at his team with a very serious expression. "Everyone, I will answer that question but I want to make a request first. Please whatever information you will hear or heard in this conference room now, you should keep them confidential. This case is very complicated. There are still enemies around us that we don''t know yet. Even I, myself, don''t know whom to trust. There are traitors and spies. I know you are aware of that. Unfortunately, that is the sad truth." Erick''s team as well as Officer Kim felt the heaviness of Erick''s words. They couldn''t deny that fact. He was right. Bryan: "I will do that." Carl: "Me too. If information leaks out that mean someone here is a traitor." June: "Let''s follow Chief Lee. This is for our own sake too." Allen: "Chief Lee, you can count on us. No one here will betray this team." Rose: "I will surely beat the guy who will try to betray our team!" April: "I will help Rose in punishing the traitor, if ever." Officer Kim: "We understand the importance.of trust within the team. You can trust us, me, and my team, Chief Lee." After saying that, everyone averted their gaze to Elle. ''Eh? Do I need to speak too? I know everything, more than what they have learned today. Are they afraid that I couldn''t keep this secret.'' Elle didn''t know whether to cry or laugh. "I will bet my life on this. I will not be a burden to all of you." Elle reassured them. Chapter 390 - 390: Falcon Family "I will bet my life on this. I will not be a burden to all of you." Elle reassured them. Erick squinted his eyes at her upon hearing her first sentence. He didn''t like it. ''Betting your life again in this case?! I didn''t need that. What I want is to keep you safe.'' Since everyone spoke up already, it was Erick''s turn to tell them what he knew. "Elle¡­ I know her family name, her family household." While saying those words, Erick''s eyes lingered on Elle''s face, meeting her gaze intently. "Elle is the missing daughter of Agent Cedrick Falcon, the former head of the Phoenix Special Task Force. She is Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon." Everyone was rendered speechless including Elle. Astonishment flickered through her dark eyes. She had never imagined to hear that from Erick today. Elle gave him a questioning look but Erick just merely smiled at her. ''He already knew? How? Since when?'' Elle marveled at that thought. She was caught off guard this time. She was planning to tell him. She even imagined his shock expression once she would tell him her real identity. But it turned out Erick already knew about it. ''I should talk to him after this meeting.'' Elle made a mental note. On the other hand, Erick''s team, Officer Kim and Officer Kim''s colleague were baffled at the mention of Agent Cedrick Falcon, Phoenix Special Task Force and Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon. Alpha Cinco already heard the story of Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon. She was the little girl in the picture that Erick was keeping in his wallet before. They knew that Erick''s Father and Ma. Belle''s father were good friends. In fact they were best friends. Rose, April, Bryan and June could still remember the story Erick had told them. That meant Erick and Elle were supposed to meet during their childhood but that tragedy happened to the Falcon Family. They were massacred. The four of them couldn''t believe it. As if Erick and Elle were really destined to meet after all. She''s the one Erick and his father were looking for all these years. Then Erick happened to save Elle. He protected her and they even fell in love with each other. ''Too bad Elle died two years ago.'' This was what they thought as of this moment. Oblivious of the fact that Elle was still alive and she was with them right now in the persona of Aliyah Ross. Meanwhile, Carl, Allen, Officer Kim and his colleague were thinking about something else. Agent Cedrick Falcon and Phoenix Special Task Force caught their attention. The Phoenix Special Task Force was the number one task force in the country 18 years ago because of Agent Falcon''s strong leadership. Elle''s father was very well-known for his skill and ability to catch different types of criminal. He was also considered a legendary agent. Just like Erick, Agent Falcon''s good nature and sense of justice were some of those positive traits that people admired about him. He was respected by his fellow agents. He was a man of integrity. He was also a compassionate one, a perfect role model for every policeman. He was very dedicated to his work but he never once neglected his family. He could balanced and managed his time very well. His death was a great loss not only for the law enforcement department, but also for the whole country. They lost one great man. What an irony of fate, his daughter Elle became an infamous assassin who was feared in both underground world and society. She had a complete opposite of her father''s reputation. All of these happened because of the crime committed by the Los Molasses Gang 18 years ago. The world was indeed cruel sometimes. Now, they were sympathizing for Elle. They couldn''t imagine the pain she had gone through after witnessing the death of her family with her own eyes. "We should catch them! No¡­I mean.. we MUST catch them and punish them for their crime." It was Bryan who broke the silence. "Elle suffered because of them. They were the reason why she became ruthless. I felt like, the police authorities were also ones to blame. We failed her." Bryan spoke from his heart. He was furious. He also considered Elle his friend. He truly cared for her even after knowing that she was Catseye. "Let''s not only catch this new Catseye. Los Molasses Gang should also be punished under the law." Officer Kim also shared his thoughts. Everyone nodded, showing their support. Elle roamed her eyes inside, staring at every person inside that conference room. She could feel their determination to solve this case. They were all motivated. She was touched by their genuine sympathy for her and for her family. Her eyes softened. She was trying hard not to shed tears in front of them. She was very grateful right now. ''Thank you everyone. This means a lot to me. Now, I didn''t feel lonely anymore. I am not alone with this fight. Aside from Master Phantom and Charles, I have you now¡­ most especially Erick.'' Elle was becoming emotional. "With regards to that, next week, I will go to City X together with Officer Kim. I will personally monitor Alfonso Ramirez. We will have changes in rotation and assignment for our surveillance operation." Erick''s determined voice was heard again. "We successfully located his hideout. I planted a tracking device on his suit the day he visited Samuel Sy and Edson Tyler," Erick added. Then Erick turned to Officer Kim. "Officer Kim, can you give us an update about Alfonso''s current whereabouts?" Officer Kim nodded as he stood up, walking towards the front. He was holding a flash drive, containing surveillance video that they had done against Alfonso Ramirez. He inserted the flash drive to Erick''s laptop and began clicking the presentation he prepared for this meeting. Everyone was all eyes on the screen even Elle. She didn''t expect that Erick finally got something significant about Alfonso''s whereabouts. He was making so many progress. Elle and the Skull Gang had difficulty tracking Alfonso but Erick had done it easily. ''[email protected]! My hubby is really capable! I should reward him after this.'' Elle commended him in her mind. After a while, Officer Kim started to supply them information about the result of their surveillance operation against Alfonso Ramirez. "Right after Chief Lee planted the tracking device on Alfonso, I sent my men to follow him. It turned out he was staying at City X. When my men arrived at the location, they found this compound." Officer Kim clicked the mouse and a video was flashed in the screen. "This area is very far from the center of the City, isolated compound, away from people''s eyes. This is just the gate or the main entrance. My men couldn''t go further beyond that point. The area was well-guarded by armed-men." "Other vehicles are not allowed to enter. Check points are everywhere. The guards were checking thoroughly every vehicle that happened to pass by that area. It was a private land so trespassers were not allowed." Officer Kim continued speaking. "As if the guards are ready to shoot and kill if ever they see trespassers. I asked my men to stay low profile and to retreat for a while or else the guards would highly suspect them. After seeing that video, something popped up in Elle''s mind- the Bio-weapon Facility. She was certain. There was a high possibility that the bio-weapon facility was located there. The Dark Knight Organization looked like paying more attention to this facility. It seemed that the bio-weapon was the heart of the Dark Knight''s operation. The security was heightened. They learned from their mistake two years ago when Phantom''s team was able to infiltrate their facility. Alfonso became more cautious and careful. But this thing wouldn''t stop Elle from thinking of infiltrating that facility in order to steal antidotes. She would do this for Lu. She had to do something for him. ''I will talk to Erick. I must convince him to let me do this. I will come with him at City X.'' Elle thought to herself. Elle was worried that Erick wouldn''t allow him. He was hell-bent to protect her this time. He didn''t want her to do another dangerous thing but Elle couldn''t help it. She couldn''t stay still knowing that her brother Lu''s life was still in danger. Unknown to Elle, Erick noticed that she was having a deep thoughts. ''Is she planning something again? I could see it in her eyes. She is up to something.'' Erick mumbled to himself. "We must be careful from now on." Officer Kim said as he ended his presentation. He gave the floor back to Chief Lee. "Alright. So do you have any concerns or any questions about the findings and Officer Kim''s updates?" Erick asked the team. Bryan raised his hand, "Chief Lee, I want to come with you at City X. Please allow me to do it." April looked at Bryan worriedly. She didn''t know if she could allow him to do that. It was very dangerous. But Bryan held her hand, trying to reassure her. He wanted to go with Erick. He promised Elle that he would protect Erick no matter what. Then suddenly, Elle also raised her hand. "I will go to City X too!" she said with so much conviction. Everyone gave her another strange look. ''What? Why are they looking at me like that once again?'' Chapter 391 - 391: Breaking My Heart Twice The meeting ended. Erick allowed Bryan to accompany him in the City X next week. The two of them including Officer Kim would lead the surveillance operation against Alfonso Ramirez. As for Aliyah''s request or rather Elle''s request, Erick had not made a decision yet. He wanted to talk to her first, privately. Furthermore, the newly assigned task was divided among the team. It would be effective starting next week, once Erick and Bryan would travel to City X. Carl and Allen together with Officer Kim''s team were assigned to monitor Samuel Sy and Edson Tyler while June, Rose, and April were assigned to Senator Mondragon''s death threat case. So far, they were still suspecting Kevin Azumi as the one who attacked Senator Mondragon during his Campaign announcement held at RC Convention Center. Now, the police authorities became wary against the Azumi Twins. Their movements remained unpredictable. Everyone should be more careful when dealing with those two elite assassins. After dismissing the meeting, everyone went back to their assigned task for today. Erick and Elle stayed at his office. They had something more to discuss with each other. Erick made sure to lock the door so that others would not be able to barge in, avoiding people to overhear their conversation. When they were already alone, Elle confronted Erick immediately. "You already knew that I am Ma. Belle? When did you learn the truth? And how?" Elle asked him, curiosity was written all over her face. Erick let out a husky laugh. He could see that Elle was a little bit surprised by that revelation. "Wait¡­ why do I feel like you also knew about our fathers'' connection? Did you also know that they were best friends?" Erick asked her back instead of answering her query. Erick grabbed her hand before sitting down on his chair. Then he pulled Elle so that she could sit on his lap. Elle didn''t protest. She sat on his lap sideways for her to see his face while they were talking. "Yes, I learned it two years ago. I was supposed to tell you that after the rescue mission but I got injured and we got separated from each other." Elle told him honestly. "I learned that your father didn''t stop investigating what happened to our Family 18 years ago. He was searching for me. Hubby, I was overjoyed after knowing that¡­ and I felt grateful to Dad." Erick nodded with a smile. "We were destined to be together after all." Erick planted a soft kiss on her cheek after saying that. Elle also nodded and let out a soft giggle. "How about you? When did you learn the truth?" Elle asked him once again. "Just recently. The day after I got sick and you took care of me. Dad and Mom visited me in the morning. I had a conversation with Dad about Catseye''s case and Family Falcon''s Massacre Case." "I was sorting and organizing the files when Dad accidentally saw the pictures of Jefferson''s corpse. Since he was handling your family''s case, Dad had almost familiarized everything that happened to the victim. He saw the similarity of that picture to one of the victims. Your family''s security guard." Erick hooked his one hand around her waist as he continued speaking. "Then he read the reports of Carlo Vello, Diego De Dios, and Jefferson''s Case report. Your motive for revenge, and how you punished them were very similar to what happened to other victims of Falcon''s Massacre Case. We connected the dots. The members of Los Molasses Gang were the culprits and the missing daughter of Uncle Cedrick was you." Elle''s eyes lit up after hearing that. Erick and Raymond got her message. They were able to connect it to her Family''s Case. The father and son duo were so brilliant. Elle wrapped her arms around his neck and gave Erick a peck on his lips. "Hubby! Dad and you are both amazing!" She praised them. Erick chuckled once again. "That was also the time I figured it out why you told me that you are not Elle. Because Elle was just one of your other identities. Your real identity is Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon." Elle was bewildered after hearing that. She couldn''t believe that Erick would even realize that. "Hubby, I think I can''t surpass your intelligence. Now I am falling in love with you over and over again. Please say that you are mine. Only mine. I want to keep a man like you, forever." Elle mumbled to him with her possessiveness. "I feel like. I won a jackpot in this lifetime. How can I be so lucky? Despite the crimes and sin I committed, still, God gave me you." Elle added, feeling a little bit emotional. Erick pulled her closer to his body, hugging her tightly. "Don''t say that. It''s just fair. You already suffered enough in the past. It''s not your fault. Yeah, you committed many crimes but you also deserve a second chance and to be happy. And I am glad that I was the one who was sent by Him to redeem you." "I couldn''t imagine if another guy was by your side instead of me. I would die of jealousy. What if James was the first guy you met? Would you fall for him instead of me?" Erick said, feeling frustrated at that mere thought. Elle''s giggle bubbled up in the entire room. "Don''t laugh! I''m dead serious!" Erick pouted. "I think I won''t because, since the beginning¡­ even if I didn''t meet you yet, you already bewitched me. And I already swore that you were the man I would marry when I grew up. See¡­ I ended up fulfilling my words. I married you." Elle said to him with her loving smile on her beautiful face. Erick blinked several times, trying to figure out what she meant by that. He was confused by her statements. "What do you mean?" Elle erupted into another peal of laughter. "The truth is¡­ I already saw your picture when I was ten. You are the boy I was referring to before when I said that I had someone in mind whom I like to marry before. Remember? I told you that he was the son of my father''s best friend. It turned out that you and he were one person." Erick: "..." Erick was dumbfounded. He remembered it so well. He became jealous at that time when Elle told him that. But who would have thought that he was that person? So that meant¡­ he got jealous against his own self before¡­ his younger version. After realizing that, Erick burst out laughing. ''[email protected]! What a coincidence?!'' Erick was rejoicing. He was glad to know that. He felt like he was the happiest man on earth right now. Then Erick suddenly picked up his wallet. He got something inside. After that, he showed the picture to Elle. She took it from him and she glanced at the old picture of a little girl who''s at around the age of 10. Elle frowned and said, "Wait, this is me, right?" Erick nodded with a smile. "The only picture of you that my father and I had. Dad sent Uncle Cedrick my picture so Uncle Cedrick sent Dad your picture too. It seemed like our fathers were already thinking of setting us up when we got older." "Now, I am thinking if the supposed reunion dinner of our two families would have ended as our arranged engagement. Well¡­ I wouldn''t mind it at all. Besides, I find you cute and pretty in this picture. I only had one concerned at that time. I said ''too bad she is still too young for me''." Elle raised her brow and hit him on his chest. "Why?" Erick asked her with a cheeky grin on his handsome face. Elle glared at him and pouted. "Dummy! It''s only just a four-year gap! Ahuh! So unfair! I decided to marry you but you, on the other hand, was thinking that I was not compatible with you because of my age!" Elle ranted at him. Elle was about to stand up and leave Erick but he caught her immediately, trapping her in his arms once again. Erick was still laughing because of Elle''s reaction. She''s mad but he found her cute. "Haha, wifey, calm down. I''m not yet done. I haven''t done saying everything to you yet. Why are you so being impatient and grumpy? Besides, you already knew that you took all my first- my first kiss, my first dance and my first night¡­ in short my love and v.i.r.g.i.nity!" Elle bit her lower lip, fighting a smile. She had the urge to laugh after he mentioned the last word- his v.i.r.g.i.nity! He still looked cool while saying that. "Okay, then continue." Elle simply said, still suppressing a laugh. "I said to myself that I will wait for you once you''ve become a lady. But I got my first heartbreak when I heard the news from my father that your family were killed and you went missing. I was looking forward to meeting you. But it never happened. Dad failed to find you. Later on, you were declared dead." Erick''s embrace tightened. He was afraid to let go of her, frightened by the thought she would disappear once again. "Oh, thinking about it, you broke my heart twice because of your death, both 18 years ago and 2 years ago. Why do you love doing this to me? Making me think that you were already dead." Erick heaved a deep sigh. Elle didn''t answer him. Pulling his head down, she planted a lingering kiss on his lips in response to his query. ''I wasn''t me who did that. It''s the circ.u.mstances getting between us. I will not let that happen once again. I don''t want to get separated from you ever again.'' Chapter 392 - 392: Will Do This Together After talking about their families, Elle and Erick discussed the serious matter about investigating Alfonso Ramirez and the Dark Knight Organization. "Erick¡­ please let me come with you to City X." Elle suddenly opened up with him. "I believe that the bio-weapon facility is being hidden in that private compound. I need the antidote as soon as possible. Lu''s life is at stake. I want to infiltrate their bio-weapon facility and steal some antidotes as well as to get the evidence that they are making bio-weapon in that area." Elle told him her plan truthfully. Erick was having conflicting thoughts upon hearing that. "It''s dangerous." Erick promptly said. "I know! But I can''t let Lu die. I will blame myself forever. He''s the reason why I am still alive right now. He did all his best in order to save me. Now, it''s my turn to do that." Elle''s determination was reflected in her eyes. Erick eventually yielded to her request. He knew he couldn''t change her mind about this. "Okay. But in one condition." Erick said firmly while looking intently at her. Elle nodded and asked, "What is the condition?" "We will do it together, infiltrate the enemy''s hideout. I am coming with you." "Okay. We are together in this Mission." Elle said in agreement. Erick sighed helplessly. He just wished that there was another option in order to save Lu, rather than this dangerous mission. "Wifey, Mom, and Dad already knew your identity as Catseye and Ma. Belle. They didn''t hate you. In fact, they wanted to see you, so badly, especially Mom. Do you want to come with me later and meet them at our Home? Mom missed you a lot. Dad also wanted to see his best friend''s daughter. He had been searching for you all these years." Erick relayed his parents'' message to Elle. Elle felt touched when she learned that Raymond and Sarah didn''t hate her, instead, they still cared about her despite the fact she was an assassin. "Okay, Hubby. I will see Mom and Dad tonight. I also missed them both." "Mom will be happy because of that. Thanks, wifey!" Erick mumbled before trapping her in his arms again through a warm hug. "Hubby, I gotta go! I need to go back to our office now." Elle said, planting a soft kiss on his cheeks and lips before getting off his lap. "Okay. I will fetch you later, after working hours. Wait for me." Erick said before Elle could leave his office. Elle was already holding the doorknob of his office door. She turned around and waved at him one last time. "Okay! See you later, hubby." After saying that, Elle immediately got out of his office. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***At Morning Star Media Network*** Sandy and Josh were now facing Elle who had just arrived in their office coming from the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters. "Ali! What have you done today?!" Sandy grimly said to her. Her brows were drawn together in a deep frown. Her hands were placed on the sides of her waist. "Huh? Nothing. Why?" Elle said, feigning innocence in front of Josh and Sandy. Josh just shook his head helplessly. He was already used to their Queen''s attitude. She would do anything that she wanted. No one would be able to stop her once she already set her mind on something. "Nothing?! Should I enumerate it with you so that you can remember?" Sandy was looking upset. Elle rolled her eyes. ''Here we go again. Sandy''s ranting and nagging are about to start now. [email protected]! I forgot to bring my headphones.'' "First, you stood us up during our lunch meeting with our friend, Charles. He was expecting to meet you but suddenly you ran away without even informing us nor even showing your face up before leaving us there in the restaurant." Josh also nodded his head. "Sandy talked a lot about introducing the two of you and so excited for it but too bad, it didn''t happen," Josh commented, adding fuel to the fire. Elle shot him a cold stare that made Josh keep his mouth shut right away. "Second, I think you had something to do with it. Why suddenly we are back to covering Catseye''s case?! Don''t tell me you bribe Chief Detective Lee so that he will convince their Head not to reject your collaboration request?" Sandy said exasperatedly. Elle just blinked her eyes several times while looking innocent. In her mind, she justified her actions against those two remarks stated by Sandy. ''First, you don''t need to introduce us. Charles and I already knew each other. It''s just that I am not yet ready to see him at that time. The second one, yeah, you are right, I bribe Erick with myself. Hehe. Of course, he couldn''t refuse his wife after I satisfied him all night.'' "Don''t give me that kind of smile, Ali! It creeps me out! I am damn serious here." Sandy pouted, feeling frustrated. "Okay...I got it. For the first one, I want to apologize. Don''t worry before I left the restaurant a while ago I saw your savior. You''re right. He looks cool and awesome." Elle was trying to appease Sandy. Fortunately, she was in a good mood today, or else she would not do this. "For the second statement of yours, I just want you to know that you don''t have to be so worked up like this. If you don''t want to cover this story then I will not force you. But I will do it myself." "But it''s dangerous! You are putting your life in danger, that''s why I am against it. I am just worried about your safety." Sandy complained to her once again. Elle patted her shoulder and said, "Trust me. Nothing bad will happen to me. Besides, Chief Lee will protect me. I trust him." Sandy could only sigh deeply. ''Aliyah is stubborn. She''s not listening to me.'' Elle just finished explaining her side when Josh spoke up. "Miss Ali, Spike is here. He is here to pick you up. Supre- I mean sir James wants to see you." Chapter 393 - 393: Give Me A Hug My Friend "Miss Ali, Spike is here. He is here to pick you up. Supre- I mean sir James wants to see you." Josh received a message coming from Spike, telling him that he was at the front of their office building right now. James sent him to fetch Elle. Meanwhile, the moment Elle heard James''s name, a worried expression flashed across her face. She knew that she had to confront him and be honest with him. She didn''t want to hurt him further. She needed to settle things between them. No matter what happened, James was still a great part of her life. He was her good friend and savior. "Okay. I have to go and meet him. Sandy, please cover up my absence. If our line manager will look for me just tell him that I run some errands outside." Noticing the changes in Aliyah''s expression, Sandy agreed immediately and didn''t refuse her request. She somehow sensed that something was going on between James and Aliyah. When Elle left them, Sandy turned to Josh, asking him if he knew something. "Are they fighting? Misunderstanding?" Josh just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don''t know. I have no idea too. Why don''t you ask Aliyah or James? Hehehe." ''Because me, I won''t dare meddle with the relationship of those two or else one of them is gonna kill me someday.'' Josh shivered at that mere thought. "Aw!" Josh grunted as Sandy smacked his head. "Aliyah will never say a thing to me. And James?! No way! I can still feel goosebumps whenever I face him. He''s so scary and intimidating. Though I admit he is very handsome too." "Well, both of them are scary." Josh corrected her. "No way. Ali is sweet and kind." "Are you sure? You are not afraid of her even a little?" Josh asked her, lifting an eyebrow. Josh didn''t know that Sandy had no idea that Aliyah was the original Catseye. That''s why he was wondering why Sandy was not afraid of her. "Why should I be afraid of her? See¡­.do you think I will dare nag and rant at her every day if I am afraid of her?" Josh bobbed his head after realizing that. "True. You are the only one I know who has that guts to nag and rant at her like that." ''Hehehe¡­ You are still lucky not knowing everything. If you just know¡­ tsk tsk tsk.'' Josh scratched the back of his head while smiling awkwardly at Sandy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***At Skull Gang''s Main Hideout*** James was sitting on the balcony while having a coffee. He was waiting for Elle to arrive. Spike had just informed him that they were now on the way going to the hideout. James was still bothered by his last encounter with Elle. She got mad at him because of his selfishness. He knew he made a big mistake. He was the one who made Elle cry that night. ''Am I doing the right thing? Why do I feel like I am about to lose her again?'' James clenched his fists with that thought in mind. He felt like his heart was being squeezed right now. He remembered how Elle ran quickly to chase after Erick. He didn''t want to admit but Erick was still the man she truly loved. He was aware of that fact but he kept on denying it to himself. He wanted to believe that somehow Elle would be able to learn to love him. He was hoping that he could replace Erick in her heart someday. But now, that small hope he had was slowly fading and started to crumble. James was lost in his train of thoughts when suddenly he felt a strong arm patting his back. He turned around only to see Black Shadow who was grinning from ear to ear. "Penny for your thoughts, my dear friend?" Black Shadow chuckled immediately upon seeing James''s absentminded expression turning into a scowl after recognizing him. "Hey, why are you giving me that kind of face? Are you not happy to see me? My dear friend, you don''t know how much I miss you. Come give me a hug!" Black Shadow said, teasing and provoking James. He even stretched his arms wide, asking for a hug. The crease on James''s forehead deepened. Black Shadow succeeded from provoking him more. Now, James was looking daggers at him. "Do you wanna die?" James said with his stern cold voice. Black Shadow burst out laughing. Then he walked to the other side and sat down on the vacant seat that was opposite to James. "Haha, if you kill me now then it will be a great loss for you. I am the most capable man whom you can count on. Haha, Besides, you can''t kill me that easily. You have to pass through the needle hole first before you can kill me." Black Shadow proudly said to him. There was a glint of humor in his eyes. James just narrowed his eyes at him. Black Shadow really loved to tease him. He was the only person in the Skull Gang who was not intimidated by James''s scary aura. "By the way, I have something to report." Black Shadow stopped teasing him and he became serious now. "What is it?" James asked him, feeling intrigued. From Black Shadow''s tone, he could tell that what he was about to tell was very important and significant. "Two weeks from now, the Dark Knight Organization will be having a negotiation in the Black Market with a terrorist group. I heard that the Dark Lord will come personally to close the deal." "Dark Lord? So for the first time, he will make an appearance." James sneered at that thought. Black Shadow just nodded. Until now, the identity of the Dark Lord remained a mystery in the underworld. This would be a great opportunity to find out the identity of the Dark Knight''s Leader. "Ok, let''s make-" James was not able to finish his sentence because of the sudden interruption coming from Black Shadow. "Holy Sh?t! Why am I seeing Catseye here?! Is she a ghost? Wait! Tell me¡­ I am not imagining things!-Oh wait! ALIYAH ROSS! Is that you?!" Chapter 394 - 394: Just Forget About Me "Holy Sh?t! Why am I seeing Catseye here?! Is she a ghost? Wait! Tell me¡­ I am not imagining things!-Oh wait! ALIYAH ROSS! Is that you?!" Black Shadow exclaimed spontaneously with his eyes wide open. The shock and disbelief were written all over his face. His eyes were fixed on Elle''s figure who was walking towards them. Spike was following her behind. Elle didn''t know whether to cry or laugh seeing that kind of reaction from Black Shadow. James was telling her the truth. Black Shadow was clueless about her existence. Unknowingly, her lips stretched out in a wide smile. She was enjoying this kind of reaction from Black Shadow twice. The first one was when they accidentally met at Centennial Resort during Marie''s Birthday and the second one was today. "Hello, Black!" Elle greeted him with a playful smile on her face. "F*ck! I knew it! You are alive, Kitten!" Black Shadow blurted out with so much enthusiasm. He almost pounced on her and hugged her however before he could do that, a large arm already pulled him back. "Hey, hey man! Let me go!" Black Shadow complained as Spike restrained both his arms after receiving a signal from James. Elle couldn''t suppress her laughter. Black Shadow became hyperactive the moment he saw her. She couldn''t understand why he was acting like this. ''Is he so happy to see me alive?'' Elle pondered to herself while watching Black Shadow and Spike who were now exchanging blows in front of them. James just massaged his temple seeing his two men fighting in front of them. "Stop!" James said firmly and coldly, making the two men stop moving in their spots. "Can you both leave us alone?" James commanded the two men. Seeing that Supremo was already furious, Black Shadow and Spike fled right away. Elle suppressed her laughter after watching the two men obediently follow James''s command as if their life would perish any time the longer they stayed there. When she averted her gaze back to James, his expression already softened as he looked at her. "I''m glad you accepted my invitation. I was afraid that you would refuse to see me." James said, expressing his thoughts to her. Elle could see the worries and uneasiness in James''s troubled expression. She couldn''t help but feel the twinge of guilt deep down her heart. She lowered her gaze. She didn''t know how she would bring up to James that she and Erick were back together. It did not take long when Elle felt a sudden warmth engulfing her body. James already closed their gaps and embraced her. "Elle, I''m sorry. I am really sorry. Please forgive me for being selfish. I didn''t mean to hurt you¡­ to make you cry. I regretted it." James began apologizing to her once again. Elle''s eyes started to tear up. She couldn''t help it. She felt sorry for him. ''Why is this so hard? No matter what I do, I will always end up breaking this man''s heart.'' Elle also wrapped her arms around his body, hugging him back. "James¡­" Elle mumbled in a hoarse voice. "I have something to tell you," she added. James released her after hearing that. He couldn''t explain why but he had a bad feeling about this. "Go on¡­ t-tell me. I will listen." Elle mustered up her courage and decided to tell James the truth. "Erick and I are back together," Elle said directly, not beating around the bush. Either way, James would still end up being hurt. James fell silent. He slammed his eyes shut as he gritted his teeth. He knew it. He sensed it. ''[email protected]! I already knew this moment might come. But hearing those words from her directly, it still hurts so much¡­'' He could feel the pang of pain in his heart. "So you don''t need to apologize to me. I should be the one apologizing to you. For breaking our deal¡­ and most especially¡­ for hurting your feelings." Silence¡­. Deafening Silence¡­ James didn''t utter a single word. He remained silent, unmoving in his spot. Then suddenly, the tears just came out without warning. James was crying silently while listening to Elle. "T-Thank you for everything¡­ f-for everything you''ve done for me." Elle''s voice also began to tremble. She was looking down, clenching her fists. She couldn''t stand seeing him like this. James was silently shedding tears in front of her. "I felt indebted to you¡­ y-you saved my life. ¡­ but I am sorry¡­ I couldn''t give my heart to you just because I owed you my life. You know¡­ that my heart only belongs to him." Elle just continued pouring her heart out¡­ everything that she wanted to tell him. "I will do what I can to repay you¡­ but please don''t ask me something that you already know I can''t give you in return¡­ my love and affection." "I am telling you this because I want to be honest with you. I don''t want to give you false hope. I came here to settle things with you. I don''t want to take advantage of you. Please forget about our deal¡­ I already broke all your conditions. I chose to stay with Erick. You can now stop helping me with my revenge. I will do it alone." "Still, I want you to know that I will be forever grateful to you. I know I am asking too much but please can we just stay friends? You are my friend and my savior. I care about you. You are also important to me." James didn''t respond to her. Elle bit her lower lip. She found it difficult to continue but she had to. "But if my presence will just give you more pain, then I will understand if you don''t want us to be friends. You can hate me¡­.so that you can forget me." "James¡­ you deserve someone who will love you back the way you love her. Just forget about me. Erase me here¡­" Elle placed her palm into his chest where his heart was beating. Then Elle hugged him tightly for several minutes, trying to comfort him and ease his pain. Chapter 395 - 395: Remain Friends No one knew how long they stayed like that, just hugging each other silently. Though it was hard and painful, James had no choice but to accept the fact that Elle would not become his woman. She loved someone else. He tried his best to win her heart for the past two years but Elle''s love for Erick was too strong. He couldn''t replace him. It was Erick all along¡­ only him in her heart. However, James didn''t regret it. He didn''t regret taking care of her in the past two years. He gave her all his time, and everything he had just to help her recover. He was still glad and thankful that God allowed him to be with her, and to be by her side in those difficult times. Those two years were like borrowed times... one of the happiest years in his life. He was able to show her how much he cared for her¡­ how much he loved her. No regrets! His only mistake was being so greedy and selfish that he almost broke her heart by trying to separate her from Erick. After what it seemed like ages, James finally released Elle from his embrace. He broke his silence and started to speak up. "So I guess, I have to give up now¡­ and to let you go." James mumbled with a bitter smile on his face. He was still holding Elle''s shoulders with his both hands. "I don''t hate you, Elle. I understand. You are just being honest to me and to yourself. I know we can''t force our hearts to love someone. So don''t expect me that I will be able to forget you that easily. It will take time, Elle¡­ before I could finally move on from this heartbreak." James took a deep breath before continuing. "I love you¡­ you know that. You''re the only woman who can make my heart beat so fast like this¡­ even for just a mere contact with you. You teach me how to love¡­ unconditionally. And now I am giving you that freedom. Don''t feel guilty because you feel indebted to me¡­ Don''t pity me. I choose to love you¡­ It''s my own choice and I will never regret that." Elle was just listening to him. Then suddenly James leaned closer, planting a kiss on her forehead. Was it a goodbye kiss? Elle just closed her eyes. She was glad that James was not making things difficult for her now. He understood and respected her feelings. After that, Elle heard James speaking once again. "I will be happy to be your friend. Allow me to help you. Use Skull Gang power. We could still work together against the Dark Knight Organization." James said with determination in his voice. "You are not taking advantage of me. I''m doing this because I want to help you. I will not ask for any return. Please don''t refuse¡­" James gave her a pleading look. "But¡­ how can you move on if we will continue working together? You will just have more pains¡­ you will just be hurt." Elle was uncertain about this thing. ''It is better than not seeing you at all.'' James thought to himself. "Don''t worry about that. I will settle and sort my feelings. Don''t feel uncomfortable around me. As you said, just treat me as your good friend. I will be happy with that." Elle paused for a moment. She was thinking if she should accept his help or not. After a while, Elle nodded her head. "Okay. We will still work together. I promise I will catch the Dark Lord for you. He''s the mastermind for the assassination of your father. It''s the only way I could return the favor." James smiled faintly. "Thank you¡­ my dear friend." Elle let out a soft giggle after hearing that. Because of her heart to heart conversation with James, the heaviness in her heart was lifted. She raised her hand and wiped away his tears. "I hope this is the last time you will cry because of me. I want you to find your happiness too." James caught her hand and said, "Don''t do that. You are giving me another false hope if you are treating me like this." "Okay. I won''t." Elle said while looking at him helplessly. James chuckled seeing her reaction. "I''m just kidding." "So how are you and¡­ him?" James couldn''t help but ask her. "We''re okay now. We cleared the misunderstanding. He knew all along that I was Elle the moment he saw me." Elle smiled at that thought. "Seeing you smile like this, I know you are very happy. Then I should be happy for you too. I think I owe him an apology. I hide the truth that you are alive. If he loved you that much then he must have suffered a lot for the past two years, thinking that you were dead." Elle nodded, "Yeah¡­ but he said he could forgive you. He doesn''t hate you, instead he is grateful to you for saving my life back then." James chuckled with amus.e.m.e.nt. "Well, that''s expected to the kind and unselfish detective. No wonder you fell in love with him¡­ because of his kind-hearted nature. Tsk tsk tsk¡­. If I had known this then I should have acted as a good boy not a total jerk." "You are not a total jerk...just some kind of an arrogant CEO." Elle corrected him. There was a glint of humor in her eyes. Then the two of them started laughing. They finally lightened the mood. Now, they could talk like usual and even crack some jokes. "By the way, will you still use your identity as Aliyah?" James asked her. "Yes, I will. It''s better this way. I can move freely. Anyway, next week, I will go to City X. Erick and his team found the hideout of Alfonso Ramirez. I think the Bio-weapon facility is located there." Elle informed James about this vital information. "I am planning to infiltrate the facility and look for the antidote. Lu needs it," Elle added. "Okay. I will send someone to accompany you. Bring Sherlock¡­ oh, why don''t you bring Black Shadow? He is quite capable too." James suggested. Elle: "..." Chapter 396 - 396: Catching Up "Okay. I will send someone to accompany you. Bring Sherlock¡­ oh, why don''t you bring Black Shadow? He is quite capable too." James suggested. Elle: "..." Elle didn''t know how she would react after hearing James''s suggestion. The idea of Catseye and Black Shadow working together never crossed her mind before. Besides, she would go there together with Erick. The two of them also agreed that they would infiltrate the facility together as well. If Black Shadow and Erick would meet there then Elle didn''t know how she would handle those two. Then she would need to explain things to Erick. But she had to admit that Black Shadow would be a great support if ever they would infiltrate the facility. He was an expert and very skilled assassin too. "I have to think about that first. Erick will be coming with me. I don''t think it''s a good idea if the two of them will meet." Elle said as a response. "Don''t worry. I will tell him not to show himself to Erick. I just want to make sure you will have help with this mission. The Dark Knight Organization is becoming more cautious and careful now. They learned their lesson two years ago when Skull Gang launched a surprise attack." James said, explaining to her why he wanted to send Black Shadow to City X together with Elle. "Okay. I know that. I will have to talk personally with Black Shadow first." James just nodded in agreement. "Elle, Black Shadow told me a while ago that the Dark Knight Organization will be having a negotiation with one terrorist group in the Black Market two weeks from now. He heard that the Dark Lord would personally handle this deal with the terrorist group." Elle frowned after hearing that. She guessed that this deal had something to do with bio-weapons. "We need to stop it." Elle said firmly. "Those bio-weapons are very dangerous. It can jeopardize the lives of many people especially if the terrorists groups will be able to obtain such weapons," Elle added. "I agree. The Dark Knight Organization is an evil organization. They don''t care about people''s lives. They just only care about profits." James said in support with her last remarks. "Fortunately, Skull Gang''s operation didn''t go to that extent." James added when he noticed that Elle raised her brow while giving him a look saying ''How about Skull Gang?'' "Hey don''t look at me like that. I already stopped some of our illegal activities. I am just focusing on how to destroy the Dark Knight for the past two years." He said, defending himself and his organization in front of Elle. Elle let out a soft chuckle and said. "I didn''t say anything. Besides, I''m in no place to judge you and Skull Gang. I am a sinner too. I''ve committed the most sinful crime and that is killing people. I was the one who gave that poison to your father, remember?" James looked at her helplessly. "Yeah, I do. But I also remember that you were the one who fulfilled my father''s stupid wish." James sighed deeply as he remembered how unfair his father was for hiding his illness from his family. After that, there was a moment of silence between them. "James¡­ I would like to say thank you once again¡­ for everything." Elle was grateful to him. James just gave her a faint smile. "By the way, I have to go now. I have to meet my father''s best friend and his wife. I also need to thank them." Elle decided not to mention Erick''s parents to avoid further hurting James''s feelings. Elle was about to leave when James suddenly grabbed her elbow thus stopping her. Reluctance and uncertainties could be seen in his eyes. "You will keep seeing me, right? You will not avoid you, will you?" James asked her with his desperate tone. Elle held his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "Yes, of course. We are still friends, remember?" James felt at ease after receiving assurance from her. He finally let go of her hand. "I''m just one call away. You can also visit me at my place. But you need to inform me ahead." Elle said. ''Because I have to inform my hubby first or else I will be punished once again by his jealous beast.'' She added in her thoughts but didn''t voice it out to James. After bidding goodbye to James, Elle went out of the Skull Gang Headquarters. Outside, she met Black Shadow who was waiting for her. He wanted to confront Elle. Besides, he was glad to see her back. "Hey, Kitten! Do you have some time. Come with me, let''s talk somewhere." Black Shadow said, grabbing Elle''s hand without waiting for her response. "I didn''t say yes." Elle slightly complained. Black Shadow chuckled. "I won''t take no for an answer. Just follow me. We have a lot of catching up to do!" "Eh? Are you kidding me? We are not in that sort of relationship wherein we need to do some kind of catching up together. You are not my boyfriend, not even my friend!" Elle spat back at him. Despite that, she was still following Black Shadow. Black Shadow burst out laughing because of her last remarks. "Kitten¡­ I know that you are already torn between the Angelic Detective and the Skull Gang''s Supreme Leader. I don''t want to burden you by adding myself in the list. But if you want me to be your boyfriend¡­ then¡­ sorry I have to say no¡­ I already have someone in my heart." He let out another chuckle after saying those words. Elle: "..." She was rendered speechless because of Black Shadow''s extreme shamelessness. "Aw!" Black Shadow grunted because Elle hit him on his head. "What a shameless jerk!!!" Elle exclaimed. "Hahaha! Please add the word handsome, Kitten. A very handsome shameless jerk! I will love to hear that from you." Black continued teasing and annoying her. "Aw!" Black Shadow received another hit from Elle. This time she kicked him on his butt. "Seriously, Catseye?!! Why did you hit me on my butt?!" "Oh, do you want me to kick you in your front instead?" Elle threatened him with a sinister smile flashed on her lovely face. Chapter 397 - 397: Enemies Before Became Friends Today Black Shadow brought Elle to a Coffee Shop. Fortunately, it was only 4:30 pm and Elle still had time to spare for Black Shadow before meeting Erick''s parents. They were now sitting on the corner of the Coffee Shop, where there were fewer customers so that they could talk all they want without worrying about others overhearing their conversation. "Whoa, honestly I was clueless all these years that you were together with Supremo. James, he even hid it from me. Now, I feel insulted. Am I not that trustworthy? I worked diligently for the past two years, serving the Supremo and his Skull Gang. Tsk Tsk Tsk¡­ It turned out he still didn''t trust me enough." Black Shadow started to rant as soon as they settled in their table. Elle shook her head helplessly. Black Shadow looked like a child throwing a fit right now. "Maybe he was just afraid to have another competition. We never knew once you saw before then you might add to my list of suitors. Remember? You fell for my beauty the first time you saw my face. Haha." Now, it was Elle''s turn to become shameless. Black Shadow was rendered speechless. Now Elle was even cracking some jokes and getting along well with him. "But kidding aside, James was just protecting me. So don''t take it to the heart. He was just mistaken, thinking that you might harm me again if ever you learned that I was still alive. Besides, you loved targeting me before as you saw me as your competitor." Elle chuckled once again. She had to admit that she didn''t feel threatened at all even though she was alone with Black Shadow. Unknowingly, they already formed a special bond like a friendship. "Alright, I know. But we already made some truce before. That Supremo¡­ he is really something. I''m even calling him my friend. I wonder if he feels the same way. Jeez." "Just let it slide. I think he believes in you and has confidence in you. He even recommended you to me just a while ago saying that you are a very capable man." Elle was trying to appease him. "Recommended me? For what?" Blac Shadow asked her, lifting an eyebrow. Now he was curious. "Erick and his team found Alfonso''s hideout in City X. I suspect that the bio-weapon facility of the Dark Knight Organization is also hidden there. I am planning to infiltrate the facility for two main reasons. First, to get the antidote. Second, to gather proof and evidence about their bio-weapon operation. He wants me to bring you with me and infiltrate the facility together." Elle explained to him. "Wow. That''s so nice. It''s my pleasure working with you, Catseye!" Black Shadow cheerfully said to her. He felt very excited. "But there''s one problem. Erick is also accompanying me in this mission. The two of you must not bump into each other. Once he sees you, I am certain he will try to catch you. Do you still want to do this? Because if that happens, I might as well help him in catching you. Haha," Elle told him honestly. "Jeez. I knew it. You will betray me in the end!" Elle let out a soft giggle. " At least, I gave you a heads-up." Black Shadow just squinted his eyes at her before taking a sip from his cup of coffee. "Count me in. I still want to do this. I love challenges." Black Shadow said. "Good. Just be careful. Stay in shadow. I know you can do that, you are called Black Shadow for nothing, am I right?" Black Shadow smirked at her and said, "Of course." "Oh, I have to inform you before I forget. The Azumi twins are also on the move. They are working with the Dark Knight Organization specifically under Alfonso''s command. Kevin Azumi is also targeting Erick." Black Shadow''s face darkened at the mere mention of the Azumi Twins. "Those two also hold a grudge against me for betraying them two years ago. Kelsy is trying to harm Marie because of me. I have been protecting her behind for the past two years." Elle flashed a playful smile and said, "Wow, the bad boy assassin is playing as a protector and a knight in shining armor here because finally, he fell in love with someone once again." "Congratulations Black for opening up your heart once again! Haha," Elle added while teasing him. Black Shadow frowned. He didn''t know if Catseye was just teasing me or she was mocking him. After a while, Black Shadow heaved a deep sigh. "But I got a strong competitor. He''s the good guy. Another police agent from XXX Crime Investigation. I also heard that he is a good friend of Marie. I think she deserves someone better like him. After all, he''s a good person, unlike me who committed a lot of crime. I couldn''t give her a peaceful life. I have nothing to brag or feel proud of myself. I am nothing compared to him." Black Shadow had become serious now, sharing his feelings with Elle. Elle shook her head. "Black, look at me. We are the same. But see, despite my bad reputation, Erick loves me wholeheartedly. He accepted me for who I am. People like us deserve a second chance. Time to correct our mistakes and change ourselves for good, for the sake of our loved ones. If I was able to do that then you can also do that." "Will you give up now without even trying?" After hearing that, Black Shadow burst out laughing. "I never imagine that both of us will be able to have this kind of conversation. It seems like we are not even enemies before. So are we friends now?" Elle just shrugged her shoulders, smiling. "Hmm. I''ll take that as a yes." Black Shadow said, feeling delighted. "By the way, are you the Catseye who appeared in the news? Wreaking havoc again in this City?" he asked her, feeling intrigued. Elle shot him a cold glare and said, "It''s Not Me!" Chapter 398 - 398: Catseye On the Move Unknowingly, Elle spent an hour just talking with Black Shadow in the Coffee Shop. He pestered her, asking a lot of questions regarding what happened to her two years ago- how she ended up with James, why law enforcement authorities declared that she died two years ago, and what she has been doing in the past two years. Elle responded to his every query, telling him how she got injured and suffered from bio-weapon, how James rescued her together with Lu and how she tried to recover within the span of two years so that she could come back here and continue her unfinished mission. They even talked about the new Catseye. Black Shadow shared his thoughts, thinking that Catseye was someone who was closed to her. That person was very familiar with how she worked before- copying her style of attacking her prey, torturing, and killing them slowly. Black Shadow was aware that Elle already turned to a new leaf so he believed her when she told him that Catseye was not her. He also volunteered to help her catch the new Catseye. However, Elle didn''t take it seriously. She just nagged him about pursuing Marie instead of doing some random dangerous job. She encouraged him to make time for himself and his happiness. She didn''t know if Black Shadow would listen to her. At least, she tried convincing him. Besides, he was already an a.d.u.l.t and could decide what is best for him. After having a meaningful conversation with Black Shadow, Elle went back to their office because Erick would fetch her there. It was already 6:00 pm when Erick arrived. The two of them dropped by to the mall first to buy gifts for Sarah and Raymond. Elle wanted to give them something. She felt grateful since Erick''s parents accepted her despite her dark side. After twenty minutes of roaming around the mall, Elle and Erick were now back to Erick''s car. As usual, Elle finished her shopping faster than any other woman could do. She''s even the one who dragged Erick out of the department store as he was still buying things for Elle. "Hubby, I''m nervous but excited to meet Mom and Dad," Elle said, opening up a conversation with Erick as they were on the way home. "Relax, Mom and Dad are not gonna bite you." Erick chuckled as he held her hand. His eyes were fixed on the road. "Okay. I will try to relax." Elle smiled faintly, squeezing Erick''s hand. When she did that, Erick remembered something. He suddenly stopped the car on the side of the road. "Why did you stop?" Elle asked him in confusion. Erick just merely smiled at her and didn''t respond. He picked something in his pocket. It was a small square box. He handed it over to Elle. Elle''s eyes lit up upon seeing it. She already knew what''s inside that box. She excitedly accepted the box with a bright smile on her face. "My ring!" Elle exclaimed cheerfully. Erick let out a husky laugh after seeing her joyful expression. He couldn''t help but lean over to kiss her on her forehead. "Did you miss it?" Erick asked her. "Yeah! I accidentally left it in the States." Elle promptly said. Erick frowned. "States? What do you mean? Tell me¡­ honestly I am a little bit suspicious of the officer who suddenly gave this ring to me after two years. I wonder why he just brought this ring to me after two years. I don''t believe that he just forgot it. I thought he was an accomplice of yours, making me believe that you really died that day." Elle took a deep sigh. "It was James who did it not me. Since Catseye appeared, he just wanted to make sure that Catseye''s case two years ago would not be reopened or else you and your team would start investigating my case again. I don''t want others to know that the true Catseye was still alive. I wanted to bury it in the past. That''s why I panicked when I saw that crime scene where Roland Bienvenido was killed." Erick nodded after hearing her explanation. "I understand." Elle decided not to tell Erick the other motives why James did it. She didn''t want to cause more conflict between Erick and James. Little did she know, Erick had already known James''s other purpose for doing that. But he didn''t care anymore. Elle and he already cleared that misunderstanding. So for him, no need to make a fuss about it. "Too bad, I can''t put on this ring at my finger. Your colleagues already saw this. They might suspect us if they see me wearing this." Elle lamented to him. "It''s alright. Just keep it in the meantime. Just don''t forget that you are already married. Okay? I don''t want to see other men lurking around you." Erick reminded her. "Hmmm. I should be the one telling you that. Selena and Diana, their eyes are on you. I heard Selena always visited you in the headquarters, even bringing you food every day." Elle pouted as she put on a pitiful face. Erick chuckled again seeing her cute expression. "Mrs. Lee, can I¡­ kiss you now to appease you?" Erick asked her, looking at her intently with his loving eyes. Elle bit her lower lip and just nodded at him. Erick let out another chuckle before closing their gaps to claim her lips. He kissed her passionately. He wanted to prove through this kiss that she was the only woman for him. It was a long and gentle passionate kiss. They both savored the moments. They got addicted to each other''s lips. But the kiss was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Erick''s phone. Someone was calling him. When they broke apart, Erick checked his phone right away. Officer Kim was the one calling him. Erick: "Hello?" Officer Kim: "Chief Lee! We have a current situation here. Samuel Sy disappeared from his ward. Even his bodyguards didn''t know about his whereabouts. I think Catseye had taken him. Luckily the GPS tracker is on. We are tailing them now!" Erick: "Okay. Please send me a copy of the GPS location. I will go there now." Officer Kim: "Got it." Then Erick hung up the phone. "What is it?" Elle asked him curiously. "We need to go somewhere. Catseye kidnapped Samuel Sy. Officer Kim and others are following them through the GPS tracker." Chapter 399 - 399: Chasing After Catseye Officer Kim shared with Erick the current location where the GPS tracking signal was coming from. Fortunately, Elle and Erick''s location was very near to the signal. They would probably arrive first before Officer Kim would reach the location. Erick immediately connected the tracking signal to his car''s GPS. He drove the car and stepped on the gas. Elle and Erick were thinking of the same thing. This was a great chance to catch Catseye and reveal his identity. After several minutes, the GPS tracking signal finally stopped moving just one kilometer away from Elle and Erick. It did not take long when they reached the location. Upon arriving in the location, they found the four-story old building. As expected, they were the first people to arrive. Officer Kim and his team were still on their way. Elle and Erick entered the building together. The building was old but quite spacious. There were no people inside. There were no lights in some areas of the building. They needed to use their phone''s flashlights in order to see their paths clearly. They were careful about their movements so that they would not alarm Catseye and to hide their presence from him. Erick was in front while Elle was following him behind. After a while, Elle halted on her steps and grabbed Erick''s hand to stop him. Erick quickly turned around to face her. "What''s wrong?" Erick asked her in a low voice. "Hubby, I think we should split up to make our search faster. This building is quite large. If we split up we can cover lots of areas at the same time." Elle suggested to him. But Erick felt reluctant to do that. He was worried about Elle. What if something bad would happen again to her once they got separated? Elle could read the concern in his mind right now so she spoke again to convince Erick. "Hubby, please trust me. I can protect myself. The incident two years ago will not happen again. Don''t worry too much." Elle said to him pleadingly. But Erick remained silent. He was still having conflicting thoughts about this. "Hubby, promise, I will not act recklessly. If ever I see him first then I will call you and inform you of our exact location. I will monitor him in the shadow while waiting for you and before making a move." Elle swore to Erick. Erick felt a little bit assured when he heard that. He just sighed helplessly before nodding in agreement with her suggestion. Elle smiled and hugged him immediately after she got his positive response. "Thanks, hubby! Now, you will go this way while I will go in the opposite direction. I will call you immediately if anything happens. Please do the same." Elle reminded him to call her too if ever Erick will be the first one to find Catseye. "Okay, wifey. Please be careful!" Erick also gave Elle his gun. "Use this." "How about you?" Elle asked worriedly. "I''m okay. I will feel more at ease if I know you have a weapon with you. You need this for protection." Erick insisted. Elle had no choice but to accept his gun. Soon, the two of them split up going to the opposite directions. Meanwhile, in one old office on the third floor of the building, there were two figures talking to each other. One was desperately begging to spare his life while the other one was enjoying the frightened expression of his prey. "Please, don''t kill me¡­ I will give you money. I have tons of money. How many millions or billions? Name your price¡­ just let me go." Samuel Sy tried his best to negotiate with Catseye for his life. A sinister laugh echoed in the room. "Just keep your money. I am not interested. Anyway, I will just have to make sure that you will die tonight. You were lucky once but this time you will not leave this place alive." "No one will rescue you here. Even your elite bodyguards do not know your whereabouts. Hahaha¡­ you suddenly disappeared without them noticing it. Do you think someone will come to save you again?" "Please... no! What do you want from me? I will do it, anything you want but please don''t kill me." Samuel Sy was begging while kneeling on the floor in front of Catseye. Catseye was playing his dagger in his hand while sitting leisurely before him. "Who is the mastermind? Who''s the person who order your gang to attack Falcon Family 18 years ago? Answer me this question then I might reconsider your request for sparing your life." Catseye said, his eyes were mocking him. Behind that mask, Catseye was smiling¡­ an evil smile. He was already thinking of so many ways on how he would kill Samuel Sy. Samuel Sy felt alarmed after hearing that question because he had no idea who called that hit. Only Alfonso Ramirez knew who was their client. He was thinking to make up some lies and tell some random organization but as if Catseye had read his mind so he spoke up. "If you dare lie to me then I promise you I will give you the most painful death you will ever have." Catseye threatened him. His words sent shivers through Samuel''s spine. This Catseye was dead serious. He was very frightening. The lies he wanted to tell him were stuck in his throat. His body began to sweat profusely while trembling in fear. "P-Please let me go. I will ask Alfonso for you. I can contact him now if you want. Do¡­ you mind¡­ if I use your phone?" Samuel told him anxiously. Catseye let out another chuckle. "Sure, how about you ask him to go here as well? I will spare your life in exchange for his life." "Yes. I can do that. I will try it." Samuel was really desperate now. He didn''t care anymore if he needed to betray Alfonso. All he wanted to do now was to leave this place alive. Unknown to them, someone was already approaching their location. That person already sensed that there were people inside that closed room. Chapter 400 - 400: You Are The New Catseye? Catseye dialed Alfonso''s number that was given to him by Samuel Sy. It rang several times before it was answered. When the call got connected, Catseye put the phone on speaker while signaling Samuel Sy to speak up and entertain Alfonso. Alfonso: "Hello? Why did you call me?" Samuel: "W-Where are you? Can you meet me now? There''s something important I wanna tell you." Catseye was just silently listening to them, still playing the dagger in his hand. He placed the phone on the table beside Samuel. Alfonso: "Why don''t you just tell me over this phone? You know I''m a busy man, Samuel. Besides, look at the time now. It''s already evening and very late for me to travel there at City Z. Samuel felt like crying after hearing that. His heart pounded even faster because of too much nervousness. If he would fail to convince Alfonso then that meant death for him. Samuel: "Brother Alfonso, my dear friend. It''s very important. I can''t tell you over the phone. I must see you personally. Where are you? Alfonso: "I''m at City X right. You know that it is a quite hassle to travel from here going to City Z. I''ll try to free my schedule tomorrow. Then I will try to meet you. Let''s again tomorrow. I am busy right now. Alfonso didn''t wait for Samuel to respond as he immediately hung up the phone. "Noooo! Alfonso!" Samuel exclaimed in horror. He was panic-stricken when Alfonso hung up the phone. He failed to convince him. Catseye, on the other hand, erupted into laughter. His sardonic laughter sent shivers through Samuel''s spine. That laughter meant danger¡­ and death. "So? What''s now." Catseye asked Samuel mockingly, lifting an eyebrow. Samuel was still kneeling on the floor as he suddenly kowtowed several times begging him. "PLEASE! Don''t kill me. Did you hear it, right? He is willing to see me tomorrow. You even learned that he was currently staying in the City X." Catseye chuckled once again, shaking his head while clicking his tongue. "City X is vast. That''s not his exact location. Furthermore, I am not a patient person and my hands are itching now to plunge this dagger in the different parts of your body. You lived longer years already after you committed that crime. See, you enjoyed the 18 years of your freedom. You don''t feel any guilt for what you have done to the poor Falcon Family¡­ you don''t even have a conscience." The hatred of Catseye could be heard in those words he uttered. After saying that, he stood up, his sharp eyes were looking daggers at Samuel. Seeing that deathly and frightening gaze, Samuel didn''t know what he would do now. He couldn''t even stand up because of the intense fear he was feeling at this moment. He wanted to run but his body became frozen. He even peed his pants. Incredulous fear printed on his face. "Time to punish the wicked one. The final judgment has come your way." Catseye''s eyes twinkled with bloodl.u.s.t and evil thoughts, his expression and tone alone signified incoming death. Before Samuel could realize what happened, a cold glint flashed and the dagger pierced his stomach. Samuel could not fight back. He already felt weak even before they arrived.in that place. Catseye drugged him with something, causing him to lose his strength. He just looked like a cornered sheep in the wolf''s den. Besides, Catseye was really strong. "Aaah!" Samuel grunted and winced at the feel of excruciating pain. Catseye plunged his dagger deeper into his body, even twisting it hard in the process. Catseye began stabbing him multiple times, undisturbed by Samuel''s pleading scream and cries. That was the scene Elle had witnessed when she opened the door of that room. Catseye was so engrossed in stabbing Samuel that he didn''t notice Elle''s presence. Elle heard someone''s laughter when she came across that room. She knew that Catseye and Samuel were inside. She immediately informed Erick that she found something on the third floor. Erick reminded her to wait for him. He also informed Elle that Officer Kim and his men already arrived. They were now surrounding the building, all the entrance, and exits. There were forty of them with 10 police cars. They already blocked the entrance and exit. There''s no way Catseye would be able to leave that place without bumping with the police. Snipers were also in place while ten men including officer Kim went inside the building to help with the search. Erick was also on his way now going to the third floor. He spent his time roaming and searching around the second floor while Elle headed straight to the third floor. Elle wanted to fulfill her promise to Erick that she would wait for him before taking a move. But after hearing Samuel''s scream, Elle couldn''t stand still anymore. She was curious about what was happening inside. "Okay, Elle. You are not breaking your promise. You will just take a peek and see what is happening inside." Elle mumbled to herself, convincing herself that she was not breaking her promise to Erick by just opening the door and taking a peek. For an unknown reason, Elle didn''t feel afraid of this new Catseye. She was even grateful to this person when she learned that Catseye saved Erick''s life against Kevin Azumi. He also didn''t harm Erick that night of encounter at Sky Hotel. Elle finally turned the doorknob as she took a peek inside. She froze in her spot when she witnessed Catseye brutally stabbing Samuel non-stop as if he was a madman enjoying every thrust he was doing as he buried his dagger into Samuel''s body. ''Oh, God!'' Elle gasped in horror. This scene was similar to what happened in the past. She felt like she was watching herself. She looked like this when she stabbed Jefferson Gong multiple times when she blacked out. After a few seconds, Catseye finally noticed Elle''s presence so he stopped and turned to her direction. Catseye subconsciously dropped his dagger the moment he saw Elle standing by the door. "Elle??" Elle was utterly astounded when she heard that voice. "Y-You¡­ you are the new Catseye?" Chapter 401 - 401: Use Me As Human Shield "Elle??" Elle was utterly astounded when she heard that voice. "Y-You¡­ you are the new Catseye?" Elle stuttered in disbelief. She couldn''t believe it. He was the last person in her mind who would act as Catseye. Meanwhile, Catseye froze in his spot like a statue, all eyes on Elle. It seemed like his brain had stopped functioning for a moment. He was trying to distinguish if this was real or only imagination. Because the two of them were very focused on each other, they didn''t notice that Samuel Sy had already picked up the dagger which was dropped by Catseye on the floor. With his last remaining strength, he got up and plunged the dagger to Catseye''s right lower part of his abdomen. "Noooo! Charles¡­ watch out!" Elle exclaimed to warn him but it was too late. The tip of the dagger was buried to his flesh and blood started to ooze out of his wound when Samuel Sy drew the dagger back and fell on the ground. "Argh!" Samuel Sy was bathing with his own blood having multiple stabs. Charles, on the other hand, covered his wound using his bare hand to stop the bleeding. Elle was not mistaken. The Catseye in front of him was Charles. Though he was wearing a mask, she was very familiar with his voice. That also explained why he was quite shocked to see her right now. Elle immediately ran towards Charles. "E-Elle¡­ is that you? Y-You are real right? I am not imagining¡­ tell me." Charles begged her desperately. Elle''s tears started to fall down her face as she bobbed her head as a response. "Yes, Charles. It''s me. I''m alive." After hearing that, Charles immediately pulled her into a tight hug. He didn''t care about his wound. All he could think of right now was Elle. ''She is alive! She is alive! Thank God!'' Charles thought to himself as his grip on her body tightened. ''I could touch her. I could feel her warmth. She''s real!'' He was rejoicing. His eyes became watery as well. The tears rolled down from the corner of his eyes. This time, after two years, he cried because of happiness. These were tears of joy. "You''re hurt!" Elle reminded him. "Don''t worry. This is not fatal. What happened to you?" Charles chuckled. He didn''t want to release her yet from that tight embrace. "Charles¡­I have so many things to tell you. I owe you an explanation but this is not the right time to do that. You have to leave now. This place is already surrounded by cops." Elle informed him. Her voice was filled with concern towards him. Charles frowned upon hearing her words. "How could that be possible? I was certain that no one knew about this place and cops couldn''t trace me here." Elle looked at him helplessly, "I think you are still an amateur. You didn''t even wonder how Erick was able to know that you came to attack Samuel Sy that night. They planted a spying device on him because they knew that he would be one of your targets!" "Oh, that''s right! I was surprised to see your husband suddenly appear in front of me that night. I hated him. I should have plunged my dagger into his body that night!" Charles lamented to her. "Aww!" Charles grunted and automatically released Elle from that hug because of the pain. Elle squeezed his wound after hearing his statement. How dare he think of harming Erick? "Hey, hey! I''m just kidding. See... I didn''t even touch even a single strand of his hair that night!" Charles defended himself. "I even save him!" He added exasperatedly. "I know! But you know I don''t like people threatening my loved ones¡­ including you. Hmm¡­ you also owe an explanation. Let''s talk again after you successfully escape here. That''s our main priority! Erick is also on his way here now!" Elle scolded him once again. The two of them already forgot the existence of Samuel Sy who was slowly dying. Elle decided that she would not kill once again but it didn''t mean that she would try to save Samuel Sy. Her main focus now was Charles and how to help him escape. He was also wounded. Cops already surrounded the entrance and exit of this building. They were just waiting for Catseye to appear in front of them. Snipers were also scattered around the area. She wanted to help Charles but she could ask Erick to help her. It was against the law, helping a criminal escape. So she would just take the whole responsibility for this and would not involve Erick with this act of protecting a criminal. Elle was still biased. She knew that Charles committed a crime by killing someone. But she couldn''t bear to see him getting caught by the police. This happened because of her. He was just helping her to get her revenge against those people who killed her family. Elle immediately grabbed the dagger and tear some portion of Samuel''s Clothes. Charles just watched her move across that room with confusion written over his face. After she was done, she gathered those fabrics and went back to Charles. She covered his wound using those pieces of cloths and tied it using the longer one. She did that to stop his bleeding. Charles was touched by her action. He felt like crying once again. The cold and frightening look he was having a while ago was long gone. It was now replaced by gentleness and soft expression as he looked at Elle. "Make sure to treat this wound immediately. Now, what we need to do is to leave this place safe and unscathed." Charles bobbed his head frantically as if he was an obedient child listening to his mother. Elle let out a soft giggle before handing him the gun which was given by Erick. Charles looked at her confusedly and said "I brought my gun." "I know. But let''s make Erick believe that you are able to steal this gun from me. Let''s go now and you must grab me. Use me as your human shield. Snipers are everywhere. I will not allow them to have a clear shot on you." Chapter 402 - 402: Something Unexpected "I know. But let''s make Erick believe that you are able to steal this gun from me. Let''s go now and you must grab me. Use me as your human shield. Snipers are everywhere. I will not allow them to have a clear shot on you." Elle suggested to Charles. "Eh, are you sure about that? What if they will still shoot us? They might be desperate enough to catch me. I don''t want to put your life in danger just because of me." Charles didn''t agree with her suggestion. "Besides, I thought you didn''t trust cops ever since that tragedy happened to your family. Are you confident now that they will not harm you in exchange for catching me?" Charles asked her quizzically while thinking about the possible pros and cons of this scenario. Elle shrugged her shoulders. "I''m a civilian. They have the duty to protect me at all costs. I don''t fully trust them yet but I trust Erick. He will protect me." Elle said with certainty. Charles rolled his eyes after hearing that. ''¨¦rick again. Always thinking about Erick. Jeez. She''s really madly in love with that detective.'' Charles squinted his eyes at her at that thought. "If you say so, then I think I''m gonna die in his hands first because he will protect you no matter the cost. I might not be able to leave this place if he sees me grabbing you as my hostage." Charles said slightly mocking her. Elle glared at Charles. ''He''s really a changed man. He can even mock me now without being scared at me. Wow. Should I praise him or get angry at him?'' Elle pondered to herself. "Stop arguing with me. We have no time left. Do you wanna go to prison? Then be it¡­ let them catch you. Oh, Let Erick catch you so that he will take the credits. Hehe," Elle teased him. "As if your man will take all the credits. You know he''s not like that." Charles murmured to himself but Elle was still able to hear it. She just smiled at his words. "So, what''s your decision now, Catseye?" Elle said to him, giving him a meaningful look. Charles could only bob his head. He had no choice but to agree with Elle''s suggestion. It would be hard for him to escape this place without her help. They were about to leave that room when Erick suddenly arrived. Fortunately, they managed to hear his incoming footsteps so Charles grabbed Elle immediately before Erick could see them. On the other hand, Elle cursed inwardly. ''[email protected]! Why is he so fast?'' When Erick came into their view, Charles was behind Elle, wrapping his one hand over her chest across her shoulders. He was pointing a gun at the back of her head. Erick watched both of them in horror. ''F*ck! Am I too late again?'' Erick thought to himself. His face became pale in an instant. His heart was beating so fast. His eyes that were filled with fear and concern for Elle were looking at her with confusion as if telling her, ''I told you to wait. You promised me you would wait. What happened? Why are you being held captive by Catseye?'' As if Elle could read his mind, she lowered her gaze. She couldn''t look straight in his eyes. She felt a pang of guilt deep inside her heart. The room was engulfed by silence. Charles was just silently observing Erick''s reaction. He had so many questions in his mind right now. When and how Erick found out that Elle was alive? From his expression alone, he could tell that Erick was so scared right now. He was afraid that something bad might happen again to Elle. Fear and helplessness clouded Erick''s mind. But he was trying to calm his emotions because once he began to panic then there''s no way he could think clearly of how to save Elle. "P-Please¡­" Erick mumbled with his trembling voice. Elle could only close her eyes and bite her lower lip. She could hear the worry and anxiety in his voice. ''[email protected]! Why I didn''t think about what Erick would feel once he saw me like this?'' Elle cursed herself. "Don''t hurt her¡­ she''s innocent. Please¡­ just take me as your hostage in exchange for her. I promise I will not fight back. You have my words." Erick begged Charles, feeling so desperate and helpless. Elle and Charles were both dumbfounded after hearing his proposal. He was willing to do that just to make sure Elle''s safety. Because of that, Elle became more guilty for her action. Meanwhile, Charles couldn''t talk, or else Erick would find out his identity. "Eh, How am I supposed to talk to him? See¡­ your man is willing to sacrifice himself for you. Jeez. What should we do now? He''s worried sick about you, Elle. Should I take his offer? Is your man trustworthy? Are you sure he will not fight back?" Charles whispered. Elle was still undecided when suddenly more people arrived at their location. Seven policemen headed by Officer Kim. They were holding their guns and pointed at Charles and Elle''s direction upon arrival. "Stop, drop your guns! Don''t shoot! We have a hostage situation here!" Erick immediately warned them with his cold and firm voice. Officer Kim signaled his men to stop aiming their gun at Catseye''s direction. He was surprised to see Aliyah Ross inside and she even became a hostage now by Catseye. "Chief Lee, what is Aliyah Ross doing here?" Officer Kim could not stop himself from asking Erick. "I will explain to you later. But our main priority now is to keep her safe." Erick promptly responded. Officer Kim just nodded at him in agreement. ''[email protected] The situation becomes more complicated with Officer Kim and other''s presence. I think we should start the negotiation now.'' Elle thought to herself. "Ahem, Officers¡­ this person behind me just told me his demand. First, pull out your snipers who are hidden and scattered around the area. Second, once he leaves this place with me, you are not allowed to follow us. Third, make a clear path for him. He doesn''t want to see any single policeman waiting at him outside." ''Great, aside from being his hostage, I become his spokesperson.'' Elle laughed inwardly, trying to ease the tension she was feeling as of this moment. "I said, take me as your hostage instead of her!" Erick insisted. He was both pleading and demanding him. Charles and Elle looked at him helplessly. "Eh, I told you. Your man is a very persistent guy. What should we do with him?" Charles mumbled in a low voice wherein Elle was the only one who could hear him. Elle sighed deeply and said, "He said he couldn''t exchange hostages as of now but he will allow you to follow us so that you can see that he will follow the agreement of not hurting me once all his demands will be fulfilled by the cops." They were still negotiating when Officer Kim received a call from his other team who was monitoring Edson Tyler. "Huh?! What did you say? Missing? Edson Tyler was kidnaped by Catseye? How could that be possible? Catseye is in front of me now." Chapter 403 - 403: There Are Two Catseye "Huh?! What did you say? Missing? Edson Tyler was kidnapped by Catseye? How could that be possible? Catseye is in front of me now." Officer Kim couldn''t help but exclaim with his loud voice. He couldn''t believe what he had just heard from his men on the other team. Someone just reported to him that Person Tyler went missing in his residence tonight. They said that person who did that was also Catseye. Officer Kim averted his gaze to the Catseye in front of them right now. The disbelief was written all over his face as he continued listening to the man on the other line. "Are you sure? Are you positive that the person who took Edson was Catseye?" Officer Kim asked again, confirming it to his comrade. "If that''s true then this only means that there are two Catseye, attacking both Edson Tyler and Samuel Sy tonight." Erick and Elle were bewildered after hearing that including Charles. "What''s happening, Officer Kim?" Erick couldn''t stay quiet any longer as he asked him with utmost curiosity. Charles and Elle were also all eyes and ears to Officer Kim, anticipating his reply. "My other men said that Edson Tyler was kidnapped by another Catseye. They are now chasing after them right now. They confirmed it in the CCTV that the person was Catseye. Same assassin''s clothing, a masked man, and an authentic death card. He left his death card on Edson''s bedside table." Officer Kim relayed to them the information he got from the other team. "Whoa, this is an unexpected turn of events." Charles murmured. Erick also didn''t expect this. The confusion could be seen in his face. But he had no time to think about all of these tonight. His main priority was to keep Elle safe. On the other hand, Charles also urged Elle to finish this negotiation as quickly as possible. "Uhm, Elle, I think I should leave now before my wound becomes a burden to me. I think I am losing more blood and I feel that I am getting weak." Charles whispered to her. "Angeles Wood Street # 145, Meet me there tomorrow," Charles gave her his address as well as his contact number. Charles had no idea that she could still get his number to Sandy even if he didn''t tell her now. Fortunately, Erick was thinking the same thing. He wanted this negotiation to finish as soon as possible for him to save Elle. "Officer Kim, let''s accept Catseye''s demand!" Erick said firmly, feeling resolute with his decision. Officer Kim nodded to indicate his approval to Erick''s decision. After that, Officer Kim contacted his men through his handheld radio. After calling their call signs, Officer began to relay the information to his men. "This is an urgent command. Pull out the snipers. No one is allowed to shoot. Catseye has a civilian hostage. Our main priority now is to keep her safe. Gather everyone in the main entrance. Those who were at the back door and exits, please leave your current post now. Dispatch five patrol cars to backup team Bravo. They are chasing another Catseye as of this moment." After a few seconds, they got a response from his men, informing Officer Kim that they had already done his command. Upon hearing that, Elle and Charles began to move out of the room. Erick was following them behind. Meanwhile, Officer Kim and his men remained in that room. They would just leave once Catseye was already out. Officer Kim finally approached Samuel Sy who was lying on the floor bathing with his own blood. He checked his pulse and breathing. He shook his head. Samuel Sy was already dead. **************** The cops followed Officer Kim''s command. When Charles and Elle were already outside of the building, they didn''t see any single cop in the back part. All cops were gathered on the front side of the main entrance of the building. Erick was still cautiously following them. Elle was still being held by Charles. They were now facing Erick whose face was still filled with worry and concern for Elle. "We''ve done our part, now do yours," Erick said to Charles desperately. Charles didn''t utter a single word. He just nodded at him. Then Elle heard Charles say to her. "I''m grateful and so happy to see you alive." Charles''s grip on her body tightened for several seconds before he let go of her. He immediately ran towards his car. Without looking back, Charles left them as he escaped from that place. Erick could finally breathe again normally when he saw Catseye releasing Elle. She was safe and unharmed. But his heart was still beating so fast. He needed to touch her for him to calm down. Erick sprinted in her direction, trapping her in his arms while giving her a rib-crashing hug. "Thank God, you''re safe! I will not be able to take it if something bad happens to you. I will never ever forget myself." Erick mumbled while hugging her tightly in his strong arms. "Erick¡­ hubby. I''m sorry¡­ I''m really really sorry." Elle hugged Erick back, gently stroking his head and his spine. These were the only words she could utter as of this moment because of the overwhelming guilt she was feeling towards Erick. They remained like that for a few minutes, just feeling each other''s warmth. Finally, Erick calmed down. He felt relieved especially now that he was holding Elle in his arms. "I''m gonna punish you! You will stick to me and stay with me tonight." Erick suddenly blurted out of the blue. "Yeah. I will. I think I deserve some punishment for tormenting you again a while ago." Elle did not protest. She was willing to take every punishment Erick would give her tonight. "Yeah. You didn''t listen to me. You broke your promise again. What am I gonna do to you, Elle? Now I am thinking about using my handcuffs on you once again." Elle giggled after hearing that. Now, she felt relieved that Charles was able to escape safely. What she needed to do now was face her punishment from Erick. But one question remained unanswered. ''Who is the other Catseye?'' Chapter 404 - 404: Calling Elena for Help On the other part of the City, the sound of a siren echoed on the road. Several police patrol cars were speeding up, chasing a high-profile assassin named Catseye. They were tailing a white van where Edson Tyler''s GPS locator was releasing its signal. It was still on the move based on the GPS Map inside the police cars. Officer Kim''s team was also on the way as back-up for Team B. June and Allen were also on the move. After several minutes, the cops were able to catch up with the white van because it stopped in one gasoline station. That gasoline station was surrounded immediately by dozens of police patrol cars. The Staff and cashier of that gasoline station immediately fled away in order for them not to get caught up nor stranded in the middle of a shoot-out. Meanwhile, the driver of the white van remained inside his car. Allen and June together with other policemen slowly and cautiously approached the van. They were holding their guns, aiming at the van''s direction. When they opened the driver''s seat, the driver was already raising his arms with his frightened expression. His body was still trembling in fear. He got scared and froze in his seat upon seeing the cops surrounding the area with their guns pointing in his direction. He was a middle-aged man. From his expression alone, they could tell that he had no idea why he was being chased by the police and now he was being surrounded by them. At that certain moment, Allen and June had a bad feeling about this. It seemed like Catseye already succeeded and had escaped from their grasp. They chased the wrong car. But to make sure, Allen ordered the other policemen to check and search the inside of the van. To their disappointment, it was empty. They found nothing except the spying device they planted on Edson Tyler. It was found in one of the passenger seats. It was placed inside a small rectangular box. "Damn! Catseye escaped!" June cursed. "He knew about the tracking device we planted on Edson Tyler and intentionally used it to mislead us. Wow, this Catseye is so smart and wise." Allen also shared his thoughts. "Did you hear Officer Kim''s report? He said they met Catseye too. What''s going on here? There are two Catseye?" June said, feeling confused. "Yeah, I heard it too. Damn. It was already difficult to catch one Catseye then how much more if there are two of them? Both of them are very skilled." Allen couldn''t help but feel frustrated about this development. It did not take long when Officer Kim arrived at the location. The other cops already explained the situation to the frightened driver of that white van. They just asked him a few questions about how the spying device ended up in his van. The middle-aged man told them that he met a young man a while ago in one of the fast-food restaurants at the center of City Z wherein he ate his dinner. He gave him a lift in exchange for the dinner he paid for him. He didn''t notice that the young man left one of his belongings inside his van. When asked about his face, the middle-aged could only describe his height, eyes, and half of his facial features. The young man was wearing a jacket and a cap. He thought he was wearing a mass because he was just sick at that time. Officer Kim immediately asked other cops who were near at that fast-food restaurant that the driver had mentioned, to check the CCTV footage to have a clearer picture of the young man who left the GPS tracking device at the driver''s van. "Where did you drop him?" One police officer asked the driver. "At the City Z plaza." The driver simply replied. Soon, they mobilized again their team to go to City Z plaza. *********** Meanwhile, Charles who was also claimed to be Catseye was now on his way to his place. Though he got wounded, he was very glad for tonight''s incident. He finally found out that Elle was alive and he met her. He was excited to see her again tomorrow. They still had a lot of catching up to do. But for now, he felt content that she didn''t die two years ago. He was very happy about that. Then suddenly he remembered Elena. He needed her help to treat and sew his wound. Without wasting any more time, Charles dialed Elena''s phone number. He connected his phone to his car''s speaker so that he could talk to her even though he was driving. It only took a few rings before the call got connected. Elena: "Hello, brother Charles?" Charles: "Hi, Elena. Sorry for calling you tonight. Are you busy?" Elena: "No!" Charles suppressed the urge to laugh after hearing her prompt response. Elena didn''t notice that because of her excitement, she unintentionally raised her voice. Charles: "Good. I need your help! Can you go to my place now and bring a medical kit? I will explain to you the further detail but just make sure to bring a medical kit that has items for treating a stab wound." Charles chuckled in order not to frighten Elena. But it was too late. Elena''s mind started to run wild. Elena: "STAB WOUND??! What happened to you, brother Charles? Are you okay? Are you bleeding? Does it feel hurt? Is it deep? Who stabs you? Where are you? Why is it you didn''t call an ambulance right away? Please tell me that you are just safe. Elena spoke to him spontaneously asking him a lot of questions about his situation because she was now worried sick about him. Charles let out another chuckle hearing her panicked voice. He could imagine her expression right now but still, he found her cute. Charles: "Don''t worry, I am just fine. It is just a minor cut. Please calm down." He lied to her so that she would not worry too much. But despite that, Elena would not be at ease until she could see his wound. Without further ado, Elena immediately grabbed the items she needed and rushed into his place. Chapter 405 - 405: I Love You When Charles reached his place, Elena was already there, waiting for him anxiously. Every minute that passed seemed like ages for her. She kept pacing back and forth outside his balcony while nailbiting and silently praying that Charles was just alright. She was worried sick about Charles. She had no idea how deep his wound was. She just stopped what she was doing when she heard the engine of an approaching car and saw the light coming from its headlights. The car just stopped in the front of the balcony and Charles alighted from the driver''s seat while pressing his wound using his right hand. Elena sprinted towards him with her concerned look. "Brother Charles!" "Hey, don''t give me that kind of sad look. I''m not dying yet." Charles cracked some jokes to lighten her mood. But his joke made Elena more worried. "Don''t say that." Elena felt like crying again. She was just biting her lower lip to suppress her sob. Charles took a deep sigh as he watched Elena helplessly. ''What I''m gonna do with this girl.'' "Hmm, alright, let''s go inside first so that you can start treating my wound now," Charles said, putting his arm around her shoulders as he guided her inside. Upon reaching his living room, Charles sat down on the couch while Elena prepared the things she needed in treating his wound. Charles took off his shirt and his upper body was now n.a.k.e.d before Elena. Elena paused for a moment after seeing Charles''s well-toned body, most especially his six-pack abs. He looked hot, s.e.xy, and yummy in the eyes of Elena. She couldn''t take her eyes off him as she admired his beautiful physique. She feasted on his body for several seconds before she realized that she was not supposed to do that. Elena shook her head frantically to clear her mind. ''[email protected]! Focus Elena! Focus! Don''t get distracted by his charm. You need to treat him first.'' She scolded herself inwardly, biting her lower lip. ''Brother Charles is so s.e.xy. I couldn''t help myself from drooling over him.'' After gathering her thoughts and emotions, Elena joined Charles on the sofa. All her kits were prepared. She was done sanitizing the kits. "Brother Charles, tell me if you are hurting. Let me check your wound." Elena said, carefully reaching out his wound on the lower part of his abdomen. Elle succeeded in stopping his bleeding when she put some ripped fabrics coming from Samuel''s shirt in his wound and tied them. Elena cleaned his wound first before she proceeded to stitch it. Fortunately, his stab wound was not that deep to the extent of reaching any internal organs. But Elena suggested visiting Dr. Clara''s clinic first thing tomorrow in order to examine his wound. Charles just nodded at her in agreement. After several minutes, Elena finished treating his wound. Charles looked amused while he was watching Elena a while ago. She was concentrating. But he found her very cute. Too bad, Elena was not wearing her nurse uniform. Charles wanted to see her in those nurse''s uniforms. "Thanks, Elena. You are so great. You are a certified nurse now and soon you will become a doctor. You will finally reach your dream. I''m so happy for you." Charles said to her with so much enthusiasm in his voice. However, Elena seemed like she was not paying attention to his words. Charles frowned when he didn''t hear any response from her. When he turned to look at her, Elena''s eyes were already misty. She was biting her lower lip and her body started shaking and trembling. She was now sobbing in front of him. Charles''s heart would always run wild every time he saw her crying. He felt alarmed once again, fretting over what he was supposed to do just to make her stop from shedding her tears. Charles held her shoulders and asked her with so much gentleness in his voice. "Hey, what''s wrong? Why are you crying? I''m fine now. You even treated my wound. Don''t cry. I hate to see you cry." Charles was trying his best to console her. He raised both hands, bringing them to her reddened face as he wiped her tears. "I-I was so scared. When¡­ I heard that you were wounded¡­ I felt so scared. I thought something bad would happen to you. I thought I was gonna lose you too¡­ just like my sis, Elle." Elena shared her feelings with him. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to scare you like that. Stop crying. See¡­ I''m in front of you now. Alive and kicking." Charles began stroking her hair. Elena just nodded, trying to stop sobbing. She felt relieved now. But she was still frightened. She didn''t want to lose Charles. She didn''t even confess her feelings for him. She wanted to know what happened to him. Who stabbed him? Why he got injured? But before she could ask him that, she already uttered some words. "I-I¡­ l-love you." Elena suddenly blurted out of the blue. Charles''s hand that was currently stroking her hair stopped its movement after hearing her words. Charles froze in his spot. His gaze was fixed on her face with his eyes open wide and mouth gape. ''Wait¡­ what did she just say? Did I hear it right? Or am I imagining things again?'' Charles pondered to himself. He was confused. He didn''t know if Elena really said those words or not. Charles''s heart began pounding rapidly inside his chest once again. He blinked several times as he swallowed hard. After he recovered from his deep stupor, Charles finally found his voice. "Pardon¡­ Elena¡­ w-what did you say? I didn''t hear it clearly? I mean¡­ I want to confirm if I heard it right or not, can you repeat it for me?" Elena''s face became more fl.u.s.tered. She was not able to stop herself from saying those words. She bit her lower lip once again as she lowered her gaze. She felt embarrassed and nervous. What if Charles would reject her right away? Would she be able to handle it? But she could no longer hide it. So she decided to be true for herself and be honest with him. "I said¡­ I-I love you¡­ I love you, brother Charles." Chapter 406 - 406: Im A Bad Guy "I said¡­ I-I love you¡­ I love you, brother Charles." Elena repeated her words. This time, it was a little bit louder and clearer compared to before. She couldn''t help but bite her lower lip as if it could help her lighten the tension and nervousness she felt as of this moment. Her face and her ears were burning red from too much embarrassment. She didn''t know whether she made the right decision of confessing her feelings to him or not. ''What if Charles will get mad at me? Will he avoid me now? Will things between us become awkward starting tonight?'' These were the thoughts she was worried about as she waited for Charles''s response. Meanwhile, Charles looked like he had experienced another shockwave in his brain as it temporarily stopped functioning. He was staring at Elena with his baffled expression- his eyes wide open, his breath stopped and his jaw dropped. After a few seconds of being in that state of stupor, Charles tried to speak but he didn''t know what to say. His adam''s apple just bobbed up and down his throat. This was the first time he received a love confession from a woman that''s why he was utterly unprepared for that and didn''t know what to do. Of course, deep inside him, his heart suddenly got excited for a reason. It was pounding even faster now. On the other hand, Unknown to Charles, his silence was making Elena more anxious and restless. ''Agh! I messed up. What should I do now? Brother Charles is not saying anything. Can''t he just utter even a single word? I feel like I will get a heart attack at any moment from now.'' Elena lamented to herself. Elena couldn''t take the pressure any longer so she did what comes to her mind at that certain moment. She took a deep breath and pluck up all her remaining courage to do it. She moved closer to him, pulling his head down to her. In the blink of an eye, their lips were now pressed to each other once again. This was the second time they kissed. Stunned at first, but later on, Charles began responding to her, lifting her chin up with one hand while the other hand was hooked at the back of her waist, pulling her closer. He deepened the kiss, sucking and nibbling on her lower lip as if he was very thirsty for her. Then he ran his tongue over her lips, urging her to open her mouth for him. Elena complied with his demand as she parted her soft delicate lips. Charles began to invade and explore her mouth, swirling his tongue around hers then sucking it the moment he caught hers. The sound of their wet kisses and the smacking sound of their lips reverberated in the entire living room. They were panting and breathing heavily the moment they broke apart from that intense kiss. Elena''s cheeks were still flushed but her desire and affection for him were glowing in her eyes. Indeed, she truly cared about this man. No doubt, she was in love with this man before her. However, unlike Elena, Charles''s mind was still in shambles right now. Uncertainty and worries were written all over his face. He didn''t want to hurt Elena. He didn''t want to disappoint her. He also cared for her. She had a special spot in his heart. But unfortunately, he couldn''t accept her confession nor her feelings right now. Charles was thinking that she deserved a much better guy in order for her to be happy. He thought Elena didn''t need a guy like him. Elena was pure and innocent, unlike him who was already tainted by sins. He was not a good guy. He had an ugly past and a dark side. "Elena¡­" "Brother, Charles?" Elena was anticipating his words. Charles cupped her face as he looked at her intently, not breaking their eye contact. "There are lots of things you don''t know about me yet. Can you please sort out your feelings first? Maybe this was just a mere crush or a physical attraction, not love. You are still young. You can find someone who is better than me. Someone who deserves to be loved by a wonderful woman like you." Elena fell silent after hearing that. She understood what he was trying to say. He wanted her to stop loving him. Elena was hurt. She didn''t know why Charles was doing this. He was slowly crushing her hope. She assumed that he also felt something for her because of the kiss they shared. Elena couldn''t help but clenched her fists. "Brother Charles, you don''t have to make some excuses like telling me that you are not a good guy or I deserve someone better. I will accept it more if you will just be honest and be frank with me that you don''t feel anything towards me." Elena said, smiling bitterly at him. She felt hurt and sad. Her heart was broken. But she was trying her best to look brave and not to shed tears in front of him at this moment. "No, I''m not making excuses, Elena. I''m telling you the truth. I''m a bad guy." Charles insisted. "I couldn''t understand. Why are you telling me that? In my eyes, you are a good guy. You helped me several times. Because of you and my sister Elle, I was able to fulfill my dream." Elena felt helpless. Charles couldn''t bear to see the pain in her eyes that''s why he was trying to explain everything to her so that she could understand. "Tom is not my real father. I''m an orphan. I grew in the streets. I had done so many dirty jobs during my childhood years for me to survive¡­ stealing, robbing, gambling, and carjacking. All my life, I''ve been living in the dark. I am working in the underworld, doing illegal activities. How can you love someone like that? How can you deserve a man like me?" Charles revealed his past but those were not the main reason why he was reluctant to accept her feelings. He paused for a moment. In the end, he decided to tell her every crime he committed including the recent one. "Elena¡­ I killed a person. I-I''m a murderer." Chapter 407 - 407: Family Reunion "Elena¡­ I killed a person. I-I''m a murderer." Elena''s body stiffened after hearing that confession from Charles. This was not the kind of confession she wanted to hear from him. She was at a loss for words. She was utterly astounded as of this moment. The expression of shock in her was soon replaced by disbelief and later it turned into an expression of fright. She was scared. Yes¡­ she truly was. Elena was still young and innocent with a weak and fragile heart. Things like killing and murder could easily frighten her. She was not exposed to this kind of thing. For her, killing a person was still a mortal sin. That''s why even though she loved Charles but after knowing that he killed a person, Elena couldn''t help but feel scared. Now, she understood why her brother Charles was telling her that he''s not a good person. He killed someone. He''s a murderer. Could she really love someone like him? Was her love for him strong enough to accept Charles despite the fact he killed a person? She was a nurse. She wanted to be a doctor. She had the duty to save people''s lives. But Charles, on the other hand, had killed someone. Now, her heart and mind were in chaos. She didn''t know what to think nor what to feel. She needed time to think, gather her emotions, and clear her mind. Meanwhile, Charles felt really hurt after seeing the frightened expression of Elena. He expected that this would happen once she learned the truth. Now, he couldn''t take back his words. That''s the truth, his job and Elle''s job before was about killing people. But he did his first kill just recently. Samuel Sy died in his hands. He couldn''t undo the incident that transpired just a few minutes ago. Now, he didn''t deserve Elena''s love¡­ he couldn''t accept her feelings. "Elena¡­ Thank you for treating my wound tonight. Let''s go. I will drive you back to Dr. Clara''s residence." Charles said, trying to look brave in front of her but deep inside he was badly hurt. It pained him to see Elena looking at him with that kind of expression. Elena didn''t protest. She just remained quiet. Now, she was avoiding his gaze. Since Elena was still in her deep thoughts, Charles was the one who arranged her things, bringing the items back in her medical kit. After that, he guided her coming out of his place. Charles gave her a ride going back to D. Clara''s residence where Elena was currently staying. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, at Erick''s place, Raymond and Sarah were already waiting for Erick and Elle''s arrival. Erick informed them that they were on the way now, going home. The husband and wife were excited to see Elle once again. Sarah was glad that Elle agreed on meeting them tonight. They were supposed to be at home by 7:00 pm but because of the encounter with Catseye tonight, they returned home late. It was already a quarter to ten when Elle and Erick reached his place. Erick alighted first from his car to open the car door for Elle. Soon, he went to the backseat to pick up the gifts Elle bought for his parents. Erick grabbed Elle''s hand using his free hand while the other one was carrying all the paper bags. Erick finally recovered from the shock and fear caused by the hostage-taking incident that happened to Elle a while ago. He was a little bit upset but this was not the time to scold her. The important thing was Elle was safe and unharmed. For now, Erick would give Elle and his parents to catch up with each other. He knew that they missed each other too. The moment they entered the house, Elle was welcomed immediately by a warm hug coming from Sarah. She couldn''t hold her tears upon seeing Elle, her dear daughter-in-law. "My dear Elle. I''m so happy. Thank you for being alive. I miss you so much. You didn''t know how heartbroken I was when I heard about your death. Thank you for coming back to us alive, my dear daughter." Sarah hugged her tight. "Mom, don''t cry. I don''t want to see you cry. I''m sorry for not returning sooner. I am thankful for the love and care you are giving me. Despite my dark past, you still accepted me. I thought you would hate me once you learned the truth about my identity." "No dear, I understand. I have no right to judge you. You''ve suffered so much. I felt sorry about what happened to your parents. Dear, don''t worry. From now on, I will be a good mother to you just like Jasmine. I know she loved you so much. I promised her that I would take good care of you from now on." Erick reacted after hearing that. "Mom, don''t steal my role from me. That''s my job. I am her husband. I should be the one taking good care of her." "Son, when did you become so selfish?" Sarah narrowed her eyes at her son. Elle just let out a soft giggle. Raymond also joined the conversation. "I think, I am starting to get jealous. Since Elle is here, my wife''s attention will now be divided. I am afraid that she will neglect me soon. Son, what should we do now?" "Dad, I think you should satisfy Mom every day so that she will not neglect you,. I will do the same with my wife," Erick suggested to his Dad meaningfully. The father and son duo both flashed a mischievous smile on their faces. They were thinking of the same thing. Sarah and Elle both rolled their eyes. They broke the hug and turned to their respective husbands. They both exclaimed the words "Naughty! Shameless!" before hitting their husbands'' chest. The two men just erupted into a peal of laughter before they grabbed their wives and trapped them in their strong arms and planting a soft kiss on their foreheads. Erick''s place became lively once again because of this family reunion. Chapter 408 - 408: Mr. Carter The next morning, the joyful and vibrant atmosphere in Erick''s place continued as the family of four enjoyed their breakfast together, happily conversing. Erick''s parents were so focused on Elle, most especially Sarah. She was giving her all the attention as if Elle was her most precious daughter. Last night, Elle explained to Sarah and Raymond what happened to her two years ago. One night was not enough to tell them about the story of her life since the moment she went missing. So she decided to tell them first about her experiences in the past two years. She told them how she fought hard and persevered just to recover from the harmful effects of the toxin inside her body. Sarah and Raymond could only sigh with relief after hearing her story. They were grateful that she was able to recover. She was a survivor all her life. She escaped death 18 years ago from the hands of her family''s murderers. She stayed alive even after getting the bio-weapon inside her body. It was already 2:00 in the morning when the four of them decided to take a rest. They lost track of time as they were so engrossed listening to Elle''s story. Erick didn''t scold her yet for what happened last night but he made sure to punish her by feasting on her with three rounds of lovemaking sessions before they went to sleep, both of them were exhausted. Erick already wanted to have a baby with her so he was trying his best for these past few days. He wanted to be a father. He was also thinking that maybe Elle would refrain from doing dangerous things if ever she got pregnant. He was hoping that she would forget about her revenge once she bore their child and just live with him happily together with their children. Elle didn''t notice what Erick was trying to do. She also loved the thought of having children with Erick but for now, her mind was still focused on getting her revenge and bringing justice for her family''s tragic death. She wanted to know who ordered the hit and what was the main reason for doing that. She wondered what grievances that mastermind had against her family. "Dear son, are you not going to work today? Both you and Elle woke up very late. Sorry if we didn''t let you rest as early last night," Sarah apologized to Erick and Elle, thinking that they were the cause why the couple woke up late this morning. Erick''s lips twitched upon hearing his mother''s apology. He was fighting a smile. Meanwhile, Elle was the one who responded to Sarah, "No Mom, it''s not your fault. It''s just that we overslept because it felt good to be home once again. I missed this home." Elle said, partly true and partly lie. Then she turned to Erick, giving him a sharp glare. ''It was all Erick''s fault.'' Erick just feigned innocence, ignoring the threatening look coming from Elle. "Mom, I decided to report at the office after lunch. I already informed my colleagues. So don''t worry. Same with Elle, she will go to work by the afternoon." They were still in the middle of finishing their breakfast when they heard the ringing of the doorbell. They got a visitor this morning. Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Raymond was the one who stood up in order to receive their visitor. "If the person outside is one of your colleagues, should I let him or her in or not?" Raymond asked Erick first because he was aware that Erick''s colleagues had no idea that Aliyah was Elle. They were the only ones who knew this truth. "I''m finishing up Dad. I''ll follow you after. If that''s the case, please entertain that person on the balcony first." Erick responded to his father''s query. "Ok. Got it!" It did not take long when Erick followed his father and went to see their visitor. Erick was surprised that the person outside was Mr. Carter, the middle-aged man that he saved from the thugs before. "Oh, here is my son. He just finished eating breakfast." Raymond said to Mr. Carter. "Hello, young man!" Mr. Carter greeted Erick cheerfully. "Mr. Carter! I''m glad to see you here." Erick returned his greeting with enthusiasm. "By the way, Mr. Carter, this is my Dad, Raymond Lee. Dad, he is my friend, Matt Carter." Erick introduced them to each other. "Yeah, we introduced ourselves to each other already. Haha," Mr. Carter said. Raymond also nodded with a smile. Then he simply glanced at his son, asking him if they should invite him in or not. Erick got his father''s message with that one look so he turned to Mr. Carter and said, "Let''s go inside. Elle is also here." When Raymond and Mr. Carter heard that, they were taken aback for a moment. Raymond was surprised because he didn''t expect that this person also knew Elle. On the other hand, Mr. Carter was wondering if Elle and Erick reconciled already and if they were already living together once again. "She''s also here? Your wife? Wow¡­ I''m so glad! Sure, let''s go in." Mr. Carter said while putting his arms around Erick''s shoulders. He was really fond of Erick. And he felt at home whenever he was with him. Maybe because he could see Erick as a good and amazing person. Raymond just watched both Erick and Mr. Carter who were both walking inside. He was intrigued by Matt Carter. He seemed friendly and approachable. He could see that he was very fond of his son, Erick. They were getting along very well. The most surprising thing was he knew that Elle and Erick were husband and wife. Now, he wondered how Erick and Elle met that person. Raymond was still rooted in his spot, watching Erick and Mr. Carter when he suddenly frowned while rubbing his chin. "Matt Carter¡­ Hmm¡­ wait¡­ Why do I feel like I already heard this name somewhere? Sounds familiar." Raymond tried his best to recall. After racking his brain hard, a certain name popped up in his mind- Mateo Hiroshito-Aganaki Carter. Then after a while, Raymond shook his head while laughing inwardly. "No, I think I''m just obsessed with this case. Well, there are lots of Mr. Carter here in the world." Raymond mumbled, shrugging his shoulders before following them inside the house. Chapter 409 - 409: Good Thing Was About To Come Erick and Mr. Carter proceeded in the living room while Raymond went to the kitchen to help Sarah in washing the dishes. He also informed Elle about their visitor. Raymond told Elle to see and greet Mr. Carter since he also wanted to see Elle. Elle also got some snacks and drinks before heading to the living room where Mr. Carter and Erick were currently talking. "Oh, Elle! So nice to see you here. I''m glad the two of you finally made up." Mr. Carter said with a bright smile on his face. "Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Carter. Your advice helped me clear my mind." Elle said, feeling grateful to him. Erick took the tray in Elle''s hand right away, helping her. He was the one who put the food on the living room table. "Have some snacks first," Erick said, urging Mr. Carter to get some food on the table. "I came here to greet you. But I''m afraid I will not be able to join you and Erick for today''s chit-chat. I have to leave now. I will meet my friend. Is that alright?" Elle asked permission from Erick while apologizing to the two of them. Elle and Charles agreed that they would meet today. She was certain that Charles was already waiting for her at his place. "It''s alright dear. We can catch up next time. Besides, we already talked before, so this time, I also want to spend some time with your husband." Mr. Carter chuckled after saying that. It looked like he was really in a good mood today. Erick put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his and trapping her into his strong arms for a hug. Then he asked her, "Where are you going? Are you meeting James?" Elle and Mr. Carter had sensed the hint of jealousy in Erick''s voice especially when he raised his last question about her meeting James. Elle let out a soft giggle before cupping Erick''s face using both hands. "Don''t worry, hubby. He is not the person I will be meeting today but Charles." Elle told him honestly. Erick was a little bit surprised when he heard that. "Are you showing yourself to him now?" Elle just nodded with a smile "Yeah, I think this is the right time to finally face him. I know he also suffered after knowing that I died two years ago." Erick could understand that. He was also aware of that. He knew Charles was still blaming him and so himself. "Okay¡­ be careful. As always." Erick finally agreed. He bent down to give her a peck on her forehead before releasing her. ?h noh, both you are feeding me dog food now!" Mr. Carter complained to them. Erick and Elle burst out laughing because of Mr. Carter''s last remarks. "Okay, I have to go now. See you later, hubby." Elle was about to leave but Erick stopped her. "Wait¡­ will you stay here again tonight?" Erick asked her, anticipating her reply. Elle paused for a moment. She was thinking if she would stay or not. "Are you going home? I thought you would be busy at the headquarter starting today? You and your team will be working overtime tonight, planning out your next moves. Edson Tyler is still missing. Did you forget about that hubby?" "Oh, I didn''t forget that. But I will feel more at ease knowing that you are here together with Mom and Dad." Erick said, looking at his wife helplessly. Last night''s incident gave him quite a shock. It also scared him to death after seeing Elle''s life was put in danger again. Mr. Carter just remained silent, observing the husband and wife before him. They seemed to be in love with each other. Now, he became more curious about why they got separated and living separately. He made a mental note to ask Erick once Elle left. "Don''t be so paranoid, hubby. I will be more careful this time. Trust me." Elle said, comforting and appeasing her man. Erick pouted, "You told me the same thing last night. I trusted you but see what happened -uhmm" Erick was not able to finish his sentence as Elle already swallowed up his remaining words by sealing his lips and kissing him. Mr. Carter: "..." ''My poor eyes! Have they forgotten about my presence here?'' Mr. Carter lamented to himself. Elle didn''t wait for Erick to continue nagging her. She quickly fled after giving him a passionate kiss. Erick could only sigh deeply while watching the retreating back of his wife until she vanished from his sight. "Young man, come here. Let''s talk." Mr. Carter invited Erick to sit down with him after Elle went out. Erick complied with Mr. Carter''s request as he sat down on the couch beside him. "I don''t want you to think that I am a nosy person but I couldn''t help it. I am dying to know what happened between you and Elle? I could feel that you both love each other so much. So I am wondering why and how you got separated from each other? And who is James? Why are you getting jealous when you already know that your wife only loves you?" Erick knew that Mr. Carter had a point. He should not feel jealous but he couldn''t help it. Thinking about what happened to Elle two years ago, he felt like he was useless. He failed to protect her and he couldn''t save her. For him, he was a complete failure when it came to protecting his beloved wife. Last night''s incident made him more disappointed in himself. He was burdened by those thoughts for the past few days now. Fortunately, Mr. Carter was here. He needed someone to talk to and vent out his frustrations about himself. Maybe by doing that, he could lighten the heavy burden he was carrying in his heart right now. So Erick decided to share everything about what happened to Elle with Mr. Carter, including the reason why they got separated and what he felt about himself as of this moment. Unknown to Erick, he did the right decision by talking to Mr. Carter without hiding Elle''s condition two years ago. The good thing was about to come their way because of that. Chapter 410 - 410: The Solution to His Problem Erick began to explain and tell Mr. Carter about what happened to them in the past, most especially to Elle. "I know you had a point, Mr. Carter. I shouldn''t be jealous but I couldn''t help it. I feel insecure about myself. I feel useless. I couldn''t protect Elle and that guy, James, was the one who saved her two years ago." ''So this means Elle''s life was put in danger because. But why?'' As much as he wanted to ask, Mr. Carter decided not to interrupt Erick. He just let him speak as he listened to him attentively. "He is handsome and rich. And he is also in love with Elle. He could give Elle the things I couldn''t give her. A luxurious life. I began to feel like this after knowing the truth. He used his wealth and influence, helping Elle to recover. If I was the one who found her two years ago then maybe I couldn''t do anything to save her. I couldn''t afford to bring her to the best hospital in Abroad, unlike James. I am just a detective." After hearing this, Mr. Carter couldn''t stand being quiet anymore. He shook his head while tapping Erick at his back. He wanted to console him and bring his confidence back. Besides, Erick was thinking about the wrong thing here. He must correct him. "Young man¡­ money and power could not make everyone happy. It''s not the only source of happiness in this world. Don''t feel insecure. You are an amazing person. You are a good man. Being a detective is not a joke. You are helping people. You are serving your country and your countrymen. You are a hero. See¡­ you even saved my life." Mr. Carter gently sighed and looked at him straight in the eyes. He turned to face Erick while holding one of his shoulders. "Listen to me carefully, young man¡­ Did you ask Elle? Because I think Elle doesn''t want a luxurious life. She is not the kind of person who will love money more than the guy she loves. I believe that what she wants is a happy and simple life together with her beloved man, and that person was you, Erick. It is you Elle wanted in her life." "That''s why I couldn''t believe why you are thinking so lowly of yourself. You are the type of man whom Elle could really brag about. I think she is proud of you. Get your confidence back, young man! Sit up straight and raise your chin up. You are the best husband Elle could ever have. So you should feel proud." Erick was tongue-tied after hearing that. He didn''t expect that Mr. Carter''s words would be able to help him stop doubting himself. Every word he had just said to him really made sense. Erick''s mood finally brightened up. He felt like Mr. Carter just lifted him up from that dump. He felt better now. He was really glad and grateful that he could talk these things out with him. He''s a good adviser and a listener. No wonder Elle told them that because of Mr. Carter''s advice she was able to clear her mind. "Thank you, Mr. Carter. This means a lot to me. I am really grateful." "No need to mention that young man. Besides, I am your friend now. I owe you my life too. Honestly, I am very fond of you so I don''t want to see you sad and feeling down like this. By the way, what happened to Elle? Why is it the two of you got separated?" Erick took a deep breath as his mind wandered back in the past. "There was this incident two years ago¡­sorry but I couldn''t tell you the full detail, Mr. Carter," Erick said, apologizing to him before continuing. Mr. Carter nodded with a smile and said, "It''s okay. You don''t have to give me the full details. I am not forcing you to talk, young man. Just feel free whatever you want to share with me. I am happy with that." Erick gave him a grateful look and continued. "We thought she died. In one of our missions, she joined us. She was badly hurt. She was shot by our enemies. And they didn''t use a normal bullet. It was a specialized gun with bio-weapon as its bullets." A gleam flashed in Mr. Carter''s eyes after hearing the word bio-weapon. A crease appeared on his forehead as he continued listening to Erick. "James was the one who found her. He learned about the toxin in her body so he immediately brought Elle to the States for her treatment. She was in critical condition. James hid this truth from me. I didn''t know that she was with him for the past two years." "Elle couldn''t come back to me right away. She fell into a coma for six months and miraculously awakened after that. But after waking up, she told me that her body was paralyzed. She couldn''t move." "The doctor said that the toxin in her body had nerve-paralyzing effects and it also attacked different internal organs. She underwent a series of therapy and rehabilitation in order to move her body back to normal." Since Erick was engrossed in telling him what happened to Elle, he failed to notice the changes in Mr. Carter''s expression. "Her doctors tried their best to create an antidote but until now they failed to do it. Elle was not the only one who was affected by that toxin. Her friend who rescued her was also exposed to it. Until now, he was in a coma and barely holding on to his life. Elle blamed herself for what happened to him. So she is very determined to find the antidote for that toxin. Now, she wanted to do a very dangerous mission with me just to find that antidote in order to save her friend." Erick sighed helplessly. He was against the idea of Elle doing dangerous missions once again. "This time I will help her. I don''t want to disappoint her. I don''t want her to do this very dangerous mission but Elle won''t stay still without doing anything. I don''t know what I am gonna do with her. She''s always making me worry." Erick lamented to Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter could understand Erick. He was staring at Erick with amus.e.m.e.nt. ''[email protected], young man! If you just know¡­ you already did something great to help her find that antidote. That''s the day when you saved this old man''s life. Now, I know how I can repay you. See¡­ you didn''t need to be a rich man. Just be yourself and continue to do good things.'' With a bright smile on his face, Mr. Carter tapped Erick''s shoulder and said, "Don''t worry, young man. I am certain you will get that antidote that you and Elle need to save her friend." "Yeah. I hope so. Thank you for believing in me." Erick said with a faint smile on his face. "Tell her that she doesn''t need to do that dangerous mission anymore and let her man find the antidote for her." Mr. Carter told Erick meaningfully. Erick chuckled and shook his head. "Elle will not agree. She''s stubborn." ''Well, let''s see. She will agree once you give her the antidote. I will help you. I have the solution to your problem..'' Mr. Carter thought to himself. Chapter 411 - 411: You Improved A Lot *** At Charles''s Place *** Just like what Elle was thinking, Charles was already waiting for her, feeling impatient. He felt like every minute passed was equivalent to a year. He was very excited to see Elle once again. He wondered what was keeping her too long before she arrived. He kept pacing back and forth across his living room. He even went out to his balcony now, waiting for her arrival. "Argh! I should have asked her Address instead." Charles mumbled. It did not take long after he said that when a taxi cab stopped in front of his gate then Elle alighted from it. Charles sprinted towards her. When Charles was about to hug her, Elle suddenly stepped back to the side to avoid Charles. After that, Elle grabbed his shoulder, bending her leg as she jabbed her knee aiming at Charle''s abdomen. But Charles reacted quickly as he blocked her knee using his elbow, protecting his abdomen. Elle''s lips twitched in a playful smile after Charles succeeded in blocking her attack. That''s the moment she pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck while hugging him. "You improved a lot! You can even block my attack now." Elle commended Charles. Charles hugged her back. He was gripping her body too tightly. "I missed you, Elle.. very much. I-I thought I would never see you again. I-I¡­ couldn''t forget you. I couldn''t forgive myself for being incompetent. I couldn''t protect you. Instead of helping you, I gave you a burden. I''m regretting the day I left City Z. I thought that was the last time I would see you alive. Thank you for coming back alive, Elle." Charle''s body was shaking, his voice trembling. He was crying once again. Those were tears of joy. Elle stroked his hair, comforting him. "Shhh¡­ You''re a strong man now. Don''t cry. Why are you such a crybaby again?" Elle teased him, trying to lighten the mood. "I couldn''t help it. I am so happy right now¡­ and very grateful." Charles said to her truthfully. "I''m sorry¡­ for giving you such pain. I want you to be happy, not sad." Elle apologized to him. "You still deserve to be called ruthless and vicious! How can you say that? How can I be happy without you? I promised to protect you with my life but where was I when you were doing that dangerous mission? Did you think I can still be happy even after knowing that you died?" Charles lamented to her. "Alright. Stop blaming yourself and Erick. I am here in front of you. Alive and Kicking. Sorry, it took me two years to come back. Sorry for not coming to you and Master Phantom. I thought it was better not to involve you both with my revenge. But I didn''t expect that you would impersonate me as Catseye to avenge me and my family." After saying that, Elle hit Charles in the head. "Ouch!" Charles grunted and he let go of Elle. "You sneaky Elle!! Why did you hit me?" "Because you are so stupid and foolish! So Reckless!" Elle nagged at her. "As if you are not. If I know, you are the most reckless among us!" Charles spat back at her. Ell shot Charles a cold sharp glare. " Who told you to kill for me? Why did you turn yourself into a murderer? I didn''t want or wish you to do that for my sake. What I want is for you to start a new life away from this dangerous mission and just live happily." Charles couldn''t refute her words. He felt so guilty as he remembered Elena''s reaction last night when he told her that he killed a person. However, he couldn''t tell if he truly regretted doing it or not. But one thing was for sure, he was bothered by Elena''s reaction. "And one more thing¡­ Who told you to be so brutal when killing Roland Bienvenido and Samuel Sy? Do you really have to copy my previous actions? Charles, I was a madwoman at that time, I couldn''t control my bloodthirst. I don''t know what happened to you." Charles frowned after hearing her. "Wait¡­ wait¡­ Don''t accuse me right away. Yeah, I am the one who stabbed Samuel Sy but I didn''t kill Roland Bienvenido!" Elle was taken aback for a moment. From Charles''s reaction alone, she could tell that he was not lying. If he did not do it then the other Catseye was the one who did it. Who''s the other Catseye? Then Elle and Charles exchanged meaningful glances. Both of them were asking the same question in their minds. "Now, there''s only one person left," Elle mumbled while staring straight into Charles''s eyes. Charles nodded and said, "I guess, we are thinking about the same thing." "I think this is the right time to meet Master Phantom. Do you have any updates about him?" Elle asked Charles curiously, wondering if Charles was in contact with Master Phantom. "He returned to City Z a few weeks ago. We met twice. He was also a hundred percent recovered now. But we have not talked with each other for the past few days now. I know his new address. We can go and visit him now. I think he will also be happy to see you. You better tell us everything that happened to you for these past two years." "Okay, I can tell you both my story but we need to see Master Phantom first. By the way, how''s your wound?" Elle asked him as she remembered that Charles was stabbed by Samuel Sy last night. "Elena helped me last night. She stitched my wound for me and treated me well. She''s a licensed nurse now and she was studying in a Med School to pursue her dream to become a doctor." Charles informed Elle about Elena. "Oh, my sweet little sis, Elena. I miss her too. But this is not the right time to tell her about y whereabouts." Elle said, thinking about the possible consequences if Elena would know that she was still alive. For now, she wanted to keep it secret from everyone, of course, Erick, Charles, and Master Phantom were the only exemptions. Soon, Elle and Charles headed straight to Phantom''s place. Elle was the one driving Charle''s car. When they arrived, they noticed that the house seemed empty and no one was inside. The door and windows were all closed. "Hey, why don''t you try calling Master Phantom. Ask him where he is right now." Elle requested Charles since she didn''t know Phantom''s current mobile number. Charles picked up his phone to dial Pantom''s number. But to their disappointment, his number was currently unattended. They stepped out of the car and proceeded to his main door. They rang the doorbell a few times but they didn''t get any response. "I think Master Phantom is not here," Charles mumbled. "Should we try and ask Dr. Clara. Maybe she has an idea where Master Phantom is as of this moment." Elle suggested once again. Charles dialed Dr. Clara''s number. Her phone was ringing but it seemed that Dr. Clara was busy tending her patients as she was not able to answer the call. Elle and Charles decided to come back later. They were about to leave when suddenly the front door opened and a man emerged from it. "Brother Charles, what are you-?" The man was not able to complete his sentence as he stopped midway when his eyes saw Elle standing beside Charles. "L-LADY BOSS???!" Chapter 412 - 412: Another Revelation "Brother Charles, what are you-?" The man was not able to complete his sentence as he stopped midway when his eyes saw Elle standing beside Charles. "L-LADY BOSS???!" The man exclaimed in utter disbelief. The man who was now wearing his surprised expression was none other than but Brother Yu, the leader of Phantom''s henchmen. He blinked several times with his mouth gape. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing right now. Their lady boss whom they thought two years ago was now standing before him with her bright charming smile. "Yes, Yu¡­ it''s me¡­ Elle." She slightly giggled upon seeing him in a state of shock like that. Brother Yu fell silent for a moment, his eyes not leaving Elle''s face. The next thing he did was to walk closer to Elle and raised his right hand while poking Elle''s right left cheek using his forefinger. Charles frowned upon seeing Lu''s action while Elle just stayed rooted in her spot. She didn''t know whether to cry or laugh. ''Did he just poke my face to make sure that I''m not a ghost?'' Elle just finished thinking that when she heard Brother Yu''s delighted voice. "Oh¡­ you are not a ghost! And I''m not imagining things. The Lady Boss is alive and now she''s back!!" Elle could hear the cheerfulness and joy in Brother Yu''s voice. "Uhm. L-Lady boss¡­ c-can I¡­" Brother Yu was saying something but he stuttered in his words. He was scratching his face while looking down, avoiding Elle''s eyes. His face and ears were now flushed because of embarrassment. Charles and Elle just watched him in confusion, waiting for him to finish his words. But to their disappointment, Brother Yu stopped as he bit his lower lip. It looked like he was so embarrassed to continue what he was saying. "What is it? Tell me?" Elle couldn''t wait for him to complete his sentence so she urged him to speak. Brother Yu took a deep breath and mustered up his courage to ask his Lady Boss, "Can I give you a hug?" Charles: "..." Elle:"..." Both Elle and Charles were rendered speechless. Now, they knew the reasons why Brother Yu looked like a teenager who just saw his crush. His cheeks were fl.u.s.tered because.of shyness. Because of that Elle was reminded of Brother Lu who was still currently fighting the toxin in his body to survive and stay alive. Among the henchmen of Phantom, brother was the number one fan of Elle. He idolized and admired her so much. Elle immediately extended her both arms in front of Brother Yu, giving him the permission to hug her. Soon, Lu forgot about his shyness as he hugged his Lady Boss. He was happy to see her alive and he knew that their other brothers would also rejoice once they learned that their Lady Boss was alive. Not only his brothers but most especially their Master Phantom. Charles just shook his head while watching Elle and brother Yu. "What a biased treatment? When I ran to her to hug her, she avoided me and even launched a surprise attack. But now, Yu could hug her without the threat of being attacked by her. TskTsk Tsk. I think I''m jealous now." Charles murmured to himself. But Elle still managed to hear his remarks. "Fool, I was just assessing your current ability and fighting skills a while ago." Elle commented to appease Charles. Charles was shocked. ''Eh did I say it that loud? She still managed to hear even my whisper.'' "Alright. I understand." Then Charles turned to brother Yu who had just finished hugging Elle. "By the way, what took you so long to open the door? We already rang the doorbell, for so many times." Charles just finished asking him that question when another person came out of the main door. It was Brother Yan. They could hear that he was calling Brother Yu and Telling him about something. "Brother Yu, Edson Tyler just passed out. We still didn''t get any answer from him." Brother Yan spoke spontaneously, thinking that Brother Yu was the only person outside. That the answer to Charles''s question. Brother Yu was not able to open the door for them because they were busy torturing someone. The four of them fell silent. Brother Yan froze in his spot upon seeing the three of them, most especially Elle, their lady boss. But unlike Brother Yu, Brother Yan couldn''t utter a word because he was utterly astounded. On the other hand, Elle and Charles had confirmed their suspicions after hearing Edson Tyler''s name from Brother Yan. Now, they were a hundred percent convinced that Master Phantom had something to do with the incident last night wherein Edson Tyler was kidnapped and went missing. Brother Yu walked towards Brother Yan who was still frozen and remained still while looking at Elle. It took three taps on the shoulder from Brother Yu to awaken Brother Yan in his deep stupor. "Brother Yu¡­ where''s Master Phantom? So in the end, Charles and Master are the ones using my Catseye''s Identity?!" Elle said exasperatedly. Elle couldn''t believe it. She felt like she was having a headache now. Those two men whom she wished to live simply and happily, away from those dangerous things they did in the past, ended up putting their lives on the line once again just to continue her revenge. The three men remained silent. No one dared to speak up. They could tell that Elle was currently upset with what happened. After all, Catseye was used without her consent. "Where''s Master Phantom?" Elle repeated her question. "Lady Boss, he went to City X together with our four brothers headed by Brother Ling. He was not here at City Z as of this moment." Brother Yu was the one who answered Elle. "If he''s not in the City Z right now then how come he was able to capture Edson Tyler if he''s not here?" Charles asked Brother Yu and Brother Yan. Finally, Brother Yan finally found his voice to speak up. "Brother Charles, Master Phantom was not the one who took Edson Tyler last night." Brother Yan paused and put his arms around Brother Yu''s shoulder. "It was Brother Yu who did it while impersonating Catseye, our Lady Boss''s identity." Brother Yan explained to them. Elle: "Yu is the new Catseye?!" Charles: "Brother Yu is the other Catseye?" Elle and Charles mumbled at the same time. Chapter 413 - 413: Planning for Surprise Elle: "Yu is the new Catseye?!" Charles: "Brother Yu is the other Catseye?" Elle and Charles mumbled at the same time. Brother Yan nodded at them while Brother Yu shook his head. Elle and Charles got confused with their different responses. "Eh? Why did Yan agree but Yu disagree? Who''s telling the truth? Why is it you gave us two different response? Which is which?" Charles probed to them as he couldn''t understand them, same with Elle. She just nodded after Charles said that as support to his queries. Brother Yan just chuckled while scratching the back of his head. It was brother Yu who answered Charles''s question. "Technically speaking I am not the new Catseye. But I impersonated Catseye last night under Master Phantom''s instruction. Any one of us could be Catseye depending on Master''s calls. It can also be Brother Yan, next time." Brother Yu explained to Elle and Charles. Oh that made sense. So there''s no such thing as two Catseye but Catseye was more than two people. Phantom''s henchmen were eight. So if Phantom would assign those henchmen to become Catseye, then Catseye would be in so many places at the same time. Elle tapped her forehead. "So it turned out¡­ my comrades and friends were the ones who were giving my husband a lot of work because of this new Catseye''s case?!" The three men fell silent. It looked like Elle was not happy with their actions. "When will Master Phantom return here?" Elle asked Brother Yu and Brother Yan. "In the next few days. They are doing surveillance against Alfonso Ramirez. We found his hideout located at City X. Master believes that they are secretly operating the bio-weapon facility in City X." Brother Yu informed Elle. "Oh, you found Alfonso already?" Charles said, feeling a little bit surprised. He tried to search for Alfonso''s whereabouts but he failed so many times. "Yes, Master Phantom had prepared everything before he came back here. Alfonso was already being tracked by Master since he returned to City Z." Brother Yan proudly said to them. Elle, on the other hand, was not surprised at all. She knew where Alfonso was hiding through Erick''s help. So as of this moment, Alfonso Ramirez was being monitored by Erick''s Team and Master Phantom''s team. "That''s a piece of good news then. Uncle Antoine even failed to help me in tracking him." Charles stated to them. "By the way, who among you killed Roland Bienvenido?" Elle couldn''t help but ask them curiously. She wanted to know who gave Roland a tragic death. Brother Yu and Brother Yan paused for a moment, meeting each other''s gaze. They were thinking whether to tell her the truth or not. "Why are you hesitating now? You already told me that either one of you could be Catseye. So who killed Roland?" Elle repeated her question. Brother Yu sighed before answering her. "It was Master Phantom who did that. We tried to stop him but he ended up killing Roland ruthlessly." "I think his anger overtook him, Lady Boss. He was still mourning about your death. Master had not moved on yet." Brother Yan also shared his thoughts. Elle could understand how Master Phantom felt at those moments. She couldn''t blame him for killing Roland while using her Catseye''s identity. "What happened to you, Lady Boss? Why is it you just appeared to us now? How about Lu? Is he with you? Is he alive?" Brother Yu asked her with a hopeful look. Elle clenched her fists. There was a glint of sadness in her dark brown eyes. She couldn''t help but feel guilty for Lu. "Your brother Lu was a good man. He''s my savior. I don''t know if you can consider this as good news. Lu is also alive but he is still in critical condition. He fell into a coma for two years now." The three men were dumbfounded after hearing that. But they were grateful and happy that Lu was still alive. "We were both exposed to bio-weapon two years ago. I got injured. Our enemies shot me at the back. They used a specialized gun with bio-weapon as its bullets. I''m sorry. Lu was hurt because he tried his best to save me." Elle said to them. "Don''t apologize, Lady Boss. I know Lu was happy that he was able to save your life. Don''t blame yourself. We will also do that if we are on his shoes. Besides, you are important to us and we pledge our loyalty to you and Master Phantom. Our main task is to protect you, our Lady Boss. If we failed to do that then we would feel worthless just like what we felt two years ago when we thought we lost you and brother Lu." Brother Yu said, consoling Elle. "Thank you so much. But I don''t wish for you to sacrifice your lives just because of me. I don''t want anyone to get hurt. Please¡­.stop now. We will do it the right way. Don''t kill Edson Tyler." Elle requested them. "We are not the one who can decide what will happen to him, Lady Boss. But since you personally requested us then we will not touch him. I think you and Master Phantom should talk about this matter." Brother Yu replied to her. "Master Phantom will be happy to know that Lady Boss is alive! As well as Lu! Why don''t we ask Master Phantom to return now and surprise him?" Brother Yan suggested to them. "Oh, That''s a good idea. What do you think, Lady Boss? Are you in about giving Master Phantom a big surprise?" Brother Yu supported Brother Yan''s suggestion. "Hmmm. I want to do that too. I will help you with the surprise. I felt guilty about Master Phantom. I think I was a little bit harsh on him before." Charles also agreed with the idea of Brother Yan. "Ok. I will be happy to cooperate with you. I want to surprise Master Phantom. Besides, I have a lot of explaining things to do with him. I will compensate him for this surprise." Elle finally agreed on their plan of surprising Master Phantom. Chapter 414 - 414: Phantom and Catseye Reunited After telling them what happened to her in the past two years, Elle and others proceeded according to their plan. Brother Yu was the one who called Master Phantom while Elle, Charles, and Brother Yan were just beside him, ready to listen to their conversation. Brother Yu dialed Phantom''s phone number. His phone rang for twenty seconds before it was answered. Brother Yu put the phone on speaker mode so that the others could hear Master Phantom. Phantom: "Hello, Yu?" The longing flashed in Elle''s dark eyes upon hearing Phantom''s voice. She missed him. He was her second father. She was glad that Master Phantom was doing fine. Brother Yu: "Master, where are you?" Phantom: "We are currently doing our surveillance and spying against Alfonso Ramirez. Why?" Brother Yu: "I''m sorry to bother you, Master. But we need your help. Something big happened here in City Z. Brother Yan and I can''t solve this. You are the only one who can fix this. Can you please come back to the City right now and leave that spying mission to our brothers?" Elle and Charles wanted to commend Brother Yu. He sounded very convincing as he said those words with urgency. Her voice sounded very anxious and in a panic too. After a few seconds, Phantom''s worried voice was heard on the other line. Phantom: What happened?" Brother Yu: "Master, It''s hard to explain on the phone. We need you here as soon as possible. It is a matter of life and death situation." After Brother Yu said that, there was a moment of silence at Phantom''s side. The four of them exchanged meaningful glances with each other, wondering if Phantom didn''t believe Brother Yu. "I''m afraid Master Phantom learns that we are faking this." Brother Yan murmured to them. "Yeah, Master Phantom couldn''t be tricked like that so easily." Charles also shared his opinion. Elle was silent, eager to hear Phantom''s response. After a few seconds, Phantom was back on the line. He disappeared for several seconds because he gave Brother Ling and others his instruction before leaving them. Phantom:" I''m on my way now!" "Yes!" Brother Yan whispered while punching the air. He was rejoicing. "Eh, Master Phantom took the bait, easily?" Charles mumbled in disbelief. Elle suppressed her laughter. "Okay Master, We will be waiting for you here at your place." Brother Yu said before hanging up. The four of them did a fist bump for the success of their first mission. The travel time from City X going to City Z would take four hours if there was no traffic. This meant they still had enough time to prepare for the surprise reunion. Soon, the four of them decided to fix and arrange everything they needed in the house. Brother Yu and Brother Yan went out to buy ingredients for Today''s menu. Charles would be the one to cook and Elle would assist him. Elle decided to take her full day leave of absence. Fortunately, their supervisor was not that strict so he approved Elle''s leave application over the phone. Elle also messaged Erick. She might stay overnight at Phantom''s place for catching up. Erick gave her permission to do that as long as she would update him of her whereabouts from time to time. Erick became paranoid when it came to Elle''s safety. Elle couldn''t blame him. So as much as she could, she wanted to lessen his worries and assured him that she''s just fine and safe. This time she would be more extra careful. ******************** It was 5 o''clock in the afternoon when Phantom reached City Z. He was driving his own car. Brother Yan was the one who served as a lookout. The moment he saw Phantom''s car approaching the gate, Brother Yan informed Brother Yu to get ready as Master Phantom just arrived. Phantom alighted in his car in a hurry. He dashed toward his door and swung it open. Then he saw Brother Yan standing by the window. "Yan, what''s the big problem here? Where''s your Brother Yu?" Phantom promptly asked Brother Yan. "He is in the underground bas.e.m.e.nt, Master together with Brother Charles." Brother Yan responded immediately, trying his best to look problematic while hiding his excitement. He was excited about their Master and Lady Boss'' reunion. He was certain that Master Phantom would be happy to see their Lady Boss alive. After hearing that Charles was also there, Phantom really thought that it was really a very serious matter this time. Without further ado, Phantom took the lift going down the underground bas.e.m.e.nt. Brother Yan called Brother Yu that Master Phantom was already in the elevator. The underground bas.e.m.e.nt was divided into three parts, the prisoner''s room or the torture room, the surveillance room, and the stockroom of their weapons. Charles and Brother Yu were waiting in the surveillance room while Elle was hiding in the stockroom. After three minutes, the door of the surveillance room was opened and Master Phantom entered in a rush. He saw Brother Yu standing while leaning on the wall while Charles was sitting on the leather couch. They averted their gaze to Phantom who was covered by sweat and his face was painted by worries and concerns. "What''s wrong? What is the life and death situation? Who''s in danger this time?" Phantom bombarded them with questions. Charles and Brother Yu began to feel guilty towards Phantom for making him worry this much. They just wanted to surprise him but it seemed like they almost gave him a heart attack. He looked scared. He didn''t want to lose anyone anymore. Charles and Brother Yu were both tongue-tied. They didn''t know what they would say to him. Fortunately, they didn''t need to speak anymore. They just let Elle do the rest. The two men just remained silent. Then Elle emerged from the door. Phantom could not see her because his back was facing the door. "Master¡­" Elle called him from behind. Phantom furrowed his brows upon hearing that familiar voice. He turned around to see the direction where that voice came from. He froze in his spot the moment he saw Elle''s face. She was standing by the entrance door. Phantom couldn''t explain what he was feeling as of this moment. Streams of emotions were drowning his mind. Elle was the one who stepped towards Phantom as he stayed rooted in his spot. Elle could no longer hold her tears as her tears fell down from the corners of her eyes. When he saw her crying, that''s the time Master Phantom was able to move his body. He closed their gaps and pulled her into a warm hug. He didn''t say anything. He just hugged her tightly, shedding his own tears. No one spoke between them but they could understand how they felt at moments like this. The room was engulfed by deafening silence. Even Charles and Brother Yu couldn''t suppress the urge to cry. The scene they were witnessing was so touching. So their eyes became misty and teary. It was a touching reunion between father and daughter- a master meeting his apprentice whom he thought was already dead. Finally, the days of mourning ended today. Elle came back alive. Chapter 415 - 415: Lets Change Our Way Charles and Brother Yu decided to leave Elle and Phantom. They wanted them to have privacy while talking with each other. They were aware that the father and daughter duo had a lot of catching up to do. After what it seemed like ages, Phantom finally released Elle from that tight hug. He even wiped her tears using his bare hands. Elle seldom cries in front of him. The same with Phantom, Elle didn''t see her Master cry like this before. "I missed you so much, Master. I''m sorry I returned very late." Elle apologized to him. Phantom shook his head. "It''s better to be late than not coming back to us. I thought I won''t ever see you again. I am glad and thankful¡­ you are alive. I thought I lost you forever. Losing your child is the most painful thing that could happen to a parent like me. I should have died on your behalf, that''s what I am thinking all these years." "No, Master. No one should die. I couldn''t bear it. I already lost my parents 18 years ago. I can''t afford to lose you too." Both Elle and Phantom were becoming emotional and sentimental. "I don''t want to have another regret. So I will be shameless now for asking you this favor. Elle... Can you call me, father? Instead of Master?" Phantom asked her expectantly. Elle gave him a faint smile before nodding at him. "Father¡­ I''d like to call you that. Hmm¡­ Do you want me to call you Dad and Papa too?" Elle said with her teasing smile. Phantom burst out laughing while his face was blushing. Even his ears were burning red. He liked it. He liked the way Elle called him ''father''. It was pleasing to his ears. His expression softened as he stared at Elle tenderly. His foster daughter came back. His heart was singing in joy and delight. He couldn''t help himself from embracing Elle once again. "Oh, my dear daughter, my dear Elle. I''ve missed you so much." Elle giggled in his chest. She felt good hearing Master Phantom calling her ''daughter''. She didn''t expect that simple things like this could warm her heart. She felt the love of a father she always longed for. She was grateful despite every bad thing that happened to her. Eighteen years ago, she lost everything. But now, she gained more. She had Erick, the love of her life. She had Charles, Phantom, Dr. Clara, Uncle Antoine, and Phantom''s henchmen as her family. Erick''s parents were treating her as their own daughter. She found out that Lee Family and Falcon Family were close friends. She also met new friends- Bryan and members of Team Alpha including Sandy and Josh. Black Shadow also added to her list of friends while James was her very special friend. "Father¡­" Elle softly mumbled. "Yes, dear?" "Let''s change our way of getting our revenge." Elle requested Phantom. Unlike before, Elle''s heart was full of hatred and anger that she was willing to wreak havoc and kill everyone who was responsible for her misery. There was no room for mercy in her vocabulary, only viciousness and ruthlessness could be found in her. But now, everything changed especially when she learned to love Erick and open her heart to other people. She became soft and forgiving. But it didn''t mean that she would stop in getting justice for her family''s death. She would continue to seek the answer but not in that very brutal way that she used to do. "Ok, dear. If that is what you wish then I have no choice but to fulfill it. I am always here supporting you. But I couldn''t undo what was already done." Elle knew that she was referring to Roland Bienvenido. Elle broke the hug to face Phantom. She just nodded her head. "I understand. I am not here to question your method. But I am curious about the other person whom Catseye killed. The man who was strangled to death? Who was that?" Phantom''s expression darkened as he remembered the past. "I hated the Dark Knight Organization. They were the ones who caused your death two years ago. So I decided to target their operation once I returned here. That person is the assistant of Alfonso Ramirez in managing the bio-weapon facility of the Dark Knight. I killed him to send Alfonso and the Dark Knight a warning. They killed Catseye two years ago so I decided to resurrect Catseye as I avenge your death." Phantom explained to Elle. "Now, everything is clear to me now. But Master, do you know that Charles also tried to use my alias? He killed Samuel Sy, last night while Brother Yu and Brother Yan kidnapped Edson Tyler." Phantom massaged his temples after hearing that. "Argh! That punk! I already warned him not to do it." "So you knew that he''s also the other Catseye?" Elle asked him again. "No, I didn''t. But I had a feeling that he would do reckless things the moment I met him. He changed a lot. Antoine told me that Charles didn''t stop training and improving his skills in the past two years. I knew that he was up to something when Antoine told me that Charles was back to City Z. He informed me of all the updates and progress about Charles. I already expected him to use your Alias since he learned even your hacking skills. I wanna beat Antoine for not stopping Charles! He said he didn''t want to because Charles was his apprentice." Phantom lamented to Elle spontaneously. "I should have gone after Samuel Sy first rather than Edson Tyler. Now, Charles did his first kill. That punk¡­ Argh. I don''t know what I am gonna do with him. Can you punish your brother, Elle?" Elle let out a soft giggle after seeing Phantom''s problematic expression. "I should punish my brother and my father. They used my Alias against my will. Hmmph." Elle pretended to be mad but Phantom knew that she was just kidding. Then the two of them erupted into a peal of laughter. "Elle¡­ there''s something I need to tell you," Phantom said after they stopped laughing. "What is it, father?" "It''s about your real father, Cedrick Falcon. I knew him." Chapter 416 - 416: Phantoms Story "It''s about your real father, Cedrick Falcon. I knew him." Elle didn''t expect to hear that from Master Phantom. They''ve been together for so many years now but Elle and Phantom never talked about her family most especially her parents. Thinking back, Elle was curious how Phantom ended up coming to their house on that day. Because of that, Phantom was able to save her. She was barely alive when Phantom found her. "Are you willing to talk about the past now, Elle?" Phantom asked her worriedly. He was afraid that if they talked about the past it would bring up her wound and triggered her negative emotions to resurface. "I''m okay now, Master. I''m ready to listen to your story." Phantom guided her towards the leather couch and both of them sat down. Phantom began to tell her what happened in the past and his first encounter with Agent Cedrick Falcon, Elle''s father. "25 years ago when I decided to go this path. That''s the time when my wife and my son were killed. Police authorities failed to catch the culprits. They didn''t even get any lead or what''s the motive. They said it''s robbery. They did catch the robber. But everything seemed suspicious." Elle first heard about the story of her Master when she was rescued by him after attempting to commit suicide. She could remember it so well. After hearing his life story, that''s the time she found her reason to stay alive. Phantom paused for a moment as his mind wandered back to what happened to him and his family. Phantom was just an ordinary Taekwondo instructor, living a simple life with his family. His wife was a chemist. She was working in a small research facility in the city. But everything changed because of that one night. He went home late that night because his students won the taekwondo tournaments. They went out to celebrate. The moment Phantom arrived home, his wife and his son were already bathing with their own blood. Phantom screamed, weeping and bawling while hugging the lifeless body of his wife and his son. At that time, he questioned God why that tragedy happened to his family. He''s a good man and so his wife. Their son was innocent. No one held a grudge against them. They were not even rich why would robbers target his household? There were bigger houses nearby. At that time, he also wanted to die. Then he saw something in his wife''s hand. She was clutching a small glass bottle with a cork. There was an X-mark on it. He could see the purple liquid substance inside the glass bottle. He thought it was poison so he immediately drank it in one go. But to his disappointment, nothing happened. He didn''t die. After several minutes, his wife''s sister entered the house and saw the tragic scene. She immediately called an ambulance and the police. But it''s already too late. Her sister and her nephew were already dead. When Phantom calmed down, he realized that killing himself was not the best solution. He needed to stay alive and seek justice for the death of his poor child and beloved wife. The police authority caught the robber but when Phantom confronted him face to face, the robber told him that he was not the one who killed his wife and son. He also needed the money so he took the blame. That was the moment, Phantom realized that there was a bigger conspiracy behind his family''s death. He couldn''t trust the law enforcement anymore so he decided to investigate the case by himself. After half a year of digging for information, Phantom found out that a powerful and influential politician called the hit to kill his family for an unknown reason. He wanted to kill him but he was still powerless and an amateur. And the politician had so many people guarding him for his protection. He couldn''t find the perfect opportunity to kill him. So Phantom decided to train and become an assassin. He tried to learn from underground organizations. He also met a ruthless but expert assassin who became his Master. He wanted to be strong with one goal in mind: To kill the person who ordered to kill his family. Then he met Antoine. They became partners. After one year of training, their master started to give them a mission. Phantom did his first kill. And every time he would kill someone he was imagining that the person he was killing was the person who was responsible for his family''s death. That''s how he survived to kill different people during his missions. As time went by, Phantom got used to killing. His skills improved ten times. He became unstoppable, feared by both in the underground and the government. At first, they called him the Masked Man. But Phantom would not just accept the mission. He was assessing first if the person he was about to kill was a bad guy. He would just accept the mission if those people were also doing illegal things. That''s his special rule. He didn''t want to kill innocent people. And that rule was also learned and followed by his apprentice Catseye. Other people thought that Catseye was only vicious, merciless, and ruthless who would kill anyone even innocent people. But they didn''t know that the people she killed had also a dark side. They were not innocent because they were just hiding from their beautiful masks. That was the truth, Phantom and Catseye would only kill bad guys, not innocent people. But they knew the fact that killing bad people won''t excuse them nor exempt them from the crime and sin they committed. They accepted the fact that they were also bad people who deserved punishments from the law. In the end, Phantom got what he wanted. He was able to kill the person who ordered to murder his wife and son. But he failed to ask him the reason why. Because until the end, that politician denied it, telling him that he didn''t do it. After getting his revenge, Phantom didn''t retire. He continued his job as a professional assassin. He became infamous after 4 years. Untouchable and unstoppable. But everything changed when Agent Cedrick Falcon took charge of Phantom''s case. Chapter 417 - 417: Agent Falcon and The Masked Man After getting his revenge, Phantom didn''t retire. He continued his job as a professional assassin. He became infamous after 4 years. Untouchable and unstoppable. But everything changed when Agent Cedrick Falcon took charge of Phantom''s case. "Elle, I know you''ve heard about my reputation as an untouchable and unstoppable assassin, right?" Phantom asked Elle to confirm. Elle nodded, "Yes, I heard of it. That''s why you were called as the legendary assassin." Phantom''s chuckle reverberated inside that small room. "My record broke by one man. And that man was your father, Cedrick Falcon." Elle was taken aback by that remarks. After that, admiration could be seen in her dark eyes. She felt proud of her father. She always knew that her father was a very capable man and one of the best members of the law enforcement department during his time. "No one could ever track me down except your father. I had fun playing cat and mouse with him. He''s a good man. If I was not an assassin maybe both of us could become good friends. How I wish I met him early. How I wish he''s the one who took charge of my family murder case." Phantom said, sharing his wishful thinking with Elle. Elle gave him a faint smile. Just like Phantom, Elle had some wishful thoughts. "Master, how I wish you arrived early on that day. Would you save us? Would you save my father when you saw him being attacked by those thugs? Would you do that even though he was the officer-in-charge for cathing you?" He felt a pang of guilt deep inside his heart. He came too late. "Of course, I would. For an unknown reason, I already got attached to your father. I didn''t consider him as my enemy but a competitor. Competing with each other to know who was the most capable and skilled between us." "I''m sorry. I came late and I couldn''t save them." Phantom apologized to Elle, holding her hand. Elle shook her head. "You don''t have to apologize. It''s not your obligation to save us. I was already thankful for giving me second chance." Phantom smiled at her. "Do you want to hear the story of our first encounter?" Elle bobbed her head with eagerness. She wanted to hear more stories about her father. Phantom''s mind wandered back to the time Elle''s father almost caught him. Then Phantom began to tell her the first encounter he had with Agent Cedrick Falcon. ******************** *** Flashback: 18 years ago *** "Freeze, don''t move or else I''ll shoot you." Agent Falcon echoed in the warehouse as he yelled at the masked man who was about to kill the leader of the Stallion Syndicate. That group was one of the competitors of Skull Gang during the leadership of Jorge Arison. Jorge Arison hired Phantom several times before. The leader of Skull Gang was the only regular client of Phantom. Jorge was his favorite client because he was only targeting his underground syndicates who were trying to sabotage Skull Gang''s operation. Phantom never got a chance to work with the Dark Night Organization. That organization was so brutal that they didn''t even care about hurting innocent people. So Phantom avoided working and dealing with different transactions with them. "I said, drop your weapon!" Agent Falcon repeated his command as he slowly approaching Phantom who was pinning his target on the ground while holding his dagger with his right hand. He was ready to plunge his dagger but he was interrupted by Agent Falcon. Phantom cursed inwardly as he stood up while raising both hands. He dropped his dagger before facing Agent Falcon. "Don''t get involved here. This is a fight between two underground syndicates. Just leave Mr. Officer. Why do you want to save this man? He''s a bad person too? It doesn''t matter whether he dies here tonight or lives. Don''t tell me you are one of them? Their police protector?" Phantom said, there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Even though he''s a bad person, he still deserves to live. There''s a term we called a second chance. Let the law punish him. Who are you to judge who will live or die?" Agent Cedrick spat back at Phantom. "Such a big word coming from you, Mr. Officer. So do you mean you will grant me a second chance too?" Phantom said mockingly. "Oh, by the way, How did you find this place? How did you know that we are here?" Phantom asked him with intrigue. "I have my ways. Do you think you can hide forever from me?" Agent Falcon sneered at him. The two men were busy talking when the leader of Stallion suddenly picked up the dagger on the floor, attacking Phantom from behind. Fortunately, Agent Falcon reacted quickly as he fired at the leader who was charging towards Phantom. The bullet hit his hand which was holding the dagger, thus dropping it o the floor. Phantom turned around and threw a hard kick aiming at the Stallion leader''s stomach. He winced and stumbled down on the ground after receiving that hard blow coming from Phantom. Agent Falcon shot him a sharp glare and scolded him, saying "Hey, Who told you to move? I said freeze! Do you want to receive a bullet from me too?" Phantom just shrugged his shoulder and said nonchalantly, "Sorry, I just hate people who were attacking people behind their backs. See¡­ he''s definitely a backstabber fellow." Agent Falcon''s lips twitched after hearing Phantom''s remarks. He was trying his best to suppress his laughter. Actually, he found the statement funny because literally speaking, that person was trying to stab Phantom at his back. "Oh, by the way. Thank you for saving my ass. I owe you one." Phantom said with a smirk. "Now, I believe you. You stick with your principles. You do give people a second chance." Phantom added before bursting out laughing. This time there was no hint of sarcasm in his tone. It was genuine laughter. Soon, Agent Falcon ended up joining him as their peals of laughter bubbled up in the warehouse. Chapter 418 - 418: Their Lives Were Interconnected After hearing the story of the first encounter between Phantom and her father, Elle couldn''t help herself from laughing out loud. She just felt happy that her father and her foster father were not that mortal enemies, to begin with. It seemed that their lives were already entangled to each other by fate. Her father saved Phantom while Phantom saved Elle. Meanwhile, Phantom continued to tell her more when Elle stopped laughing. "Your father was the one who removed my mask. He saw my face during our second encounter. Because of that, he started to investigate my real identity. Your father was the kind of person who wanted to know more about the culprit''s background so that he could understand the person." "For him, there is no such thing as natural evil or pure evil. He believes that everyone has a story to tell. Upon digging about my background, he learned what happened to my wife and my son." Phantom''s eyes sparkled with admiration whenever he would think about Elle''s father and his generous actions. "Do you know what your father did behind my back?" "What did he do?" Elle asked him, her eyes filled with anticipation and intrigue. "He investigated the case privately. He realized that I became an assassin because of what happened to my family. I didn''t ask him to do that. It learned about it when he sent me a message. Funny, but it''s true, your father had different ways and methods of how to send me a message." Phantom chuckled as he recalled those moments, feeling a little bit nostalgic. "What did he find out after investigating your family murder case?" Elle asked Phantom curiously. The smile on Phantom''s face suddenly disappeared. He took a deep sigh before responding to her. "He said I killed the wrong man. I blamed the wrong person." Elle was dumbstruck when she heard that. She wrinkled her brows and said, "Then who''s the true culprit?" "At first, I didn''t believe him. I thought he was telling me that in order to set a trap for me using my family''s case. But later on, I realized maybe he was telling the truth. Because even the moment I was about to kill that person whom I thought who ordered the hit for killing my family, that person denied it. He didn''t do it." "I decided to listen to your father and talk to him. We decided to meet at a certain place and at a certain time. I waited for hours but he didn''t come. It turned out that''s the day your household got attacked by the members of Los Molasses Gang." Elle''s eyes widened in surprise. "So my father failed to meet you that day because of that tragic incident. You didn''t get the answer from him." Phantom nodded at her, "Yes. I got mad at him. I thought he stood me up. I thought he deceived me. So I decided to confront him or maybe threaten him by using his own family. That''s the reason I came to your house that day. But I was shocked to see the scene the moment I arrived at your house." "Several dead bodies scattered in the different parts of the house, your security guard, helpers, and others. When I entered the house, I saw the lifeless body of your father and mother bathing in their own blood. I felt suffocated after seeing the scene because it was familiar with what happened to my family." Phantom paused for a moment, reliving the scene in his mind. "I was about to leave but I saw your little body lying beside your father''s lifeless body. I saw your fingers suddenly move. I dashed toward your direction to check on you. I was glad that you were still alive. So I carried you in my arms. But before I left I checked your parents'' pulse but they were already gone. I immediately called the police and ambulance before leaving. My main priority at that time was to save you. So I brought you immediately to Clara''s clinic." "That''s the story why I found you and the reason why I was the one who was able to save you. I saw my dead child in you. At that moment, I really wanted to save you. I am praying that you would stay alive. I promised your father that I would take good care of you back then as a sign of my gratitude for trying his best to reinvestigate my family''s murder case." Elle had mixed emotions after hearing everything. Now she learned the past connection between her father and her master. Their lives were interconnected with each other. Elle felt saddened because Phantom failed to discover who the true culprit responsible for the death of his family. He was already closer to the truth. Elle''s father was the one who got the answer but before he could tell everything to Phantom, that tragic incident happened. The truth was buried together with the death of her parents. "I''m sorry to hear that, Father." Elle was sympathizing with Phantom. Phantom just shook his head while letting out a soft chuckle. "Why are you apologizing? None of those was your fault. The person whom we should blame was the one who ordered to kill your family. Their motives are still unclear. I wonder what other cases your father had handled in the past that triggered someone to kill him along with his family. I wondered if it was a powerful person whom he had offended. What a coincidence? Police didn''t get any clue in your family''s case just like what happened to my family. We both have the same fate." Phantom shared his opinion with Elle. "Alfonso Ramirez is the only one who can give us the answer to that question," Elle said, a cold glint flashed through her dark eyes. "Speaking of Alfonso Ramires, I am planning to infiltrate his hideout in City X. Erick and I will do that with the help of some Skull Gang members." Elle brought up the topic of attacking Alfonso''s hideout. "Father, Lu is alive. He needs the antidote of the bio-weapon to survive." Phantom was surprised to hear that. "Oh, my Lu is alive. I''m so glad to hear that. Then we need to work together. We will come with you. My team is also monitoring Alfonso and his hideout. We can do this together, and work as a team again." "Yes, Father! We can do that!" Chapter 419 - 419: Dont Lie Anymore Elle was glad to hear the story of her Master and her father. She even learned that her father was the one who gave Phantom his alias. After being called the Masked Man for several years, his alias changed to Phantom because of Elle''s father. After talking about the connection between Phantom and Elle''s father in the past, Elle told Phantom everything that happened to her in the past two years. She also mentioned the help she received from James and the Skull Gang. They also talked about Lu''s condition. Later on, Charles, Brother Yu, and Brother Yan joined them in their conversation. They planned out their next move against Alfonso Ramirez. They would go together to infiltrate his hideout, steal Lu''s antidote, and grab some pieces of evidence of the Dark Knight''s illegal operation of bio-weapon facility. They divided the task. Phantom would take a lead in catching Alfonso Ramirez while Elle''s Team would focus on stealing antidote and gathering evidence. In the meantime, they would not touch Edson Tyler. Fortunately, Phantom agreed on letting him stay alive. After finalizing their plan, the five of them decided to take their dinner. They lost track of time strategizing their next moves. When they realized it was already night time. Elle informed and reminded Erick that she would stay over at Phantom''s place. After her phone conversation with Erick, Elle felt a little bit guilty. Because she knew that Erick''s team was working overtime in order to plan out their next move in catching the new Catseye and finding Edson Tyler. She was put into another difficult situation wherein she didn''t know how she would act accordingly. Erick''s team was investigating and chasing after the new Catseye. And those new Catseyes turned out to be her family- Charles, Phantom, and Phantom''s henchmen. Phantom noticed that Elle was bothered by something. She was sitting on the couch silently. Charles and Phantom sat down beside her. "What''s troubling you right now? You can share it with us." Phantom said, urging her to speak up. "?eah, we are willing to listen." Charles also supported Phantom''s statement. Elle decided to confront the two important people in her life who were the source of her troubles right now. "It''s about the new Catseye''s case. Erick''s team is handling this case. They were doing their best, putting all their efforts. Now, I know the truth and I feel like I am deceiving Erick if I will try to hide this from him. I don''t want to lie to him. But at the same time, I wanted to protect both of you. Now, I was put in this dilemma once again. What should I do?" Charles and Phantom exchanged glances with one another. They felt sorry for Elle. "I want to apologize for making things hard for you," Charles said, lowering his gaze. He couldn''t look straight at her eyes because of the burden he caused her. "Don''t worry too much, Elle. Just give me time. I will shoulder all the responsibility regarding this matter. Just leave it to me, my dear daughter." Phantom reassured her. "You can tell him the truth. Don''t lie with Erick anymore. You can trust him. He will understand. Don''t lie to him just for our sake. Don''t break his trust, Elle. He loves you so much. It will break his heart once he finds out you hide more things from him. I''m not against the idea of telling him the truth. So don''t hesitate and hold back. Just do it and tell him everything." Elle felt touched after hearing Phantom''s advice. What he said was true. She needed to tell Erick everything. She should not lie to him anymore. "Thanks, Father, I will do that." Then Elle turned to Charles with her questioning gaze. She wanted to hear his opinion too. "Don''t look at me like that Elle. I know¡­ I know¡­ I understand. You can tell him about me. Tell him I''m the one who pointed the gun at you last night. For sure, he will come at me and punch me in my face once again. But this time, I will be able to avoid it. Hmmm. I will fight back. He still owes me one punch." Charles lamented to her. Master Phantom just let out a soft chuckle after hearing Charle''s childish remarks. He could still remember the night when Erick came to Charles''s place to fetch Elle. Upon seeing Charles, he immediately punched him on his face. On the other hand, Elle folded her arms across her chest while eyeing Charles with an eyebrow raised. "He owed you one punch? I thought it was already settled two years ago when you gave him a hard punch when he was still at the hospital at South Carolina''s District Hospital. Did you forget about it?" Charles was rendered speechless after hearing that. Elle was giving him a sharp glare. He did punch Erick at that time. He was really mad and he blamed Erick for what happened to Elle. "I''m sorry. I was mad at that time. I couldn''t control my anger." Charles looked away with his guilty expression. When Elle saw that, she burst out laughing. She was not mad. She was just teasing Charles. "Hey, I''m just kidding. Haha. don''t give me that kind of face. I just reminded you that Erick didn''t owe you one punch anymore." "Yeah, I know!" Then the three of them erupted into a peal of laughter. Brother Yu and Brother Yan were just watching them on the sideline. They were glad to see them laughing again just like that. They knew that Master Phantom and Brother Charles suffered emotional pain for the past two years when they thought Elle died. Those years were very hard for them. Now, that their Lady Boss was back. Those wounds and emotional pain were now gone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Mr. Carter''s Place *** Meanwhile, on that same night, Mr. Carter went to his attic to retrieve some of his kits and pieces of equipment that he hadn''t use for several years now. There was a smile on his face while staring at those items. "Who would have thought that after 18 years, time would come that I would have to use these items once again. This time it is for a greater cause¡­ for a good cause." Mr. Carter mumbled to himself. Chapter 420 - 420: Already Suspected Them The next morning, Elle immediately headed straight to Erick''s house. It had only been one night that they didn''t see each other but Elle missed him already. Erick felt the same way. Since they got together once again, he wanted to be with Elle all the time. When Erick opened the door, Elle immediately threw herself at Erick, hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much, hubby." She mumbled in his ear. After saying that, Elle gave him a peck on his right cheek. But Erick was not yet satisfied with that kind of morning greetings from Elle. So Erick held her face, tilting her chin upward to give her a hungry and passionate morning greeting kiss. They kissed each other until they were both out of breath. "Good morning, wifey. I miss you so much." Erick pulled her once again closer to his body, engulfing her with his warm embrace. "Are you leaving for work now?" Elle asked him, eyeing Erick who was already wearing his detective''s uniform. Erick glanced at her with a radiant smile on his face. "Nope, I still have one hour to spend my time with you, Wifey. Come, did you eat breakfast already?" "Yes, I had my fill before I left Father''s place," Elle replied. "Father?" Erick asked her with a slight frown on his face. Elle nodded and explained, "My foster father, the one who saved me, my master. did you forget?" "Yeah, I remember. How''s your reunion with him and Charles?" Erick asked her expectantly. "It was great. I had fun. I''m so happy to see them once again." Erick bobbed his head, raising his hand to caress Elle''s face. "I know they were overjoyed the moment they saw you alive." "Erick, let''s go inside. I have something to tell you." With that, the husband and wife entered the house while holding each other''s hands. Erick''s parents just went to the market to buy some things needed in the house. So Elle and Erick were the only people at home as of this moment. They sat down on the sofa in the living room. Erick made her sit on his lap while he was hugging her from behind. Elle held his arms that were wrapping her body as she leaned on his strong hard chest. "What do you want to tell me?" Erick asked her, placing his chin on the top of her right shoulder while smelling her sweet scent. "I already knew the identity of the new Catseye." Elle directly said, not beating around the bush. "Hmm." Erick could only make that sound as he continued nuzzling his nose on the crook of her neck. He didn''t interrupt her. "The two Catseye are the two people closest to me. Charles and my foster father." Erick was not surprised to hear that. He already suspected them at the beginning of the case. "Why are you not talking?" Elle asked, pinching his arm. Erick didn''t flinch. He just let out a soft chuckle. "I suspected them already. Go on. I think you still have more to say to me." Elle just chewed her lower lip. Erick was right, she still had a lot to say. "The hostage-taking incident... that Catseye was Charles. I already knew so I helped him escape. I''m sorry for interfering with your job. I was the one who suggested to use me as his human shield because I know that snipers were scattered around the area." "Aah," Elle grunted as Erick suddenly bit her neck. As always, this was her punishment from him. "Bad girl needs to be punished... Tonight." Erick said to her meaningfully. "You punished me already on the same night, didn''t you?" "This one is new. The last punishment was all about breaking your promise of waiting for me." Elle could only sigh deeply. "What are you going to do now? Don''t worry, this time I won''t interfere with your work if ever you will chase after them. Edson Tyler is still alive but Father won''t release him in the meantime." "Okay, I understand. I already have a plan. I will use this Catseye''s case to reveal what happened to your family 18 years ago. Instead of going after them, my priority now is to unfold the truth and connect the dots. Revealing the crime of Edson Tyler, Alfonso Ramirez as well as the other members of the Los Molasses Gang will be the main focus of this case now. The reason why Catseye is targeting them is because of the brutal crime of massacring your family." "But... after that, I till have to chase after Charles and your Foster Father because of the crime they committed. I''m sorry, wifey." Elle squeezed Erick''s arm. "I understand. You don''t have to apologize. How about me? What are you going to do with me?" "I will imprison you, forever. And... you will need to serve me. Give me a ton of lovely and handsome children... little Elle and Erick''s junior." Erick said matter-of-factly. Elle couldn''t help but giggle because of Erick''s last remarks. He was shameless as ever. She didn''t know if he was joking or not. But he sounded very serious while saying that. They were still in the middle of their conversation when suddenly they heard the ringing of the doorbell. Someone came to visit them. Because if the people outside were Erick''s parents then they didn''t need to ring the doorbell since they had the spare key to Erick''s house. Elle got off his lap while Erick stood up to welcome the person outside. He was a little bit surprised when he saw that the person was none other than but Mr. Carter. He just visited them yesterday so he didn''t expect that he would also come today. "Hello, young man! Good morning!" Mr. Carter greeted him with enthusiasm. "Mr. Carter, good morning! I didn''t expect to see you today but I''m glad you drop by once again. Please come in." "Yeah, I came here because I have something to give you." Chapter 421 - 421: Lus Antidote "Yeah, I came here because I have something to give you." Mr. Carter directly said to Erick. His eyes were being with joy and excitement. "Something to give me?" Erick asked again to confirm. Mr. Carter nodded his head as a response. Erick lowered his gaze to see the small wooden square box Mr. Carter was holding in his hands. His interest was piqued by that wooden box. He wondered what item was inside that box. "Okay, Mr. Carter. Let''s go inside first. Elle is also in the living room right now." Erick invited him inside. "Oh, good timing. I wanna talk with her too." Mr. Carter said, peering his eyes inside. From the door, he could see Elle, sitting on the couch. Soon, the two men entered the house. Erick went to the kitchen first to get some snacks for their visitor while Mr. Carter joined Elle in the living room. "Oh, Mr. Carter, good morning. Glad to see you again today." Elle stood up, greeting him politely. She offered him to sit down. Mr. Carter sat on the vacant single sofa on the left side of Elle. He placed the wooden box in his lap. "I heard what happened to you two years ago. Erick told me about the toxin in your body." He said to her truthfully, bringing the topic up regarding Elle''s condition. "Do you see me as a nosy person now? Sticking my nose where it doesn''t belong?" Mr. Carter added. Elle let out a soft giggle before shaking her head. "No, Mr. Carter. I''m not thinking about that. Besides, I don''t mind, honestly. After all, you are my friend and Erick''s friend." A genuine smile played across his face. "I''m glad to hear that young people like you and Erick consider this old man as your friend." Elle burst out laughing once again because of that remarks. "Mr. Carter, even in friendship, age doesn''t matter." "Yeah, you''re right. I agree." Soon, Erick joined them. "Have a cup of coffee, Mr. Carter. I know you love strong coffee. So here it is." Erick placed the cup of coffee on the table near Mr. Carter. He also brought toasted bread, bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. Mr. Carter thanked Erick for his thoughtfulness. Then Erick sat down beside Elle. "Hmm, Since the two of you are already here, I should ask both of you." Mr. Carter started to open the conversation. "What is it, Mr. Carter?" "Are you still planning to do a dangerous mission just to find the antidote for your friend? You already know that your husband is worried about you." This question was directed to Elle. "Yes, I have to do it. Besides, I already get Erick''s permission to do it." Elle said with a faint smile on her face. Mr. Carter lifted his eyebrow and followed up another question. "Will you stop doing that dangerous mission once you find the Antidote beforehand?" Elle and Erick exchanged glances with one another. They didn''t know why suddenly Mr. Carter was asking Elle this question right now. Elle held Erick''s hand and squeezed it gently. "I''m sorry but I still have to do it not only because of Lu''s antidote but because I want to help in catching Alfonso and revealing his illegal activities. Both Erick and Mr. Carter sighed helplessly after hearing Elle''s answer. This meant she would still do it even if she could find the antidote for Lu. "Alright! Alright! Now I understand why this young man is overprotective of you. His wife is a very persistent and stubborn fellow who loves dangerous activities. Poor, Erick." Mr. Carter shook his head. Elle could only smile apologetically with the two men. She couldn''t refute that. And she could not deny the fact that she was already used to facing dangerous things all her life. But she swore to herself that she would become more cautious and extra careful from now on. "Don''t worry, Mr. Carter. I will protect my wife, this time." Erick had sworn to them. Elle felt touched after hearing that. She believed Erick would do that. "Okay. I think I have no control over that. But there''s something I could do to help you regarding the condition of your friend who was also exposed to the bio-weapon." Erick and Elle were dumbfounded after hearing that. They were at a loss for words. They just observed Mr. Carter''s expression, trying to figure out if he was just kidding or not. "Eh, don''t bluff. I might believe you, Mr. Carter. What do you mean by that?" Elle asked him, voicing out her confusion. She just wished Mr. Carter was serious and not simply joking to lighten the mood. Mr. Carter couldn''t help but chuckle because of that remarks coming from Elle. "Is my word not believable? Do I not look reliable in the eyes of two of you? Am I just an old man in your eyes?" Mr. Carter lamented to them, giving them a pitiful look. "Of course, not. I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to offend you, Mr. Carter. It''s just that I feel so desperate right now and wanted to find a cure for my friend Lu. His condition is not getting better." Elle apologized immediately. "Silly girl. My last statement was a true joke. Don''t take it to the heart. I''m just acting cute. But never mind. But don''t worry, I could help you with that problem. Besides, I owe this young man my life so I want to return the favor." Mr. Carter said, consoling Elle. After saying those words, Mr. Carter picked up the wooden box on his lap and handed it over to Erick who was sitting near him. "This is what I wanted to give you. That''s the reason I came here." Erick accepted the wooden box. Elle and Erick were now looking at the wooden box in Erick''s hand. Later on, Erick opened the box and they saw three small transparent glass bottles with a purple substance inside. It looked like a potion. After seeing the items inside the box, Erick and Elle averted their gaze to Mr. Carter with a questioning gaze. Mr. Carter gave them a meaningful smile before saying, "That is Lu''s antidote." Chapter 422 - 422: Shed Already Taken the Antidote Mr. Carter gave them a meaningful smile before saying, "That is Lu''s antidote." The husband and wife were utterly astounded after hearing that statement from Mr. Carter. "Do you really mean Antidote? The antidote for Lu¡­ for the toxin inside his body?" Elle asked him again to confirm. She was still in disbelief. "Yes, an antidote for the toxin in Lu''s body." Mr. Carter confirmed it with a reassuring smile on his face. Elle''s eyes didn''t know what to feel right now. But one thing was for sure¡­ she was grateful. It felt like she found her hope. She couldn''t help but become emotional as tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. "I made it myself. You can send it to his doctor to examine first if you want to make sure that it is safe to use. I will understand if you will not be a hundred percent confident in this antidote but I will ask you to trust me. I don''t wish him any harm. All I want is to help Erick and you to remove this heavy burden you are carrying on your shoulders right now." Mr. Carter said to them with utmost sincerity in his every word. Elle shook her head while wiping the tears using her bare hands. "I believe you, Mr. Carter. I have confidence in you. I want to try everything just to save him. I want him to recover. He''s so young. He must survive. I can''t lose him. He''s like a little brother to me." Erick was rubbing her back, comforting her. He could understand what she was feeling right now. Elle had been blaming herself all this time because of what happened to her brother Lu. If something bad will happen to him, Elle wouldn''t be free from this guilt. She wanted him to survive. She didn''t want to lose someone who''s important to her once again. "Thank you for your trust. Don''t worry, Elle. Everything is gonna be fine. I think Lu will be able to recover. He''s a strong man who is able to hang on until now. Two years in a coma, I know he is fighting, Elle. He knows that you are waiting for him, not giving up." Mr. Carter said a few comforting words for Elle. "I should be the one thanking you for this, Mr. Carter. This means a lot to me." Elle said, her grip on the wooden box tightened. Then Elle turned to Erick "I have to inform James. I want him to deliver this antidote to Lu as soon as possible." Elle said to Erick desperately. Erick just nodded at her with a smile. With his go signal, Elle excused herself and stood up to call James and Dr. Argus. She needed to inform them about this piece of good news. Erick and Mr. Carter were left in the living room. "Mr. Carter, I am so grateful for this. I owe you this. Thank you so much. How can I return this favor? Just tell me." Erick said, feeling so determined. Mr. Carter chuckled. "Young man, you misunderstood. You don''t owe me. I just returned the favor of you saving my life." "But how did you do it? Making the antidote?" Erick asked him with intrigue. "Remember, when I told you before that I have some knowledge n the field of medicine? I''m not bluffing, young man. I can make antidotes like this. That''s why I told you no need to bring me to the hospital, I could take care of myself. I can also treat my wound." Mr. Carter explained to him with confidence. But he didn''t directly give Erick a specific answer why he had knowledge on how to make antidotes for bio-weapons. Upon talking to Erick about Elle''s condition, Mr. Carter was able to figure out what bio-weapon was used in Elle. The symptoms and the effects on Elle''s body. He was working in those types of bio-weapon before. He created lots of bio-weapon. He already lost counts of how many bio-weapons he had produced in the past two decades. Then just one day, he just realized that what he was doing was not right anymore. He met a friend who made him realized that. He was awakened and learned to turn away from the dark path he had taken. He had been running away in the dark sides for two decades now. He tried his best to survive despite the fact that a big powerful organization continued hunting him until now. "Mr. Carter, I believe you now. Yeah, I think you were not bluffing before." Erick''s voice snapped him back out of his train of thoughts. "By the way, Erick¡­ there''s something I am curious about. You mentioned Elle had developed antibodies to fight the toxin inside her body that''s why she survived. So, did you mean¡­ she just healed naturally without taking any antidote?" Mr. Carter pondered at that thought. "Yes, Mr. Carter. That''s what she said. Even the doctors in the States failed to produce an antidote. She just healed naturally after being in a coma for six months. Her body was paralyzed but she was able to move again after she underwent therapy." A deep frown appeared on Mr. Carter''s aged face. He couldn''t believe that Elle would survive that without taking any antidote. But according to Erick, the doctors in the States who took care of her failed to make an antidote. Mr. Carter was certain that Elle would die in two days as maximum after being injected by bio-weapon. Mr. Carter fell silent while rubbing his chin. He was put in deep thoughts once again. Then after racking his brain so hard, Mr. Carter realized something. ''She would not survive that unless¡­ she already had the antidote inside her body¡­'' Mr. Carter''s eyes widened in that realization. That''s the only possible reason to explain how Elle survived. Then another question was formed in his mind. ''But how? How did she get it without even realizing it? Who gave her the antidote?'' Chapter 423 - 423: Making an Antidote for Everyone Mr. Carter and Erick were still talking in the living room when Elle came back. She''s already in a bright mood. She was so happy because of the antidote Mr. Carter made for Lu. She was excited to send this antidote to the States where Lu was currently admitted. "How is it?'''' Erick asked Elle when she sat down beside him. Erick hooked his arm around her and held her arm. "James is coming here to take this antidote. He will send someone to the States to bring this antidote to Lu. I also informed Dr. Argus about this." After saying that, Elle turned to Mr. Carter. "Dr. Argus was the doctor who took care of me when I was still in a coma. He was also glad to hear the good news. Then he wanted to ask permission if he could examine the formula of the antidote. Is it okay, Mr. Carter?" Elle asked his permission. Mr. Carter just nodded at Elle. "I made three antidotes. One for Lu and the other one for you Elle. He can use the extra antidote for his study. I''m not that generous enough to give him the formula but he could examine it by himself." "Yeah, it''s alright, Mr. Carter," Elle said with a faint smile. "Elle, your husband had mentioned to me that you didn''t take any antidote but you just recovered naturally." Mr. Carter brought up the topic as he voiced out his curiosity. "Yes, Mr. Carter. That''s right. We just considered it a miracle. Why?" Mr. Carter nodded his head while rubbing his chin. "I''m just thinking that there''s no way you would survive in that scenario, unless¡­ you already had the antidote inside your body. That''s my assumption. Did you take any kind of medicine before?" Elle frowned then she shook her head. "I couldn''t remember." "Okay. Would you mind if I will ask you to give me a blood sample f yours? I will just examine it. I''m really curious about how your body suddenly developed antibodies that could fight the negative effects of the toxin." "Oh sure, Mr. Carter. I didn''t mind." Elle responded promptly. "But to make sure¡­ after taking your blood sample, why don''t you take that antidote to ensure that the toxin in your body will hundred percent remove?" Mr. Carter suggested to Elle. "Mr. Carter, what if there is no toxin inside her body now then she takes this antidote. Is there gonna be a negative or harmful effect in her body?" Erick asked him inquisitively. He wanted to make sure that Elle would just be okay. "Don''t worry, young man. There will be no harmful effect even if Elle will take this antidote without toxin inside her system. This antidote will just remain inactive inside her body. But once she is exposed to the bio-weapon again, this inactive antidote will automatically become active and will produce antibodies to fight the toxin inside her body." Mr. Carter explained to both of them. "The antidote will be inactive but will start producing antibodies once it is triggered by the toxin¡­ is this the reason why you think I already had the antidote in my body?" "Yes¡­ That''s my assumption." "Wait¡­ this kind of thing also happened to my foster father two years ago. Our situations were very similar¡­" Elle informed them as she remembered what happened to Phantom. "Then maybe your foster father had an idea about this antidote. Maybe he was the one who gave you the antidote without realizing it." Mr. Carter shared his thoughts with them. "Okay. I will try to ask, Father. But¡­ I think I don''t have to drink this antidote anymore." Both men instantly averted their gaze to Elle after hearing that. They were giving her a questioning look. Elle picked up one bottle of antidote from the wooden box then she faced Erick. "Erick¡­ you should be the one to drink this. If Mr. Carter''s assumption is right then It only means that I already have taken the antidote. So¡­ it''s better if you take this. We are going to infiltrate a bio-weapon facility. You need this to be immune to the harmful effect of the bio-weapon." Mr. Carter couldn''t help but chuckle. Now, he understood why she refused to take it. At first, he thought Elle was in doubt but it turned out that she only wanted to protect her husband, Erick. "Erick, I agree with Elle, You should drink this. It will be helpful for you." Mr. Carter supported Elle''s idea. Erick had no choice but to follow and fulfill Elle''s request. If drinking that antidote would make her feel at ease then he was more than willing to take it. Erick and Elle trusted Mr. Carter. They knew he had no intention to harm them. With that thought in mind, Erick didn''t hesitate to drink the purple liquid inside that small bottle in front of Elle and Mr. Carter. "How does it taste?" Elle asked him with intrigue. Erick''s lips twitched then he lifted an eyebrow while eyeing Elle. "Do you want to have a taste?" Erick asked her meaningfully. There''s a mischievous smile playing across his handsome face. Before Elle could respond Erick already cupped her face using both hands and leaned over to claim her lips. Erick kissed her passionately. Meanwhile, Mr. Carter was dumbfounded. But the moment he recovered he just looked away while shaking his head helplessly. The kiss lasted for a few seconds, enough to give Elle the after taste of the antidote Erick just drank a while ago. After they broke apart from that kiss, Elle immediately hit Erick on his chest. Erick just let out a husky laugh. "So how does it taste, wifey?" Erick asked Elle teasingly. "It''s bitter!!!" Elle complained while glaring at Erick. "Hmm. strange¡­ I think it became sweet after kissing you." Erick said with a cheeky smile on his face. Cough! Cough! Cough! Mr. Carter could no longer bear it so he cleared his throat to tell the husband and wife that he was still there. The couple was unintentionally feeding him dog food right now. "Oh, sorry about that Mr. Carter." Elle apologized immediately with her blushing face. "It''s okay. But don''t do it very often in front of this old man. You were just reminding me that I am a lonely man" Mr. Carter lamented to them. Erick and Elle just nodded at him. Then Erick became serious again as he told Mr. Carter something. "Mr. Carter, can you make more antidotes? I just want my team to have it also. I don''t want them to be exposed to the bio-weapon as well." Erick politely requested him. "Sure, I can do that." Mr. Carter said willingly to Erick. "Please make extra for my team too." Elle also pleaded with her reddened face. She was too embarrassed to ask but she needed to become shameless for the safety of her brothers. "Alright. I will create more. It would be a great pleasure to help both of you. Don''t worry. Leave it to me. Just give me the number you need. I will try to finish it within three days." Erick: "Thank you, Mr. Carter." Elle: "We owe you this." Chapter 424 - 424: Apology and Forgiveness Erick, Elle, and Mr. Carter were still talking in the living room when someone arrived outside the door. Elle stood up immediately because she was certain that the person outside was James. Erick couldn''t help himself from following Elle. The two of them welcomed the visitor outside while Mr. Carter remained seated in the living room. When Elle opened the door, James and Spike greeted her sight. "Elle¡­" James mumbled as his eyes lit up upon seeing her. He missed her as he felt like he hadn''t seen her for long. "James!" Elle exclaimed in excitement before hugging him. She couldn''t help it. She was just really happy about the good thing that happened today. James was the person who helped her in the past two years. She knew the effort James had done for both of them- for her and for Lu. She couldn''t contain her happiness and wanted to share it with James. "Finally, we finally got the antidote that will cure Lu." She mumbled enthusiastically. James returned her hug with a bright smile on his face. He looked at her helplessly, letting out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, I know. You already told me that over the phone. That''s the reason I am here. Did you forget?" He said, teasing her. "Of course not! I''m just informing you face to face¡­ because I''m so happy. Thank you, James. Thank you so much for everything. Please send this antidote to Lu immediately." Elle said pleadingly. "You don''t have to tell me twice. I know what to do. And stop thanking me. You already said it to me many times." James said, complaining slightly. Elle just giggled after she heard that. Then she released James from that hug. Erick had also joined them. Erick and James met each other''s gaze. They couldn''t hide the awkwardness between them. This was the first time they faced each other once again after the Welcome Party wherein James had introduced Elle as his fiancee. James knew he had hurt Erick. He knew how painful it was for him thinking that Elle died two years ago. James admitted that he was at fault. Erick suffered emotional pain for two years because he hid the truth from him. He was selfish. He thought if Erick and Elle would be separated he could replace Erick in her heart. He thought Erick would move on in his life and find a new girl for him. He thought Selena would be able to replace Elle in Erick''s heart. He was a fool and stupid to believe that. He underestimated Erick and Elle''s love for each other. Now, he realized his mistake and accepted the truth. No one could ever replace Erick in Elle''s heart nor someone could ever replace Elle in Erick''s heart. Their love for each other was very strong that they could conquer even death. That''s how he would describe Elle and Erick''s love. "Mr. Arison," Erick was the first one to greet James. "Chief Lee," James returned his greeting by nodding at him. Elle darted her gaze back and forth between Erick and James. She didn''t know if calling James to come over at Erick''s place was a good idea or not. Elle suddenly became anxious. Then James glanced at Elle with a faint smile before telling her, "Elle, you can talk to Spike about what you need and give him the antidote. He already knows what to do." Elle just nodded at James''s instruction. Then after a few seconds, Elle frowned, asking him "What about you?" James just gave him a reassuring smile before he averted his gaze to Erick. "I want to talk with Chief Lee. May I borrow your husband for a while?" He asked Elle but James was looking at Erick. James already knew that Erick and Elle were already married that''s why he said that. On the other hand, Erick was a little bit surprised. He didn''t expect that James would initiate first to have a conversation with him. If James didn''t bring it up then Erick would be the one to ask him if they could talk even for a few minutes. Elle was reluctant to leave the two men alone. She was afraid that they would end up fighting. But thinking about Erick, she knew that Erick was an open-minded and very understanding person. So in the end, Elle agreed with James''s request. She gave them privacy while inviting Spike inside. She would give him the antidote and discuss what more they needed. Dr. Argus also gave her instruction on where they should send it. Elle would inform Spike about that. Erick and James just stayed on the balcony. They decided to talk there. At first, the two of them were so quiet, waiting who would speak up first. James felt guilty for what he had done so he was the one who spoke up first between them. "Erick¡­ I know I made a terrible sin against you. I have no right to face you like this. I made you suffer all these years because of my selfishness." James said to him, admitting his fault. Erick didn''t say anything. He just let James finished what he wanted to tell. Erick was silently and attentively listening to him. He wanted to hear his explanation personally. "I want to apologize for what I did. I hope you can forgive me despite the all pains I caused you for the past two years. I hide the truth from you¡­ because I love her. Because I thought¡­ I could make Elle fall for me. But I was wrong. She never stopped loving you. She persevered every day so that she could come back to you." "I''m sorry for trying to break you apart. But don''t worry. Elle and I had already talked about this. We decided to just stay friends. Please don''t forbid me from seeing each other. I will sort out my feelings slowly. You don''t have to worry. I won''t do the same mistakes. Because of my selfishness, I made Elle cry. I will not repeat it. I just want her to be happy." James was being sincere with Erick. When James stopped speaking, that was the cue that it was Erick''s turn to speak up. "Yeah. I will not deny the fact that I suffered too much because you hid the truth from me. I always made myself believe that Elle was still alive. That''s the only way I could think of so that I would not go crazy. So that I could still continue living." "But It won''t hurt too much if I learned that she''s really alive¡­ that it was true and not just my wishful thinking. Yeah, I should get mad at you for doing that. I know you love her as much as I do." "But instead of thinking about the negative sides, I want to look at it from the positive sides. You helped Elle. You were the one who saved her. You did everything you could for her to recover. I was thankful and very grateful because of that. Elle was alive¡­ that''s what really matters to me." "So I couldn''t hate you. Saving her life, from that reason alone, I could forget what you did to me and... I could forgive you. Yeah¡­ I already forgave you, James." Chapter 425 - 425: Be A Witness Saving her life, from that reason alone, I could forget what you did to me and... I could forgive you. Yeah¡­ I already forgave you, James." Those last words coming from Erick really surprised James. He didn''t expect that he would easily forgive him just because he saved Elle. Now, he understood more why he would never replace Erick in Elle''s heart. Erick was a good person. He didn''t bear grudges and take revenge. He was always looking at the positive sides of things. He was also forgiving. If he was in his shoes then he would not easily forgive that someone. "Thank you, Erick. I hope regardless of what happened, we can still be friends." James said to him, feeling sincere. He wanted to get closer to Erick although he''s the reason Elle couldn''t love him back. He already accepted it. And now, he was trying his best to move on. But he still liked to stay closer with both of them. "Of course, Elle cared for you as her friend. I also want to be your friend. I owe you so much. I am really grateful for all the help you''ve given to her." Erick responded to him. James smiled and nodded at his remarks. Later on, Erick extended his right hand to James. He wanted to seal their friendship with a handshake. James gladly accepted his hand. Erick and James had reconciled that day. James had apologized for Erick while Erick had forgiven him. So Elle had nothing to worry about now because those two men closer in her heart also became friends that day. Both of them had sworn that they would protect Elle no matter what. They would help her in getting justice for her family''s death. The two men just finished their talk when Elle, Mr. Carter, and Spike came out of the front door. Spike was already holding the wooden box that was containing the antidotes. Mr. Carter also bade them goodbye after introducing himself to James. He still had more works to do. He needed to create more antidotes before Elle and Erick''s team would go on a mission, infiltrating the bio-weapon facility. Even though he didn''t ask Erick and Elle for the further detail of that bio-weapon facility, Mr. Carter had already known that they were referring to the bio-weapon facility being operated by the Dark Knight Organization. The Dark Knight Organization was the only organization that would take a risk of producing bio-weapon in the country. They had the only organization he knew that could hide this operation from the government and law enforcement for more than three decades since they started. In fact, he worked for them. He was a genius scientist who was involved in the production of bio-weapon that''s why he also knew how to make antidotes for those bio-weapons. The Dark Knight Organization was still looking for him, hunting him for the past 18 years. He went into hiding, trying to survive away from the radar of the Dark Knight Organization. He couldn''t go to the police because the Dark Knight organization had planted people, spies, and accomplices in the law enforcement department. Some even had high ranking positions. He trusted no one because one mistake could jeopardize his safety. He didn''t want to go back to that facility and be a tool for their evil works just like before. He wanted to start a new life but it was near to impossible as long as the Dark Knight Organization was still going stronger and powerful in the underground world. He couldn''t guarantee his safety anymore. But Mr. Carter was still lucky that he found and met people who were trying to against the Dark Knight Organization. They were Erick and Elle. Maybe it was fate that brought them together. Now, he would do his best in order to support them in this fight against that evil organization. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Phantom''s Hideout *** Phantom together with Brother Yu and Brother Yan was standing in front of Edson Tyler who was tied down in a chair and his eyes were blindfolded. Edson''s wounds were already treated by Brother Yu and Brother Yan. They didn''t torture him anymore, fulfilling the request of their Lady Boss. She wished to change their method and avoid spilling of blood. So here they were, trying to negotiate with Edson Tyler. They would try to convince him to do something that would help him save his a*s right now. If he won''t change his mind then he would be a prisoner forever. "Edson... Edson... Edson..." Phantom mumbled his name thrice, trying to intimidate him. And he succeeded. Edson''s body was trembling in fear. "Do you want to live? or do you want to follow your friend Samuel Sy, Roland Bienvenido, and others in hell?" "Please... don''t kill me... Let me go. Tell me... anything. I will do it... just don''t kill me." Edson''s desperate voice echoed in the entire room, begging them not to kill him. He knew that these people were capable of killing him without mercy just like what happened to Roland Bienvenido. That''s why he was willing to do anything they wanted so that he could live. "Are you sure? Are you willing to do anything that we will ask of you to do?" "Yes! Yes! I will! I promise!" Edson promptly said, afraid that they would change their mind. "Alright, that''s good. Don''t worry, once you fulfill our request then you can stay alive. No one will touch you here. We will not torture you anymore. But you will remain here until you finish the job." Phantom informed him. "Okay, okay! I understand. Just tell me what is it?" Edson Tyler felt like he found his hope because of Phantom''s remarks. "Be a witness... for Falcon Massacre Case. Reveal everything you know. You will tell the court what really happened that day. All the members of the Los Molasses gang who were involved in that massacre. You should reveal them in the court." "Okay! I will do that! I will be a witness. I will tell the court and the police everything that happened 18 years ago including all the names of the perpetrators!" Phantom''s lips curled up in a triumphant smile after hearing that. Chapter 426 - 426: Preparation *** FIVE DAYS LATER *** At Skull Gang Headquarters Black Shadow and Sherlock were summoned by James. He had some important tasks for them to do. Spike was not present because he went to the States a few days ago to deliver Lu''s antidote. "Hey, Are we going to City X today to accompany Catseye?" Black Shadow asked James. His voice filled with enthusiasm. James lifted his eyebrow while eyeing Black Shadow suspiciously. "Oops, don''t give me that look. Don''t get me wrong. I am not coveting your Catseye. I am just excited to work with her on one mission." Black Shadow defended himself right away. Sherlock just shook his head helplessly while darting his gaze back and forth between Black Shadow and James. Black didn''t stop teasing Supremo. He couldn''t even do that once. Supremo was frightening for him. After a few seconds, James broke his silence and spoke up with them. "Black, you have mentioned the shady deal that is going happen between the Dark Knight Organization and one terrorist group one week from now." "Yes, why?" Black asked him with a deep frown. He was talking about the mission with Catseye but James brought up a different topic. "You and Sherlock will not go to City X to accompany Catseye. She already had more backs up who would go with her on this mission. You will focus on monitoring the Dark Knight''s movement here in City Z." The crease on Black Shadow''s face deepened after hearing that."Eh, that means I will be able to join her? Too bad¡­ I''m looking forward to that day." He heaved a frustrated sigh. He felt a little bit disappointed with James''s news. James''s lips twitched, fighting a smile. He didn''t expect that Black Shadow was fond of Elle too. But he knew that it was not in a romantic way. "Don''t worry. She wanted me to relay a message for you." James said as consolation for Black Shadow''s disappointment. "Hmm¡­ okay. Tell me! What is it?" Black Shadow said with eagerness. He wanted to know what Elle''s message was all about. Sherlock was amazed at how Black Shadow could talk with their Supreme leader informally like they were just talking as friends. "She wanted to thank you for offering some help. She said she had to postpone this collaboration with you because she already had people on her side who were going to help her. She wanted you to focus on the upcoming deal of the Dark Knight Organization in the Black Market." James paused for a moment before he continued telling him the rest. "Is that all?" Black Shadow could not hide his dismay. "Nope. She said do your best and prepare yourself next week." James responded nonchalantly at him. "Eh, why is that so? Am I working for her?" Black Shadow lamented to James. Sherlock who was just listening on the sideline had the urge to facepalm because of Black Shadow''s childish attitude. "Because that day she will join you on that mission," James said matter-of-factly. Black Shadow''s face brightened up immediately after hearing that. "Really? Is that true? She''s going to join us on this mission?" "Yes¡­ she will¡­ because she also wants to know the identity of the Dark Lord." "Oh! That''s great! Then¡­ I will do my best and show off my skills to her. Hahaha." Black Shadow mumbled shamelessly while boasting. James and Sherlock just looked at him strangely. After a while, James picked up something from his drawer. He placed two transparent bottles containing a purple substance. "You two drink this." James firmly said without even explaining to them what was that liquid substance all about. Sherlock and Black Shadow exchanged meaningful glances with each other. Both of them were reluctant to drink it. They thought it would taste bad. They were not sure if James was just playing pranks on them or he was dead serious. Sherlock finally found his courage to speak up. "Pardon Supremo¡­ but before we drink this please explain to us first what is this and what''s the purpose of this. Of course, I know it''s not poison. You are not planning to poison us, I believe that. Hehehe. But I''m curious about this thing who looks like a potion." "This is for safety precaution. We are dealing with the Dark Knight Organization and as we all know, they are working on bio-weapons. Once you get exposed to a bio-weapon or if they decide to use it against you then you will surely die. This is an antidote that will fight the harmful effects of their bio-weapon. Drink it for your protection." The two men just nodded as they finally understood James''s motive for making them drink that substance. Soon, they drank the substance in one go. James didn''t want the two men about its bitter taste. So they end up coughing with their contorted expression on their faces after drinking it. James laughed inwardly upon seeing the ugly expressions of his two loyal subordinates. Meanwhile, at Phantom''s place, Elle also delivered them the antidotes that they needed before infiltrating the bio-weapon facility of the Dark Knight Organization in City X. James also did the same. He also gave his team the antidote made by Mr. Carter. He just finished making all the antidotes for Erick and Elle''s team this morning. Elle also informed Master Phantom, Charles, Brother Yu, and Brother Yan about the good news. "I received an update from Dr. Argus. Lu''s vital had improved after they injected this antidote into his body three days ago. He said Lu might be awakened from his coma soon." Elle cheerfully informed them. Happiness could be seen on their faces after hearing that piece of good news. "Lady Boss, we are glad to hear that. I miss him so much. I hope our brother Lu would recover soon." Brother Yan said, feeling a little bit emotional. "Don''t worry, Lu will make it. He will get better soon." Brother Yu said, tapping Brother Yan''s shoulder. "Yeah, that kid is a strong man." Master Phantom mumbled. "Once he wakes up, James''s men will bring him back here at City Z. He will continue his treatment here," Elle said to them. "That''s great. We can look after him here. We can take care of him and visit him every day." Charles shared his thoughts. "That''s true. We will take good care of him, personally." Brother Yan said excitedly. "Okay, so for now. Let''s go to City X. Your other brothers should also take these antidotes." Phantom said, getting ready to leave. "Okay, Father. You and brothers should be careful. Erick, Charles, and I will follow you tomorrow." Elle reminded them. Brother Yan: "Thank you, Lady Boss!" Brother Yu: "Yes, Lady Boss, we will be more careful this time." Elle nodded at them with a faint smile. "By the way, where''s Edson Tyler. How is he?" "He already agreed on standing as a witness for your Family Massacre Case. He is locked in the bas.e.m.e.nt. Clara also treated his wound already. Your Uncle Antoine is on his way here. In the meantime, he will be the one to watch over Edson Tyler while we are not around." Phantom was the one who answered Elle''s query. "I''m glad to know that, Father. Erick will help me to reopen this case." Chapter 427 - 427: Infiltrating Alfonsos Hideout *** Night Time: At City of X *** There were two teams currently hiding in the dark outside of the large compound where Alfonso Ramirez was currently staying. Erick''s team was composed of Bryan, Officer Kim, and others. While the other team was composed of Elle, Phantom, Charles, and Phantom''s henchmen. Elle and Erick had agreed to meet once they were already inside the compound. Erick asked officer Kim and his men to stay on guard outside while Bryan and Erick would go to sneak in. On Elle''s team, Phantom, Elle, and Charles would be the one to go. Brother Yu and others would be on standby and would wait for Phantom''s further instruction before they would make move. It would be hard for them if many of them would go. The compound was well-guarded. The security was heightened. The guards were on high alert. Fortunately, Phantom''s team informed Erick about the area wherein there were fewer guards. Phantom''s surveillance for the past few days had helped them identify the routine of the guards inside the compound such as what time they were usually roving at night. They also took note of the location of security cameras. Though there were no traps inside the compound, they found out that guard dogs were scattered in the area. They should be careful not to be spotted by the guard dogs because enemies would be notified immediately once the dog started barking to make some noise. Everyone who would infiltrate the facility was wearing all black to camouflage themselves in the dark. Phantom and Charles were the ones who would try to kidnap Alfonso while Erick and Elle including Bryan would try to gather evidence that this bio-weapon facility existed. At around 12 midnight, Elle and Erick''s team started to move. Erick and Bryan entered from the southern part of the compound whereas Elle, Charles, and Phantom entered from the western side of the compound. They successfully avoided the security cameras as they already knew the blindspot. Erick and Elle were both constantly communicating through their devices. The five of them were already inside. No guards were roving as of this moment. They were more cautious about guard dogs than the guards. At least they can easily knock off those men than those guard dogs. Besides, they didn''t want to hurt any dogs on this mission. So as much as possible, they would try to avoid those watchdogs. Elle went separate ways with Phantom and Charles in order to meet Erick and Bryan. This time the two of them were planning to tell Bryan that Elle was alive. The area was vast and wide. But they already located their target area. There was a unique building standing in the center of the compound. It was an enclosed facility wherein lots of guards were scattered around it. After ten minutes of walking, Erick and Elle finally met each other just a few meters away from the facility. They were hiding on the big old tree. Bryan was surprised when he learned that Erick got company. He didn''t know that he would be meeting someone there. He was utterly astounded when Bryan saw the person waiting for them in that big tree. "Miss Aliyah Rose?! What are you doing here?!" Bryan exclaimed in disbelief. He didn''t expect to see her. Elle didn''t know whether she should be happy or not since Bryan was now thinking of her as Aliyah. She wondered why Bryan didn''t even suspect that she might be Elle. How come a reporter like Aliyah Ross was able to sneak inside this well-guarded compound? "Bryan..." Elle called him out. She was contemplating whether she would correct his assumption or not. But before doing this mission, Erick and Elle had already agreed that once she met Bryan on this mission then they would tell him the truth about her identity. Bryan was Erick''s best friend. He also became Elle''s close friend. Aside from everyone, Bryan also suffered a lot when they thought Elle died two years ago. Just like everyone else, Bryan also blamed himself that he was not able to save Elle. He didn''t know how to face Erick because he failed to save the woman his best friend''s love. This time, Elle and Erick didn''t want to keep Bryan in the dark. He also deserved to know that she was alive and living just fine together with Erick. "Miss Aliyah Ross? Erick.. what should we do now? Why did you bring Aliyah here? This is a very dangerous mission. Why are you here, Aliyah? Are you trying to get yourself killed? This is not something you need to cover for your articles." Bryan spoke up spontaneously, nagging at her. Erick and Elle were rendered speechless. Bryan didn''t change. He was still the talkative person they knew before. His blabbering mouth was still noisy and loud. "Hey, Calm down Bry. We have something to tell you. Please listen to us. But we will further explain everything to you once we finished this mission." Erick said, trying to calm Bryan down before they gave him a piece of shocking news. "Okay, okay, I will listen. What is it? Just tell me." Bryan said feeling curious and intrigue. "Please don''t be shocked once we tell you the truth." Elle also said to Bryan. "And don''t shout nor faint... we still have a mission to do," Ell added. "For goodness''s sake, please... just tell me! This kind of talk is slowly killing me." Bryan blurted out, feeling impatient. Erick and Elle exchanged meaningful glances with each other. They were asking themselves who would speak with Bryan and tell him the truth. Later on, Erick nodded his head, signaling Elle to do it. With that, Elle faced Bryan while holding both his shoulders. Without breaking any eye-contact, Elle started to confess with him the truth about her identity. "Bryan... This is me... Elle. I am alive. I''m not Aliyah Ross." Elle mumbled. Bryan blinked his eyes several times while looking at Elle. He stayed silent. His mind was still absorbing the information she had just said to him. "Wait... pardon? What did you say again?" Chapter 428 - 428: Information Leakage "Wait¡­ pardon? What did you say again?" Bryan asked Elle, confusion was written all over his face. Bryan didn''t know if his ears were just playing tricks on him. ''Did she really mention that she was Elle? That Elle was alive and Aliyah Ross was Elle?'' A deep sigh escaped from Elle''s lips while Erick looked at Bryan helplessly. They already saw this kind of expression before. It was the same expression when they told Bryan about Elle''s identity as Catseye. "Bryan¡­ It''s me¡­ Elle¡­ Catseye, the devilish assassin¡­ The wife of your best friend Erick." Elle told him the truth repeatedly. "Elle? Catseye?" Elle nodded her head and said, "Yes." "She''s Elle, my wife whom we thought died two years ago. She survived. She didn''t die." This time Erick spoke up to support Elle''s statement, convincing Bryan to believe everything he had just heard. When Bryan heard that, his mind finally absorbed everything. His shock was just temporary as it was soon replaced by joy. He also became emotional. With misty eyes, he called her name "Elle!" before pouncing on her to hug her. "You''re alive! Thank God! You''re alive!" Elle let out a soft giggle after seeing Bryan''s joyful but emotional reactions. She hugged him back. "Thank you, Bryan. Thank you for looking out and watching over Erick when I was gone. You did a great job of protecting him." Elle said, feeling grateful to Bryan. "You don''t have to thank me. I''m just doing my job as his best friend and at the same time, keeping my promise to you. I know you don''t want something bad happens to him." Bryan responded to her with so much sincerity. "Alright. We have to move now. Let''s talk more about this after we finish this mission." Elle said, breaking the hug. The two men just nodded in agreement. Soon, they slowly and cautiously moved towards the back of the facility, seeking an alternative way to go inside. The front side was heavily guarded. There were five to eight people lurking around and three people staying on guard at the front entrance. At the back, there were two guards roving around the area. Elle and Erick brought tranquilizer to knock down and made their opponents sleep. Bryan watched their backs while Erick and Elle charged towards the two men on guards. The moment the two men noticed their presence, it was already too late. They were injected right away by tranquilizer on their necks while Erick and Elle were covering their mouths to avoid them from making any sounds. After that, they signaled Bryan to come over. There was a big door made of steel at the back of the facility, the only way to go inside. Elle tried to deactivate the CCTV camera installed on the backside of that facility. Once she was done, Bryan and Erick tried to unlock the steel door. Fortunately, Elle and Erick had anticipated this so they brought some tools that they could use to unlock doors. After ten minutes of trying, they finally opened the door. They brought the two unconscious men with them so that if ever the roving guards would go to that area they would not see the unconscious men. Upon entering the facility, Elle Erick and Bryan were surprised to see what''s inside. It was completely empty. "Huh? Why is it we can see nothing here?" Bryan asked in confusion. They were expecting to get something useful as evidence but to their disappointment, they saw nothing but an empty facility. Elle and Erick could not also believe it. Before coming here, they were certain that this was the bio-weapon facility. Suddenly they had a bad feeling about this as if the Dark Knight organization knew that they were about to infiltrate the facility tonight so they cleaned it up and removed the evidence. "Damn! They knew that they were coming. This is a trap." Elle said in her worried tone. She immediately contacted Charles and Phantom. "Father¡­ pull out! We need to retreat! This is a trap! They knew that we are coming. The facility is empty!" "What? How come? How they would know?" Phantom asked her from the other line. "I think there''s information leakage. We need to warn others. Bryan, call officer Kim." Erick said, requesting Bryan to inform Officer Kim about the situation. Bryan immediately complied with Erick''s request. The moment the communication line with officer Kim got connected, Bryan already heard the sound of gunshots. There was an on-going shootout happening outside the compound. "Officer Kim? What''s happening? Why am I hearing the sound of gunfire?" Bryan asked him with a worried tone. "The guard had noticed our presence. They started shooting us. You need to get out of there now! There are lots of them. We are outnumbered. We have no choice but to retreat." Officer Kim told Bryan with urgency. "What happened?" Erick and Elle asked Bryan. "Officer Kim and his men are being attacked by now. We should move and retreat. F*ck! I think there''s a traitor who tipped our enemies." Bryan mumbled through his gritted teeth. "Alright. We are moving out now." Phantom informed Elle. Then Elle turned to Bryan and Erick. "Tell officer Kim to leave and do not wait for the two of you. You two will come with me." The two men didn''t oppose her idea. They informed Officer Kim to leave right away before someone would get injured. Upon leaving the facility, they could still hear the exchange of gunshots nearby. Phantom henchmen were already waiting for them. They managed to avoid the guards because they were focused on chasing after Officer Kim and his team. Bryan was surprised when he met Elle''s brothers. Their voices sounded familiar to him, especially Brother Yan''s voice. He was the one who spoke to Bryan in the MB Athena while they were trying to rescue Elle. "You are one of the people who helped us two years ago on our mission on South Carolina''s coast?" Bryan asked Brother Yan. "Yes, Nice to see again, Brother Bryan." Brother Yan greeted Bryan cheerfully. He was delighted to see him again. "[email protected]! This is Catseye''s team!" Bryan exclaimed with amus.e.m.e.nt and enthusiasm. Chapter 429 - 429: Congratulatory Message When they received the retreat signal, Officer Kim and his men pulled out right away without waiting for Bryan and Erick. He trusted their judgment so he followed their request immediately. He knew that Bryan and Erick would be able to leave the compound safely. Upon leaving the compound, they would regroup once again at the agreed meeting place. Officer Kim just needed more time to escape from those guys who were still tailing them. The mission had been compromised. They didn''t know what happened but one thing was for sure, their enemies were aware of their plan tonight. Fortunately, they were cautious enough, or else, just one mistake and the safety of the team would be jeopardized. Meanwhile, Erick and Bryan were already reunited with Elle''s Team. They were just waiting for Charles and Master Phantom to arrive. Bryan was being entertained by Brother Yan. The rest of Phantom''s henchmen headed by Brother Yu remained vigilant and alert, checking the surrounding whether the Dark Knight''s men were just lurking around and getting ready to launch a surprise attack. On the other hand, Erick and Elle were also having their private conversation while staying on guard. "Hey, are you alright?" Elle asked Erick worriedly as he looked like he was in deep thoughts. "I''m sorry, wifey," Erick mumbled, wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her closer to her. Elle was taken aback by his sudden apology. "What''s wrong? Why are you apologizing to me?" "The mission failed. Alfonso Ramirez got away with this once again. Someone informed them about our mission and I think the information leakage came from my team, not yours." Erick said with his saddened expression. Elle held his hand as she consoled him. "This is not your fault. We already know that the Dark Knight Organization has spies in the law enforcement departments. You have no control over those things. You are also clueless who are our enemies hiding with their mask." Erick just heaved a deep sigh while hugging Elle from behind. "Don''t worry. Alfonso Ramirez will not be able to escape from us forever. We are getting near to the truth." Elle stated meaningfully. "Edson Tyler also agreed on becoming a witness for my family''s murder case. We just had to protect his life. If the enemy learns about this, they might target Edson Tyler and kill him even before he can stand in the court." Elle informed Erick of the good news. "Alright. Then I will ask my prosecutor friend to help us with this case. I already gave him a heads-up about reopening your family''s massacre case. I also sent him a copy of your family''s case file and my father visited him this morning." "Thank you, hubby. You are working hard for this. I really appreciate your help." Elle mumbled, feeling grateful to Erick. "It''s my job to do this. No need to thank me." After a while, they saw two black figures running in their direction. They recognized them immediately. The two men in black were Phantom and Charles. Erick was surprised to see Tom, the person who introduced himself as Charles''s father and the co-owner of Falcon cafe two years ago. It turned out that he was the foster father of Elle who saved her eighteen years ago. "Erick, he''s my father, the benefactor I mentioned before¡­ Mr. Morgan." Elle finally introduced Phantom as her father to Erick. Erick knew Phantom''s according to Elle''s story. He was also an elite assassin a few years back before he retired¡­ the legendary assassin. Aside from being her guardian, Phantom was also her master. The one who taught Elle everything to become a full-fledged assassin. "Mr. Morgan¡­" Erick blurted out as he greeted him. He didn''t know what to say to him. Then he turned to Charles, simply nodding his head. Charles also greeted him back with a nod. Phantom just gave him a faint smile. "Let''s talk later. We need to get out of here first." "Alright Father, but what took you so long to arrive?" Elle asked him quizzically. Phantom and Charles just exchange meaningful glances, each of them was having a sly smile on their faces. "We just give them a congratulatory message since they anticipated our arrival¡­ tonight," It was Charles who answered Elle, there was a glint of humor in his eyes. Phantom just let out a soft chuckle while patting Charles''s shoulder as if telling him that they did a good job. Erick and Elle just looked at them confusedly. It did not take long when Elle''s query was answered. They heard a loud blast coming from the inside of the compound. Boom! Boom! That''s what the congratulatory message Charles was talking about- an explosion! They planted a time-bomb in the empty facility of the Dark Knight Organization. They used code Bs, the same bomb they used two years ago when blasting MV Athena, Dark Knight Organization''s cruise ship. "Damn! What is that?!" Bryan asked them a question with a very obvious answer. "Brother... some kind of explosion," Brother Yan answered him while scratching the back of his head. Erick was rendered speechless as he looked at Elle''s team helplessly. "Wifey, it looks like you and your team like to make everything explode." Elle couldn''t help but giggle after seeing Erick''s expression. She couldn''t tell whether Erick was complaining or not. "This is the dark side of your wifey. Remember, I could also make you explode," Elle said to Erick with her naughty smile. Elle also winked at her hubby. That''s the time Erick could no longer hold his laughter. A while ago he was feeling down because of what happened. But Elle managed to lift his mood once again. "Then, will you do it wifey... tonight?" Erick asked his wife shamelessly. Elle just rolled her eyes, pinching Erick''s waist. "Nope. We should plan out our next moves." Erick just let out a husky laugh. Then Phantom didn''t waste any more time as he told them to move. They should leave the place now. There''s no more reason to stay there. Chapter 430 - 430: Dark Lords Order *** At Dark Knight Headquarters in City Z *** [ Two hours after Erick and Elle''s team infiltrated the Bio-weapon facility of the Dark Knight Organization in City X¡­] Alfonso was having a conversation with the Dark Lord when they received an update coming from City X. "Is that message coming from our men in City X?" the Dark Lord asked Alfonso after he hung up the phone. "Did they exterminate those flies who tried to infiltrate our hideout in City X?" he added as followed up question. Alfonso didn''t know how to tell the Dark Lord that their men were not able to catch nor kill one person tonight. He also got another bad news. He was certain that the Dark Lord would be infuriated once he learned about this. "What''s wrong? Why you are not talking?" The Dark Lord was feeling a little bit impatient because of Alfons¨®''s silence. "Forgive me, Dark lord, but I''m afraid that what I am about to tell you will infuriate you," Alfonso said anxiously. The grasp of the Dark Lord on his glass of whiskey tightened upon hearing that. He slammed his eyes shut, trying his best to calm himself down. He was expecting good news but Alfonso was clearly saying that it was bad news. With a heavy sigh, the Dark lord urged him to speak. "Just tell me." "Our men just reported that aside from police there is also another group that tried to infiltrate our facility." Alfonso finally found his courage to speak up. The Dark Lord wrinkled his brows as he asked him. "How sure are you there they don''t belong to the law enforcement department?" Alfonso bit his lip while lowering his head. He was afraid to meet the Dark lord''s eyes. After that, he continued reporting to him. "I think police authorities will not try to bomb our facility. Someone planted a bomb and blasted our empty facility." Thud! The Dark lord slammed his table with his hand when he heard that. "Skull Gang did it, didn''t they? That organization was getting on my nerves lately, always sabotaging our operation." "Skull Gang has the motive to do that but our men were still investigating it. They said the bomb used by those people was similar to the bomb used in blasting the MV Athena two years ago. "How is that possible? Are they members of Catseye''s Team?" The Dark Lord asked him with intrigue. "Catseye died two years ago. Is this the work of the new Catseye, the impostor?" he added, making some assumptions while trying to figure out who was responsible for tonight''s incident. "That''s also one possibility, my lord." The Dark Lord let out a humorless laugh. His sinister laugh was enough to send a shiver on Alfons¨®''s spine. "We have so many enemies. Well, I think I should start getting serious now. Whom should I target first? The detective and his team? The Skull Gang ? or Catseye''s team? It looks like they were giving me one trouble after another." The Dark Lord said meaningfully, a cold glint flashing through his eyes. Suddenly they heard a knock from outside. "Come in," the Dark Lord said, giving permission to the person outside to enter his office. The newcomer was none other than but Snake, one of the most trusted men of the Dark lord. "What''s happening here? I can sense the frightening aura of my beloved Dark Lord. What did you do this time Alfonso? Did you face another new trouble? I already saved your ass tonight by telling you about the mission of Alpha Cinco and other policemen." Snake immediately targeted Alfonso with his sharp tongue. After that he slightly bowed his head, giving respect to the Dark lord. He greeted the Dark lord politely. That''s right. Because of Snake, Alfonso was able to save his self tonight. He was the one who informed Alfonso about the sneaked attack planned by Erick and his team. If he had not been warned about tonight''s attack and he remained in City X then Phantom and Charles might have caught him by now, torturing him just to get some answers from him. Alfonso was still lucky. Though Alfonso was enraged by Snake''s direct insult, There''s no way he couldn''t refute his words. "Don''t start a fight here," That''s the only word Alfonso could utter at that moment. The Dark lord could only massage his temple seeing his two loyal men provoking each other in front of him. "Someone bombed our empty facility in City X. It looks like it was done by Catseye''s team or the new Catseye." the Dark Lord informed Snake. "Wow, our enemies are sneaky. Who would have thought that they would also do their moves and attack us on the same night the police authorities tried to infiltrate our facility? Is this just a coincidence?" Snake shared his thoughts with them while rubbing his chin. "Alright. Let''s forget about that. That facility is empty. We can just build a new building. Since you are here, let''s talk about our main priorities." the Dark Lord said to them with his authoritative voice. Alfonso and Snake focused their attention on him. "Snake, continue monitoring the progress of team Alpha''s investigation regarding Catseye. Find out if they already had a lead about the new Catseye''s identity. I want this Catseye dead." The Dark Lord said with his stern cold voice. "Roger that, my Lord." "The other branch leaders already prepared for the upcoming negotiation in the Black Market with a group of terrorists. Alfonso, I want you to hire skillful people from the Assassin Guild who would serve as our bodyguards and backups during the negotiation. I don''t want Skull Gang to sabotage this transaction once again." "I got it, my Lord." "One more thing... my order didn''t change. Before the Presidential election, I want you to eliminate the opposing party. The President who should be elected must be coming from our sides. Kill the strongest presidential candidate of this election. That''s my order." "Got it, my Lord. Azumi Twins already knew what to do." Alfonso replied to him. "Good! Once it is done and the winning president is on our side, then we should not worry anymore about our bio-weapon facility to be exposed and revealed to the government." Chapter 431 - 431: Lu Finally Woke Up Erick and Bryan joined Elle''s team that night. They were glad to know that no one was hurt in their team including Officer Kim and his men. Elle''s team decided to stay over at one of the lodging houses in City X. Phantom''s henchmen took turns in staying on guard, making sure that the enemies were not able to follow them. Erick and Bryan decided to regroup with officer Kim''s team tomorrow morning. Elle explained everything to Bryan. She told her how she was able to survive two years ago and the reason why she was not able to return as soon as possible. Aside from that, Erick and Elle told him about Elle''s identity as Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon, the daughter of the late Agent Cedrick Falcon. "Oh my gosh, you''re the little kid in the picture! The one Erick was keeping in his wallet all these years!" Bryan exclaimed exasperatedly. Even Charles was surprised to hear that. This was also the first time he heard this. "So you mean, your parents and Erick''s parents were close friends even before?" Charles asked them in amazement. Erick: "Yes!" Elle: "Yes!" Charles and Bryan bobbed their head while thinking the same thing. "The two of you really fated to meet each other," Bryan mumbled. "You are both destined to be together," Charles also commented. Phantom just smiled on the sides while watching them. He was glad to see the four of them catching up with each other. Bryan also became a close friend of Elle and Charles. He didn''t judge them because of their past deeds. He tried to understand them just like Erick. Phantom didn''t want this friendship to be broken. He knew sooner or later Erick and Bryan should fulfill their responsibilities as the men of justice. Phantom was aware that among the people here, Erick and Bryan were facing the most complicated situation. Their friends and loved ones had committed more crimes. Though they turned to a new leaf now and began to change, they could not still erase the fact that they had sinned and they should be punished according to the law. Now, Phantom was worried about what would happen in the future once they finished their mission. He made up his mind. He would not let these young ones suffer. He would do everything he could just to help them. All he wished for them was to be happy and live simply together with their loved ones and friends. Phantom''s mind was still occupied by those thoughts when Erick approached him. "Mr. Morgan," Erick mumbled, catching the attention of Phantom. "Erick¡­ don''t be too formal. You can call me ''father'' too. Elle is my foster daughter and she''s your wife. That means I''m your father-in-law," Phantom said while tapping Erick''s shoulder. Erick nodded with a smile before calling him "Father." "I''ve been dying to meet you ever since the day Elle told me about your existence. I wanted to formally ask your blessings for my relationship with Elle. I hope my job as a detective is not a hindrance to that. Do you hate me?" Erick asked him anxiously. Phantom let out a soft chuckle when he saw Erick''s troubled face. He could understand his fear. He thought he was against Elle marrying him because of his job as a Detective. "Erick, relax. I am not against your relationship with Elle. Since then I already supported her. I''m at ease because Elle found a good man like you. You brought light to her darkest world. You changed her. Actually, you didn''t change her." Phantom said to him meaningfully. "You just brought back her true self. She''s the sweet little angel of Falcon Family, she''s Ma. Belle. That''s her true self. Catseye was just her mask that she used to cope up with her dark past. And you are the one who was able to take off that mask from her." Erick was grateful to hear those words coming from Phantom. He couldn''t agree more. Phantom was telling the truth. The sweet little angel turned into a devilish assassin because of the unfortunate event that happened to her family eighteen years ago. Until now, the true culprit for Elle''s misery was still unknown and unpunished, enjoying his freedom for so many years now. "Thank you, Father, for saving Elle." Phantom could hear the sincerity in his voice. He was truly thankful. "You don''t have to thank me. I also did it for myself. I wanted to save her that day. Even though you and your father were not there at that time, the second time she was endangered, you were there to save her. Both of us became her savior," Phantom said, there was a glint of humor in his eyes. The two of them burst out into waves of laughter. They were still laughing when Charles, Bryan, and Elle approached them. It did not take long when Elle''s phone suddenly rang. It was an overseas call coming from Dr. Argus. Elle immediately answered the phone. Seeing the seriousness in Elle''s expression, the men fell silent as they watched her. When the call got connected Elle spoke up. Erick and others just remained quiet as they listened to Elle and Dr. Argus''s conversation. Since Elle knew that others were also curious about their conversation, Elle turned on the speaker of her phone. Elle: "Hello Dr. Argus." Dr. Argus: "Ali! How are you? Did I wake you up? I know we have a 12 hours time difference. I''m afraid that I disturb your sleep." Elle: "No, it''s alright. I''m not sleeping. I am still fully awake. Why did you call me, Dr. Argus? Is there something wrong? How''s Lu''s condition." Dr. Argus: "Actually, that''s the reason I called you. I have something to say to you about his condition." Everyone exchanged meaningful glances when they heard that. They were both excited and nervous to hear the updates from Dr. Argus. Elle: "What is it? How is he?" Dr. Argus: "Ali! Lu finally woke up from a coma!" Chapter 432 - 432: Is There A Traitor? Dr. Argus informed them that Lu finally woke up from a coma. Elle and others rejoiced when they heard that. It''s been a week since Lu had received the antidote made by Me. Carter. His condition improved a lot and just today, Lu finally awakened. Charles immediately went out to inform their brothers. It did not take long when Phantom''s henchmen came running to the room. "Master? Is it true? Our brother Lu regained his consciousness? He is not in a coma anymore?" Brother Yan asked Phantom expectantly. Phantom nodded his head to confirm it. "Yes, Lu survived." The henchmen jumped with joy, shouting and rejoicing as if they won a jackpot. Bryan, Erick and Elle just watched them with their blissful expression. Though they failed their mission today, at least they received a piece of good news. Lu was now safe. His condition became stable. "How is he?" Brother Yu asked them curiously. "He seems normal. He could remember everything that happened two years ago. But because he was in a coma for two years, he has difficulty in moving his body." Elle informed them about Dr. Argus''s report. "But don''t worry, he just needs to undergo physical therapy and he will be able to move normally again just like before," Elle reassured them. "When will he return to City Z, Lady Boss?" Brother Ling asked her, feeling excited to see brother Lu. Elle smiled at them tenderly before answering Brother Ling''s question. "Dr. Argus said that they can transfer brother Lu here in City Z after a week. James will let us use their private plane." "Yes! We will be able to see our youngest brother soon!" "I''m so excited to see him!" "I missed him so much. Thank you so much, Lady Boss." Other henchmen showed their joyful mood and expressed their feelings about this piece of good news. Master Phantom could only smile at their childish behavior. He felt relieved now. His other son would be coming back to them, safe and sound, after battling the toxin to survive for two years. With that, everyone got a good sleep. Tomorrow was another day. They would continue planning tomorrow but for now they needed to rest. Erick and Elle slept together in one room. They were cuddling each other. They felt light-hearted because of the good news. Another burden was lifted off their shoulders. They could now focus more about catching Alfonso and reopening the Massacre Case of Falcon Family. They also had to find out who was the traitor in Erick''s team, or else their future mission would be compromised once again. Worse case would be, members of Erick and Officer Kim''s team might be put in great danger. ******************** The next morning, Elle, Erick and Bryan got separated with Phantom''s group. Phantom and his henchmen decided to stay at City X for a while to investigate further. They wanted to know where did the Dark Knight Organization transfer the Bio-weapon Facility. They saw the ten big trucks two days ago, leaving the compound. They suspected that the Bio-weapon equipment was transported by those big trucks. They would try to track down those trucks. On the other hand, Elle, Erick and Bryan went back to City Z. They heard that Officer Kim and his men already arrived in City Z. They also received lots of miscalls from other members of Erick''s team. They received the report that the mission failed last night. April also called Bryan. She was worried about him. He didn''t call or message her last night that''s why she panicked. She thought something bad happened to him. April and Bryan''s wedding ceremony was about to happen two weeks from now. She would not be at ease as her fiancee was doing a very dangerous mission. When the three of them arrived at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters, Erick immediately called an emergency meeting together with his team and Officer Kim''s team. They were all gathered in the conference room. Everyone had gloomy expressions on their faces. April was holding Bryan''s hand tightly. She was glad that he was safe. Now, she felt relieved now since she saw him. But she was wondering why Aliyah Ross arrived together with them. Elle didn''t join the meeting. She stayed in Erick''s office but she made sure to plant a spying device inside the conference room so that she could still hear their entire conversation. Of course, that spying device was attached to Erick. And he was aware about it. They already discussed this with each other. She would try to help him figure out who was the traitor among the team. Aside from Alpha Cinco, Officer Kim and five of his comrades were the only people who knew about their mission that night. Someone from them either leaked information intentionally or unintentionally. They were hoping that it was the latter because They couldn''t stand the fact that someone betrayed them. Erick, Elle and Bryan were saddened by the thought that one of their team members might be a traitor. Despite that, they needed to know that person. This was for everyone''s sake. Soon everyone from the team spoke up and expressed their concerns for what happened.! Allen: "Chief Lee, how is this possible that they learned about the mission that night?" June: "Did someone here leak the information?" Rose: "Oh my gosh! Thank God, no one got hurt!" April: "We should be more careful next time." Carl: "T-That''s true. So that this thing will not happen in the future." Officer Kim: "I already talked to my men. They assured me that they didn''t tell anyone about our mission." One of Officer Kim''s comrades also spoke up to defend their team. "Of course, we didn''t tell anyone. We almost lost our lives that night. We won''t take that risk." Everyone fell silent. The tension inside the conference room grew by second. Everyone was now thinking that one of them might be the traitor. It created mistrust among the team. Erick finally broke his silence. "Everyone please calm down. We didn''t know what truly happened here. Doubting our team would leave us to disadvantage. We need to unite at times like this and figure out where things went wrong. I don''t want to think that one of us betrayed the team." After hearing that, the team finally calmed down a little bit. Chapter 433 - 433: Speculation After the meeting, Carl secretly approached Allen. They went out to talk about something while Erick and others returned to their office. Officer Kim and his comrades also bade them goodbye as they went back to their precinct and respective stations. Erick immediately entered his office to see Elle who was patiently waiting for him inside. Aside from Bryan, members of Team Alpha Cinco were wondering why Aliyah Ross was there. They started to suspect the relationship between Chief Lee and Aliyah Ross. They smelled something fishy whenever they would see them interact with each other. They still couldn''t figure it out but they started to create speculation in their minds. June: "Do you think Chief Lee and Aliyah Ross are exclusively dating now?" Rose: "I am asking that question to myself too. I noticed that they were always together lately. And Chief Lee is always in a good mood whenever Aliyah is here." April: "I doubt that. Maybe they are just working on Catseye''s case. Remember, Aliyah and her team are covering this case story." While everyone was speculating, Bryan just remained ignorant even though he already knew the truth. This was not yet the right time to reveal the truth from their comrades. "Hey, I almost forgot. Speaking of a couple, the two of you? When are you planning to take your leave of absence? You should prepare already for the upcoming wedding!" Rose couldn''t help but nag April and Bryan. The couple just smiled at her sheepishly. Rose was right. They should start taking leave and focus on their wedding preparations. "I already talked to Erick. He approved my application for taking a one month vacation. April also applied for a leave of absence three days ago. We will be out of the office starting tomorrow." Bryan informed Rose and June. "Wow, that''s good! We can hear some wedding bells soon!" June exclaimed with so much enthusiasm. The four of them just burst out laughing. This would be a happy occasion for the team. Meanwhile, inside Erick''s office, Elle and Erick were discussing the failed mission and the possibility of having a traitor within the team. "Hey, are you alright?" Elle stood up and approached Erick right away. He looked so stressed as of this moment. "Yeah, I''m fine," Erick simply said with a faint smile on his face. He held Elle''s hand and clasped them with his. Elle let out a soft giggle. "You''re a liar, Mr. Detective. Your expression is telling me that you are not okay. Are you still bothered by the thought that one of your team members betrayed the team?" Erick took a deep sigh before nodding his head. "But I still want to believe that everyone is innocent. I still trust my team. I don''t want to think that someone is a traitor. Maybe there''s another reason behind this." Erick expressed his feelings with Elle. Elle moved closer to Erick as she engulfed him in her arms, embracing him to console him. "Don''t worry, hubby. We will find the truth. Me too, I don''t think someone from the team would try to betray your team. But we need to make sure." Elle was cheering him up. Erick could only smile and savor this moment, him hugging his wife in his workplace. It gave him a different sense of comfort that he could only feel whenever Elle was beside him. "Hubby, I have something to tell you. Upon listening to your conversation with your team a while ago, I noticed some strange behavior from a few people." Elle shared her observation with Erick. "But it doesn''t mean they are the traitor. I just sensed that they were hiding something," Elle added. Erick broke the hug as she wanted to meet Elle''s gaze. He looked at her meaningfully. "Tell me everything. I wanna know your thoughts. I am willing to listen," Erick softly mumbled. Elle bobbed her head with a smile. Soon, the two of them sat down as they discussed Elle''s assumption. The husband and wife were off to solve another mystery about this case. Was there really a traitor? Or the spy of the Dark Knight Organization just happened to find out the mission through the team members without them knowing and realizing it. But one thing was for sure, the XXX Crime Investigation Bureau was already infiltrated by the Dark Knight Organization''s spy. They planted their men in the Bureau. On the other hand, Carl and Allen were still discussing outside. They looked troubled about what happened. "Hey, what should we do now? Did we commit a mistake?" Carl asked Allen anxiously. "I don''t think so. Just calm down. I don''t think that was the case." Allen said to Carl, trying his best to sound convincing. "What if they suspected us? Besides, we are the new members of the team. Are they thinking that we are the traitor?" Carl mumbled once again, feeling restless. Allen just looked at Carl helplessly while patting his back. "Don''t be a negative thinker. They won''t do that. I guess you are the only one stressing yourself. You are just overthinking, buddy. Relax!" Allen advised him. Carl finally calmed down after hearing that. Then the two men fell silent. Each of them was lost with their own thoughts. After a while, Allen spoke up once again, breaking the silence. "Don''t tell anyone about what happened five days ago. Let''s handle this smoothly." Allen suggested to Carl. "Alright. I understood. I know what to do." Carl said, agreeing with Allen''s suggestion. "I think we should go back now, or else they would really suspect us of doing something behind their back," Allen said, cracking some jokes. Carl frowned upon hearing that. "That''s not a funny joke." Allen just ignored Carl''s reaction as he burst out laughing. He was just teasing him because he looked very restless. "Come on. Just think that you didn''t do something wrong. Don''t give me that face. Chin up and straighten your back, be confident. Let''s go back now." Chapter 434 - 434: Elle fainted The next day, Erick became busy processing the requirements for reopening the Falcon Family Massacre Case. His father, Raymond accompanied him to their prosecutor friend. Everything went smoothly. The prosecutor said that they could submit this case to the higher court by tomorrow and wait for the court to assign a judge and schedule the trial for this case. The new evidence they had gathered as well as the existence of a witness was a great help for this case to reopen once again. They would need one week before the higher court could give a response. But the prosecutor was positive that the result would be in favor of them. Elle, on the other hand, started working again. She already took a lot of leave of absence from her current company. Fortunately, their line manager doted on her and Sandy so much that he never complained about her absences. Besides, Sandy took a cover of her workload while she''s out of the office. "Ali, where have you been? I miss you so much!" Sandy immediately hugged Elle the moment she saw her. "Hmm, just doing some important cases," Elle plainly said while smiling faintly at her. Sandy just lifted an eyebrow, eyeing Elle suspiciously. "I think you mean working on dangerous cases." Elle just merely smiled at her without responding to her. Then she sat down on her desk while massaging her temples. "Hey, are you alright? Why are you looking pale? Are you sick?" Sandy asked her worriedly as she noticed Elle''s pale complexion. "Yeah, I''m just fine. Just a little bit dizzy. Maybe it''s because of lack of sleep." Elle replied nonchalantly. Sandy sighed helplessly while shaking her head. "I always remind you to take it easy. Don''t stress yourself too much and overwork. What if your body suddenly collapses one day because of burn out? Your guardian will scold me." Sandy complained to her. She was not aware that James and Elle were not in a fake relationship anymore. Sandy didn''t know about her true relationship with Erick. She would be shocked once she learned the truth. Then she won''t stop bombarding her with so many questions. ''Maybe, I will tell Sandy everything once my family''s case will be settled in court.'' Elle made a mental note to herself. "Don''t worry too much about me. I was fully recovered. My sickness will not come back. I''m totally fit and healthy," Elle patted Sandy''s back who was sitting beside her. Sandy just nodded at her, feeling reassured because of Elle''s words. During lunchtime, Charles came over to visit Elle at her workplace. Sandy didn''t know that they already knew each other so she introduced them once again. Sandy was feeling enthusiastic because finally, she was able to introduce her savior to her friend Ali. This time the four of them, Elle, Charles, Sandy, and Josh, got to eat lunch together. During lunchtime, they noticed that Elle barely touched her food. She looked like she had no appetite. "Hey eat more. Why do I feel like you lost more weight?" Sandy''s voice was filled with concern for her. Josh and Charles averted their gaze to Elle, examining her. They didn''t know whether Elle gained weight or lost some weight. She looked the same for them. Maybe Sandy was just overthinking. "I didn''t lose weight," Elle insisted. She just felt weird today. She couldn''t explain what she was feeling right now. Even she, herself, was surprised that she had no appetite today. "Maybe, I''m just really tired. Don''t mind me, just finish your food," Elle added. Soon, the four of them finished their lunch. Josh and Sandy went back to the office. Elle and Charles decided to take a nap while talking with each other. Something was bothering Charles for these past few days. Elle noticed his troubled expression so she asked him. "Do you have any problem? You can tell me anything." Elle said, urging him to open up with her. "Yeah. I am still thinking about Elena. I haven''t talked to her yet after the night she treated my wound." Charles told her truthfully. "Why? What happened between the two of you?" Elle asked him curiously. "She confessed to me that night. She told me that she loved me." Elle was taken aback after hearing that. After she recovered from the shock, Elle immediately hit Charles on his head. "What did you do to my little sis? Don''t tell me you take advantage of her?" Elle shot him a cold stare. "Of course not! I didn''t take advantage of her. I won''t do that to her!" Charles defended himself right away, dismissing Elle''s accusation. "So, what''s wrong? Why is it the two of you didn''t talk yet after that night? Did you hurt her feelings?" Elle asked him with intrigue. Charles heaved a deep sigh before answering her. "I think I scared her by telling the truth. I told her that I don''t deserve to be loved by her because I''m not a good man. I said that she deserves someone better." Charles was saddened as he remembered Elena''s frightened expression. "I told her that I killed someone¡­ that I am a murderer. After seeing her frightened expression, now I didn''t know how to face her again." Charles said those words in a low voice so that only Elle could hear it. They were currently in a public place right now. So he needed to be careful. Elle could understand what Charles was going through right now. She also had the same feeling before. She was afraid that Erick would hate her once he learned the truth about her dark past¡­ about her crimes. They had a misunderstanding once. Erick wavered and she thought he doubted her when he shot her before. Fortunately, they cleared the misunderstanding. Erick tried to understand her and he never stopped loving her. "You fool! This is your fault. Argh¡­ what I''m gonna do to you, Charles? I didn''t ask you to do that thing for me. All I wanted is for you to live happily and have a new start." Elle couldn''t help herself but scold him. Elle thought that Elena would be able to accept Charles easily if he didn''t kill anyone. She knew that Elena might be in shock right now because of Charles''s revelation. "Charles, I wanna ask you this. Please answer me truthfully. What do you feel about her? Do you love her too? Or you are just using your crime in order to send her away because you can''t reciprocate her feelings towards you?" Charles paused for a moment. He was finding the right answer to that question in his heart. "I don''t know yet. I''m also confused." Elle shook her head as she looked at Charles helplessly. "Alright, just give her and yourself time to figure out your feelings first. At least, she already knew the truth about your dark side. Talk to her again once both of you are ready." "Okay. I understand." After their small talk, Elle and Charles decided to leave the restaurant. Charles decided to accompany Elle going to her office. They were about to enter the building when Elle felt dizzy and suddenly collapsed. "Elle!" Charles exclaimed in fright when Elle suddenly fainted in front of him. Chapter 435 - 435: What Happened to Her? "Elle!" Charles exclaimed in horror when Elle suddenly fainted in front of him. Fortunately, he was able to react quickly and caught her in his arms before Elle''s body fell on the ground. "Elle¡­ wake up! Open your eyes, please! Elle, can you hear me?" Charles was tapping Elle''s shoulder, trying to get a response from her but Charles failed. She lost her consciousness. Charles immediately carried her to his car. "Sh*t! What''s wrong with her? Why did she suddenly collapse?" Charles mumbled in his panicking voice. He was worried sick about Elle. He put her in the front passenger seat and let her unconscious body lean on the seat. He fastened her seatbelt after he positioned her in the passenger seat. After that Charles entered the car on the driver''s side. He started the car in a hurry. When he was already on the main road, he stepped on the gas pedal. He was going to the nearest hospital in their location. While driving, Charles called Erick as he connected his phone to his car''s speaker. After a few rings, the call was answered by him. Luckily, he still had Erick''s phone number. Erick: "Hello?" Charles: "Erick, this is me, Charles." Erick was taken aback when he learned that the person who called him was Charles. He could sense the urgency in his voice so he somehow knew that something was wrong. Erick: "Oh, Charles, is everything okay?" Charles: "Erick, I''m on my way now to the City Z General Hospital. I am bringing Elle. She just suddenly collapsed. I didn''t know what happened to her. I just called to let you know." When Charles said that, the other line was engulfed by deafening silence. Then it was followed by a beep sound. Erick just hung up the call. "Eh? Did he just hang up on me? Did he not hear what I just said to him?" Charles mumbled in disbelief. "Argh! Forget it! I already did my job. I already informed him. I need to concentrate on my driving now. Elle..please just be fine!" Charles mumbled to himself, glancing at Elle''s direction for a few seconds before he averted his gaze back to the road. Unknown to Charles, the reason why Erick was not able to reply to him was that he already grabbed his car keys as he dashed outside the building going to his car. When he heard that something happened to Elle, Erick didn''t waste more time. Without explaining things to his colleagues, he went out of his office in a rush. He had just returned to their office after meeting the prosecutor who would handle Elle''s family case when he received that call from Charles. Erick''s heart was racing rapidly inside his chest. He could hear his heartbeat loudly in his ears. He was both nervous and frightened. He couldn''t take it if something bad would happen to Elle once again. He wished he could go to her and see her in just a blink of an eye. He felt like dying every second passed without knowing her condition. He was afraid that it was the aftereffect of the toxin inside her body. He remembered that Elle didn''t take the antidote yet. She refused to drink it because she gave the antidote to Erick. Mr. Carter made another extra antidote for her. But because they were occupied by the mission of infiltrating the Dark Knight organization''s bio-weapon facility, drinking the extra antidote skipped Elle''s mind. Besides, she was already convinced that she was fully recovered. Erick''s mind was in chaos right now. He was wishing and praying that Elle would just be alright. He couldn''t afford to lose her again. The fear in his heart was slowly consuming him. He couldn''t hold his tears from falling. His grasp on the steering wheel tightened as he clenched his teeth. He felt helpless right now. After a few minutes, finally he reached his destination. He stepped out of the car, sprinting towards the entrance of the City Z General Hospital. His face was painted by deep concern and worries for Elle. He called Charles to know where they are. Charles told him that they were still in the emergency room and the doctor and nurses were examining Elle. Erick immediately proceeded to where Charles was waiting. He saw him standing in the waiting area. Charles was surprised to see Erick. He arrived so fast. The moment Erick saw Charles, he ran towards him. After reaching his spot, he held both his shoulders. "H-How is she? W-What happened to her?" Erick''s voice was trembling. Charles could still see the moisture in his face. He knew that Erick cried and shed some tears. "Please¡­ t-tell me... She''s just fine." Erick said desperately. He felt like his heart was going to burst right at this moment. "Hey, Erick! Please calm down. She''s still being examined by the doctor. Nothing bad will happen to her." Charles said, trying to comfort him. "How can I calm down? My wife just collapsed for an unknown reason." Erick was in a panicking mode right now. Charles just looked at him helplessly. He understood that Erick was just worried about Elle. "What if this happened because of the toxin in her body? Charles¡­ I can''t take it once something bad happens to her once again. I think this time I will not be able to survive this. I don''t want to lose her. I want her to be safe. I want her to be healthy. What should I do?" Erick couldn''t help but burst out in front of Charles. "Erick, I understand. Let''s just wait. Elle will be alright. She''s a strong woman." Charles didn''t know what to say anymore just to console Erick. His fear and his concern for Elle already clouded his mind. Erick felt like he was going nuts. Charles couldn''t bear to see him acting like this. Erick thought of one person- Mr. Carter. He immediately dialed his phone number. He needed him. He was knowledgeable about the same toxin that was present on Elle''s body. After ten seconds, the call got connected and Mr. Carter''s voice was heard from the other line. Mr. Carter: "Oh, young man, what''s up? Why did you call me?" Erick: "Mr. Carter, where are you, right now?" Mr. Carter: "I''m at my house, why?" Erick: "I''m sorry to ask you this. I know you don''t like coming to the Hospitals. But I need your help. My wife, Elle just collapsed. I am afraid that this might be related to the toxin in her body. Can you come here to City Z General Hospital to check on her condition? Please? Hearing his desperate plea, Mr. Carter didn''t have the heart to refuse Erick''s request. He immediately agreed and told him that he was coming. Then after a while, the doctor who examined Elle approached Charles and Erick. Erick: "Doc, how is she?" Charles: "Doc, how is she?" Both of them asked her in unison. The doctor paused for a moment, darting her gaze back and forth between Charles and Erick. Charles and Erick were both staring at her silently, anticipating her answer. A few seconds later, the doctor finally spoke up. But instead of answering them, she asked the two men a question. "Who''s among you is the father?" Charles and Erick were both rendered speechless. At first, they didn''t absorb what the doctor meant by saying that. "Father?" It was Charles who managed to ask the doctor back. The doctor nodded her head with a cheerful smile on her face. "Yes, a father. Who''s the father of the child the patient is carrying? She''s pregnant." Chapter 436 - 436: Im A Father Now! The doctor nodded her head with a cheerful smile on her face. "Yes, a father. Who''s the father of the child the patient is carrying? She''s pregnant." Erick: "..." Charles: "..." Both men fell silent for several seconds before their mind was able to process the doctor''s words. Erick and Charles froze in their spot. The doctor just looked at them strangely, waiting for their response. The doctor didn''t know if she should cry or laugh because of their baffled expression. She knew that maybe they were shocked to hear this good news and no one expected this. After a while, Erick finally found his voice, his eyes were still fixed at the doctor''s smiling face as he held Charle''s shoulder beside him. "Charles, did you also hear that. Did the doctor said Elle is pregnant? I didn''t mishear it right." Erick asked Charles. For the first time in his life, Erick looked like a fool after hearing those words. Without looking at Erick, Charles just bobbed his head absentmindedly before responding to him. "Yes, I think I also heard that. I am also planning to ask the same question to you. I thought I also misheard it." Charles mumbled, his shocked expression was still written over his face. The doctor just looked at the two men helplessly. She felt like she wanted to hit them on their head to knock some senses out of them. It seemed that they were really stupefied by the news. So the doctor decided to repeat those words to them. "Yes, sirs! She''s pregnant¡­ she''s two weeks pregnant now. So congratulations to the father of her child." When Erick heard that for the second time around he felt like he was over the moon and on cloud nine. He was extremely happy that something wonderful just happened today. The worry he had on his face a while ago suddenly disappeared and was replaced by overwhelming joy and happiness. He felt like his heart was also jumping as he rejoiced for this good news. Erick was able to move his frozen body as he turned to face Charles. Because of too much happiness, Erick pounced on Charles, hugging him tightly while saying some joyous words. "Charles! Did you hear that?! I''m a father now! I am a father now! Elle and I are now both parents! You are also an uncle now! Uncle Charles!" "Eh, Am I an uncle now?! Really? Uncle Charles?!" Charles foolishly repeated Erick''s words. This time the doctor could no longer hold her laughter. She burst out laughing as she watched Erick and Charles having different expressions on their faces, one was overly excited and rejoicing, while the other one was still shocked, acting like a fool in front of her. At least now, she knew who''s the father. After hugging Charles, Erick turned to the doctor, holding her hand. "Doctor, how is my wife? And my child? How are they? Are they just fine?" "Don''t worry sir. They are just fine. The baby is safe. Your wife just fainted. This is common for pregnant women. They would experience dizziness and fainting. This is caused by a drop in blood pressure and lack of oxygen in the brain due to the pregnancy hormones." The doctor explained to Erick. Erick could finally relax after hearing that. He heaved a sigh of relief before thanking the doctor. "Thank you, Doc! Can I see her now? Where is my wife?" Erick asked her with eagerness. He was excited to see her and tell her about this good news. "She''s inside the ward. Yes, you can see her now. She was still sleeping. Maybe she will wake up in a while." The doctor responded to him. "She can also be discharged today. Let her rest at home. Make sure to make her eat healthy foods. You can also research pregnancy so that you can better take care of your wife. Don''t miss the monthly check-up to monitor her pregnancy. Again, congratulations to both of you." The doctor gave Erick some tips and advice before she left them. Erick and Charles entered Elle''s room. She was peacefully sleeping on the hospital bed. The smile on Erick''s face never left. Charles, on the other hand, finally recovered from the shock. Erick was glad that his wish came true. Elle got pregnant. This was the moment he was waiting for. The thought of being a father and taking care of his wife and their children gave him a blissful feeling. His life was complete. He couldn''t ask for more. He swore to himself that he would take good care of them and would protect his family no matter what. Erick held Elle''s hand. He was looking at her with so much love and affection. He loved her so much. Now, she would become the mother of their child. He hoped that Elle would also feel the same happiness he was feeling right now once she heard this piece of good news. Erick leaned over and kissed her on her forehead. "Thank you, Elle. Thank you, wifey, for fulfilling my wish. We are parents now. I am a father and you are a mother." Erick whispered to her ears. Charles couldn''t help himself from smiling from ear to ear. He was also happy for the both of them. This was a fresh start for Elle. He hoped that creating a family of her own would help Elle heal the wound of her past¡­ her dark past wherein she lost her family. "Erick," Charles called him out. "Hmm?" "I think I should go now. I want to give you and Elle some private time, especially when she wakes up. I don''t want to be the third wheel here," Charles said, cracking some joke. But he was really thinking that it was the appropriate thing to do. "Hmm, you don''t have to think that way. But thank you, Charles." "Alright, I''m gonna go now and tell Master about this good news that he is now a grandpa. You should inform your parents too." Charles suggested to Erick, letting out a chuckle. Erick smiled at his last remarks. "Yeah, I will do that too. They will be happy once they learn about this." Chapter 437 - 437: The Best Feeling in the World A few minutes after Charles left Erick and Elle in the ward, Elle woke up. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Erick looking at her tenderly with his loving eyes. Elle was a little bit surprised when she saw him. As far as she could remember, she and Charles were going back to her office when suddenly she felt dizzy and her vision became blurry. Before she could inform Charles, she immediately collapsed. "Wifey, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Are you hurt? How do you feel? " Erick asked her with his concerned voice. "I''m alright now. Are we in the hospital? Is Charles the one who informed you? Where is he?" Elle asked Erick when she noticed that Charles was not around. She could tell that she was in the hospital after seeing the IV drip connected to her left arm. Erick pouted after hearing her, "You''re hubby is in front of you but still, you are looking for another guy?" Elle sat up and giggled when she saw Erick''s expression. " Seriously, Erick? Are you jealous just because of that?" Erick assisted her and fixed the bed so that she could lean on it comfortably. He was thinking that he should be more extra gentle and careful when taking care of her since Elle was now carrying another life inside her w.o.m.b. Erick just chuckled because of her last remarks. He sat down beside her and gathered her into his arms, hugging her. "Did I make you worry that much again, hubby?" Elle asked him, there was a hint of guilt in her voice. "It''s already given. You''re my wife, of course, it''s natural to worry too much if something unexpected happens to you. I know you will also feel the same if it happens to me, am I right?" Elle nodded while leaning on Erick''s chest. She loved to feel his warmth. She liked the feeling of being engulfed by his strong arms. Suddenly, she felt like she didn''t want to break this hug and just stay like this forever. Meanwhile, Erick was waiting for the right timing to bring up the topic of her pregnancy. He already rehearsed a while ago how he would tell her the good news but now he forgot everything. Erick was still thinking about how to start when Elle asked him out of the blue. "What''s the doctor''s findings? Why did I collapse suddenly? It didn''t happen to me before. Is it the effect of the toxin in my body?" Elle was also thinking the same thing. She thought the toxin had something to do with why she fainted. Erick was glad she asked him first. Now, he saw the opportunity the tell her. "No wifey. You fainted not because of the toxin but for other reasons." Elle could hear the cheerfulness in Erick''s mood when he said those words. Elle wondered why Erick was still happy after what happened to her. She found this very unusual and strange. "Oh, so what''s the reason?" She asked him once again. His grasp on her tightened, placing his chin on her shoulder as he said something to her ear. "Wifey, congratulations! You are going to be a mother now! You are pregnant with our child." One second¡­ Two seconds¡­ Three seconds¡­ Elle didn''t react after hearing that. She was frozen in Erick''s arms. Elle was in shock. That''s the least she expected. No, she didn''t expect it at all. "Hey, Wifey? Are you okay? Did you hear me?" Erick asked her worriedly when he didn''t get any response from her. Erick''s voice pulled her out of the daze. "Hubby? Can you repeat it? What did you say? Oh, pinch me too. Tell me... I''m not dreaming." Elle said to him, feeling so lost. Erick chuckled before he bit her shoulder. "Hey, I told you to pinch me, not to bite me!" Elle complained to him. Erick just ignored her complaint as he repeated what he had just said to her. "Mrs. Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon Lee, you are pregnant with our child. We are going to be parents now! I am the father and you are the other of our cute babies!" ???Really? I''m a mother now? Huh? Wait¡­ do you mean Babies? Why? Do I have twins in my w.o.m.b now? Not only one?" Elle asked Erick, she was still feeling frenzy. Her mind was not functioning well as she was still baffled by the news. But she felt very happy that she wanted to fly like Peter Pan. Erick couldn''t help but let out a husky laugh when he heard her. His hand moved towards her belly, caressing it so gently. "Yeah, I really wish we have twins, no not only twins¡­ I want triplets and quadruplets!" Elle didn''t pay attention to the last words Erick had uttered. Her mind was occupied now by the thought that she was pregnant. When Elle felt Erick''s hand on her belly, Elle reflexively moved her hand also to feel her still flat stomach. She fell silent once again. Then suddenly she became emotional. In just a brief moment, her vision was clouded by her tears. She was now silently crying, tears falling down her cheeks like raindrops. Erick just noticed that Elle was crying when her teardrops fell on his hands. He felt alarmed when he learned that she was crying. "Wifey? Are you not happy? Why are you crying? Are you sad?" Erick moved to the side so that he could see her face. Elle shook her head, still shedding tears. "I-I''m not sad¡­but I''m happy. I just can''t help it. The tears won''t stop. I can''t hold it. Is this the feeling of being a parent? A mother? Did my mom also cry when she learned that she was pregnant with me?" Erick just smiled at her tenderly. He wiped her tears using her bare hands while caressing her cheeks. "I''m sure she did. I think your Dad also jumped crazily like me when he learned that your mother was pregnant. Wifey, I promise¡­ I will be a good father to our children. I will take good care of you and our children. I will protect you and our family." Elle just nodded her head. She could no longer utter a single word. She felt really emotional right now. She just leaned over to hug Erick as she buried her face to his chest. She was overjoyed. For a woman like her, the best feeling in the world was knowing that she was now a mother. Chapter 438 - 438: Little Lee Elle and Erick just remained silent while hugging each other for several minutes. They were just interrupted by the knocking sound outside the ward. "Come in," Erick mumbled, he was still holding Elle in his arms. After Erick said that, the door was opened and a person wearing sunglasses, a mask, and a cap entered the room. Erick frowned as he didn''t recognize the person. He was about to ask the newcomer when suddenly the person removed his cap. It turned out that the person was Mr. Carter. Erick remembered that he requested his presence a while ago, thinking that Elle was still affected by the toxin. "How is she?" Mr. Carter asked Erick while putting the basket of fruits on the bedside table. Elle finally lifted her face to see Mr. Carter. She smiled at him while Erick answered Mr. Carter''s question. "She''s fine now. I''m sorry for giving you a hassle and asking you to go here. She didn''t faint because of the toxin. I was overthinking at that time." Erick apologized to Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter let out a soft chuckle before shaking his head. "What are you saying, young man? This is not a hassle. I came here because I''m also worried about your wife. So, what happened?" Elle and Erick exchanged meaningful glances with each other then Elle told him about the good news. "Mr. Carter, I''m pregnant!" Mr. Carter was dumbfounded for a moment. But after processing what he had just heard, the shocked expression on his face was replaced by a joyous one. "Oh my, congratulations to the both of you! Your first baby?" Elle and Erick nodded in unison. The smile on their faces didn''t disappear. "Thank you, Mr. Carter. But''... I''m worried. Is it possible that the toxin before might affect the development of our baby inside her w.o.m.b?" Erick couldn''t help but ask Mr. Carter. Elle also became anxious when she heard that. Reflexively, Elle touched again her flat belly. Her face was painted by worries and concerns. Both Elle and Erick were anticipating Mr. Carter''s response. "You don''t have to worry. After examining Elle''s blood sample, I didn''t see any remnants of the toxin in your blood. I believe that there''s no remaining toxin inside your body. Aside from that, the antibodies inside your body have strengthened your immune system. It is also beneficial to the baby." Mr. Carter reassured them. "Your baby might become immune to any kind of toxin. He or she will become a super baby!" Mr. Carter added, cracking some jokes. He even laughed at his own jokes. Erick and Elle also joined him as they burst out laughing. That''s the moment they heard another knock. When the door was opened, Erick''s parent''s emerged from it. Erick had also informed them about Elle''s pregnancy. They were so happy that finally, they would become grandparents. "Mom, Dad!" Erick stood up to greet them. Sarah immediately hugged her son while congratulating him. "Son, good job! You finally fulfilled our wishes." Sarah blurted out in his ear. Erick could only nod and chuckle. That was also his wish. Raymond greeted Mr. Carter immediately when he noticed his presence. After hugging Erick, Sarah walked towards Elle''s bed. She also hugged her. "My dear daughter, I''m so happy for both of you. You will now become parents. Don''t worry, I will help you raise our grandchild. I will give you tips." Sarah said cheerfully. Elle giggled. She felt grateful. "Thanks, Mom. I also want to know your secret on how you raise a very wonderful child just like Erick. He turned a good man that we could really proud of." Sarah also let out a soft giggle. She couldn''t agree more. She was very proud of her son. He was definitely a good man plus a good-looking guy. "I bet my grandchild will become very beautiful or handsome because of the combinations of your genes," Sarah stated with so much certainty in her words. Everyone in the room erupted into a peal of laughter. This was a joyous occasion for their family. They couldn''t hide the joy and happiness they were now experiencing. "Are you staying here? Is our grandchild okay?" Raymond asked both Erick and Elle. "Yes Dad, our little Lee is safe. And Mr. Carter just said that our child will become a super baby. Elle can also be discharged today." "Little Lee?" Elle asked Erick. "Yes, I decided to call our baby little Lee. If I know that our child is a boy then I will call him little Erick, if girl then little Elle. But we didn''t know the gender yet. So for now, I will call our baby little Lee." Erick explained with so much enthusiasm. Elle: "..." Sarah: "..." Raymond: "..." Mr. Carter: "..." The four people just looked at him in disbelief. They were all thinking the same thing. Can''t Erick think of a good name rather than "Little Lee"? Then Sarah leaned on Elle, whispering something. "Don''t let your husband name your baby. Poor child, his or her father has no creativity in naming someone." Elle nodded in agreement before bursting into laughter. "Hey, don''t laugh at me, wifey! Little Lee is cute right, Mr. Carter?" Erick asked someone who would stand by him but Mr. Carter just looked away, pretending he didn''t hear anything. Then Erick turned to his Dad but Raymond just cleared his throat and changed the topic. Erick could only pout and looked pitiful in front of them. Elle asked him to come over. She just stroked his head while patting his back. Erick''s parents decided to settle the hospital bill and process the papers so that Elle would be discharged today. Mr. Carter was about to leave when Phantom arrived. He got the news from Charles. He had just come back at the City Z coming from City X. He headed straight to the hospital to see Elle. "Father!" Elle called out after seeing Phantom. He immediately approached Elle, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Congratulations! I''m so happy to hear the news that I came here right away upon arriving." Phantom stated. "Thanks, father! Oh, by the way, I''d like you to meet our friend, Mr. Matthew Carter. He was the one I told you about before. The one who made the antidote." Elle introduced Mr. Carter right away to Phantom because he was about to leave the hospital. Phantom turned to Mr. Carter, extending his right hand, "Hello Mr. Carter. It''s my pleasure to finally meet you. I''m Lester Morgan, Elle''s foster father." Mr. Carter accepted Phatom''s hand. But he was frowning when he heard him. That name rang a bell but he couldn''t recall where he had heard it before. Phantom''s face was also a little bit familiar to him. Chapter 439 - 439: They Found Him Mr. Carter already left the hospital but his mind was still thinking about Phantom. His name Lester Morgan and his face were familiar to him but he couldn''t remember when he heard it or where he first saw him. After racking his brain hard, he gave up since he couldn''t recall no matter what. For now, he would just relax his mind. He was hoping that somehow he would remember it. Unknown to Mr. Carter, the moment he walked outside that hospital someone from the enemy''s side had spotted him. The Dark Knight Organization had never stopped searching and looking for them. After so many years of being hidden, finally they saw the genius scientist once again. The men reported this good news to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord instructed them not to move recklessly. They should just follow Matt Carter without his knowledge. He didn''t give them orders yet to capture him. He asked his men to monitor and observe him for a few days to find out if he had someone who was helping him to hide from the Dark Knight Organization. Mr. Carter was clueless. He was already being followed by the Dark Knight''s men. Two men were assigned to watch his every move. His hideout was now exposed to them. It just a matter of time and the Dark Knight would make their moves to catch him. Another reason for doing this was to find out if he had someone close to him that they could use to blackmail him so that he would cooperate with them once again and continued working at their Bio-weapon facility. Mr. Carter was a very valuable asset to the Dark Knight Organization that''s why they didn''t kill him yet. Besides, he couldn''t go to law enforcement to ask for help since Dark Knight also had men inside those agencies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oblivious of the impending danger their friend was going to encounter, Erick and Elle were still rejoicing together with Phantom and Erick''s parents for their little bun or rather, for their little Lee. They introduced Phantom as the foster father of Elle. Sarah and Raymond were surprised because they knew that Phantom was Elle''s former boss in the Falcon Cafe. He also introduced himself as Tom, Charles''s father. Elle explained to them that Phatom and Charles were her secret family. Falcon Cafe was part of their disguise before. They didn''t dwell on the past. They were just happy that a little bun was added to their family. They even discussed renovating Erick''s house and had an extension wherein it would serve as a playground and room for Erick and Elle''s children in the future. The husband and wife also liked Sarah''s suggestion. Everyone was really excited for little Lee to be born in this world. Grandparents were already planning to buy clothes and toys for their little Lee. It was 5:00 o?lock in the afternoon when Elle was discharged from the hospital. They immediately headed to Erick''s place so that Elle would continue resting at home. They also invited Phatom to stay over for dinner. Charles would also join them in a while. Sarah, Raymond, and Phantom were the ones who would prepare their dinner tonight. They let the couple, Erick and Elle, have quality time together. They were currently in Erick''s room, lying and cuddling together on the bed. Erick''s arm served as Elle pillows while Erick was hugging her. They were lying sideways, facing each other so that they could see each other''s faces. Erick''s penetrating gaze never left Elle''s face. He was staring at her with so much love and tenderness as a gentle smile played across his handsome face. "From now on, you should listen to me. You are not allowed to do dangerous missions now. You have to take good care of yourself and our baby. Forget about those enemies. Leave them to us. Just focus on maintaining your good health and our baby''s health." Erick softly said to her with his pleading look. Speaking of the dangerous mission, Elle remembered that she was supposed to join and help Black Shadow and the Skull Gang in sabotaging the Dark Knight Organization''s transaction in the Black Market this week. It was also a perfect opportunity to reveal the Dark Lord''s identity. She heard that he would come personally to close this deal. But from the look of it, her situation right now was not ideal to go for the mission or else her baby''s safety would be put in danger once something might go wrong. Aside from that, Erick would surely not allow her to do that. ''I think I have to take back my words and apologize to Black Shadow. I know he is dying to do this mission with me. Too bad, I can''t do it now.'' Elle thought to herself. After much thought and careful consideration, Elle finally agreed to Erick''s request. "Yes, hubby. I will do that for our baby''s sake. I promise I will take good care of myself and our baby." Elle reassured him. She held her stomach while saying those words. It was starting to be her habit. Meanwhile, Erick''s face brightened up after hearing that. He was glad that Elle agreed immediately. "Thank you so much, wifey!" Because of his happiness, Erick started showering kisses on Elle''s face. He kissed her on her forehead, her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, her chin, and lastly her lips. Erick planted a lingering kiss on her lips that made her short of breath. He felt like it''s been a long time since the last time they had slept together. They became busy with their mission. But Erick was glad that his effort didn''t go to waste. He succeeded in impregnating his wife. Little Lee was now inside her belly. Erick didn''t get enough of her so he pulled her head once again for a deeper kiss. He kissed her passionately. Then he moved his free hand going to her belly, caressing her stomach. He also loved doing that. Meanwhile, Elle''s hand was now at the back of Erick''s head, clutching his hair as they deepened the kiss. They made them feel each other''s love through this kiss. Chapter 440 - 440: You Are My Life Now When their lips broke apart, Erick and Elle were both catching their breath. Erick rested his forehead on hers while mumbling something. "Wifey, Does this mean you are off-limits now? I can''t make love with you for the entire nine months? Should I practice abstinence starting today?" Erick asked her, feeling helpless. "What should I do? I miss you so much, wifey!" Erick added, staring at her with his pleading eyes as if he was asking her to save him or do something. Elle couldn''t help but giggle. Erick''s pitiful expression right now looked really cute and adorable. "Should we ask Dr. Gomez if it''s still okay to do the deed even though you are already pregnant now? Will it hurt our little Lee?" Erick asked her again innocently. Elle didn''t know whether Erick was joking or he really meant it. "Are you serious, hubby?" Elle asked him with disbelief. "Yeah, I''m considering it. I might as well inform him that he will be a god-father soon." Erick promptly said with a mischievous smile on his handsome face. "Did you forget hubby? Dr. Gomez is not an Oby." Elle let out another giggle. "Why don''t you ask and beg me to satisfy you without the need of penetrating me, instead of asking Dr. Gomez?" Elle teased Erick. Erick''s husky laugh bubbled up in his room. "You are playing dominant now, wifey? You want me to beg?" Since her husband was truly shameless so why not try to tease him? That''s what Elle was thinking at that moment. Besides, she was not serious because Erick''s parents and her foster father, Phantom were just outside. However, Erick took her words seriously. He was very happy today that he wanted to show her how much he loved her by claiming her and conquering her right here and right now. He didn''t care if their parents were just outside. Besides, they really gave them privacy and won''t disturb the husband and wife for a while. Erick was thinking that it was a perfect chance to have an intimate moment with his pregnant wife. He couldn''t explain why but after knowing that Elle was now carrying their child, he was craving to make love with her. "Wifey¡­ please..." Erick murmured, his gaze was fixed on her dark eyes. It seemed like Erick had hypnotized her. Before Elle could realize it, Erick had already caught her one hand and placed it on his bulge. Reflexively, Elle''s hand moved, tracing the bulge of his erection. Erick let out a soft grunt when Elle started rubbing him through his trouser. Elle smiled, enjoying the sensual expression of her husband as she continued palming him. Erick closed his eyes while biting his lower lip, trying his best to restrain himself from groaning loudly. Elle started to lower his trouser, pulling it down. Erick opened his eyes once again only to see the playful smile of his wife. Erick''s eyes were hazy but filled with yearning and desire for her. Elle could see those emotions in his piercing eyes that were blatantly undressing her. Erick''s hand also moved down, sliding it inside her pants. His fingers began touching her. She did the same. Both their hands were moving in synchronized movement as they gave pleasure to one another. To stop themselves from making noises, Erick claimed her lips, kissing her deeper with fervent need. Erick''s fingers began exploring her most sensitive parts as he continued sucking her tongue. Elle''s kiss became more sensual as she was influenced by the pleasure she was feeling in her core. Erick was now rubbing her folds, pinching her clit, and inserting one finger inside her hole. She couldn''t help but accidentally grip his erection, making him groan in satisfaction. Erick was groaning inside her mouth while Elle was also m.o.a.ning. Elle used her two hands to palm Erick''s enormous manhood, moving up and down at a fast pace. Erick, on the other hand, used his other arm to caress her b.r.e.a.s.t through her bra. After a while, he pulled her bra down so that he could touch her bare b.r.e.a.s.ts. Kneading her while pinching her n.i.p.p.l.e, Erick continued thrusting his two fingers in and out of her. Their heavy breaths filled the air when they broke apart from the intense kiss. Elle was also on the edge. She stopped what she was doing to Erick as she was distracted. She felt her orgasm building up. As Erick continued to penetrate her using his fingers in a very fast manner, Elle finally reached her climax. After she recovered, it was Elle''s turn to return the favor. In the first place, it was her hubby who asked for this. She continued palming his shaft, massaging and gently squeezing it in her hands. It did not take long when Erick got his release. After satisfying each other''s needs, Erick pulled Elle into his arms, hugging her with so much love. "Thank you, wifey," Erick mumbled. Elle could only giggle while burying herself into Erick''s body. "No need to mention it. It''s a prize for your hard work. See¡­ we have little Lee now because of your persistence." Erick erupted into a peal of laughter when he heard her last remarks. "You knew all along? I thought you didn''t know my real motive for doing it every day a few weeks ago." Erick said in amus.e.m.e.nt, planting soft kisses on her face. "Hmm, You are not shameless for no reason, my dear hubby. I already suspected you were up to something. You should have told me from the beginning." Elle slightly complained to him. "I''m sorry. I thought you wouldn''t like it." Erick told her honestly. "Why do you think so?" Elle probed. "Because you are engrossed about taking your revenge. I thought you wouldn''t like to have a baby because you haven''t fulfilled your goal yet." Elle shook her head. "Nope. If my hubby really wants to have our baby then I will not refuse. I want to make my hubby happy. And it is my duty as your wife. I won''t say no. Because I also want it." "I am not living now because of my revenge. I am living because of you. You are my life now, Erick. You are my priority, not this so-called revenge. We already lost two years. I want our time together to be spent not in hatred but in love, making the most of our time." Chapter 441 - 441: Magic Words Black Shadow still had no idea that Catseye won''t be able to join him in the upcoming mission due to her pregnancy. Days before he would do the very important mission of sabotaging the deal between the Dark Knight Organization and the terrorist group, he made sure to spend time with Marie. He visited her in the Flower Shop and asked her out once again. Marie didn''t hesitate to come with him. Black Shadow planned on staying with Marie for the whole day. Using Black Shadow''s motorcycle, they went for a ride. They had an amazing road trip experience outside City Z. It looked like they just visited the countryside. The beautiful view of the green rice field along with the fresh air felt so relaxing. They would stop-over once in a while to capture the scenic view. Black Shadow even taught Marie how to drive a motorcycle. He was carefully guiding her on the back while Marie was focusing on her driving. After several hours, Marie had familiarized everything and she learned to drive a motorcycle. Marie really enjoyed these simple but exciting bonding moments with Black Shadow. Now, she understood the reason why he preferred to ride a motorcycle. Though it was risky, every ride was filled with both joy and excitement, a thrill of adrenaline rush within your body. It was the same feeling when she was with Black Shadow. She felt he was mysterious but she couldn''t resist the excitement of being with him. Brandon Stone also known as Black Shadow meant danger for Marie because her heart would always act abnormal whenever she was with him. It was the danger of falling deeper into his irresistible charm. Black Shadow could melt her heart by just looking at her with his penetrating gaze, sending her heartbeat into a frenzy. Only Black Shadow could do this to her. "Hey, penny for your thoughts," Black Shadow snapped his fingers in front of Marie''s face to catch her attention. She looked like she was daydreaming. Black Shadow and Marie took a rest on the side of the road under the shade of a big tree. They just finished their driving lesson. Marie was standing while leaning on the motorcycle while Black Shadow was standing in front of her. Marie just gave him a faint smile. Her cheeks became fl.u.s.tered because of embarrassment. She became absentminded by just thinking of the person who was in front of her. "Are you tired?" Black Shadow asked her worriedly while giving her bottled water. Marie accepted it. "Nope. I''m not tired. Thank you. Riding a motorcycle is fun. Now, I''m thinking of buying one." Black Shadow let out a husky laugh as he leaned on the motorcycle beside Marie. "Be careful when you are driving. I feel like you wanna fly a while ago. You drive so fast. Are you going to join a race?" Black Shadow pinched her cheeks after saying that. Marie pouted as she hit his hand. "I just did that because I knew you were guiding me from the back. I feel safe and secured because I know you are there with me," Marie said, sticking her tongue out after. Black Shadow was taken aback when he heard that. His heart was touched since Marie was trusting him with her life. She also said she felt secured and safe while being with him. At that certain moment, he had sworn to himself that never again he would let Marie get hurt because of him. He would protect her at all costs even if he needed to sacrifice his life. He won''t let the Azumi Twins touch her again. With those thoughts in mind, Black Shadow could no longer resist the urge to bury her in his arms so he pulled her, hugging her with all his might. Marie was surprised by his sudden action. But after a few seconds, she returned his hug, wrapping her arms around his body. After savoring the moments of feeling each other''s warmth, the two of them broke apart. But Black Shadow remained standing close to her. His eyes were staring intently at her lovely face as if he was planning to imprint her feature in his mind forever. Marie looked away as she couldn''t match his intense gaze. She was afraid that she would do something to him because he looked very charming today with his bad boy but a very cool look. She must control herself or else Black Shadow would think she was a very aggressive girl. Unknown to her, Black Shadow would be glad if she would become aggressive when it came to him. He wouldn''t mind that, instead, he would like it more. A cheeky smile flashed on Black Shadow''s face as he noticed that Marie was intentionally avoiding his eyes. He wouldn''t let her do that so he cupped her face, gently moving it so that she would now be looking at him. Before Marie could voice out her complaints, her words were already swallowed by his mouth. He kissed her. It was a surprise attack coming from Black Shadow. She didn''t see it coming, now her heart went wild again inside her chest. Badum! Badum! Badum! With every movement of Black Shadow''s lips on hers, her heart would beat like there was a drum roll inside her chest. It was very loud in her ears. She just wished that Black Shadow couldn''t hear it too. It was a soft kiss, not demanding but slowly gaining passion. This time she responded passionately, returning his kiss eagerly. And that was his cue, Black Shadow deepened the kiss, claiming her lips hungrily. They didn''t mind kissing even if they were on the side of the road. They had no awareness of their surroundings anymore. They were lost again in their own world. All they cared about was each other''s presence and what they felt for each other. When they were both satisfied, they broke apart, catching their breath. Black Shadow didn''t release her face yet, he was still cupping it using both hands. Then he looked straight in her eyes, saying, " Marie¡­ I love you." He finally said it... those three magic words. Chapter 442 - 442: Her Response "Marie¡­ I love you." He finally said it... those three magic words. Marie''s brain seemed like it malfunctioned after hearing those words. Her world suddenly stopped and all she could hear were those last three words Black Shadow had just said to her. Badum! Badam! Badum! Her heart raced even faster. She opened her mouth only to close it again without uttering a single word. She was at a loss for words. She was staring at him with her doe-like eyes. Her cheeks were scarlet red because she was fl.u.s.tered. Black Shadow, on the other hand, felt nervous and uneasy. This was the first time he said those magic words to someone. But Marie just remained silent. He didn''t get any response from her. ''[email protected]! Why do I feel nervous and afraid of this? Am I that really bad at confessing? The detective is more romantic than me. He even used candles and flowers. I suck at this kind of thing.'' Black Shadow scolded himself. After a while, Black Shadow released Marie''s face from his hands as he looked down. He felt like he was about to get rejected. Even though they already kissed, he was not sure if Marie felt the same way. Besides, they just met again after a long time and she didn''t recover her lost memory. But he didn''t regret telling her about his feelings towards her. He followed Catseye''s advice. He needed to be true to himself. He loved her. He realized that he already fell in love with her even before he learned that she was a member of law enforcement. He knew there would be pros and cons for this. Once Marie got her memory back then she would remember that he was a bad guy whom she was not supposed to love. He''s the bad guy she was chasing after in order to put him into prison. Thinking about that, Black Shadow wondered how the Chief Detective and Catseye were able to maintain their strong relationship despite the fact that they were both different. There was a certain boundary between love and duty. But still, the two of them were going strong ever. Would he ever experience that as well? Especially with Marie? Would he ever find his happy ending too just like Elle and Erick? Black Shadow''s lips twitched into a bitter smile. He didn''t know what would happen in the future. He was a dangerous man, doing a very dangerous job. Who knows, he would be killed someday while doing his mission. With that thought in mind, he was already happy that he experienced again how to love someone unconditionally. Even if Marie won''t love him back at least, he had spent time with her, sharing wonderful and memorable moments together. He looked up to see her face once again. "It''s alright. You don''t have to give me an answer. I''m not expecting a response. I just want to tell you what I feel about you. I know it''s hard because you couldn''t remember me. I understand if you couldn''t love me back and if you already have a change of heart." "I said to you that I was your man. You don''t have to force yourself to be with me because a stranger like me just told you that. I don''t want to take advantage of your situation. I''m sorry." Black Shadow softly said to Marie. When Marie heard those words from him, she was awakened from her deep stupor. Then she saw his sad eyes looking straight at her. "Brandon¡­ I-" Marie found her voice but Black Shadow stopped her from talking by putting a finger on her lips. "I said, it''s alright. You don''t have to explain or answer it. No pressure, sweety. Shall we go now and continue our road trip?" Black Shadow concealed his sadness by smiling at her. Black Shadow turned around to face his motorcycle. Then suddenly he felt soft arms wrapping his waist. Marie hugged him from behind. Black Shadow froze on his spot. Marie started to speak to him. "Can you please hear me out first? This time let me speak and just Iisten to me. I''m sorry if I was silent a while ago. I couldn''t help it. I was just shocked. I feel like this was the first time I heard those words from you." "Yeah, I know¡­ There are memories of you that I couldn''t remember. I am always hoping that I will be able to remember them because I want to know how we met before. I want to remember every moment that we shared together before. It''s different from hearing the story from you or from another person. I want to remember it so badly!" Black Shadow could hear the helplessness in her voice. He knew how hard it was for her not to remember the things she wanted to remember. "I feel sad because no matter how hard I try I still can''t recover them. I also wanted to understand why my heart would always go wild whenever you were with me. My mind couldn''t remember but my heart could recognize you. I think it was the same feeling I was experiencing before every time I''m with you." "Brandon, you said you want to have a fresh start with me. Yes, I want that. You''re the only man who can make me feel this way. I know my heart. It is beating for you. Brandon¡­ My heart was telling me that I like you¡­ it''s telling me that... I love you." "Yeah, I think I still have feelings for you despite the fact I have amnesia¡­ despite the fact I have forgotten our past moments." Marie also confessed her feelings for him. She just knew it. She could feel it even if her mind couldn''t remember him. When Black Shadow heard that, he turned around to see her face. Without saying a word, he tilted her chin up and claimed her lips once again. This time his kiss became more aggressive and demanding. He wanted her to feel his love through this kiss. Black Shadow felt very happy as if he was on cloud nine. He was overjoyed after knowing that Marie also had feelings for him. Chapter 443 - 443: Rejection That day, Marie and Black Shadow became officially a couple. It was like starting over again for both of them. After the road trip, Black Shadow dropped Marie off at her house. It was already evening when they arrived. "Sweety, I will not be able to see you in the next three days. I have some out-of-town work once again. Once I finish the job I will come and visit you," Black Shadow informed Marie. "It''s okay. I understand. Your work is important too. Besides, you always visited me for the past few days." Marie said while smiling at him. "I have too. Because I want to see you every day," Black Shadow said, making Marie blush. Black Shadow couldn''t help but laugh seeing her fl.u.s.tered cheeks. He pulled her again closer to his body to hug her. Marie returned his hug. She loved this simple moment. Her heart was at ease whenever she was with him, being engulfed by his arms just like this. It gave her a different sense of comfort and security. "Take care while you''re at work. Don''t exhaust yourself too much," Marie reminded him. She thought he was a businessman. She had no idea that his job was dangerous. Black Shadow would be preparing for the upcoming mission. Skull Gang would launch another attack against the Dark Knight Organization. Black Shadow would be the team leader for this mission. "Yeah, I will take care of myself. You too¡­ keep safe while I''m not around," Black Shadow softly said to her, stroking her hair. Unknown to Marie, Black Shadow assigned some Skull Gang members to monitor and safeguard Marie while he was on the Mission. Marie just bobbed her head as a response. Black Shadow''s grip on Marie''s body tightened and he bent down to smell her hair and kiss her head. They would not see each other for a few days but just thinking about it, Black Shadow was already missing her. He would think of a way how he would make it up for her once he came back. "Are you going now? Do you want to get inside first and greet my parents? They are inside," Marie invited Black Shadow. Black Shadow released her from his warm embrace before responding to her. "Sorry sweety, I have to pass for now. I''m nervous. I didn''t prepare anything for them. But promise, once I return, I will meet them. You can introduce me to them." Black Shadow reassured her. Marie just giggled after hearing that. She didn''t expect that a guy like Brandon Stone aka Black Shadow would be nervous while meeting his girlfriend''s parents. But she could understand him. They said it was common for other guys. "Sweety, I have to go now. I''ll see you next week. Okay?" Black Shadow stole a kiss from her before he left. Marie just watched him drive away from her place. That was the time Allen arrived to visit Marie. He continued courting her and still waiting for her answer. Allen and Erick''s team were very occupied for the past few weeks because of the case they were handling. He was very busy, that''s why he was able to see her only tonight. He saw Black Shadow from a distance but he didn''t recognize him. "Marie, good evening!" Allen greeted her while giving her a bouquet of flowers. Marie was a little bit surprised when she saw Allen. The moment Allen extended the flower to her, Marie felt a pang of guilt deep inside her heart. She had not talked to him yet regarding her answer and her feelings. Allen had no idea that there was already a man who owned her heart and that person was Black Shadow. Marie knew that she became unfair to Allen. She also cared for him. She loved him but only as her friend, not in a romantic way. She didn''t want to hurt his feelings but she had no choice but to tell him the truth. That was the right thing to do. She shouldn''t give him false hope. Allen noticed her troubled expression so he asked her right away. "Hey what''s wrong? Is there a problem? Who''s the guy who just left with his motorcycle? Did he do something to you?" Allen bombarded her with so many questions. His face was painted by worries and concerns for her. Marie shook her head and said, "Allen, we need to talk." "Hey, don''t give me that kind of serious face. You are making me nervous." Allen said, smiling while scratching the back of his head. He meant it. He was nervous now. It seemed like Marie was about to give him an answer to his proposal and love confession. Marie was still holding the bouquet of flowers when she asked Allen to follow her. They sat down on the bench near their garden. There was a lamp post in that area so it had lights. It was also a perfect place for them to talk privately, only the two of them. Marie invited him to sit beside her. Allen complied with her request. When they were already settled down in their seats, Marie started to speak. "Allen, I don''t know how I will tell you this without hurting you. But I have to be honest with you." Marie held Allen''s arms as she looked into his eyes. "I''m sorry, Allen. I can''t accept nor reciprocate your feelings for me. I love you too but as my good friend." "I appreciate all the efforts and help you''ve done for me for the past two years. But I can''t fool my heart, Allen. I can''t force my heart to love you. You''re a good man. I hope you can find the right woman who can love you back. I''m really sorry." Marie''s heart felt heavy, knowing that Allen was hurting right now. She couldn''t help it. Allen looked down. He heard it. He knew it. He had a bad feeling the moment he saw her troubled face while looking at him. His heart was being squeezed right now. It was slowly breaking into tiny pieces. The woman he loved didn''t love him back. It hurt a lot but he had to endure it. He had to respect Marie''s decision. Marie continued speaking. "I hope nothing will change between us after this. I want our friendship to remain the same. I don''t want to lose a good friend. Please tell me that we can still be friends, Allen? Am I making a difficult request?" This time Allen gazed up to meet her eyes. Allen put on a faint smile to hide his pain. "Don''t worry, Marie. I understand. I respect your decision. Of course, yes! We can still be friends. We should remain friends. I can''t be your lover but I can always be your one good friend, forever." Allen tried his best to sound and look cheerful in front of her. Marie felt relieved when she heard that. "Thank you, Allen!" Marie said before hugging him. Allen just let her hug him. He was trying his best to hide his pain and sadness from her. He didn''t want her to worry about him. But there was something he was dying to ask her. "Marie¡­ Do you love someone already? Is that person... the one I just saw a while ago?" "Yes, he is... I''m sorry." Marie apologized to him once again. Allen just smiled bitterly, "Who is the lucky guy?" "His name is Brandon Stone." Chapter 444 - 444: The Man Who Won her Heart "His name is Brandon Stone," Marie answered Allen truthfully. A deep frown appeared on Allen''s forehead. This was the first time he heard that name. He had no idea that Marie knew someone and even fell in love with that man. For so many years of being together, Marie had never mentioned Brandon Stone to him. Allen often heard about her ex-boyfriends but never heard about that person who was close to her heart. Brandon Stone became a mystery for him. His interest and curiosity were piqued. He wanted to know more about that guy. He just wished that man would never hurt Marie just like what her ex-boyfriends did to her. Though Marie had rejected his feelings for her, Allen still cared for her. All he wanted for her was to be happy. But he wanted to make sure that this Brandon Stone would do that for her. "If you don''t mind, can I ask you something about this Brandon Stone?" Allen said after he released her from his hug. Marie didn''t expect him to ask further but in the end, she just nodded in agreement. "When did you meet him? Did you know him already before you lost your memory?" Allen asked her curiously. "Yeah, I knew him already even before I lost my memory. He''s my secret boyfriend," Marie couldn''t help but smile as she remembered what Black Shadow had told her before. "So I''m sure you didn''t know him," Marie added. "How did you know? Did you remember a portion of your memory?" Allen asked her expectantly. Marie shook her head. "He told me when we saw each other again. He''s the mysterious guy who had been sending me flowers for the past two years." Allen was aware of the daffodil and the anonymous sender. He didn''t know why but he had a nagging feeling about this. He was somehow suspicious of this Brandon Stone especially his motive. ''Why did he approach Marie after two years? He should have done that before, but why only now?'' Allen pondered at that thought. "Can you introduce us to each other? I''m curious. I wanna know the person who stole your heart from me." Allen said it in a manner of a joke but he truly meant it. "He will be working out-of-town this week. I will introduce you to him once he returns next week. I am also planning to introduce him to my parents. I will give you a heads-up." Marie informed him. "Hmm, okay. Thank you. I will be looking forward to that day, meeting the person who won your heart." Marie just looked at him helplessly because of his last remarks. She felt uncomfortable because she knew that she broke his heart tonight. "Oh, by the way, how''s the reunion five days ago? I''m sorry I was not able to attend. Besides, I am no longer a member of the police task force nor a member of Task Force Eagle." Marie said, changing and diverting the topic. "Oh, it''s okay. We understand. But the team missed you. You''re the only one who was not present that night. Captain Jason, Carl, and I had a few drinks while Jane went home early when her boyfriend came to pick her up." Allen responded to her, giving her an idea of what happened during their reunion. The original members of Special Task Force Eagles left the team already, only Jane remained. Captain Jason was no longer the head of Eagles because he was promoted as Major General after they solved Catseye''s Case two years ago. Marie resigned because of her condition while Carl and Allen were recently transferred to Erick''s team. Both of them were now members of Team Alpha Cinco. The mini-reunion was organized by Captain Jason, inviting the new and the old members of the Special Task Force Eagles. Only Marie was not able to attend because she was sick at that time. Her parents didn''t allow her to attend. They became more protective of their daughter since the incident two years ago happened. They almost lost her. "Once you organize another reunion, I will make sure to attend it," Marie said as she wanted to make it up for the team. Allen let out a soft chuckle. "No worries, we will have another reunion during Bryan''s and April''s wedding. Speaking of that, I also came to give you the invitation." Allen picked up a small rectangular card inside his shoulder bag which was hanging on the bench. "Here¡­" he handed it over to Marie. Marie thanked Allen before accepting the invitation card. It did not take long when Allen bade Marie a goodbye. When he left Marie''s house, Allen contacted Carl. He was rejected tonight so he needed a drinking buddy that''s why he called Carl. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Black Shadow proceeded right away to Skull Gang''s Main Headquarters after leaving Marie''s place. They would be finalizing their plan for their upcoming mission three days from now. He was also excited because he was expecting that Catseye would also come tonight. But to his disappointment, there''s no sign of Catseye. Even James had no idea why Elle was not able to come. They were about to start the planning session when someone arrived. It was a man whom they didn''t know. Skull Gang members immediately pointed their guns in his direction. They wondered how this anonymous man was able to enter their conference room without being spotted by the guards. ''Is their security system ineffective?'' That''s what they were thinking at those moments. Some of them shielded Supremo. They thought the person was sent to kill their supreme leader. They suspected that he was sent by the Dark Knight Organization. But before they could shoot him, the man raised his arms, indicating that he was not holding any weapons nor had a plan to attack them. "Who are you?" It was Black Shadow who asked the man. The man let out a soft chuckle before answering Black Shadow. "Relax. I''m an ally, not a foe. Catseye was the one who sent me here. Something came up that she couldn''t come tonight. So I''m here on her behalf." Chapter 445 - 445: All Set "Relax. I''m an ally, not a foe. Catseye was the one who sent me here. Something came up that she couldn''t come tonight. So I''m here on her behalf." After saying that, the man showed them Catseye''s death card as proof. "I''m still in doubt. Even the members of the Dark Knight Organization have Catseye''s death card," Black Shadow didn''t lower his guard. The other Skull Gang members also nodded in agreement. "Besides, why did you sneak in instead of entering our base using the entrance gate?" Black Shadow added, feeling suspicious towards the guy. The man erupted into a peal of laughter before answering Black Shadow. "I did it for two reasons. First, I want to test how strong your security system is in your hideout. Second, to show you that I am worthy to attend this meeting as a representative of my sister Catseye." "By the way, I''m Yu, you can call me Brother Yu." Brother Yu finally introduced himself to James, Black Shadow, and other members of the Skull Gang. James was amazed by his overbearing self-confidence but it was not bad. He liked him already. But still, he was wondering why Elle couldn''t attend tonight. "Did something wrong happen to Catseye?" James asked Brother Yu worriedly. Even Black Shadow had a look of disappointment on his face. "Not something bad, but it was something good," Brother Yu said to them meaningfully. "Anyway, you will hear the good news from my sister Catseye, herself. It''s not my place to tell you about that good news. So, can you please stop aiming those guns at me? Sister Catseye will not let you off if you accidentally shot me here." Brother Yu said to them jokingly. The men averted their gaze to their Supremo, waiting for his command. Since they were not yet convinced, Brother Yu spoke up again. "I know my brother Lu is still in your care. We are excited to see him. We heard that he would be coming back early." At the mention of Brother Lu, James was convinced that he was an ally and he came from Catseye''s side. So James signaled his men to keep their guns. They didn''t need it. The man in front of them was not an enemy. Black Shadow just heaved a frustrated sigh. He was looking forward to seeing Catseye tonight but in the end, she couldn''t come. James just shook his head helplessly while watching Black Shadow''s disappointed reaction. If he didn''t know about Marie then he would think that Black Shadow was in love with Catseye too. He always wanted to see her. He was very fond of Elle. Was it because he idolized Catseye? James knew how obsessed Black Shadow before when it came to competing against Catseye. Soon, they started planning out their strategies and moves. They divided the tasks. Catseye''s team would also join the mission. They had two goals in this mission. First- to stop this negotiation. Many countries in the world would be put in danger if ever the international terrorist group would be able to get Bio-weapons from the Dark Knight. Second- to learn and reveal the identity of the Dark Lord, the head of the Dark Knight Organization. They got an Intel that the Dark Lord would personally attend the negotiation. The negotiation in the Black Market was about to happen three days from now. Black Shadow would lead one team. His team was assigned to discover the Dark Lord''s identity. Catseye''s team was assigned to stop the terrorist group from acquiring the Bio-weapons. If they needed to steal the Bio-weapons from them, they would do it. James wanted to come as well but the Branch Leaders opposed the idea. They said he should stay behind for his safety and security. They had a hunch that this mission was going to be a bloody one. They couldn''t avoid spilling blood. They just hoped that their brothers and fellow members would be safe. Black Shadow, Spike, and Sherlock also agreed with the Branch Leaders'' suggestion. They were the ones who convinced James not to join the mission. But James still refused to listen because he was thinking that even Elle would want to do this mission. He also wanted to make sure that she would be safe if ever she would do this mission with them. Erick and He promised each other that they would protect Elle no matter what. He would do it for Elle''s sake. Spike, Sherlock, and Black Shadow thought of one person who could convince James. That person was none other than Elle. They would ask her help to stop their Supremo from doing reckless and risky things that might put his life in danger. "I will talk to Catseye tomorrow. Don''t worry too much. I bet she can convince James," Black Shadow whispered to Spike, reassuring him. "I can also talk to her since we are working at the same company," Sherlock butted in. Black Shadow shot Sherlock a cold glare. Aside from convincing James, he volunteered because Black Shadow wanted to see Catseye and to confirm if she would join the mission. "Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" Sherlock asked Black Shadow when he noticed his deathly glare. "Mind your own business, Sherlock. Hmmph. I''m the one who will talk to Catseye, not you." Black Shadow insisted. Spike facepalmed because of Black Shadow''s childish behavior. He knew it. Black Shadow had another personal reason why he volunteered to see Catseye. "Whatever, do what you want. But make sure that Supremo will stay here during our mission." Spike said to both of them. Sherlock: "Aye, sir!" Black Shadow: "Yes, sir!" Both of them called Spike ''sir'' just to tease him. Among the three of them, he was the most serious one. "I suggest you should smile often, Spike, instead of frowning," Sherlock suddenly blurted out. "I agree so that Lady Selena will notice how handsome you are," Black Shadow also commented randomly. Spike''s expression changed when he heard those two men. He turned to look at them, ready to kill them both. "Oops! I didn''t say anything!" Sherlock immediately raised his hands, feigning innocence but his eyes were sparkling with humor. Black Shadow burst out laughing before saying, "Sherlock, let''s run to save our lives!" After saying that, Black Shadow and Sherlock fled to escape, running away from Spike. They didn''t want to be killed by Spike on the spot. Chapter 446 - 446: You Cheated On Your Fiancee? ~ Two Days Before the Mission ~ At Morning Star Media Network Building, Elle went back to work. According to the doctor, she was healthy and there''s nothing wrong even if she continued working. The doctor just advised her not to get tired and stressed herself too much. She also gave her vitamins and food supplements that were good for her and the baby. "Hey, how are you? I heard that you fainted yesterday. I visited you in the hospital only to find out you were already discharged. I came to your apartment but it was closed. I couldn''t contact you as well. Where did you go? Did you stay over with James?" Sandy spoke spontaneously, her eyes filled with worries and concerns. Elle smiled cheerfully while eyeing Sandy meaningfully. She pulled her towards the exit door. She wanted to share her joy with her so she decided to reveal some truths with Sandy. Elle held her shoulders and met her gaze. "Sandy, I have something to tell you. Can you please keep it as a secret in the meantime?" Sandy bobbed her head frantically, reassuring Elle that she would do it for her. "Sandy¡­ I''m pregnant!" "WHAT??!! YOU''RE PREGNANT?!" Elle immediately covered Sandy''s mouth using her hands. She didn''t want others from the company to hear it. "Hey, keep your voice low." Elle squinted her eyes at her. Sandy just nodded her head so that Elle would release her mouth. "Are you not kidding? Are you really pregnant?" Sandy asked her again. The shock and disbelief were written all over her face. "Yes, I''m dead serious. I''m two weeks pregnant," Elle patiently answered her. "Oh my God! You got pregnant right away after James returned. You really missed each other!" Sandy commented exasperatedly. Elle didn''t know whether to cry or laugh. It''s just natural that Sandy would think that James was the father. "James is not the father," Elle stated once again. "WHAT?! JAMES IS NOT THE FATHER??!" Elle covered her mouth once again while rolling her eyes. "Can you calm down and lower your voice please," Elle asked her with a pleading look. Sandy bobbed her head once again. Elle gave her a warning look before releasing her mouth once again. "Oh my gosh! Ali¡­ you cheated on your fiancee! I couldn''t believe it. Who''s that bastard?! I''m gonna kill him. Who dare take advantage of you? Did you do it with a stranger? One nightstand? Why are you not careful!? You didn''t use protection or take morning pills after the deed? How can you be so irresponsible?! What will you do now?" Sandy''s blabbering mouth was now activated, bombarding her with so many questions while scolding her. Elle massaged her temples. Just talking to Sandy was giving her a headache. Then Elle rubbed her stomach as she spoke to Little Lee. "Baby, please forgive your Aunt Sandy. She''s really talkative. Just cover your ears, baby. Don''t listen to her nonsense." Sandy: "..." Elle heaved a sigh of relief when Sandy finally stopped talking. "Hmm, can I speak now?" Elle asked Sandy. Sandy just nodded at her. She was quiet, afraid that Elle''s baby would be disturb because of her noisy mouth. "It''s Erick. He''s the father of my baby," Elle said with a bright smile on her face, her eyes filled with love and affection for Erick. "What?! Erick? Erick Lee?! The Handsome Pervert Chief Detective?!" This time Sandy said that in a low voice. "Yes!" "Oh my gosh! No wonder, you didn''t hesitate to cheat on your fiancee. Detective Lee is so handsome! Every woman could fall for him easily, including you. He is a great temptation for us women. Even I, myself, wanted to taste Erick Lee." "Ouch!" Sandy grunted as Elle hit her head when she said the last sentence. Elle shot Sandy a cold sharp glare. "ERICK IS OFF-LIMITS. He. Is. MINE. ONLY!" Elle emphasized every word. "Hey, I''m just kidding. Besides, my charm won''t work on him." "But why did you do it? He''s already married, right? How about James?" Sandy asked her worriedly. Elle heaved a deep sigh before explaining everything to Sandy. "James and I are only friends. We are not in a relationship. We are just pretending. He''s the one who saved my life and brought me to the State for my medication." Sandy nodded her head, signifying that she understood what she was saying. "How about Chief Lee? What is your relationship with him?" Sandy asked her curiously. "I''m his wife who went missing two years ago," Elle revealed to her. "Oh my gosh! Now I get it! That''s the reason he always hugged you before when you saw each other after you returned here in City Z." "Yes, there''s a reason why I pretended not to know him. But eventually, he still found out the truth about my identity. Then we started seeing each other secretly." "His colleagues do not know about this yet. Can you please keep it a secret in the meantime? We will tell them once we settle some issues on my part." Elle begged her. "Alright, Ali. You don''t have to worry. Your secret is safe with me." Sandy reassured her. "Oh, by the way! Congratulations!" Sandy hugged Elle. She was happy for her. "Thank you," Elle mumbled. "Let''s go back now. I have to talk with our superior. I will ask him for another assignment." Elle said to Sandy. "Oh, you will suggest him to cover another dangerous story? Oh noh, don''t do that. You''re pregnant now." Sandy reminded her. "I know. It''s different. Not dangerous compared to others." "Alright." They were about to go back when Elle noticed a silhouette behind them. Someone was listening to their conversation. "Sandy, go ahead. I just have to check something. I will follow you after." Sandy just nodded her head before leaving Elle. Elle started to walk to the corner where she caught a glimpse of someone''s shadow. "Come out now. I know you are there. I saw you." Elle said, telling the person who was hiding behind the wall. "Brandon Stone¡­ a.k.a Black Shadow," Elle said before letting out a soft chuckle. Unknown to Elle, Black Shadow was not moving because he was still shocked by the news he overheard a while ago. Chapter 447 - 447: Congrats My Friend! "Come out now. I know you are there. I saw you." Elle got no response after she said those words. She couldn''t help letting out a soft giggle. "Brandon Stone¡­ a.k.a Black Shadow," Elle called him out once again. Elle had no idea that the reason why Black Shadow was not responding to her call was that he was still processing in his brain the information he had overheard a while ago. He was shocked beyond belief. He didn''t expect that he would accidentally hear that news from the two ladies. He went to Elle''s office today since he volunteered last night that he would be the one to talk to Elle about Supremo''s decision. They wanted to ask her help to convince James to stay in the headquarters and not to join the mission. It was dangerous for him. He decided to use the emergency exit in entering the building. Who would have thought that by doing that he would receive a piece of shocking news unintentionally and indirectly. Since Black Shadow was not moving in his spot, Elle had no choice but to walk over and approach him by herself. When Elle reached his spot, she saw him with his eyes wide open and mouth gape. He was frozen.in his baffled state. Elle could no longer hold her laughter. This was the first time she saw Black Shadow with that kind of funny and shocked expression. "Hey, what happened to you, Mr. Brandon Stone? Did your spirit wander to another dimension and has not returned yet?" Elle mumbled, teasing Black Shadow after she stopped laughing at him. Elle''s laughter and her voice snapped him out of his deep stupor. After he recovered his wits, he faced Elle with a pitiful look on his face. "What shall we do now? Don''t tell me you and I will not be able to do this mission once again?" Black Shadow said exasperatedly. He looked like a child who lost his favorite toy after hearing the news. Elle gazed at him helplessly. He was really looking forward to doing a mission with her. "I''m sorry. I am afraid that will be the case this time," Elle said to him apologetically. "It''s for my child''s safety. This is my priority now, Black. I hope you understand," Elle added, assessing Black Shadow''s reaction. Black Shadow could only heave a deep sigh. He leaned on the wall as he was feeling down. Elle moved closer to Black Shadow as she also leaned on the wall beside him. There was a moment of silence between them. After a while, Black Shadow spoke up again. "Will I be able to do a mission with you before you retire? Hmm why do I feel like we will not be able to collaborate in one mission even in the future? What if I die during this mission¡­ then you will miss your chance of working together with me." Black Shadow started to feel sentimental. "Hey, what are you saying? What''s wrong with you? Spouting nonsense like that. You won''t die!" Elle said with certainty. Black Shadow let out a husky laugh before asking her, "How sure are you? I''m not an immortal." Elle flashed a cheeky grin and said, "Because bad guys won''t die easily. They have long lives." Black Shadow didn''t feel offended, instead he let out another soft chuckle. "Then I will definitely die. I''m not a bad guy anymore. I''m doing good deeds now. See¡­ I will save many nations once I successfully sabotage this negotiation." This time Elle fell silent for a moment. She had now become serious. "Black¡­ you have to stay alive." Black Shadow''s lips curled up after hearing that. "Why?" "Because¡­ I don''t want to lose another friend." Elle said to him meaningfully. Black Shadow was taken aback when he heard that. He was tongue-tied for several seconds. For an unknown reason, he was touched by her words. He could feel the warmth inside his heart. Catseye considered him a friend now. He tried to hide his embarrassment by cracking some jokes. "Will you cry if I die? If I just know, you thought many times about how you would kill me before." "Hmm, well, I will not deny that. There was a certain moment wherein I really wanted to kill you. That was the day Erick was hurt because of you and Reaper." Elle told him honestly. "Well, that is so expected of you. Hahaha. I''m glad you didn''t attack me that night. I guess I am still lucky." "See¡­ bad guy won''t die easily." Elle said with a cheeky grin on her face. Black Shadow just shrugged his shoulders then he turned to his side to look at her. "Well, anyway¡­ congratulations! Little kitten is coming." "Thank you," Elle said, her expression softened at the mention of her baby. "If you continue to be a good guy then I will consider choosing you as one of the godfathers of my baby," Elle added. Black Shadow''s face brightened up. "Really?" Elle just nodded as a response. "Oh I would love that. Hmm I will train your child. You never know. If I can''t do a mission with his or her Mom, then maybe when your baby grows up, I will do a mission with your baby." "Ouch!" Elle hit his head because of that. "My child will not become an assassin, you moron!" Elle scolded him. "Who said your child will be an assassin? I didn''t say that! He or she might become a police officer just like Erick." Black Shadow spat back at her. "Why? Am I not allowed to work with the police authority? Even you and Erick are doing it together." Black Shadow complained to her. Elle rolled her eyes. "You didn''t make yourself clear a while ago." "By the way, what brings you here?" "Oh, yeah. I am here to ask you a favor. Can you talk to James? Convince him not to join the mission. He is insisting on coming with us. It''s a dangerous mission. The Skull Gang Leader should stay in a safe place and just let us do everything." "Why me?" Elle asked him. "Isn''t it obvious. You are the only one who can convince him. He''s the Supremo. He won''t listen to anyone except his Queen. You''re the Queen, remember?" Black Shadow explained to her. Elle could only sigh deeply. "Alright, I will try to talk to him." "Good. Make sure he will listen to you or else I have no choice but to knock him down during the mission and tie him inside the Skull Gang headquarters." Elle giggled after hearing that. "You are the only man among the Skull Gang who has the guts to do that to Supremo." Black Shadow erupted into a peal of laughter once again. "Kitten, one more thing." "What is it?" Elle asked him with intrigue. "I just wanna say Thank you," Black Shadow mumbled with so much sincerity in his every word. "For what?" Elle asked him in confusion. Black Shadow gave her a faint smile before answering her. "For your advice. I follow it. I confessed my feelings to Marie. She accepted it. She said she felt the same way. We are now in a relationship." That''s one of the reasons why Black Shadow wanted to see Elle. He wanted to thank her. Because of her, he found his courage to be true to himself, to his feelings towards Marie. Elle patted Black Shadow''s back and said, "Congrats my friend. You did a very good job! I''m so happy for you." Chapter 448 - 448: Brother Lu Returned ~ One Day Before the Mission ~ The special room in Dr. Clara''s Private Clinic had been arranged and organized. Today was the day, Lu was returning from the States. Everyone including Dr. Clara and Phantom was looking forward to his arrival. Spike had already returned two days before and he informed James that Dr. Argus permitted to transport Lu back to City Z. Dr. Argus would personally manage the transfer of Lu. He also decided to stay in City Z to monitor Lu''s condition. He would work together with Dr. Clara. They would help Lu in his rehabilitation and therapy. Phantom''s henchmen also returned to City just to see their Brother Lu. It''s been a long time that they had not seen him. They were heartbroken when they thought Lu also died two years ago. As being his brothers, they were so proud of him. He was the youngest among them and he was the one who saved their Lady Boss. Even if he had to sacrifice himself, he didn''t hesitate to do it. He was a hero for them, worthy of their admiration. Elle and Erick accompanied James to the airport. Dr. Argus and his team used Arison''s private plane during their travel going back to City Z. At exactly 7:00 am, Arison''s Private Plane landed at the airport of City Z. The private ambulance was also there waiting for the patient and the medical staff who were assisting the patient. Lu was being moved using the stretcher. He was still wearing an oxygen mask because sometimes he had difficulty breathing but he was already awake and could talk to anyone. Elle immediately dashed towards his direction when she saw Dr. Argus and some medical staff who was pushing Lu''s stretcher going to the ambulance. Elle hugged Dr. Argus quickly when she greeted him. Dr. Argus also returned her hug. He was glad that Elle was doing better now. She was looking good compared to the last time he saw her. Then Elle immediately got inside the ambulance to accompany Lu. Erick and James just gave her private time with Lu. So they didn''t join her inside the ambulance. They just rode their cars as they followed the ambulance behind. Inside the ambulance, Lu had noticed Elle''s presence. He wanted to sit up but Elle held him down and signaled him to stay put. Elle grabbed his right arm as she looked at him with relief. Her eyes also became misty. "Brother Lu, welcome back. I''m so glad to see you back. Thank you so much for not giving up. Thank you so much for staying alive. Thank you so much for everything. I owe you my life. I will not be able to forgive myself if something bad happens to you. I''m really sorry. I truly am. Because of me, you suffered too much." Elle said, feeling emotional right now. Lu removed his oxygen mask using his left hand. He could move his arms but still, he couldn''t stand and walk just like before. After removing his mask, he reached out to touch Elle''s face. "Don''t cry and don''t be sad anymore, Lady Boss. It''s not your fault. I am willing to sacrifice my life just to save you. It''s my will. You don''t have to thank me nor feel sorry. I am happy that I was able to save you. You don''t owe me anything." Lu responded to her with his weak voice. "Just call me, sister. You''re my brother. I am not your boss." Elle said, her grip on his hand tightened. As expected, Lu''s face reddened from shyness and embarrassment when he heard that. He was touched and at the same time felt blissful. His heart swooned because of that simple remarks from his Lady Boss. "Father and our brothers are all waiting for you. They missed you so much. We missed you so much." Elle said to him, gentleness flashing in her dark eyes. Lu''s lips curled up into a bright smile. This was one of his best assets. He was the jolliest person among their brothers. His vibrant attitude could affect everyone else. This was what they missed most when Lu was not around. He was the one who could easily lighten the mood of his brothers. "I didn''t notice that two years had passed already. In my memories, I felt like everything just happened yesterday. When I was in a coma, I could always see you, Master Phantom, and my brothers. In my dreams, we are living happily together. All of you became my strength." When Lu said that, Elle could no longer hold her tears. Her tears just dropped one after another like rainfalls. She was glad that in those moments, Lu could still see them. Lu was not alone. They were with him in his mind and his heart. "Lady Boss¡­ I mean sister¡­ please don''t cry. Did I say something wrong that made you sad?" Brother Lu asked her in his panicked voice. He didn''t want to see her cry. This was the first time he saw her cry like this. He felt alarmed as he didn''t know what to do. Lu used his left hand to wipe her tears but it kept on falling down her cheeks. "Sister, please don''t cry." He begged desperately. Elle giggled while she was crying. She couldn''t help it. Maybe the pregnancy hormone also caused her to be so emotional like this. "I''m not sad. I''m just so happy that you are back. These are tears of joy because you came back to us, safe and sound." After saying that, Elle reached out to caress Lu''s face. She couldn''t describe the joy she was feeling right now. She leaned over to hug Lu''s frail body. When Elle hugged Lu, his face became scarlet red. He was blushing too much. ''Eh, I think I''m going to faint. My idol sister is hugging me now like this. I feel like I won a jackpot today.'' Lu thought to himself while savoring the moment. He felt the love and care of Elle. Chapter 449 - 449: The Devilish Who Is Not Evil ~ One Day Before The Mission ~ The ambulance arrived at Dr. Clara''s private clinic. They transferred Lu to his room immediately. Phantom and others were already there, waiting for them. James and Erick also parked their cars before following Elle as she accompanied Dr. Argus and Brother Lu. Brother Lu was still being moved through the stretcher. Phantom and Dr. Clara approached them right away. "Lu, you''re back!" Phantom held his arm as he watched Lu. "Yes, Master. I''m back. I missed you and my brothers," Lu said with a weak voice. "I''m so glad. You''re a brave man, son. I''m proud of you." Phantom mumbled, feeling emotional. "Master¡­" Lu had no words to describe what he was feeling right now. He could only smile because of joy and happiness. His other brothers also came running to greet him. They hugged him right away. "Lu!" "Brother Lu!" "We missed you!" "We are glad to see you again!" "You scared us. We thought you left us already." "Brother, don''t go missing once again." "You broke our hearts!" "Hey, easy, our brother Lu is not yet 100 percent recovered. Don''t squeeze him too much. Give him space!" The remaining 9 henchmen of Phantom were now complete and reunited once again. Charles, James, and Erick were watching this touching reunion on the sideline. Meanwhile, Elle introduced Dr. Clara to Dr. Argus. She was not surprised to see Elle since Phantom had already told Dr. Clara that Elle was alive. He also told her everything that happened to her and Lu in the past two years. "It''s my pleasure to meet you. Dr. Clara. Ali had mentioned you to me several times. She praised your skills as a doctor with a kind heart." Dr. Clara let out a soft chuckle before responding to Dr. Argus. "The pleasure is mine as well, Dr. Argus. I heard how you took care of these young ones in the States. We are really grateful for your help. Thank you for not giving up on them." Dr. Clara said, feeling grateful to Dr. Argus. "Hmm. I''m so happy because I have two miracle patients. They survived not only because of the medication we provided to them but because of their strong will-power." Dr. Argus commended both Elle and brother Lu. Elle just smiled after hearing that. "Oh, let''s go inside now and bring Lu to his private room. We arranged his room according to your suggestion," Dr. Clara said, informing Dr. Argus. "Thank you, Dr. I really appreciate it." Soon, they brought Lu into his private room. Dr. Clara and Elle together with James and Erick entertained Dr. Argus and his medical team. James had also prepared their accommodation here in City Z. After seeing that everything went well, Erick bade his goodbye to them as he needed to report at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters today. "Wifey, don''t get tired and exhaust yourself too much. Call me if you need anything. I will come running to you right away." After saying that, he leaned over to kiss her on the forehead and whispered something. "Take good care of yourself and our baby." Elle nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. "Yes hubby, I will protect myself and our baby." Elle also gave him a peck on his lips before Erick left. After Erick left, Elle asked James to talk with her privately, leaving Phantom, Dr. Clara, and Dr. Argus in the office. James and Elle went outside and chose a spot where there were no other people aside from the two of them. "James, first of all, I want to say thank you for bringing Lu back to us. You helped us a lot." James gave her a faint smile and said, "No need to mention it. You are my friend, remember?" Elle giggled after hearing that. "I know. But still, I want to thank you." "Hey, I heard that you are planning to join the mission tomorrow night. Can you reconsider your decision? It''s dangerous for your safety. You should let Black Shadow and others do it." Elle brought up the topic of the mission. James fell silent after hearing that. He didn''t expect that Elle would ask him that. He wanted to come and do this mission. "Why not? Even you, yourself, are doing a dangerous mission. Why am I the only one not allowed to do this?" Elle didn''t know whether to cry or laugh because of his last remarks. "James, I''m used to doing dangerous missions since I was young. I was trained for this, unlike you. You''re a leader of a big organization, not an ordinary member. If something bad happens to you, there will be consequences. Are you letting the enemy win by putting yourself in danger?" Elle tried her best to explain and convince him. "I know that. I understand. But it''s just that I feel useless if I will just stay in the headquarters. Besides, even the leader of the Dark Knight Organization will make his appearance during the negotiation. I want to see the face of the person who called the hit for my father''s head." James was so determined to do it. Elle could only sigh deeply. "I want to protect you. I want to keep you safe. But I will not be able to join the mission. I will not be at ease knowing that you are there, putting yourself in danger." James was taken aback when he heard that. "What do you mean? Are you not joining the mission this time?" James asked her inquisitively. "Yes, I''m not. I want to but I can''t. It''s dangerous and I have someone precious to protect." After saying that, Elle flashed her gentle smile at James. "James, you''re going to be an Uncle now with my Baby. I''m pregnant. That''s why I can''t do this mission." James was dumbstruck by that piece of good news. He was utterly astounded. He just stood there as he lost his ability to speak. Elle couldn''t help letting out a soft giggle. Seeing the surprised expression of her friends after knowing that she was pregnant was really priceless. Then Elle looked down, rubbing her flat stomach. "Baby, please help Mom. Let''s convince your Uncle James to stay and not do a dangerous mission." James: "..." Elle gazed up to meet his eyes once again. With her pleading look, Elle asked James once again. "Please James, can you just stay put and let others do this mission. Please¡­" James just sighed helplessly. He didn''t have the heart to refuse her especially if she was giving him this kind of look. "Alright. I will not do it anymore. I''ll stay in the headquarters." "Yes¡­ did you hear it, Baby? You are Mom''s lucky charm. Your Uncle James finally agreed on Mom''s request." Elle mumbled, talking to Little Lee once again. James couldn''t help but look at her tenderly. He was happy for her. Elle would become a very sweet and loving mother to her child, contrary to her devilish reputation. Who would have thought that the vicious and ruthless devilish assassin, Catseye would have this kind, sweet and gentle side too? And now, she''s becoming a mother, a very loving mother, who would do her best to protect her family. Chapter 450 - 450: How Many More Secrets? ~ One Day Before The Mission ~ When Elena arrived at Dr. Clara''s clinic, she noticed that there were several cars that were parked in front including the private ambulance. She had no idea what''s going on inside the clinic. She was also surprised to see a familiar figure standing at the entrance door of Dr. Clara''s office. She didn''t expect to see him today. That person was Charles. It had been a week since they last saw each other. She didn''t know how she would face him after confessing to him and after knowing the truth about Charles''s crime. She was still confused about her feelings. Everything got complicated between them after that night. Charles, on the other hand, met her gaze when he looked up. He was also taken aback upon seeing her. Both of them were quiet, just eyeing each other silently. It was Elena who looked away first. Charles felt a pang of pain the moment he saw her avoiding his gaze. Charles clenched his fists. He had to admit that he was hurt whenever Elena would look at him with her distant eyes. those eyes were no longer gentle and warm. He was used to seeing her smile brightly whenever she would look at him. Now, it felt different. He missed his sweet little charming Elena who would greet him cheerfully. All he could see was awkwardness. She looked very distant now. He felt like his heart was being squeezed, slowly suffocating him. Meanwhile, Elena felt conscious. Though she was not looking at him, she could feel his penetrating gaze that was directed to her. His gaze was fixed on her. She wanted to maintain her composure but her heart was already running wild inside her chest. She was both nervous, frightened, and excited. She couldn''t describe her feelings right now. But after seeing him, she had to admit that she missed him. But she could no longer greet him the way she used to before. She just nodded at him to acknowledge his presence and was about to walk past him but before she could enter the clinic, a large hand grabbed her elbow, thus stopping her. Then she heard Charles''s voice, talking to her with his very serious expression. "Can we talk? Are you free?" Elena was taken aback upon hearing his desperate and pleading tone. She didn''t have the heart to refuse him. She lowered her gaze and said, "Yes, B-Brother Charles." Getting her approval, Charles gently pulled her towards his car. He decided to talk to her inside his car. Charles was sitting in the driver''s seat while Elena was sitting in the front passenger seat. After they settled down inside his car, Charles spoke up first. "Are you surprised to see the many vehicles around here?" Charles had no plan to bring the topic up about their feelings towards each other. He asked her to talk for two reasons. First, he missed her and he wanted to spend time with her. Second, he wanted to give Elena a heads-up of what she was about to discover today. He decided to inform her about Brother Lu''s arrival and his condition. Aside from that, Elena would probably see Elle today. Since Dr. Clara was also aware that Elle was alive, it was also the time to tell Elena the truth. She was hurt when she learned that her savior, Elle, died two years ago. Now, it was her turn to know about the good news. "Yes, I didn''t expect to see many vehicles here as early as this. Do we have emergency patients?" Elena asked Charles with intrigue. "Yes and no. No, because there are no emergency patients but Yes because there is a very important patient who arrived today coming from the State." Charles informed her. "Those vehicles belong to my father Tom, James Arison, and other brothers of mine." Charles paused for a moment, eyeing Elena intently before he continued. "The very important patient was none other than Brother Lu. And there''s someone whom you will be happy to see here." Charles said to her meaningfully. Elena looked at him with confusion. "Who''s that someone?" "Your sister Elle. She''s here. She''s alive." Charles finally revealed it to her. Elena was dumbfounded for a moment. She was at a loss for words. She couldn''t believe what he had just heard. Just a few weeks ago, they told her that her sister Elle died in an accident. And now, Charles was telling her that she was alive. How many more secrets she didn''t know about them? Elena was now having conflicting thoughts. But she was glad to hear that her sister, Elle, was alive. "Where is she? I want to see her," Elena mumbled as she peered at her surroundings. "She is still talking with James right now. You can see her after." Elena nodded her head at him. Then she asked him another question. "How many more secrets you are hiding from me? What are the things I didn''t know about you and my sister, Elle? I feel like there are still stories behind all these happenings." Elena couldn''t help but vent out her frustration. "Elena¡­ I-I" Charles didn''t know what to say anymore. Elena was right. There were still a lot of things they were hiding from her. He didn''t know how she would react once she learned everything. Meanwhile, Elena misinterpreted his silence. She thought Charles and her sister Elle didn''t trust her enough to share with her those secrets. ''Am I not trustworthy in their eyes? Why am I always the one being kept in the dark?'' Elena thought to herself, feeling down. "Brother Charles, I think I need to go inside the clinic now and assist Dr. Clara." Charles could feel that Elena was upset about something. But he couldn''t tell her everything. He didn''t want to involve her in their dangerous world. And he was not the right person to reveal everything to her. Elle should be the one to talk to her about Elle''s past and identity. Without waiting for his response, Elena quickly stepped out of his car. "Elena wait¡­" But Elena just continued walking, without looking back. Charles could only sigh deeply. He felt saddened by her reactions. He wanted to talk to her more but she refused to stay. Tomorrow he would be doing a very dangerous mission. And he didn''t know if everything would end up just fine. He couldn''t guarantee if they could still come back alive. "Elena¡­ I''m sorry." Chapter 451 - 451: A Talk Between Two Sisters After leaving Charles in his car, Elena went inside the clinic. She was on the verge of crying. There was a heaviness in her heart. She was upset knowing that there were lots of things she didn''t know yet about the people she truly cared for. She didn''t know what to believe anymore. She just wanted to know the truth. She was always kept in the dark, clueless about what was happening to the people who became important to her. She was living far away from her parents. Charles, Elle, Dr. Clara, and Phantom were the people whom she considered as her second family here. Two years ago, she was hurt and became sad when Charles and Elle suddenly disappeared. She had no news about their whereabouts. She was wondering if they were living a good life. Charles came back and she was so happy to see him once again. She learned from him that her sis Elle died two years ago but he didn''t tell her all the details. She was heartbroken when she learned that two years after. Then not long ago, she realized her true feelings toward Charles. She mustered up her courage to confess to him. But everything didn''t end up very well. He didn''t accept nor reject her feelings. Instead of answering her directly, the most depressing part was he told her that he was a bad guy and he killed someone. She was quite shocked. She didn''t know if he told her that to scare her¡­ or it''s another way of sending her away because he couldn''t reciprocate her love for him. If it''s the truth then she became confused. She didn''t know how to react because she never imagined that the Charles she knew was capable of doing that crime. Now, her mind was in shambles. She had complicated feelings she couldn''t figure out. She loved him but she didn''t know if she could accept the fact that he had killed someone. But for what reason? He didn''t even exert effort to explain or defend himself. Elena was lost in her thoughts when she bumped into Elle. She just finished talking with James. "Elena?" When she heard that familiar voice, Elena snapped back from her wandering thoughts. She turned to that person only to see Elle already smiling at her. "Sis Elle?" After saying that, Elena pounced on her, embracing her tightly. It''s been a long time since the last time they saw each other. She was glad to see her alive. She thought she would never see her again. The tears she was trying to hold a while ago just poured down from the corners of her eyes. "Sis Elle, I m-missed you... so much!" Elena mumbled with her trembling voice. Elle just giggled after seeing her crybaby sister, Elena. She was stroking her back, comforting her. "Me too. I missed you. I''m so glad to know that you are about to fulfill your dream of becoming a doctor. I''m so happy and I''m so proud of you." "Sis, where have you been? What happened to you?" Elena asked her after breaking their hug. "Come, let''s sit down first, then I will tell you." Elle pulled her going to the vacant bench inside the clinic. Then the two of them sat down. "Elena, I''m sorry if I didn''t tell you about my real identity and my true relationship with Charles and Sir Tom. I knew that you already learned some secrets about Charles. We kept a lot of things from you because we didn''t want you to be involved with our dark sides." Elle explained to her. "I hope you can forgive us. Charles and I truly care about you. We want you to be happy and live simply, away from our dangerous world. We are not good but we are not also evil. We committed crimes but it was part of our dark past." "Elena, I am Catseye, the infamous assassin. And Charles is my partner. I know I couldn''t justify our action by telling you that we only killed bad people and we killed for a reason. We are still sinners but we are trying our best to have a new life and have a fresh start." Elena was just silent, listening to her as she tried to absorb every information Elle was telling her right now. "Please, don''t judge Charles. He''s a person with a good heart. I hope his past won''t be the cause for you to stop loving him. But I can understand if you can''t fully accept him." "You know??" Elena couldn''t help but ask her. Elle nodded at her with a smile. "Yes, he told me everything. Just give him time as well as yourself. He is also trying to figure out his feelings for you." "But I can tell you one thing¡­ Just like me, Charles was afraid, afraid that you would hate him because of his past. That''s how I felt before when Erick didn''t know about my real identity. But I am thankful and so lucky that despite that Erick still loves me." "But don''t get the wrong idea dear. I''m not telling you to follow Erick and do the same thing. You and Erick are different. You will find the answer here." Elle pointed her chest where her heart was beating. Elena wiped her tears using her bare hands and nodded at her. "I understand, sis Elle. Thank you for telling me this¡­ for entrusting to me your secrets." Elle patted Elena''s head. "You''re my little sister. I should have told you sooner. Forgive me." After listening to Elle, the heavy feelings that were weighing her heart a while ago had been lifted. Elle also told her what happened to her two years ago¡­ the reason why everyone thought she died. She also told her about her real identity as Ma Belle Elleise Falcon. She told her the tragedy that happened to her family 18 years ago. That was the reason she became an assassin. They spent half-day talking about her past. Elena listened to her attentively. At the end of their conversation, Elle also informed her about her pregnancy. She couldn''t help but share with her the joy of becoming a mother. Elena congratulated her. She volunteered to be her personal nurse to take care of her and her baby. Chapter 452 - 452: Negotiation in the Black Market ~ The Day of the Mission ~ In a certain part of City Z, the black market was secretly operating for so many years now. It was located in a slum area. The highly populated urban residential area consisting mostly of closely packed, decrepit housing deteriorated infrastructure, inhabited primarily by impoverished people was a perfect place and cover-up for this black market. Every negotiation happening in the black market was illegal. It was a common venue where people from the underground world were doing their trades and ''under the table'' transactions such as drug and illegal firearms trade, prostitution, illegal currency transactions, and human trafficking. The Black market was also known as the shadow market. Parties engaging in the production or distribution of prohibited goods and services were members of this illegal economy. The Skull Gang and the Dark Knight Organizations dominated the underground world and they were the well-known and powerful organizations participating in the Black market economy. Several transactions were happening now in the Black market. Different Mafia organizations and gangs were present tonight, doing their own negotiations. The Dark Knight was among those groups. Each of them was assigned in the different areas in the Black Market. In the case of the Dark Knight Organization, they were doing their transaction in a much more secluded place. It was located in a deteriorated incomplete abandoned building in the southern part of the slum area. Dozens of black cars were being parked nearby and around the building. Members of the Dark Knight Organization were scattered all over the place, carrying their high-powered firearms. They secured the place first and now waiting for their leader to arrive. The terrorist group was also on the way to the meeting place. Everyone was on high alert, being cautious for any possible disturbances and surprise attacks from other enemies, especially Skull Gang. It did not take long when four highly tinted black vans and one armored vehicle arrived in the area. They were the terrorist group who would buy the bio-weapon from the Dark Knight Organization. They were also equipped with high-powered firearms. They were about fifty members from their sides including their leader. Most of them including the leader was wearing a monster mask to hide their whole faces. They were speaking a different language. That''s the reason why the Dark Knight also hired the Azumi Twins. Kelsy would serve as the interpreter. She spoke different languages as the twins worked abroad for several years. They were international assassins. Kevin was also hiding in his assigned position. From his location, he could clearly see the happenings around the area most especially the area where the negotiation would happen. They were already anticipating enemies to launch their attacks. They strengthened the security around the area. Intruders would be shot dead once they were spotted. This was a multi-million dollar transaction. No one was allowed to interrupt this. Soon, the package arrived. An eighteen-wheeler truck parked in front of the abandoned building. That truck was carrying the bio-weapons. A black bulletproof limousine was following the truck. The Dark Lord was there together with Alfonso and other higher-ups of the Dark Knight Organization. Everything was all set for this negotiation. So far there was no sign of intruders or enemies in the area. Elite bodyguards and fighters of the Dark Knight Organization immediately approached the limousine to welcome their Dark Lord. Alfonso and the higher-ups stepped out of the car first. Then a man emanating a powerful and intimidating aura came out last. He was wearing a black suit and black mask to hide his face. "Dark Lord, Red dragon, and his men have already arrived. They were now waiting for you inside," One of the members of the Dark Knight informed them. The Dark Lord just nodded at him before signaling Alfonso and other higher-ups to follow him. Soon, they went inside the building as they were escorted by dozens of men. Red Dragon was the alias of the leader of the terrorist group. Kelsy was already entertaining Red Dragon when the Dark Lord arrived inside. They immediately greeted each other. The Red Dragon was also surrounded by his men. They couldn''t trust each other yet. This was the first time they would negotiate with each other. ********** Meanwhile, The Skull Gang members and Catseye''s team were just waiting for Black Shadow''s signal. Unknown to the members of Dark Knight Organization, Black Shadow had already broken their security. He was already there in the place of negotiation, hiding in shadows as he took note of the numbers of enemies present and their respective locations. The Skull Gang Members were divided into two groups. Spike and Sherlock were both leading their team consisting of twenty elite men on each team. On the other hand, Catseye''s team was also divided into two groups, Brother Yu and Brother Yan were leading the group. Phantom didn''t go with them while Charles was also working independently without a team just like Black Shadow. Elle gave Charles a special task tonight. The good thing was all their communications were connected to each other. When he was done assessing the situation, Black Shadow contacted each team. He gave them vital information that would help them implement their plan. All teams were now all ears on Black Shadow. "The Dark Knight members surrounded the area¡­ about 15 meters radius from the place of negotiation. Be careful, snipers were hiding in the dark, about twenty of them. I will give you a go signal once I eliminate all the snipers." "Did you see the eighteen-wheeler truck? That''s the package. You must secure it no matter what. Be careful. There are also men guarding the truck, inside and outside." Black Shadow continued reporting while taking notes of the position of the snipers. "Red Dragon and his men are also equipped with high-powered guns, about 40 men on their sides. The Dark Lord also arrived. He''s wearing a black suit and black mask. Both leaders are being guarded by dozens of men." "The negotiation is about to start. Let''s move." After saying that, a voice was heard in their communication device. "I will help you clear the area in the southern part. I eliminated five snipers already." Black Shadow frowned upon hearing that. "Who are you?" They heard the loud chuckle of the man. "Just call me Catseye version 2.0." Chapter 453 - 453: Three Types of Bio-Weapon They heard the loud chuckle of the man. "Just call me Catseye version 2.0." "Catseye version 2.0?" Black Shadow repeated his words, still frowning. Phantom''s henchmen started laughing because they knew very well that person who was speaking to them right now. "That''s our brother Charles. He also came tonight." Brother Yu mumbled in his bright tone. "Charles? Do you mean¡­ Catseye''s middleman, Charles? When did he become Catseye version 2.0?" Black Shadow couldn''t help but wonder. He could still remember how weak Charles was. He was not able to fight back when Black Shadow abducted him so that they could lure Catseye into the Skull Gang''s headquarters. Charles was the reason Black Shadow and James were able to discover Catseye''s identity. Elle came to save him. Who would have thought that weak fellow before could also become Catseye version 2.0? Was he worthy of that title? Did he improve his fighting skills? "For me, there''s only one Catseye. Others are just impostors." Black Shadow declared on their communication device. Spike and Sherlock just facepalmed after hearing Black Shadow''s childish rant once again. "Can the two of you stop arguing? We are in the middle of a very important mission. It''s time to move now!" Spike reprimanded Charles and Black Shadow. Other team members just burst out laughing. "Aye, sir! I''m on the move now. Wait for my signal," Black Shadow said before moving to eliminate the snipers one after another. "Me too. Target spotted. I''m off to eliminate other guards that are positioned in the higher grounds," Charles also informed them. "Black, Brother Charles¡­ be careful!" Brother Yu said to both of them. While Charles and Black Shadow were on the move to provide openings for their team, the Dark Lord and the Red Dragon started their negotiation inside the abandoned building. "It''s my pleasure to finally meet the mysterious leader of the Dark Knight Organization. I feel very touched that you personally came tonight to close this deal despite your busy schedule," The Red Dargon acknowledged and put emphasis on the Dark Lord''s esteemed presence tonight. The Dark Lord just let out a husky laugh. Both of them were wearing masks. Their identities were also a mystery in the underground world. "Well, let''s just say I also value your presence, Red Dragon. You also traveled from a faraway place just to do this transaction personally. So it is my obligation to welcome you personally." "Hmm, I really appreciate this kind gesture from you, Dark Lord. So let''s start our negotiation now. What is your starting price again with those precious weapons of yours?" These conversations were being translated by Kelsy to the two leaders. Every time they would speak their dialect, Kelsy would relay the message to each one of them. Red Dragon: " Did you bring the package? How many?" Dark Lord: "How many can you afford to buy? By the way, this is Alfonso. He is the person-in-charge of managing our Bio-weapon facility. He can explain to you how this bio-weapon will work." Alfonso stepped forward as he joined their conversation. Alfonso: "We brought the package. We have a lot of available stocks. We prepared three types of weapons, the one in a tube that you can use to inject with someone''s body, another one, a personalized gun with a bio-weapon as its bullet, and the third one is a specialized bomb. The price also varies." Red Dragon: "Oh, it''s interesting. You also made personalized guns and bombs out of those bio-weapons. Amazing." Alfonso signaled his underlings to bring the samples. Three men walked towards them holding three black steel briefcases. They put the three briefcases on the table in front of Red Dragon and the Dark Lord. Alfonso continued discussing to them the effect of this bio-weapon once it was used to attack people. Alfonso: "These are some kind of nerve toxin or neurotoxin with paralyzing effect. Once it gets inside your system or body, it will also attack other organs of your body, slowly killing the victim with zero chance of survival unless they will be given the antidote." Red Dragon: "Did you also bring the antidote?" Dark Lord: "Yes, we also brought antidotes but it will have another price. It''s more expensive than the bio-weapon itself." Red Dragon: "More expensive than the bio-weapon itself? Why is that so?" Alfonso and the Dark Lord exchanged meaningful glances with each other after Kelsy relayed that question to them. The reason was that they only had a limited number of antidotes. The scientists who were currently working with them couldn''t still figure out how to produce an antidote for this bio-weapon. That''s the main reason they never stopped searching for Matt Carter, the only one who could make the antidote with 99.9% success. It was easy to make and reproduce those bio-weapons but they were having difficulty in making antidotes. Fortunately, after several years of looking for that person, finally, they found him. They would do their best to apprehend and catch him and force him to work for the Dark Knight Organization once again. But they didn''t want Red Dragon to know that fact. They couldn''t afford to let another organization find out that Matt Carter exists. He was a very valuable asset for the Dark Knight Organization. Dark Lord: "It is hard to produce antidotes than bio-weapons. As of now, we have limited supplies of antidotes that''s why they are more expensive than the bio-weapon itself." Red Dragon: "Hmm, okay. I understand. So tell me the pricing of these weapons." Dark Lord: "Oh before that, please see these samples." Alfonso signaled their men to open the steel briefcase to show the samples. Inside the first briefcase, there were green substances inside three transparent tubes. The second briefcase contained the personalized gun. It looked like a tranquilizer gun, the size of a pistol. The bullet also contained the green substance they saw in the transparent tubes. The third briefcase contained the large rectangular bomb, in the middle, there was a glass cylinder containing the green substance. Red Dragon couldn''t help but be amazed by those weapons in front of him right now. He smiled at Alfonso and the Dark Lord, feeling very satisfied. "Hmm, fantastic! I like all of them!" Chapter 454 - 454: The Chase The negotiation between the Dark Lord and Red Dragon continued. Now they were talking about the price of different types of Bio-weapon. Dark Lord: "One tube of Bio-weapon worth One hundred thousand dollars. One Personalized gun with ten sets of bullets worth five hundred thousand dollars. One bomb costs 100 million dollars. One tube of antidote costs One Million dollars." Red Dragon: "Hmm, can''t you lower the price by half for all the items? I will take one hundred pieces for tubes, 50 sets for personalized guns and ten pieces of bombs. " Red Dragon paused for a moment, thinking how many antidotes he would be buying tonight. After much thought and careful consideration, he made his decision. Red Dragon: "Give me 300 pieces of antidotes. Dark Lord be generous enough and give me a fifty percent discount in overall price." The Dark Lord burst out laughing after hearing that. Red Dragon couldn''t tell what he was thinking at that certain moment. The Dark Lord''s expression was indescribable. It looked like he agreed and at the same time he didn''t. The Red Dragon was anticipating his response. "Red Dragon, do you think it''s fair? You just asked me for a discount. You didn''t bargain anything. Do you think I will agree with that?" The Dark Lord smiled at him mockingly. "Why don''t you make a good offer so that I will not refuse you. Try me," the Dark Lord urged Red Dragon. Red Dragon fell silent. He was thinking what was a suitable offer he could give him so that he would agree to his request. After a few seconds, he finally decided what he would offer to him. "How about we become your supplier of firearms? Our group possesses different types of high-powered firearms. You will surely like it." The Dark Lord just shook his head as a response, indicating that he was not interested in his offer. Red Dragon sighed deeply. He knew that the Dark Lord wouldn''t be easily convinced by this. They also had suppliers of firearms. Red Dragon: "Alright. How about our loyalty? Are you willing to do an alliance with us? We have more power and many connections internationally. You know how loyal our group is to our allies." "We are willing to die for them, kill for them, bring down a nation for them. How about that? My terrorist group will pledge loyalty to the Dark Knight Organization." "With our combined powers, we can rule the underground world. Oh, I heard you were having a problem recently against one organization in this country. The Skull Gang right? Hmmm, we can lend you a hand and eradicate them." Red Dragon gave him an extravagant offer. The Dark Lord smirked triumphantly upon hearing that. It was a pretty awesome offer. He could utilize Red Dragon''s group to eliminate the Skull Gang. "Hmm, I can''t say no for that. Yeah, it''s a deal!" The Dark Lord said, extending his right arm to Red Dragon for a handshake. This meant sealing the deal. Red Dragon gladly accepted his hands. From now on, Red Dragon''s Terrorist Group and The Dark Knight Organization became allies. The Dark Lord signaled Alfonso to prepare the number of weapons Red Dragon had mentioned a while ago while Red Dragon asked his right hand man to prepare the money. After fifteen minutes, Alfonso and his men brought the different types of bio-weapons. Those weapons were sealed and nicely packaged in dozens of briefcases. The other higher ups of the Dark Knight Organization checked and ensured that the money they were receiving was the exact amount of their agreement. Red Dragon''s men already received the Bio-weapons. The money was also given to the Dark Knight Members. The deal went smoothly without any interference. They closed the deal very fast because Red Dragon''s men would also leave the country tonight after acquiring these weapons. They were about to leave the place when suddenly one of their men collapsed in front of them. When they saw the blood spilling from his head, they knew that someone just launched an attack. Finally, their enemy made an appearance. The bodyguards secured their leaders right away. After several seconds, more men fall on the ground. "There are snipers! Move and take cover! Secure the Dark Lord," Kelsy shouted to them. Everyone took cover. They didn''t know the location of the snipers. Kelsy immediately contacted her twin brother, Kevin. "Brother? What''s the situation outside? We are being attacked here! Do something! F*ck! Where are the guards? What are they doing?" Kelsy was cursing as she could see that several men on their sides were already down, some were dead and others were injured. Based on her assumption, there were two snipers right now, hiding in the dark. Soon, she heard Kevin''s voice from their communication device. Kevin: "I''m working on it. There were two intruders. They killed our snipers. I''m searching for their current location now. Leave now. Secure the Dark Lord. Is the deal done?" Kelsy: "Yes, the deal was done. We are about to leave when suddenly we were attacked." Kevin: "Okay, leave it to me. I know what to do. I found the sniper now. I gotta go. Will contact you again later. Be careful!" Kelsy: "Yes, be careful too, brother." Red Dragon and his other men successfully left the place as they entered their respective van and armored vehicle. The Dark Lord was also being escorted to his bulletproof limousine. The two snipers Kelsy was referring to were Charles and Black Shadow. Black Shadow already gave their team the go signal. He contacted every team. Black Shadow: "Catseye team 1 and Team 2 , can you hear me?'' Brother Yu: "Yes" Brother Yan: "Yes, we can!" Black Shadow: Pursue Red Dragon, he is riding the armored vehicle. They acquired several briefcases of bio-weapons. They were going to the southern exit. Brother Yu: "Noted" Black Shadow: "One Team, try to hijack the eighteen wheeler truck. It contains a lot of bio-weapons." Brother Yan: "Got it. My team will handle this." Black Shadow: "Good luck!" Soon he spoke to Spike and Sherlock Team. "You know what to do! Pursue the Black Limousine. The Dark Lord is there! Go and get him. We will continue to distract the men here." Sherlock:" Yeah, we are on the move!" Black Shadow: "They went to the northern part! Go now!" Spike: "Noted!" Chapter 455 - 455: Two Succeeded: One Failed The chase began. Almost immediately, they heard the screech of tires in opposite directions. Both Red Dragon and the Dark Lord were now secured inside their armored and bulletproof vehicles, escaping from their common enemies. The deal had been done. Red Dragon acquired the bio-weapons while the Dark Lord gained an alliance and more money in this transaction. It seemed that everything went well to both sides until Black Shadow and Charles finally made their moves, targeting and firing in the direction of the Dark Lord and Red Dragon. They managed to eliminate their opponent''s snipers and they created chaos to divert the attention of other Dark Knight''s men. Their main targets were to catch the Dark Lord and retrieve the bio-weapons from the hands of Red Dragon''s men. The area was now very chaotic. Dead bodies scattered on the ground around the abandoned building. Charles and Black Shadow continued shooting their enemies. It was just a matter of time before their hiding spots would be discovered. When Kelsy secured the Dark Lord, she stayed to accompany her brother to eliminate the snipers who kept on attacking them in the shadows. Meanwhile, Skull Gang and Catseye''s team were divided, chasing their assigned targets tonight. Brother Yan and his team were now tailing the eighteen-wheeler truck which was carrying supplies of bio-weapon. They were driving two black sedan cars. Brother Yan was riding a motorcycle. They started shooting the cars that were escorting the truck. They succeeded in separating them from the truck. Because of that, Brother Yan found the opportunity to hijack the truck. He was now chasing after the truck at his full speed while riding his motorcycle. He was able to catch up. Later on, he abandoned his motorcycle and jumped into the truck. It seemed like it was a scene taken from a movie wherein the protagonist was hanging on the sides of the car as he tried to reach the driver''s side and replace him. Brother Yan had managed to do that. He was holding the gun and pointing it at the head of the driver, making the driver surrender on his demand. In a split of seconds, Brother Yan was now the person driving the truck. Then he reported to this comrade, "Mission accomplished on our part. The truck carrying the bio-weapon is now in our possession." The other team rejoiced after hearing that. Now, they had to do their parts, catching the Dark Lord and retrieving the bio-weapons from Red Dragon. Brother Yu''s team was also on the move, tailing Red Dragon''s armored vehicle. They were able to block the armored vehicle. It stopped in the middle of the road, surrounded by several other vehicles from Brother Yu''s team. But this was not an easy task. There were still lots of Red Dragon''s men protecting him. There were two vans accompanying the armored van. All men were equipped with high-powered firearms. Direct shootout couldn''t be avoided. "Leave the bio-weapons and we will let you live." Brother Yu tried to negotiate but Red Dragon and his men refused to cooperate. Some men had understood Brother Yu''s demand despite the difference in language. "In your dreams! We paid a lot of money for this!" It was said using another dialect so Brother Yu and his team didn''t understand it. But when the men raised their weapons, they knew that their answer was a big "NO". Soon, the two groups exchanged gunfire. Fortunately, they were in the slum area and police authorities were not yet alerted about this on-going encounter. The shootout lasted for several minutes until everyone lost ammo and extra bullets. They couldn''t touch the armored vehicle. It was highly protected. Fortunately, Brother Yu brought code B''s, their specialized bomb. He tried to negotiate again. "These are bombs. It will instantly explode once I press the detonator in my hands. Leave the bio-weapons or no one will leave alive here. I can throw this in your location now and make it explode." Brother Yu threatened them. Red Dragon and his men knew the consequence if they would not comply with his demand. Though their leader was inside the armored vehicle, they were not sure how powerful this bomb was. They were now put in a dilemma. They also had to leave this country as soon as possible. Their spy just informed them that the INTERPOL got the information that Red Dragon''s Terrorist Group was currently in City Z. They were now on the move to catch them. City Z police department was also cooperating with the INTERPOL right now to apprehend them. They had no time for this. After much thought and careful consideration, Red Dragon made a certain decision. He finally yielded to Brother Yu''s demand, leaving the Bio-weapons they just bought a while ago. They were in a hurry. Their main priority now was to escape from the grasp of the INTERPOL and leave this country as soon as possible. Red Dragon''s men left all the briefcases, in exchange, Brother Yu''s team would allow them to leave. Red Dragon and his men left the area right away with their full speed. Brother Yu and his team succeeded in retrieving the bio-weapons from the hands of the terrorist group. "Mission Accomplished on our part!" Brother Yu reported also, informing their other comrades. Now, Only Spike''s and Sherlock''s team were left to accomplish their task. They were still tailing the black limousine where the Dark Lord was. They managed to catch up with the vehicle and stopped it. But little did they know that the black limousine was just a decoy. The Dark Lord including Alfonso and the other higher-ups of the Dark Knight Organization used the other vehicle. Black Shadow didn''t notice the exchange of passengers as they were busy targeting the other guards. They didn''t anticipate that the Dark Lord would gamble on this and ride an ordinary vehicle instead of riding the bulletproof limousine. They were outsmarted by the Dark Lord even in the last minute. He was really a formidable enemy. Sad to say, Spike and Sherlock failed their mission. Chapter 456 - 456: Lost Contact The mission of retrieving the bio-weapons succeeded. Now they got a hold of the evidence they needed to show the government that a certain organization called Dark Knight Organization was freely and secretly operating the facility in the country. They planned to involve the government authority especially the Commander-in-Chief who was the current President of this country. Though spies were everywhere in different branches of government offices and agencies, they needed to work with the government and its law enforcement to stop the evil deeds of the Dark Knight Organization. They were dangerous as they even started dealing with the international terrorist group like Red Dragon''s group. This was quite alarming. The Skull Gang didn''t even think of going to that extent before. Because of the Skull Gang interference, sabotaging the resources of the Dark Knight Organization for the past two years, the Dark Lord resorted to this thing, dealing with the infamous international terrorist group to recover their losses. The Dark Knight Organization was now desperate. But this was as expected of them. They were the most cunning organization in the underground world. And now, the Skull Gang wanted to put an end to the Dark Knight''s reign. To do that, they needed to unmask the Dark Lord and find out his true identity. Tonight was the perfect night to do that, but unfortunately, he escaped again from their grasp. The limousine was empty, only two or three Dark Knight members were inside the car including the driver. When Spike and Sherlock asked them about the whereabouts of the Dark Lord, they refused to talk. In the end, they failed. "The Dark Lord and Alfonso including the higher-ups of the Dark Knight Organization have escaped. We are sorry about that." Spike reported to the team. "It''s alright. Don''t feel dejected. We managed to retrieve the bio-weapons. It''s the most important thing," Brother Yu commented from the other line. Spike and Sherlock heaved a frustrated sigh. "Come on guys! Cheer up!" Brother Yan butted in when he heard their long deep sigh. "Now, let''s wait for Brother Charles and Black Shadow''s updates. It seems that they are busy right now," Brother Yu said when he noticed that Black Shadow and Charles were not speaking from the other line. "Yeah, we can go back there if they need back-up. Why are they not contacting us?" Sherlock said, wondering why Black Shadow and Charles became quiet. "Maybe they are really engrossed with what they are doing right now. This is the first time they did a mission together. I wonder if they are having a competition as of this moment, given that Black Shadow had beaten Brother Charles before." Brother Yan couldn''t help but mumble. "Brother Yu, watch your mouth. They can still hear us," Brother Yu informed Brother yan before bursting out laughing. "Oh, I''m sorry. I forgot about that!" Brother Yan apologized but he was laughing too. Spike and Sherlock could only sigh helplessly while shaking their heads. Knowing Black Shadow, Brother Yan''s assumption might be possible. "Alright. We will go back and check on them. You two, proceed straight to the Skull Gang''s headquarters. Bring that special package to Supremo. He is waiting for us there. Secure the bio-weapons. This will be the cause of the Dark Knight''s downfall. Handle them with care," Spike reminded Brother Yu and Brother Yan. Brother Yu: " Noted, Brother Spike!" Brother Yan: "We will do our best. You take care of the rest. Hahaha!" After talking to them, Sherlock spoke to Spike. " Wow, you gain a new brother tonight, Brother Spike! Hahaha." He just wanted to lighten the mood and tease Spike. Spike just rolled his eyes at him before he entered his car. " Move now. Black Shadow, that dude must be doing a reckless thing again. Our mission was done here. That two punk should stop playing and messing around." Sherlock just shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, Spike¡­ you don''t really know the word FUN." Unknown to them, there was another reason why Charles and Black Shadow had stopped communicating with them. They were not playing around nor competing. Something big happened on their sides. ******** ~ Thirty Minutes Ago ~ When the chase began, Charles and Black Shadow remained on the venue, diverting the attention of other Dark Knight''s men. They had no idea that Black Shadow''s hiding spot had been discovered by Kevin Azumi. Kevin approached his hiding spot slowly. He couldn''t take a clear shot from his previous spot so he needed to come personally and get near him. Among the snipers, only Kevin had managed to stay hidden, away from Black Shadow''s and Charles''s radar. That was one miscalculation on their part. Black Shadow was so engrossed with shooting the men on the lower grounds that he failed to notice Kevin''s presence behind his back. Kevin had recognized Black Shadow right away even if Black Shadow''s back was facing him. ''Well, Well, Well! What a nice sight to see. The person I''ve been hunting for the past months just delivered himself to me with a silver plate.'' Kevin thought to himself, flashing his sinister smile. He took his time observing Black Shadow. ''From our distance, I could kill him easily. Plant a bullet right through his head!'' Kevin was thinking of so many ways how he would get even with Black Shadow after his betrayal. He wanted him to suffer. He was still blaming him for deceiving the Azumi Twins about Catseye''s true identity. Two years ago, it was Black Shadow who lied to them that Catseye was a man, not a woman. He was still boiling with fury whenever he would remember that. Kevin paid a great price two years ago. He lost the eyesight of his one eye because of Catseye. He blamed Black Shadow for that. But in the first place, it was his carelessness that brought that mischief upon himself. After he was done reminiscing the past, Kevin pointed his gun in Black Shadow''s direction. Black Shadow was still unaware of Kevin''s presence. After a few seconds, the sound of gunfire was heard in that area. BANG! Chapter 457 - 457: Ran Out of Luck After Kevin was done reminiscing about the past, he pointed his gun in Black Shadow''s direction. Black Shadow was still unaware of Kevin''s presence. After a few seconds, the sound of gunfire was heard in that area. BANG! Before Black Shadow realized what happened, a bullet already pierced through his right shoulder, thus dropping his sniper rifle from his hand. He turned around only to see Kevin slowly approaching him. There was a sinister smile on his face as he played his pistol in his hand. "Well, nice seeing you here, Black Shadow. Long time no see, Dude! Did you miss me?" Kevin said to him with a mocking smile. Black Shadow was now holding his wounded shoulder. A deep frown appeared on his face. He didn''t see this coming. Kevin Azumi finally caught him this time. Would this be his end? "Why are you not talking? Are you surprised to see me? Do you know that I missed you? I''ve been searching for you for the past two years. Finally, I found you tonight." Kevin was now just two meters away from Black Shadow. Black Shadow''s blood was now dripping from his shoulder down the floor. Then another gunfire was heard. Bang! Kevin shot him once again in his right leg. Black Shadow fell on his knee. "Argh!" He whimpered but he was enduring the pain. "Well, I love to see you kneeling in front of me now, Black Shadow. I''m thinking of so many ways how to kill you for betraying me and my sister." Kevin was enjoying the show. He wanted to see Black Shadow suffer. Killing him right away was no fun at all. He wanted to torture him and beat him until he would beg his forgiveness. "Do you want to stay alive? Hmm, I have a proposal. Why don''t you beg me now? Ask for my forgiveness. Come here. Kiss my shoes. Then I will let you live tonight." Kevin said with his taunting smile. "Tsk..." Black shadow still managed to smirk at him. Not showing any fear. "Just kill me. Begging for your forgiveness and licking your dirty shoes? I prefer to die than do that." Black Shadow finally spoke up. "Oh, you still have the guts to talk back to me? Your life is in my hands now, Black Shadow? Do you want to keep your pride? You should be praying now. Oh, I forgot. God won''t listen to you. You will go straight to hell once I kill you right here and then." The sarcasm was evident in his voice. Then Kevin charged towards his direction and gave him a hard punch. Black Shadow fell on the ground, facing it. He was in pain but he didn''t make any noise. Because of that, Kevin was enraged. He wanted Black Shadow to cry and shout in pain. So he kicked Black Shadow''s leg which was already bleeding due to the gunshot wound. It was painful but Black Shadow bit his lower lip to suppress his whimper. He won''t allow Kevin to hear his shout or cry because of the pain. ''Damn! I''m in a bad situation now. What can I do? There''s no way I can contact my team. Kevin will shot me right on the spot. How can I ask them for help now? F*CK. I''m doomed!'' Black Shadow was cursing inwardly. He knew he was at disadvantage now. He had to admit that his life was in Kevin''s hands now. He could kill him easily if he wanted to. The only reason he was not doing that was that he wanted to see Black Shadow suffer more. He could see the hatred in Kevin''s eyes. Black Shadow was aware that Kevin was still blaming him for his loss of eyesight. He deceived Kevin and Kelsy two years ago. He did that because of Marie. They hurt the woman he loved. They were now even but Kevin was thinking a different thing. At that certain moment, Marie''s lovely face popped up in Black Shadow''s mind. He smiled bitterly. He was looking forward to visiting Marie''s parents next week. They already planned of introducing him to her parents as Marie''s official boyfriend. ''Damn. I''m sorry Love. It seems that I ran out of luck now. Will I still be able to see you after this? I''m really sorry.'' This was what he was afraid of. That someday he would just disappear without a trace. If he would die tonight, then Marie would be left behind, his beloved woman. Now, Black Shadow was asking himself why things like these were happening. He already decided to start a new life with Marie. For her, he was willing to change. But how can he do that if he would be killed tonight? ''Damn! I messed up tonight. I''m beyond redemption now.'' Black Shadow was already losing his hope. He knew that his team was already chasing Red Dragon and the Dark Lord. By the time, they arrived there, he was afraid that his cold body would be the one greeting them. ''It looks like I failed tonight as well. Sorry guys. Now, I am leaving everything to all of you.'' Black Shadow closed his eyes. He decided to fight back with his remaining strength. If Kevin would kill him then be it. He was not afraid to die. But he was afraid of leaving Marie behind. When he was about to make a move, another gunfire was heard in the area. Bang! This time that gunfire didn''t come from Kevin''s pistol but from the newcomer. He shot Kevin in the back, hitting his arm. Kevin dropped his gun on the floor. They turned around only to see a figure wearing all black matched with a mask. This type of clothing was familiar to the two men. A surprised expression was written all over their faces. Both of them called the newcomer in unison. Kevin: "Catseye?" Black Shadow: " Catseye?" The newcomer didn''t respond but showed them a card. It was Catseye''s death card. Chapter 458 - 458: Black Shadows Revenge Kevin: "Catseye?" Black Shadow: " Catseye?" The newcomer didn''t respond but showed them a card. It was Catseye''s death card. Kevin clenched his fists and gritted his teeth upon seeing Catseye''s death card. It reminded him of the misfortune he had two years ago that caused him to lose his eyesight. Black Shadow, on the other hand, frowned the moment he saw Catseye and the death card. He was certain that Elle was not here. She won''t risk the safety of her child. Then a certain someone popped up in his mind: Catseye''s middleman, Charles. A while ago Charles claimed that he was Catseye version 2.0. ''Oh, that''s right. Charles is still here with me. Phew, it looks like I was saved for now.'' Black Shadow thought to himself. He ripped his clothes to tie some clothing in his wound. He needed to stop his bleeding. His right leg was wounded as well as his right shoulder. He couldn''t do something on his back right shoulder so he focused on his wounded leg. "So, this is the new Catseye who is wreaking havoc in the City Z once again?" Kevin said mockingly at them. Kevin''s hand was also bleeding. He had the upper hand a while ago but it was turned in an instant the moment Catseye arrived. Though he was pissed off, Kevin maintained his cool, pretending that he was unaffected by the newcomer''s presence. "Don''t you know that interrupting others while they are in the middle of doing something is a very bad manner? Tsk Tsk Tsk," Kevin added as he sneered at him. This time Charles reacted, bursting into a sarcastic laugh. "We met again, Kevin Azumi. Last time, it was in the hotel. Oh, you are in no position to tell me that since you also interrupted me and Detective Lee that night. We were also in the middle of doing something when suddenly you appeared, shooting us behind our back." Another laughter was heard. This time it was Black Shadow who was sitting on the ground. "Hahaha. Don''t be surprised, Catseye. It is his nature to stab you at the back. Oops, I mean, to shoot you at the back. See what happened to me. How cowardly!" Black Shadow commented, provoking Kevin. Kevin shot Black Shadow a sharp glare. How dare he laugh at him. Black Shadow would be dead by now in his hands if this annoying Catseye''s impostor didn''t arrive. "Oh, interesting¡­ The Catseye''s impostor is working with Black Shadow now? Hahaha. Two versus one? Who is considered to be more cowardly here?" Kevin didn''t back down. "Oh, sorry about that. But for your information, Black Shadow and I are not friends but I''m willing to help him and work for him because of my sister''s request. I heard you were once Black Shadow''s friend." Charles shook his head in disappointment, still verbally attacking Kevin Azumi. "Tsk Tsk Tsk. What a sad ending, a friend betrayed his friend first because someone was jealous of the relationship between his twin sister and his friend." Charles somehow knew the history between Black Shadow and Azumi Twins. That''s the advantage of being a gossip man in the underground world. Black Shadow and Kevin were both rendered speechless. They didn''t expect that Charles knew their story. "Who are you? I''m gonna kill you. You are just a coward hiding in your mask pretending to be strong and powerful while imitating someone''s identity and alias." Kevin mumbled through his gritted teeth. "Hahaha, so the rumor was true? Why are you so affected? Someone told me before that Kevin Azumi was very possessive of his twin sister that he even tried to mess with his sister''s relationship with her boyfriend who was also his friend." Charles continued to provoke Kevin. Black Shadow: "..." He didn''t know whether to cry or laugh in this situation. He had to commend Catseye''s middleman. It looked like he even collected data and information about their personal lives. He never imagined that someone would know the story behind the conflict between Azumi Twins and Black Shadow. Even their former comrades in the Assassin Guild had no idea about this story. "Oh, don''t tell me you had a thing for your twin sister, Kelsy?" Charles threw another verbal attack on Kevin. But Charles and Black Shadow knew that it''s not true. Kevin had no romantic feelings towards his twin sister, Kelsy. Charles just made up that assumption, trying to anger Kevin to lose his cool. Charles hated to see him calm and compose in this situation. This time they cornered Kevin. His provocation was effective since Kevin''s expression darkened. He was now boiling with fury. "I. Don''t. Have. A. Thing. For. My. Sister!" Kevin said firmly, emphasizing every word. Charles burst out laughing because he already got what he wanted. He angered Kevin and it felt so damn good! He wanted to avenge Elle against Azumi Twins. They were the ones who plotted the incident two years ago. Because of their schemes of using Erick''s parents, Elle''s life was put in danger. She almost died two years ago. He hated Kevin and Azumi Twins to the core. "Black, can you stand up?" This time Charles turned to Black Shadow. He knew that he was wounded. Black Shadow''s shoulder was still bleeding. "Yes, I can," Black Shadow responded before trying to stand up using his other leg. "No more playing. Let''s proceed to the proper business," Charles''s tone had become serious. He pointed his gun in Kevin''s direction. "Black Shadow, now I will give you chance. Beat him. Punch him hard! Don''t worry, if he tried to fight back I will shoot him." Black Shadow raised his eyebrow, "How dare you, ordering me around? Are you my boss? Don''t you see I''m injured now? Why don''t you beat him yourself?" But Black Shadow''s eyes sparkled with delight. He was dying to beat this guy as well. Without waiting for Charles to respond, Black Shadow threw a hard punch on Kevin''s jaw then another punch at his abdomen. Kevin cursed inwardly. He was helpless in this situation. He couldn''t fight back or else Catseye would shoot him. Black Shadow made Kevin his punching bag for several minutes. He didn''t care about his wound. He just continued punching him because of Marie. Kevin was the one who shot Marie in the head. This was his revenge. Chapter 459 - 459: Cornered! After Black Shadow was satisfied beating Kevin into pulp, he decided to knock him down. "Oh, don''t you want to kill him?" Charles asked Black Shadow, glancing at the unconscious Kevin lying on the floor. "Well. For the sake of our friendship before, I won''t kill him for now. But once he tries to harm my woman again then I will not hesitate to kill him," Black Shadow responded to him. Charles let out a soft chuckle. He removed his mask and ripped some fabrics from his clothes. He wanted to stop Black Shadow''s bleeding on his right shoulder. "I didn''t know that you are very sentimental. You still gave him mercy after what he did to you. You should remove the future threat," Charles commented. He wrapped the piece of cloth around Black Shadow''s wound and tied it carefully. "Why did you help me? I beat and tortured you before," Black Shadow asked Charles expectantly. "Well, because I hate Kevin more than you. He hurt my sister, Elle. We have common enemies here so I have to help you. Besides, Elle asked me to support and assist you on her behalf," Charles explained to him. He was now done tying the cloth around his wound. "Wow, I''m so touched. Kitten is thinking about me too. Is she worried that I will fail tonight?" Black Shadow said exhilaratingly. Charles just rolled his eyes skyward. He didn''t know that Black Shadow also had a blabbering mouth and playful sides. "Shall we leave this place now? You have to go see a doctor now. You are wounded," Charles reminded him, as he put Black Shadow''s one arm around his shoulder to help him walk. "Okay, let''s go!" Black Shadow agreed with Charles''s suggestion. He started to feel weak because he already lost so much blood. When they were about to go down from the rooftop of that building, several men arrived at their location. They were headed by Kelsy. "F*CK! I think we''re too late!" Charles cursed upon seeing ten men, blocking their way. Kelsy was with them. They were pointing their guns in Black Shadow''s and Charles''s direction. "Where do you think you''re going? The two of you are not leaving this place alive!" One member of the Dark Knight Organization shouted at them. Kelsy''s eyes were assessing Black Shadow. She didn''t expect to see him tonight. It seemed that Black Shadow was wounded. Then her gaze moved from Black Shadow to Charles. This was the first time she saw this man. ''Is he a member of the Skull Gang? As far as I know, Black Shadow is now working for the Skull Gang after leaving Assassin Guild,'' Kelsy thought to herself. She was still mad at Black Shadow for betraying them. But after seeing his sorry state right now, she couldn''t help but feel worried about him. "What are we waiting for? Shoot them now," The same man spoke up. "Don''t shoot!" Kelsy shouted, stopping them. "But why? They killed our comrades. They are not allowed to leave this place alive! They must die here!" the man insisted. "I said don''t shoot! I''m your team leader here. You should listen to me!" Kelsy was losing her patience. "We still need them!" Kelsy added. "Then let me at least kill one person between them!" The man spoke up once again. He was hell-bent to avenge their fallen comrades. "This is not good," Black Shadow whispered to Charles. "Just leave me here. You should go and escape," he suggested. Charles frowned after hearing that. "I can''t leave you here." "Don''t be stubborn. Charles. Did you hear what he had just said? They are planning to kill one of us. I appreciate your help. But I don''t think we can escape here both. You should save yourself. I will just slow you down. I''m wounded." Black Shadow was convincing Charles to escape without him. Then Black Shadow smirked at him. "You are not a hero buddy. And I am not a good person who needs to be rescued. I don''t deserve it! Catseye will be sad if something bad will happen to you. Emotional stress is not good for a pregnant woman." Charles clenched his fists. He knew that Black Shadow was right. They were now surrounded by the Dark Knight''s men. If they wanted to escape then they should move fast. It was possible if Black Shadow was not wounded. They were put in a very difficult situation now. He didn''t want to leave Black Shadow behind. He couldn''t bear to leave a comrade just to save his own ass. He won''t do that. "No, I''m not leaving without you!" Charles said with so much conviction in his words. Black Shadow looked at him helplessly. "Don''t be stubborn and stupid, man. I''m not your friend. We are not close. Are you willing to die with me?" "If I leave you here alone while saving my ass, that is very unmanly. It''s better to die than to be called a coward." Charles said. He refused to listen. Black Shadow was now having a headache. Then they heard the man spoke up again to Kelsy. "Choose¡­ who among them will become our hostage and who will die in my hands?" A sinister smile appeared on the man''s face. Of course, Kelsy would choose to save Black Shadow. The truth was, Black Shadow was also thinking that Kelsy won''t allow those men to kill him. That''s the reason why he was advising Charles to leave. "I''ll take cover for you. I will count one up to three. After that, you should leave and escape. There''s a steel stair attached to this rooftop on your left side. I will divert their attention." Black Shadow said to him seriously. "I said I''m not-" Black Shadow cut him off immediately, "Trust me. I will not die yet. Leave now, inform our team and come again to rescue me. Kelsy will not allow me to die here. She''s my ex-girlfriend, remember?" Black Shadow already removed his arm around Charles''s shoulder. He wanted to take this opportunity as Kelsy and the others were having an argument. He signaled Charles to get ready. Then he started counting on his mind. One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Bang! Bang! Chapter 460 - 460: Hostage Black Shadow signaled Charles to get ready. Then he started counting on his mind. One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Bang! Bang! Black Shadow fired at Kelsy and Dark Knight''s men. They were caught off guard when they heard the gunshots. Two men were down. "Sh*t! This is the reason why I said to kill them!" The man cursed as he tried to avoid the bullets. Some rolled on the ground. Black Shadow made his move. Charles had no choice but to cooperate especially after seeing Black Shadow''s pleading expression. "F*ck! He said no one should act like a hero! He is the one who is acting as a hero here by letting me leave and escape." Charles immediately ran towards the steel stair Black Shadow was referring to a while ago. Kelsy and her team also started shooting in their direction. Black Shadow managed to hide in the wall. He only had limited ammunition but it was enough to hold them and let Charles escape. But Kelsy was also a sharpshooter. Before Charles completely disappeared from her sight, she still managed to hit him at his back. Charles almost fell off the building when he was hit, fortunately, he was able to hook his arm at the steel stair. Black Shadow continued to take cover for him, firing at them. He hoped that Charles would be able to escape here safely. After a few minutes, Black Shadow ran out of bullets to defend himself. "This is it. I think this is the end of my road," Black Shadow closed his eyes while smiling bitterly. Even at this moment, he was still thinking of Marie. He felt sorry for her. He didn''t know if he would be able to survive this. He didn''t know if he would be able to see her after this. He was not sure if he would still be alive by the time Charles would arrive with back-ups. He knew that he was about to go to hell now. "It looks like he can''t fight back anymore! Tsk¡­ His comrade escaped. This is your fault. If you didn''t argue with me a while ago then he wouldn''t have escaped from us," the man who argued with Kelsy blamed her. Kelsy shot him a cold sharp glare. Without further ado, Kelsy shot him in the head. Bang! The other Dark Knight''s men were dumbfounded when they witnessed that. Kelsy didn''t hesitate to kill their comrade. They knew the reputation of the Azumi Twins. They won''t hesitate to kill someone who pissed them off. "What?! Do you have something to complain to me as well?" Kelsy asked them with a threatening look. Just one look from her could send shivers to their spines. They immediately shook their heads obediently. They didn''t want to offend her, or else, they would also die in her hands. After all, she''s a merciless assassin just like Catseye, or rather, she was worse and more brutal than Catseye. "From now on, the person who will try to oppose me or go against me will have the same fate as him," Kelsy pointed out the man she''d just shot. "I''m your team leader, so listen to me," Kelsy reminded them. "Yes, we understand!" They responded in unison. Then Kelsy turned to Black Shadow''s hiding spot. "Black Shadow! Come out now. There''s no use hiding anymore. You don''t have bullets now. Just surrender to us quietly and willingly," Kelsy said to Black Shadow, urging him to surrender. Black Shadow felt very weak now. Yeah, there''s no use hiding anymore. He achieved his goal. Charles escaped from Kelsy and her team. He took a deep breath before walking out of his hiding spot to face Kelsy. He was welcomed immediately by several guns pointing in his direction. Black Shadow threw his gun in front of them and raised his hands as a sign of surrender. Complicated emotions flashed through Kelsey''s eyes as she watched Black Shadow''s pale face. He looked very weak now. Kelsy walked in his direction. "We see each other again, my dear Black. You hide so we''ll." Kelsy commended him. Black Shadow just remained quiet in his spot with his poker face. He didn''t show her any emotions and he just ignored her. If they wanted to kill him now then be it. Why prolonged this if they could end this quickly? Black Shadow just closed his eyes because he felt like the world started spinning. He felt dizzy. When Kelsy reached his spot, her hands searched Black Shadow''s body to check for hidden weapons and remove them. It''s better to be safe than be sorry later on. Kelsy frowned as she could feel the wetness of his clothes. His sweat and blood had already mixed in his clothes. "Who did this to you?" Kelsy asked him curiously. This time Black Shadow answered her with his remaining strength. "Your brother, Kevin. He''s sleeping there. He''s the person lying on the floor. Don''t worry he''s still alive." Kelsy narrowed her eyes after hearing that. She signaled her underlings to get his brother and checked on him. The two men immediately followed Kelsy''s command. When Kelsy turned to Black Shadow and was about to ask him, he suddenly blacked out and fainted in front of her. "Black!" Kelsy called him out. Before he could fall to the ground, Kelsy extended her arm to catch Black Shadow. ''Damn, Black! Don''t die on me!'' Kelsy said while looking at Black Shadow''s unconscious figure. Kelsy signaled another person to come over to carry Black Shadow. It did not take long when Kelsy''s phone rang. Alfonso was calling her. She immediately answered the call. "Kelsy! I heard from one of our subordinates that you caught someone who was responsible for tonight''s attack." Kelsy cursed inwardly. There''s someone here who reported immediately to Alfonso. "Yes, I got him!" Kelsy responded. "Good! Bring him in the Dark Knight''s Headquarters right away. We need him as a hostage and for interrogation! Our enemies hijacked the truck containing some supplies of our Bio-weapons. We need to retrieve it no matter what!" Chapter 461 - 461: Captured By the Enemy When she received Alfonso''s command, Kelsy cursed inwardly. She was mad and upset with Black Shadow because of his betrayal two years ago but she still cared for him. She didn''t want him to die. But now, she had no choice but to bring him to the Dark Knight''s headquarters. She couldn''t afford to offend the Dark Lord. One thing she realized after working with the Dark Knight Organization, the Dark Lord was truly a frightening ruler. She understood why Alfonso was always freaking out every time he would commit mistakes. He was a demon-reincarnate for all the members of the Dark Knight. Break his rule, offend him, and make him upset, that only meant instant death. "Hello, Kelsy, did you hear me?" Alfonso asked her when he didn''t hear any response from her. Alfonso''s voice snapped her out of her deep thoughts. "Yes, I got it, Senior Alfonso." "Okay, let''s meet in the headquarters. Bring that bastard. I will make sure that he will experience hell," Alfonso said through his gritted teeth. Deep inside, Alfonso was now panicking. The Dark Lord was now in a foul mood after hearing the news that the truck which was carrying the supplies of bio-weapon was hijacked and now it went missing. "Okay, Senior Alfonso. We''re on our way now." After saying that, Kelsy hung up the call. "Let''s go back to your headquarters now," Kelsy informed them. They were about to move while carrying Black Shadow when Kelsy suddenly halted on her steps. "By the way, do you have doctors there?" She asked them. "Yes, we do. But he''s a personal doctor of the Dark Lord. And he is not a stay-in doctor. He''s an on-call doctor." One man answered Kelsy''s query. Kelsy nodded. "Call him. Tell him that we have an emergency patient with gunshot wounds." "But he''s a personal doctor of the Dark Lord." The man was reluctant to follow Kelsy''s command. "Do it! If this person dies then he will be of no use to us. The Dark Lord will surely kill everyone. The package has been taken by the enemy. All of us will be punished for our carelessness. He''s the key to retrieve the stolen package! So call that f*cking doctor now!" When they heard that, their expressions suddenly became pale. They knew the consequences of this failure. The man immediately got his phone and called the personal doctor of the Dark Lord. After making the call, Kelsy and her team left the slum area going back to the Dark Knight Headquarters. Meanwhile, Charles who was able to escape from Kelsy and her men finally contacted the other teams. Charles: "Can anyone hear me?" Sherlock: "Oh, finally! Catseye version 2.0 contacted us!" Spike: "We''ve been waiting for your updates. What''s your situation there?" Charles sounded very weak on the other line. He had been shot in the back and he was bleeding too. Charles: "It''s not good. Something bad happened to Black Shadow!" Spike, Sherlock, and others were dumbfounded after hearing that. Spike: "What happened to him?" They heard Charles take a deep breath from the other line. From that alone, they could tell that this was a very serious matter. They had a bad feeling about this. They couldn''t contact Black Shadow as well. They became worried about his safety. Charles: "Azumi Twins got him. He has been shot in the right shoulder and right leg when I rescued him against Kevin Azumi." "Where are you now? I need back-ups! We need to save him before it becomes too late!" Charles said with urgency in his voice. "We were about to leave the place when Kelsy Azumi and other Dark Knight''s men arrived. They blocked our way. Black Shadow helped me to escape to ask for help. I think he was captured by them. I''ve been shot as well." Charles informed them. Spike: "F*CK!" Sherlock: "Damn!" Both of them cursed upon hearing that. Spike: "What''s your location? We''re on the way now!" Charles: "Faster!" Charles informed them about the exact location. He was hiding in the dark alley. Several members of the Dark Knight were still roving in the area. They were searching for Charles and other enemies around the area. But most of the men already pulled out and left the area. By the time Spike and Sherlock arrived, Black Shadow was no longer at the rooftop where he was last seen by Charles. "Damn! We''re too late!" Spike said, feeling frustrated. "Do you think Black Shadow is still alive?" Sherlock asked Spike worriedly. Spike clenched his fists. Even if Black Shadow was still alive, he was still in grave danger. Once he was brought to the enemy''s story, it would be hell for him. "One thing is for sure¡­ if he is still alive then he is taken hostage by the Dark Knight. The worst case is¡­ Black Shadow will be tortured to death." "F*CK! We should save him as soon as possible!" Sherlock suggested. "It''s not an easy task, Sherlock! Going there without a plan and proper strategy is like suicide!" Spike disregarded his suggestion right away. "Then what should we do now? Are we just letting Black Shadow die in their hands? What if he will also try to betray us in exchange for his life?" Sherlock''s face was painted with worries and concerns for Black Shadow but at the same time, he was in doubt of Black Shadow''s loyalty. Spike heaved a deep sigh before answering Sherlock. "I hope Black Shadow will not betray us. For now, we have no choice but to go back to the headquarters and inform Supremo about this. We need to plan out a strategy on how to rescue him." Spike shared his thoughts with Sherlock. After that, he contacted their other team members. "Did you secure Charles?" "Yes, Spike. We are on the way to his doctor friend''s clinic." One man answered Spike. "Ok, got it! We will go back now to the headquarters. Update us about his condition." "Noted, Spike. We will report to you, later." After hanging up, Spike and Sherlock together with their comrades sped off to Skull Gang''s headquarters. While on their way, they informed Supremo about what happened to Black Shadow. ''Black, please endure it! Please stay alive!'' Chapter 462 - 462: Emergency Situation James together with Phantom''s henchmen was already waiting for Spike and Sherlock in the headquarters. They heard the bad news about Black Shadow. They were supposed to celebrate tonight for securing some supplies of Bio-weapons. They could use this as proof that a bio-weapon facility was operating here in the country. But now, the headquarters was engulfed by a gloomy atmosphere. Even Charles got injured and he was now being sent to Dr. Clara''s clinic. Unlike the Dark Knight Organization, the Skull Gang was more considerate of their members. So for the Dark Knight even if one high ranking member would be taken hostage by their enemies, they wouldn''t care like this. James also changed after meeting Catseye. He amended some rules in the organization. He stopped some operations like human trafficking and prostitution. He also focused on attacking the Dark Knight Organization''s operation. Aside from that, he continued doing good deeds by supporting charity organizations. Since the Leader was a changed man and so his followers as well. Now, they cared about Black Shadow''s safety. They started valuing their members'' lives and well-being, unlike before. Brother Yu and Brother Yan could feel the tension and heavy atmosphere inside the conference room. The Skull Gang was facing a serious problem this time. Brother Yu excused himself to inform Elle about this. Brother Yan also joined him outside to call Master Phantom. Brother Yu was hesitating if he should call Elle at this hour. But since Elle reminded him to update her once the Mission was done, Brother Yu decided to call her. The phone rang several times before it was answered. Elle was getting ready for bed together with Erick when she received Brother Yu''s call. When she saw the caller I.D, she knew that this call was about the updates of tonight''s mission. Elle: "Hello Yu, how did it go?" Elle sat up while leaning her back on Erick''s chest. He was just hugging her as he listened to their conversation. Brother Yu: "Both¡­ good and bad, Lady Boss." Elle: "Huh? What happened? By the way, just call me sis. How many times should I remind you?" Brother Yu just scratched his face after hearing Elle''s complaint. Brother Yu: "Alright¡­ S-Sis." Brother Yu was not used to calling her sis that''s why he stuttered a little bit. He was comfortable calling her Lady Boss but he also felt happy calling her ''sis''. Elle: "So what''s the good thing and the bad thing?" Elle had a bad feeling about this. She hoped that everyone was just fine and safe. Brother Yu sighed deeply before reporting everything to Elle. Brother Yu: "Good thing¡­ we succeeded in securing the bio-weapons. We even retrieved the bio-weapons that were acquired by the Terrorists Group of Red Dragon." Brother Yu continued speaking. Brother Yu: "Bad thing¡­ Brother Charles got injured and he is now rushed to Dr. Clara''s clinic." Elle was dumbfounded after hearing that. Her heart suddenly pounded rapidly inside her chest. She was worried sick about Charles. Elle: "How is Charles?" Brother Yu: "Don''t worry too much, Sis Elle. I heard that he''s not severely wounded. But there''s something more problematic than that." Elle: "What is it?" Brother Yu: "Black Shadow was captured by the Dark Knight Organization. According to brother Charles, it was Black Shadow who helped him escape. Black Shadow was also injured." Elle fell silent when she heard that. Black Shadow was now her friend. She was saddened by this piece of bad news. Brother Yu: "We are currently in their headquarters. Everyone is gathered here for an emergency meeting. Supremo is thinking of ways on how to rescue Black Shadow." Elle: "Ok got it, Brother Yu. Will call you again after." Elle ended the call after saying that. Then, she turned and gazed up to meet Erick''s face. Her face was painted with worries and concern for Black Shadow. She wanted to do something for him. She couldn''t stand still, or else, she would be consumed by guilt. She was supposed to join Black Shadow in this mission. She could vividly remember Black Shadow''s bright and cheerful expression when she told her that they would work together on one mission. Though Erick couldn''t hear Brother Yu''s voice clearly, he could tell that something was wrong after seeing Elle''s worried expression. "What''s wrong, Wifey? Tell me." Erick urged her to speak up and shared her troubles with him. Elle looked at him straight into his eyes. "Hubby, there''s another secret I haven''t told you yet. Please listen to me as my husband, not as Chief Detective. Can you do that tonight?" Elle said to him meaningfully. Erick bobbed his head in agreement. "Yes, Wifey. I will do that. I will listen to you as your husband, not a Chief Detective." *************** Meanwhile, at Dr. Clara''s Clinic, Dr. Clara was already preparing the operating room. She received a prior message about Charles getting wounded. That was also the time Elena arrived at her clinic after her night duty in the District Hospital. She heard that Dr. Clara was still in the clinic and there was an emergency patient with a gunshot wound. "Dr. Clara, Is the patient already here?" Elena asked Dr. Clara. "Right timing, Elena, please assist me during this operation," Dr. Clara requested from her. Elena gave her a faint smile and bobbed her head. "I am willing to help you and assist you Doc, just like the old times. I am still your favorite nurse, right?" Dr. Clara smiled after hearing that. Then she faced Elena, holding both her shoulders. "Elena, listen to me carefully. I don''t want to surprise or shock you, that''s why I will tell you now who''s our emergency patient. You know him." Elena fell silent after that. She didn''t know why but her heart suddenly became uneasy. A certain someone popped up in her mind. ''Oh God¡­ please¡­ tell me it''s not him.'' Elena was silently praying in her mind. "Our emergency patient is Charles." ''C-Charles! NO!'' Then the door of the clinic swung open and two men entered together with the wounded man. Chapter 463 - 463: EXCHANGE After knowing that the emergency patient was Charles, Elena''s face suddenly became pale. Her mind was clouded by worry and concern towards Charles. Then the door of the clinic swung open and two men entered together with the wounded man. The person was Charles. His blood was dripping on the floor. "Bring him here¡­" Dr. Clara guided them in the operating room. Elena stayed rooted in her spot upon seeing the wounded Charles. She felt like her heart was going to burst as of this moment. ''What happened to him? What did he do this time? Is he trying to get himself killed?'' After a few seconds, Elena finally moved her feet, following Dr. Clara and Charles from behind. They needed to operate on him and remove the bullet. She was silently praying that his wound was not severe or fatal. She felt like crying again. Then Elena realized that she still cared for him so much. She couldn''t take it if anything bad would happen to him. With so much determination, Elena entered the operating room. She would do her best to treat Charles. *********** ~ At Skull Gang Headquarters ~ Sherlock and Spike together with their team arrived at the headquarters. They immediately proceeded to the conference room where James and others were waiting. "Supremo, they are here!" One member of Skull Gang informed Supremo about Spike and Sherlock''s arrival. James simply nodded at them when Spike and Sherlock entered the conference room. "Now, everyone is here. Let''s begin this emergency meeting," James said with his authoritative voice. Brother Yu and Brother Yan joined them. "First of all, I would like to congratulate Catseye''s team for securing the bio-weapons. But I know this is not the time to celebrate." James paused for a moment as his eyes roamed around the conference room. Everyone fell silent, waiting for Supremo to continue. "One of our comrades was captured by our enemy. We don''t know how long they will let him live. But we know that our enemy will try to torture him just to get what they want from him. That is information about us!" One member raised his concern. "Supremo, what if Black Shadow will betray us and sell us out to the Dark Knight Organization in order to save his life? What should we do about that?" Spike and Sherlock had already thought of this possibility. Now, they were anticipating Supremo''s decision. James slammed his eyes shut while clenching his fists. After calming himself down, he opened his eyes and peered at them with a very serious expression on his face. "I believe that Black Shadow will never betray us even if it means death for him." Everyone was dumbfounded after hearing that. Even Spike and Sherlock didn''t expect that Supremo trusted Black Shadow so much. Sherlock turned to Spike, whispering something to him. "I didn''t know that our Supremo trusted Black Shadow this much. As far as I remember, Supremo hid the existence of our Queen from Black Shadow because he didn''t trust Black Shadow." "Fool! Our Queen''s safety was his priority. It was an exemption but it didn''t mean Supremo didn''t trust Black Shadow. It''s just that he didn''t want to gamble when it came to our Queen''s life." Spike explained to Sherlock. "So are we going to rescue him? But how? We didn''t know where they brought him." One higher-up spoke up. "We are willing to help." Brother Yan volunteered. After talking to Phantom a while ago, he advised them that they could offer help to the Skull Gang to resolve this crisis. Phantom''s henchmen were ready to help them at any moment. But the higher-up just pointed out the problem. They didn''t know where to find him. It''s like a race of time. If they couldn''t find him soon the more Black Shadow''s life would be put in danger. If Black Shadow decided not to talk then the Dark Knight might kill him right away. Then arguments and debates between the higher-ups heated up inside the conference room. Others were against the Rescue Operation. They thought it would be more dangerous to infiltrate all the headquarters of the Dark Knight Organization. It required a lot of time and effort. The lives of other members would be put in danger as well. James massaged his temples just listening to them. Even he, himself, was having difficulty how they would be able to save Black Shadow and ensure his safety. They needed a concrete, precise, and effective strategy. But since almost everyone was arguing, they couldn''t come up with a sound decision. Not until a certain someone made an appearance and joined them. Everyone fell silent when Elle, their previous Queen entered the conference room. No one had expected her arrival tonight. Sherlock: "Queen!" Spike: "Catseye?!" Brother Yan: "Lady Boss!" Brother Yu: "Sis Elle!" Meanwhile, James immediately stood up from his seat and approached Elle. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to sleep now. Staying up all night is not good for your baby," James slightly nagged at her with his concerned voice. "Where''s Erick? How come he didn''t stop you? He should watch over you all the time!" James said exasperatedly. Elle just let out a soft giggle. "Calm down, Supremo. My husband dropped me off here. He''s now on the way to Dr. Clara''s clinic. I asked him to check Charles''s condition on my behalf." "I''m here to help you out. We need to save Black Shadow at all costs. Are you willing to do that?" Elle asked everyone. They didn''t want to offend or contradict their Queen. Since Elle was determined to save Black Shadow then the arguments were also done. Supremo would only listen to the Queen and their opinions and objections no longer held any power. Everyone just nodded at her in agreement. "Good¡­ I have a proposal. The Dark Knight Organization only focuses on gains. We can save Black Shadow but to do that, we have to use those bio-weapons in exchange for his life." Chapter 464 - 464: The Dark Lords Personal Doctor "Good¡­ I have a proposal. The Dark Knight Organization only focuses on gains. We can save Black Shadow but to do that, we have to use those bio-weapons in exchange for his life." When they heard Elle''s proposal, everyone had different reactions on their faces. "What do you mean by that, Queen? Are we going to return these bio-weapons to the Dark Knight Organization in exchange for Black Shadow?" One high ranking member of the Skull Gang asked her with disbelief. Another higher-up expressed his disapproval about this proposal. "This is our opportunity to reveal the illegal activities of the Dark Knight Organization so that the government will take action against them. I thought we will be using these bio-weapons to cause their downfall? Then why should we let this chance go to waste by returning this bio-weapon to them?" Some of them agreed to the last remarks of the higher-up. James''s expression darkened after hearing their complaints and disapproval. "Then what are you suggesting?" James asked them with his authoritative voice. Everyone fell silent when they heard James''s stern voice matched with his chilly expression. Then they averted their gaze to the higher-up who opposed Elle''s suggestion, urging him to speak up. That person mustered his courage up to share his suggestion with Supremo and others. "Why don''t we go as we planned before. I think Black Shadow will understand this? With his sacrifices, we can bring this evil organization to their downfall." James was displeased after hearing that. He understood their point and where they were coming from. For them, Black Shadow was just a chess piece that needed to be sacrificed in order to corner the King of the opponent just to win the game. But it was different to him and Elle. Black Shadow became a special friend to them. He''s not a chess piece but a friend and a family. They couldn''t abandon him in times like this. Then suddenly they heard Elle''s laughter. Her dark eyes were sharp, giving them a warning. "Let me remind you, gentlemen. You don''t have a say with this. Even if Supremo agreed with your decision, I will not change my mind about this." Elle didn''t want James to look bad and inconsiderate of the higher-ups'' decision so she just thought of a way she could resolve this without involving Supremo''s personal judgement. She knew that Supremo also wanted to save Black Shadow however, the majority of the higher-ups were against the idea of saving Black Shadow in exchange for the bio-weapons. "What are you implying, Queen? I thought we are here because our opinions matter. So how come we don''t have a say about this?" The higher-up asked her to clarify her statement. "Oh, let me clarify it again, gentlemen. My team was the one who managed to get and retrieve these bio-weapons so I can decide whatever I want to do with it." "By the way, just in case you forgot also, I was the one who suggested to Supremo to use the bio-weapon to influence the government to take action against the Dark Knight Organization." Elle was very firm while saying those things to them. The higher-ups of the Skull Gang were rendered speechless. They had no words to refute that. They didn''t expect that Elle would use that reason against them. They wanted to complain and say that she was also part of the Skull Gang. But thinking back, her team that completed the mission tonight was typically not members of the Skull Gang. They couldn''t further argue because of that. James glanced at Elle with his grateful look. He was glad that she came tonight. He was racking his brain so hard how to solve this crisis but nothing came in handy. Thanks to her suggestion, they had a clear plan now on how to save Black Shadow. Then Elle spoke up again. "No hard feelings, gentlemen. If there''s something I learned in my past experiences, that is to value life¡­ value the life of your comrade. You can laugh at me and say it''s an irony because I was an assassin who killed a lot of people in the past. But¡­ I am still a human with a heart." "If you are put in Black Shadow''s situation, rest assured that we will try our best to save you no matter the cost. Your life is very important to us. Please understand my decision." They were touched by Elle''s last statements. "We understand, our Queen. Please forgive us for not thinking about that." They apologized to Elle and Supremo once again. Spike, Sherlock, Brother Yu and Brother Yan felt relieved as everyone finally agreed with one decision. Elle sat down with them as she discussed her plan. Everyone listened to her. In order for this plan to succeed, they needed everyone''s cooperation. They expressed their willingness to help and support the team in implementation of the plan. *********** Meanwhile, at the Dark Knight Organization''s Headquarter, Kelsy and her team also arrived. They brought Black Shadow in an isolated room that would also serve as the operating room. He was still unconscious. They heard that the on-call doctor was already there, waiting for them. He was inside the operating room as he prepared all the necessary things needed for this operation. The Dark Knight Organization had a mini hospital or clinic inside their headquarters. Nurses and doctors were taking turns for their duty. The doctor who can tonight was a special one because he was the personal doctor of the Dark Lord. Both Kevin and Black Shadow were brought to the operating room. They just prioritized Black Shadow because he was the one who was severely wounded Kelsy kept pacing back and forth outside the operating room. She was worried sick for both Kevin and Black Shadow. Both men were important to her. It''s just that Black Shadow suddenly changed. He became distant from her. He even betrayed her because of one woman. Kelsy hated that fact but still she couldn''t help herself from worrying about Black Shadow. She knew that after this, Black Shadow would be tortured by the Dark Knight''s men. Once he woke up, Kelsy would try her best to convince Black Shadow to cooperate with them. He needed to reveal information that they could use to attack their enemy. Kelsy would also convince Alfonso to let Black Shadow live. She would suggest to him to use Black Shadow to betray the organization he was working with as of now. The Dark Lord would be happy to hear that. Kelsy knew that Black Shadow was working under the Skull Gang. The operation lasted for three hours. Then the doctor finally came out of the operating room. "Doc, how are they?" Kelsy immediately approached him. "Don''t worry, they will both be fine. We can now transfer your brother to a private room but the other patient still needs to stay in the ICU room." "Thank you, doc." The young doctor just gave Kelsy a reassuring smile. He was about to leave when Kelsy stopped him and asked for his name. "May I know your name, Doc?" The doctor smiled at her before answering her, "You can just call me, Dr. Gomez." Chapter 465 - 465: Find The Answer In Your Heart After Dr. Gomez introduced himself to Kelsy, he immediately left the Dark Knight Organization''s headquarters. He needed to go back to their hospital. He was assigned to the ER for tonight''s shift. When he received the call from a man working for his special client he asked his friend doctor to take cover for him while he was out. Fortunately, his doctor friend agreed with his request. He thought something happened to his special client but it turned out there were two emergency patients with gunshot wounds. He was on the way to the hospital when he remembered someone. "I wonder how my friend is doing? Erick just mentioned to me that he has good news to share with me. I should go and visit him tomorrow." There was a gleam in his eyes as Dr. Gomez made that mental note. ********** ~ At Dr. Clara''s Clinic ~ Charles''s operation was also finished. But he was still unconscious. Luckily, his wound was not severe. Erick also arrived at the Clinic. He wanted to know his condition. Inside the Clinic, he met Phantom and Dr. Clara. Dr. Clara informed him that he had nothing to worry about since Charles was doing fine. He was just sleeping in the room now. Erick felt relieved after hearing that. He asked them if he could check and visit him in his room. Dr. Clara allowed him to visit Charles. When he entered Charles''s room, he saw Elena sitting beside his sickbed. She was watching over Charles. Elena heard the sound of the door opening so she averted her gaze only to see Erick entering the room. "Chief Detective Lee!" Elena stood up as she called him out. She was surprised to see him tonight. Erick just nodded at her with a smile before walking over. "How are you? It''s been a long time," Erick stood beside Elena, shifting his gaze to unconscious Charles. "I''m doing fine, Chief Lee. Is sister Elle with you?" Elena asked him, peering at the door and searching for Elle. "She''s not here. She''s doing some important things as of this moment that''s why she sent me here to check her brother, Charles." Erick responded to her. Later on, Elena offered Erick a vacant seat. Both of them sat down quietly as they watched Charles. Elena was curious. She wanted to know how Erick and Elle work together to strengthen their relationship despite the fact that he was supposed to catch her and punish her as part of his duty. "Chief Lee, if you don''t mind, can I ask you a few personal questions?" Elena opened up a conversation with him. "Sure, you can ask me anything," Erick gladly allowed her to ask questions. "What did you feel when you first discovered about sis Elle''s true identity?" Elena asked him expectantly. "Honestly, I was really shaken when I learned the truth. My mind was in shambles. I didn''t know what to do nor what to think anymore. I was also in denial. At first, I didn''t want to accept it. Hoping that everything was just a dream. But that was not the case." "Did you hate her? For lying to you? For deceiving you?" Elena continued to ask him, hoping that she would find the answer she was searching for herself. Erick smiled and shook his head. "Do you believe me if I say to you that I never hated her, ever?" "You didn''t? But why? Are you not afraid of her? Are you not mad?" Erick smiled again and replied, "The thing I was really afraid of at that time was not her¡­ I was more scared of losing her. I made a mistake. I wavered, almost losing my faith and that was the time I almost lost her. I was mad at myself, not her." "I hurt her then she ran away from me. I regretted everything. I love her but I was the one who hurt her. I thought she would not come back to me anymore. I felt like dying that night because of my guilt, my regrets. I don''t care about her past. I don''t care about her reputation. All I know is that I love her so much and I wanted to protect her with all my life." "I never judged her. I tried to understand her situation. There''s always a reason for everything. Yes, she committed a lot of crimes. But I know in my heart who''s the real Elle, the woman whom I fell in love with. She''s not purely evil and she tried her best to change and have a fresh start." Erick truthfully said to her. "Do you know that your sis Elle tried to run away from me because she thought that we were not supposed to love each other? She''s an assassin whom we were chasing after. I was the detective who was assigned to catch her." "So what happened? Did she leave you?" Elena asked him curiously. Erick chuckled as he remembered what happened. "I was glad a mischief happened to me or else, I would never see her again." Elena: "..." She was a little bit confused. She didn''t know what Erick was trying to say to her. Erick chuckled again. "What I mean is¡­ you can''t stop your heart from loving someone even if your mind is telling you that he or she is the wrong person to love." "I love her¡­ and my love for her is enough to accept her, even her dark sides. There''s no right or wrong person. It''s just a matter of your choice." Erick gently patted Elena''s shoulder. "Elle is the love of my life. Losing her also means death to me. I couldn''t see myself, living without her." "Elena, I know you are having conflicting thoughts right now. Don''t worry, you will find your answer in your heart. Just clear your mind and gather yourself. Sometimes love appears to be very complicated. But if you will just look into it, you will realize that it''s indeed simple." "Just ask yourself¡­ if how important that person is to you. You will be able to figure it out yourself." Chapter 466 - 466: Kelsys Proposal ~ At Dark Knight Organization''s Headquarters ~ Alfonso kept pacing back and forth across the room. He was waiting for Kelsy''s updates. The right corner of his lips was swollen. There was also a purple mark on his forehead. The Dark Lord just vented out his frustration by throwing things he could grab inside his office. The inside of his office looked like a typhoon visited it. Broken laptops, glasses, and doc.u.ments scattered on the floor. The tables and chairs were flipped upside down. The Dark Lord went berserk upon hearing the news that some supplies of their bio-weapons were taken by their enemy. He learned that the Skull Gang was the one responsible for attacking them after closing the deals with Red Dragon''s Terrorist Group. He also received information from Red Dragon that Skull Gang managed to retrieve the bio-weapons from their sides. Red Dragon was disappointed with the Dark Knight Organization. They didn''t expect that another organization would give them trouble. No wonder, the Dark Night was eager to eliminate the Skull Gang through Red Dragon''s help. The Skull Gang outsmarted them once again. Good thing, they were not able to discover the Dark Lord''s true identity. After he was done venting out his frustrations, anger, and disappointments, the Dark Lord finally calmed down. He was silently sitting on his swivel chair, with his eyes close while rubbing his hands together. The room was engulfed by deafening silence. The other high-ranking members of the Dark Knight were just sulking in the corner, afraid to make any noise and disturb their Dark Lord. They couldn''t afford to piss him off further or else, they won''t be leaving that room alive. The room was air-conditioned but everyone was sweating profusely. Though the Dark Lord had finally calmed down, they could still feel a chilly and frightening aura emanating from him. They wished Snake would come to pacify their angry lord. After a few hours of waiting, Kelsy arrived and entered the room. Black Shadow''s and Kevin''s operations were done. Alfonso called Kelsy several times but she''s not picking up. She was stubborn. She didn''t want to make a report unless she made sure that Black Shadow''s life was out of danger anymore. "What took you so long? We felt like dying here while waiting for you," Alfonso whispered as he complained right away after seeing Kelsy. Kelsy just gave him a timid smile, telling him that he had nothing to worry. They had Black Shadow. This would compensate them, hoping that it was enough to pacify the furious Dark Lord. There was a divider separating others from the Dark Lord. Kelsy frowned upon seeing the pale and worried expressions of everyone inside the room. She could also see that the Dark Lord cause havoc inside the room. ''Whoah, a very chilly atmosphere,'' Kelsy thought to herself. Kelsy was not allowed to see the Dark Lord''s true face that''s why they put up some divider separating them from the Dark Lord. But he could still hear them from the other side. "Speak," A deep cold voice was heard. The Dark Lord wanted to hear Kelsy''s report. Alfonso signaled Kelsy to tell them her plan for their hostage. He was hoping that Kelsy had a back-up plan to resolve this. As of now, they had no idea what their enemy would try to do with the bio-weapons they stole from them. They couldn''t afford to receive another surprise attack from them. They should retaliate and do a counterattack soon. The Skull Gang was really a pain in the ass of the Dark Knight. They kept attacking them and causing more losses. "Our Dark Lord, forgive me for being late. I just made sure that our hostage''s life would not be in danger anymore. We need him alive." Kelsy apologized to the Dark Lord first. "He''s Black Shadow. He is a former member of the Assassin Guild, our comrade. Now he is working under the Skull Gang. I worked with him for so many years when he was still part of the Assassin Guild." She informed the Dark Lord, reassuring him that she knew the person very well. "I''m not interested in your relationship with him or about his past organization. I want to know how we can solve this issue by letting him live. Give me a good reason or else I will go there right now and kill that guy. I''m dying and craving to kill someone tonight!" Kelsy felt alarmed upon hearing that. But she maintained her composure. She needed to convince the Dark Lord to save Black Shadow''s life. "Once he wakes up, I will talk to him personally. I will convince him to side with us and work for us. I know you can pay him double or more than the payment he is receiving from the Skull Gang." Kelsy started to present her plan to the Dark Lord. "He is very useful for us. After working with the Skull Gang, he knew very well how they operate. We can use the information from him to attack the Skull Gang. He knows their weakness as well as their plans. We can use him to our advantage." Kelsy was pointing out Black Shadow''s importance. This was the only way the Dark Lord would stop thinking of killing him after what he had done tonight. Black Shadow killed a lot of members of the Dark knight Organizations tonight. The dark Lord won''t be merciful towards him. "How sure are you that he will agree to that? What if he is loyal to the Skull Gang? He might use this opportunity against us. He might try to escape from here," The Dark Lord was considering the loopholes of this plan. "I will make him agree no matter what. He''s my old friend. I hope he would work with us once again. Besides, he has no choice. If he will not betray the Skull Gang then his life will be in peril. You can kill him anytime once he refuses." Kelsy reassured the dark Lord. "Well, you have your point. Then try to convince him. I will give you a deadline. If he will not agree then I will kill him myself. Oh, might as well torture him before killing him." "Do as you wish, my lord," Kelsy said. She felt relieved when the Dark Lord listened to her proposal. Now she only needed to convince Black Shadow to cooperate with them. Chapter 467 - 467: No News From Him Marie opened her flower shop very late this morning. She was feeling down because Brandon didn''t contact her yet. Today was supposed to be the day of his return from his out of town trip. But until now, she didn''t hear anything from him. She thought maybe Brandon changed his mind about meeting her parents, that''s why he was avoiding her. She messaged him several times but she didn''t get any response. "What happened to him?" Marie mumbled to herself as her eyes were fixed at the door of her flower shop, waiting for Black Shadow to appear. "Did he extend his work? But why is it he didn''t inform me? We are supposed to meet my parents today and introduce him to them," Marie couldn''t help but feel upset. Her mind was occupied by Brandon Stone aka Black Shadow. She kept racking her brain, just thinking of the possibilities of why he hadn''t responded to any messages that she sent. After a while, she became restless and unsettled. "What if something bad happened to him? Since we started seeing each other again, Brandon didn''t break any promises he made to me. He''s always on time when replying to my messages and call." Marie grabbed her phone once again and dialed his number. A while ago she was reluctant to call him, thinking he was still busy with his work. But Marie couldn''t take it anymore. She was worried about him. It was unusual for Brandon to break their agreement and not responding to her messages. To her disappointment, his phone was unattended. Her worries intensified because of this. "Brandon, where are you? Please, call me." Marie''s grip on her phone tightened. She was praying that Brandon was safe. She looked down and scanned her phone once again. Marie frowned when she realized she couldn''t contact anyone from Brandon''s side. She didn''t meet any of his friends. She didn''t have any contact with people close to him. She felt helpless as of this moment. She had no idea what happened to her boyfriend. She was worried about him but she didn''t know someone whom she could contact to ask about his whereabouts. Indeed, Brandon Stone was still a mysterious man. There''s still a lot of things she didn''t know about him. He also didn''t talk about his parents nor friends. He didn''t even reveal specific details about his work or business. Marie could only sigh and wait for Brandon to return her messages and calls. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** At Dark Knight Organization''s Mini-Hospital *** Kevin was already awake. Kelsy visited his brother. His face was swollen from beating. Kevin also got purple bruises on the different parts of his body. She could tell that Black Shadow was the one who did this to her twin brother. "Where''s that bastard? Is he still alive? I want to torture him right now. Bring me to him!" Kevin said with his infuriated voice. Kelsy just rolled her eyes skyward and shook her head. The dispute between Kevin and Black Shadow started when her brother learned about her relationship with Black Shadow. Though Black Shadow was Kevin''s friend at that time, he was against Black Shadow''s romantic relationship with his twin sister, Kelsy. He got mad at them for dating secretly behind his back. He felt betrayed. His relationship with Black Shadow became worse. Then Kevin asked Kelsy to choose between him and Black Shadow, either she would break her relationship with Black or she would sever their ties as brother and sister. At that time, Kelsy had not realized yet how much she loved Black Shadow. In the end, Kelsy chose Kevin. Then she betrayed Black Shadow. He was hurt badly by Kelsy''s betrayal. She was the cause of his first heartbreak. She''s the first-ever woman he adored so much. The first woman he devoted himself to but she just broke his trust. Since then, Black Shadow became distant from the twins. Then the twins accepted works outside the country. It helped Black Shadow to move on and forget about Kelsy. Not seeing her lessened the pain he was feeling. Kelsy was still reminiscing the past when they heard a knock. They were currently inside Kevin''s private room. Kelsy allowed the man outside to enter the room. It was one member of the Dark Knight who was assigned to watch over Black Shadow. "I am here to report. Black Shadow finally woke up from the ICU. the doctor gave his go signal to transfer him to a normal room," The subordinates informed them. "Oh, so he is still alive. He''s from the enemy''s side but you are treating him like a VIP patient? Are you out of your mind?" Kevin scolded the man. He was furious because Black Shadow had beaten him into pulp last night. It was two versus one. How could he fight back if Catseye was aiming his gun at him? His pride and ego couldn''t accept it. He wanted revenge. He wanted to get even at Black Shadow. Kevin was about to stand up from his sickbed when Kelsy stopped him. "Can you please calm down? We need Black Shadow, or else, the Dark Lord will blame us for our failures. You are not allowed to touch nor hurt him as of now. I need to convince him to side with us again. The Dark Lord needs information about his enemy. Black Shadow can give those pieces of information to him." Kelsy tried her best to pacify her angry brother. She needed her brother to cooperate with her, not fight Black Shadow. She didn''t want Black Shadow''s life to be put in danger. The Dark Lord would not hesitate to kill him right away once he refused to talk nor cooperate with them. "You are just saying that because you don''t want to harm him. See my face. He is the one who did this to me. Why are you protecting him? Are you still in love with him? Did you forget that he betrayed us?" "Brother, did you also forget that we are the first one who betrayed him?" Kevin was taken aback after hearing that. He could see the saddened expression of his twin sister. ''Did she regret it now? Betraying Black Shadow before?'' Chapter 468 - 468: Indecision *** At Dark Knight Organization''s Mini-Hospital *** Black Shadow was now awake. As he peered into his surroundings, he could tell that he was in some kind of a hospital. ''Oh, they saved my life so that they could torture me and squeeze some information from me,'' Black Shadow sneered at that thought. He was still weak. He felt dizzy and groggy. He was having difficulty in moving his limbs as he felt numb. More likely this was the aftereffect of anesthesia they used on him for his operation. When he recalled that today was supposed to be the day of meeting Marie''s parents Black Shadow couldn''t help but feel frustrated. ''Damn! Marie might be waiting for me today. What if she will think that I stand her up? Marie, I''m sorry. I let you down,'' Black Shadow mumbled to himself while clenching his fists. ''If I can escape here alive, there are lots of explaining things I will do to her.'' Black could only sigh because he knew that in his situation right now, it would be impossible for him to escape here alive. He was still thinking about Marie when the door of his room slid open then Kelsy''s figure emerged from it. Black Shadow furrowed his brows when he saw her. "How do you feel?" Kelsy asked him right away with her concerned voice. A smug smile crept on his face. "Hmm, I still have the energy to stay alive before I go to hell. Are you the grim reaper who will send me to hell today?" Black Shadow was being sarcastic right now. He knew that he was about to get tortured by them. "There''s one way for you to avoid hell and save your life," Kelsy didn''t beat around the bush. "Work with us." Kelsy simply stated, convincing Black Shadow to join them. A mocking laugh escaped Black Shadow''s mouth. "Seriously? Are you poaching me right now? Hmm, let me guess. You want me to join you and betray my current organization just to save my life? Then all the information I will reveal will be used against them? You are planning to attack them right?" "Are you expecting me to agree just like that?" Black Shadow added. "Yes, you will agree. I''m sure of that." Kelsy said with so much certainty. Black Shadow raised his brow and probed, "Why do you think so?" "Because I know you don''t want to die. Besides, you have no choice but to cooperate or else they will kill you. They will torture you until you will beg them just to kill you right away." "You don''t know the Dark Lord''s viciousness. He''s a living devil, Black. So I advise you to accept my proposal and work with us in bringing down the skull Gang." Kelsy''s expression had become serious. Black Shadow didn''t yield to what she wanted. "You are wrong. What makes you believe that I will do that just to survive? I''m not like you. I won''t betray the people on my side. I''m not afraid to die. Go ahead." "Black Shadow! Don''t be stubborn! You only have one life. Your loyalty to them won??t save you. I even doubt if they will try to rescue you. For them, you are just a piece of chess that they could sacrifice anytime." Kelsy burst out. She was upset about Black Shadow''s nonchalant behavior. She did her best to save him but here he was, ready to throw his life for the sake of his loyalty to that f8cking organization! "Black, this is the only way. Just follow the Dark Lord. He is more powerful than Supremo." Kelsy kept on convincing him. "Are you sure about that? The Dark Knight Organization will soon meet their downfall. Skull Gang will make sure of that. I guess they already got the package of Dark Knight''s bio-weapon." "Black? What do you know about their plan? What are they planning to do with the stolen bio-weapons? Just use that to negotiate with the Dark Lord. He will spare your life and even give you a great reward." Kelsy started to interrogate him. But Black Shadow had made up his mind. He won''t betray James nor the Skull Gang. He won???t tell them any information that they could use to harm his comrades. "For goodness'' sake, Black speak up. Spill the beans. This is the only way. The Dark Lord only gave me 24 hours to convince you. If you will refuse he will kill you personally." Kelsy tried to threaten him. But still, it''s not working on Black Shadow. "Hahaha, That''s better. I want to meet the Dark Lord as well. It would be my pleasure to see his face before I die and go to hell." Kelsy''s patience was wearing thin. "Can you stop joking? This is not funny. Please take my advice seriously. I''m doing this because I still care about you. Why can''t you understand that? I''m doing this for your sake? I even exert efforts just to convince the Dark Lord to let you live. Please value your life." Kelsy''s helplessness and desperation could be heard in her voice. This time, Black Shadow stopped laughing. "Oh, I didn''t ask you to do that for me. I''m not joking too. I''m damn serious. I won''t betray my friends even if it costs me my life." "Are you kidding me? When did you become friends with them? They are treating you well because you are useful to them. You are an asset to them. But it doesn''t mean that they are treating you as their friend." "Let''s have a bet. That so-called friend of yours will not exert any effort to save you. They sacrificed you to bring down the Dark Knight. It''s not called friendship. They just used you. So think again. Accept my proposal. This is your only hope for you to survive." "You still have 10 hours to think it over. I''ll come again after that," Kelsy said before leaving Black Shadow''s room. Complicated emotions flashed through Black Shadow''s eyes. He was not expecting James or the Skull Gang to save him. He didn''t want to betray the Skull Gang, but part of him wanted to stay alive for Marie. He still wanted to see her. Now, he was put into a dilemma. Chapter 469 - 469: Black Shadows Internal Struggle Black Shadow spent his time just thinking of what decision he should make. Kelsy told him that there was a time limit before he would meet his end. He had to admit that Kelsy''s proposal was tempting. If he was still the Black Shadow before then he won''t have a second thought and would accept her offer right away just to save his life. Loyalty and friendship were not in his vocabulary before. But everything changed. Just like Catseye, he was a changed man now. If he talked then the whole organization would be put in danger. Even if he would lie to them, he knew that it was just a matter of time before the Dark Lord and Dark Knight would learn about it. Instant death was waiting for him. He was still wounded so he had no ability to escape this place as of this moment. So accepting Kelsy''s proposal and saying some lies or false information to them was not a good choice. It''s just delaying his time of death but in the end, his ending would still be the same. Black Shadow clenched his fists. He was blaming himself for being careless. "Damn! That Catseye version 2.0 was useless. He should have called the back-ups right away. He stood me up." Black Shadow heaved a deep sigh. He just wanted to lighten his mood by making some jokes. In fact, he was not blaming Charles. He was also worried about him. He wondered if he was able to escape safely or not. What if some Dark Knight Members spotted him after escaping from that building? He also saw him being shot in the back then fell. "Make sure your alive or else, my sacrifice and efforts for saving you will be put in vain," Black Shadow mumbled to himself. Since he was alone in his room, he could do his monologue as much as he wanted. No one was keeping an eye on him inside. The guard was outside. Besides, his hand had a handcuff that was attached to the sickbed. He was still a prisoner after all. "My Marie¡­ I want to see her¡­ even for one last time. Will this really be my end???? Black Shadow let out a humorless chuckle. He was feeling helpless right now. He was not sure if James and others were also doing their best to track his location now. He didn''t know if they were also planning to take an action just to save him. What if Kelsy was right? He was just a pawn in this game called Chess. A pawn that needed to be sacrificed to defeat the opponent that would lead to their downfall. Checkmate! Time passed by too quickly. Kelsy entered his room, signifying that time''s up. He had to give her his answer. "Have you think it over? Now is the time you have to make your decision. To live or to die?" Kelsy was very serious. Deep inside, she was also nervous about Black Shadow''s decision. She knew that he was also stubborn. If he didn''t care then he didn''t care at all. No one would be able to convince him to change his mind. She wanted him to live, not to die. But if Black Shadow would not cooperate with them then she had no other ways to save him. This was not their territory. She couldn''t ask the Assassin''s Guild to rescue Black Shadow and helped him escape from here since Black Shadow was no longer a member of that guild. Joining the Dark Knight Organization was the only way that could help him in this life-threatening situation. "Yes. I already made up my mind. But I won''t tell you here. Bring me to the Dark Lord. I want to negotiate with him personally," Black Shadow said, making a demand from Kelsy. Kelsy had unsettled feelings about this. She couldn''t tell what''s going on in his mind right now. "What are you planning to do. I am warning you, Black! Don''t do reckless things that will bring you to your death!" Kelsy was scolding Black Shadow. She was acting like this because she was worried about him. "Why do you care?" Black Shadow said with a mocking smile on his lips. Kelsy squinted her eyes at Black Shadow who was sitting on his sickbed. Without answering his question, Kelsy moved closer to him. Before Black Shadow could realize what happened, Kelsy''s soft lips were already attached to his. She was gripping his chin and the back of his head, kissing him hungrily with a fervent need. Black Shadow was caught off guard by her sudden action. Since his hands were bound by the handcuffs, he couldn''t push her away. His mouth was closed, not responding to her. But Kelsy was very persistent. She would take no as an answer. She won''t allow Black Shadow to reject her. She teased him by running her tongue on his lips, seeking an entrance. Kelsy became aggressive, nibbling, and biting his lips. Black was fighting the pleasant sensation Kelsy was giving him. He didn''t want to give in to what she wanted. She''s not the woman he loved anymore. Marie was the woman in his heart now. Kelsy didn''t stop. She even pressed Black Shadow''s wound so that he would open his mouth as he let out a grunt. Kelsy took that opportunity to plunge her tongue inside his mouth. When Kelsy did that, Black Shadow''s self-restraint collapsed and he started to respond. ''Now, since I did this, I felt like I cheated on my girlfriend. I have no right to see her and face her. There''s no use in keeping me alive. Now, I know what to do,'' Black Shadow thought to himself as he continued kissing Kelsy. When they broke the kiss, Kelsy cupped Black Shadow''s face and told him, "I care because I still love you. I still love you, Black." Black Shadow just looked at her emotionless. With his unreadable expression, Black Shadow spoke up. "Bring me to the Dark Lord, now." Chapter 470 - 470: Dont Kill Him! Kelsy brought Black Shadow to the Dark Lord. She was the one who was pushing his wheelchair. It was not advisable to walk yet on his two feet because his one leg was injured. He was in a foul mood as of this moment. He was very quiet and he chose not to talk to Kelsy. He hated her for doing what she did to him a while ago. Kelsy kissed and forced herself into him even if he didn''t want it. ''Damn!'' Black Shadow was still cursing himself for responding to her in the last seconds. After a few minutes, they arrived at the Dark Lord''s office. There were still bodyguards scattered inside. Alfonso Ramirez was also present. Compared to yesterday, the Dark Lord''s office was now neat and clean as if he didn''t go berserk, flipping and breaking everything inside his office. The Dark Lord was sitting on his chair, hiding from behind the division that looked like a curtain. "They are here, my lord," one of the guards spoke up to inform the Dark Lord. Black Shadow was on high alert, peering at his surrounding. He was already thinking about his next move. He already made up his mind, no one would be able to convince him and change his mind. "So, this is the infamous Black Shadow," A deep intimidating voice of a man was heard. The dark Lord could still see Black Shadow through the monitor of his computer. The CCTV inside his office was connected to his computer. Black Shadow sneered upon hearing the Dark Lord''s voice. "It''s my great pleasure to hear the voice of the most mysterious supreme leader of the Dark Knight Organization." "Why don''t you let me see your face as well?" Black Shadow responded mockingly, not afraid of the consequence he might face once he offended the Dark Lord. Kelsy squeezed his shoulder to give him a warning, telling Black Shadow to behave. But Black Shadow didn''t care. "Heh, you still have the guts to talk like that to our Dark Lord. Did you forget that you are inside our territory? We can kill you anytime. Please show some respect." Alfonso raised his voice at Black Shadow. Black Shadow just shrugged his shoulders, provoking Alfonso further. "Black¡­ Black¡­ Black¡­" They saw the Dark Lord''s silhouette standing up from the other side. It seemed like he turned to his office''s window and peered outside. "Have you decided already? I''m curious to know¡­ will you choose to live or die tonight? I''m waiting for your answer." The Dark Lord raised the gun in his hand, showing his intent to kill Black Shadow and threatening him. "Oh, I''m here to negotiate. But before that, can you remove these handcuffs? My hands are hurting already." Black Shadow demanded. Alfonso glared at him. "Do you take us as a fool? What if you tried to do something once we removed your handcuffs." Black Shadow''s laughter reverberated in the entire office. "Are you dumb? What''s your name again?" "Oh, it''s Alfonso. Just a piece of information for you since you want information from me. Alfonso Ramirez, get ready! Because you are the next target of the new Catseye. Hahaha." Thud! Alfonso lost his patience. Black Shadow was an annoying fellow and he could no longer tolerate him so he punched him hard on the face. Black Shadow was still smiling as he wiped the blood from the corner of her lips. It was a hard punch. "Black, behave!" Kelsy reprimanded him. "Why? I''m just telling the truth. Oh regarding my handcuffs, are you afraid of an injured man like me? Armed bodyguards are scattered here. An elite member of the Assassin Guild is also here. Why are you afraid of removing my handcuffs. Alfonso, don''t tell you are just a coward." "You-" Alfonso was about to argue with him when suddenly they heard the stern voice of the Dark Lord. "Stop this nonsense already. Go and remove his handcuffs so that we can proceed now to our proper business," The Dark Lord gave them his command. With that, Kelsy removed Black Shadow''s handcuffs. Black rubbed his wrists. He was rejoicing inside. With his hands not bound by handcuffs, he could implement his plan. He already made up his mind, either he would kill Alfonso or kill the Dark Lord. There was no turning back now. He didn''t want to betray the Skull Gang. Since he would die tonight, might as well bring with him either one of them in hell. If he was the sacrificial lamb, then he already accepted it. Betraying his comrade and putting them in great danger just to save himself was not worth it. It would only look that he was still the old Black Shadow just like before. He was no longer the selfish Black Shadow. He was still doing a simulation in his mind of how he would launch a surprise attack when the Dark Lord spoke up once again. "Give me information about the plan of the Skull Gang against the Dark knight Organization, then I will spare your life. What are they planning to do with the bio-weapons they stole from us?" A smug smile crept on Black Shadow''s face. He was ready to do suicide now. He would try to steal the gun from the bodyguard standing next to Alfonso. Once he succeeded, he would shot Alfonso first before the Dark Lord since he didn''t know if the division had a bulletproof screen or not. He was counting one up to three when suddenly Alfonso''s phone rang. He stood up and excuse himself for a while. Black Shadow cursed when Alfonso left. His target just disappeared. He had no choice but to delay things as he waited for Alfonso to come back. "I didn''t know what they are planning with those things. All I know is that they just want to sabotage every operation you have," Black Shadow responded but the Dark Lord was not easy to fool. He could somehow guess that Black Shadow had no plan to cooperate with them. A burst of sinister laughter bubbled in the room. "Black Shadow, I''m not a patient guy. Wrong answer, my dear! I don''t want to waste my time here and it seems that you are not giving me a satisfying answer. I''m done playing around. Now¡­ die in my hands!" The Dark Lord pointed his gun in Black Shadow''s direction. This meant there was no bulletproof screen in between the partition. Kelsy''s eyes widened in horror. It''s too late now. The Dark Lord was so determined to kill Black Shadow. Even Black became tensed and unsettled. ''Damn. Is this my end now? I''m gonna die.'' He was waiting for the bullet to pierce his head but suddenly Alfonso came rushing inside the room. His urgent action caught the attention of everyone inside the room. "My Dear Dark Lord, stop! Don''t kill him!" Alfonso stood in front of Black Shadow, shielding him from the Dark Lord''s bullet. Kelsy and Black Shadow looked at Alfonso in confusion. The Dark Lord didn''t pull the trigger as he put his hand down. "Why, Alfonso?" "The Supremo of the Skull Gang, he is on the other line right now! He wanted to talk to you and negotiate!" Alfonso informed the Dark Lord as he raised his phone in his hand. Chapter 471 - 471: Supremo and Dark Lord "The Supremo of the Skull Gang, he is on the other line right now! He wanted to talk to you and negotiate!" Alfonso informed the Dark Lord as he raised his phone in his hand. Black Shadow who was preparing to accept his death and waiting for the bullet to pierce his head was astounded after hearing the words "Supremo of the Skull Gang". He thought this would be the end for him but suddenly Alfonso received a call coming from James. Black Shadow had mixed emotions right now. He had no hopes and he didn''t expect that James would try to make a move. ''Did James call them in order to save my life?'' Black Shadow pondered at that thought. After he recovered from that shock, Black Shadow gazed up to see Kelsy''s face. He wanted to tell her, ''See, I''m important to them. I''m not just a sacrificial piece to them. They value me as their friend and comrade.'' He wanted to brag that at Kelsy but he needed to make sure first that this negotiation was related to him. Soon, Alfonso gave the phone to the Dark Lord but he just told him to put the phone on speaker so that everyone could hear it. "Dark Lord, I know you are listening. I have a proposal for you. Hear me out," James said from the other line. His voice was very serious. Unknown to them, James also put the phone on speaker. Elle was with him right now together with Spike and Brother Yu. They were able to contact Alfonso through Edson Tyler. He was the one who gave them Alfonso''s phone number. The Dark Lord signaled Alfonso to answer him. Alfonso complied with the Dark Lord''s order. "Go ahead and tell us," Alfonso said, waiting for their response. Both Kelsy and Black Shadow were anticipating what the Supremo was about to say. "It''s about the bio-weapons we stole from you. If you want to get it back then return Black Shadow to us unscathed." James emphasized every word. Everyone in the room including the Dark Lord was stupefied after hearing his demand. "What do you mean? Are you serious? Are you planning to return the bioweapons in exchange for his life?" Alfonso asked again with disbelief. "Yes! Definitely! You heard me, right? I''m damn serious." Black Shadow still felt like he was dreaming. James was willing to return the bio-weapon just to save his life. He knew how important these bio-weapons were for the Skull Gang. They would use it to inform the government about these hidden facilities. Then they would encourage the government to take action and catch the Dark Knights, putting them in prison. It would be the start of the Dark Knight''s downfall. This bio-weapon would be their secret weapon to destroy the Dark Knight Organization but they chose to save him and use bio-weapons in exchange for his life, instead of going according to their plan. "See, I told you! They won''t forget me. They will try to save me. You lose, Kelsy," Black Shadow said with a triumphant smile on his face. He just proved her wrong. The Skull Gang cared for him. She really appreciated James''s initiative and willingness to do this. He felt touched by his action. Little did he know that Elle was the one who thought about this idea because she was worried for Black Shadow. "Do you think we will trust you because you say so? What if you are just deceiving us. How sure are we that we can get the exact amount and number of bio-weapons you stole from us? We don''t trust you," Alfonso complained to him. After saying that, James told them the total number of supplies of bio-weapons in their hands. They made the inventory this morning. Upon receiving the total numbers of supplies, Alfonso and the Dark Lord were convinced because that number was equivalent to the number of remaining supplies for their last inventory after they pulled out the numbers of orders made by the Red Dragon. "Why are you doing this? Is his life that valuable to your organization more than the bio-weapons?" Alfonso was still in doubt. "Because he is one of my comrades. Okay, if you don''t want to believe and if you did something to hurt Black Shadow then we had no choice but to bring this proof to the government so that they will take action against you," James was revealing to them their true plan to frighten the Dark Lord as well as Alfonso and others. Black Shadow was taken aback once again. They just revealed their plan to the Dark Knight. He did that for them to convince the dark Lord to accept the EXCHANGE. Meanwhile, the Dark Lord was pissed off after hearing that. He knew the consequences they would be facing once the government found out about their bioweapons facilities. This was the last thing they wanted to happen. As much as possible, they didn''t want the government to be involved with this. The current administration was not under the power of the Dark Knight. They would surely take measures to stop the Dark Knight. Bio-weapon was taboo in this country. They could tolerate and ignored the minor cases like the use of illegal firearms but not the operations of Bio-weapon''s facility. The government would ask the help and assistant from the INTERPOL. This one would give them another hassle and disadvantage to their side, especially now that they were still having an on-going war with the Skull Gang. To retrieve the stolen bio-weapons was more important than killing one member of their enemy. The Dark Lord finally spoke up. "I don''t trust you. I want assurance that you will not play a trick on us and backstab us at the end of this negotiation. You might have already prepared the evidence and are about to send it to the Palace." "I will do that if and only if you hurt Black Shadow. You need to bring him to us alive and unscathed. I give you my words. You will get all these bio-weapons including the ones we stole from Red Dragon. Just bring back my comrade!" "If you don''t want to cooperate then we have no choice, the government will learn about your operation. We don''t want to sacrifice his life but remember, you are the one who refuses to cooperate." James threatened the Dark Lord once again. There was a moment of silence. The Dark Lord was still contemplating this. He was thinking about the pros and cons. Then he finally made up his mind. "Alright. I will accept your proposal. When and where are we going to do the exchange?" The Dark Lord asked James. "As soon as possible. You decide when and where." James let him decide to reassure him that they won''t try to do anything against them. They just wanted Black Shadow''s life. The Dark Lord smirked after hearing that. It looked like the Supremo was not bluffing. He was really determined to get his comrade back. He couldn''t understand why they were doing this. They could have sacrificed him already for their benefits but they didn''t do it. Chapter 472 - 472: Order to Capture the Scientist After telling Supremo when and where to do the exchange, the Dark Lord gave a signal to Alfonso to hang up the phone. He was now in a good mood. It seemed that capturing Black Shadow helped them to retrieve the stolen bio-weapons. The Dark Lord couldn''t believe that Supremo let his emotion ruin their plan. It was a bright idea to use the government''s power to bring down the Dark Knight Organization. He didn''t anticipate that action coming from them but because they wanted to save their comrade, Supremo personally revealed it to the Dark Lord. Now, the Dark Lord could plan out a countermeasure for that plan. They only had to hang on until the presidential election. Once the person from the Dark Knight would win the election then they didn''t need to worry anymore about the government. The National Election will happen three months from now. They just needed to hide their facilities away from the radar of the Skull Gang. Soon, the Skull Gang won''t be able to use the power and influence of the government to bring down the Dark Knight Organization. It''s just a matter of time for that to happen. "You''re a lucky fellow, Black Shadow. What did you do to make the Supreme Leader of Skull Gang care for you this much?" The Dark Lord spoke to him with amazement. Black Shadow chuckled. "Hmm. I bewitched him with my overflowing charisma!" Black Shadow responded with so much pride and confidence. Dark Lord: "..." Kelsy: "..." Alfonso: "..." Black Shadow was also in a bright mood now. He was touched by Supremo''s protection. He made sure that Black would remain unharmed and alive. ''I want to shower James a lot of kisses!'' Black Shadow thought to himself, rejoicing and smiling from ear to ear like a fool. Though Kelsy was surprised because of the turn of events, she felt relieved now since the Dark Lord would not harm Black Shadow. She was also a little bit sad because Black Shadow would continue working for the Skull Gang. Kelsy wanted him to come back to Assassin Guild or even just work with them under the Dark Knight. She wanted to get Black Shadow''s attention and win his heart once again. She didn''t want Black Shadow to love other women aside from her. Kelsy''s face darkened as she remembered Marie. She''s the reason why Black Shadow betrayed them. She wanted to get rid of Marie but she couldn''t find the right opportunity to do that. She was well-guarded. She wondered if Black Shadow had something to do with this. But she swore to herself that she would definitely kill her once she got the chance. The Dark Lord ordered Kelsy to bring Black Shadow to his room while he asked Alfonso to call their elite fighters. He had a mission for them. When Kelsy and Black Shadow left, the Dark Lord talked to his men. They were the five elite fighters of the Dark Knight. "Gud evening, our Lord, We are here to listen to your command," One of them spoke up, greeting the Dark Lord politely. "Yeah, I summon you here because I have an important task for the five of you," the Dark Lord said. "Tell us and we will fulfill it for you, our Lord," Another one responded. The five of them were kneeling in front of him as they listened to him. "I think this is the right time to bring back the genius scientist. I need him to make more antidotes for the bio-weapons. With those antidotes, I can control this government and rule the world! So catch him and bring him here." The Dark Lord gave them his command. "This is noted, our Lord." "Tomorrow, we will launch a surprise attack in his hideout." "We will bring him here!" "Good. I trust you. I hope you will not disappoint me. He is just an old man now. I believe you can easily catch him," The Dark Lord said, putting his trust on them. "Cooperate with the men who were monitoring him secretly," he added. Then he turned to Alfonso. "Gave them five antidotes." Alfonso''s eyes widened after hearing that. They had few supplies of antidotes. Why suddenly the Dark Lord is asking him to give these men a million-dollar-antidote? As if the Dark Lord had read his mind, he spoke again and explained. "We never knew the Scientist might use bio-weapon against his attackers to protect himself. They need to have a ready-made antidote so that there will be a high success rate for this mission. They don''t need to drink the antidotes. They should just drink it if ever that genius will use bio-weapon against them." "Ok my Lord, I got it. I will send someone to get five antidotes for them." Alfonso responded before leaving them to call his assistant. "Thank you so much our Lord for thinking about our well-being," One of the fighters expressed his gratitude towards the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord just remained silent. ''Eh, Am I being influenced now by the Supremo?'' He just laughed inwardly at that thought. "Alright! Just do it right! I will not accept failure for this mission. Is that clear?" The Dark Lord reminded them. "Yes, our Lord!" The five of them answered in unison. They knew the consequence once they failed a mission. They couldn''t afford to make the Dark Lord upset or else, it meant sufferings for them. Meanwhile, in the Skull Gang Headquarters, James was also talking to Elle. Spike and Brother Yu already left to give them privacy. They just finished planning for their next move. "Thanks, Elle. Your plan helps me a lot. You are not supposed to be here. It''s already late at night. Erick will be concerned about your health and the baby''s health," James said with his concerned voice. "It''s alright. Black Shadow is my friend too. I want to help. Don''t worry about Erick. He understands everything." Elle paused for a moment and looked straight into his eyes. "James, I''m sorry but I already told Erick about the Skull Gang. He knew already about your connections with the Skull Gang." Elle apologized to James. James just gave him a faint smile before gently patting her head. "It''s okay. I understand. No need to apologize." "You are not mad at me?" Elle asked him anxiously. James chuckled and said, "You are overthinking. Of course not. I am not mad at you! I know you did that so that you could be here with us. You need to explain to Erick that''s why you have no other choice but to tell him the whole truth." "Yeah, you are right. Thank you, James. Don''t worry. Erick will not do anything against the Skull Gang," Elle reassured him. "Yeah, I know. You made sure of that. That''s why I''m not worried at all. I trust you. Elle. I trust you a lot." James said with so much sincerity in his every word. Elle couldn''t help but smile after hearing that. "You trust me so much that you even chose to listen to me rather than your subordinates." She remembered how Supremo supported her when the other branch leaders of the Skull Gang opposed her suggestion. James just smiled at her. In his mind, he was thinking, ''Because you are my Queen. You will always be my Queen.'' Chapter 473 - 473: Mr. Carters Past MATT CARTER. He was once the famous genius scientist who made a lot of breakthroughs in his younger years. He only had one goal before: to discover and explore more things, using his brilliant mind, talents, and skills to serve his country and help his family to have a better life. Unfortunately, his fame caught the attention of the evil ones who wanted the power to rule the world. They saw him as an instrument to accomplish their great goal. The previous leader of the Dark Knight Organization had set his eyes on the young genius. He approached him and offered him a great amount of wealth in exchange for his talent. That was enough to give his family a better life and a great future ahead. Blinded by money and wealth, the young Matt Carter set aside and forgot his former goal of serving his country as he joined the Dark Knight Organization and started working for them. He started making bio-weapons for them in exchange that the Dark Knight Organization would continue to support his family financially. He became one of the pillars of the Dark Knight. Because of his skills, the Dark Knight was able to strengthen its power and became a dangerous influential organization in the underground world. He spent most of his younger years serving the Dark Knight. Though he was the most valuable asset of the Dark Knight, he was a loner and he didn''t make friends with anyone. Aside from being genius, they thought he was just a weird guy who didn''t know how to socialize. Then one day he met a girl. She was a new recruit. Since the bio-weapon facilities in those days started to expand, they needed more manpower. This girl was the first person who approached him, treating him like a normal person not as a genius scientist. Later on, he became friends with her. He started to open up with her, telling her how he missed his family. He felt like his family had forgotten him already. They didn''t care about his absence as long as he could give them benefits. That''s what he thought. But unknown to Matt, his family was missing him as well. But the Dark Lord forbade them to see Matt, afraid that they would convince him to stop working for the Dark Knight Organization. His family refused to accept the money from the Dark Knight Organization. They wanted Matt to come back so that their family would be completed once again. They preferred to be poor than losing Matt. But Matt had no idea what was happening outside the four corners of that bio-weapon facility It became his home, thinking that his family already forgot about him. When the girl learned about his problem, she wanted to do something for him. So the girl decided to see and visit Matt''s family and confront them. The girl learned the truth that it was the Dark Knight who was stopping them from meeting Matt. They wanted Matt to live a simple life together with them. They didn''t want the money anymore, they wanted Matt to return to their sides. The girl was so glad to know the truth. She was excited to tell Matt about what she had discovered. When she returned to the facility, she informed Matt of what truly happened and what the true wishes of his family. Matt cried so much that day. The Dark Lord made him believe that his family didn''t care about him anymore. Those were just lies made by the Dark Lord to keep him by their side. He got mad at that time. Then he told the girl the truth about the bio-weapons. The girl had no idea that what they were creating was a bio-weapon. She was just a chemist who was just assisting him in the preparations of other equipment and formula that Matt Carter needed. She was also shocked to learn about that. Then the two of them decided to leave the bio-weapon facility and quit their job. After the girl submitted her resignation letter to their manager, Matt went to meet the Dark Lord. He confronted the Dark Lord, saying he already made enough numbers of bio-weapons for them to use. Now, he wanted to quit his job and be with his family. He got separated from them for so long. He wanted to be reunited with them. But the Dark Lord refused his request. He told him that his family didn''t want to see him anymore. That lie triggered Matt Carter to reveal that he already knew the truth. He knew that the Dark Lord was just lying to him. The Dark Lord couldn''t let him go so he threatened Matt that he would kill his family if he would not listen to him. Matt was furious but he had no choice but to follow him. He didn''t want his family to be put in danger. Matt talked to the girl one last time. He told her what happened between him and the Dark Lord. He asked the girl for help. In order to reveal the evil deeds of the organization, the two of them decided to ask for help from the police authority. Matt gave the girl samples of bio-weapons and antidote as well as the formula in making the antidote. He told the girl to keep the antidote with her. The girl presented the sample of bio-weapon to the police thus she became a whistleblower. Unknown to Matt, the Dark Lord investigated how Matt Carter learned the truth. They discovered that the reason for that was the former employee, the chemist who became his friend. At first, he just wanted to scare the girl and punish her for what she did. But later on, the Dark Lord discovered through their spies that the girl went to the police and reveal the existence of a bio-weapon facility in the country. That made the Dark Lord furious. He ordered the assassination of the girl, including her family. The girl was killed including her son in their home. No mercy. They didn''t spare the child. Because of her death, the investigation about the bio-weapon facility was stopped. Chapter 474 - 474: His Friends Husband Matt Carter couldn''t help but reminisce the past since today was the same date when he first met that girl. When he heard the news that his friend was killed, he felt devastated. He somehow knew that the Dark Knight Organization was the one responsible for that murder. Matt was consumed by his guilt. He thought it was his fault that''s why his innocent friend was killed. What was more depressing was that he learned that even her child was not spared. They also killed the poor child along with his mother. He blamed himself for that. Matt thought of a way how he would be able to get his revenge against the Dark Knight Organization. He told himself that he would reveal to the authorities that bio-weapon facilities were being operated in their country. The Dark Knight should be punished for their crimes. But it took him five years before he was able to find the opportunity to ask the police authority. He worked hard to gain the trust of the Dark Lord. He told him that he won''t do anything because the Dark Lord was holding his family as his hostage. He pretended to be obedient to him so that the Dark Lord won''t be strict towards him. Before, the Dark Lord assigned men to always keep an eye on him. He couldn''t move freely if people were watching his every move. It took him five years to finally get his so-called freedom, wherein he could stroll around the city alone without bodyguards nor Dark Knight''s men who were watching him. Then he started to implement his plan. He looked for a trustworthy man in the police department who was not a member of the Dark Knight Organization. He already learned his lesson. The Dark Knight had lots of spies. They were everywhere, hiding in their masks, pretending to be good men. It was hard for him to find a clean man who was not connected to any syndicates nor part of the Dark Knight''s spies. Then one day he met someone, a very respectable and skillful man in the field of crime investigation. A man with a good heart, a true man of the law. He befriended him first to make sure that he was the right person he was looking for. That policeman easily gained and won his trust. He started to share the secrets of the bio-weapon facility with that person. The policeman also believed him. So Matt Carter became a whistleblower once again. He asked him for protection. The policeman promised him that he would protect him as well as his family. The two of them met secretly several times, sharing information with each other. Matt even gave the man a sample of bio-weapon as well as the antidote. Matt Carter was still in the middle of reminiscing the past when he remembered something. He went to his attic to get something. It was a square old wooden box that contained some of his belongings from the past. He wiped it clean first because it became dusty. It''s been a long time since the last time he opened this box. It contained memories and memorabilia of his friend who was murdered by the Dark Knight. There were several objects inside. He picked up the small size photo album. He scanned it. His lips curled up into a faint smile when he saw his picture together with his friend while wearing their laboratory gown. The girl wanted to learn from him so she brought a camera and took a video of the process of making those bio-weapons. At first, she had no idea that bio-weapon. She just thought Matt was just experimenting with the microorganism to cure some diseases. If they were on break, the girl would ask him to take pictures of them together as a remembrance. Matt didn''t mind it so he allowed it. The girl gave this photo album to him as a gift on the day she submitted her resignation letter to her manager. He continued scanning the photo album up to the last page. Then he found something familiar. On the last page, there was a picture of a family of three. Then he remembered that his friend talked about her family and introduced them to him through the picture, her son and her husband. She even wrote the name of her son and husband on the picture using a pen. His eyes widened upon reading the name of his friend''s husband. [ Lester Morgan ] "Lester Morgan?! I heard it just a few days ago." Mr. Carter fixed his eyes on the photo of the man beside his friend. "Huh? Wait. I remembered. In the hospital! Elle''s foster father, his name is Lester Morgan. Oh my God, don''t tell me he is the husband of Beatrice!" Mr. Carter moved his gaze back to the picture as he recalled the face of Phantom. "Damn! They are look-alike. He just became older now but their facial features and structures are the same." "There''s no doubt! Elle''s foster father is Beatrice''s husband! What a great coincidence is this? I''ve been searching for him for a long time now. I almost forgot about him because I was busy escaping from the grasp of the Dark Knight Organization!" "I have to talk to him! He needed to know the truth about his wife''s death! I believe until now he didn''t know the reason why his wife was murdered!" With that thought in mind, Mr. Carter immediately picked up his phone and dialed Erick''s number. The call went through right away. Erick: "Hello, Mr. Carter?" Mr. Carter: "Erick, do you have the cellphone number of your father-in-law?" Erick: "No, but Elle has it." Mr. Carter: "Can you ask Elle to send me his number? I need to talk to him. It''s very important." Erick: "Alright, Mr. Carter. I will inform Elle. Oh, she''s here." Then he heard Erick asking Elle about Phantom''s contact number. Elle immediately sent it to Mr. Carter. He thanked the husband and wife before hanging up the phone. He called Phantom, asking him to meet in his place. Unknown to Mr. Carter, his place was now being monitored by the elite fighters of the Dark Knight Organization. It''s just a matter of time before they would barge in to capture him. Chapter 475 - 475: Intruders Mr. Carter didn''t waste time as he called Phantom to meet in his place. Mr. Carter: "Hello, this is me, Matt Carter. We met a few days ago in the hospital. I''m Elle and Erick''s friend. Mr. Morgan, are you busy today?" Phantom was currently in Dr. Clara''s clinic, accompanying Charles in his room. Sometimes, he would go back and forth between Charles''s and Lu''s Rooms. He was acting as a very caring father towards those two men who were both recuperating in Dr. Clara''s clinic. Phantom: "Oh, I remember you. I''m not busy. Why?" Mr. Carter: "There''s something important I need to tell you. I think I know your wife, Beatrice Morgan. Please see me in my place. This is my Address." Mr. Carter gave his exact address to Phantom. Phantom left Dr. Clara''s clinic in a hurry. He didn''t know why but whenever someone would mention his wife, Phantom couldn''t help but feel uneasy. He always had a bad feeling that something unfortunate was about to happen. Maybe he was just overthinking and a little bit paranoid. He got phobia because of what happened to Elle''s father. That day when Elle''s father wanted to tell him something about the conspiracy behind his wife''s death, the Family Falcon was attacked and got massacred in their own house. This time he had high hopes that he would be able to know the real reason why his wife and son were brutally killed before. Would Mr. Carter be the key to get the answer he was seeking for the past few years? ********** Meanwhile, Mr. Carter already hung up the phone. His eyes sparkled with joy. Finally, he found Beatrice''s husband. Now, he could tell him what happened to his wife and the real reason why his wife and his son were killed. He would also like to ask forgiveness because he still believed that it was he who brought that misfortune to his family. He was still blaming himself because of Beatrice''s death. He decided to tell everything to Lester Morgan aka Phantom, Beatrice''s husband. "Beatrice, I''m sorry, my dear friend. It took me a lot of time before I found your husband," Mr. Carter mumbled as he touched Beatrice''s picture. After a while, Mr. Carter heard some noise downstairs. He frowned as he remembered that his front door and back door were closed. He was still in the attic of his house but he could hear some faint movements below. "Intruder? I''m sure Mr. Morgan doesn''t arrive yet because only 15 minutes had passed when the two of us spoke to each other." Mr. Carter frowned. He had a bad feeling about this. His instinct was telling him that danger just came to visit him. "Don''t tell me the Dark Knight finally locate me?" Fortunately, his attic had a hidden door. The intruder would not easily find the door going to his attic. Mr. Carter''s heart started to run wild inside his chest. ''I have to see Mr. Morgan first. Why now? Why today? I must escape. I should not allow them to catch me. There''s something I need to do.'' Mr. Carter stood up, and check his surroundings outside through the small opening from his attic. He was terrified as he confirmed that Dark Knight Members had come for him. They saw some men in a black suit, surrounding his house. But from the noise he could hear below, he could estimate that there were five men who were inside his house right now. After assessing his situation, he knew that he had a low chance of escaping them. The Dark Lord seemed that he sent his elite men just to capture him. He grabbed his backpack, putting his important belongings in a hurry. He put his phone in silent mode and sent a message to Phantom. He told him not to go to his place because it''s dangerous. He warned him about the Dark Knight men. There were people who came to him. He told him that if he could escape from that place safe then he would try to meet him. He didn''t sure if he could leave that place safely so he left Phantom an important message. [ Mr. Morgan. I''m not sure if I can leave this place safely. But if ever something will happen to me, I just want you to know that the Dark Knight Organization had something to do with the death of your wife, Beatrice, and your son. I''m really sorry. I want to tell you more but it seems that there''s a possibility I will not be able to meet you. ] After constructing that message, he pressed the send button. He just hoped it''s not too late. He didn''t want Phantom to be put in danger because of him. Mr. Carter had no idea that Lester Morgan was the legendary assassin, Phantom. Mr. Carter forgot to mention the bio-weapon facility in his message. He started to type another message but he suddenly heard that someone was trying to open the hidden door of the attic. "Shit! They found it already!" Mr. Carter cursed in a low voice. He didn''t know what to do next. He decided to escape from the attic through the roof. That''s his only way out. Then he heard the people outside the hidden door talking "We''ve searched the entire house but we couldn''t find him." One man said to his comrade. "Our men who were monitoring him said he never left the house yet since this morning so they are sure that he is still here." One responded to him. Mr. Carter who was just listening to them started to sweat profusely. His heart raced even faster. ''Damn! They already knew my whereabouts and had been monitoring me secretly for the past few days. This is not good!'' Mr. Carter started to escape through the small window in his attic. He was very careful with his movement not to create unnecessary noise." "What are you doing here?" The man asked again to his comrade. "I''m trying to open this. This looks like a hidden door connected to the attic. Maybe he is hiding behind this door." It did not take long when a loud thud was heard. The man kicked the hidden door with his full force. Chapter 476 - 476: Answered Prayer? Fortunately, Mr. Carter was already on the roof by the time the door was opened. "What the f*ck? Where did he go? He''s not here also!" One member expressed his disappointment when they didn''t see Mr. Carter inside. "Call the surveillance team. Ask them if they are really sure that the scientist didn''t leave his house. I''m gonna beat them if they told us the wrong information. The Dark Lord will not be happy if we return to the headquarter without the scientist." The leader of the five elite members spoke up. One member called the surveillance team who was sent to monitor Mr. Carter. They were the ones standing outside near the black sedan car. They insisted that they were a hundred percent sure that Mr. Carter didn''t leave his house today. "Search the area and find him again. He must be hiding somewhere," The leaders commanded his other comrades. They immediately complied with his command. The leader was now alone in the attic. He noticed the window. Though it was small, a person could still fit in that small opening. He quickly approached the window. By the time, he reached the window, Mr. Carter was already trying to descend from the roof. The leader didn''t see him because he was already hanging on the post going down. That spot was not visible to the other members who were outside. Now, his only option was to run as fast as he could to leave the place without getting seen by the other Dark Knight members. Mr. Carter was very cautious with his movement. He did brisk walking then running alternately. When he made sure that no one was looking in his direction, he started to run with all his might. He was already old so he didn''t know how far he could run from them at his current state. Unfortunately, the leader who was still in the attic saw Mr. Carter''s running figure from the distance. He noticed him the moment the leader climbed the roof as he passed through that attic''s window. "F*ck. Our target is running away. Go! catch him." The leader gave him the direction where he saw Mr. Carter. The Dark Knight''s men who were standing outside immediately rode their car to follow Mr. Carter. The five elite members also rushed out of the house and went to their respective cars. The chase began. Mr. Carter was just running on his feet. It''s just a matter of time then they would be able to catch up with him. Mr. Carter heard the screeching sound of the car, fast approaching him. At that certain moment, he knew that he had given away his location. They saw him. ''Damn! It looks like the mouse will be get caught by the hungry cat this time.'' Mr. Carter thought to himself but he refused to give up. Though he was already tired, panting and sweating heavily, he continued to run as fast as possible. The bad thing was there''s no passerby who wanted to let him hitch with their cars. He didn''t want to turn around but he knew that the black sedan was already near him. Mr. Carter was silently praying in his mind, asking for a miracle. He knew that it was impossible but he was still hoping that someone would save him. *Crash* He heard a loud crash behind him. When he turned around he saw two cars bumped into each other, the black sedan of the Dark Knight''s men and a white pick up. The moment he saw the driver of the white pick-up, he felt like he saw the light ray of his hope. His prayer was answered. Mr. Lester Morgan aka. Phantom came to his rescue and he was not alone. Two younger men who were riding a motorcycle came to approach him. "Mr. Carter. Go with them. Let me handle this." Phantom yelled at him. Brother Yan stopped in front of Mr. Carter, signaling him to ride at his back. Mr. Carter didn''t waste time as he rode the motorcycle. "Bring him to our hideout. Keep him safe, Yan!" Phantom told Brother Yan. The men inside the black sedan grabbed their guns after they recovered from the impact of the crash. They started shooting in Phantom''s direction. Phantom took cover immediately. Brother Yan sped off, leaving Phantom and Brother Yu. His priority was to keep Mr. Carter safe. He should him with his life. This was the order from Phantom. Brother Yu started firing at the Dark Knight''s men as well. Phantom took that chance to ride at the back of Brother Yu. He would leave the white pick-up. It would help them delay the Dark Knight as it was blocking their way. He saw the other black sedan cars approaching their location. "Yu, let''s leave now. Let''s make sure that they will not be able to catch up with Yan and Mr. Carter," Phantom told Brother Yu. Phantom was the one who was firing at their enemies. Brother Yu started to drive the motorcycle, leaving that place. "There are so many of them, Master. What shall we do now? They might catch up with us?" Brother Yu asked Phantom with a concerned voice. Brother Yu felt Phatom patting his back to reassure him. "Don''t worry, your sister, Elle, already called for back-ups." Phantom grinned widely after saying that. "Back-ups? From Skull Gang?" Brother Yu asked with intrigue. Phantom let out a husky laugh before answering Brother Yu''s query. "Not them, remember, today we are running in the broad daylight. It''s not good to involve the Skull Gang." "Your sister has a stronger back-up in this kind of situation," Phantom said to him meaningfully. Then it did not take long when they heard the sound of the police car''s siren. four police cars suddenly following them. The two cars were already escorting Brother Yan and Mr. Carter. Brother Yu chuckled when he saw those patrol cars. He finally got what Master Phantom was referring to. "It''s Chief Detective Lee. He is the strong back-up of Sister Elle." Phantom also chuckled. "Yeah. My Son-in-law!" Chapter 477 - 477: Had Escaped Safely The Dark Knight''s men were surprised when suddenly police patrol cars appeared on site. This was not looking good for them. They could see that the police patrol cars were escorting the people who rescued Matt Carter or in other words, they were protecting him. They had people in the police departments but they were sure that the Dark Lord didn''t mobilize them for this mission. The leader ordered his comrades to retreat. There''s no way they could catch Matt Carter, especially now, he was surrounded by police officers. "Dark Lord won''t be happy to hear this." One member showed his disapproval. "We are too late. We are outnumbered this time. We might get caught. It will complicate things if the Dark Knight members will be caught by these policemen. We are not sure if they are one of us or not." The leader explained to them. "We have Snake. He can protect us. If we return now then the Dark Lord will punish us. We failed the mission," he insisted. "He needs us. He won''t punish us for now. Two days from now, there will be an exchange between the Dark Knight and the Skull Gang. We have an important task on that day," The leader said, reassuring the others. With that, everyone agreed on retreating. They stopped pursuing Mr. Carter. Now, they just needed to prepare themselves to accept the Dark Lord''s wrath. Meanwhile, Erick and Officer Kim together with their other comrades continued escorting Brother Yan and Mr. Carter. Phantom and Brother Yu were also following them behind. Phantom smiled the moment he saw the Black sedan cars had stopped pursuing them. As agreement before, Brother Yan brought Mr. Carter to their hideout. When they made sure that no one was following them, they got separated from the police escorts. Only Erick followed them. Erick thanked Officer Kim for his help before they went to separate ways. Officer Kim was glad that he was able to give support. Working with Chief Inspector Detective was a great pleasure for him so he didn''t mind it at all. Soon, Mr. Carter and others arrived at their hideout where Elle was waiting for them. She was worried sick when she learned about what happened to Mr. Carter. It turned out the Dark Knight Organization was also after him. Elle could somehow put the pieces of the puzzle together. Now, she understood why Mr. Carter knew how to make an antidote for those bio-weapons. He must be working before under the Dark Knight Organization. This only meant he was involved in the operation of the bio-weapon facilities. She was eager to know his story. This time she believed that Mr. Carter had a lot of things to explain to them. More revelation was about to come out from the past. She heard the motorcycles arrived at the front gate. She knew that Master Phantom and others arrived together with Mr. Carter. She went out to welcome them. Erick was also with them. She immediately ran toward her husband and threw herself into his arms, hugging Erick. He caught her and engulfed her in his arms. He couldn''t help but chuckle because of Elle''s action. "Hey, what''s wrong, wifey? Can you be more careful? Don''t run like that," Erick softly said to her while stroking her hair. "I and little Lee just got worried about you. You have an encounter with the Dark Knight''s men today. They are dangerous people. We couldn''t help but worry," Elle explained to him. Erick let out a husky laugh once again before kissing her head. ''I love this woman so much!'' "Cough! Cough!" Phantom cleared his throat to let the couple know that they were not alone. Brother Yu and Brother Yan were the ones who felt embarrassed to watch the couple. They felt like they were unintentionally feeding them dog food. Mr. Carter and Phantom, on the other hand, were just grinning from ear to ear. Then Phantom asked them to enter the house first. He assigned Brother Yu and Brother Yan to stay on guard outside. Phantom, Mr. Carter, Erick, and Elle entered the house. They headed straight into the living room. Elle gave Mr. Carter a glass of water. She could see that he was sweating a lot. Everyone was now sitting in the living room facing each other. "Thank you so much, everyone, for helping me. I didn''t expect that you will come to rescue me. Because of you, I escape from them." Mr. Carter expressed his gratitude to them. "When I received your call, I had a bad feeling that something bad might happen in times like this. So I made a preparation. It happened to me 18 years ago. I don''t want anything like that to happen again. I''m glad I listen to my instinct." Phantom told them. "When I received your last message warning me not to go in your place, I called Erick right away and asked for his help. I''m glad we are not late this time," Phantom added, the relief was visible in his face. "Father, do you want us to give you both some privacy? I know you two have to talk about your wife. Maybe it is inappropriate for me and Erick to stay here and listen to your conversation?" Elle said to Phatom. But Phantom shook his head. "No, you can stay. You are my family now. Honestly, I''m a little bit nervous, can you accompany me and listen to what Mr. Carter is about to say?" Phantom held Elle''s hand. She could see the fear and uncertainties in Phantom''s eyes. His family was his weakness of this brave man in front of her. She could understand his feelings as of this moment. Phantom had been looking for an answer for too long. And now, it seemed that he would be able to get the answer he was seeking. Elle just nodded at him, giving him a reassuring smile. Erick also stayed with them. The three of them averted their gaze to Mr. Carter, waiting for him to start telling them what happened in the past. "I don''t know where to start. But as I have said in my message, the Dark Knight Organization had something to do with the death of your wife, Beatrice, and your son." Mr. Carter finally spoke up. Phantom balled his hands into fists at the mention of his wife and sons. He could still vividly remember the scene of that bloody night in his mind. His wife and his poor innocent son were bathing in their own blood inside their house. "So it''s Dark Knight? But why? What did my wife do to them to deserve that? They didn''t even spare my poor child." Phantom asked Mr. Carter through gritted teeth. Mr. Carter lowered his gaze. He couldn''t bear to see Phantom''s eyes filled with hatred and pain for losing his family. "I''m sorry, Mr. Morgan. Please forgive me. I think it''s my fault. This happened because of me. Because your wife helped me before," Mr. Carter apologized to Phantom. He didn''t know if Phantom would be able to forgive him or not. Phantom''s expression darkened when he heard that. "What did you do? WHY ARE YOU SAYING ITS YOUR FAULT? DON''T TELL ME YOU ALSO HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THEIR DEATHS!" Phantom looked like he was ready to beat and kill Mr. Carter right now. Chapter 478 - 478: The Truth in the Past Elle grabbed Phantom''s hand to calm him down. "Father, please. I know it''s hard but please calm down first. Let''s listen to Mr. Carter''s story first." Elle could understand why Phantom was acting like this. He lost his cool because of his family. He was still mourning for them. He thought he got justice for them but it seemed like he was mistaken. Did he kill the wrong person before? Was everything that happened before just a set-up made by the Dark Lord? Mr. Carter sighed deeply. He knew how angry and furious Phantom was right now. He decided to explain everything to him including Erick and Elle. The three of them just listened to him. "Yes, I was working for the Dark Knight Organization before. I was the one who created this bio-weapon. I had assistants. They got the formula I used to make those bio-weapons. They continued the operation even after I left the organization." "I''m on the run, escaping from the grasp of the Dark Knight. They needed me because I didn''t get the formula for the antidote. They only had limited supplies of Antidotes." Mr. Carter explained to them the reason why the Dark Knight still tried to catch him. "Beatrice became my friend before. She''s a chemist. She worked in the bio-weapon facility without knowing that what we were making there was actually a bio-weapon." Phantom was taken aback after hearing that. He knew that his wife was working at a laboratory facility before. It turned out the facility was owned by the Dark Knight Organization. "We became friends. One time, I shared my troubles with her about my family. The Dark Knight was helping my family financially in exchange for my knowledge and ability. The Dark Lord made me believe that my family had forgotten me but he just manipulated everything." "Beatrice helped me learn the truth. My family stopped accepting money from the organization. They wanted me to return to them because they were missing me already. Because of that, I decided to quit my job. I confronted the Dark Lord about the truth. He refused to let me go and he threatened me that he would harm my family if I would not follow his orders." Elle squinted her eyes after hearing that. The Dark Knight was really evil. They would do anything for their gains. They didn''t care about the lives of other people. "I told Beatrice everything about the bio-weapon facility. I advised her to leave and stop working there so she resigned. I''m sorry Mr. Morgan. This happened because I asked her for help. We planned to bring down the organization by revealing the existence of the bio-weapon facility to the authority." Phantom was just trying his best not to go wild. He failed to protect his wife. He didn''t know any of this. Beatrice never told him anything. Beatrice decided not to involve her husband because she knew that what she was about to do was too dangerous and risky. " I gave her a sample of bio-weapon and an antidote. She showed them to the police. Beatrice became a whistleblower. We made a terrible mistake. I underestimate the Dark Knight''s power and influence." Mr. Carter gritted his teeth as he recalled everything. "The Dark Knight has spies in the police department. So they learned everything, am I right?" It was Erick who spoke up. Mr. carter closed his eyes and nodded his head. That was the sad truth. They didn''t anticipate it. "Because of that, the Dark Lord ordered to assassinate Beatrice and her family." Mr. Carter said with a heavy heart. The living room was engulfed by deafening silence after he said those words. Now, everything made sense now. Phantom realized many things after hearing this story from Mr. Carter. "I blamed the wrong person. The Dark Lord manipulated everything from the start. No wonder, even the police didn''t get any clue about the true culprit. They made it looked like a mere robbery rather than murder or assassination." Phantom said through his gritted teeth. Then Phantom turned to Elle. "I think your father learned about this. He said to me that I killed the wrong man who was responsible for my family''s death. He was about to tell me what he had discovered when that massacre happened." A cold glint flashed through Elle''s dark eyes. She also suspected that the Dark Knight had something to do with her family''s death. "The Dark Knight called the hit on my father. My father must have learned something about this." Elle didn''t know how to feel about this. "Wait, did you say that you gave my wife an antidote?" Phantom asked Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter nodded at him as a response. "So, this explained why I still survived after I exposed myself with the bio-weapon. I think I accidentally drank it without knowing it''s an antidote for bio-weapon. When I found the lifeless body of my wife, I found a small transparent bottle in her hand with a purple substance. Thinking that it was a poison, I drank it with one go. But I didn''t die. Nothing happened to me." "Yeah, I think. That''s the antidote I gave to her. That''s the only case that could explain why you survived after being exposed to the bio-weapon." Mr. Carter confirmed it. "So, Mr. Carter, how are you able to escape from them? What happened to your family? The Dark Lord had threatened you using your family. Why did you escape?" Elle asked him with intrigue. There was a gleam of sadness and regret when Mr. Carter remembered his family. "I wanted to avenge Beatrice''s death but I couldn''t move freely because I was heavily guarded by Dark Knight''s men. I tried to gain the Dark Lord''s trust once again to claim my freedom. It took me five years to achieve it." "I started to implement my plan. I looked for a trustworthy man in the police department who was not a member of the Dark Knight Organization. I already learned my lesson. Luckily, I met someone, a very respectable and skillful man in the field of crime investigation. A man with a good heart, a true man of the law." Mr. Carter paused as he reminisced the past. He couldn''t help but smile and feel nostalgic as he remembered the man. "That person was Agent Cedrick Falcon." Mr. Carter said. Phantom: "..." Erick: "..." "T-That man¡­ h-he is my¡­ father." Mr. Carter: "..." Chapter 479 - 479: Same Fate "That person was Agent Cedrick Falcon." Mr. Carter said. Phantom: "..." Erick: "..." "T-That man¡­ h-he is my¡­ father," Elle mumbled with her surprised expression. Mr. Carter: "..." "Mateo Hirosito-Aganaki Carter. That''s your real name," Erick also spoke up. Mr. Carter was taken aback when Erick mentioned his real name. "You are the whistleblower Elle''s father met one week before he and his family were massacred in their home. My Dad found out that Uncle Cedrick found the truth about the bio-weapon facility. We suspected that this was the motive for killing him and his family," Erick informed Mr. Carter. "My father and I are looking for you. You are the only person who can confirm the truth. You are the missing link for this case, Mr. Carter," Erick added with his serious voice. He held Elle''s hand and squeezed it gently, comforting her. Mr. Carter was consumed by guilt as he faced Phantom and Elle. It seemed that he was the one who brought misfortune to their family. "I didn''t know. I''m really sorry. I''m really sorry about what I have done. I didn''t want any of them to be hurt. I just wanted the Dark Knight Organization to go down. Please forgive me. I am the root of your family''s misfortune. I caused this." Mr. Carter kneeled in front of Elle and Phantom. They could see the guilt and regret in his eyes. Phantom and Elle were dumbfounded when they saw him kneel. Elle immediately approached him, asking him to stand up. He didn''t need to do it. They knew it was not his intention to harm their family. He was also a victim of the Dark Knight''s evil deeds. Erick also helped Mr. Carter to stand up. They were not blaming him for what happened. Mr. Carter went back to his seat. Phantom had finally calmed down as well. He wanted to listen more to what Mr. Carter was about to say. "What happened between you and my father? How did you escape from the grasp of the Dark Knight? How about your family?" Elle asked him again. Mr. Carter took a deep breath before answering her. "I met your father. When I learned that he was a good and clean cop I decided to tell him everything about the bio-weapon facility. I also told him about what happened to Beatrice." "So Agent Falcon learned first about what happened to my wife. Since he was handling my case at that time, he investigated my personal background and he discovered what happened to my family. When you told him the story about my wife, he connected the dots. He was planning to tell me the truth, that''s why he contacted me to meet." Phantom put things together about what happened in the past. Mr. Carter nodded at him in agreement. There was too much revelation today. Elle and Phantom didn''t know how to handle and absorb everything. They just fell silent once again. Erick was there, comforting his wife. He knew how miserable Elle and Phantom. Reminiscing those tragedies was too painful for them. But they were glad that they could put the pieces together now. These were the answers they were both seeking for a long time. "Agent Falcon promised me that he would protect me and my family. He was the one who helped me escape from the grasp of the Dark Knight Organization. We thought everything was going fine. I warned him about the Dark Knight''s spies." Mr. Carter paused for a moment. Complicated emotions flashed in his eyes. "He asked help from a friend. I didn''t know who that person was. They moved my family to a safe house. I got to meet them there. I was so happy that day. My family and I reunited once again after all these years." Mr. Carter slammed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. From his expression alone, they could tell that what he was about to tell next was unpleasant memories. "I never imagined that day was also the last day we would be together as a complete family." Mr. Carter''s eyes became teary after saying those words. They could feel his pain and sorrow. "One week after I gave Agent Falcon all the evidence about the bio-weapon facilities, I heard the news that he was killed and his entire family. The same thing that happened to Beatrice also happened to him. And¡­ my family¡­ they also died that day." "At first, the Dark Lord didn''t plan on killing them because he wanted to use them to blackmail me and threaten me to return to them. But my family knew what he was planning to use them again. My Father and my siblings fought back. The Dark Knight''s men had no choice but to kill them." Everyone fell silent after hearing that. Phantom, Elle, and Mr. Carter suffered the same fate from the hand of the evil organization, The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight was the one that caused their misery. They had to do something to bring that organization down. At that moment, the four of them were thinking about the same thing: Getting justice for their family and giving the Dark Knight Organization the punishment they deserved. The Dark Knight must be destroyed. Leaders of the Dark Knight should be punished. That''s their goal now. They would work together with the Skull Gang and the police authority with the help of Erick. They would end the reign of this evil organization. This was for their family, for the other victims, and everyone who suffered because of Dark Knight''s viciousness. "We have to be careful from now on. We don''t know who the spies are. Uncle Cedrick was also betrayed. Who was that person he asked for help? That''s another mystery we need to solve," Erick spoke up breaking the deafening silence in the living room. "I think we also need to protect you, Mr. Carter. The Dark Knight must not know the identities of people who help you today. Erick, son, be careful. Your department is the most vulnerable here against those spies. They might also target you," Phantom warned Erick. "I understand, Father. I will be more extra careful," Erick responded. "Mr. Carter, you should hide here for now. But it''s better to ask the Skull Gang''s help for your protection. I will personally talk to James about that." Elle also spoke up. "Thank you, everyone. Elle, let us handle this. You should not exhaust yourself. It''s not good for you and your baby''s health if you stress yourself too much," Mr. Carter advised her. "I know Mr. Carter. My husband is keeping his eyes on me. He will scold me if he sees me overworking myself. I am just here to assist everyone." Elle reassured them. Erick smiled after hearing that. He gathered Elle in his arms and kissed her forehead. He would protect his wife and their baby with all his life. "Wait, does it mean... Elle''s father was the one who gave her the antidote? How did you take it? Did you remember now, Elle?" Phantom asked Elle curiously. Mr. Carter, Erick, and Phantom averted their gaze to Elle, anticipating her response. Elle smiled at them sheepishly while scratching her face before answering their question. "Yes, I think I remember now. I also drank it accidentally." "How?" "Hmm, you know, I''m still a kid at that time. I came back from school. I saw the potion on my father''s table. Since the substance was purple I thought it was a wine. My dad forbade me from drinking wine because I was still a kid. Out of curiosity, I wanted to try and taste it. Without my Dad''s knowledge, I drank it." "I only planned on tasting it. But my father suddenly entered his study. I was shocked. He caught me red-handed. Because of his sudden arrival, I ended up drinking the whole potion in one go." Elle giggled as she remembered her father''s expression and reaction. "I thought he would scold me. At first, Dad just stood there with his bewildered expression, looking at me and the empty bottle in my hand. After he recovered from the shock, he asked me ``how does it taste?" "I just smiled at him and said, ''Sorry Dad. it tastes bad. Bitter!''.?? Phantom: "..." Mr. Carter: "..." Erick: "..." ''What a silly little Elle,'' Erick thought to himself. After a while, the three men suddenly burst out laughing. Elle''s face became red because of embarrassment. Chapter 480 - 480: Snake on the Move *** At Dark Knight Organization Headquarters *** The five elite men who were assigned to capture Matt Carter were now reporting to the Dark Lord. They had no choice but to inform him about the piece of bad news. "Where''s Matt Carter? I am expecting that you will come here with him. What happened?" the Dark Lord''s voice was stern and cold. He already knew that the mission he gave them failed. "We almost had him but someone interfered. While he was escaping from us, several police patrol cars arrived on the scene. They escorted him. They outnumbered us so we decided to retreat." The leader of the five men explained to the Dark Lord. The five of them were bowing their heads, no one dared to look at the Dark Lord''s eyes. They failed a mission and it was unforgivable. They knew how disappointed the Dark Lord was as of this moment. The Dark Lord just remained silent, massaging his temples. A lot of bad things happened on their sides. Some supplies of bio-weapon were taken by the Skull Gang and now the scientist escaped from their grasp once again. "Did you say he was escorted by police officers?" The Dark Lord asked them again. "Yes, our Lord," The five of them answered him in unison. "Then we need to find out who took him. Since those people came from the police Department, Snake could help us find out where they brought Matt Carter," The Dark Lord asked his assistant to call Snake. After a few rings, the call got connected. Snake: "My lord, why did you call me? Do you have a mission for me?" Snake knew that once the Dark Lord called him personally there''s something important he wanted to tell him. It''s probably about a mission or task the Dark Lord wanted to give him. The Dark Lord: "Snake, I found my precious scientist however my incapable men here let him escape once again." Snake: "Oh, that''s a piece of bad news. How can I help you?" The Dark Lord: "Some police officers helped him escape. Find out who''s the person helping the scientist. You might discover his hideout once you learn who the people who helped him. This is the important task I am giving to you." Snake: "Ok, got it. Give me an hour or two. I will call you back once I get the information you needed." The Dark Lord: "Ok. I''m counting on you." After the call, Snake immediately moved to do the task. He was the most outstanding spy of the Dark Lord. No one would think that he was connected to the Dark Knight Organization because of his good reputation. The Dark Knight helped him to have that reputation. He was indebted to the Dark Lord. He had sworn his loyalty to him as long as he was alive. He could betray his friends but not the Dark Lord. If there was something they needed to erase, like evidence and any proof that would connect the crime to the Dark Knight Organization, Snake was the one cleaning those things for them.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-devilish-assassin-meets-the-angelic-detective_15596023506141605/chapter-480-snake-on-the-move_50722537369295674 for visiting. After one hour, the Dark Lord received a call from Snake. The Dark Lord: "Did you get something? Did you trace the scientist? Where did they bring him? A safe house?" The Dark Lord asked Snake eagerly. He was desperate to catch Mr. Carter. He was the only one who knew how to make the antidotes. Snake: "Yes, my Lord. I found out the team who helped him escape. They are the team of Police Officer Kim of Precinct No.7. They escorted him. But¡­" "But what?" The Dark Lord couldn''t handle the suspense. He wanted to hear it soon. Snake: "They had no idea where the scientist was staying. I think it will take time for me to find out because the person who asked them for help was none other than Chief Inspector Detective Erick Lee of the XXX Crime Investigation Bureau." The Dark Lord frowned when he heard Erick''s name. This fellow was the cleanest and righteous man in the law enforcement department. No Bribe would work against him. Snake: "It looks like the Scientist becomes friends with the detective. He is the only one who knew where to find the scientist or the place where he is hiding right now." The Dark Lord slammed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. This was not good. He had no choice but to do something against that righteous detective. The Dark Lord: "Try to spy on him and get information from him. If spying won''t work this time then we have to target Eric Lee. Do anything you can, any method you can use just find the scientist. After that, eliminate Erick Lee." Snake was taken aback when he heard that. But this order was already expected from the Dark Lord. But Snake couldn''t help but feel reluctant about killing Eric Lee. Snake: "Why? Why do we need to eliminate him?" The Dark Lord sensed the disapproval in Snake''s voice. "Because it is necessary. Matt Carter might have informed him already about us¡­ about the Dark Knight''s bio-weapon facility. A good cop like him is a big threat to us especially if he already knows everything about our operation." "He is smart to figure out everything. He is getting near to finding the evidence. Did you forget? Erick''s team was the one who tried to infiltrate the bio-weapon facility in City X. We just got lucky since you were able to find out their plan." The Dark Lord reminded Snake. Complicated emotions flashed through Snake''s eyes. He could only sigh. He had to follow the Dark Lord''s order. He just felt uncomfortable killing another good cop. Though he had done it before he couldn''t help but feel sorry for Erick. He had betrayed a lot of friends already. And Erick was not an exemption. The Dark Lord was right. Erick was a big threat to them right now. If he already knew everything then they needed to eliminate him as soon as possible. Chapter 481 - 481: Roses Suspicion *** At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter *** Erick''s team was waiting for him. Erick was still together with Elle, Phantom, and Mr. Carter. Carl was sorting the information they had gathered, reorganizing them while trying to determine the true motive and the possible culprit or mastermind for Senator Mondragon''s death threat. On the other hand, Rose and June were busy with their assigned task, digging information from the past 18 years. As per Erick''s order, they were no longer focusing on catching the new Catseye. Their point of investigation was diverted to Alfonso Ramirez and the Los Mollasses gang regarding their involvement in Elle''s Family Massacred Case. Bryan and April were still on leave because of the preparation for their upcoming wedding ceremony. Among them, only Allen was not around. He went out a few hours ago, saying he had an important matter to attend to. When Allen came back, his colleagues noticed his anxious and restless expression as if there was something troubling him right now. "Hey, where have you been?" It was Carl who greeted Allen first. Allen glanced at Carl with his worried look but soon, he was able to conceal his emotion, trying to look calm in front of others. "Oh, I just went out to check and confirm something. It''s related to our case." "So what did you find out?" Carl asked him again. Allen fell silent for a moment. He looked at Allen meaningfully before answering him. "Hmm, nothing. It''s just a false alarm. I have to investigate it further to confirm my suspicion. Don''t worry, I will tell you once I find something significant." "Oh, alright. Come, help me with this one." Carl didn''t ask further as they went back to work.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-devilish-assassin-meets-the-angelic-detective_15596023506141605/chapter-481-rose''s-suspicion_50744434706400074 for visiting. June and Rose couldn''t help but wonder about Allen''s troubled expression. He''s been acting weird in the past few days. "Hey, June¡­ did you notice it as well?" Rose whispered to June. "Notice what?" June asked her curiously. "Allen is acting strangely in the past few days," Rose informed June. June nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, I noticed it too. Maybe it''s the result of being broken-hearted. Did you forget? Marie rejected Allen. She already has a boyfriend," June sighed deeply after saying that, pitying Allen. "No¡­ it''s not just that. I feel like Allen is hiding something from us. Do you think, he is the traitor in our team? He is becoming suspicious as time goes by." Rose shared her thoughts with June. She was suspecting Allen. June was taken aback when he heard that. He remembered that Chief Lee''s mission before was compromised because of information leakage, thus resulting in the mission''s failure. "Hey, don''t say that. We don''t have proof. What if he is just problematic in the past few days because of some personal reasons. He''s our friend remember? Besides, even Chief Lee trust everyone." June didn''t want to conclude that Allen was the traitor. "Yeah, I know. I''m sorry about that. I''m just bothered by the fact that someone among us had betrayed the team." Then Rose glared at June. "If I find out that it''s you then I will beat you to death." "Eh??? Why me? I suddenly become a suspect now. Rose, you are harsh! Do you know that?" June complained to her. Rose just stuck her tongue out at him. It did not take long when Erick arrived in their office. He dropped Elle first in her office before heading to the XXX Crime Investigation headquarters. Erick''s team stood up immediately to welcome him. They wanted to know what happened to the emergency situation a while ago. "How did it go, Chief?" Carl asked him expectantly. The other team members were also anticipating Erick''s response. Erick gave them a meaningful smile. " Mission Accomplished!" Everyone felt glad to hear that. "What is that mission all about Chief?" Allen asked him with intrigue. "Hmm, sorry. I can''t tell you the whole detail." Erick believed in his team but he still wanted not to elaborate further about this or mention to them about Mr. Carter. It''s for their own sake and Mr. Carter''s protection. If his team knew something then they might be targeted by the enemy. They didn''t know who were the spies of the Dark Knight. Erick needed to be extra cautious and careful when it came to relaying sensitive and important information to his team. They sensed that Erick didn''t want to talk about it further so they decided to go back to their respective work. Erick entered his office. Rose followed him behind. "Chief Lee, can we talk?" Rose wanted to share her suspicion with Erick. Erick smiled at her and nodded as a response. "Sure, please sit down first." He invited her to settle down first. "What is it you want to talk about, Rose?" Erick glanced at her, willing, and ready to listen. "Chief, I don''t want to think about this but I couldn''t help it. After knowing about the possibility we have a traitor in our team, I became paranoid. Since then, I kept observing everyone in this office. And I noticed that something strange happening with Allen. He is the most suspicious among us," Rose informed Erick about her observation. "He had been going out from time to time. We didn''t know where he was going. And just a while ago. He also went out to check something. He disappeared again without informing us." Erick was silent. He listened to her attentively. He was thinking and analyzing things based on Rose''s statements. "I know I have no proof, Chief. It''s unfair to Allen because I know he is going through heartache as of this moment. Maybe I am just overthinking. But I just want to let you know about this. We can also monitor him secretly just to make sure, Chief Lee." Rose suggested to Erick. "Thank you, Rose for this. Let me handle this. I will think of the best way to verify this. I hope we are just mistaken about Allen. I trust my team. I hope no one among us is the traitor. Don''t stress yourself over this. Just focus on your assigned task."Erick reassured Rose. "Okay Chief, got it." With that, Rose went back to continue her work. Erick was left alone in his office, thinking and racking his brain. He had complicated emotions on his face right now. Chapter 482 - 482: Fears and Uncertainties Erick didn''t work overtime today. He wanted to go home early and accompany his wife. Elle also went home early. She couldn''t focus on her work. Her mind was still absorbing everything she had discovered today about her family''s death. Erick wanted to comfort his wife. He knew that Elle was having a hard time. Hearing the unfortunate stories about Phantom''s family, Mr. Carter''s Family, and Elle''s family, Erick couldn''t help but feel the rage inside his heart. He felt mad and sad at the same time. He wanted to do something for them. He had sworn to himself today that he would do everything that he could just to bring justice for their family who died unjustly in the hands of the Dark Knight Organization. When Erick reached home, Elle was already in his room, lying on the bed but her mind was occupied by something. Erick put his things down and approached Elle. He bent down and kissed her on her forehead. "Oh, hubby, you''re here." Elle sat up to give him a peck on his lips. But Erick grabbed the back of her head. Instead of just a smack kiss, Erick kissed Elle deeply and passionately. After Erick broke the kiss, Elle giggled and said, "What a sneaky husband I have here." Erick also chuckled. Then he pinched her nose. "Wait for me, wifey. I''m just gonna change my clothes." After a few minutes, Erick came out of his bathroom wearing a plain white t-shirt and blue trousers. He also took a quick shower to freshen up. Then he climbed the bed, joining his wife. "Dad and Mom are the ones cooking dinner tonight, let me cuddle you here for a while," Erick informed Elle as he gathered her in his arms. Elle just nodded at him in agreement. She badly needed this. His warm hug was soothing her troubled heart. "How do you feel today?" Erick asked Elle. Erick didn''t need to elaborate. She knew what Erick was referring to. Elle grabbed Erick''s hands which were wrapped around her body. "Honestly, I''m not feeling good. I''m thinking if I am not pregnant and I am not your wife, I will immediately infiltrate all the hideouts of the Dark Knight Organization and plant explosives in their hideout. I''m thinking of going wild and killing all of them. I don''t care anymore whether I live or not." Erick felt saddened when he heard that. If he was mad right now, how much more his wife? He could understand her. He knew where she was coming from that''s why she said those words. Elle pinched her hand and said, "Hey, are you not going to say anything? Are you not going to scold me?" Elle looked up while pouting. Erick was leaning his back on the headboard of the bed while Elle was leaning on his chest as he was hugging her from behind. Erick let out a soft chuckle after seeing Elle pouting at him. "I don''t have to scold you. Besides, When did I scold my wife? I never did, even once." "I thought you don''t want me to kill?" Elle asked him as if she was a child asking for reassurance of her parents. "Yes, I don''t. But I know you just want to vent your anger and frustration, that''s why you said those words. You will not do it. You''re my wife now and the mother of our little Lee," Erick gently rubbed her flat stomach. Elle smiled at him faintly. "But I''m glad that I learned the truth now behind my father''s death... the story behind my family''s death. We finally found the answer."Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-devilish-assassin-meets-the-angelic-detective_15596023506141605/chapter-482-fears-and-uncertainties_50768719810450903 for visiting. Then she frowned. The worry and fear resurfacing in her dark eyes. "Erick, be careful. I''m starting to be afraid of your safety. I don''t want you to be hurt. My Dad died because of his job. Because he was fulfilling his duty." Elle shared her troubling thoughts with him. "Don''t worry, Wifey. I can protect myself. How can I protect you and our children if I can''t even protect myself? Nothing bad will happen to me, so don''t be afraid and don''t stress yourself too much. Don''t think about negative thoughts. It''s not good for you and for our baby." Erick said, consoling his wife. "By the way, how''s father?" Erick was referring to Phantom. Elle sighed deeply before answering him. "I think he is trying his best to calm down. I could feel that he was furious and at the same time, he was blaming himself for what happened. I wanted to comfort him but he wanted to be alone for now. I just asked Brother Yu and Brother Yan to monitor him." "We never know, he might also thinking of attacking the Dark Knight Organization''s hideout," Elle could only sigh helplessly. "Oh, like father like daughter. The two of you are thinking about the same thing." Erick made a joke to lighten the atmosphere. Elle was also worried about Phantom. Elle just rolled her eyes at him. "By the way, how''s the thing going in your office?" Elle changed the topic. Erick remembered Rose''s suspicion. "We are focusing on your father''s case and Senator Mondragon''s case. April and Bryan are still on vacation. Rose also talked to me this afternoon." "What did she say?" Elle asked with intrigue. She sensed the changes in Erick''s mood when he mentioned it. "She''s suspecting Allen as the traitor among our team. She observed Allen''s strange action and behaviors lately." Erick informed Elle. She frowned after hearing that. Elle was not sure. But as of now, she didn''t think that Allen was the traitor. "What do you think about it?" Elle asked him expectantly. She wanted to know Erick''s opinion and assumption regarding this matter. Erick heaved a deep sigh. He placed his chin over her shoulder and hugged her tightly before answering her. "I still trust my team. I think Allen is not a traitor but I could feel that he is troubled by something. I think he is hiding something from the team," Erick shared his thoughts to Elle. "Hmm, alright. Then why don''t you test him first? After that, you can also confront him. You are one team now. Aside from that, he is also your friend." "Yeah, that''s true. Thank you, wifey. Don''t worry. I will do that." Chapter 483 - 483: Allens Whereabouts On the same night, Erick received three missed calls from Allen. Erick was not able to answer his call since Erick and Elle together with Erick''s parents were having dinner during those times and his phone was left inside his room. Aside from Erick, Carl also received several missed calls from Allen. Carl was occupied by something and was not able to answer it. When he tried to call Allen back, his phone was already unattended. Carl didn''t take it seriously. He decided to ask Allen tomorrow in the office. Erick, on the other hand, felt troubled when he received Allen''s call. He tried contacting him but failed. He had a nagging feeling about this. "Hubby, what''s wrong?" Elle hugged Erick from behind. She just came out of the bathroom after taking a warm bath. "Allen called me when we were having our dinner. I just saw it. I tried calling him but he was not answering. His phone is already unattended." Erick answered her, turning around to face and hug Elle. "Did he send any message?" She asked again. Erick shook his head. "No. Only missed call. I had a bad feeling about this. Allen will not call me if this is not important."Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-devilish-assassin-meets-the-angelic-detective_15596023506141605/chapter-483-allen''s-whereabouts_50791786183981390 for visiting. Elle just cupped Erick''s face, kissing him on his lips. She wanted to erase the worry on his face. She wanted to comfort him. After she broke the kiss, Elle told him. "Don''t overthink. Maybe Allen just wanted to ask something. Then his phone''s battery suddenly was drained, that''s why you couldn''t contact him. Try calling him again later. You can also ask him tomorrow." "Alright, I will. Let''s go to bed now. Staying up late is not good for you and our little Lee." Erick reminded Elle. Elle followed Erick like an obedient child. She had to listen to him for their baby''s sick. She really appreciated Erick. He was hands-on when taking care of her. He did research on how to make pregnant women healthy. The dos and don''ts for Elle. He even asked Dr. Gomez for some tips and important points to remember. Dr. Gomez referred Erick to his Ob-gyn friend. But Erick didn''t inform Dr. Gomez about Elle''s true identity. Dr. Gomez didn''t know that Erick was about to become a father already. At around 11:00 pm, Erick tried to call Allen once again but his phone was still off. Erick couldn''t explain but he felt uneasy about this. He just hoped that Allen was just alright. He decided to confront him tomorrow. *********** Morning came. Erick came to the office early. The moment he arrived, only Carl was present. Allen, Rose, and June were not yet around. Carl and Erick exchanged morning greetings with each other. Erick asked him right away regarding Allen''s whereabouts. "Is Allen here?" "Not yet, Chief. He might be on the way now. Do you need anything from him? Did he commit some mistake, Chief?" Carl asked Erick after noticing his troubled expression. Erick shook his head with a faint smile. "It''s nothing. I just want to check on him and talk with him personally. I noticed that he was problematic for the past few days." Carl nodded his head while scratching the back of his head. "Maybe because he was heartbroken after Marie rejected him. Hehehe." Everyone already heard the news that Marie already had a boyfriend. They knew that Allen and Marie had a heart to heart talk. Allen accepted and respected Marie''s decision. He was aware that he couldn''t force someone''s heart to love a person. But he admitted to his friends that he was sad and hurt by this incident. He truly loved Marie. He just wished Marie to be happy with the person whom she chose. Erick and Carl decided to wait for others. Erick went straight to his office. He kept checking the clock. June and Rose were already present in the office. Only Allen didn''t arrive yet. Carl and Erick wondered what took him so long to come. Erick couldn''t wait any longer. He became more restless since Allen didn''t arrive yet. It was already 9:30 am. They were supposed to come into the office at around 8:00 am. Allen was already an hour and a half late. "Guys, do you know where''s Allen?" Erick asked his team. June and Rose exchanged glances with one another before shrugging their shoulders. Carl also frowned when Allen didn''t arrive yet. "Is there something wrong with him? Something bad happened? Did you hear anything from him?" Erick couldn''t help but feel anxious. "I received missed calls from Allen last night. But when I tried to call him back his phone was already out of reach," Carl informed them. He began to worry now after seeing Erick''s serious expression. "I also received several calls from him. Just like you, I tried to contact him but I couldn''t. What happened to him? I think I should go and see him in his apartment." Erick went inside his office to get his phone and car keys. "Chief, let me accompany you." Carl volunteered himself to come with Erick. Rose leaned on June, whispering something. "See, I told you. Allen is very suspicious. He is nowhere again. I wonder what he was trying to do for these past few weeks." "Hey, don''t be judgemental. We didn''t know what happened to Allen. What if he is not feeling well today," June still defended Allen. "Alright. I know. It''s just me being paranoid." Rose felt guilty. She just heaved a deep sigh while looking at Carl and Erick who were about to leave the office. They were about to reach the door when suddenly Officer Kim entered the office. He had a gloomy expression on his face. "Officer Kim?" Erick was surprised to see him. "Chief Lee. I''m sorry I didn''t call you ahead of time. I decided to come here personally to inform you about something." Officer Kim sounded restless and anxious as well. "What is it, Officer Kim?" Erick asked him. "It''s about Agent Allen. His body was found this morning..." Chapter 484 - 484: A Surprise for the Dark Lord "It''s about Agent Allen. His body was found this morning..." Officer Kim said that shook the whole team. Everyone was both shocked and terrified when they heard that. The office was engulfed by a deafening silence. They were all shaken up by that piece of bad news. Both Carl and Erick didn''t know what to feel at that moment. They were the last people Allen tried to contact last night but they failed to answer the call. He might be asking for help. "Officer Kim¡­ what do you mean you found his body? Don''t tell us¡­ A-Allen¡­ d-died?" Rose asked Officer Kim with her trembling voice. She was consumed by guilt. Just yesterday she kept on thinking that maybe Allen was the traitor among the team. "Oh, I''m sorry about the term I use. I mean we found his injured body this morning. He was badly hurt. He was barely breathing. The officer who found him immediately rushed him into the hospital." Officer Kim clarified his first statement. "What happened to him. Where did you find him?" Erick asked officer Kim worriedly. He was restless since last night. It seemed that his hunch wasn''t wrong. Something bad happened to Allen. "My men are still investigating. I dropped by because I knew no one among you was informed about this. He had an injury on his head. I think it is a severe one. Someone hit him with a hard object on his head. His unconscious body was found two blocks near the newly built Casino here in City Z, MDC casino." "We brought him to Dr. Gomez''s hospital. It was the nearest hospital in that area. He was still in the operating room as of this moment," Officer Kim added. "Ok, I will go and visit him," Erick mumbled before turning to Rose, June, and Carl. "Can I leave everything here in your care for now? Let me know if something important comes up." "Okay Chief. Go and check Allen''s condition first. Don''t worry about things here in the office. Just leave this matter to us," June promptly responded. Rose was still shaken by what happened to Allen. Carl couldn''t focus as well. Allen was his best friend. "Chief, can I go with you? I somehow feel responsible for this. If I just answered his call last night I think this will not happen to him. I should have saved him." Erick could understand Carl''s feelings. Even he, himself, was blaming himself for not able to do anything for Allen. That call last night might be an S.O.S call. With that thought in mind, Erick let Carl accompany him from going to the hospital. They wondered who did this to Allen. They had a lot of questions running into their minds right now. What Allen was doing near the casino? The two men made up their minds. After visiting Allen in the hospital, they would go and see the crime scene. They would also help in the investigation. They would also check whether Allen entered the Casino or not. Erick wanted to know if this incident was related to the current case they were handling or Allen just offended someone from the Casino like a gang and others. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Elle together with Phantom and Mr. Carter went to Skull Gang Headquarters. Since James already passed the Chairmanship of the Arison Holdings and Mining Company to Selena, he had more time to focus on Skull Gang''s operations. Today, they would finalize their plan about rescuing Black Shadow. Phantom, Elle, and James also brought Mr. Carter to the truck where the supply of bio-weapons was being kept at the moment. Elle gave James a short overview of what happened to Mr. Carter and his real identity. "Wait, this is dangerous. Are you planning to give these bio-weapons back to the Dark Knight Organization?" Mr. Carter asked both James and Elle in disbelief. "Yes, we have to. In order to save our friend and comrade," It was James who spoke up. "We can''t take the sample. They know how many bio-weapons are there inside this truck," Elle informed Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter fell silent for a moment, rubbing his chin while thinking hard about what to do. "The Dark Knight is very sneaky and sly. We have to be careful. They might be preparing something for the upcoming exchange," James shared his thoughts with them. "Don''t worry, my men are experts in handling this kind of situation. Besides, I will also join this mission," Phantom finally spoke up, reassuring them. Elle giggled after hearing the very confident and positive statement of Phantom. "Yeah, I can attest to that. My brothers are amazing. But my father is the best." Because of her statement, Phantom''s mood was lifted up a little bit. He was feeling down and depressed since yesterday. He couldn''t stop thinking about his wife and son. He blamed himself for everything. But thanks to Elle, he was comforted. She told him that instead of blaming themselves for being powerless at those times, why not focus on what they could do now? So the four of them who were victims of the Dark Knight, They were all here, trying to figure out how to bring down that evil organization. After a while, they heard Mr. Carter''s laughter. "Hmm, if they are sneaky and sly then we just have to be sneakier and smarter than them." Phantom, James, and Elle averted their gaze at Mr. Carter. All of them gave him a questioning gaze. Mr. Carter smiled at them meaningfully before saying, "I think I know what to do now with these bio-weapons. We still have 24 hours left before the exchange will happen, right?" Elle and James exchanged glances with one another before nodding at him. "Okay. Supremo¡­ can you help me? I need some materials. I hope you could provide me those materials. Then I will give the Dark Lord a great surprise once he receives this package."Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-devilish-assassin-meets-the-angelic-detective_15596023506141605/chapter-484-a-surprise-for-the-dark-lord_50813504508192355 for visiting. "Yeah, I can do that. Just tell me everything you need. I will mobilize my entire gang to get those materials for you." James responded immediately. Elle couldn''t help but smile. It seemed like Mr. Carter had a brilliant idea for surprising the Dark Lord. Chapter 485 - 485: Another Mystery To Solve *** At the Hospital *** Erick and Carl arrived at the Hospital. Allen was still in the operating room. Dr. Gomez was the one treating him right now. They talked to the police who were present in the hospital. They were the ones who found him. At first, they thought he was just a street dweller or a drunkard who fell asleep in the streets, but after they noticed the blood on the floor, they checked the person. They were surprised when they recognized Agent Allen. He was badly beaten and barely alive. They rushed him to the hospital, hoping that he would still make it. At first, they thought this incident was a robbery since some of his valuables were missing like his wallet and cell phones. But Agent Allen could fight back. He was good in combat. He wouldn''t be easily beaten up by a simple robber. What if they just made it look like a robbery? Erick and Carl were also thinking about the same thing. Allen could fight even three men all at once in man to man combat. He also had a gun. He could protect himself unless the person who did this to him was an expert or someone he knew because he lowered his guard. What if he was betrayed and attacked when he didn''t expect it? Was this incident related to the cases they were currently handling? This was another mystery to solve. Agent Allen should be alright so that they would know what happened to him. His operation lasted for three hours. He was severely injured, especially on his head. There was a blood clot inside his brain. It was the result of hitting his head with a hard object. Agent Allen was still in critical condition and under observation. He was transferred to the ICU after his operation. Dr. Gomez talked to Erick and Carl afterward, explaining Allen''s condition. He would be under observation for 48 hours. If his condition won''t improve after 48 hours then there''s a high possibility that he would be put in a coma. Carl and Erick were both saddened by that piece of news. They couldn''t afford to lose another comrade now. Allen was a good friend. Though his actions for the past few days had been suspicious to others, Erick was still thinking that Allen was not the traitor. Carl couldn''t help but shed his tears. Allen was his best friend. The two of them were very close like real brothers. He couldn''t accept this. He wanted to know who did this to Allen. He wanted those people to pay for this. Carl was so determined to catch them. Erick requested Carl to inform Allen''s family about what happened to him. Allen needed them right now. Erick thanked Dr. Gomez. He asked him to take good care of Allen and do what he could to save him. Dr. Gomez reassured Erick. He would update him from time to time about Allen''s condition.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-devilish-assassin-meets-the-angelic-detective_15596023506141605/chapter-485-another-mystery-to-solve_49329925362075374 for visiting. After staying in the hospital for an hour, Erick and Carl went to check the crime scene. They should find out if there''s any witnesses or CCTV that caught Allen and the culprit before the assault happened. They also visited the Casino. They found out that Allen didn''t enter the Casino. Now, they had difficulty figuring out what Allen was doing in that area. Both Carl and Erick were wondering why Allen called them last night. They had regrets for not able to answer that call. "Argh.. That fool¡­ instead of calling us, he should have sent us a message so that we would know what was happening to him," Carl complained to Erick. Erick could only sigh deeply. Carl''s opinion made sense. Allen could have sent them a message the moment the two of them didn''t answer the phone. "Let''s do what we can do for him now. I am also regretting it and somehow blaming myself but we need to be strong and not lose our focus. We will do our best to catch the culprit. One thing is bothering me. What if this is not just an ordinary crime? What if this is related to the cases we are currently handling?" Erick had a nagging feeling about this. Complicated emotions flashed through Carl''s eyes. Things were now becoming more complicated. But despite the betrayal issue, Erick was still putting his trust in his team. Carl couldn''t help but admire their Chief. The two of them started surveying the area, checking the crime scene. After an hour of searching the area, Erick found something. Would this thing be the clue about this case? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Skull Gang Headquarters *** James was able to prepare everything Mr. Carter needed. They let him work in his mini-laboratory. James gave him the area where he could do his experiment. He let other members of the Skull Gang assist and support Mr. Carter. Phantom and his henchmen together with Spike and Sherlock planned their strategy for the upcoming exchange. They should prepare a countermeasure and made sure that the Dark Knight Organization won''t be able to sabotage this negotiation. Phantom and others had already set their goal. First: Rescue Black Shadow. Get him safely from the Dark Knight Organization. Second: Leave the area safe and sound. No one should be left behind. While everyone was preparing, James and Elle were talking inside his office. "How''s Selena?" Elle asked James. Though they were love rivals, Elle wanted to know if Selena was doing fine. If not because of Selena''s feelings for Erick, maybe Selena and Elle could have been good friends in the past. Elle somehow knew that Selena''s intention before when she asked her to be her friend was genuine. It''s just that, the two of them fell to one person and that was Erick. Elle also felt sorry for Selena. She knew the feeling of losing her parents. Jorge''s death affected Selena. "She''s doing fine in managing our company. I want to apologize on my sister''s behalf. She doesn''t know that you are alive and she is still hoping that one day, Erick will fall for her. She''s hoping that she can replace you in Erick''s heart." James informed Elle while apologizing to her. "It''s alright. I understand. It''s not hard to stop your heart from loving someone," Elle said. James chuckled upon hearing that, "That''s true. Just like how I felt for you." Elle looked at James helplessly. "Why do you have to remind me about that?" James let out another chuckle. "If you feel uncomfortable then just forget that I said it." "By the way, how did she take the truth about your father''s death?" Elle asked James curiously. She was hoping to have closure with Selena as well. She hoped that they could be friends in the future. "Just like me. It''s hard for her to accept it. She thought our father was so unfair for hiding the truth from us. She cried every day for a week whenever she would remember it. But she''s coping now. I also explained to her about our relationship." The two of them fell silent for a moment. "I hope everything will be fine soon. I hope this war will end and we will be able to get justice for our family," Elle couldn''t help but become sentimental. James gently tapped her shoulder and said, "Don''t worry. The Dark Knight Organization will pay for everything soon. We will get them. Then we can start our new life together with our loved ones. Without the Dark Knight Organization, this place will be safer for Little Lee. So we have to finish this task as soon as possible before little Lee will be born in this world." Elle just nodded at James with a warm smile on her face. Chapter 486 - 486: A Special Bomb ~ The Night of the Exchange ~ Elle and Erick were in the Skull Gang headquarters together with James. They would be monitoring the exchange between the Skull Gang and the Dark Knight Organization. As part of their strategy, Skull Gang just sent a few members for this Mission. The people who were involved in this operation were 8 elite members including Spike and Sherlock, Phantom, and his 8 henchmen. Mr. Carter also joined them in Skull Gang''s conference hall. The team brought cameras with them to shoot everything so that Supremo and others could see the happenings in the venue. Spike and Sherlock were the ones who were inside the truck carrying the bio-weapons. They were being escorted by 6 elite members of Skull Gang. 4 henchmen of Phantom headed by Brother Ling were following them. They were cautious and alert if ever there would be an ambush that might happen on the way. The Dark Knight Organization was the one who set the venue for this exchange. Thinking about that, the Dark Knight Organization had the advantage of this situation. They could position their men around the area before the Skull Gang arrived. It was very risky but Skull Gang and Elle''s team gambled in order to save Black Shadow. Besides, they had trust in their team. They also prepared enough precautionary measures. At exactly 9:00 o''clock in the evening, Spike, Sherlock, and others reached the destination. It was an old port near South Carolina''s harbor. It was an abandoned area where no people were hanging out by that time. They saw several vans and black sedan cars. The Dark Knight''s men were scattered in the area. They were armed with high-powered firearms. Alfonso Ramirez was the head negotiator from the side of the Dark Knight.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/the-devilish-assassin-meets-the-angelic-detective_15596023506141605/chapter-486-a-special-bomb_50932616282563198 for visiting. They saw Black Shadow in the distance. He was sitting in a wheelchair because his leg was injured. He was smiling at Sherlock and Spike. "Eh, that guy. He still has the guts to smile in a situation like this. We don''t know yet what will be the end result of this negotiation," Sherlock commented to Spike. Spike facepalmed upon hearing that. "That''s true. We don''t know where the other enemies are hiding. They might be thinking to sabotage us and kill us all here." Sherlock chuckled, "Are you scared, Spike? Is the mighty Spike nervous right now?" Spike shot him a cold glare before stepping out of the truck. It was now time to do the exchange. The early they finished this the better to secure everyone''s safety. They felt like a sheep entering a lion''s den. But for an unknown reason, they were not afraid tonight. Because they put their trust in their Queen''s team, Phantom, and his henchmen. Spike and Sherlock together with the other elite members of Skull Gang started to walk over, approaching Alfonzo and his team. Alfonso sneered at them the moment they reached their spot. They maintained one meter distance from Alfonso''s Team. Kelsy was the one holding Black Shadow''s wheelchair at the back. "Is the package complete?" Alfonso Ramirez asked them directly. Spike stepped forward to do the negotiation. "Yes, you can only have the package once you turn over Black Shadow to us." Alfonso let out a mocking laugh. "I couldn''t believe that the Skull Gang only sent 8 members. Are you that confident that we will do everything according to the first agreement?" Alfonso was confident after seeing the Skull Gang members who were present now. There were only a few of them. The Dark Knight''s members already secured the area. They were certain that they had no hidden back-up. That''s what they thought. After saying those words, Alfonso Ramirez raised his hand while snapping his fingers. He gave the Dark Knight''s men a signal. They immediately pointed their guns in Skull Gang''s direction. Spike and others were not intimidated. They faced them with confidence, unfazed by the threat Alfonso was giving them. Because of their expression, Alfonso frowned and became hesitant in doing their next move. It seemed that the Skull Gang still had something up their sleeves. Maybe a secret plan? Spike smirked at them and said, "We came here to keep the end of our deal. Give you the bio-weapons we stole and retrieve our comrade safely. But it seems like you have another plan." "Do you really think we didn''t anticipate this? Knowing the fact that the Dark Knight Organization is the one we are facing?" Sherlock also joined the conversation, flashing his provoking smile at them. "You are already cornered. What can you do against us? Do you really think you can win? 8 vs an entire army of Dark Knight?" Alfonso said, ridiculing them. Spike and Sherlock exchanged meaningful glances with one another before bursting out into a peal of laughter. Kelsy had noticed something about them. She leaned closer to Alfonso and whispered something. Black Shadow also noticed it. "They are not holding any firearms. This is very strange and suspicious. What are they planning? Don''t make a reckless move," Kelsy warned Alfonso. "Why are you laughing? What are you hiding?" Alfonso asked them with his contorted face. "We already told you ...we are just here to get our comrade. If you will do something different from the first agreement then all of us here will die. We already know that once we enter your territory there''s a high possibility that we can''t leave safely." Spike explained to them. "We only want our comrade back," Spike emphasized those words. "We want to show you that we will not do anything if you will just follow the agreement. As you can see we don''t bring any guns¡­ to show you our sincerity and at the same time to protect ourselves." "If you want to die with us then go ahead, shoot us now!" Sherlock challenged them. "What do you mean by that?" Alfonso asked them confusedly. "We have brought a special bomb with us. It is highly sensitive and susceptible to impact if gunfire, just one spark then BOOM! It can set the bomb to blow up and explode." Chapter 487 - 487: A Bluff "A special bomb?" Alfonso mumbled, frowning deeply after hearing that. Kelsy also didn''t like this. ''Are they not bluffing? They are willing to die with us if ever they will not be able to rescue Black Shadow?'' "Heh, do you think we will believe you? Do you take us for a fool? Telling us that you are willing to die with us just because of one comrade? Whoah. That''s unbelievable," Alfonso said to them, still doubting Spike''s team. Spike and others let out another chuckle. "Well, we wanted to gamble. We are giving you the choice, either to live or to die with us. Besides, coming here is already considered suicide. We know Dark Knight won''t play fair and square." Black Shadow also joined them, laughing at Alfonso and the Dark Knight''s members. He couldn''t believe that his team would gamble this just to save him. Sherlock challenged them once again, "If you don''t believe us then do you want to try and shoot us? Oh let me remind you that the bomb will be triggered within a 3-meter radius. We planted the bomb in this truck. You are aware that once this truck will explode everyone within a one-kilometer radius will be affected by the bio-weapons. Do you want to try and experience to be exposed with your own weapon?" Alfonso was aware of that fact. There were also several bombs inside which were made of bio-weapon. An explosion could trigger those bombs as well to explode. It would be chaotic there once it happened. No one would live as if an apocalypse happened. Alfonso gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He didn''t expect that Skull Gang had this kind of special bomb. Alfonso was still contemplating when Spike spoke up once again. "We know you have snipers hiding in the dark. if you don''t believe us then why don''t you ask one of them to shoot and open fire at one of our cars that are parked 10 meters away from this truck? Let''s see if the bomb will really explode with just one gunfire." Since the car was 10-meter away from the truck, it wouldn''t affect the truck once it would explode. It was one way to confirm whether that special bomb existed or not. With that, Alfonso agreed with their suggestion. He gave one of their snipers the signal to shoot the car Spike was referring to. After a few seconds, the car suddenly exploded. BOOM!!! The Dark Knight''s men were shaken by that. The Skull Gang''s members were not bluffing. The special bomb really existed. "Now, are we going to proceed with our initial agreement? Give Black Shadow with us and we will leave this truck that is carrying your precious bio-weapons in your hands. Send someone inside, you can check all the supplies just to make sure that we didn''t steal something." Alfonso Ramirez was still undecided. He hated this. The Skull Gang came prepared. They won''t be able to harm them. They couldn''t avenge their fellow members. If they did, all of them would die. Seeing his reluctance, Kelsy spoke to Alfonso Ramirez again, convincing him to follow the first agreement. Besides, Kelsy wanted Black Shadow to live and not to die in the hands of the Dark Knight Organization. "Senior Alfonso... don''t forget what the Dark Lord truly wants. He just wanted to retrieve those bio-weapons. Let''s not go back with the first agreement. We need to follow it if you still want to leave this place alive." "Do you think that is it worth it to die with them? Do you think the Dark Lord will be happy to know that his bio-weapon just exploded? It will also catch the attention of the police authorities," Kelsy added. She smiled when she saw Alfonso waver a little. Black Shadow glanced at Kelsy meaningfully. He somehow knew what Kelsy was trying to do here. He didn''t ask her to do this. ''Does she still care about me?'' Black Shadow pondered to himself. After contemplating for several minutes, Alfonso made up his mind. He didn''t want to die tonight so he agreed with Kelsy. He signaled someone to check the number of supplies inside the truck. After 30 minutes, they confirmed that the Skull Gang brought the exact number of bio-weapons including the weapons they stole from Red Dragon''s terrorist group. When Kelsy was about to hand over Black Shadow to the Skull Gang, Alfonso stopped them for a moment. "Wait? How can we ensure that you will not blow up this truck once you get your comrade from us? What if you planted a tracking device in the truck?" Alfonso asked Spike with his doubtful expression. Spike and Sherlock massaged their temples. They were already bored because of this long negotiation. "Don''t you have any device that could detect whether a spying device or tracking device was installed or not?" Spike said to them impatiently. "I can do that," Kelsy volunteered. She was also becoming impatient for this. But Spike stopped her. "You can do that once we are not here. We want to leave now. Damn. Do you want to finish this or not?" Spike didn''t hide his irritation from them. "Alright! Just take out the bomb before you leave." Alfonso said, signaling Kelsy to hand over Black Shadow to them. Sherlock was the one who got Black Shadow from Kelsy. He immediately brought Black inside their car. Spike, on the other hand, signal the other members to go back to their respective car. They were all preparing to leave now. Spike and the other two elite members would be the ones to remove the bombs they planted in the different parts of the truck. They let Sherlock''s team leave the area first before they removed the bombs. After securing Black Shadow''s safety, as well as the other''s safety, Spike removed the bombs. The Dark Knight''s men could only watch Spike''s team leave the area unscathed. They succeeded in rescuing Black Shadow, leaving the area, safe and sound. Everyone rejoiced after that mission accomplished. "Hey, where did you get those special bombs? Black Shadow asked them curiously. Spike and Sherlock burst out laughing before answering Black Shadow. "That was just a bluff. there''s no such thing as a special bomb. Hahaha." Sherlock said to Black Shadow. Black Shadow: "..." Chapter 488 - 488: Welcome Back, Black! "That was just a bluff. there''s no such thing as a special bomb. Hahaha." Sherlock said to Black Shadow. Black Shadow: "..." Black Shadow was bewildered by that revelation. He didn''t expect that. Even he, himself, believed them that there was a specialized bomb that might blow up if ever the Dark Knight Organization''s member would open fire. "What do you mean? How can you do that? Then the explosion of one car a while? How would you explain that?" Black Shadow asked them quizzically. Spike and Sherlock exchanged meaningful glances with each other once again. Sherlock patted Black Shadow''s shoulder while grinning at him broadly. "We have back-ups. Catseye''s team! It was their idea to deceive the Dark Knight Organization. They were watching us in shadow." Sherlock proudly said to Black Shadow. "They were the ones who intentionally blew up the car using their explosives. Nice idea, right?" Sherlock added. "Catseye''s team?" Black Shadow was glad to know that. "Yes, it was Catseye who stood up for you. At first, the other higher-ups were against the idea of returning those bio-weapons to the Dark Knight Organization in exchange for your life. But Catseye, our Queen insisted on saving you, saying the higher-ups had no say with this because her team was the one who succeeded in retrieving those bio-weapons." Spike filled Black Shadow with information. After hearing that, Black Shadow burst out laughing. Catseye''s team was really capable. They were good at playing mind games as well. But most of all, he was touched by Elle''s action. She was the one who initiated this rescue mission and He knew James supported her with a hundred percent.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #!_50956240750170484 for visiting. "Brothers, This means I owe her my life. I am indebted to you as well. You risked your lives just to save me. You were at a disadvantage because Dark Knight was the one that chose this venue. You were outnumbered but you still came." Black Shadow was being sentimental now. Spike and Sherlock couldn''t help but smile. "Why are you acting like this? This is so unlike you. Hahaha," Sherlock teased Black Shadow. Spike also started to tease Black Shadow. "Maybe he just missed us so much. Thank you for staying alive, Black!" Black Shadow was overwhelmed by this. He didn''t expect that his team and others would do this effort to save his life. He was already willing to sacrifice his life because he didn''t want to betray them. Who would have thought that he made the right decision? The Skull Gang became part of his life now. They became his new home, his new family¡­ friends, and comrade. He was a man¡­ a strong and brave man. However, he couldn''t help but be emotional right now. "I thought¡­ I was just a sacrificial pawn that the Skull Gang could use to defeat the opponent. I didn''t expect that you would come to my rescue. You even lost the chance of bringing them down. Those Bio-weapons could already be used as an instrument to attack and destroy the Dark Knight Organization." Spike shook his head and said, "Just like what Catseye had said to us. We still have a lot of chances to bring them down but our comrade, Black Shadow, only has one life." Sherlock bobbed his head frantically as agreement to Spike''s last statement. "Our Headquarters would no longer be fun without you, Black. Who would bully Supremo and Spike?" After that remark, the three men burst out laughing. It did not take long when they reached the Skull Gang''s main headquarters where Elle, Erick and James were waiting for them. The three of them went out of the conference room to welcome the team who succeeded in their mission. Spike and Sherlock assisted Black Shadow. This time he was not sitting on the wheelchair. He stood up, walking with his feet while the two men were acting as his supports. When he saw Elle, Erick and James standing together while waiting for them, Black Shadow was dumbfounded for a moment. Who would have thought that these three would be able to work hand in hand together? A chief detective, a gang leader and an assassin, what a perfect combination for a team? He could see the relief in their eyes. They really cared about him. When Black Shadow, Sherlock and Spike reached their spots, Elle immediately smiled at them while saying, "Welcome back, Black!" Black Shadow could no longer restrain himself. He moved forward with his injured legs and hugged Elle tightly. The four boys were taken aback by his action, most especially Erick and James. Both men were wearing an ugly expression while looking at Black Shadow who was embracing Elle. Erick: ''Hey, Hey, That''s my wife you are hugging! James: ''How dare you hug my Queen like that in front of me?'' Spike and Sherlock were just looking at the four of them helplessly. It looked like Black Shadow made two men jealous by suddenly hugging their Queen. "Thank you so much, Kitten! I owe you my life. I was ready to die back then. I almost killed Alfonso for you and died with him. I have never imagined that you would do this just to save me. You are truly a true friend." Black Shadow was expressing his gratitude to Elle. Elle just hugged him back, smiling tenderly at him. "Well, Black Shadow is both my friend and my nemesis. I couldn''t afford to lose him as well." Erick and James''s expression darkened since Black Shadow still had no plan of releasing Elle from his tight grasp. Fortunately, Phantom and others also joined them. This was the first time Black Shadow would meet Phantom so Elle introduced the two men to each other. Because of that, Black Shadow and Elle broke the hug. Erick and James were really eager to separate the two a while ago. "Meet your other savior, the legendary assassin Phantom, my Master!" Elle proudly said to Black. Black Shadow''s eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, Phantom is your Master!?!" Elle just bobbed her head as a response. "Damn! No wonder I couldn''t defeat you!!! You cheater Catseye. It turned out that the Legendary Assassin of all time was your Master!!!" Chapter 489 - 489: Gratitude After making sure that the mission went well, Elle and Erick said goodbye to James, Black Shadow, Phantom, and other Skull Gang members. Black Shadow and James just watched the couple leave. He was still in disbelief. Who would have thought that even Erick, the Chief Detective would cooperate with them and the Skull Gang? Then he turned to James, asking him a lot of questions. "Supremo¡­ your identity is already known to the Chief Detective. Are you not afraid that he will catch you someday? He even stepped to this headquarters. What will you do now?" James gave him a confident smile, showing Black Shadow that he was not worried at all. "You will betray me first before Erick will do it." "Ouch. I''m hurt. I feel insulted. Is Erick your favorite now, not me? See¡­ I am willing to die for you. I didn''t even spill any information to the Dark Knight Organization because I didn''t want to betray you!" Black Shadow complained to James, putting on a pitiful face. He was pretending to be upset. James averted his gaze to Black Shadow, lifting an eyebrow. "Who told you that you are my favorite? I only have one favorite¡­ and that person is my Queen." Sherlock and Spike who were just listening on the sideline couldn''t help letting out a soft chuckle. Black Shadow had just returned but he started bothering their Supremo again. "Ahem, at least, Supremo knows how to talk back at him now," Sherlock whispered in Spike. Spike just nodded his head and said, "Supremo is just so happy tonight because Black Shadow is safe now. He is worried about him. Though he was not showing it outside, deep inside, he was scared about Black Shadow''s safety for the past few days." Sherlock nodded his head in agreement. "Ok, let''s go then. Give them privacy to talk and catch up with each other." After saying that, Sherlock dragged Spike away from Black Shadow and James, leaving the two of them alone. Phantom''s team also went back to their hideout. Mr. Carter proceeded to his room to rest. He was busy all day for his big surprise to the Dark Lord. "Did you see the face of the Dark Lord? Did you get any clue who he is?" James had become serious now. Black Shadow heaved a deep sigh. "The Dark Lord didn''t show his face. Even Kelsy and Kevin didn''t see his face yet. But based on his voice alone, I could say that he was as old as your father." "But don''t worry, once I hear his voice again I can recognize him," Black Shadow added, reassuring James. James nodded at him. "Good. It''s better that you didn''t see his face because if you do then you will surely get killed right away." Black Shadow burst out laughing after hearing that. "I will not die alone. I will bring him with me. I will avenge your father and your Queen as well. They were the ones who harmed her." "Thanks, Black. But don''t worry. I will make sure that he can no longer touch the people I love." James said with so much conviction. Black Shadow let out another chuckle. "Do I belong to those people you love, Big Boss?" James could no longer hold his laughter. He really missed this. Black Shadow was the only person who would act like this in front of him. James put his arms around Black Shadow''s shoulder and said, "I''m glad you''re back." James didn''t answer his question but by just looking at James''s expression, Black Shadow could tell that he belonged to those people. He truly cared about him. That thought warmed Black Shadow''s heart. He was really grateful that he found this family. He was not alone anymore. ''Oh right. I should see Marie, tomorrow. I have a lot of explaining things to do to her. I hope she will forgive me for not returning soon,'' Black Shadow made a mental note. **************** Meanwhile, Erick and Elle reached Elle''s apartment. The two of them decided to sleepover at her place tonight because it was near to Skull Gang Headquarters. They didn''t want to disturb Raymond and Sarah. They might be sleeping now. They told them a while ago that they would stay in Elle''s place tonight because of Elle''s work. They didn''t want them to worry so Erick and Elle didn''t tell his parents about the Skull Gang''s mission. His father, Raymond, was also busy with helping the prosecutor assigned to Family Falcon''s Case. They started the reinvestigation and the hearing was about to happen soon. When they entered her apartment, Elle noticed that Erick was unusually very quiet. She didn''t know what''s wrong with him. Upon reaching her bedroom, Elle decided to ask Erick. "Hubby, what''s wrong? Are you not feeling well? You are not looking good." Erick just shook his head while pouting at her. Elle giggled after seeing his grim expression. Elle hugged his waist and asked him again. "Tell me, hubby. Why are you upset?" Elle flashed her charming smile while looking at him with her cute adorable face. Erick couldn''t resist her charm so he finally gave in. "I''m jealous. Black Shadow hugged you in front of me. I couldn''t bear to see another man hugging you like that. Father-in-law is the only exception." The moment Elle heard that she erupted into waves of laughter. Her giggle bubbled up in her room. Erick could only sigh in defeat. "Oh, my hubby is jealous!" Elle teased him more. "Yeah. I do. You are mine, wifey. You are mine. So. I hate to see other men hugging you. Will you blame me for that?" Elle''s face brightened up. She loved Erick''s possessiveness. Elle immediately shook her head and cupped Erick''s face. Without further ado, she pulled his head closer to her, kissing him passionately with so much eagerness. Her kiss was lingering, making Erick lose his self-control. He held her waist, pulling her body against his. He brought his other hand at the back of her head, supporting her as he kissed her hard, leaving both of them breathless. After breaking the kiss, Erick whispered to Elle. "Wifey¡­ I want you now. I want to make love with you." Elle just nodded her head with a loving smile on her face. She gave him permission. Chapter 490 - 490: Lovey-dovey Moment After Elle gave him permission, Erick lifted his wife while kissing her soft delicate lips. Elle clung to him, wrapping her legs around his h.i.p.s as they moved toward her bed. When they reached the bed, Erick slowly removed Elle''s clothes and at the same time, he took his shirts off, revealing his upper body to her. Elle, who was already half-n.a.k.e.d before him and only wearing her underwear, couldn''t help but admire the beautiful physique of her husband. Elle chewed on her lower lip before saying, "Damn, Erick! Why are you so gorgeous? Making me fall for you over and over again." After saying that, Elle immediately pulled Erick, sealing his lips with a hungry kiss. Erick smiled between their kisses. He loved Elle''s aggressiveness. He was flattered because of a simple compliment coming from her. His heart would always sing for joy whenever he would hear from her how much she loved him. Her words she muttered just a while ago was a total turn on for Erick. The craving and desire for his wife intensified. He wanted to lose control and shower her with his love and devotion. He was happy and felt blissful since they were back in each other''s arms. He hoped this moment would never end. They were about to get justice for her family. They could start a new life after this, together with their little Lee as one happy family. He couldn''t wait to have a peaceful and blissful life together with her and their children. No more revenge. No more killings. Just a simple life full of love. Elle''s hand began to roam around his body, touching his strong hard chest moving down to his six-pack abs. Erick snapped out of his wandering thoughts the moment he felt her warm hands, caressing his body. His focus came back to her. After he was done feasting on her lips, Erick leaned down, kissing the soft part of her neck that pulsed with excitement. A soft m.o.a.n escaped her mouth. Erick''s move became more passionate after hearing her m.o.a.n. It gave him an indescribable pleasure within him. He loved hearing her m.o.a.ns and whimpers that were caused by his touch. He gently laid her down on the bed, unclasping her bra and slid it''s strap down, softly kissing her shoulders down to her cleavage. Erick''s mouth was making her body hot as if she was having a fever right now. She was already aroused and throbbing. Another soft m.o.a.n left her mouth the moment Erick started sucking and licking her crown while his free hand was kneading her other b.r.e.a.s.t. Erick did it alternately to her twin peaks. Elle could only arch her back, pulling Erick''s head closer to her body while m.o.a.ning with intense pleasure. Erick already knew how to please her body. His every touch was sending her waves of tingling sensation all throughout her body. She missed this kind of feeling. Only Erick could lit up the flames of desire within her. She wanted more of him. She was still savoring the moment when Erick''s lips suddenly left her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Before she knew it, Erick had already gone down on her, teasing her wet core. He already removed her panties. She let another surprised gasp when Erick''s tongue touched her most precious pearl. She could only roll her eyes because of the overwhelming pleasure he was giving her. Erick began tasting her down there, licking her core as if it was some kind of sweet candy. Elle clutched his hair as she felt like she needed to hold on to something. He was pushing her over the edge. Her mind became hazy. Erick continued pleasuring her, flicking his tongue on her clit then thrusting it in and out of her entrance. Elle could feel that her orgasm was building up. Erick began to thrust one and two fingers inside her core while he continued pleasing her with his tongue. He made sure to suck her wet juices. Erick''s fingers moved faster, pumping in and out of her entrance. It did not take long when Elle reached her climax. After making her come, Erick removed his undergarments and positioned himself in the middle of her thighs. He knew that Elle was ready to accept him. "Wifey, I will take you now. Don''t worry I''ll be gentle so that I will not hurt our baby." Elle, who was still catching her breath after her mind-blowing orgasm, couldn''t help but giggle when she heard Erick. "Okay, hubby, be gentle. Little Lee might scold us if you disturb our baby in there," Elle still managed to crack some jokes. Erick chuckled. Then he leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. "Yes, wifey. I will." At first, Erick rubbed the tip of his manhood on Elle''s entrance. Then after a few seconds of teasing, Erick finally entered her, slowly and gently thrusting in and out of her. "Wifey, hmm you''re still so tight¡­" Erick whispered to her with his sensual voice. Their n.a.k.e.d bodies were pressed to each other. Elle was clinging to his shoulder tightly. She just responded to Erick with a simple "Hmmm..." followed by her soft m.o.a.ns and whimpers. Erick planted love bites on Elle''s neck while he kept on pounding on her. "H-Hubby¡­ c-can you uhmm move faster?" Elle urged Erick because she wanted to feel more of him. Erick let out a husky laugh before yielding to her request. He needed to satisfy his wife so he would listen to her every request. "Yes, wifey. Your wish is my command." Erick sealed her lips with another passionate kiss. He wanted to move faster and harder but he was afraid that he might hurt little Lee. But since Elle requested it, he would fulfill her wish. After a few seconds, the sound of their heavy breathing, m.o.a.ns, and groans could be heard in the entire bedroom. The husband and wife became one once again, showing their love for each other through this passionate moment. Chapter 491 - 491: I Missed You The next morning, Black Shadow asked Spike to give him a ride. He wanted to see Marie as soon as possible. But the moment he arrived at her flower shop, it was closed. He didn''t know where she was today. He was planning to surprise her but unfortunately, Marie was not around. As if Elle had known that Black Shadow was searching for Marie today, she contacted him. Elle: "Black, are you looking for Marie?" Black Shadow: "Kitten, how did you know?" Black Shadow heard Elle laughing from the other line and said, "I just know it. She''s the first person you wanna see after escaping that life and death situation, am I right?" Black Shadow marveled at how Elle could figure him out easily. "Yeah, you are right, Kitten! Are you a psychic now? Can you read my mind?" Elle let out a soft giggle once again. "Nope. It''s just that when I survived the near-death situation I was in, it was Erick whom I wanted to see first. I remembered when I woke up from a coma, it was his name I mumbled first. I was searching for him. So I bet you will be looking for Marie as well." "Oh, Now I get it. You based it on your own experience. I thought you knew me really well," Black Shadow said, feeling a little bit disappointed. Elle giggled once again. "Of course, I knew you well." Black Shadow smiled broadly after hearing that. "Unfortunately, Marie is not here. By the way, why did you call me? We just saw each other last night. Don''t tell me you missed me already?" Black Shadow didn''t forget to tease Elle. He could imagine Elle rolling her eyes right now. He couldn''t help but chuckle. "In your dreams! Anyway¡­ I just want to inform you that Marie is here in the hospital," Elle said, informing Black Shadow about Marie''s whereabouts. "Huh? What happened to her?" Black Shadow felt alarmed after hearing that. Then he turned to Spike. "What happened to Marie? Did the assigned guards fail to protect her? Did they neglect their task? Where are they?" Black Shadow questioned Spike with his worried look. He felt like he was about to go mad. He couldn''t forgive himself if anything bad happened to Marie. Spike was taken aback by Black Shadow''s sudden outburst. Spike had no idea because he was busy planning things on how to save Black Shadow for the past few days. Then they heard Elle''s voice. "Hey, Brandon. Calm down. Nothing bad happened to Marie." Elle paused for a moment. "She visited Agent Allen here in the hospital. Something bad happened to Agent Allen." There was a hint of sadness in Elle''s voice after saying that. "You can come and fetch Marie here if you want to see her," she added. Black Shadow was stunned for a moment after hearing that. ''Something bad happened to Agent Allen?'' Now he was worried about Marie. She might be sad right now. Allen was her good friend. He was also an important person in her life. With that thought in mind, Black Shadow asked Spike to drive him going to the hospital Elle was referring to. Black Shadow hung up the phone after thanking Elle. It did not take long when he reached the hospital. Elle and Erick were also there. Elle had already ensured that no agent nor police aside from Erick was present in the hospital right now. She gave Black Shadow a go signal. Black Shadow also asked Spike to serve as a lookout. Agent Allen was still in the ICU. Today was the last day the doctor was expecting him to wake up. If he wouldn''t wake up then it was not a good sign for him. He was still in critical condition. Marie immediately went to the hospital this morning upon hearing the news. She cried a lot while she was watching Allen''s unconscious state. Elle and Erick tried their best to comfort her. She was not also looking good since she hadn''t slept for a few nights, worrying about Black Shadow. And just today, she heard another bad news regarding Allen. She didn''t know if she could handle this. Erick, Elle, and Marie were sitting in the waiting area just outside the ICU. Black Shadow arrived. He was walking with his crutch as support for his injured leg. When Elle noticed his presence, she immediately asked Erick to leave Marie and Black Shadow, giving them privacy. After a few seconds, Marie gazed up only to see Black Shadow standing in front of her. Her eyes were red from crying. She immediately stood up and pounced on him. "Brandon! You are back!" Marie hugged him tightly. She was missing him badly. "Yes, sweety. I''m finally back. I''m so sorry for not returning to your sides right away," Black Shadow hugged her back, gently stroking her hair. Marie started crying again. She just wanted to pour out all her negative emotions. She was worried sick about him for going missing for the past few days, with no updates nor any news. And now, her friend Allen was still in critical condition. "Shhhh. It''s okay. Everything will be fine," Black Shadow tried his best to console Marie. They just remained hugging each other for several minutes. Black Shadow just let her cry on his chest. When he felt that Marie had finally calmed down, he broke the hug and guided her to sit down on the bench. He started caressing Marie''s face, wiping her tears. "What happened to you? Where have you been? Why didn''t you return my call and messages?" Marie confronted him. "I''m sorry sweety. My phone got broken. I couldn''t respond to you because I got into a vehicular accident." Black Shadow responded to her. That''s the time Marie noticed his injured leg. Marie felt like crying again after knowing that. "How are you? What do you feel? Are you okay now?" Marie asked him spontaneously with her worried expression. "Don''t worry. I am fine now. It''s just that¡­ I missed you so much." Black Shadow pulled her against his body and engulfed her in his strong arms. "When I got into that accident¡­ I was afraid¡­ very afraid that I might not see you again. But I am still lucky. I am still here, hugging you like this." "Me too. I was scared to death, thinking that something bad happened to you. It turned out I was right. Please¡­ don''t make me worry like that once again. My poor heart couldn''t take it." "Yes, I promise. I will be extra careful from now on. I''m sorry sweety¡­ and¡­ I love you." Black Shadow couldn''t help but express his love for her. "I love you too¡­" Marie responded with all her heart. He thought he would never see her again. He was really grateful that his brothers and friends rescued him from the hands of the Dark Knight Organization. This time he would be more careful. He didn''t want to make Marie cry and worry just like this. He felt like his heart was being squeezed after seeing her sad. "My friend, Allen. He is in critical condition. I promised him that I will introduce you to him. He wanted to meet you." "Shhhh. Don''t worry¡­ He is a strong guy. He will wake up." Black Shadow said, comforting her. Chapter 492 - 492: Nullifying Its Effects ~ At the Dark Knight Organization ~ The Dark Lord gathered his men. He wanted to reward them for successfully retrieving their supplies of bio-weapon, most especially Alfonso for leading the team last night. "Good job everyone! You brought back the multi-million dollar potential losses of our organization. Because of that, I will reward everyone.," The Dark Lord signaled his assistant to distribute his rewards to all the members who were present during last night''s mission. The reward was inside a small white envelope. The members were rejoicing at this bonus. They hoped that the Dark Lord would always be in good mood. Fewer punishments and more rewards. "Did you turn over the supplies to the main facility? Complete? Nothing missing?" The Dark Lord asked them. Alfonso was the one who answered him. "Yes, our lord. The supplies were sent back to our main facility last night. We counted them all and counterchecked everything according to our Master List. The scientists in the facility are currently checking them now. There was no missing. The Skull Gang became true to their words. They returned all the supplies of bio-weapon they took from us including the bio-weapons bought by Red Dragon." "We gained from this. We had their money and the bio-weapons were returned to us," Alfonso proudly said. The Dark Lord nodded with a wide grin on his face. "That''s true. Don''t mention this to Red Dragon''s group. They might ask us to return those supplies to them." "Yes, our lord. Red Dragon''s group will never know this." Alfonso reassured him. The other members also took note of this order from the Dark Lord. Soon, the Dark Lord dismissed the other members. Some higher-ups including Alfonso were the only ones who stayed in the conference hall. They were about to plan out their next move against the Skull Gang. They had four targets and goals now. First, they needed to launch a counterattack against the Skull Gang. They won''t let the Skull Gang sabotage and ruin their operations. They had to be extra careful since the Skull Gang was planning to bring them down using the bio-weapons. The existence of a bio-weapon facility should not be revealed to the public, most especially to the government until the election was not yet finished. The winning candidates must be affiliated and connected to the Dark Knight Organization Second, they had to catch the new Catseye and his team. They suspected that Skull Gang and the new Catseye were working together against the Dark Knight Organization. Their suspicion was confirmed when Kelsy saw Charles who was disguising as Catseye helping Black Shadow. Third, they needed to find Matt Carter, the genius scientist who created the bio-weapon and the only person who knew how to produce antidotes. They had to learn his whereabouts and Chief Inspector Detective Erick Lee was the key to that. Lastly, they needed to eliminate Erick Lee. His knowledge about the bio-weapon was a great threat to the Dark Knight Organization. He must die before he could gather evidence and bring this up to the authorities, most especially to the current President of this country. They were still in the middle of planning and strategizing their next move when Alfonso received a call from one of the managers in the Bio-weapon facility. Alfonso excused himself first to answer the call. Alfonso: "Hello. Why did you call? Don''t you know that I am in the middle of an important meeting together with the Dark Lord?" The irritation in his voice was evident as he spoke up. He felt like scolding the manager. Manager: "Apology for that Senior Alfonso. But this is an emergency. I have to inform you right away! We have a big problem!" Alfonso frowned upon hearing that. They just solved one big problem. How come there''s another problem now? Alfonso gritted his teeth and massaged his temples. From his voice alone, Alfonso could tell that this matter was urgent and really serious. Alfonso: "Tell me. What is it?" Alfonso heard the manager take a deep sigh before talking to him. Manager: "There''s something wrong with the supplies of bio-weapons you''ve retrieved last night. Our scientists found out something today after checking those bio-weapons." The manager sounded restless, anxious, and problematic. They knew that the Dark Lord would not be happy after hearing this piece of bad news. Alfonso had a bad feeling about this. He didn''t know what happened but he started to be nervous. They would be facing the Dark Lord''s wrath because of this. Alfonso: "SPILL IT OUT NOW! WHAT HAPPENED?" He already raised his voice because of the tension he was feeling right now. He knew it. The Skull Gang must have done something to it. They won''t let those bio-weapons be back in their hands without sabotaging something. ''What did they do this time?'' Alfonso pondered at that thought. As far as he knew, the Skull Gang had no experts nor scientists who are knowledgeable about bio-weapons so they were confident that Skull Gang won''t touch those bio-weapons. It turned out they were mistaken. Manager: "It looked like they modified the bio-weapons to make it lose its effectiveness. It became harmless now. They nullified the harmful effects of the bio-weapons. They are just an ordinary substance now." Alfonso: "WHAT?! How is that possible? How can they nullify the harmful effects of the bio-weapons? Even we who created this didn''t know how to nullify it or produce antidotes." Alfonso couldn''t believe what he had just heard. Manager: "Our scientist has some speculations. They are thinking that someone mixed an antidote with those bio-weapons. That''s the only explanation they could think of why the effects of the bio-weapons were nullified." Alfonso cursed loudly after hearing that. Alfonso: "So you are saying that the Skull Gang has someone who knows how to make antidotes or capability to nullify the harmful effects of our bio-weapons?" Manager: "Yes, Senior Alfonso¡­" Alfonso: "How is that possible?! Mateo Carter is the only person who can do that!" Manager: "We have no idea, Senior Alfonso." Alfonso was still shocked by this incident. The Dark Knight Organization tried its best to search for someone from all over the world who can create an antidote for their bio-weapons. But they failed over and over again. That''s the reason why they didn''t stop looking for Matt Carter. ''How come Skull Gang has someone who can do that?'' Alfonso was racking his brain so hard. After a while, Alfonso''s eyes widened in realization. ''Wait¡­ Don''t tell me¡­ Mateo Hiroshito-Aganaki Carter already joined the Skull Gang?! Is he under the protection of Skull Gang now?'' It did not take long when Alfonso came back to the meeting room. He was wearing an anxious expression. He didn''t know how he would tell this to the Dark Lord who had just given them rewards for retrieving the bio-weapons. Just a while ago, they were rejoicing. Who would have thought that another problem would occur? "Our Lord, there''s something you need to know. I received a report from our manager of the Bio-weapon facility..." Alfonso said, feeling nervous. The Dark Lord just signaled him to continue. "Our scientists found out that the Skull Gang did something to our supplies. They... they were able to modify the bio-weapons, making it lose its harmful effects." The room was engulfed by deafening silence. One second... Two seconds... Three seconds... The silence was followed by the sound of the breaking glasses. The temperature inside suddenly became cold and chilly. No one dared to make a sound nor look in the Dark Lord''s direction. He was freaking frightening right now. "I will give you all one last chance... Make Detective Lee talk. Get Mateo Carter as soon as possible or else, everyone here will experience my wrath." Chapter 493 - 493: Taken *** At Morning Star Media Company *** Elle became busy with writing articles about the reopening of the case of her Family. She would submit it for release once the Trial began. She also wrote an article about Alfonso Ramirez. Currently, the prosecutor was finished taking the sworn statement of Edson Tyler. Carlo Hello and Diego De Dios we''re now included in the list of suspects who attacked the Falcon Family Eighteen years ago. Aside from the two of them, Alfonso Ramirez was also put on the wanted list. Raymond told Erick and Elle that the investigator would release a warrant of arrest against Alfonso Ramirez. The police authorities would start searching Alfonso''s whereabouts in order to catch him. Edson Tyler''s statements were a great help in this case. Now, the culprits were named one after another. Aside from Edson Tyler, they also had the most important witness who could tell everyone the real motive for killing Agent Falcon and his family. That person was none other than Matt Carter. Mr. Carter was also the key to involving the Dark Knight Organization in this investigation. It was just a matter of time, the existence of the bio-weapon facility of the Dark Knight Organization would be revealed to the public. Sandy noticed that Elle was really in a good mood today. "Ali, hmm. You are very lively and energetic today. Does something good happen?" Sandy asked Elle with a wide smile on her face. Elle smiled back at Sandy, giving her the flash drive where she saved all the news articles she wrote. Sandy accepted the flash drive. "Sandy, I will leave this in your care. I might become busy in the coming weeks. I already applied for a vacation leave. Our line manager already approved it," Elle informed Sandy. "Wow, that''s good. But don''t exhaust yourself too much. How''s your health? Is your pregnancy not giving you a hard time?" Sandy glanced at her belly with her worried look. Elle also looked down, rubbing her stomach. "Nope. My little Lee is not giving me any problems. It''s just that I feel sleepy all the time. But I''m not sensitive when it comes to food and smell, unlike other women." "Whoah, how about food? Are you not craving for something in particular?" Sandy was really curious. Elle smiled at her playfully then whispered, "Yes, I am craving something always, but not food. I''m craving for Erick." After saying that, Elle giggled while Sandy just became speechless. It did not take long when Elle''s cellphone rang. It was a call coming from Erick. She answered it right away. Elle: "Hello, hubby?" Erick: "Wifey, I called you to remind you to take your lunch on time, Don''t forget to take your vitamins as well. Tomorrow is also your schedule of check-ups." Elle couldn''t help but smile because of Erick''s thoughtfulness. He was always reminding her what to do so that she and their baby would stay healthy. Elle: "Yes, hubby. Sandy and I were about to take our lunch. You too." Erick: "Very good, wifey. I will go to the technician after lunch. We found Allen''s cellphone. Hope we can find some clue once we get access to his phone." Elle: "How is he?" Elle heard that Erick took a deep sigh from the other line. Erick: "Not good. He is still unconscious." She was saddened to hear that news. She knew that Erick was also having a hard time because of what happened to Allen. He was one of the people Allen contacted before he got injured. Elle: "Hubby, don''t blame yourself. This is not your fault. Okay? Everything will be alright. Just have faith. Allen will get better. Erick: "Thanks, wifey. You know how to comfort me very well. Wifey¡­ I love you." Elle: "Me too, hubby. I love you so much, Erick." Erick: "Okay. I will not keep you long. Go out and have some lunch now." Elle: "Yes, Boss. Bye." After talking to Erick, Elle and Sandy went out of their office. Josh aka Sherlock was absent today because Supremo gave him a special task. Elle and Sandy were on the way to the restaurant where they often took their lunch when Elle noticed something. They were being followed. Elle had a bad feeling about this. She simply leaned on Sandy and whispered something to her. "Sandy, listen carefully to what I am about to say." Sandy frowned the moment she heard Elle''s serious tone. She just bobbed her head obediently. Elle gave Sandy the instruction. After that, Sandy and Elle started to go separate ways. When Elle was now alone in the streets, the men following them came out of their hiding spot. They immediately surrounded Elle. There were six of them. There were also other men scattered nearby. They blocked Elle''s way. They were really desperate this time, cornering her in the broad daylight. If Elle was not pregnant, she won''t hesitate to fight back and beat all these guys. She knew she could do it. Unfortunately, she was afraid that once she fought back then she would put her baby''s life in danger. After all, her enemies were still men and she was outnumbered. There''s a high possibility that she might get hurt while fighting them. She decided to buy time, asking the men innocently as if she had no idea why they were blocking her way. "Mister, do you need something?" Elle asked the person standing in front of her. The man was tall, having a strong built. Elle knew that these men were well-trained fighters. "Yes, Miss. You have to come with us quietly if you don''t want to get hurt," The man said, threatening her. Elle frowned when the man immediately grabbed her wrist. She tried her best not to fight back. She saw them hiding their guns on their jackets. She knew that she had to cooperate with them for her and her baby''s safety. Elle nodded her head. "Okay, Mister. I will come with you peacefully and silently. Just don''t hurt me." Elle pretended to be a damsel in distress. Soon, they escorted Elle to the white van that was parked near the area. Sandy saw everything that happened from the distance. She immediately called Erick to inform him. However, because of her nervousness, Sandy forgot the plate number of the white van. Chapter 494 - 494: Need to Calm Down Sandy tried to follow the van where Elle was taken by unknown men. She already contacted Erick. He was rushing to her current location now, following Sandy''s instruction. Sandy was riding a taxi. Many cars were escorting the van where Elle was currently riding. "Mister, please go faster! Follow that white van. They kidnapped my friend!" Sandy urged the taxi driver to drive faster. But the old driver was a little bit nervous. "Ma¨¢m, did you report it already to the police?" "Yes, I am currently talking to a police detective now. SO focus on driving! We can''t lose them! Keep tailing them or else, something bad might happen to my friend!" Sandy was really anxious and scared to death for Elle''s safety. Erick, on the other hand, was driving 160 kilometers per hour. His heart was beating like the speed of his car right now. He was silently praying that Elle would just be fine and he would be able to catch up with them. He almost bumped into a few cars in the streets. He even used his siren for the other cars to give way for him. He needed to move fast. Elle and their baby were both in danger. He won''t be able to forgive himself if something bad would happen to them. ''F*CK, will I fail again in protecting her?'' Erick was about to go nuts. He was very worried and afraid of what was about to happen. He felt useless. Whenever Elle would be in danger he was not there to protect her. He also asked for help from the policemen near that area. He asked them to stop white vans who would pass by in their checkpoints. Officer Kim''s team was also mobilized. Despite all the efforts, Sandy and Erick failed to follow Elle. The enemies were able to find out that someone was tailing them. They immediately lured them and changed routes. Sandy followed the wrong van. The moment they arrived in an abandoned warehouse, it was empty. Erick and other policemen were also deceived. Now they didn''t know where the culprits brought Elle. He didn''t know what to do. He kicked and punched his car several times until his hand bled. Erick was mad to himself. He was not able to protect Elle once again. Sandy and Officer Kim didn''t know how they would comfort Erick at times like this. His eyes were already red from crying. He couldn''t help it. "Chief Lee, calm down first," Officer Kim tried to speak to him. "How am I supposed to calm down? My woman¡­ she''s in danger once again. And I didn''t know where to find her. They destroy even her phone so that I will not be able to track her location!" Erick burst out in front of Officer Kim. This time Sandy approached Erick. "Chief Lee¡­ listen to me. There''s something I need to tell you. Aliyah wanted me to relay a message for you." Erick quickly focused his attention on Sandy. He held her shoulders and asked her desperately, "What is it? Please tell me? What happened back there?" "We were on our way to the restaurant when she noticed that there were men following us behind. She asked me to leave her. She knew that once I was with her, my life would also be put in danger. As if she already knew that she was the target of those men. Before I left her, she told me to relay her message for you." Sandy started telling Erick and Officer Kim what happened. "She told me to watch on the sideline and call you, Chief Lee. She said she would buy time but everything happened so fast. There were lots of men who approached her. They were armed so Aliyah had no choice but to follow them quietly." "She said no matter what happens today you must be strong. Be calm and clear your mind so that you will know what to do next. You have to trust her. She will protect your baby at all costs." "And most importantly, she wanted to tell you that¡­ this is not your fault. Don''t blame yourself." Erick was taken aback when he heard that. As if Elle already knew how he would react that''s why she asked Sandy to tell him those words. "Is that all?" Erick asked Sandy, his grip on her shoulders tightened. But Erick was trying his best to calm down. Sandy shook her head and continued, "She said Code Red. I didn''t know what she meant by that." Erick frowned after hearing that because he also didn''t know what Code Red means. But there was one person who crossed his mind. It''s Phantom. Phantom might know what Elle was referring to. ''That''s right! I must inform my father-in-law about this. I also need help from James. We have to find my wife, as soon as possible," Erick thought to himself. With that thought in mind, Erick immediately said goodbye to Sandy and Officer Kim. He was rushing to meet Phantom and James. If this was the work of the Dark Knight Organization then he couldn''t trust all the police officers. It was better to seek help from Phantom and James. ************* Meanwhile, Elle together with the men who kidnapped her already arrived in their hideout. Erick and Elle''s suspicion was right. This incident was related to the Dark Knight Organization. Those men brought Elle to the Dark Knight Organization''s main headquarters. This was their strategy. After investigating Erick''s background, they found out that Aliyah Ross was a very important person to Erick. They didn''t know about her true identity yet but they discovered that Erick and Elle were already living together under one roof. They assumed that Elle was his girlfriend. Snake had also confirmed to them that Aliyah and Erick were acting very close for the past few weeks. Snake also knew how important Aliyah to Erick because she looked like Elle, the woman he loved whom they thought died two years ago. They brought Elle into a room and locked her up while waiting for further instructions from the Dark Lord. Chapter 495 - 495: Seeing Alfonso Again Elle was sitting inside the room. Luckily, the people who took her didn''t try to hurt her. They didn''t even tie her arms, thinking that she was just an ordinary reporter girl. She was not nervous at all even though she was locked up in the enemy''s territory. She was thinking that this was also an opportunity to discover the Dark Lord''s identity if ever she would be able to meet him. Now, she wondered what the reason they kidnapped her. There''s no way they knew her identity yet so she could only assume that this action was related to Erick. ''Erick is their target this time. Is this because of the cases he is handling, targeting Los Mollasses Gang? Or is this related to Matt Carter?'' Elle was in the middle of figuring out their true motive when the door of her room was opened and Alfonso Ramirez emerged from it. He was accompanied by two guards. "Who are you? Why did you bring me here? What do you need in a small-time reporter like me? Did I offend you?" Elle needed to pretend that she didn''t know them and she had no idea why they kidnapped her. Elle was trying her best to look vulnerable, hiding her hatred as she glanced at Alfonso. She hated this man to the core. He was the man who asked her to stab her own father to save her life. She would never forget this face¡­ the face of the person who caused her misery and nightmare. She clenched her fists, restraining herself from attacking Alfonso right here and right now. "Miss Ross, you didn''t offend us but someone close to you did. Don''t worry, as long as he will cooperate with us nothing bad will happen to you," Alfonso said to her with a smirk. It seemed that Alfonso and the Dark Knight Organization also did a background check on her. They knew her as Aliyah Ross, a reporter who came from abroad. But she was certain about something. They had no plan of releasing her even if Erick would cooperate with them. She already saw Alfonso''s face. They would kill her for sure once they got what they wanted. But since she was bound to die, why not ask him for more information and details about their plan. "Person close to me?" She asked with her innocent look. "Oh, you didn''t know? Your boyfriend. He helped someone whom we need. Now, we just have to do barter with him." Alfonso said meaningfully. Elle had just confirmed it. They would use her for Erick to talk about Mr. Carter''s whereabouts. They were after Mr. Carter. She wondered if they already learned what the Skull Gang did to their Bio-weapon supplies. Maybe that was the reason why the Dark Knight became more aggressive this time. "Just behave here if you don''t want to get hurt. The negotiation will happen later. Hmm. Just pray that your boyfriend will cooperate with us." After saying that, Alfonso came out of the room, leaving Elle alone. A cold glint flashed through Elle''s eyes as she watched Alfonso''s retreating back. Elle couldn''t help but reminisce about everything that happened in the past. ********** ~ At Skull Gang Headquarters ~ Meanwhile, James and Phantom together with their subordinates were discussing something about their next moves against the Dark Knight Organization when Erick came unannounced. They were surprised to see him. He was wearing a grave expression on his face. Phantom and James looked at him confusedly. James frowned when he noticed Erick''s right hand that was bleeding right now. ''Eh, what''s wrong with him?'' "Chief Lee? Why are you here? Don''t tell us you are here to catch us?" James cracked some jokes. Phantom and others laughed except for Erick. He moved closer to them. "I need your help. My wife was taken." Erick said to them desperately. Phantom and James were astounded after hearing that. "What do you mean? What happened to Elle?" Phantom was the one who reacted first, asking Erick with his worried voice. Erick slammed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. He took a deep breath before answering Phantom. "She was kidnapped by unknown men. I suspect that the Dark Knight Organization has something to do with this. I¡­ I failed to protect her¡­" Erick lowered his gaze while clenching his fists. James and Phantom were both shaken by that piece of bad news. Erick told them everything that happened a while ago. He relayed to them what Sandy had told him. The atmosphere inside the room was engulfed by tension and heavy air. Everyone had a gloomy expression on their faces. "She mentioned Code Red, Father. I don''t know the meaning of that. Do you have any idea what Elle is referring to?" Erick asked Phantom. Phantom frowned when he heard that. "Code Blue means Self-destruction, Code Red means Emergency Situation. But what she just wanted to tell us is that¡­ we should act accordingly based on the emergency situation." "How come they were able to get our sister, Elle?" Brother Yan asked, wondering why Elle got easily captured by those men. "I think¡­ she was thinking about our baby. She didn''t want to cause trouble or act recklessly. She decided not to fight," Erick responded to him. That reason made sense. Elle could fight them but she might get hurt especially her baby if she would force herself to escape from them, besides she was outnumbered and surrounded by armed men. It was a wise decision to just follow them quietly without fighting them. Everyone fell silent once again. They were worried about Elle. "Do you think they discovered her true identity as Catseye?" James couldn''t help but ponder. Erick shook his head. No one knew the real motive of why Elle was taken. It did not take long when Black Shadow also entered the room. "Hey, what''s wrong with this gloomy atmosphere here? Do we have a problem?" Black Shadow asked them curiously. "Our Queen Elle¡­ she was kidnapped." It was Spike who answered him. "WHAT?!! Who dares kidnap my Kitten?! I will kill them." Chapter 496 - 496: Flashback: 18 Years Ago "WHAT?!! Who dares kidnap my Kitten?! I will kill them." Black Shadow suddenly burst out. Spike: "..." Sherlock: "..." Phantom: "..." Others: "..." James massaged the space between his brows and said, "Black, you are in no condition to kill someone right now. Recover first." James said, emphasizing that Black Shadow was still an injured man. Then suddenly Erick''s voice was also heard inside the room. "When did my wife become your Kitten?" Erick asked Black Shadow with disbelief then he turned to Spike. "And your Queen?" Black Shadow was taken aback by Erick''s sharp gaze. But he still managed to answer him. "She''s Catseye. So there''s a cat in her alias so I called her Kitten." Black Shadow explained to Erick. Spike also spoke up. "She''s Supremo''s fiancee so we call her our Queen." James squinted his eyes at Spike. He knew that Erick won''t be happy to hear that. Brother Yu and Brother Yan exchanged meaningful glances with each other, thinking about one thing. ''Why do I smell some vinegar here?'' Phantom decided to interfere. "Son, this is not the proper time to get jealous. We have to plan out how to rescue my daughter. We need to confirm first if the Dark Knight Organization is the one responsible for this." "I know, Father. I''m not jealous," Erick said, denying it. "Okay, let''s wait. If my guess is right then I think the culprit might call you. Since they didn''t know her real identity I could tell that this action was related to Erick," Phantom said, deducing the real motive of this incident. Everyone sat down inside the conference room, waiting for the culprits to call Erick. His phone was placed on the table. Everyone was silent, focusing their taxes on the phone. Thirty minutes had passed but no one called him yet. Then the door of the conference room was opened. Three people emerged from it. They were Brother Ling, Charles, and Brother Lu. Phantom stood up, frowning at them. "Why are you all here?" Brother Ling was the one assigned by Phantom to take care of Charles and Brother Lu in Dr. Clara''s clinic. But instead of answering Phantom, Charles asked him. "Master, is it true? Elle was taken as a hostage? Someone kidnapped her?" Charles''s face was painted with worries and concerns for Elle, the same with Brother Lu''s expression. "Master, my sister Elle¡­ Is she okay? I¡­ I want to do something. I want to rescue my Lady Boss." Brother Lu said in his weak voice. Phantom massaged his temples. These two were not supposed to be there. They were supposed to recuperate and rest in the clinic. Phantom could tell that they heard the news from Brother Ling. "Master, I''m sorry. Brother Charles and Brother Lu threw a tantrum a while ago, threatening me. They wanted to see you, that''s why I brought them here," Brother Ling apologized to Phantom. Brother Yan and Brother Yu just looked at Brother Ling helplessly, pitying him because they knew that Charles and Brother Lu might have given him a hard time so that he would succ.u.mb to their wishes. It did not take long when another person came inside. It was Mr. Carter. "I''ve heard the news. How''s Elle? Did they contact you already?" Everyone shook their heads as a response to his query. ********** ~ At Dark Knight Organization Headquarters ~ Meanwhile, Elle couldn''t help but reminisce about everything that happened in the past. Meeting Alfonso again triggered her to recall the unpleasant memories that caused her misery. [ 18 years ago: Flashback¡­ ] "This is what you are going to do: I want you to stab your parents. Right through the heart. In exchange, you get to live, just like your father wanted." Alfonso told her that it was not just her father that would get what he wanted. Elle''s wish about not letting them torture her parents would come true too. She would save her parents from them, by killing her parents with her own hands. The men laughed as they heard Alfonso. The shock was visible in Elle''s face. Her world crumbled again. The little hope she had popped like a bubble. The little Elle did not know what to say. She just stood there like a statue. Her mind was blank. Elle came back to reality when she heard her father''s voice. "Elliese, do it! Do what he says," he shouted. "This is the only way. We want you to live. I love you, my little princess. You must live no matter what happens. You must survive!" "What a loving father. Oh well," Alfonso said. He walked over to Elle and placed the knife in her small hands. "No father! No! I can''t! No, don''t say that. I need you and Mom. I want to save you!" Elle said hysterically. "Please... Elliese, do it! For our sake and your own sake. Remember what you promised me for my birthday. You said that someday you will fulfill one of my requests," her father said to her. "Please father, not like this!" she begged. "Elliese, be strong! We will always be there for you, guiding you. We love you, our princess. This is my wish. This is the only way for you to survive. Remember this is not your fault. Do it!" Elle closed her eyes as her grip on the knife tightened. Alfonso and his gang started shouting in unison as if they were just cheering a basketball team to win a game. "Kill him! Kill him! Kill your father!" "Stab him in the heart! Kill him!" It did not take long when Elle opened her eyes again. She looked at them with her bloodshot eyes. She already made up her mind. ''No Dad. If you and Mom are going to die today then I will follow you. But before that, I must kill this man,'' Elle thought to herself before fixing her gaze to Alfonso. With her trembling hands, she held the knife tightly. In a brief moment, Elle charged forward. But she''s not aiming at her father, she was rushing in Alfonso''s direction. Before Alfonso and his men realized what happened, he felt a cold metal buried in his stomach. Elle stabbed him. But since Elle was still young and weak at that time, the knife barely reached Alfonso''s stomach. His wound was not deep. Alfonso pushed her and snatched the knife in her hands. "Elleise!" Agent Falcon called her out. Alfonso had gone mad after seeing his wound and his blood. He wanted to kill Elle at that time. Without thinking twice, Alfonso approached the young Elle, raising the knife to stab her. But before it would happen Agent Falcon interfered, hugging Elle as he shielded her from the incoming attack from Alfonso. Alfonso didn''t care anymore. He just stabbed Agent Falcon''s back multiple times until he got tired. Agent Falcon just hugged Elle in his arms. After a while, Elle got to see her father looking at her with love and gentleness as he pulled an eight-inch knife from his lower back. Alfonso had finally stopped. They both fell on their knees and her father touched her face to wipe her tears while smiling at her. Then her father hugged her again and said "My princess, everything will be okay. Promise me that you will stay alive no matter what. Even without us, you must survive!" Elle''s tears were dropping on her face like rain. She couldn''t speak and she was in shock. Her heart seemed like it would explode any moment from the various emotions within. After a while, her father collapsed in her arms. Her arms were now covered with her father''s blood and then peals of laughter erupted in the entire house. Elle took all her remaining strength to curse and scream against those persons who were enjoying the tragic scene of father and daughter in front of them. Elle also wanted to die at that moment. She couldn''t take it anymore. Alfonso walked over to make sure if Agent Falcon was already dead. Elle picked up the knife on the floor to attack Alfonso but this time he was prepared. He was able to stop her. He grabbed her little hands and twisted them, causing her to drop the knife. Alfonso felt no sympathy nor even mercy to the young girl. He was furious because this girl was able to hurt him. So he picked up the knife and this time he stabbed Elle several times in her back. He was doing that as he let her see his father who was lying dead on the floor. That''s where Elle got her marks at her back. "This is your wish, so die with them. Hahaha." Chapter 497 - 497: The Much-Awaited Phone Call Elle was still in the middle of reminiscing her past when the door of her room swung open. Two Dark Knight''s men entered and approached her. "Come with us. Don''t try to escape or else, we will shoot you," One man threatened and warned Elle. Elle just silently bobbed her head as a response. The two men grabbed her in both arms, guiding her out of her room. ''It seems that negotiation is about to start. Will they bring me to the Dark Lord? I must take this chance to discover the Dark Lord''s real identity,'' Elle thought to herself. She knew the risk of doing that but she wanted to gamble on this. Once she learned the dark Lord''s identity, the Dark Knight would not allow Elle to leave this place alive. One way or another, she would be killed by them. After ten minutes of walking, Elle and the two Dark Knight''s men reached their destination. The place was spacious as if she was inside a banquet hall. There were guards scattered in every corner, especially in the main entrance. When Elle entered the hall, she saw Alfonso together with the other higher-ups of the dark Knight Organization. She was familiar with those faces because the Skull Gang and her team already did a background check for every branch leader of the Dark Knight Organization. She was sure that none of them was the Dark Lord. Elle peered her eyes around her surroundings. Her eyes caught a person leisurely sitting just a few meters away from Alfonso. He was wearing a three-piece black suit. He was the only one sitting on the executive chair. In front of him was a small rectangular table. There was a thin curtain in front of him that was separating him from other people. Elle could only see his shadow in that thin curtain. She could see him move from time to time, drinking his coffee. ''Is he the Dark Lord?'' Elle thought to herself. Alfonso and the other higher-ups who were just standing nearby averted their gaze to Elle. "Our Lord, our hostage is here. Shall we begin the negotiation now? I will call the detective, now." Alfonso said to the man behind the curtain. Dark Lord just raised his finger, giving Alfonso a go signal. A light flashed through Elle''s eyes. Alfonso had just confirmed her suspicion. The Dark Lord was the person sitting behind the curtain. ''I just need to come near that area and see the person hiding in the curtain.'' Elle started to walk over, inching closer to the Dark Lord''s table but she was stopped by the Dark Knight''s men who brought her to the venue. She had no choice but to restrain herself from taking another step. ***** Meanwhile, in the meeting room of the Skull Gang, Erick and others were still waiting for the call coming from the culprit who kidnapped Elle. Mr. Carter, Brother Lu, and Charles also joined them. After a while, the much-awaited call happened. Erick''s phone rang and he answered it right away. Everyone was looking in his direction so he decided to put the phone on loudspeaker. Erick tried his best to keep calm while answering the phone. Erick: "Hello?" Alfonso: "Chief Detective Lee?" Erick: "Yes, speaking." Alfonso: "Oh, it''s nice to finally speak with you, Chief Lee. I heard a lot about you. Anyway, I will not go around the bush. I will tell you now what I need. If you didn''t hear the news yet then I am here to inform you that we got your woman. If you still want to see her alive then bring Mateo Hiroshito-Aganaki Carter to us." Erick: "What did you do to my wi- ...Aliyah? Where is she? I swear¡­ I will hunt you down if something happens to my her!" Erick almost had a slip of the tongue. He was about to say the word wife, fortunately, he stopped midway, or else they would suspect Elle''s identity if they heard him calling her his wife. Then they heard Alfonso''s laughter reverberated from the other line. Alfonso: "Just cooperate with us. Give us Mateo Carter and we will not harm your woman. Where did you hide that genius scientist? You were the one who helped him escape." As expected, the Dark Knight was the one who captured Elle. They wanted Mateo Hiroshito-Aganaki Carter, the genius scientist. The spy had already talked the Dark Knight that Erick was the one who helped Mr Carter. Everyone averted their gaze to Mr. Carter. The heavy tension inside the meeting room was growing by seconds. Mr. Carter glanced meaningfully at Erick. Erick didn''t agree yet. He wanted to make sure that Elle was just fine. Erick: "Where''s Aliyah? I want to know if she is just fine!" Alfonso chuckled once again. Alfonso: "I know you will ask me that. Don''t worry she''s here right beside me, behaving so well. Do you want to hear her voice?" Everyone who was closed to Elle clenched their fists. They wanted to skin Alfonso alive. Black Shadow and Charles were restraining themselves from cursing Alfonso right now. They had to keep quiet. The Dark Knight should not know that Erick and the Skull Gang were working together. After a few seconds, Elle''s voice was heard from the other line. Elle: "Erick¡­" Her voice was enough to trigger everyone to feel different emotions- worry, anger, and relief. Erick closed his eyes, a drop of tears fell from the corner of his eyes upon hearing Elle''s voice. Erick: "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Don''t worry. I will save you¡­ no matter what. Please wait for me." Elle: "Don''t worry. I''m fine. They didn''t harm me. Please be strong. I will be waiting for you. I believe in you, Mr. Detective." After Elle said those words, Alfonso took the phone from her. Alfonso: "See. She is safe for now. So¡­ in exchange for your beloved woman¡­ bring Mateo Carter to us. We will give you 24 hours to decide. Choose between them." Erick: "I can''t do that within 24 hours¡­ he is under our protection program. I can''t just bring him out of the safe house without approval from the higher-ups. He is a very important person. Please give me 48 hours. I will get him out of that safe house without the knowledge of the security team assigned to watch over him." Erick needed more time to plan this out. They had to strategize what to do to rescue Elle and at the same time, to keep Mr.Carter safe. Alfonso: "36 hours. That''s the final. I will call you again and give you further instructions on where we will do the exchange of hostages. Let me remind you, Detective Lee. We are aware that you already know about the existence of a bio-weapons facility so if this information leak out to the government officials, especially the president¡­ we will make sure that you will never see again your beloved woman. The same fate will happen to her." Erick gritted his teeth upon hearing that. "I understand." "Good," Alfonso mumbled before ending the call. The room was engulfed by deafening silence after Alfonso hung up. "It''s okay, Erick. No need to hesitate. I am willing to surrender to the Dark Knight. At least we know that they won''t kill me because they need me. I also want to save Elle. I am the reason why her family died 18 years ago. Now, it''s my turn to save her," Mr. Carter volunteered himself. Everyone appreciated Mr. Carter''s good intention of sacrificing himself just to save Elle. "Thank you, Mr. Carter. But¡­ I have a bad feeling about this. I am not sure if they will be true to their words even if we cooperate with them. We need to plan out everything. We have 36 hours to prepare." Erick stood up. "Father, can I leave the rescue plan with you and James? I have to know who is the spy on my team first. I will come back as soon as possible. I already have the clue." Phantom and James nodded at Erick. "Don''t worry, son. I won''t let anything bad happen to my daughter and grandchild. We will save them," Phantom reassured Erick. "I will mobilize the entire Skull Gang for this rescue mission," James said to them. "Count me in! I will save my Kitten!" Black Shadow also blurted out. Spike hit Black Shadow''s head and said, "You are not fit to join a rescue mission now." Chapter 498 - 498: The Man Behind the Curtain ~ At Dark Knight Organization Main Headquarters ~ Alfonso had just hung up the phone when Elle started to take a step. Her main goal today was to discover who''s the powerful man behind the Dark Knight Organization. ''Who is the Dark Lord? This is my only chance. I just need to take a peek and have a closer look at his face.'' Elle thought to herself. Alfonso and others were distracted because they were busy discussing who would be in-charged in this negotiation with the Chief Detective. The guards were just waiting for Alfonso''s signal to bring Elle back to her prison room. No one anticipated Elle''s next move. When the guards were about to hold her and guide her out of the venue, Elle suddenly pushed them and dashed towards the Dark Lord''s table. One guard tried to catch her but because of her speed and agility, she was able to avoid him. In just one swift move, she grabbed the curtain and pulled it hard, causing the curtain to fall on the floor. *Swoosh* *Thud* "What the heck! Stop her!" Alfonso cursed loudly after seeing Elle''s action. The guards immediately apprehended Elle, holding her arms as they stopped her from moving further. Elle stayed rooted in her spot with her eyes wide open the moment she saw the person sitting on the executive chair. She had a stunned expression on her face. He was the last person she expected to be the Dark Lord. Elle''s eyes met the sharp gaze of the Dark Lord. He was emanating a chilly aura, powerful enough to intimidate and frighten people. But Elle was different. Aside from being shocked by this discovery, she wasn''t afraid of him at all. The Dark Lord''s lips twitched into a sinister smile and said, "Hello, Miss Aliyah Ross, we meet again. Long time no see. How have you been?" Elle immediately concealed her displeasure, pretending that she was confused and had no idea what''s going on here. "Senator Mondragon? What are you doing here? Why are you here¡­" Elle roamed her eyes in her surroundings and continued. "...together with these bad guys?" Yes, the Dark Lord was none other than Senator Alex Mondragon. He was the mysterious leader of the Dark Knight Organization- the powerful man who caused Elle''s and others'' misery. As far as she remembered, Arison Family and Mondragon Family were good friends. Who would have thought that these two families were the true rivals? Alex Mondragon had tricked everyone even his fellow countrymen who believed that he was a good man. She knew that Jorge Arison had no idea that his friend was his true enemy. Because if Jorge knew this then he should have informed James about it. Alex Mondragon aka the Dark Lord stood up and approached Elle. Everyone was silent as they just watched the interaction between the two. Senator Mondragon shook his head while clicking his tongue. "Tsk tsk Tsk¡­ Miss Ross, why did you do that? Pulling the curtain? What are you trying to do here?" Elle could sense danger from his voice alone. He was assessing Elle from top to bottom. "Because I am curious to know who''s the man behind the curtain." Elle simply stated. "Oh Miss Ross¡­ did you forget the famous saying¡­ Curiosity can kill a cat." Senator Mondragon emphasized his last words. Elle was aware that they won''t let her leave this place alive especially now that she learned the Dark Lord''s identity. Only a few trusted guards and Dark Knight''s men knew his true face. "Senator Mondragon¡­ I am a reporter so it''s in my nature to become curious about things around me. I am really curious why I am here and who''s that Mateo Carter? Why did you have to kidnap me and threaten Erick for that man?" This time Alfonso could no longer watch them on the side. Elle was becoming bold in front of the Dark Lord. She was clearly talking back at him. No one among them dared to do that. ''Is she courting death already? Fortunately, she still has a use for us. If not then she can be killed right here and right then. The Dark Lord can easily be pissed by someone like her.'' Alfonso thought to himself. "Guards, bring the hostage back to her prison. She is no longer needed here," Alfonso told the guards. Then he turned to the Dark Lord. "Apology for that mistake, our Lord. She was not supposed to see your face." ''Foolish woman. She had just sealed her fate today. She must die together with that Chief Detective.'' Alfonso mumbled to himself. When they were about to get her out, Senator Mondragon stopped them. "Hmm, stop. Just let her talk to me." Even the Dark Lord was amazed by Elle''s boldness. He couldn''t see any fear or worry from her eyes. She looked very calm despite the fact she was surrounded by enemies or what she called "bad guys". She didn''t feel intimidated by his presence. That''s the reason he was intrigued by her. The dark Lord wanted to talk to her and figure out if she''s just really brave or just pretending that she''s not afraid of them. Since the Dark Lord already gave his order, Alfonso and the guards had no choice but to follow him. He even asked them to prepare a vacant seat for Elle as the Dark Lord returned to his table. He also asked Alfonso and the other higher-ups to leave and continue their planning session in another venue. Only a few guards were left. Though Elle was just a girl, the Dark Lord didn''t lower his guard as he let the other guards stayed with them. "Miss Ross, I will only give you three chances. You can ask me anything but I will only answer three of your questions so think carefully before you ask me." Elle knew what the Dark Lord was trying to do here. He was already suspecting her. He would assess her based on the questions she would throw at him. She needed to be careful so that she could not give away her true identity. However, she also had to think of a better question that could help her know more about the Dark Lord''s scheme and plan, without giving away her identity. ''Think, Elle¡­ what should I ask him?'' Chapter 499 - 499: A Conversation with the Dark Lord ''Think, Elle¡­ what should I ask him?'' The Dark Lord only gave her three chances to ask three questions. She also didn''t guarantee if he would answer her truthfully or not. But one thing was for sure, he would be assessing her through these questions. She knew that the Dark Lord was a wise and very meticulous person. Just one mistake in front of him, he would figure it out right away. She needed to be careful when asking him a question. Senator Mondragon was just looking at her with intrigue. He was smiling as he waited for Elle to throw her first question. After much thought and careful consideration, Elle asked Senator Mondragon. "The death threat¡­ was it true or it was just for show to get the sympathy of the public so that it could help you boost your name to help you win in the coming presidential election?" Senator Mondragon chuckled the moment he heard that question. "Before I answer that, I''m gonna ask you a question first. Why did you suddenly think that?" Senator Mondragon was clearly testing her right now. Elle frowned, wondering if she asked the wrong question or not. But she wanted to confirm it. According to Erick''s team, the description of the sniper that day at the RC convention center had some resemblance to Kevin Azumi. If that was the case then Elle could conclude that the death threat was just for show because Kevin Azumi was working under the Dark Knight Organization. There''s no way he would hurt the Dark Lord. But Elle was also in doubt whether the Azumi Twins had an idea about the real identity of the Dark Lord or none. "Because I can see that you are a very powerful man aside from being a public servant. You have men like them. So I don''t think that you will be worried about a simple death threat from an unknown source. You seem to be a more dangerous man than other presidential candidates." Elle answered him truthfully. "The men who captured me and took me here. They didn''t look like normal bodyguards. They are highly armed and having a strong built for a trained fighter just like in those action movies I watched," Elle added to elaborate her reason. Senator Mondragon let out another chuckle before finally answering Elle. "It''s both yes and no." He said nonchalantly. "Yes and No?" Elle couldn''t help but frown. She was intrigued by his answer. Senator Mondragon picked up the cup of coffee on his table. He took a sip first before putting it down again as he looked at her eyes meaningfully. "Yes that it was for a show but no, it is not about getting the public sympathy. My name and reputation are already clean in the eyes of the public so I don''t need to do that anymore." he paused for a moment, assessing Elle''s reaction. He could see that she was confused. "That death threat is just a diversion. It is also part of my alternative plan. If the other presidential candidate is stronger than me then I should eliminate the hindrance to my goal." He smirked at Elle. "If I am already receiving death threats then I will be the one who will be less suspicious if one of the candidates suddenly dies during the campaign period." Elle was rendered speechless after hearing that. She didn''t expect that Senator Mondragon would be honest in answering her question. It seemed that he was really trying to see what would be her reaction after hearing this from her. Of course, Elle knew how to play along with him. She pretended to be shocked and astounded. Elle smiled at him awkwardly before saying, "Senator Mondragon, you are just kidding right. You are not that bad to the extent of killing someone just for the sake of winning the election, right?" He laughed again. "But you said I am dangerous. Why are you shocked by that statement? Can''t you believe it?" The Dark Lord was really clever. He was now using Elle''s words against her. "Yeah, I said you are dangerous but I didn''t say that you are a bad person. Dangerous is different from bad," Elle said, smiling sheepishly at Senator Mondragon. ''He gave me an honest answer. Now, there''s no way he will let me leave this place alive. I believe that his answer was true. He is not lying. He is planning to kill another presidential candidate who is his strongest competitor.'' Elle thought to herself. Elle''s eyes widened in realization but she was able to conceal her emotion right away. The Dark Lord was so desperate to win the election so that even the government would fall under the Dark Knight''s hand. Elle was snapped out of her train of thoughts when Senator Mondragon spoke once again. "Ok, proceed to your next question." She immediately faced Senator Mondragon with her serious expression. "Will you kill me after knowing about this?" Now, it was the Dark Lord''s turn to be speechless by Elle''s frankness and her straightforward question. "Do I still have to answer that? Hmm. what do you think?" Senator Mondragon smirked at her once more. He seemed like he was enjoying this conversation. "Well, based on my assumption¡­ since I am a reporter and knowing all these pieces of information might get you in trouble in the future¡­ so I am sure that you will not allow me to leave this place alive unless you will cut my tongue," Elle answered him with humor. Senator Mondragon didn''t confirm nor deny her assumption. He just nodded his head while rubbing his chin. "So, what''s your last question?" "What are you planning to do with Erick?" Elle tried her best to maintain her composure. But knowing the Dark Lord''s strategy in the past, he won''t hesitate to kill people especially those who knew the existence of the bio-weapon facility. Senator Mondragon stared at her meaningfully. "Hmm, I have the same response for that. Do I still have to answer that? Hmm. what do you think?" The Dark Lord repeated his response to her second question. Elle just fell silent. She decided not to speak further. When the Dark Lord noticed that she had no plan to continue this talk, he just asked his men to bring Elle back to her prison room. Elle just followed them obediently. While they were walking in the hall, Elle didn''t expect to bump into someone¡­ someone who was very familiar to him. "Dr. Gomez?" Chapter 500 - 500: A True Friend or A Traitor? "Dr. Gomez?" Elle murmured to herself the moment her eyes found that familiar face. She never imagined that she would be able to bump into him in this place. ''What is he doing here? Is he working for the Dark Lord as well?'' After a while, Dr. Gomez also noticed her presence. He was talking to a girl who looked like a nurse because of her white uniform. That''s the reason he didn''t see Elle right away. A shade of shock and disbelief was written all over his face when he saw Elle. Just like Elle, Dr. Gomez didn''t expect to see her in that place. Their eyes met, giving each other a questioning gaze. Many questions were running to Elle''s mind now. She didn''t know what to feel right now. ''Was he the person who betrayed Erick''s team?'' Elle clenched her fists instinctively. She was hurt by this revelation. Erick treated Dr. Gomez not only as a friend but also as his brother. What if he was the one who betrayed Erick''s team? What was his relationship with the Dark Knight Organization? Elle immediately looked away and walked past them as if she didn''t know Dr. Gomez at all. Dr. Gomez, on the other hand, stopped on his track as he turned around and watched Elle''s retreating back. Her hands were not tied but Dr. Gomez noticed the two bodyguards guiding Elle to her room. From that observation alone, Dr. Gomez could tell that Elle was being held captive here. She''s not a visitor but a prisoner. ''Why it has to be Aliyah Ross? What do they need from her?'' Dr. Gomez asked himself. "Doc, Let''s go. Senator Mondragon is already waiting for us." The nurse called him out as she noticed that Dr. Gomez was not following her. He just stood there looking in the direction where Elle vanished from his sight. Dr. Gomez apologized for the delay. He nodded at her with a smile before they continued walking towards the hall where Senator Mondragon was waiting for them. Today was his scheduled monthly check-up with Dr. Gomez. The Dark Lord was a very important person for both the government and the Dark Knight Organization. So he was also meticulous in terms of his health. He wanted to maintain his good health. And Dr. Gomez was his personal doctor. Mr. Gomez tried to bring up the topic of Aliyah Ross during his conversation with Senator Mondragon but he refused to talk. He didn''t get much information from him. Later on, he gave up and just focused on examining Senator Mondragon. ********** Meanwhile, Elle was back in her prison room. She was just lying on the bed while staring blankly at the ceiling. She was a little bit shaken after seeing Dr. Gomez. She was very worried about Erick. She didn''t know what''s going on here. She wanted to know why Dr. Gomez ended up working under the Dark Knight Organization. "Is he aware of the Dark Knight''s operations? Is he the real spy and traitor? Damn! What if the Dark Lord will use Dr.Gomez to harm Erick?" Elle sat up from that thought. She became anxious and restless. Though she was the one who''s being locked up inside the Dark Knight Organization''s hideout, she was more concerned about Erick''s safety. "Erick will be hurt once he learns that his doctor friend, Dr. Gomez is related to the Dark Knight Organization." Elle tugged her hair. She felt like her brain was going to burst right now. She stood up and kept walking back and forth across her room. She was thinking about what she should do to escape safely or even warn Erick about the plan of the Dark Lord. She was aware that the Dark Lord would order his men to kill Erick and her. Reflexively, Elle put her arms on her belly, gently rubbing it. "Don''t worry little Lee, Mom and Dad will protect you no matter what. I will not let anything bad happen to you.," Elle said, talking to her baby. After saying that, a cold glint flashed through her dark eyes. She was so determined to stay alive, protecting Little Lee as well as Erick. Elle sighed deeply, calming herself down. She needed to relax first. She decided not to jump to a conclusion first. If given a chance, she wanted to talk to Dr. Gomez. She wondered if Dr. Gomez would try to see her. She also saw the confusion in Dr. Gomez''s eyes when she met his gaze a while ago. It seemed that he was also shocked to see her. If that was the case, then Dr. Gomez might have nothing to do with this. He might be clueless about the reason why she was kidnapped by the Dark Knight Organization. ''I just wish that he will see me even for just a few minutes. I badly want to talk o him.'' It did not take long when Elle''s wish was fulfilled. Dr. Gomez visited her in her prison room. The guard let him in. She didn''t know what he told the guard but he just left the two of them inside. "Dr. Gomez, why are you here?" Elle asked him. "I came to see you and check on you," Dr. Gomez promptly responded. Elle massaged her temples first before shaking her head. "I mean why are you here in this hideout? Why are you with these bad guys? They are dangerous people." Elle was still hoping that Dr. Gomez was on Erick''s side and would not betray him. Dr. Gomez fell silent. He didn''t answer Elle but she could see the conflicting emotions written all over his face at this moment. She knew that Dr. Gomez had no plan of sharing his story with her. Elle could only sigh deeply. "I knew Senator Mondragon''s true color now. He is not a good guy just like what other people are thinking. His good reputation as a senator is just a mask to cover up his evil deeds."Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=15596023506141605)/chapter-500-a-true-friend-or-a-traitor_%!d(string=51328545426833104) for visiting. Dr. Gomez frowned after hearing that. "Don''t talk like that about him. You don''t know him." Dr. Gomez defended the Dark Lord in front of Elle. Now, Elle was in doubt if they could still trust him. But she had no choice but to gamble with him. "Are you a true friend of Erick? Or Will you betray him?" Elle asked him quizzically. Dr. Gomez turned to look at her. The conflicting emotions a while ago already disappeared. He was now wearing an unreadable expression. Elle couldn''t tell what''s running in his mind. He remained silent. Elle smiled at him bitterly. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes. Dr. Gomez also became her good friend two years ago. It''s hard to believe and accept that the person you trusted was also the one who would betray you in the end. "Erick and I¡­ our lives are in danger. It will just a matter of time when Senator Mondragon will kill us both. Erick and I are in a relationship. He is using me because he wants something from Erick." Elle informed Dr. Gomez, testing and assessing him. "Once he gets what he wants, he will still kill us. That''s the true face of Senator Mondragon. If you are really a true friend of Erick, I will just ask you this one thing. Please¡­ please protect Erick." After saying that, the guard entered the room, asking Dr. Gomez to leave already. His visiting time was done. But before Dr. Gomez left, Elle leaned closer to him and whispered something. Dr. Gomez''s eyes widened after hearing the last words she said. Chapter 501 - 501: Ericks Suspicion ~ At XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters ~ After meeting James and Phantom in the Skull Gang Headquarters, Erick went back to their office. He needed to double time as well to know the identity of the spy. He had to know everything as soon as possible or else, their operation would always be compromised. Worst case scenario, the spy might be the one who would put Elle in great danger. He needed to rescue Elle and their baby. Erick was already suspecting someone of who the spy was based on the statement of Carl. But he needed more concrete evidence to prove his assumption. He was in a hurry when he came back to the office. Rose, Carl, and June noticed the unusual, anxious, and restless behavior of their chief today. They wanted to ask him but they were hesitating since they could see that Erick was very busy with something. Carl, Rose, and June exchanged meaningful glances with one another, asking each other what happened to their Chief. That was also the time Bryan and April visited the office. They were still on vacation leave for the preparation of their wedding. "Hey, Bryan¡­ right timing!" June immediately pulled Bryan inside the office after seeing him at the entrance door. April and Bryan just looked at June in confusion. They had no idea about what''s happening right now. They heard the news about Allen. They came to visit today so that they would be able to know from their colleagues how''s Allen''s condition at this point.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-suspicion_51351623628282797 for visiting. "Hey, what''s with your faces? How''s Agent Allen? Is he okay now?" Bryan asked them worriedly. Rose, Carl, and June shook their heads immediately. There was a hint of sadness on their faces. Allen didn''t pass the critical condition yet. Today, he was still in a coma. He was expected to wake up yesterday but nothing happened. Dr. Gomez was monitoring his condition. "Hey, we think that Chief Lee has a big problem right now. But he didn''t share his burden with us. Why don''t you try and speak to him now? He was closer to you compared to others. Ask him about his problem, so that we will know how we can help him," June suggested to Bryan. "He had a gloomy and grave expression upon arriving at the office," Rose also commented. Carl nodded his head to support Rose''s last statements. Bryan and April frowned upon hearing that. They averted their gaze to the closed door of Erick''s office. They wondered what he was doing right now. "Alright, wait for me here. I will just go and talk to him." Bryan said to them before walking toward Erick''s office. Bryan knocked several times but Erick was not answering. Without waiting for his approval, Bryan just entered his office only to see Erick holding a cellphone and wearing his headset. He was busy scanning the phone. He seemed like he was listening to a recorder. Shock and disbelief were written all over his face as he saw and read something on the phone. Bryan, who was clueless about what Erick was going through right now, cleared his throat to catch Erick''s attention. He was engrossed in what he was currently doing that he failed to notice Bryan''s presence. When he looked up, Bryan was already standing in front of his table. "Bryan¡­" There was a hint of desperation and helplessness in Erick''s voice the way he called Bryan''s name. "Hey, are you alright? What happened? Why are you giving me such a look." Bryan asked Erick worriedly. Erick immediately stood up and held Bryan''s shoulders. "Bry¡­ they took her away¡­ they took my wife. And now, she''s in danger. I have to save her no matter what." Bryan''s eyes bulged out as he was shocked to hear that. "Elle? What happened to her? WHo took her?" Erick told Bryan everything. Bryan was the only person on his team that he could trust most. He already knew the real identity of Aliyah Ross. Elle was alive. That was not a secret to him anymore. After a few minutes of telling Bryan everything, he consoled Erick, telling him to be strong and be calm at times like this. They needed to figure out what they could do to save Elle without jeopardizing Mr. Carter''s safety as well. Erick also shared with Bryan his suspicion. He somehow knew who the spy was and he would collect concrete evidence today. He would also get some clue from the spy whether he or she knew where Elle was being held captive right now. Erick had a hunch that the Dark Knight would try to eliminate him during the exchange of hostages. The Dark Knight Organization already had an idea that Erick had knowledge about the existing bio-weapon facility. Just like what they did to Phantom''s and Elle''s family, they would eliminate all the people who knew about the bio-weapon and Erick was one of them. "I will help you," Bryan said to Erick with so much conviction. "Thanks, Bry. I really appreciate it. But this mission is very dangerous. You are about to get married. Just stay behind. No need to join me in this mission." Erick refused his help. "But there''s something I need to ask from you. Can you do me a favor?" Erick added. Bryan just nodded his head in agreement. Of course, he was willing to do anything for Erick. After telling Bryan his request, Erick immediately left the office. He went to the hospital to check something as well as Allen''s condition. When he arrived there, he saw the other members of Special Task Force Eagle, visiting Allen. The former member, General Jason, and Jane. They were talking to Dr. Gomez regarding Allen''s condition. Dr. Gomez just returned to the hospital after examining the Dark Lord and talking to Elle. Dr. Gomez had mixed emotions upon seeing Erick. His last conversation with Elle suddenly crossed his mind. [ "If you are really a true friend of Erick¡­ please protect him." ] Erick immediately approached Dr. Gomez, General Jason, and Jane who were talking just outside the ICU room of Allen. The four of them exchanged some conversations with one another, talking about Allen''s case and his health condition. After a few minutes of talking, General Jason and Jane said goodbye to Dr. Gomez and Erick. Now, Erick and Dr. Gomez were left in the hospital. "Erick¡­" Dr. Gomez called him out. He was thinking of inviting Erick to have a coffee inside his office. But in the last seconds, he changed his mind. "Yes, Dr. Gomez?" Erick asked him. Dr. Gomez shook his head with a faint smile on his face. "Oh, it''s nothing. Just be careful, always," he said to him meaningfully. Erick smiled back at him and nodded. "Yeah, I will. I have to go now. There''s something more I have to do." Dr. Gomez knew what he was referring to. He was busy because he was trying to figure out what he should do to rescue Elle. "Alright. I will not keep you long then." Dr. Gomez held Erick''s shoulder. Then Erick also said goodbye to him and left in a hurry. Dr. Gomez just watched Erick''s retreating back while clenching his fists. "I''m sorry, Erick¡­ I''m really sorry." Chapter 502 - 502: Time Is Running! ~ At Skull Gang Headquarters ~ [ 28 Hours Left Before the Exchange ] Time is running! Erick went back to Skull Gang right after confirming something at the hospital. He had to join the strategy meeting of Phantom''s team and Skull Gang regarding the Rescue Mission for Elle. He also called his Father, Raymond as he asked him some details about the past. Who would have thought that in times like this, they were the people whom he could count on and whom he could trust in saving his wife? He couldn''t trust the police authorities knowing that the Dark Knight''s spies were just everywhere. He also didn''t want to involve his team. He knew that there''s no turning back now. No one could predict what might happen during this mission. This was his personal fight. He couldn''t bear to put his team in a dangerous situation for his sake. Erick was trying to be strong even though he was slowly dying from worry as time went by. He didn''t know what was happening on Elle''s end right now. What if she was being tortured? What if she was taken advantage of by those bad guys? He was really eager to save her as soon as possible. He didn''t know if he could still carry on like this without hearing any news from Elle. He tried contacting Alfonso again but the phone was already unattended. He used a burner phone so that they couldn''t trace him. Erick also had a suspicion that the one who gave his number to the authority was the traitor who was spying on them from the XXX Crime Investigation Department. Erick had finally connected all the dots. He knew who the spy was. Erick shared the information he got to Phantom and James including the whole team who would join the rescue mission. Mr. Carter, Brother Lu, Charles, and Black Shadow were also present during the planning session. "Alfonso Ramirez messaged me 30 minutes ago. I tried calling him but he was not answering anymore. He gave me this address. Block 9, Cudilla Old Village in City Y. Meeting Time: 5:00 am."Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #!_51374299730213258 for visiting. "Wow, a perfect place and time to salvage and eliminate someone," Black Shadow blurted out. "Erick, it seems like the Dark Knight has no plan of keeping you alive this time. You already knew the existence of the bio-weapon facility. You are a great threat that they needed to eliminate," James shared his thoughts with Erick. Everyone agreed with him. Mr. Carter looked at Erick worriedly. "I don''t care about their true motive. All I want to do is to save my wife and my child." Erick said with so much conviction. "Don''t worry, son. We are here to back you up. We will save them both. Nothing bad will happen to you and Elle. They have to kill me first before they can touch my daughter, my grandchild, and my son-in-law." Phantom declared to them. A cold glint flashed through his eyes. "Son, I have a suggestion. Let''s involve the police. There are some trustworthy men in the police. You can ask for their help. This time we will expose everything¡­ every evil deed of the Dark Knight Organization," Phantom told Erick. They were in the middle of discussing their strategy for the upcoming exchange. "But father¡­" Erick was still hesitating. "The spy¡­ you said you already found him. So you don''t have to worry. You know who you can trust now. Your team, give them a chance to prove themselves that they are a true man of justice." "Okay, father. I know what to do now." "This is our advantage. The Dark Knight Organization will not expect that the Skull Gang and Catseye''s team will join together in this operation. This will serve as their miscalculation. They thought Erick was a clean detective that he won''t work together with an underground organization such as Skull Gang and other assassins," Black Shadow couldn''t help but share his thoughts with them. "Master, please allow me to join. I''m better now. My wound is not severe. I want to help and save my sister," Charles finally spoke up. "Me too, Master. Please, I want to help the team." Brother Lu also volunteered. "If you will allow them to join then you should bring me with you too," Black Shadow also showed his interest to join the mission. "Stop that. If you really want to help then just stay here. You will just burden the whole team. The three of you are not in your hundred percent condition," James said, slightly scolding them. Black Shadow glared at James, "Then how about you? You are not a trained fighter nor a skilled assassin, why are you coming with them? You will just burden the team." Spike: "..." Sherlock: "..." Skull Gang Members: "..." They couldn''t believe that Black Shadow would talk back to their Supremo like that. James shot Black Shadow a cold sharp glare. "My father trained me. He hired experts to teach me how to fight and to shoot. Do you want proof now?" James said, challenging Black Shadow. Erick and Phantom darted their gaze between Black Shadow and James. They could only shake their head while looking at them helplessly. Before a fight would break out in the conference room, Phantom immediately spoke up. "Alright, I made my decision. We will divide ourselves into four teams. One team will be headed by me. Brother Yu and Brother Yan, I want you to lead Team 2. Team 3 will be assigned to Sherlock and Spike." "These three teams will serve as the main forces that will launch a surprise attack and will back up Erick during the exchange." Then Phantom paused for a moment, averting his gaze to Brother Lu, Charles, Black Shadow, and James. "Team 4 will be the back-up team who will wait for our signal. You will be on standby. This team will be headed by James. Charles, Brother Lu, and Black Shadow will also join this team." Charles: "..." Brother Lu: "..." Black Shadow: "..." James: "..." Why do they feel like they were being discriminated against by putting the four of them in just one team? Spike and Sherlock and the other members were fighting the urge to laugh. They knew what Phantom was trying to do here. Team 4 would not be mobilized unless they really needed their help. He intentionally grouped them together to keep them safe during the operation. It would be really troublesome if they would join the main forces because they were not in the good condition to fight right now. Since Phantom was the father of their Queen, Elle, even the Supremo needed to follow his instructions and order. After finalizing their strategy, Erick spoke privately with Mr. Carter. "Erick, I''m so sorry about what happened to Elle. All of these happened because you helped me. I can''t understand why fate is so cruel to me. The people who are always helping me were always put in danger. I am the cause of everyone''s misery. I feel guilty for everyone. I always bring bad luck to people close to me." Erick could feel the pain and sadness in his voice. Erick patted Mr. Carter''s shoulder, trying to comfort him. "This is not your fault. Don''t blame yourself, Mr. Carter. I will save my wife and my child. At the same time, I will protect you. Trust me, okay?" Mr. Carter looked at him with his teary eyes. He was being emotional right now. "Thank you, Erick." ''This time I should be the one to protect the people who helped me even if it means giving up my life.'' Mr. Carter had sworn to himself. Chapter 503 - 503: Back-Up Plan After leaving the Skull Gang Headquarters, Erick followed Phantom''s suggestion. He also needed to do another preparation from his end. He called Bryan. He informed him about his plan and asked him for his help. Erick went to a restaurant to meet Bryan and someone. Upon reaching their meeting place, Erick paused for a moment, taking a deep breath while gathering himself. ''You can do this, Erick. You have to do this. This is for Elle.'' Erick reminded himself. It did not take long when Erick finally entered the hospital. He peered around the restaurant, looking for Bryan and his companion. There were only a few customers inside so Erick spotted them right away. Erick walked over to approach them. He hadn''t eaten any today. He had no time and he didn''t have an appetite. Bryan was aware of that so he decided to meet them in a restaurant. Erick needed to eat so that he had enough energy to save Elle. "Chief Lee, you''re finally here," the person beside Bryan spoke up. He was none other than but General Jason, a former captain of Special Task Force Eagle. "Come, let''s eat first. I know you haven''t eaten anything yet," Bryan said, looking at Erick worriedly. Erick was about to refuse when Bryan spoke again to convince him. "You need this, Erick. How can you perform well if you are not a hundred percent recharge? You need to eat." The food was already served. Bryan already ordered the food ahead even before Erick arrived in the restaurant. He was very thoughtful as a friend, ordering Erick''s favorite food. General Jason darted his gaze back and forth from Erick and Bryan. He still had no idea why they asked his presence here. He could sense that something was wrong. He wondered what was going on right now. Erick didn''t look good either. He looked very stressed and restless. Meanwhile, Erick sat down on the chair opposite Bryan and General Jason. Bryan was right. He needed some energy. Though he had no appetite, he tried his best to eat his food. The three men were silent during the entire duration of their meal. When they were done, Erick decided to tell General Jason the reason he asked for his presence tonight. It was Bryan who told General Jason that Erick wanted to speak with him. "Bryan, can you leave us for a while?" Erick asked Bryan. He wanted to talk with General Jason alone. General Jason and Bryan looked at him confusedly. But in the end, Bryan just nodded his head before leaving them. He just waited for them outside the restaurant. He didn''t know why Erick asked him to leave but he was putting his trust in him. When Bryan left them, Erick and General Jason started to discuss Erick''s concern. "Chief Lee, how are you? Is there anything wrong?" General Jason asked him curiously. Erick nodded at him, staring straight into his eyes, "General, I need your help." "Help? Help about what?" The frown on General Jason''s face deepened. "A powerful underground organization kidnapped Aliyah Ross. I need your help to save her." Erick stated with his serious expression. Captain Jason''s eyes widened in surprise after hearing that. "Did you report it already to the authorities? What organization?" Erick shook his head. "They warned me not to talk with the authorities or else, Aliyah''s life will be in danger." "Wait, I can''t understand. Why Aliyah Ross? And what they want from you? If you are not allowed to tell the authorities then why are you telling me this?" Jason bombarded him with so many questions. "I''m telling you this because you are the only person I can trust. Did you hear about the Dark Knight Organization? They are powerful. They even planted spies in the different law enforcement departments. Sad to say, I learned that there''s a spy in my team." "S-Spy? In your team? Did you find out who''s the spy?" General Jason couldn''t believe this. "Yes. I believe that this spy is also the one who hurt Allen." Erick was giving Jason one shock after another. He didn''t know what to say right now. "Aliyah and I are in a relationship. They used her to get what they wanted from me. I helped someone. A person that they needed most. I am here to ask for your help. I want to save Aliyah but I can''t let them have this person," Erick added. "Who is the spy in your team? Do you have proof? And who is this person that is important to the Dark Knight Organization?" General Jason threw him more questions. He needed answers so that he would know how he could help him. "I have no proof yet. But I suspect Carl as the spy. Our last operation was compromised. There was information leakage. General Jason, listen to me. The Dark Knight Organization is operating and managing a bio-weapon facility." "We need to stop them. The person in my care is one of the scientists who created the bio-weapon. This is the main reason I can''t let them have this man, no matter what. I need your help to protect him during the exchange." General Jason nodded his head. "Yes, I will do my best. Thank you for trusting me, Erick. This means a lot to me. Aside from me, who knows about this?" Erick shook his head, "No one. Even Bryan had no idea about this. I just told him that I need your help with something. Please don''t tell this to others." "I promise, I won''t tell this to anyone. I will form an elite team to accompany you on this rescue mission. I will also join you personally. We have to be careful. We don''t know who the other spies are. So it''s a wise move that you didn''t inform others about this." Jason tapped Erick''s shoulder, commending him. "Thank you, General Jason. I would really appreciate your help." Jason gave him a faint smile and said, "No need to mention that. It''s our duty and responsibility." "What are you planning to do with Carl?" Jason asked Erick. There was still a hint of disbelief in his voice. "I don''t know yet. My focus right now is saving Aliyah. I''ll think about that after successfully saving her." General Jason nodded his head. "Yes, I understand. Don''t worry, I will help you. You are like a son to me. I''m so happy that you open up your heart again to someone. We will save her." "I will count on you, General Jason. You are the only person who has the power to help me and fight this organization. If anything bad happens to me during the operation, can you please at least save Aliyah and the scientist?" Jason frowned after hearing that, "Why are you saying this? Nothing bad will happen to you. By the way, where''s the scientist?" "I''m sorry, General. I can''t tell you for now. But I will introduce you to him on the day of the exchange." He couldn''t tell Jason that Mr. Carter was in the Skull Gang right now. Jason nodded his head. "Where and when the exchange will happen?" Erick told him the address and the exact time for this exchange. General Jason told him about his plan of forming an elite team, composed of a few people he trusted most. He reassured Erick that they could trust his team. They agreed to meet again tomorrow for the final briefing. They would finalize their strategy. Chapter 504 - 504: Dr. Gomezs Indecision [ 26 Hours Left Before The Exchange ] Dr. Gomez was still bothered by his last conversation with Elle. He was leaning his back on his office chair with his eyes closed. He was still thinking of those last words she told him. He didn''t know what to do. He had unsettled feelings. He felt like he was torn between his loyalty to the Dark Lord and his friendship with Erick. He truly cared about Erick. He didn''t want him to be hurt. He still couldn''t believe or rather he didn''t want to believe that the Dark Lord would try to kill Erick. He wanted to help Erick and Elle but he couldn''t betray the Dark Lord. He was indebted to him. He was like a father to him. Dr. Gomez was an orphan and the Dark Lord was the one who helped him reach his dream and become a doctor. He was aware of the Dark Lord''s illegal activities but he decided to turn a blind eye to them. For him, the Dark Lord was not evil. He was his savior, the one who helped him in the most difficult time of his life. How could he betray him for the sake of his friendship? But¡­ would his conscience silence him? He knew he would never get peace of mind if anything bad happens to Erick most especially to Elle aka Aliyah.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-gomez''s-indecision_51421616294385087 for visiting. He buried his face using both hands, still undecided of what he should do. He was facing a dilemma right now. He was still confused about what decision he should make. Would he turn a blind eye again to this situation? Dr. Gomez didn''t notice but a drop of tears already fell down his cheeks. ''Why is this happening? Why Erick? Why Aliyah? Why is it they have to be enemy with that person?'' After much thought and careful consideration, Dr. Gomez decided to leave the hospital to meet someone. He was already walking toward the entrance door of the hospital when his hospital pager beeped and vibrated. This only meant that he was needed by his patient. Upon checking his pager, he got to know that the signal came from the ICU where Allen was. Dr. Gomez immediately rushed to the ICU to see what happened. When he arrived at the ICU, Allen''s parents were already waiting for him. The nurses were also there. "What happened?" Dr. Gomez asked them. "Doc, come here quickly. Check the patient. He finally opened his eyes," the nurse immediately called him out. Dr. Gomez didn''t waste any more time as he checked Allen''s vitals, examining him thoroughly. ************ ~ At Erick''s Place ~ Erick informed Raymond and Sarah about what happened to Elle. His parents started to worry about Elle''s safety and their grandchild''s safety. But they believed in Erick. He would be able to save Elle and their baby. All they could do right now was wait and pray for their safety and success of this rescue mission. Erick couldn''t sleep that night. It''s already 3:00 o''clock in the morning but he was still wide awake, just thinking about Elle. He was preparing his weapons, making sure that he won''t miss anything. Then his eyes found Elle''s dagger. He planned on bringing Elle''s weapon as well. Through this, Erick would feel that Elle was with him in this fight. Erick felt like his heart was going to burst at this moment. He wanted to save her as soon as possible. He wondered what Elle was doing right now. Just like Erick, Elle didn''t have a good sleep that night. She was also thinking of a better plan for how she would be able to protect herself, her baby, and Erick. She was praying that Doctor Gomez would change his mind. She put a gamble on him. She didn''t know what path Dr. Gomez would choose in the end. But she was still hoping that Dr. Gomez would choose to save and protect Erick. Elle looked down, rubbing her stomach. She decided to talk to her Little Lee. "Baby, Daddy is coming to save us. Soon, Mommy will get justice for your grandparents. Baby, you will witness how Mommy and Daddy will bring down this evil organization. Your uncles, godfathers, and Grandpa Phantom will help Mommy and Daddy." Elle''s lips into a warm smile thinking about the people who would come to their rescue. "Watch us carefully, Baby. If you want to be a police or detective when you grow up, Mommy will not stop you. Be a good person just like your Daddy. I will support you. Aside from Mommy and Daddy, many Uncles and godfathers will protect my Baby." Elle was getting her courage and strength from Little Lee. She would do everything for her baby. She was hell-ent to protect her family this time. She won''t allow them to take her happiness again. "Alfonso¡­ Dark Lord, just you wait. The judgment time is about to come. I can feel it. Your retribution is near." ********* Erick was still cleaning his gun when he received a message coming from Doctor Gomez, telling him that Allen woke up. Erick immediately left the house and went to the hospital. Allen''s parents were there, watching over him. He could see the relief on their faces. Allen passed the critical stage now and had a higher possibility to recover. Erick talked to Allen''s parents as well as to the nurse assigned to him. Dr. Gomez was also there when he warned them. "Auntie, Uncle, and everyone here, I have a request. Can you please keep this a secret? I think someone might try to harm Allen once he learns that Allen already regained his consciousness." "Ok, Chief Lee. We understand. We will keep this as a secret for now." Allen''s father responded to him. "Don''t worry, I will ask my most trusted men to safeguard Allen. They will guard him 24/7. Only the assigned nurse is allowed to bring his medicine." Erick was thinking about Bryan and June. He would ask them to guard Allen and watch over him. The nurses also nodded in agreement. After talking to them, Dr. Gomez had a little chit chat with Erick before Dr. Gomez left the hospital. Dr. Gomez settled everything for Allen before he left the hospital to see Elle one last time. Chapter 505 - 505: The Time Had Come [ Block 9, Cudilla Old Village in City Y. Meeting Time: 5:00 am. ] After the 36 hours deadline, the time had come for Erick to face the Dark Knight Organization. Everything was all set on his part. He was praying that everything would work according to their plan. Erick and Mr. Carter were riding one car. General Jason and his team were following them behind. They all made the necessary preparations for this day. Erick just wanted to see Elle, safe and sound. "Are you ready now?" Mr. Carter asked Erick, glancing at him through the rear-view mirror. "Yes, I hope my wife is just fine," Erick said. The worry and concern were painted on his tired face. Mr. Carter tapped Erick''s shoulder. "You can do it. Nothing terrible will happen to them. Erick¡­ just focus on saving them. Don''t worry about me. The Dark Knight will not hurt me." "Don''t hesitate, Erick. No matter what happens, you should secure your wife and your baby first. Can you promise me that?" Mr. Carter was asking Erick for his reassurance. Erick didn''t answer directly. He had complex feelings right now. He wanted to save Elle and their baby but at the same time, he couldn''t bear to put Mr. Carter''s life on the line. If he could save them both then he would do his best to do it. They were near the agreed meeting place when Phantom contacted Erick through their communicating device. Phantom: " Son, we are all in our respective posts and positions now. There were about 20 men on the Dark Knight''s side. Surprisingly, our plan worked. It seemed that they didn''t bring more men. They are confident that you followed everything they said and didn''t bring any back-ups." Erick: "Father, did you see Elle?" Phantom: "Not yet. I think she''s still inside the Black van. There''s a black van in the middle of the field. Their men are highly armed. They are guarding the van. There''s a high possibility that Alfonso is with her. They are still inside the van." Erick heaved a frustrated sigh after hearing that. He was eager to know Elle''s condition at this point. But even Phantom hadn''t seen her yet. Phantom''s team and Skull Gang members were already there, hiding and monitoring the Dark Knight"s men. Phantom: "Son, I think your suspicion was right. They didn''t plant any snipers around the area. It seemed that they already anticipated your next move and action." Erick''s grip on the steering wheel tightened. Complicated emotions could be seen in his eyes. He didn''t know if he should be glad or not about this. Erick: "Thanks, father. I''m counting on you. Please help me save Elle." Phantom: " Don''t worry, Son. We got your back." It did not take long when Erick and Mr. Carter arrived in the area. Just like what Black Shadow had said before, the place was perfect to salvage and kill anyone without worrying about getting caught by the police authority or having people witness everything. There were no people residing in the area. It looked like a hunted village in the middle of a wide field. There were also a lot of trees around the area. Erick and Mr. Carter could smell the fresh air and could hear the rustling sound of leaves as the trees and rice plants swayed, following the movements of the wind. Since it was already 5:20 am, the surrounding was not dark anymore as the sun was starting to ascend from the east. Another source of light came from the headlights of their cars. "Boss, they are here," One man informed Alfonso. After a few seconds, Alfonso stepped out of the van together with Elle. Elle was being held in place by one big guy. She was not struggling. She''s very obedient to them, that''s why Alfonso didn''t tie her hands. Erick''s heart raced upon seeing Elle. He had the urge to run in her direction and hug her tightly. He just tried his best to contain himself. He was aware that he couldn''t act recklessly in front of Alfonso and other Dark Knight members. Elle also had a look of longing in her dark eyes upon seeing Erick. The two of them exchanged meaningful glances with one another. Just one look and they could already understand what they felt at that certain moment. Peering at her surroundings, Elle felt very nervous for the first time. She was afraid for Erick and her baby''s safety. But she put his 100 percent trust in Erick, Phantom, and James. This time she was not fighting alone. She had them¡­ she had those people close to her. After a while, they heard Alfonso''s sinister laughter. "Chief Lee, you became true to your words. You came alone, only with the scientist." After saying that, Alfonso averted his gaze to Mr. Carter. "Matteo Carter, the genius scientist. After a very long time, finally, we met again. You are good at hiding. But now, you can''t hide from us anymore." Mr. Carter sneered at Alfonso, "It''s been a long time but you and the Dark Knight never changed your dirty tactic and strategy, still using someone close to us just to get what you want. What a coward?!" Alfonso didn''t feel insulted at all. He just burst out laughing because of Mr. Carter''s last remarks. "Call us cowards. We don''t care as long as we can achieve our goal. And today, our main goal is to have you back." Erick looked daggers at Alfonso with his bloodshot eyes. He clenched his fists, trying to restrain himself from punching Alfonso. He hated him. He was the person who killed Elle''s family and probably he was also responsible for the death of Phantom''s wife and son. "I complied with your demands. Now, let finish this deal. Give Aliyah back." Erick couldn''t wait any longer. He wanted to get Elle to his side. He felt like he could only protect her if she''s beside him. Alfonso let out another chuckle. ''Excited to die, aren''t you?'' Alfonso thought to himself. Once they secured Matt Carter, then they could kill Erick and Aliyah next. The Dark Lord had already given his order. Erick Lee and Aliyah Ross must die today in that place. Chapter 506 - 506: They Cant Escape If Erick wanted to finish this as soon as possible, then Alfonso would satisfy his wants since he was thinking that this was just a consolation for him to be with his beloved woman before both of them would die. ''It''s just a matter of time, the Chief Detective and an International Reporter will die in our own hands. What a loving couple, even in death, they will be together,'' Alfonso thought to himself. "Alright, let''s do this exchange now. On my go signal, we will let the two of them walk, the scientist will go to my side and your beloved woman will go to your side as well." Alfonso suggested to them. "Okay," Erick responded. He glanced at Mr. Carter one last time. Mr. Carter nodded at him and gave him a reassuring smile as if telling him that everything would just be fine. Soon, Alfonso gave his signal. Mr. Carter and Elle started walking toward the opposing sides. The distance between Erick and Alfonso were about 8 meters apart. Everyone''s attention was focused on the two people walking in the middle, one was walking to Erick''s side while the other one was walking to Alfonso''s side. Elle and Mr. Carter both stopped in the middle. She grabbed that chance to hug Mr. Carter for a few seconds. The Dark Knight men were alerted at first, but after seeing them just hugging each other, Alfonso and his team eased up a little. They didn''t see nor notice it but Elle whispered something to Mr. Carter. They were still hugging each other when suddenly a few Dark Knight men started to collapse on their spots, some were holding their stomachs and some were holding their heads. "Hey, what''s going on here?" Alfonso asked his team. "Wait, what is that smell? Did you just fart?" Alfonso complained. Some answered him. "Boss, My stomach hurts!" "I feel dizzy." "Why do I feel like my surroundings are spinning?" Dark Knight men and Alfonso were distracted for a few moments. Elle knew that this would happen. This was the cue she was waiting for. "Mr. Carter, run. Let''s run to Erick''s side now!" Elle said to Mr. Carter with urgency. At first, Mr. Carter had no idea what''s going on the Dark Knight''s side. He just followed Elle''s advice. He trusted her. Without further ado, Elle and Mr. Carter ran toward Erick. Erick''s eyes widened in surprise when he saw Elle and Mr. Carter started to run, coming to his side. He immediately picked up his gun, to take cover for them. He glanced at Alfonso and the other men who seemed like they were experiencing some discomfort. After a few seconds, one member of the Dark Knight noticed them. "The scientist and the reporter are running toward the detective." They were about to open fire when Alfonso stopped them right away. "Stop, you fool! Don''t shoot!! Are you trying to kill the scientist!" Alfonso yelled at them. "But Senior Alfonso, they are trying to escape!" "You fool. There''s no way they can escape here. We have a strong back-up, remember?" Alfonso reminded them. "Let them run. Let''s see how far they can go. Hahaha," Alfonso was still confident. Meanwhile, Elle and Mr. Carter already reached Erick''s spot. They were wondering why Alfonso and his team were not doing anything. The three of them immediately got inside Erick''s car, preparing to leave. Alfonso and others also rode their car to chase after them. There were some who were still feeling fine. But there were men who already collapsed on the ground.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''t-escape_51473974898509074 for visiting. "What happened to them?" Mr. Carter asked Elle. "A friend helped me," Elle''s lips curled up into a faint smile as she remembered what happened two hours before they left the Dark Knight Organization Main headquarters. Dr. Gomez came to see her and he told her about his plan of drugging Alfonso''s men who would be joining this operation. He said that''s the only thing he could do for her. Dr. Gomez made sure to let the men drink the coffee he prepared. There were two types of drugs that he mixed with their drinks, one could trigger a loose bowel movement and the other one could cause dizziness. The drugs already took effect that''s why Alfonso''s men felt the discomfort a while ago. It did not take long when Alfonso and his men were able to catch up with them. At that certain moment, they heard gunshots. The Dark Knight men started to open fire, targeting the wheel of Erick''s car. They succeeded in puncturing the tire. Erick cursed when it happened, he had no choice but to stop the car. Alfonso and his men started to approach them. They were laughing hard because they cornered them once again. "You can''t escape from our grasp! Hand the scientist over to us!" Alfonso yelled to them. Erick gave Elle and Mr. Carter guns for them to use. Elle smiled mischievously the moment she got ahold of a gun. It''s been a long time since the last time she held a gun. The three of them started to open fire, targeting Alfonso''s team. The crossfire between them was still ongoing when General Jason''s team also arrived and joined them. When Alfonso and his team saw the newcomer, they stopped shooting and just took cover. Elle and Erick were both sharpshooters. Some of their men had been shot on either hands or legs. General Jason and his team surrounded Erick''s car right away. They were about 15 men including General Jason. They were also holding high-powered firearms while wearing bulletproof vests. General Jason looked at Erick''s car and he found out that bullets had punctured his tire. He asked Erick, Elle, and Mr. Carter to step out of the car and transfer to their car. But the moment they got out of the car, General Jason''s men immediately apprehended them, holding the three of them in place while getting their guns out of their hands. "What is the meaning of this, General?" Erick asked General Jason through his gritted teeth. Chapter 507 - 507: Snake Revealed Himself "What is the meaning of this, General?" Erick asked General Jason through his gritted teeth. Mr. Carter and Elle were also looking at General Jason with disbelief. General Jason just remained silent, not answering Erick. They couldn''t tell what he was thinking right now. Alfonso and the other Dark Knight men who were taking cover behind their cars immediately came out of their hiding spot. "What took you so long, Snake? I thought you would never come." Alfonso said sarcastically. The Snake he was referring to was none other than General Jason. General Alfonso ignored Alfonso''s sarcastic remarks. He shot him a side glance before averting his gaze to the other members of the Dark Knight. They all looked sick and most of them were already injured. A deep frown appeared on his aged face. "What happened to your team? So incapable as always, Alfonso? If I didn''t come then for sure, they would escape from your grasp successfully." Alfonso was annoyed by Snake''s remarks. "It''s not my fault. I think someone drugged us and sabotaged my team. They just suddenly felt ill at the same time for no reason. And it happened today. Don''t tell me you have something to do with this?" Snake and Alfonso started fighting each other again. Their comrade could only shake their heads helplessly. They were in the middle of a mission but their two leaders were still arguing in front of them. "Maybe you did this because you wanted me to look bad to the Dark Lord. You want to ruin my image," Alfonso added, still accusing Snake. Elle, who was just listening on the side, had the urge to laugh at Alfonso''s dumbness. He jumped to a conclusion right away without analyzing things. He didn''t even suspect Dr. Gomez who gave his team the coffee this morning. "Don''t blame someone because of your carelessness and incompetence. You are just making an excuse for yourself." General Jason didn''t restrain himself from insulting Alfonso. While the two leaders of the Dark Knight were arguing a while ago, Erick reassured Elle and Mr. Carter through eye-contact, telling them that they didn''t have to worry. Erick and the others had a counterattack for this. They just have to trust in them and wait for what would happen next. After a while, one member of General Jason''s team decided to intervene before the two would argue further. "General and Senior Alfonso, I think we should proceed to our next move. What should we do with them?" Everyone focused their attention back on Erick, Elle, and Mr. Carter. "You deal with the Detective and his reporter girlfriend. Then leave the scientist to me," Alfonso said to General Jason. "Besides, the Dark Lord assigned the task to you¡­ The task of eliminating the Chief Detective," Alfonso said with a sinister smirk on his face. General Jason couldn''t look straight into Erick''s eyes. He tried his best to avoid meeting his gaze. He didn''t want to see the hatred from Erick''s eyes. After all, he really treated him like a son. After receiving the order from the Dark Lord about eliminating Erick, General Jason was bothered every day. He had conflicting thoughts. He knew that Erick had not done something wrong but unfortunately he had to die in his hands. Just thinking about that, Jason was already consumed by guilt. He had to betray another good person¡­ another great comrade. He had to do this for the Dark Knight Organization and for the Dark Lord. He had already sworn loyalty to them since the start. Just like Dr. Gomez, General Jason was indebted to the Dark Lord and this organization. This organization became his stepping stone to reach and achieve his goal. He got to this position because of the Dark Lord''s help. What he had today was the result and reward for his hard work in protecting the organization. After his long silence, Snake gave his order. He signaled his men to hand the genius scientist over to Alfonso''s Team. The two men who were restraining Mr. Carter pushed him forward to Alfonso''s side. Alfonso asked his men to drive the car. They already got what they needed here. Alfonso''s Team decided to leave right away together with Mr. Carter. They forced him to enter the van. Mr. Carter had no choice but to follow. He glanced at Erick and Elle one last time. He was still worried for their safety. He knew that Alfonso and his men would not hurt him. But Elle and Erick had a different fate. The Dark Lord ordered to kill them both. When Alfonso and his team left the area, Mr. Carter became more anxious and restless. He was silently praying for Erick''s and Elle''s safety. He trusted the Skull Gang and Phantom''s Team but he couldn''t help but worry. The spy and traitor already revealed himself. Now, it''s all up to Erick and Phantom''s team. He knew they had a great plan. He hoped that everything would go according to their plan. Meanwhile, General Jason was glad that Alfonso already left. He was just pissed off seeing that guy. Now he could talk alone to Erick and Elle aka Aliyah Ross before accomplishing his mission¡­ the mission of killing them. General Jason ordered his men to do a body search on Erick. He might be hiding more weapons. He also needed to remove any communicating device from Erick. What if he was contacting someone aside from General Jason''s team? Jason wanted to make sure that aside from him, no one knew about this operation. Before General Jason''s men removed the communication device on Erick''s ear, Phantom relayed a message to him before disconnecting their signal. Jason must not know that Erick had another back-up. They got another two guns and daggers from Erick. One man also approached Elle. He was about to do a body search on her when Erick stopped him. "Don''t you dare touch her!!!" Erick was enraged. He tried to struggle. He won''t let other men touch Elle. Seeing Erick''s reaction, General Jason stopped his subordinate. Besides, he believed that Elle was just an ordinary reporter. He was underestimating her, thinking that she didn''t know how to fight nor use any weapons. "General, you are the spy¡­ you are the traitor. Not Carl! You deceived us all. How can you do this to your team? All this time I thought you were a good person. Why are you working with those men? They are evil!" Erick started to question General Jason. "We trusted you. But you ended up betraying me and my team. I thought you were our friend, our second father. Why? Answer me! How can you do this to us?" Erick''s eyes were burning with rage. General Jason could also see the disappointment in his face. Erick was in pain. He was having a hard time accepting this truth. General Jason clenched his fists and lowered his gaze. He couldn''t face Erick. He understood what he was feeling right now. "I''m sorry, Erick. I had to do this. You already learned more about the operation of the Dark Knight. You are a great threat to them." "If you are just like the other cops who can be bribed to keep your silence, then we can let you live. But unfortunately, you are not that kind of person. The only option left is to silence you¡­ forever." Chapter 508 - 508: The Choice You Made Erick clenched his fists and gritted his teeth after hearing General Jason''s response. "Then let Aliyah go. She has nothing to do with this," Erick decided to negotiate with him, asking Jason to free Elle. But General Jason couldn''t do as he requested. He shook his head, staring at Erick''s eyes. "I''m sorry, Erick. I couldn''t do that as well. Aliyah must also die today. She also learned something that she shouldn''t have," General Jason said, rejecting Erick''s request. Erick turned to Elle with his questioning gaze as if asking her ''What did you do? What did you learn?''. Elle chewed her lower lip after meeting Erick''s gaze. She could somehow understand the meaning of that look. "I happened to discover a secret of someone. He''s a very powerful and influential man. No one would ever think that he was a bad guy. He has a good reputation in public," Elle said, informing Erick. Erick frowned. He could grasp the situation based on her statement alone. Elle had managed to discover the Dark Lord''s identity. He knew she was referring to the leader of the Dark Knight Organization. "I have to do this. I''m just doing my job. The only consolation I can give you is that¡­ both of you will die together. No one will be left behind again¡­ Erick, you will not experience the same pain and suffering again when you lost Elle." After saying that, General Jason c.o.c.ked his gun, aiming at Erick''s head. Elle felt alarmed when she saw General Jason pointing a gun at Erick. Then the incident two years ago crossed her mind. ''The shooter¡­ the one who shot me two years ago¡­ don''t tell me¡­ my suspicion was correct. Captain Jason¡­ he''s the only person following behind¡­ because of that, I lowered my guard¡­'' Elle was still reminiscing the past and thinking of the possibility that General Jason was the one who shot her when Erick spoke up. It turned out Erick was also thinking the same thing as her. "Before you kill me¡­ there are some questions I want answers from you. No need to hide the truth¡­ Are you¡­ are you the one who shot Elle in the MV Athena two years ago?" There was a gleam of anger flashing through his eyes. "You killed Elle!" Erick said through his gritted teeth. General Jason slammed his eyes shut before answering Erick. "I didn''t kill Elle¡­ I have no intention of killing Elle¡­ but..." "I had a mission to kill and eliminate Catseye! I didn''t know that Elle was Catseye. Catseye was becoming a big threat to the Dark Knight Organization. She must die before she could cause more trouble for the organization." "Yes, I was the one who shot Catseye who happened to be Elle, the love of your life." General Jason finally admitted the truth. "It''s your fault. She''s an assassin but you fell in love with her. You even hid her identity from us. I''m not the only traitor, Erick. You also betrayed your team," he added, blaming Erick and at the same time, ridiculing his action. "But I saved your ass back there. You still wanted to rescue a criminal, compromising your own safety. The ship was about to explode at that time. I saved you because I truly cared about you as my colleague." General Jason put down his hand that was holding the gun. Since Erick wanted answers then he would willing to delay some times before accomplishing his mission of killing Elle and Erick. "Yes¡­ call me a traitor, I won''t deny the fact I hide things from my colleagues. But¡­ do you want me to be grateful? I can''t do that¡­ yes¡­ you saved my life¡­ but you are also the one who caused my sufferings and my misery. You were the one who hurt Elle." Erick spat back at him. He could no longer hide his anger and frustration. He trusted him. He respected him. But in the end, he was the one who would betray him and his team. "Did you hurt Allen? Are you the one responsible for what happened to Allen?! Answer me, General!" Erick demanded an answer from him. His eyes were burning with rage. Captain Jason''s brows furrowed and his gaze drifted off in thought at the mention of Allen. "Allen¡­ he was not supposed in that current state. But he tried to investigate me. He suspected me as the one who leaked the information regarding your operation¡­ the night you tried to infiltrate the hidden Bio-weapon facility of the Dark Knight Organization." "Yes¡­ I am confessing now. I have something to do with what happened to Allen." Erick clenched his fists. He had the urge to punch General Jason now. He was looking at him with his bloodshot eyes. "How can you do that to Allen?! Is that easy for you to hurt your colleagues?!!" Elle was also surprised to hear this revelation. General Jason was like a puppet of the Dark Knight Organization. He would do anything for them, even if it meant killing, hurting, and betraying his own friends and comrades. "How despicable?! Did you sell your soul into the devil for you to do that? Betraying your comrades¡­ hurting and killing your friends!" Elle could see that Erick was boiling with rage. This was the first time she saw him like this. She knew Erick was having a hard time accepting this truth that''s why he was really mad. Aside from her, one of his bottom lines was his friend and comrade. He truly cared about them and as much as he could, he didn''t want them to be hurt. But he failed to protect Allen. The most depressing thing was¡­ someone close to them was the main culprit. General Jason could no longer hold his emotion as well so he burst out. "Do you think I also like what was happening right now?!!! It''s not easy, Erick! Not easy! It''s also hard for me to betray you and hurt all of you. But I have no choice! I have sworn my loyalty to the Dark Lord and the Dark Knight! I was indebted to them." "You always have a choice! The choice to do the right thing! But this is the choice you made¡­ you chose to hurt and betray your comrades and friends for sake of that evil organization! Is it really worth it?" Erick yelled back at him. Chapter 509 - 509: A Friends Betrayal "You always have a choice! The choice to do the right thing! But this is the choice you made. You chose to hurt and betray your comrades and friends for sake of that evil organization! Is it really worth it?" Erick yelled back at him. "YES!!! IT''S WORTH IT!... All worth it!" General Jason burst out, answering Erick''s question. General Jason''s eyes were now clear. There was no hint of remorse from them. It seemed like he turned into a different person now. He was no longer the ''Captain Jason'' they knew before. And this truth hurt Erick more. Not only him but also the other people who were listening to their conversation right now. Erick was furious but his eyes started to shed droplets of tears. He was angry and at the same time, feeling sad. All of this was breaking his heart into tiny pieces. Elle could feel his pain by just looking at him. General Jason continued talking, expressing his thoughts. "You were not the only one I betrayed. I''ve been doing this for so long. I should be immune to the feeling of guilt. I should feel nothing anymore. I feel no regrets." Jason took a pause, reminiscing everything he had done in the past. He balled his hand into a fist. His grip on his gun tightened. "But¡­ I had to admit it¡­ I could also feel the pain and sadness of losing someone close to me¡­ seeing my friends die because of me¡­ because of my betrayal." "If they were not clean cops¡­ maybe I could convince them to join me. But how unfortunate it was¡­ my friends were all good and clean cops just like you. So I had to hurt them whenever they would become a threat to the Dark Knight Organization." General Jason was also getting affected by this conversation. His emotions were not stable, unlike before. He just wanted to burst out everything. He had kept all of these for so long. Talking to Erick about this made him feel a little bit better. He could tell him how he felt and justify all his actions in the past. Besides, even if Erick could learn all his secrets, he would still die here together with Aliyah Ross. After hearing his last remarks, A realization struck Elle. Her heart started to beat fast. ''No way¡­ is this also the missing link in my father''s case?'' Elle''s expression suddenly changed. She had a hunch that General Jason was also related to what happened to her family in the past. "Were you the one who betrayed Agent Cedrick Falcon, the former head of Phoenix Special Task Force?" Both Erick and General Jason averted their gaze to Elle when her voice was heard. General Jason didn''t expect that Elle aka Aliyah Ross would bring up Agent Cedrick Falcon. General Jason was put in a trance for a few moments, his thoughts wandered back to the past. ''Agent Cedrick Falcon¡­'' His face suddenly became pale. Complex emotions flashed through his eyes. The smiling face of the most respectable Agent he had ever known popped up in his mind. ~ Flashback ~ "Jason¡­ my dear friend!" Cedrick greeted Jason enthusiastically, wrapping his arm around Jason''s shoulder. Cedrick was both his senior and his good friend. He was the one who helped him adjust when he was still new in the Task Force. He was put under a different team and Unit but Cedrick was always there guiding him and mentoring him. That''s the start of their friendship. Erick''s father and Elle''s father went to the same school. After they graduated they had to go separate ways to fulfill their dreams of becoming a true man of justice, serving the country. After three years, both of them became respectable police officers. They lost communications because they became busy with their work. Another two years had passed, then Cedrick met Jason. They became closer because Cedrick could see Raymond in him. He became his best buddy in the police department. Many years had passed, they built a strong relationship. Cedrick trusted Jason, treating him like his own brother. Who would have thought that the person whom he entrusted his life with was the one who would betray him in the end?Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-betrayal_51653599289203529 for visiting. Cedrick Falcon became one of the most capable and skilled agents of the law enforcement department. He gained lots of achievements. Because of that, he was assigned to become the head of the Phoenix Special Task Force. He brought his team to the greatest heights of fame. Phoenix Special Task Force received many awards for their achievements. The crime rate in City Z decreased ever since the Phoenix Special Task Force was formed. Then an assassin named Phantom brought a great disturbance in the whole country, killing several men including a public servant, a politician. After many failures, the law enforcement decided to assign Phantom''s case to the Phoenix Special Task Force headed by Agent Cedrick Falcon. This was the start wherein Agent Falcon slowly uncovered the truth about Phantom, his life story. Along the process, he met the scientist, Mr. Carter. He found the missing link to the death of Phantom''s Family. After learning the important information and intelligence from Mr. Carter, Agent Falcon tried his best to protect him and at the same time, to expose the existence of the Bio-weapon facility. He had a perfect plan but he miscalculated one thing. He trusted the wrong person. Mr. Carter warned him about the Spies of the Dark Knight Organization so he became cautious with other officers, except Jason, his good friend. In order to implement his plan, Agent Falcon needed someone to help him. The person who came into his mind was Jason. One day he told him everything about what he learned from Mr. Carter. At first, Jason helped him to secure Mr. Carter''s family. Jason was with him when he brought Mr. Carter''s family to the safe house. Agent Falcon was clueless that the person he trusted most would be the one who would betray him. Jason told the Dark Lord everything Cedrick had told him. That resulted in the death of Agent Cedrick Falcon and his family including Mr. Carter''s Family. Chapter 510 - 510: Accomplice of the Crime ~ Flashback ~ "Dark Lord, I found the scientist. I learned the identity of the person who was helping him." Jason approached the leader of the Dark Knight Organization. "Continue¡­" the Dark Lord simply stated. "The person is Agent Cedrick Falcon. The Head of Phoenix Special Task Force. He is my friend. He brought the family of the scientist to the safe house. Fortunately, he trusted me that much. He told me everything so I helped him." Jason continued supplying him with information. The Dark Lord remained silent, just urging him to continue. "The scientist became a whistleblower. They will expose the Bio-weapon facility." After hearing that, the Dark Lord stood up. "Clean this mess. I''m counting on you Snake." "What do you want me to do?" Jason asked him. "You said that the agent was your friend, right?" The Dark Lord said meaningfully. Jason just nodded his head. "Then try your best to convince him to work for us. If he refuses then you have to kill him." The Dark Lord said firmly. Jason''s eyes widened upon hearing that. Cedrick was his good friend. He already betrayed him by telling these pieces of information to the Dark Lord, but killing him, he couldn''t do that. ****** After talking to the Dark Lord, Jason became uneasy and restless. He was having conflicting thoughts. He didn''t know how he would be able to convince Cedrick to work for the Dark Knight Organization. He knew him very well. Agent Cedrick Falcon valued integrity more and had a great sense of justice. He was a good cop¡­ a very clean law enforcement officer. Upon arriving at the office, he immediately looked for Cedrick. He wanted to talk to him and ask him indirectly. Cedrick noticed that Jason looked troubled by something. "Hey, do you have a problem?" Cedrick asked Jason worriedly. "Ced, can I ask you something?" "Sure, what is it?" "Answer me honestly. What if someone will ask you to stop investigating a case in exchange for money? Will you do it and accept the money?" Jason asked him expectantly. Cedrick was taken aback when he heard that. He fell silent for a few moments. Then a loud chuckle was heard, breaking the silence. Jason looked at him confusedly. "What''s funny?" Seeing the frown on Jason''s forehead, Cedrick stopped laughing and answered him. "Well, do I look like a person who will accept a bribe? Hey, Jason, are you suspecting me of being a corrupt officer?" There was a glint of humor in Cedrick''s eyes while asking him that. "I heard that the Dark Knight Organization is a very powerful organization. You told me that they had spies in the police department. What if they will offer you a great amount of money and ask you to work for them, will you not be tempted to accept it?" "This is just a hypothetical question. But I want you to answer me truthfully," Jason added, anticipating his reply. This time Cedrick became serious. "No, I will not accept it." "Even if they will threaten your life? What if they will come after you and kill you? What will happen to your family?" Jason was still hoping that Cedrick would change his mind. Cedrick held his shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. A faint smile was formed in the corner of his lips. Then he spoke up again. "Since the start, I chose this profession, I already knew the danger I would be facing. We are gambling our lives in every mission. But this will not stop me from doing the right thing. I am ready to die serving my country." Jason couldn''t accept this. He didn''t want him to die but Cedrick was firm with his decision. "If you die what will happen to your family? You have a daughter and she''s still young. Don''t you care about them?" "Jason, I care about them, that''s why I am doing this. I want to give my family a safe place to live in. That''s why I will do my best to catch every criminal who will threaten the peace in our country, including those powerful underground syndicates." At that certain moment, Jason realized that there''s no way Cedrick would work for the Dark Knight Organization. ******* Dark Lord: "If that''s his answer then we have no choice but to eliminate your friend. He is a great threat to our organization. Our operation will be compromised because of him." "Kill him as soon as possible and bring the scientist back to the facility!" Jason: "Dark Lord¡­ I-I¡­ I''m sorry but I can''t¡­ I can''t kill him." The Dark Lord fell silent. He knew how Cedrick and Jason became close. He asked someone to do a background check on Cedrick Falcon. Jason was still soft but he knew that his loyalty was still with him and the Dark Knight. Dark Lord: "Alright. You don''t have to kill him yourself. I will ask someone else to do the work. Alfonso Ramirez, he is the perfect man for this job." ****** The day when Alfonso and his gang attacked the Falcon''s household, it was Jason who was the accomplice of the crime. Because of his presence, Agent Cedrick Falcon lowered his guard. It was Jason who let Alfonso and his gang enter the house. That''s the reason why there''s no sign of breaking in and it happened during the daytime. While Alfonso and his gang were beating the Falcon''s household one after another, Jason was outside, serving as a look-out. He could hear the sinister laughter coming from Alfonso''s gang and the desperate plea of Cedrick''s daughter, Elle. His heart was being pierced million times hearing her cries. He wanted to run inside to stop them but in the end, he chose to ignore it. He closed his eyes and his ears. When there was complete silence inside the house, that''s the time he entered. Then he saw Cedrick and Elle lying on the floor bathing with their own blood. He couldn''t look at them straight. He quickly ran out of the house and vomitted outside. After the crime, Jason was the one who cleaned all the evidence, that''s why Erick''s father didn''t get any clue about the culprits when the case was assigned to them. Chapter 511 - 511: More Truth and Revelation General Jason was surprised when Aliyah Ross brought up Cedrick Falcon. The incident 18 years ago crossed his mind like a flashback. For some unknown reason, he admitted everything to Erick and Elle. He kept that incident for so long. Whenever he would remember it, the guilt for betraying his good friend was still bothering him. He didn''t want to admit that he could still feel the guilt deep inside his heart and his conscience kept haunting him whenever he would think of Cedrick''s daughter who went missing after that incident. That was also the main reason why he hated Alfonso to the core. They even hurt an innocent child. But blaming and hating Alfonso for everything was just his excuse so that he would feel better. He kept reminding himself that he was not the one who hurt them. He was not the one who killed them just to make him feel better. However, he couldn''t bury the truth that he was still the accomplice. It was undeniably a fact that he betrayed his friend and it resulted in the death of Cedrick and his family. General Jason had no idea that Erick''s team had already connected the dots and they already knew that Elle also known as Catseye was the missing daughter of Agent Cedrick Falcon. Meanwhile, When Elle heard that confession from General Jason, it was as if she was thrown back to that day where she experienced and witnessed that frightening scene when Alfonso and his gang attacked her family. A boiling fury swelled within her like a blazing inferno that wanted to burn her from inside out. Her pulse sped up and she was breathing very shallow. She clenched her fists so hard that her nails cut into her skin. She looked at General Jason with hatred, her eyes smoldering with anger. She was losing herself again as Elle was at her wit''s end. She was so mad knowing that her father trusted the wrong person. He was betrayed by his own friend. All the pain and her suffering were suddenly resurfacing one after another. She wanted to kill someone just to satisfy her rage. Erick was so angry as well. He didn''t expect that General Jason was this kind of man. But his anger was overpowered by his concern for Elle. If he was angry right now then how much more Elle? He immediately shifted his gaze to her only to find out that Elle''s expression already changed. Her eyes were red with rage. He could tell by the way her body was shaking. She stood still, fist clenched at her sides as the two men behind her were still holding her in place. ''Elle¡­ wifey please be strong. Don''t let your anger consume you,'' Erick was silently praying in his mind while looking at Elle worriedly. However, Elle could no longer hide her fury, not after knowing all of this. This revelation came from the person who did the crime. Elle''s laughter bubbled up. It was a burst of humorless laughter. Everyone including General Jason looked at her in confusion. They didn''t know why she suddenly laughed. "Is there anything funny, Miss Aliyah Rose?" General Jason asked her, his eyebrow arched in amus.e.m.e.nt. ''Wifey¡­'' Erick had a bad feeling about this. Elle looked different right now. It was frightening him. What if she would do something she shouldn''t have. He had to protect her and their baby. Elle, on the other hand, stopped laughing upon hearing General Jason''s query. "Gen. Jason, do you know that you are fated to make the life of Cedrick''s daughter miserable?" Elle said sternly, staring at him with bloodshot eyes. "What do you mean by that?" General Jason couldn''t help but frown. "Wow, I think you still have no idea that you already met the missing daughter of your good friend whom you betrayed," Elle said, being sarcastic. General Jason wondered why Aliyah Ross suddenly changed her attitude. She became bold and fierce right now. He could no longer see the fear in her eyes. All he could see was anger and hatred. But why? "Stop beating around the bush, Aliyah. If you have something to tell then state it directly." Elle let out another mocking laugh. "Oh, your spying skills seem to diminish its effectiveness. You didn''t learn the truth about his daughter. In return for your confession, let me tell you this truth." Elle paused for a moment. She was eyeing General Jason with a wicked smile on her face. Erick felt uneasy. He didn''t know what Elle was planning to do. He wanted to warn her but Elle was not looking in his direction. ''Elle... what are you trying to do here?'' Erick peered at his surroundings, wishing that Phantom and his team were watching this. He was counting on them. No matter what happened, Erick and Phantom should do their best to secure Elle''s safety and protect her. Elle continued speaking to General Jason. "Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon, that''s her name. She went missing, right? You didn''t see her body. That poor child¡­ she survived 18 years ago after you betrayed her family." The hatred was reflected in her voice. General Jason just remained silent, allowing Elle to tell him what she wanted. He had to admit he was also wondering what happened to Cedrick''s daughter. He thought she died already but her missing body became a mystery 18 years ago. "And that child¡­ she came back to City Z and started to plan her revenge when she became ready. The funny thing was¡­ you caused her family''s death 18 years ago¡­ and just two years ago, with your own hands, you tried to kill her once again." General Jason''s frown deepened after hearing that. He darted his gaze back and forth between Elle and Erick. Judging from their expression alone, it seemed that Aliyah Ross was not bluffing. She knew something about Cedrick''s daughter. "The Catseye whom you tried to kill two years ago¡­ was also the missing daughter of Agent Cedrick Falcon." Chapter 512 - 512: Ma. Belle Elleise "The Catseye whom you tried to kill two years ago¡­ was also the missing daughter of Agent Cedrick Falcon." General Jason froze in place the moment he heard that. His eyes widened in utter disbelief. He opened his mouth only to close it again several times. He couldn''t utter any words. Elle''s words kept on replaying on his mind right now. { "The Catseye whom you tried to kill two years ago¡­ was also the missing daughter of Agent Cedrick Falcon." } ''Catseye¡­ Elle¡­ She''s the missing daughter of Cedrick? She''s alive? But¡­ I killed her two years ago.'' General Jason''s mind was in shambles. He didn''t want to admit but Cedrick''s daughter was his weakness. He was tremendously feeling guilty for her. He was still guilty for unable to save that innocent child. Because of his selfishness and betrayal, a 10-year old innocent child suffered a lot, not just physically but also emotionally. He knew how traumatic for her to witness her parents getting killed slowly by men she didn''t know. She cried¡­ she begged¡­ but no one listened to her. Instead, they even made fun of her feelings, giving her false hope that she could save her parents by following their orders but in the end, they tried to use her to kill her own parents. He thought he would be in peace that the poor child died together with her parents. But suddenly, her body went missing. He didn''t think she would survive after having those wounds. And now, he heard that child survived and she''s the one he killed two years ago. What a twisted fate they had? Seeing his shaken expression, Elle continued talking. Her eyes were still bloodshot with blazing fury. "How does it feel to kill the child of the person whom you betrayed before?" Her lips stretched out into a sarcastic smile. Her voice snapped him back out of his wandering thoughts. "What do you know? You are just a reporter. You are not here when it all happened." General Jason spat back at her. Erick looked at Elle worriedly. He was already analyzing the situation, counting the people who surrounded them as of this moment. Two men were holding him in place, the same with Elle. There were four men standing at the back of General Jason. Two were checking their surroundings while the other two were watching them. There were also five men near the vehicles who served as the lookout. Erick was just waiting for Phantom''s next moves. He believed that Phantom and his team were getting ready to counterattack now. They had to move faster. Elle had lost her control. She''s freaking mad right now. After a while, Elle let out a sarcastic laugh. She couldn''t restrain herself anymore. Her bad-ass personality was coming out to open. Her dark eyes were very fierce and cold. Erick could feel the chilly aura emanating from her, even the two men who were holding her. They sensed the sudden change in her behavior. "Before you kill us, let me tell you everything that I know about Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon also known as Catseye. Have you not ever wondered why Catseye was targeting the Los Mollasses Gang? It''s because of her revenge." "She trained herself to become a full-fledged assassin. Her first kill was one of the members of that Gang. After few years of strengthening and honing her skills, she came back. She wasted her other years accepting missions just to satisfy her bloodl.u.s.t." "You and Alfonso were the ones who made that Devilish Assassin. She tried to cope with her traumatic experience by killing other bad people whom she thought deserved to die in her hands. She recovered and conquered her demon little by little." "Then one day, she realized that she''s done playing. She had to accomplish her goal as soon as possible. She started to hunt the members of the Los Molasses Gang and killed them one by one." Elle smirked at him. Her eyes not leaving Alfonso''s face. She watched him absorb everything she was saying right now. The disbelief was evident in General Jason''s eyes. Her words made sense to him. He was the one who handled Catseye''s case so he knew about her brutal methods of killing her targets. "Two years ago, she resumed her revenge by killing Jefferson Gong. But for her personal reason, she let Carlo Vello and De Dios stay alive. But with her scheme, she tortured them first the same way they did to their victims before surrendering them to the police." General Jason could only frown and listen to her. "If she learned right away that Alfonso Ramirez was working under the Dark Knight Organization, Catseye would never accept the hit from the Dark Knight." "She accepted the mission of killing Jorge Arison just for the sake of money and to eliminate another bad guy. Who would have thought that the true evil here was the Dark Lord?" Elle let out another chuckle before continuing. "Catseye''s life changed since then. Maybe that mission was also a blessing in disguise for her. Because of that, she met Erick and other people who helped her change for the better. "But the funny thing is¡­ she thought you were included to those people. But she was mistaken again. You were the one who caused her misery 18 years ago. And you are the person who betrayed her during Rescue Mission in MV Athena 2 years ago." Every word she said was like arrows targeting Jason''s heart. "The Dark Lord really trained you well to become a traitor. Your alias, Snake, suits you well." Elle said, mocking General Jason. "How did you know all of this?!!" General Jason squealed at her. He couldn''t take those words anymore. He had to admit that he was affected by those hurtful words. Elle flashed her signature evil smile before answering his question. "I know everything¡­ because I am Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon." After saying that, Elle moved using her speed, attacking the two people who were holding her in place. She snatched the gun from one guy. After General Jason recovered from the shock, he also aimed his gun towards Elle. "Elle¡­ No!" Erick shouted at her in a panicking voice. *Bang!*Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #.-belle-elleise_51861350900623893 for visiting. The sound of gunshot resonated in the area. Chapter 513 - 513: Fell On His Trap After General Jason recovered from the shock, he also aimed his gun towards Elle. "Elle¡­ No!" Erick shouted at her in a panicking voice. *Bang!* The sound of gunshot resonated in the area. Thud! Someone fell on the ground. General Jason was just looking at Elle with complex emotions. Erick had already escaped from the men who were holding him in place. Using his speed and agility, he struck them, elbowing one man while twisting the hand of the other one. Just like Elle, he snatched the gun of one man while he kicked the other guy thus dropping his weapon. He immediately dashed towards Elle to shield her from other men who would try to hurt her. Elle was still holding her gun, pointing at General Jason. She shot him, hitting his arm which was holding the gun. General Jason was looking straight into Elle''s eyes. His hand was trembling. At that certain moment, he couldn''t pull the trigger. He couldn''t shot her especially after knowing she''s Ma. Belle Elleise. This was a great shock to him. He didn''t expect any of this. His men were about to retaliate when suddenly some of them fell on the ground. General Jason finally realized that they were not alone. There were snipers hiding nearby. Phantom and others already made their moves. They didn''t kill General Jason''s men but they ensured to injure them on their hands, legs, and shoulders in order for them to drop their weapons. "You have other back-ups," General Jason mumbled in disbelief. When he looked around, all his men were already down. He was the only man standing. Captain Jason gave Erick a questioning gaze. Erick had a serious expression on his face. He turned to Elle, checking if she was just fine. Elle had finally calmed down when Erick grabbed and held her arm. Even though she was boiling with rage, Elle realized that she couldn''t kill someone in front of Erick. So she just shot General Jason on his arm so that he would drop his gun. Erick just looked at Elle helplessly. He had the urge to scold her. He felt like his heart jumped out of his chest when he saw her suddenly make a move, attacking those two men who were restraining her. It did not take long when Phantom and the others came out of their hiding spots. General Jason was utterly astounded when he saw familiar faces. There was a moment of silence. No one spoke up. They were just staring at each other''s faces. Everyone could feel the heavy air and gloomy atmosphere surrounding them. General Jason slammed his eyes shut while gritting his teeth. He couldn''t look at them. He couldn''t face them. Who would have thought that Erick''s team, Bryan, June, and Carl, was there? Rose and April were the only ones left on the headquarters but they were witnessing this scene through the spying camera. Everything that happened there since Erick arrived was being recorded. "You¡­ you already know? When did you know that I am the spy?" General Jason asked Erick after opening his eyes. "And¡­ how come? Aliyah Ross is Ma Belle? Is Elle alive? How is that possible?" Captain Jason shifted his gaze from Erick to Elle. "I am already suspecting you after Allen''s incident. Carl and I talked about what happened. He also confirmed to me that Allen was suspecting you but because he didn''t have proof yet he decided to hide this from me." "He was always going out of the office as he tried to investigate and gather evidence. It was hard on him because you were like a father to him. After what happened to Allen, Carl decided to share their suspicion with me." Erick continued talking to General Jason. "One week before our mission about infiltrating the bio-weapon facility, Carl and Allen accidentally shared our plan with you. They mentioned it during the get-together party of the Special Task Force Eagle." "I also found the missing cellphone of Allen. When we opened it, it contained a recording about you talking to members of the Dark Knight Organization. That''s when we confirmed your involvement with them." General Jason still couldn''t believe it. He fell on Erick''s trap. He couldn''t help but burst out laughing. He wanted to commend him. Just a few days ago, Erick had made him think that he was trusting him so much. Who would have thought that it was a well-planned strategy to catch him on the act. Erick was really a smart and wise detective. "Now, that makes sense. Our talk in the restaurant that night. You made me believe that I was the only one with whom you decided to share your concerns. You said Bryan and others didn''t know anything to protect them, am I right?" General Jason couldn''t help but laugh at his mistake and foolishness. "Captain¡­ H-How¡­ can you do this to us?" Carl finally found his voice to speak up. He was still shocked and shaken because of the revelations they heard today. "Why did you hurt Allen? I thought we are one family here? How can you betray us just like that?" The pain was visible in Allen''s face. Jason just remained silent, looking down. For some unknown reason, his heart felt like being squeezed right now. He had to admit that his team became important to him. He was also in pain. He messed up everything. He ruined the friendship he had with them for the Dark Knight Organization. He made lots of wrong decisions and sacrifices just to protect the Dark Knight Organization. Erick was right. Was it worth it? Was he happy? He had the fame, the position of being a general, but in the end, he lost his friends, and comrades whom he treated as his own family. He didn''t expect that confrontation like this would happen. He felt like his world just crumbled before him. Was he starting to regret everything? But he just said to Erick a while ago that he had no regrets. "General Jason¡­ it''s not too late to right the wrong. Help us bring down the Dark Knight Organization. The Dark Lord should also pay for his crime. He is the root for all of this," Erick said, convincing General Jason. Chapter 514 - 514: Admit Defeat "General Jason¡­ it''s not too late to right the wrong. Help us bring down the Dark Knight Organization. The Dark Lord should also pay for his crime. He is the root for all of this," Erick said, convincing General Jason. General Jason didn''t say any words. He was just looking at Erick with complex emotions on his face. His hand was still bleeding. But he could feel the pain in his heart more than his wound. He was the one who made this choice. He chose this path. In return, he lost everything. General Jason just took a deep breath, lowering his gaze. He had to admit defeat today. Meanwhile, April and Rose who were both still crying in the office already called Officer Kim''s team. They were now on the way to the location along with the ambulance. They would be the ones to take General Jason''s accomplices to the precinct and further investigate them. Most of them were also police officers who served as spies of the Dark Knight Organization. Erick signaled Carl to arrest General Jason. Carl picked up his handcuffs as he walked over. He recited the Miranda Warning as he was restraining General Jason''s hand. It felt strange saying those words to a person close to you, your fellow law enforcement officer, your comrade, and your friend. "You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future." Every word seemed like daggers stabbing his heart right now. Carl, Bryan, and Erick felt the same way. General Jason didn''t struggle anymore. He just followed Carl as they brought him to their car. But before leaving his spot, he glanced in Elle''s direction for one last time. Their eyes met but no one spoke up. Elle knew in her heart that she could not forgive him for what he had done to her father and her family. Erick immediately engulfed Elle in his arms, kissing her head. He was worried about her and their child. He just felt relieved now that she''s in his arms. "What are you thinking? Why did you do that? Argh¡­ you are giving me a heart attack," Erick complained and nagged at her, hugging and squeezing her in his arms. "I''m sorry, hubby. I didn''t mean to make you worry," Elle said apologetically, biting her lower lip. Phantom also approached Elle. He patted Elle''s head and said, "You are a strong and brave woman. Well done, daughter. Well done." After hearing that compliment from Phantom, Elle couldn''t help but shed some tears. She suddenly became emotional. All her anger, sadness, and pain, she needed to cry to pour out all her negative emotions to feel better. "If I could just turn back time¡­ If I could just¡­" Elle was crying in Erick''s chest. Phantom and Erick were there comforting her. They just let her cry. Bryan and June who were both watching them on the sideline also teared up. They felt sorry for Elle. She suffered too much during her childhood. Now they understood how she ended up being an assassin. They agreed with Phantom. She was indeed a strong and brave woman. It did not take long when James together with Charles, Black Shadow and Brother Lu arrived. Phantom called them. They needed to secure and accompany Elle. They still had another mission to do: to chase Alfonso''s team and rescue Mr. Carter. Brother Yu''s Team, and Spike''s team together with Brother yan and Sherlock were now chasing after Alfonso''s team. Phantom mobilized them the moment Alfonso''s team left the location. Since Erick''s team was just around, they didn''t let Black Shadow left the car. Charles, Brother Lu, and James were the only ones who were allowed to come out of the van. When Elle stopped crying, Phantom and Erick talked to her. "Wifey, Father, and I still need to chase after Alfonso. You should stay with James and others," Erick softly said to her, caressing her face while wiping her tears. Elle understood her situation. She''s pregnant right now and she couldn''t join them in this mission. "Leave this to us, Elle. I will make sure that Alfonso will pay for what he had done to our family," Phantom reassured Elle. Elle nodded her head. She hugged both men. "Father, Erick¡­ both of you¡­ please be careful," she said with her worried voice. The two men just gave her a gentle smile. Soon, Erick guided her to James. James immediately hugged Elle. He was worried sick about her. Thank God, she was safe now! Nothing bad happened to her. After they broke apart, Charles and Brother Lu also hugged Elle. She was touched as she could see that many people were concerned about her. She didn''t expect that despite her past she still had people caring about her so much. June also approached her. He was still shocked after knowing that Elle was alive. "Welcome back, Elle." Elle smiled at him. "Thanks, Agent June." "See you later, Elle," Bryan said cheerfully. June and Erick would accompany Erick and Phantom in chasing after Alfonso''s team. The moment Officer Kim and his team arrived, Phantom, Erick, and Erick''s team left the location to follow the other group. Phantom received a message from Brother Yu, telling him that they were able to catch up with Alfonso''s team. The ambulance also arrived. Officer Kim and others would escort the injured men to the hospital. They would need to treat their wounds first before they could arrest them for interrogation. Every one of them would be investigated, especially their connection to the Dark Knight Organization. Rose and April already gave Officer Kim a brief overview of the situation. He was also surprised when he learned General Jason''s involvement with the Dark Knight Organization. Officer Kim also asked Elle about the kidnapping incident. James, Charles, and Brother Lu didn''t leave her, making her feel safe in their presence. Inside the black van, there''s one person sulking in the backseat. Black Shadow was wearing a gloomy expression. ''Why am I not allowed to go out? I feel like I am a prisoner here. I want to see and to talk to my Kitten already. What took them so long. Sigh, Can I just put on a mask and get out of here?" Black Shadow complained to himself. Chapter 515 - 515: Phantoms Request When Officer Kim and his team left together with General Jason and his accomplices, that''s the time Black Shadow was able to step out of the car. Elle was still talking with James and others when suddenly someone grabbed her from behind. "Kitten! I miss you. I''m glad you are safe." Black Shadow mumbled cheerfully as he engulfed Elle in his arms. Because of his sudden action, the three men jolted in surprise. They thought an enemy just appeared and attacked Elle from behind. James and Charles shot him a sharp cold stare while Brother Lu could only watch them helplessly, scratching his face. ''Sigh, Brother Black is always energetic around our Sister Elle,'' Brother Lu thought to himself. Elle could only smile seeing Black Shadow''s enthusiastic behavior. Then Black Shadow turned to the three men with his contorted face. "How dare you lock me inside the van? Am I your prisoner? You left me behind," Black Shadow ranted at them. "We did that because your presence would just bring trouble. Did you forget that you are a wanted criminal?" Charles spat back at him, raising his eyebrow. James could only facepalm and shake his head. Brother Lu just smiled at Black Shadow sheepishly. "Ok guys, stop arguing. We still have more work to do. Can we see and monitor the other teams who are pursuing Alfonso''s team right now?" Elle decided to intervene before the guys would fall into further bickering. "Can we communicate with others? There''s something I wanna tell everyone," Elle added. The four men looked at each other. They were curious about the information Elle was about to tell them. It sounded very important. "Let''s go inside the van. There are multiple monitors inside wherein we can see what is happening with the sides of the other teams. We can also talk to each other through the communication device," James informed Elle. "Erick''s team is also connected to us. Rose and April are the ones sending this signal to each and everyone," Charles also said. Elle just nodded at them. They didn''t waste any more time as they entered the van. There was one Skull Gang member who was with them. He was the one driving the car. The moment they all settled down inside the van, Elle started communicating with others. Everyone fell silent. They focused their attention on Elle. "Can everyone hear me?" Elle asked the other team. Erick responded as well as Spike, Brother Yu, and Rose. "I just want to relay this important information. I managed to discover the Dark Lord''s real identity. We all know him very well¡­" "The Dark Lord is none other than Senator Alex Mondragon." Rose and April gasped in surprise even the other members couldn''t believe it. That revelation was unexpected. First, they were shaken after knowing General Jason''s betrayal and now, they encountered another shocking revelation. Who would have thought that the most generous and kindhearted Senator Mondragon who had a good and clean reputation was also the head of the evil organization, the Dark Lord of the Dark Knight Organization? "Listen everyone¡­ today is our chance to expose and reveal to the public that the bio-weapon facility does exist in this country." Elle continued talking to them. "I will ask my friends in the media. We will have to use the influence of the media in revealing this truth to everyone. I will ask Sandy''s help." "Today, we will expose the Dark Knight Organization¡­ so take care, everyone, and good luck. The time has come for the Dark Knight to fall. They will pay for their crime, especially the Dark Lord." After saying that, Elle shared her plan with them. Everyone agreed with her suggestion. She immediately contacted Sandy, giving her instructions on what she should do. Meanwhile, Phantom, Erick, and Erick''s team were now on the way to catch Alfonso and rescue Mr. Carter. While they were traveling, Phantom talked to Erick and his team. "As you all know, Elle is Catseye. I am her Master. I am Phantom. I was the one who saved her 18 years ago and trained her to become a full-fledged assassin." Erick already knew it except June, Carl, and Bryan. They suddenly became anxious after hearing that. He was the legendary assassin they heard about before. Seeing the reaction of the three men, Phantom couldn''t help but chuckle. "Relax¡­ I''m not your enemy now. I''m not planning to hurt you," he said, teasing them. Carl, June, and Bryan heaved a sigh of relief. They smiled sheepishly at Phantom. Who would have thought that they would be able to work and do a mission together with this formidable assassin? "There''s something I want to request from all of you. Please don''t tell this to Elle." Erick and the other guys were taken aback after hearing his last remarks. Phantom was now wearing a serious expression. "I know I am being selfish for asking this from all of you. But Elle had gone through a lot. This time I want her to become happy and live her life with her newly found family." "Yes, she committed crimes in the past. Though she killed only bad people it''s still against the law. But please, can you please turn a blind eye to this and just let her go? In exchange, I will shoulder all the responsibilities. Blame everything to me." "Elle is no longer Catseye. Let her live as Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon, the daughter of Agent Cedrick Falcon. This time she should live her true identity. Please help me. She deserves to live a simple happy life together with Erick." "I know I am asking too much from all of you. Letting go of a criminal is against your morals. It''s your duty to catch Catseye. Please¡­ just let her go freely. Don''t punish her anymore." He begged them. Erick, Bryan, Carl, and June could understand Phantom. They knew how much he cared about Elle. Erick just remained silent. He didn''t want to be biased and influence his team. He also wanted to know their opinion regarding this. After a while, Bryan spoke up to break the silence.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-request_51933486486977942 for visiting. "Ahem, what are you talking about? The previous Catseye already died two years ago. We are catching the new Catseye now. Am I right, guys?" Bryan turned to Carl and June. He was smiling at them. The two men nodded in agreement. "Yes, that''s true. Elle and Catseye died two years ago." June also said, supporting Bryan''s remarks. Carl just smiled at Erick and Phantom, as if telling them they understood what to do. Erick and Phantom gave the three men a grateful look. This answer from them meant a lot to Phantom and Erick. Their response was signifying that they won''t pursue Elle''s case. They agreed on Phantom. They also wanted Elle to have a fresh start with Erick. She would live as Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon from now on. Her identity as Catseye was already buried two years ago when Elle was declared dead. They wanted Elle to have this second chance in life. She already changed for the better. They might be breaking the law by doing this. But they promised to themselves that this was the only exception. They knew they would not regret doing this. Chapter 516 - 516: For the Sake of Friendship Brother Yan, Brother Yu, Spike, and Sherlock were still tailing Alfonso without his knowledge. Erick''s team was following them. Skull Gang and Phantom''s Henchmen were able to catch up with Alfonso''s team since they were doing a stop-over once in a while because most of them were still not feeling well and needed CR-break. It did not take long when Erick''s team was able to join them. Erick immediately informed the other team that they were just behind them. Erick: "Team Alpha, Team Beta¡­ We are right behind you. We will proceed according to our plan. There will be a checkpoint 1 Kilometers away from here. If Alfonso''s team will change their route then it will go according to our plan A." Brother Yu: "Noted, Chief Lee. Are we going to do the ambush the moment they change their route?" Phantom: "Yes. That''s our plan. We can block their way and stop their movement once they venture to the road that was less traveled by civilians. If there will be a shootout, no civilians will be caught in it." Erick: "What''s the situation on your end, Rose and April?" Rose: "Chief Lee, we received a call from Officer Kim. As per your instruction, he will bring General Jason here at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters for us to interrogate him." April: "They will be here in 20 minutes. Don''t worry, Chief Lee. We will do our best to convince him to cooperate with us" Erick: "Okay. I will leave that to both of you. Update me as soon as possible. General Jason''s help will play a vital role here in order to catch the Dark Lord." Erick: "By the way, did you check Allen''s condition?" Rose: "He''s doing well now. Agent Jane and Marie will visit him today. His parents informed us that Allen is sleeping most of the time to regain his strength." April: "Dr. Gomez said that we can get his statement once he becomes more stable after getting enough rest." Elle remembered something at the mention of Dr. Gomez. They could hear the whole conversation through the communication device. She didn''t tell anyone yet about his relationship with the Dark Lord. But she was grateful to him. He helped them by drugging the members of the Dark Knight who were assigned to this mission. Elle: "Erick, there''s something I haven''t told everyone yet." Erick: "It''s okay. You can tell us now." Elle fell silent for a moment. She didn''t know how she would tell him about Dr. Gomez. What if Erick would be sad again knowing that his doctor friend was related to the Dark Lord? Everyone was wondering why Elle suddenly became quiet. Phantom urged Erick to ask her again. It seemed that something was bothering Elle, that''s why she fell silent for a moment. Erick: "Wifey??? Is there something wrong? You can tell me anything. Your hubby is willing to listen." Now, it was everyone''s turn to be silent when Erick called Elle using their endearment. Who would have thought that simple endearment from Erick was enough to feed them dog''s food? For goodness'' sake, they were still on the mission and everyone was listening to them through the communication device. James: "..." Charles: ''Public Display of Affection? Damn, Erick. Did he forget that we are still on the mission?'' Brother Lu: ''Aww. Brother Erick is so sweet toward Sister Elle. What a cute couple?!'' Black Shadow: ''Does he have to call my kitten that and let us all hear it? And what''s with that sweet gentle voice of him?'' Then Black Shadow turned to James. He wanted to see his reaction. He wondered if James would be jealous of Erick. The moment he moved his gaze on James, he was already looking in his direction so their eyes met. James was expressionless so Black Shadow couldn''t figure out what he was thinking. But James raised his eyebrow when he noticed that Black Shadow was assessing him. "What? What are you looking at?" James said to Black Shadow with his stern cold voice. Black Shadow just smiled at him sheepishly while shaking his head. "Nothing." He immediately looked away. Meanwhile, Elle had decided to tell Erick about Dr. Gomez. Elle: "Hubby¡­ it''s about Dr. Gomez. He knew the Dark Lord and we saw each other in the Dark Knight Organization Main Headquarters." There was a moment of silence before Erick spoke up. Erick: "Yes, I already know. Dr. Gomez told me just a few hours ago when we met at the hospital." Elle was surprised when she heard that. Dr. Gomez didn''t mention anything to her. Elle: "What did he tell you?" Erick: "He told me that he saw you being held captive in one of the Dark Knight Organization Headquarters. He also gave us an update when you and Alfonso''s team left the headquarters." Erick paused for a moment, reminiscing the moment when Dr. Gomez told him about Elle''s situation. ~ Flashback ~ "Erick, there''s something I need to tell you. Please listen to me first. I hope you won''t judge me right away." Dr. Gomez said, feeling anxious. It looked like he was bothered by something. After checking Allen''s condition, Dr. Gomez asked Erick to come with him to his office. "What is it?" Erick asked him curiously. He could feel the anxiety of Dr. Gomez from his expression alone. "Erick, I know where Aliyah Ross is right now. She is being held captive in the Dark Knight Organization Headquarters." Erick was stunned for a moment after hearing that. "I''m sorry, Erick. It took me a lot of time before telling you this. My conscience is haunting me every hour¡­ I can''t let anything bad happen to Aliyah and to your child." "Yes, Erick. She told me that she''s pregnant with your child. The Dark Knight is using her to attack you. She asked my help to protect you." "How is she? Where is she?! I have to go and save her!! Tell me!" Erick grabbed Dr. Gomez on his shoulders, shaking him as he continued asking him about Elle''s whereabouts. "Erick, calm down. I promise I will help you. But saving her inside the main headquarters of the Dark Knight is a bad idea. It was highly guarded. You can''t enter unnoticed. It would be easy to save her once she''s out of the headquarters." Dr. Gomez suggested to Erick. "Go with the plan and do the exchange. I will help you sabotage the members of this mission. I will go back to the headquarters after this." After hearing that, Erick finally calmed down. "Is she alright?" His voice was filled with worries and concerns for Elle. "Yes. She''s fine. So don''t worry. They didn''t hurt her. She is just locked in one room." Dr. Gomez reassured Erick. "Erick, be careful. During this mission, the Dark Lord had ordered to kill you¡­ not only you but also Aliyah." Dr. Gomez warned him. "I know. But what are you doing there? Are you a member of the Dark Knight Organization?" Erick asked him inquisitively. Complex emotions flashed on his face. Dr. Gomez smiled faintly before shaking his head. "No, I am not a member of that organization. But I am a personal doctor of their Leader. Erick, I am indebted to that person. But I don''t want you to die. You are my friend. I can''t let that happen." Chapter 517 - 517: Ambush? Inside Alfons¨®''s car, Mr. Carter was very silent. His hands were tied down, making sure that he would not be able to escape. Unknown to Alfonso, Mr. Carter had a tracking device hidden in his body. Erick and others made sure to hide it where Alfonso couldn''t easily find and remove it. Alfonso was the only person who was feeling well among his team since he didn''t drink the coffee and the water Dr. Gomez had given to everyone. He just watched his team members who were enduring their pain and discomfort. It did not take long when Alfonso received a call from the Dark Lord. He immediately answered the phone. Dark Lord: "How''s your mission? I am calling Snake but he is not answering as of this moment." Alfonso: "Mission Accomplished, our Lord. The scientist is now with me. Snake is probably busy eliminating Chief Detective Lee and the reporter, Aliyah Ross." Dark Lord: "Probably. Have you not encountered any trouble during this mission?" The Dark Lord was feeling uneasy. He thought Erick would try another plan to rescue Aliyah. He couldn''t understand why Alfonso and Snake finished the mission easily. His gut feeling was telling him that something more was gonna happen today. Or maybe he was just overestimating Erick''s capability. He was worried for nothing. Alfonso glanced at his team members, the majority of them were feeling sick. Some got injured and died during the shootout when his team and Erick exchanged shots. Alfonso: "Something happened before this. The Detective almost escaped together with Aliyah and the scientist. But he miscalculated something...Snake''s interference." Alfonso continued supplying the Dark Lord with information about what transpired a while ago. He told him everything including the part wherein his men suddenly got sick during the negotiation. Alfonso: "Unfortunately, we lost some men. Others got injured too." The Dark Lord fell silent from the other line. He was thinking hard. He thought Erick relied on Snake, that''s why they were able to outsmart him. But for some unknown reasons, the Dark Lord was still in doubt whether they succeeded in today''s mission. He tried calling Snake to confirm whether Erick and Aliyah were killed already or not. He couldn''t contact him so his uneasiness intensified. He was afraid that Snake would be having a hard time killing Erick and Aliyah. He was aware that Snake was close to Erick. ''What if Snake changed his mind in the end? What if he spared their lives? I need to hear an update from him. Why is it he is not answering my calls?!'' The Dark Lord was restless. Dark Lord: "Alright, just bring the Scientist to our facility. I am going there right now. Let''s meet there. It''s been so long since the last time I saw Carter. Alfonso: "Yes, our Lord. We are now on the way to the facility." The Dark Lord gave Alfonso last instructions before hanging up the phone. He tried contacting Snake but he still got no answer from him. He was being impatient now. He just left him a voicemail, telling him to contact him as soon as he finished his task. He prepared to leave, going to the Bio-weapon facility in order to meet Alfonso and the scientist, Matt Carter. Meanwhile, Alfonso and his team continued their journey. As Erick''s team expected, Alfonso''s Team received information that there was a checkpoint ahead so they changed their route to avoid being seen by the police. Alfonso and his team were riding two vehicles, doing a convoy. They were in the middle of their journey when two motorcycles overtook their vehicles. They thought the two riders were just racing. They were caught off guard when the two riders stopped in front of them, just a few meters away. It''s too late when they noticed that the two riders were highly armed. They intercepted them as the two riders started firing at the front vehicle, targeting their car''s tires. They succeeded in stopping Alfonso''s team. They were now preparing for a counterattack, thinking that their enemies were just the two riders at the front. One rider spoke up through their communication device. "Chief Lee, Spike¡­ we''ve done our job. Let''s move now." The person who spoke up was none other than Brother Yu. The other rider was Brother Yan. After receiving their go signal, Erick and the other team made their moves. Alfonso''s Team started firing in Brother Yu''s and Brother Yan''s direction. They rode their motorcycles and continued driving until they made a certain distance away from Alfonso''s team. Alfonso''s men were confused when Brother Yu and Brother Yan just ran away like that after making them stop. However, before they could relax another two vehicles arrived at the back, shooting them. They exchanged several shots. When their attention was diverted to Erick''s team and Spike''s team, Brother Yan and Brother Yu came back. Alfonso''s men didn''t know what to do. They were now surrounded by enemies. Some of them were still injured and feeling sick. They couldn''t retaliate. They were ambushed by the enemies. If they would continue to fight back, everyone would be killed. That''s the time Alfonso came out of the van, together with Mr. Carter. He was hiding behind Mr. Carter as he used him as a human shield while pointing a gun at Mr. Carter''s head. "Stop shooting! Or else I will kill this man!" Alfonso yelled at them. He somehow guessed that the people who ambushed them were related to Mr. Carter. ''Who are they? Are they trying to rescue him? But how are they able to locate us?'' Alfonso pondered at that thought. Alfonso''s eyes widened in realization. ''F*ck! Don''t tell me that detective has another back-up?'' Erick''s team and others stopped shooting when they saw Alfonso pointing a gun at Mr. Carter''s head. Erick showed himself to Alfonso. Alfonso and his team were surprised to see him alive. He couldn''t believe this. He thought Snake was able to accomplish his task. ''Why is it the Chief Detective is here? What happened to Snake? Did he fail his mission? That''s impossible!'' Chapter 518 - 518: Apprehending Alfonso Alfonso was still wondering how come Erick was able to follow him and he brought another team. He was supposed to be dead by now. "Why are you here? How did you escape? Don''t tell me Snake betrays us and the Dark Lord. He didn''t kill you. He spared your life!" Alfonso couldn''t think of anything aside from Snake betraying the organization and the Dark Lord. He thought Snake let the detective go without killing him. ''I have to inform the Dark Lord regarding this,'' Alfonso mumbled to himself. He peered at his surroundings, thinking of a way on how to communicate with the Dark Lord. He couldn''t call him in front of Erick and his team. They were pointing their guns in his direction. His team was at a disadvantage right now. He was also holding Mr. Carter in place, using him as his human shield. "Drop your gun, Alfonso. There''s nothing you can do now. You and your team are being surrounded. Just surrender," Erick warned him. He ignored Alfonso''s question. He didn''t want to answer him about what happened to General Jason. Alfonso let out a sarcastic laugh. "Surrender? No way. Leave us! Give me your car, or else I will kill this man. I know you came here just to save this man." Erick clenched his fists. Alfonso didn''t want to surrender. He was using Mr. Carter to escape from them. "Erick, it''s alright. I don''t care if I die today. I prefer to die than to be used again by this evil organization. Don''t let him get away. Catch him!" Mr. Carter said, encouraging Erick not to follow Alfonso''s demand. "Shut up, Carter!" Alfonso punched him on his side. Mr. Carter whimpered in pain. Erick narrowed his eyes at Alfonso. "Don''t hurt him!" Erick yelled through his gritted teeth. Alfonso knew that it would not be good for him if Mr. Carter would influence Erick''s decision. He was the only hope he had right now to escape from Erick''s team. Alfonso was positive that Erick won''t allow Mr. Carter to sacrifice himself. He believed that Erick would listen to his demand in order to save the scientist. "I will count one up to ten. If you don''t obey my demand then I will pull this trigger. I will kill this scientist right here, in front of you," Alfonso threatened Erick. "Give your car keys to one of my men. Now!" Erick was having conflicting thoughts right now. Mr. Carter was looking straight into his eyes as if begging him to end this already. Mr. Carter wanted to stop Alfonso''s evil plan, even if he had to sacrifice himself today. He didn''t want to be a hindrance for Erick and his team. Mr. Carter was thinking of struggling against Alfonso. He didn''t want to be used as a hostage once again so that Erick could catch Alfonso and the Dark Lord. If he escaped and struggled then there''s a high possibility that he would get shot by Alfonso or by his men. He was not afraid to die especially if it''s for a greater cause. Alfonso started counting. "One¡­" "Two¡­" "Three¡­" Mr. Carter looked straight into Erick''s eyes. He smiled at him and murmured something. "Thank you, Erick. I''m so glad that I met someone like you. both you and Elle¡­" Erick''s frowned upon seeing Mr. Carter''s expression. He had a bad feeling about this. Alfonso''s counting reached ''Eight''. He was waiting for Erick''s decision when suddenly Mr. Carter started struggling against him. Both Alfonso and Erick were caught off guard by Mr. Carter''s action. "Mr. Carter, No!!!" Erick yelled but Mr. Carter didn''t listen. "F*ck! Do you really wanna die?! Then be it!" Alfonso cursed when Mr. Carter tried to escape from his grasp. Alfonso was about to pull the trigger and shoot Mr. Carter when someone hit his head at the back. He fell unconscious right away. Erick''s team was able to protect Mr. Carter against Alfonso''s team as they disarmed them by shooting their hands that were holding their guns. Mr. Carter''s action was too reckless. Erick wanted to scold him after he pulled him into his side. Phantom was the one who hit Alfonso''s head using his gun. Phantom was waiting for the right time to apprehend Alfonso. He moved sneakily without being noticed by Alfonso''s men. That''s his special skill as an assassin. He was called the Legendary Assassin for nothing. "Mr. Carter! What are you thinking?! Putting your life in danger?! Don''t you trust me? I promised that I will save and protect you. Why did you do that?!" Erick scolded Mr. Carter for the first time. Mr. Carter couldn''t blame him. He almost gave Erick a heart attack when he suddenly moved a while ago. Mr. Carter just looked at him apologetically. He didn''t know what to say. Erick sighed deeply. "Both Elle and you, doing something as you like. What am I gonna do to both of you?" Bryan wrapped his arm around Erick''s shoulder. "You can''t do anything against Elle. Hahaha¡­ sorry buddy. She''s the kind of girl who will do as she likes. Besides, you spoiled her a lot." Both Carl and June chuckled at Bryan''s last remarks. They agreed with him. Erick just nodded his head and sighed helplessly. "Yeah, I know." "I''m sorry, Erick. I just don''t want to be a burden to you. We have to catch both Alfonso and the Dark Lord. I didn''t care if I would die in the process." Mr. Carter apologized. Erick held Mr. Carter''s shoulders. "No one should die in this mission. I don''t like to sacrifice another life just to catch those bad guys. As much as possible, I want to keep everyone safe." "I understand. I won''t do reckless things anymore." Mr. Carter promised to Erick. "I''ll have your words. We still have big fish to catch. Men, let''s arrest them." Erick commanded his team to arrest Alfonso''s men. "Okay. Now, let''s move to the last part of our plan. We have to catch the Dark Lord this time. Alfonso will be a great help to do that," Phantom said meaningfully while looking at Alfonso who was lying unconscious on the ground. Chapter 519 - 519: Remained A Traitor *** XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters *** Officer Kim arrived at XXX Crime Investigation Headquarter, escorting General Jason to the interrogation room prepared by Rose and April. This operation was still a secret from the higher-ups. Erick''s team and Officer Kim''s team were the only ones who knew about this operation to avoid being monitored by the spies. Rose and April went to guide them inside the interrogation room. The awkwardness was there. Rose and April didn''t know what to say or how to react now that they saw General Jason face to face. They were still having a hard time believing that General Jason was a traitor¡­ the spy of the Dark Knight Organization. Everyone was silent when they entered the room. General Jason''s hands were bound by handcuffs. Officer Kim sighed deeply as he could feel the heavy tension inside the interrogation room. "Oh, Rose, April¡­ here''s the phone of General Jason. Someone kept on calling him a while ago but we didn''t answer it. I think it''s the Dark Lord," Officer Kim informed the two women. Rose accepted the phone. "Got it, Officer Kim. We know what to do." "Alright. I will just go outside and give you privacy. You can start your interrogation. My team and I will just stay on guard outside." Officer Kim patted Rose''s and April''s shoulder before leaving the room. He knew that the two ladies were still in shock about everything that happened today. When Officer Kim left, Rose and April sat down on the two available chairs facing General Jason. General Jason was very silent, not even looking at them. "Captain¡­ I mean General, we are here to ask you questions. We hope that you will cooperate with us and answer everything," April finally spoke up thus breaking the silence. Rose, on the other hand, was trying to access General Jason''s phone. Officer Kim said that General Jason refused to give his passcode. That''s why they couldn''t open his phone. He saw some messages sent by the Dark Lord but the phone was locked. April and Rose convinced him to give them the password but he refused to cooperate. Rose had no choice but to use her hacking skills to unlock his phone. April continued asking General Jason but he remained silent, not saying a single word. His expression remained blank as if he couldn''t hearing anything. April was almost losing her patience when Elle and others arrived at the headquarters. Officer Kim informed Rose and April who were inside the interrogation room. April allowed Elle to enter the room as she requested to see General Jason. James and Charles were with Elle. The two men stayed outside together with officer Kim, only Elle went inside the room. Rose and April also came out of the room, allowing Elle to talk to General Jason alone. They were just monitoring Elle and Jason outside through the one-way transparent mirror. There were also monitors outside where they could watch what was happening inside the interrogation room. Elle didn''t turn off the recording and didn''t mute the speaker so people could still hear them in the monitoring room. General Jason who was wearing a blank expression a while ago suddenly showed some reactions when Elle appeared in front of him. Complex emotions were visible on his face. "Are you really, Ma. Belle? Cedrick''s daughter?" General Jason asked her once again just to confirm. He was still affected by this revelation. Elle flashed her mocking smile when she heard him mentioning her father''s name. "I didn''t know why you can still mention the name of my father even though you have committed a great sin against him. Don''t you feel ashamed by that?" General Jason fell silent after hearing that. He looked down, avoiding Elle''s gaze. He could still vividly remember the scene where he last saw Elle 18 years ago. She was lying on the floor with her father, both were bathing with their own blood. He thought he forgot all about it. But those memories were resurfacing once again in his mind. He was haunted by that nightmare for several years. He kept believing that he didn''t feel any regrets or didn''t feel any guilt at all. However, every time he would remember that certain memory, he couldn''t help but feel guilty for everything he had done, especially to that poor innocent child. He ruined her family and he knew that sin was unforgivable. When it came to Cedrick''s daughter, his conscience didn''t give him peace of mind. Ma. Belle Elleise had always been his weakness¡­ his demon in the past. It always reminded him of the grave sin he committed in the past¡­ the Betrayal he did to his good friend. "Why did you come here? What do you want to say to me? Are you happy now that I am here as a culprit?" General Jason asked her. He wanted to know what she was thinking right now. Elle maintained her indifferent expression. Even she, herself, didn''t know why she came to see him or what were things she should say to him. She was not happy even though they finally caught General Jason and the truth was revealed to them. "I''m here not to ask favor¡­ but I just hope that you will cooperate with us. But even though you will do that I don''t think I can forgive you for what you have done to me, and my family, most especially to my father." "But you know¡­ even without your help, we can still catch the Dark Lord. Just like you, he played a bigger role in this. He must pay for all his crime. We will make sure that it will happen today. Both of you already deceived a lot of people. Now it''s the time you break that Mask and show the world who you really are." After saying that, Elle stood up. "That''s all I wanna say." Elle turned around in order to leave. But before she could leave the room, General Jason mumbled something. "Ma. Belle¡­ I''m sorry." Elle stopped on her track, clenching her fists and slamming her eyes shut while gritting her teeth. She didn''t say anything. She didn''t glance back at him. After taking a deep breath, she continued walking out of the room. The moment Elle left, General Jason called Rose and April. He gave them the passcode of his phone so that they could finally access it. He did one thing for them that would help the team in catching the Dark Lord. ******* Meanwhile, at the Bio-weapon Facility, the Dark Lord already arrived. He was now waiting for Alfonso and his team. It''s been a while now since the last time Alfonso gave him an update. He was about to ask about Alfonso''s location when his phone rang. It was a call from Snake also known as General Jason. The Dark Lord heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, Snake was able to contact him. Dark Lord: "What took you so long to contact me? I called you several times but you didn''t answer. What happened to you, Snake?" General Jason: "I''m sorry, our Lord. I just called you to let you know that... the mission is done. All done." Dark Lord: "Good. I know I can always count on you." In the end, Jason remained a traitor. He even betrayed the Dark Lord. Chapter 520 - 520: Inside the Enemys Territory ~ At Bio-weapon Facility of The Dark Knight Organization ~ Senator Alex Mondragon, also known as the Dark Lord, was now feeling at ease after receiving the call from Snake. He was now waiting to meet Matt Carter and Alfonso. He also received a message from Alfonso that they were about to arrive now. They just got delayed because they had to stop by the hospital and left those injured and sick members for their treatment. It did not take long when the two black vans arrived at the entrance gate of the facility which was highly guarded. Aside from two vans, there were also two motorcycles escorting them.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-territory_52184806229864069 for visiting. The guards were puzzled why Alfonso''s team had two motorcycle escorts. They were about to stop them from entering the facility when Alfonso interfered. "It''s alright. You can let them in. Snake asked his men to escort me since the cops might be on our tail." Alfonsos said as an alibi. Alfonso didn''t look good since his head was still aching from the hit he received from Phantom. He fell unconscious for several minutes before Erick''s team awakened him. Unknown to Dark Knight Members who were guarding the bio-weapon facility, the people inside the two black vans were no longer their comrades. They were already replaced by Erick and others. Carl, June, and Bryan already arrested them and turned them over to the police. Only Erick, Phantom, and his henchmen including several Skull Gang members led by Sherlock and Spike were doing this last mission. They were now on the crucial part of their mission wherein they had to catch the Dark Lord and revealed to the public who''s the man behind that mask. Erick''s and others sighed with relief when the guards didn''t check the inside of the van. When they saw Alfonso and Mr. Carter who was tied down, sitting next to Alfonso, the guard didn''t suspect them of anything. They just let them pass the gate while informing the Dark Lord over the handheld radio that Alfonso''s team finally arrived and had entered the vicinity of the facility. Phantom made sure that Alfonso would obey and cooperate with them whether he liked it or not. He left them with no choice. Alfonso valued his life and he didn''t want to die just yet. He could betray the Dark Lord as long as he could stay alive. Everyone was in disguise, pretending to be a member of the Dark Knight Organization. Mr. Carter was also acting as a hostage. Brother Yu and Brother Yan were the two guards who accompanied Mr. Carter and Alfonso in meeting the Dark Lord. Erick and Phantom were following them. They were the ones who would take cover for them. Spike and Sherlock, together with the other Phantom''s henchmen and SkulL Gang members had different missions. They had to infiltrate the area where the bio-weapons were being manufactured and produced. Phantom''s henchmen were led by Brother Ling. Their main task was to destroy all the bio-weapons inside that facility. Upon entering, everyone went to separate ways to implement their plan and do their next moves. Alfonso and Mr. Carter were now on the way to meet the Dark Lord. Everything was all set. They had to execute this plan properly and accordingly. The tension was growing by seconds. They were in the middle of the enemy''s territory. They had to be very cautious and careful. Meanwhile, Alfonso and Mr. Carter together with Brother Yan and Brother Yu reached the hall where the Dark Lord was waiting for them. Brother Yan and Brother Yu were stopped by the Dark Lord''s personal guards. Senator Mondragon was not wearing any mask today that''s why ordinary guards were not allowed to enter the room. Only elite guards who already saw Senator Mondragon''s face were permitted to enter. This was not yet the time to reveal themselves so Brother Yan and Brother Yu had no choice but to stay behind as Alfonso and Mr. Carter entered the hall. Alfonso was being monitored carefully so he won''t be able to talk nor warn the Dark Lord about their presence today. Just one mistake, Alfonso would lose his precious life. Phantom made it clear to him already. He knew that they were not bluffing especially now that he was aware that Phantom was the legendary assassin who was feared by many in the underground world. On the outside, you would see that Alfonso looked calm but deep inside, he was freaking nervous and restless. His life was not yet secured. They could kill him anytime. And at the same time, he was afraid of the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord could be so brutal and frightening among all the people he encountered in his life. He knew this was a gamble. The Dark Lord would not spare him once he learned that he worked with the enemies just to deceive him. He was not sure if Erick"s and Phantom''s plan would be successful. If it would fail then Alfonso would not die in the hands of Phantom but he would die in the hand of the Dark Lord. One way or another, he should do well and secure his life. He didn''t care anymore who''s sides he would choose. His only consolation right now was Erick''s words. He knew that he was a man of integrity so he believed that Erick would fulfill the end of the deal once he cooperated with them. "Our Lord, we are here," Alfonso greeted Senator Mondragon. He maintained his composure, making sure that the Dark Lord would not notice his uneasiness. Senator Mondragon faced them with his expressionless expression. His eyes were fixed on Mr. Carter who was looking dagger at him as of this moment. Mr. Carter''s hands were still tied by a rope. "Long time no see... Mr. Mateo Hiroshito-Aganaki Carter, my genius scientist. I''m so happy to see you again. I missed you. Did you miss me too?" Senator Mondragon said with his provoking smile. "I''m not happy to see an evil creature. I didn''t miss you at all. Just go to hell!" Mr. Carter shouted at him angrily. Chapter 521 - 521: Everything was Being Recorded Senator Mondragon aka the Dark Lord arched his brow in amus.e.m.e.nt as he watched Mr. Carter being enraged right now. "Whoah, what a pleasant greeting from you, my old friend. I think you missed me a lot for you to scream like that," Senator Mondragon said nonchalantly. He was unaffected by Mr. Carter''s sudden outburst. He was even enjoying the angry look on his face. "I was never your friend. You just used people for your own benefits. You murdered my family! You used me as an instrument in your evil deeds, creating lots of Bio-weapons for you." Mr. Carter continued to insult the Dark Lord. "You are pretending to be a good public servant in the eyes of people. They didn''t know you are just deceiving them with your ''good man'' act. Clean Senator my Ass? You are the evilest and most corrupt Senator of this Country!" Senator Mondragon just burst out laughing. It seemed that Mr. Carter was no longer afraid of him. He was talking back at him right now. Senator Mondragon couldn''t tolerate loud and talkative people. Though he was not affected by Mr. Carter''s words, he didn''t like the way he was yelling at him. .Soon, Senator Mondragon asked one of his guards inside that hall to give Mr. Carter a lesson. With just one signal from him, the guard took action as he punched Mr. Carter on his stomach. Mr. Carter winced in pain, cursing the Dark Lord. While Mr. Carter and the Senator were in the middle of their confrontation, Senator Mondragon''s phone started ringing but he ignored it for a moment. Senator Mondragon approached him and grabbed Mr. Carter''s hair to raise his head so that they could meet each other''s gazes. "You already know that I hate noisy people. Why are you still yelling? You can talk to me in a very calm manner," Senator Mondragon mumbled with a mocking smile on his face. He was smiling but the way he looked at him was threatening. Even Alfonso, who was just watching on the sideline, could feel the dominance of the Dark Lord. He was so intimidating. His looks and his voice were both frightening. In that hall, Senator Mondragon appeared to be different from the person he always portrayed in the public, someone who could always smile tenderly in the Public¡­ someone who looked like a good Samaritans for every good thing he did for his fellow countrymen. "You are good at pretending. Who would have thought that the Senator they loved was a cunning old man who didn''t care whether a country would be destroyed or not? He just wants to gain power and money, selling illegal firearms and bio-weapons to the international terrorist," Mr. Carter clenched his fists. He wanted to punch and beat this person right now if only his hands were not tied down. "Why are you laughing? Is there something funny with that truth?" Mr. Carter asked him again. Alfonso just remained silent since that''s the order and instructions he received from Phantom and Erick. ''DO NOT INTERRUPT THEIR CONVERSATION.'' Alfonso was very obedient, just allowing Mr. Carter to speak what''s on his mind. Meanwhile, Senator Mondragon''s phone rang again but he was not in the mood to answer the phone right now. His attention was so focused on Mr. Carter. He was amused by the bravery he was showing him right now. Senator Mondragon rubbed his chin as he assessed Mr. Carter. "Hmm, I don''t know why but it seems like you are acting strange today, Carter. As far as I could remember, you are not talkative like this. Why are you so worked up today?" Senator Mondraogon darted his gaze back and forth between Mr. Carter and Alfonso. Mr. Carter was taken aback while Alfonso was silently praying that the Dark Lord didn''t notice anything. The way he said those words seemed like he was suspicious of something. Mr. Carter who was quick to react sneered at Senator Mondragon. "Heh, people change. Unlike you, you still remained wicked. Oh, I''m wrong. You changed a bit. Now you became more cunning. Eyeing the position of the President of this country? What are you thinking, Dark Lord? What are you plotting again? How many families will suffer in your hands once more?" "Mateo¡­ Mateo¡­ Mateo... Hmm, you are becoming bold and fierce, not afraid of me anymore? Do you think I will not kill you even if you continue pissing me off with your blabbering mouth? Do you really want to challenge and test my patience?" Alfonso and Mr. Carter could sense the danger in Senator Mondragon''s words. Alfonso glanced at Mr. Carter, he was telling him to stop provoking the Dark Lord. Little did he know, Mr. Carter was intentionally doing this. He wanted to provoke the Dark Lord more so that he could show how ruthless and despicable he was. He wanted to break that mask. That''s Mr. Carter''s main goal. "Why don''t you just kill me? I don''t want to work under you and be used as an instrument of your evil deeds once again!! How sure are you that by bringing me here, I will cooperate with you? You killed my family already." Mr. Carter''s eyes were bloodshot as he looked daggers at Senator Mondragon. "Even my only friend left, Chief Detective Lee, you also asked someone to kill him together with his woman today?!" Mr. Carter added, mentioning Erick and Elle. Senator Mondreagon picked at his ear, he started to feel irritated toward Mr. Carter. ''He''s really talkative today. This is so unlike him.'' Senator Mondragon pondered at that thought. His patience was wearing thin. "Don''t mention people who are already dead. Besides, it''s your fault that the two of them had to die. If you didn''t tell Chief Detective Lee about the existence of a bio-weapon facility then maybe they would still be alive by now. You got them involved in this so blame yourself." "Second, you should have waited for me to win the Presidential Election first before you revealed the existence of the bio-weapon facility. At least I will not be threatened that much if I am already the President of the Country even if Detective Lee learns the truth about the bio-weapons." "As for Aliyah Ross, I planned to let her go, but too bad she saw my face and discovered my real identity. I couldn''t let her ruin everything so she also needed to die." "And last but not the least¡­ yes, I can make you obey my command and you will have no choice but to work for me again. Did you forget about the orphanage that you are supporting? Do you want the kids to suffer because of your disobedience?" Senator Mondragon was threatening him right now. As expected, Senator Mondragon had investigated everything about Mateo Carter, especially what he did while he was hiding and running from the Dark Knight Organization. He experienced sleeping on the street, meeting lots of street children who became close to him. With his compassionate heart, Mr. Carter found ways how to earn money using his intelligence and skills. He brought those street children to a certain orphanage and he kept on earning money to provide donations to that institution. He even tried to do gambling to earn money that he would donate to the orphanage. That''s the reason why Erick and Elle found him being beaten by the Gang before. "F*ck You, Dark Lord! Don''t you dare hurt the kids! Just go to hell already!" Mr. Carter became enraged again because of Senator Mondragon''s last statement. The guards immediately held Mr. Carter in place as he struggled against them. He wanted to attack Senator Mondragon. Senator Mondragon was just laughing at him. It did not take long when Senator Mondragon''s phone rang once more inside the hall. This time he paid attention to the caller. Someone was calling him a while ago but he continued ignoring the phone call. When he saw that it was a call from Diana, his daughter, he answered the phone right away. As soon as he clicked the answer call-button, Diana''s panicking voice was heard from the other line. "Dad, what took you so long to answer?!! What''s happening? Where are you? Stop talking any further. Everyone can see you right now. You are on National TV! Your conversation and everything you are doing there are being broadcasted live! People are witnessing everything!" Chapter 522 - 522: They Outsmarted the Dark Lord Senator Mondragon was rendered speechless after hearing Diana''s statement. ''What she meant by saying everyone can see us right now? On National TV??... being broadcasted live? People are witnessing everything¡­'' The confusion was written all over his face as his mind was processing Diana''s words. It did not take long when Senator Mondragon realized something. He looked in the direction of Mr. Carter and Alfonso, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two men. The room suddenly became chilly because of the frightening aura emanating from the Dark Lord. Alfonso couldn''t help himself from stepping back as his body began sweating coldly. The sharp deathly look coming from the Dark Lord was enough to send shivers down Alfonso''s spine. ''Why is he looking at me like that? Did he figure out everything?'' Alfonso gulped hard, trying his best to look calm but fail. Senator Mondragon aka the Dark Lord signaled his men to come. He didn''t bother to respond to Diana. "Search them! NOW! They are hiding a camera and everything here is being recorded!" Senator Mondragon ordered his guards with urgency in his voice. The guards immediately restrained Alfonso and Mr. Carter as they did a full body-search looking for the hidden camera. "Are you betraying me, Alfonso?" Senator Mondragon asked him coldly. When he heard that voice, Alfonso felt like he just saw his death coming for him. Alfonso had no idea what was happening. ''Who called the Dark Lord? What information he got from that call?'' These were the questions running in his mind right now. "No. I didn''t betray you!" Alfonso tried to deny his accusation. If he confessed right now then he would receive an instant death from the Dark Lord. Alfonso had no idea that everything was being recorded from the moment they entered that hall. Erick and Phantom let Mr. Carter wore a pair of high-tech eyeglass which had a camera function. It was the latest spying device Phantom had ordered before from the State. It became handy and useful during this mission. With the help of the technology and equipment of the XXX Crime Investigation Department, the videos captured by Mr. Carter''s eyeglasses were being transmitted to Morning Star Media Network. This was the request asked by Elle from Sandy. They used their connection with their company Morning Star to cover this, live and broadcast it on National TV. This was the strategy they used in order to expose the identity of the Dark Lord. They also informed the National Security about the existence of the Bioweapon facility managed by the Dark Knight Organization. However, the National Security would not take action without concrete proof and evidence. This live broadcast was also another way of presenting concrete evidence to the National Security. Now, they were now on the move to apprehend the Dark Lord and to raid the Bio-weapon facility. Their specialized team might be on the move now to provide back-ups for Erick''s team. The Dark Lord didn''t see this coming. He was deceived and outsmarted by Erick and Phantom. This was the reason why he had a bad feeling today. Something big was happening. He didn''t like this. "Call Snake! Right now!" Senator Mondragon ordered his other guard, throwing his phone at him. The Dark Lord clenched his fists. He felt his temperature rising, vein bulging out of his head. The Dark Lord was furious. His face was red from too much rage. He had the urge to kill Alfonso and Mr. Carter right now. If everything there was being shown on National TV then it was the end of his political career. The good name that he maintained for several decades just got ruined because of that video. The Dark Lord picked up his revolver and aimed at Mr. Carter. His guard tried searching the camera on Mr. Carter''s body but they failed to find it. It did not take long when Senator Mondragon realized that Mr. Carter''s eyeglass was the one responsible for capturing the video. He immediately took the eyeglass of Mr. Carter and smashed them on the floor. He broke them into tiny pieces. He just stopped when he was satisfied. Senator Mondragon didn''t know whether to laugh or cry for this incident. He couldn''t believe he fell on this scheme. After breaking the eyeglass, Senator Mondragon turned his attention back to Mr. Carter and Alfonso. Between the two men, Alfonso was the one feeling anxious. Mr. Carter remained calm while enjoying the ugly expression of the Dark Lord. "Did you like my surprise?" Mr. Carter asked him in a very provocative manner. He was laughing at him. He was feeling good seeing the Dark Lord slowly losing everything he built for decades. His name, his reputation, and his career, were now over. Everyone already saw his true color. "Your dream to become the President of this country will only remain a dream. It will not come into reality. Hahaha." Mr. Carter continued to anger and provoke the Dark Lord. Senator Mondragon shot him a cold sharp glare. He balled his hand into a fist, clenching his teeth. His grip on his revolver tightened. He raised his hand to point his gun at Mr. Carter. A smug smile appeared on Mr. Carter''s face as he looked at Senator Mondragon mockingly. "Kill me. I don''t care anymore. I am already happy to see your organization collapsing soon. This is the end for the Dark Knight Organization," Mr. Carter bravely said with so much certainty in his voice. Senator Mondragon flashed his sinister smile. He turned into a devil now because of too much anger. "Don''t worry, before killing you today. I will show you how those children you care for will suffer. I will inject them with the Bio-weapon you created yourself. If you want to save them then you should start creating antidote now." The Dark Lord threatened him again using the children. He had no time for this. He had to fix his image and reputation first. He would let the people believe that he was framed. What they saw on the TV was just black propaganda of the opposing party. That''s the excuse he would use. Senator Mondragon gave his guard instructions to bring Mr. Carter to the Bio-weapon lab and Alfonso in a prison. He would interrogate him once he comes back. He was in a hurry to leave the place when suddenly a series of gunshots were heard outside. There was a shootout going on in their territory! "F.u.c.k! They are here!" Chapter 523 - 523: Please Be Careful Erick and the other teams started to make a move. The sound of the gunshots outside could also be heard in the hall where Mr. Carter, Alfonso, and Senator Mondragon were gathered. The Dark Lord''s elite guards were alerted. They had to secure the safety of Senator Mondragon at all costs. "Escort the Dark Lord to the safe place. We need to leave now," The Leader of the guards commanded his team. It did not take long when the entrance door of the hall swung open and Erick and Phantom together with Brother Yan and Brother Yu entered the hall. The exchange of gunshots between the two opposing sides started. The guards took cover for the Dark Lord so that they could leave from the other door. "Erick? What is he doing here? I thought he was dead. Snake told me he eliminated him already. Does it mean¡­ even Snake had betrayed me?" Senator Mondragon said through his gritted teeth. The disbelief was written over his face. "Our Lord, let''s move now!" The guard said, guiding him to the exit door. Senator Mondragon didn''t waste more time as they left the hall immediately, avoiding Erick''s team. Meanwhile, Alfonso and Mr. Carter who were both being restrained by the other guards were able to escape when Erick and Phantom shot those guards. Because of that, Alfonso got the opportunity to flee, leaving the hall using the door used by the Dark Lord and the other guards. Erick made sure that Mr. Carter was safe. While Phantom went to catch Alfonso. Brother Yan and Brother Yu were the ones chasing after the Dark Lord and his guards. "Mr. Carter, are you alright?" Erick asked him worriedly. "Yes, I think we succeeded. The public must have known now the true color of Senator Mondragon. Do you have any updates from the other teams?" Mr. Carter asked Erick expectantly. "Bryan told me that the video was successfully being shown on National TV with the help of Elle''s friend Sandy. They saw it. But it got disconnected when the Dark Lord broke your eyeglass." Erick informed him. "That''s our cue to make a move here. The other team infiltrated the Bio-weapon Lab and captured some videos as well. It was shown on the TV as well," Erick added. "Now, everyone is on the move. The enemies had been alerted about our presence here. Come with me. I will bring you to a safe place first before joining the other team," Erick asked Mr. Carter to follow him. Erick wanted to ensure Mr. Carter''s safety first. They left the hall immediately. While they were on the move, Erick received a message from Bryan. They were communicating through the communication device. Bryan: "Erick, we are on the way now to provide support. The members of the National Security joined us. We will be there in ten minutes." Erick: "Okay. We will wait for you. The Dark Lord and Alfonso escaped. Father, I mean Phantom''s team is chasing after them now." Bryan: "Got it. We will block the exit." The two of them were still talking when they heard another voice. "Erick¡­ please be careful." The person who spoke was Elle. "Little Lee and I will be waiting for you. I love you," Elle added. Her voice filled with worries and concerns for the team, most especially Erick. Erick smiled tenderly after hearing Elle''s voice. He was now eager to finish this mission so that he could come back now to his wife. "I love you more. Just wait a little bit, wifey. We will all go home safe." Erick reassured her. "Yes, please do it. Come back, safe and sound." After talking to Elle, Erick and Mr. Carter continued moving. They were in the enemy''s territory. Lots of enemies around them so they had to move cautiously. Sherlock: "Chief Lee¡­ My team and I already secured the entrance gate. You can bring Mr. Carter here." Erick: "Ok, Josh. Got it! We are coming!" After a few minutes, Erick and Mr. Carter reached the main gate. They saw Sherlock and three Skull Gang Members standing on guard in the control room of the gate. The previous guards were now lying on the ground, dead. "Josh, I will leave Mr. Carter in your care. Bryan and the back-ups from the National Security are now on the way. Warn the others. Once we secure this place, you and others should leave without being noticed by them." Erick instructed him. "Noted, Chief Lee. I will tell others. Spike''s team was still fighting the other Dark Knight Members." Josh, aka Sherlock, responded to him. After giving the last instructions, Erick went in again to search for Phantom and others. The Dark Lord hadn''t left the facility yet. Sherlock had secured the control room of the gates. The Dark Lord won''t be able to leave the place easily. Bryan''s team was also coming together with the National Security team. They would block all the exits. The Dark Lord would have difficulty escaping now. Unknown to them, the Dark Lord had anticipated this move. So he summoned his other men to send more men to the facility. He also summoned his pilot to fetch him. They would use a helicopter to escape since the entrance and exit were now under the control of Sherlock''s team. The chase continued. This time Phantom was able to catch up with Alfonso. He cornered him in one of the rooms. He tried to hide but he forgot to remove the tracking device planted on him by Erick and Phantom. "Where do you think you are going, Alfonso? I''m not yet done with you." Phantom said with his stern cold voice. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked daggers at him. Phantom''s lips curled up into a sly smile while facing Alfonso. "You said you would let me go after cooperating with you! Why are you still following me? You came here for the Dark Lord. Go and catch him!" Alfonso shamelessly said to Phantom. Phantom let out a burst of sinister laughter that made Alfonso cringe in fear. "Erick will take care of him. But for me¡­ I have to take care of you¡­ " "There''s something I want to ask you. You were the last person who saw my wife and son alive." Phantom''s eyes were burning with rage and hatred as he said those words to Alfonso. Chapter 524 - 524: Checkmate? The Dark Lord and his guards ran to the back part of the facility. There was a vast open space there where the helicopter could land. In five minutes, their ride would arrive. His guards just needed to buy time for the Dark Lord. The sound of the gunshots could be heard nearby. There was still an on-going shootout between the Dark Knight members and the Skull Gang members. Brother Yu and Brother Yan were able to catch up with the Dark Lord and his guards. Erick also followed them. They used the big trees to take cover. The guards were securing the Dark Lord''s safety. He was also firing at Brother Yu and Brother Yan. Soon, Erick joined them together with the other three Skull Gang members. Twelve elite bodyguards were guarding the Dark Lord. It appeared to be thirteen vs six. "Senator Mondragon, surrender yourself! We already surrounded this area. The operation team of National Security are also here to catch you," Erick yelled at the Dark Lord, in between the crossfire. The Dark Lord, who''s also known as Senator Mondragon, clenched his teeth. Now the government mobilized its special forces. Escaping now became more difficult. Though his back-ups were on their way, he was not sure how long they could hold Erick''s team. The majority of his elite men were stationed in the main headquarters, not here. They didn''t expect that Erick would be able to outsmart him. His team that he brought were also experts. The Dark Lord wondered what happened to Snake. They talked on the phone. He sounded normal. He didn''t warn him. This only meant Snake also betrayed him. Snake was the most loyal member he had. He couldn''t believe that he would betray him. ''Why did Snake betray me?'' This was the biggest question running in his mind right now. "Chief Detective Lee! You were supposed to be dead by now. How come you are here?!" The Dark Lord shouted, asking Erick. He was very curious about what happened to Snake. "That''s not important. I''m asking you one last time, surrender yourself now, Senator Mondragon! There''s no point in fighting back. People already knew the truth¡­ about this facility. Just accept your punishment. We didn''t want more people to die here." Erick tried his best to convince the Dark Lord to surrender. The Dark Lord frowned, his face contorted. He knew that he could guarantee a hundred percent success in escaping. He turned to the Leader of his guards who was standing next to him. Both of them were leaning on the big tree, taking cover against the bullet coming from Erick''s team. The exchange of shots was still on-going. "Any update from our back-ups? They should be here by now." The Dark Lord asked his guard. The Head guard contacted the other team through their communication device. After a few seconds, he glanced back at the Dark Lord while wearing an anxious expression. From that expression alone, the Dark Lord could tell that he had a piece of bad news for him. "What? What happened?" He asked him with his stern cold voice. His face darkened. "Sorry our Lord¡­ They couldn''t come. The roads going here were blocked. They had an encounter with the police and military on the way here. They had to pull back. They were outnumbered." The Dark Lord didn''t know what to feel after hearing that. Who would have thought that day like this would come? He was cornered by Erick''s team easily. He cursed inwardly while balling his fingers into fists. His nail almost cut his skin. He was freaking mad. He could not accept this turn of events. The Dark Lord peered at his surroundings only to find out that his other guards were already lying on the ground. Most of them were injured, others were already dead. The Dark Lord was distracted when suddenly Brother Yu and Brother Yan appeared in front of them. His guards were taken down already. The ones left standing were the Dark Lord and his head guard. "Checkmate, Dark Lord!" Brother Yu said with a smug smile on his face. "If you surrendered early then your guards should have not died in vain," Brother Yan also commented, mocking the Dark Lord. Erick, together with the Skull Gang members, joined them. Brother Yu and Brother Yan disarmed the Dark Lord and the remaining guard. Erick and the Dark Lord stared at each other''s eyes before Erick recited the Miranda Warning while putting handcuffs on the Dark Lord''s hand. Mission Accomplished. They succeeded in apprehending the Dark Lord. Soon, Erick relayed the message to everyone. Bryan informed him that they already arrived. The National Security Team also came with them. The Skull Gang members headed by Spike and Sherlock already left the facility together with Mr. Carter. "Chief Lee, we will leave them to you. We have something more to do. Master Phantom needed our help." Brother Yan said to Erick meaningfully. "Thank you, brothers," Erick mumbled, feeling grateful to them. Brother Yu extended his right hand to Erick and said, "It''s our honor to work with you, Chief Lee. Master wants me to relay this message to you. Please¡­ take good care of our sister, Elle." Erick was confused why Brother Yu was telling him this. "Why are you both so serious?" Brother Yan and Brother Yu exchanged glances with each other before giving Erick a meaningful smile. They didn''t answer him. "Chief Lee¡­ we are really glad to meet someone like you. We will now leave our sister Elle in your care. Please protect her just like how our Master protected her before." Brother Yu added. Erick wanted to ask them what they were planning to do next but Brother Yu and Brother Yan didn''t wait for him to speak up as they left in a hurry. Erick just watched their back until they vanished from his sight. It did not take long when Bryan, June, Carl, and members of the National Security Team reached Erick''s spot. They escorted the Dark Lord and his guard. They had to be interrogated after this. "Erick, what''s wrong?" Bryan asked him as he noticed his troubled expression. "Where''s Mr. Carter?" Erick asked him. "They already left." Bryan promptly responded. Erick was not at ease. He felt like there''s something more that was about to happen. "Bryan, go ahead first. I will just check something. I''m gonna contact my father-in-law," Erick said with urgency in his voice. Bryan just nodded at him. Erick immediately said goodbye to them to find Phantom. Chapter 525 - 525: The Dark Lords Counterattack Erick went back to the hall where he had last seen Phantom running to catch Alfonso. They went separate ways when he secured Mr. Carter''s safety first. He wondered why Phantom was not answering him through their communicating device. After a while, he finally got connected with him. Phantom finally opened his line of communication. "Father, where are you?" Erick asked him immediately. There was a hint of worry and concern in his voice. "I am just finishing something with Alfonso. I heard you finally caught the Dark Lord," Phantom responded to him from the other line. "Yes, Father. We caught him, thanks to the help of Brother Yu and Brother Yan," Erick said, feeling grateful to the team. "The National Security is also here, escorting the Dark Lord. Sherlock, Spike, and other Skull Gang Members already left, avoiding the National Security Task Force," Erick added, informing him. He heard Phantom chuckle. He was glad to hear that. "Good job, son. Now, the Dark Lord will face the consequence. He should pay for all the crimes he did in the past. I know you can do that." "This is the start of Dark Knight Organization''s downfall. Their great leader was caught," Phantom said, his voice sounded satisfied and happy. "Father, you and your team should leave this place too. Let me handle everything here. We will secure all the evidence here," Erick suggested to Phantom. He was worried that they might encounter the National Security Task Force. The Task Force would surely ask for their identity. Phantom fell silent for a few seconds. "I can''t leave just yet. There''s something I still need to do, son." "What do you mean, father?" Erick asked him in confusion. From the tone of his voice, He could imagine Phantom smiling from the other line. "Erick, do you remember what I have told you when we were on our way here? Listen to me carefully, Erick. I will end everything now. I will clear Elle''s name so that she can live with you without worrying about the consequence of her actions in the past." "I will take all the blame for everything, Erick. I was the one who made her become an assassin. I was the one who created Catseye. Now, it''s my chance to take all the responsibility for the crimes Catseye did in the past." "Father¡­you don''t have-" Erick wanted to tell him something but Phantom cut him off immediately. "Erick, just let me do this. I want to do this for my daughter, Elle. And for you as well. Erick, son¡­ please grant me another request¡­ Take good care of Elle. Love her unconditionally. Protect her and make her happy. From now on, she has to live like a normal person¡­" "I don''t want her to feel or think bad about herself just because of the crimes she committed in the past. She''s a good person, Erick. She has to move on and forget the unpleasant memories in the past. I know you can do that. You can help her. Please¡­ promise me this." Phantom was becoming emotional and sentimental now. "I understand, father. I promise. Even if you don''t ask me this, I will love her with all my heart, protect her with my life and make her happy always." Erick reassured him. Phantom smiled after hearing that. "Now I am at ease because you are there for my Elle. I already knew from the start that everything would change when Elle had first encountered you. The Destiny always finds ways. It brought you together. Thank you, Erick, for loving my daughter and accepting her despite everything¡­ I''m so grateful." "Father, don''t thank me. I am the one who is really thankful that I found her. She gives meaning to my life. I never thought I would love someone like this. Now, I couldn''t live without her." "Losing her two years ago¡­ I felt like I also died that day. I will not allow that mistake to happen again. That''s my greatest regret in my life. This time I will protect her and nothing will ever separate us again¡­ even death." Erick said with so much conviction in his voice. "I''m glad to hear that, son. Then I will leave Elle in your care. I should go now and finish this. Also¡­ do what you have to do. Take care of the Dark Lord. Make sure that the Dark Lord and General Jason will be punished accordingly." "What are you planning to do, Father?" Erick asked him quizically. Confusion and concern were evident in his voice. "Just trust me on this Erick. Goodbye for now¡­ Son. Send my regards to my daughter, Elle." After saying that, Phantom cut again his communication line. Erick was still puzzled about what Phantom was trying to do here. He didn''t share his plan with him but just asked him to trust him. What he should tell Elle about this? "Why do I feel like my father-in-law is saying goodbye to me just now? Please¡­ father¡­ be safe. Elle will not be happy if ever something bad will happen to him," Erick mumbled to himself. With that thought in mind, Erick decided to find Phantom again. He just wanted to make sure that Phantom would be safe.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-counterattack_52334240490126046 for visiting. The person he was looking for was inside the Bio-weapon Lab together with Alfonso. Upon catching Alfonso, Phantom brought him inside the empty facility. The workers and scientists who were working inside evacuated the facility after Brother Ling and others raided and took over the facility. Erick was about to check the Bio-weapon Lab when suddenly a loud sound of siren buzzed around the area. It sounded like a warning alarm. "What is the meaning of this signal?" Erick mumbled to himself. He was about to continue searching for Phantom when Bryan came running in his direction while calling his name. "Erick, stop!!!" Erick halted on his step and turned around to face Bryan. "What''s wrong?" Erick asked him in confusion. "We have to evacuate the area. This was a trap. I think the Dark Lord did something. He activated his security system. This place is gonna explode to erase all the evidence. The team can''t enter the other facilities¡­ It''s like a system lockdown," Bryan explained to him. "What?!" Erick didn''t know what to feel about this. There were three bio-weapon labs in this facility. Phantom and Alfonso were inside one of them. If this was system lockdown it only meant that Phantom and Alfonso were trapped in one of the labs. But the real problem aside from being trapped inside, the place was gonna explode soon. This was not good. "No. This couldn''t be! We should ask Senator Mondragon to deactivate this! Elle''s foster father is still inside together with Alfonso! We have to save him!" Erick said with urgency, the fear, and concern for Phantom resurfacing in his face. Bryan was also alarmed when he heard that. Without further ado, Erick and Bryan came out rushing, going to Senator Mondragon and the other team. They had to get Phantom out and stop the explosion. They didn''t even bring a bomb squad. This suddenly turned chaotic on Erick''s side. They didn''t anticipate that the Dark Lord still had something up his sleeve. Chapter 526 - 526: Dark Lords Cunning Move [ Few Minutes Ago¡­ ] In one of the Bio-weapon Labs¡­ "Ling, is everything prepared?" Phantom asked Brother Ling who approached him. Phantom was standing in front of Alfonso who was tied down in a steel chair. His mouth was also shut by masking tape. Alfonso was looking daggers at Phantom. He was struggling on his seat, trying to remove his bind. He was also yelling as if demanding Phantom to release him but the only sound that could be heard was his muffle sound since his mouth was being covered. "Uhmmm!!!!" Phantom and Brother Ling ignored Alfonso. "Yes, Master. Everything is set," Brother Ling responded to him while handing some items over to Phantom. Phantom accepted the items. They were Black Assassin clothes, a mask, a personalized dagger, and the death card which were all the trademarks of Catseye, the Devilish Assassin. Phantom glanced at Brother Ling with a grateful look, patting his shoulder. "Good job, Ling. All of you¡­ I''m so glad that I met you all. You are all my sons." "We are thankful to you, Master. We are indebted to you. We, brothers, had sworn our loyalty to you since the day you took us in your care," Brother Ling said, feeling nostalgic. They were still talking when Brother Chou also joined the conversation, informing Phantom about something. "Master, Sir Antoine told me that the preparations were all done on his side. He is just waiting for your go signal." Phantom nodded at him. "Alright¡­ I understand. Let''s do this." All henchmen of Phantom were still there, except for Brother Lu who was with James''s team. Brother Yan and Brother Yu had not yet arrived as they chased after the Dark Lord a while ago. But they would also join Phantom''s team. There were eight Phantom''s henchmen who were on this mission today. From ten, only nine left since one of their brothers died two years ago. That person was Brother Xu. Phantom was also here to avenge his henchman, Xu, who died because of the bio-weapon. He mobilized his other henchmen to the other Bio-weapon Labs. Brother Yan, Brother Yu and others were ordered to secure the bio-weapons for evidence so they went to the other bio-weapon laboratories and storage facility. ********** Erick and Bryan arrived at the entrance gate where the other members of the National Security Task Force were watching over the Dark Lord. Some Dark Knight Members who were still alive, together with the scientists and workers of the facility were all arrested. From their location, they could still hear the buzzing sound of the warning alarm. After a few seconds, the alarm finally stopped. Erick quickly approached Senator Mondragon who was being guarded by June and Carl. "Senator Mondragon, deactivate the security system now! Stop this already! Stop resisting anymore. Even if you will blow up this place. There''s no use. We already got the evidence. The video and Mr. Carter''s statement as a witness and whistleblower." Erick tried his best to maintain calm and at the same time, convince Senator Mondragon to stop the explosion. Senator Mondragon just looked at him indifferently as if he hadn''t heard Erick. But in the end, he still spoke up. "What are you talking about? I have no idea about this. I told you already. I was framed by my enemies. They just wanted to ruin my reputation by making up some stories. I am a victim here." The Dark Lord remained his composure. He was feigning innocence in front of the National Security Task Force. He would deny everything until the end. He already made up his mind. He would blow up this place so that they couldn''t get a sample of bio-weapon. The video was not enough evidence that''s what he thought. "Are you crazy? If you blow this up then the bio-weapon will be released in the air. This will cause so much destruction in this area and nearby areas." Bryan exclaimed. He wanted to punch the Dark Lord. Everyone felt alarmed including the National Security after hearing that. This situation was now in a mess. The other members called out their team members who went to the other Bio-weapon Labs to gather evidence. However, they couldn''t enter as the system lockdown was activated. They couldn''t open the door although they tried to use weapons to blow it up. Each facility was made up of strong and sturdy walls and equipment that could stand outside resistance just like minor explosives. Once the system lockdown was activated no one could enter and get out of those facilities. Senator Mondragon looked at Erick while smiling wickedly. When he noticed that the other members of the National Security were very occupied, he seized that opportunity to negotiate with Erick. "I have a proposal for you, Chief Lee. Why don''t you let me go and take all the blame here? Your operation was a big mistake. Make it look like someone just framed me. If you do that I can deactivate the system for you," Senator Mondragon offered him a condition. Erick''s face darkened upon hearing that. He was getting mad now. Bryan, June, and Carl felt the same way. They had the urge to beat him. They just saw how cunning this Dark Lord could be. "You only have 25 minutes left to think before this place will explode," Senator Mondragon spoke again to pressure them. He had a taunting smile on his face. The four men had to urge to rip his face and wipe that evil smile off his face. They hated this. When they thought they already succeeded in apprehending the Dark Lord. Here he was again, launching a counterattack. Bryan and others could see the hesitation in Erick''s eyes. They knew that their Chief was having difficulty coming up with a sound decision regarding this matter. The National Security already contacted the experts regarding this but they didn''t know if the remaining time was enough to stop this explosion. Erick was still undecided of what to do when suddenly Elle''s voice was heard in the other line. "Erick... Is everything alright? What''s the update there? I couldn''t reach, father?" June, Carl, and Bryan looked worriedly at Erick. They wondered how Erick would tell this to Elle. Erick clenched his fists and slammed his eyes shut before replying to Elle. "Wifey, I''m sorry. We miscalculated something. The Dark Lord activated the security system lockdown of this facility. He is planning to blow up this place. He is using this as a threat to get his freedom. He will deactivate the system if ever he will get his freedom back." Everyone fell silent in an instant. Mr. Carter and others also heard that bad news from Erick. Erick gritted his teeth once again. He took a deep breath before informing Elle about the most concern he had right now. "Elle¡­ your father¡­ I think he is trapped inside one of the facilities together with Alfonso and others." Elle who was just listening from the other line was utterly shocked and felt devastated when she learned that. She tried contacting Phantom and his henchmen but no one was responding. After her long silence, Elle finally spoke up again. Her voice was trembling. "How much time have we left? I will try my best to hack the Dark Knight''s system now. Rose, please let me borrow your computer!" "Less than 25 minutes," Erick said. He could imagine Elle''s face right now. He knew she was scared¡­ very scared of losing someone close to her again. "Do your best, wifey. The National Security Team is also doing its best to solve this concern. If it does not work, then we can accept the Dark Lord''s proposal." Erick didn''t know what to do. He was torn in between. He knew that they should not give in with the Dark Lord''s demand. Once they would yield to him then everything they tried to do here would just go in vain. However, he couldn''t bear to see Elle, knowing that she would be greatly affected if something happened to her foster father and her brothers. "No, Erick! Don''t do that. We can''t trust the Dark Lord. He is so cunning!" Mr. Carter opposed the idea.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-cunning-move_52348665137782082 for visiting. "But, Master Phantom and my brothers, we have to save them!" Brother Lu also shared his thoughts. He was also quite shaken after hearing that news. Everyone was still contemplating what to do when Rose''s urgent voice echoed in their communication line. "Guys, you have to see this. I think it''s Phantom, he is talking on the TV. You can also check it online," Rose informed everyone. Chapter 527 - 527: Catseyes Last Mission is Done "Guys, you have to see this. I think it''s Phantom, he is talking on the TV. You can also check it online," Rose informed everyone. Everyone who heard Rose immediately picked up their mobile phones to check the video she was referring to. Elle who was busy with what she was doing also paused for a moment to see the monitor screen inside that room where the video was playing. In the video, they could see the man in his black assassin clothes wearing a mask that was hiding his face. This get-up was familiar to them- Catseye. At the back, they could see Alfonso being tied down on a steel chair. From the look of their surroundings, Alfonso and Phantom were inside one of the Bio-weapon laboratories. "That''s Catseye''s style. Why is he wearing that?" Bryan asked Erick quizzically. Erick''s brows knitted into a frown. ''Is this what he meant by saying he would take all the blame and responsibility? Will he tell everyone he is the real Catseye?'' Aside from Erick''s team, others could also see this video as it was now playing on National TV. Even the other law enforcement agencies started to watch this in their respective offices and stations. The national government officials including the current President and senators were also seeing this video. Not only them but also the Assassin Guilds and other syndicates in the underground world. They had just watched that one facility of the Dark Knight Organization was being attacked by law enforcement. Now, another intriguing video was playing on their TV screen. The Dark Lord''s identity was also revealed in public. This was a rare case so everyone stayed tuned, waiting for what would happen next. Soon, Phantom''s voice was heard. Everyone was so focused on him. "To start this, I would like to introduce myself. As you all know I am Catseye¡­ the REAL Catseye." Phantom emphasized his last word. He raised his hand, showing the Death Card and personalized dagger which were both trademarks of Catseye. He wanted everyone to believe that he was indeed the real Catseye. Aside from showing those items, Phantom enumerated the prominent people both in the underground and society whom Elle killed before as Catseye. He was aware of those people whom Elle killed and the way she eliminated them. Through this, he convinced everyone that he was indeed the real Catseye. Of course, the people who knew were the only exception. This gave the people the idea that the first investigation result was wrong. Catseye didn''t die two years ago. And Catseye was never a woman but a man. This might damage Erick''s team and Special Task Force Eagle''s reputation a little, but they didn''t mind. The Assassin Guilds members including the Azumi Twins, Kelsy, and Kevin were now confused. They encountered the female Catseye before. How come there was another person, claiming he was the real Catseye. "Maybe everyone is wondering now why I am doing this. Hmm¡­ well just put it simply this way¡­ I want my retirement to be the talk of the town. I want everyone to know that today is my last Mission as Catseye." Phantom said meaningfully. Elle was a little bit distracted by everything she was hearing right now. Her mind was in a chaotic state. She had no idea about this plan. She couldn''t understand what his real motive was by doing this. If he was doing this for her, Elle felt conflicted about this. She never wished to put all the blame on Phantom. She was the one who committed those crimes, not him. ''Elle, focus! You have to access the Dark Knight''s System first to save your father and your brothers,'' Elle reminded herself while she continued working on the computer. James, Charles, and Brother Lu were just looking at her worriedly. They could see the stress and uneasiness on her face. They knew Elle was trying her best to save Phantom and others. As Elle and others were thinking and doing their best to save Phantom and his henchmen, Phantom just continued talking on the video. "Do you know what my last Mission is?" Phantom paused for a moment, letting out a soft chuckle. "To bring the downfall of the Dark Knight Organization and get my revenge for the death of my family," Phantom said, each word bore heavy emotions within him. "But before that, let me tell you the story of where all of this started. I will say this not because I want to gain sympathy from whoever is watching this. I just want you to know how evil the Dark Lord and his organization that they ruin the lives of many people." Phantom told everyone how he was just a simple loving husband and a father before he became an assassin. The Dark Knight Organization was the one who took his family away from him by killing them just because of this bio-weapon facility. He pointed out how other police officers and law enforcement members became the protector of this organization just for the sake of money. "I challenge you, the current government, and the higher-ups in the law enforcement agency. Clean your system. Catch the spies and traitors. Catseye shouldn''t have been born if you just did your job and became honest and loyal to your duties." Phantom''s words are very deep, attacking those corrupt officials and spies in the law enforcement agency. "With that, I have a special gift for everyone. A doc.u.ment containing the list of personnel who are connected to the Dark Knight Organization will be sent to National Investigation Bureau. Let''s see how well you will take action against those high-ranking officials. Hope you give them the punishment they deserve." There was a hint of sarcasm when he said those words. "And one more thing¡­ I want this to pay tribute to an agent whom I admired most He is the most respectable and loyal agent who served his country and saved lots of people. He died with integrity and pride. I don''t know if any of you can still remember his name." "Agent Cedrick Falcon¡­ please remember that name. He is a good man, a great man of justice. A loving husband and a father to his family. Hope he will become a role model to other members of the law enforcement agency." "18 years ago, he tried his best to protect someone and to protect the country by working on a case about the bio-weapon facility established by the Dark Knight Organization." "Unfortunately, he died together with his family because he was betrayed by a friend whom you thought was a loyal servant of justice. That person is none other than General Jason, Former Captain of the Special Task Force Eagle. The right-hand man of Senator Mondragon who is also known as the Dark Lord, leader of the Dark Knight Organization." The public and the government officials who were watching this were really surprised by this shocking revelation. Of course, many of them could still remember Agent Cedrick Falcon, the most generous, respectable man they had ever known. "And this guy, at the back, Alfonso Ramirez, the leader of the Los Mollasses Gang. He and his gang were the people who implemented the order of the Dark Lord, killing my family, Mr. Carter''s family, and Falcon Family." "The day of retribution has come today. This is the last time I will kill a person¡­ and you know who I am referring to." Phantom said with his stern cold voice. Alfonso who was just listening at the back suddenly felt intense fear. ''Is he planning to kill me in front of everyone? No! NO! I thought they would let me go as long as I cooperate with them! They DECEIVED me. A f.u.c.k.i.n.g Liar!'' Alfonso started to struggle in his seat once again. But to his disappointment, he couldn''t remove his bind. He felt like losing his wits. He didn''t want to die. Phantom picked up the syringe containing the bio-weapon. He would inject this to Alfonso. He wanted him to feel how brother Xu died because of this bio-weapon they created. At least, he won''t need to spill his blood. His death won''t be a bloody one. "You are still lucky, Alfonso. If I have more time, I will torture you hard before delivering you to hell. But since you cooperate with us, this is my consolation for you." After saying that, Phantom signaled Brother Ling and Brother Chuo to hold Alfonso. Seconds later, he approached Alfonso who was frightened to death as he could see that his end was about to come. "Sayonara, Senior Alfonso," Phantom said, injecting the bio-weapon into Alfonso''s body. After doing that, Phantom faced the camera once again. "It''s done, my angel." Elle who was busy working on the computer froze the moment she heard that. Waves of emotions flickered through her eyes. She felt like crying right now. Though her eyes and hands were focused on the computer, she could still hear everything Phantom had said a while ago. Elle clenched her fists and glanced at the monitor to see Phantom. She knew he was referring to her when he said ''my angel.'' Elle felt the lump in her throat as she watched Phantom on the screen. She felt strong emotions such as sorrow and gratitude. She was trying her best to fight back her tears. "Master¡­ Father¡­" Elle murmured.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-last-mission-is-done_52372049338876301 for visiting. Phantom removed his mask and they could see him smiling tenderly as if he was looking right now in Elle''s face. "My dear¡­ it''s all done. Don''t be sad anymore. Forget the unpleasant things in the past. Live happily from now on. I love you so much. I''m so grateful for giving me a chance to become your second father. I''m so proud of you." Phantom reached out to the camera as if he was caressing Elle''s face and not the camera. He put his fingers on his lips and placed them again on the camera. Then he spoke up again. "Catseye''s Last Mission is done. I am Catseye and at the same time¡­ I am Phantom¡­ proud to say... I am the legendary assassin. Ciao¡­" Phantom''s lips stretched out into a satisfied and triumphant smile. A smile with no regrets. Soon, the video was cut. Just a few seconds after the video got disconnected, Erick''s team heard a loud explosion in the area. Everyone was shocked beyond belief. The three laboratories exploded. Erick became pale almost immediately seeing the on-going blast in front of him. The other members of National Security took cover. Good thing they were far away from the area when the sudden explosion happened. "Hey... w-what''s g-going on here?" Bryan asked, stuttering from shock. "I thought we still have time¡­ why it suddenly exploded?" "Erick¡­ what is that sound? What happened?" Elle''s voice was heard through the communication device. No one from Erick''s team had the courage to answer Elle''s question. Chapter 528 - 528: Justice Has Been Served "Erick¡­ what is that sound? What happened?" Elle''s voice was heard through the communication device. No one from Erick''s team had the courage to answer Elle''s question. However, it did not take long when a video of the explosion was being flashed on the TV screen where the video of Phantom was playing moments ago. Elle didn''t have to ask them as she could already grasp what happened. The bio-weapon facilities of the Dark Knight Organization exploded. The people who were watching the TV asked themselves: "Did Catseye commit suicide? Did he die in that explosion? Is that what he meant by his last mission?" Elle felt like every ounce of her energy was drained from her. Her body trembled in fear and her knees felt weak as if she was on the verge of collapsing at any moment. Fortunately, Rose was there as she held Elle to steady her footings. Brother Lu, Charles, and James were also confused about what had just happened. Their eyes were on the TV screen. "Wait¡­ Master and my brothers¡­ they are still there¡­" Brother Lu couldn''t believe this. He felt like his world just crumbled. His family¡­ what happened to them? "M-Master Phantom¡­ T-They are alive, aren''t they?" Charles also mumbled as his heart sunk. Everyone was shaken by this incident. James frowned and glanced at Elle. His face was filled with worries and concern for her. He immediately grabbed the remote control and turned off the monitor. Elle didn''t have to see this any longer. That room suddenly engulfed by deafening silence and a gloomy atmosphere. "No. I almost there¡­ going in their system''s server¡­ t-this couldn''t be¡­" Elle mumbled in her trembling voice. The look of shock, disbelief, and devastation crept over her face. Rose guided her to sit down. Her body was limp. Soon, she buried her face using both hands and the tears began to fall from the corner of her eyes like raindrops. "Father¡­ No¡­ this couldn''t be¡­ this is my fault¡­ I should have acted fast¡­ I let myself be distracted¡­ This is my fault¡­ my fault¡­" Erick and others heard Elle''s trembling voice from the other line. At that certain moment, they knew that Elle had already learned what happened. "Wifey¡­ please be strong," Erick mumbled in a low voice, clenching his fists. The National Security Task Force immediately took action according to the instruction of the experts regarding what to do if bio-weapon would explode in the area and what necessary action they must do to contain it and avoid the spread of bio-weapon in the other area. "Let''s move. We need to get out of here now. Or at least wear a protective mask. The toxin might be spread through the air." The Team Leader of the National Security Task Force mobilized everyone. "Oops, my time calculation is incorrect. I thought you will give me a response right away. Sorry about that," the Dark Lord mumbled with mockery in his eyes. Erick clenched his fists, restraining himself from beating the Dark Lord. In a brief moment, everyone evacuated the area. Mr. Carter also helped the team on how they would manage to contain the toxin. They had to make sure that the situation won''t escalate further, affecting the other areas. While everyone was busy doing what they could to lessen the negative impact of that explosion and the impending danger of the toxin, Erick''s mind was occupied by Elle. He was worried sick for her. Erick knew Elle needed his presence right now. So without further ado, he said goodbye to Bryan and others as he rushed, going back to the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters where Elle was waiting. In the last minutes¡­ everything went wrong. Erick didn''t know how he would fix this. After a 30-minute drive, Erick reached his destination. He dashed inside the headquarter, looking for Elle. He found her crying while being comforted by April and Rose. Erick felt like his heart was being stabbed millions of times seeing her like this. He could see the sorrow and pain in Elle''s dark eyes. She looked very vulnerable right now. This was the first time she saw her weeping like this. He traced his steps toward her, his heart was bleeding for her. His eyes were in tears because of her. "Elle¡­" Erick called her out in a low voice that was almost a whisper but Elle still heard it. She gazed up only to see Erick in front of her. "Erick¡­" she mumbled as she stood up and quickly buried herself in his arms. Erick hugged her tight while stroking her back. Elle started crying again in his arms. Erick could feel her pain and sadness. He wished he could wipe away those negative emotions. He couldn''t bear to see her like this. "Erick¡­ my father¡­ I¡­ l-lost him¡­ I failed to save them¡­ are they really gone?" Elle murmured in between her sobs. Erick didn''t know what to say or how to comfort her. After a while, he finally found his voice to speak to her. "I talked to father one last time¡­ he said¡­ he wanted you to be happy and leave the past behind. He loves you so much, Elle. Please be strong... Our baby, Little Lee could feel Mom''s feelings. Please be strong for me and for our baby. I am always here for you, wifey." Erick softly said, encouraging and consoling Elle. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [ 2 Months Later ] After reopening the investigation of the Falcon Family Massacre''s case and going into a trial, the people involved were sentenced to life imprisonment including Senator Mondragon, General Jason, and other members of the Los Mollasses Gang. The concrete proof and evidence were presented to the court including the sworn statement of the witnesses. Mr. Carter and Edson Tyler. General Jason also cooperated with them as he revealed the truth in the court. The Murder Case of Phantom''s Family was also reopened. Senator Mondragon and the members of the Los Mollasses Gang were also held responsible for their death. The justice finally came into their hands. Catseye''s case was also closed along with the death of Phantom and his henchmen during the explosion of the bio-weapon facility of the Dark Knight Organization. The Government also commemorated the death of Agent Cedrick Falcon and pronounced him a hero. Elle was the one who accepted the honor and medal they had given to her father. They revealed to the public that Ma. Belle Elleisse Falcon, the missing daughter of Agent Falcon survived 18 years ago. Elle started living her real identity as Ma. Belle Falcon. "After 18 years, I can now finally face them¡­" Elle mumbled to Erick. Erick was holding her hand as the two of them standing side by side in front of a tombstone. Elle bent down to touch the carved words in the tombstone: [ In loving memory of Jasmine Falcon and Cedrick Falcon ] "Mom, Dad, I''m sorry. It took me 18 years before I finally visited you. I couldn''t bring myself to face you without getting the justice for your death," Elle was trying her best to hold her tears. Erick put down the white chrysanthemum flowers and started to light the two candles in a glass. After doing that, he stood beside Elle once again, wrapping his arm around her back. "Dad¡­ do you remember the time when you showed me Erick''s picture for the first time? I told you that I already found my groom and that I would marry that boy when I grew up. I fulfilled it, Dad." Elle paused for a moment, staring at Erick with eyes filled with love and affection. Then she shifted her gaze from Erick back to the tombstone. "Dad, Mom¡­ Erick is with me¡­ Your best friend''s son... who is now my husband. He is your son-in-law. He is so handsome, isn''t he?" Elle giggled after saying that. Then she glanced at Erick with a loving smile on her lovely face. Erick smiled back at her, caressing her face while planting a soft kiss on her forehead. He just remained silent, just listening to Elle. He knew there were lots of things Elle wanted to tell her parents. "Mom, Dad, there''s another one I would like you to meet," Elle''s looked down at her stomach. It''s not yet big because she was still in her three-month pregnancy. She gently rubbed her stomach and said, "Mom, Dad, Meet your grandchild, our little Lee. We don''t know our baby''s gender yet. But I can''t wait to see our Little Lee. Mom, I promise, I will be a good and loving mother, just like you." "Mom¡­ Dad¡­ you can be at peace in heaven. I will protect Elle and our baby. I promise. I will make them happy and love them with all my heart," Erick finally spoke up. "Yes, That''s true. Believe in him. I think my son-in-law will do a better job in protecting our dear, Elle and our future grandchildren." A deep voice of a man was heard at the back. Elle and Erick were both stunned for a moment upon hearing that familiar voice. They both turned around to see the person who spoke up behind them. Just a few steps away from them, there was a man in a black suit holding a bouquet of flowers, smiling tenderly at them. Both Erick and Elle had a startled expression on their faces while looking at that person''s face. Soon the shock on their faces was replaced by joy and relief. "Master Phantom¡­ you¡­ you are alive." Elle mumbled. The tears she was trying to hold a while ago just started to flow down her face. The man frowned and pouted his lips. "You call me Master again? I thought I am your father now? Hmmp. And why are you crying again? Erick, I thought you won''t make my daughter cry. That''s why I left her in your care." Phantom complained to them. Erick just looked at Phantom helplessly. He didn''t know what to say. Meanwhile, Elle ran toward Phantom and hugged him immediately. "You STUPID OLDMAN! Erick didn''t make me cry. It''s you. It''s your fault that I am crying right now. So don''t blame my husband!" Elle said, defending Erick and at the same time, scolding Phantom. Phantom: "..." ''Did she just call me¡­ Stupid Oldman?'' Phantom didn''t know whether to cry or laugh. He just hugged her back. He missed her so much. "I''m sorry, dear. I didn''t mean to make you cry and sad. Shhhhh¡­ Stop crying already. I am back. I''m here now." Phantom said, comforting Elle who was still crying in his arms. "Father, what happened to you? We thought you and the others died during the explosion?" Erick finally spoke up and asked Phantom curiously. Phantom let out a soft chuckle. "It''s a long story. I will tell you everything later. I must pay respect first to my old friend here." Phantom said, glancing at the tombstone of Agent Falcon. Chapter 529 - 529: Wedding and Reunion In front of the altar, two people were exchanging vows. They looked so happy and in love with each other. "In the presence of God and these our friends, I take you to be my wife, promising with divine assistance to be unto you a loving and faithful husband so long as we both shall live." The groom said, staring deeply into the bride''s eyes. His eyes had the gleam of sincerity and promise for her. The bride smiled tenderly at the groom before saying her wedding vows. The joy was reflected in her eyes. "I take you to be my husband from this point onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be your faithful wife, to give and receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and respond. This will be a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new. I will love you forever, till deaths do us part." The groom and the bride suddenly became teary while saying and hearing those vows for each other. Soon, they were asked to put the wedding rings onto each other''s fingers. The tears of joy just kept flowing from the corners of their eyes. "Now, I pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride." The cheering of the guests reverberated in the venue. The groom lifted the veil as he leaned over to kiss the bride on her lips. They shared a very passionate kiss in front of everyone. Their family and friends were so happy for them. "Wifey, I heard you played an important role in making these two be together. Thank you for helping my best friend," Erick whispered to his wife, Elle. Elle giggled upon hearing that. "No need to thank me. I did that for myself. I shipped them together because I didn''t want April to chase after you. Remember, she confessed to you in front of me." "Is that true? So you already have feelings for me at that time that''s why you got mad at me¡­ because you were jealous," Erick said cheerfully while teasing Elle. Elle pouted in annoyance. She didn''t want to admit that she got jealous at that time. "Of course not, Me? Not jealous at all. Why should I?" Erick let out a husky laugh before pulling Elle into his arms. "Once our Little Lee is born, I will give you a grand wedding as well, my wifey!" "I don''t need a grand wedding, hubby. All I need is you¡­. and our baby. I am now the happiest woman on Earth because I have you and our Little Lee," Elle softly said, her eyes glowing with love and happiness. "Wifey, I love you so much. I couldn''t wait to see you in your wedding dress too while walking on the aisle. We already delayed it for two years and a half now. I''m jealous of Bryan and April," Erick said, putting on a pitiful face. Elle let out another soft giggle, before cupping Erick''s face and planting a quick kiss on his lips. But Erick didn''t allow the kiss to end quickly. He put his hand at the back of Elle''s head, not allowing her to pull back. His other hand grabbed her chin as he kissed her fiercely with fervent need. "Cough! Cough! Ahem¡­ Can both of you restrain yourselves? My gosh, you are stealing the limelight from the newly wedded couple," Charles couldn''t help but complain. He was sitting next to Erick. When Erick and Elle broke apart from that intense passionate kiss, they saw their friends and other guests including April and Bryan looking in their direction. Erick immediately smiled sheepishly at them with his apologetic look while Elle buried her face at Erick''s chest to hide her embarrassment. It did not take long when everyone proceeded to the other venue for the wedding reception for the newlywed couple. James was one of the sponsors. The reception was held in one of the Arison''s Resorts. It was such a happy occasion. Bryan''s and April''s wedding served as a reunion for everyone. Everyone took turns in giving them congratulatory messages and wedding gifts. While everyone was enjoying the food there was one person who was sulking at the corner. He was wearing a waiter''s uniform. "Argh. Why do I have to wear this disguise? I hate it. I can''t join everyone. Sigh¡­ the perks of being a famous assassin. I should have followed my kitten''s strategy, instead of flaunting my handsome face, I should have used a mask during my missions." Black Shadow lamented to himself. "Sigh, I can''t even join Marie. Hmmm, later, I will find ways. I will snatch her away from them," Black Shadow mumbled while watching Marie who was happily conversing with Allen, Carl, June, and Rose. Sherlock, who was also known as Josh, decided to approach Black Shadow who was looking gloomy at the corner. Spike also joined them. The two decided to tease Black Shadow. "Hey, waiter. Please give me vodka. I want a chocolate cake as well. Serve me well." Sherlock said, ordering Black Shadow around. He was holding his laughter. "Me too, I want some wine. Give me red wine." Spike also said. Black Shadow glowered his eyes at the two men. "You have hands and feet! Why don''t you get them yourselves!" Sherlock and Spike burst out laughing. This time Black Shadow became the center of teasing. But it didn''t take a while when Black Shadow launched a counterattack. "Sherlock, don''t you dare order me around. Do you want Sandy to know what you did yesterday behind her back?" Black Shadow said, grinning wickedly at him. Sherlock immediately stopped laughing. "Hey, bro. I am just kidding. I came here to accompany you because you seem like you are already bored." Sherlock immediately changed into an obedient sheep under Black Shadow''s threat. He knew that Sandy was the only girl Sherlock was afraid of, aside from their Queen, Catseye. "Good," Black Shadow said with a satisfied smile. Then Black Shadow turned to Spike. He wrapped his arm around Spike''s shoulders and said, "Lady Selena, she''s looking so stunning today with her dress. Why don''t you try and invite her into a dance? Spike, it is now or never. You just have to man up and take this chance! Don''t hide your feelings any longer, or else you will regret it." Spike was taken aback upon hearing that. He didn''t know what to say or how he would react. Sherlock, on the other hand, clapped his hands in amus.e.m.e.nt. "Wow, big words coming from you, Black! I didn''t know you have the quality of being a love guru! Hahaha." Black Shadow just kicked Sherlock''s leg. He knew it was both compliment and mockery. "You should learn from me too so that you can win Sandy''s heart. Tsk tsk tsk. Both of you are not afraid to face death during our missions but you are afraid of confessing your love to the ladies. What a coward." "Do you want to become a single dog forever? Well, it''s okay for me. Hahaha, I will just give you an invitation on my wedding day." Sherlock: "..." Spike: "..." And just like that, Black Shadow had turned the table as he was now the one laughing at his two friends. "Oh, here are your vodka and wine. Hope it will help you get the courage you need to make some moves on the women you like. Hahaha. Good luck, Buddies! Fighting!" Black Shadow chuckled and winked at them before leaving them speechless in their spots. The wedding reception program continued. After the cake cutting of the couple and the toasts and speeches of their family and friends, Bryan and April finally took their first dance. They also danced with their parents. Now, it was time for Bouquet Toss and Garter Toss. All single men and ladies were gathered in the center of the hall. And it seemed like destiny was making way for these two people who caught the garter and bouquet. Charles was the one who caught the garter while Elena was the one who caught the bouquet. As part of the tradition, Charles had to place the garter on the leg of Elena. Elena''s face turned scarlet red while Charles was doing the act. Elena couldn''t deny the fact that Charles still had a great effect on her. After that, the two of them went into the dance floor, joining the newlywed couple. The two pairs danced in the center hall while others were watching and cheering on them. Charles made sure to pull Elena''s body closer to his. Elena''s heart was beating rapidly inside her chest. Their closeness was making her more nervous and excited at the same time. Her heartbeat was so loud in her ears. While they were dancing, Charles grabbed this opportunity to say something to Elena. "Elena¡­ I''m sorry. It took me a lot of time to muster up my courage. Now, I won''t waste any more time. I want to ask you¡­ will you give me another chance? Another chance to make it up to you?" Elena paused for a moment upon hearing that. She gazed up, her face filled with confusion. "What do you mean¡­ brother Charles?" She asked him expectantly. Her heart was racing, but she forced innocence into her voice. She didn''t want to expect. But Charles looked straight into her eyes, raising his other hand to touch her reddened face. "What I mean is¡­ give me another chance to prove myself to you. To show you that despite my dark past, I can still be the man who can give you happiness by loving you wholeheartedly." Charles said that with so much sincerity in his voice. Elena was at a loss for words. She didn''t know what to say. But one thing was for sure, her heart was singing with joy. Then her eyes suddenly became misty. She felt like crying. His words were so sweet that they touched her heart. ''Is brother Charles confessing to me now?'' After she recovered from the shock, all she could do was nod her head with a loving smile on her face. She immediately pounced on Charles, hugging him tight while sinking into his embrace. Erick and Elle were just watching them from afar. "It seems like my partner will finally get his happiness too," Elle mumbled. Erick smiled at her while nodding his head. It did not take long when a surprising performance from unexpected people was performed on the stage, dedicated to everyone present in the venue. Phantom and his henchmen including Antoine and Mr. Carter prepared a song and dance performance for everyone. All eyes were on them right now. "Who would have thought that they were alive all along? They made us worry too much," James mumbled who joined Elle and Erick at their table. "Yes¡­ that stupid old man! I want to beat him after knowing his reason. Fortunately, I am not allowed to exert too much force because of our Little Lee. His grandchild just saved him from my wrath," Elle lamented to Erick and James. The two men just exchanged glances with one another before bursting out laughing. They learned that Phantom, Antoine, Mr. Carter, and his henchmen had already planned out everything behind Elle''s back. Phantom wanted to take all the blame for Catseye''s crimes so they came up with the plan of going into public and revealed everything including his identity as Catseye. Faking their deaths in front of the public was also part of the plan. They didn''t inform Elle, Erick, and James about it to make it look real. They also knew the system''s lockdown and the bomb. Antoine, who was an expert in computer programming and hacking, helped them during that time. He was assisting them from behind. With the help of Mr. Carter, they secured the bio-weapons, making sure those weapons won''t cause any harm during the explosion. That''s one of the reasons why Mr. Carter insisted to Erick not to negotiate with the Dark Lord and just trust Phantom''s team. He already knew that they already got it covered. "Those three old men deceived us all," James made another comment. "Sigh, as expected to the Genius Scientist, Legendary Assassin, and the Skillful Hacker of the century," Elle said, shaking her head helplessly. "They are the Golden Trio," Erick also commented. His eyes gleamed with humor. "Hmmm, I''m still thinking of the best punishment for the three of them. Imagine¡­ they disappeared for two months¡­ making us believe they died in the explosion. I cried every night. My Little Lee got stressed because of that. I won''t let them slide." Elle ranted on them. "Hmm, I agree,.wifey," Erick said, supporting his wife. He also suffered ten folds just watching his wife every night. "Second demotion!" James also said. The three of them ended up bursting into a peal of laughter. Poor old men! They would be facing their punishment soon. ********** Meanwhile, if everyone was having fun right now at the wedding reception, there was someone who was not happy for everything that transpired in the past two months. In just a blink of an eye, she lost everything. Now, Diana''s heart was filled with hatred for those who ruined her father and her family. "I swear¡­ I will take my revenge against all of you. The Dark Knight will rise again. I will make sure that you will all suffer under my grasp. This is not yet the end." Chapter 530 - 530: The End and the Start of New Beginning She experienced the worst in life. Losing her parents at a very young age, witnessing them suffer at the hands of people who wanted their lives. She lived being haunted by the nightmare in her past. She lost faith in the goodness of her heart. She let herself be consumed by hatred and revenge. She walked the dark sinful path just to get revenge against the people who caused her misery. Her life was filled with emptiness, loneliness, and darkness. She never thought that she would ever see the light again until she met him in that fateful encounter. Everything changed that night when he saved her. He slowly melted her stone-cold heart and taught her to love. He showed her the way to the light, teaching her to forgive and making her feel that there''s still goodness left in her heart. Before, she knew she was only living for the sake of getting her revenge. But the moment he came into her life, he gave her another reason to live. Elle was reliving the memories about how their love story began. At first, they pretended to be lovers but unknowingly they already fell for each other so deeply. She couldn''t help but smile as she could remember the rollercoaster ride of emotions she had felt before. Their journey wasn''t smooth. There were lots of ups and downs but they remained strong for their love. Now, she couldn''t ask for more. Her pains and miseries were replaced by overwhelming joy and happiness as she was with him. She felt grateful for everything.. for the second chance that God had given her to live her life again and have a fresh start with her loved ones. She was looking at the distant night sky where countless stars were shining and sparkling brightly along with the silvery moon that was sprinkling moonlight on the ground. She felt wonderful tonight. Everything was so serene and quiet. It did not take long when tiny running footsteps were heard, inching closer to her. Then Elle felt small hands hugging her leg and a soft tiny voice of a boy was heard. "Mama¡­ I found you!" A cheerful voice escaped his mouth. Elle looked down with a doting smile on her face. She kneeled down so that she could be at the eye-level of the little boy who looked like in his five years of age. Then she opened her arms so wide, "Oh, my cute and adorable Little Lee, give Mama a super hug and kiss." The boy flashed his charming smile. It was the same killer charming smile that his handsome father had. His eyes were as dark as his mother''s eyes. He was the perfect combination of Erick''s and Elle''s beautiful genes. It was certain, Little Lee would become a man who would melt every woman''s heart with just his smile. Soon, Little Lee walked closer to his mother and wrapped his arms around Elle''s neck while giving her a soft kiss on her right cheek. "Oh, Mama''s night is now complete because of this." Elle softly said before engulfing the little boy''s body in her arms and kissing him back on his cute cheeks. "Then how about me? You don''t like my hugs and kisses? I thought I am the love of your life. You cheated on me upon seeing this boy. I am jealous." Erick appeared from behind. He was pouting, pretending to be upset and jealous. Elle released Little Lee as she giggled because of Erick''s childish remarks. Little Lee, on the other hand, rolled his eyes skyward upon hearing his father''s remarks. He turned to face his father with a serious face, folding his little arms across his chest, and said, "Papa, don''t be too selfish and shameless. Don''t accuse Mama of cheating. I know you are the culprit who is exhausting Mama every night. You already spoiled her with so many hugs and kisses. Now it''s my turn to do it." After saying that, Little Lee showered Elle''s face with lots of kisses. Elle and Erick just burst out laughing. Erick walked over them. "You little young man, how dare you call your father shameless and selfish?" Erick grabbed Little Lee and started tickling him. "Haha¡­ Aah, Pa-pa¡­ p-please stop!" Little Lee complained in between his laughter. When Erick didn''t stop, Little Lee asked Elle for help. "Mama¡­ Help!!!" "Erick, that''s enough!" Elle said, snatching Little Lee away from Erick. Little Lee stuck his tongue out at his father and grinned triumphantly. Erick just chuckled and shook his head helplessly. ''Argh, It''s hard to compete with my son. He is now Elle''s favorite. Sigh.'' He breathed in deeply while putting on a pitiful face. Elle just gave him a meaningful smile. Erick just smiled back at her. He understood her with just one look. She was telling him that he didn''t need to get jealous of their son nor compete with him. They were both precious to her. "Mama, the sky is full of stars. So beautiful." Elle was now carrying Little Lee as they both gazed up at the sky. "But nothing is more beautiful than Mama," he added while complimenting his mother. Elle giggled and pinched his nose. "You are still a kid, but you already know how to flatter a woman. Who taught you this?" "Uncle Charles, Godfather James, and Master Black," Little Lee answered truthfully. Elle glanced at Erick, giving him a questioning look as if asking him "What the hell are they teaching our kid?" Erick was the one accompanying Little Lee when visiting Black Shadow, James, or Charles. Erick just put on an innocent look and shrugged his shoulders. Elle rolled her eyes. ''Never mind! I will just confront them myself.'' "Mama, tell me again the story of how you meet Papa. I love hearing your stories." Little Lee''s voice was heard again, catching the attention of Elle and Erick. "Alright, this time¡­ Papa will be the one to do the storytelling," Erick mumbled as he approached his wife and son. Erick hugged Elle''s behind and started telling Little Lee the love story of his parents. This was his favorite bedtime story. ¡­... "Mama and Papa beat those bad guys together. And they lived happily ever after together with their cute adorable son, Little Dominique Lee." Erick said to end his storytelling. When they looked down, Little Lee was already sound asleep in Elle''s arms. Elle and Erick exchanged meaningful glances with one another. Both of them were wearing a loving smile on their lips. "Wifey, I love you so much..." Erick mumbled softly. His love and affection for her reflected in his dark brown eyes. "I love you more, Hubby¡­" Elle responded to him with all her heart. Erick grabbed her chin and tilted her head as he sealed her lips with a passionate kiss, filled with so much love. They were kissing under the moonlight and starry night sky while hugging their most precious gift of life, Little Dominique Lee. ~THE END OF VOLUME 2~ ========================= [ SNEAK PEEK FOR VOLUME 3 ] = Black Shadow''s Side Story = "Who is Kelsy? Is she telling the truth? You are¡­ a k-killer, a professional killer?" Marie''s eyes were filled with complex emotions as she stared at him. The man just remained silent while clenching his fists. "Brandon? Answer me!! Just don''t stay quiet¡­ Please! for goodness''s sake, speak up! Defend yourself. Tell me that she is just lying¡­" Marie was begging him in her desperate voice. Black Shadow slammed his eyes shut while gritting his teeth. He knew this day would eventually come but still, he didn''t know how he would tell her. He was afraid¡­ very afraid to lose her. "What if she''s telling the truth? Will you break up with me? Will you hate me? Will you not love me anymore?" Black Shadow finally broke his silence. He felt like his heart was being squeezed right now. He felt suffocated. This time Marie couldn''t utter a single word. Her mind was in shambles. The moment of her silence became the most torturous seconds of his life. Black Shadow raised his head and smiled at her bitterly. The pain and sadness were visible in his eyes. Seeing her like that, he didn''t need to hear her answer. He could already tell what was about to come. He didn''t want to prolong his agony so he decided to tell her. "Yes, I am a killer¡­ No... I WAS a professional assassin. It''s all in the past now. But I know it is not enough reason for you to accept me and continue loving me." The moment he said those words he felt like his heart was being stabbed by thousand daggers. He could no longer stand it so he just thought of running away. He didn''t want to hear it from her mouth or see the hatred in her eyes so he turned around to leave her. However, he just only took one step when he felt a soft hand grabbing his elbow. "Where do you think you are going, Brandon Stone? We are not yet done talking! Who gives you the right to just leave here?" Marie said with her stern cold voice. ========================= = James Arison''s Side Story = "What are you doing here with that thing in your hand?" James asked her with his nonchalant tone while walking leisurely across the room as if the woman in front of him was not pointing a gun in his direction. "What else? Of course, I am here to kill you¡­ Supremo," the woman fiercely said with a smug smile on her lovely face. James halted on his step and turned around to face the woman, he arched his eyebrow while the corner of his lips twitched fighting a smile. It did not take long when James started walking in her direction, inching closer and closer to her. For some reason, she felt alarmed and her heart started to race rapidly upon sensing his overbearing confidence. There was no hint of fear nor anger on his face but his expression was sending her a warning signal that an impending danger was about to happen. "Don''t move. Just stay where you are!" She scowled at him, trying to maintain her brave front. Her grip on the gun tightened. But to her dismay, James didn''t stop moving instead, he did something that surprised her more. James started undressing in front of her, unbuttoning his shirts while looking at her with his penetrating gaze. "Hey¡­ w-what the hell are you doing? I said¡­ I am here to kill you," The woman asked him in disbelief. Her knees suddenly became weak and her stomach fluttered the moment his chiseled chest and muscular upper body were exposed to her. ''Damn, he is so hot!'' "Come¡­ I am offering you myself. Kill me now¡­ with your love, my dearest wife." He smirked mischievously at her. Before she realized what happened, James''s lips were already brushing her lips. The gun she was holding moments ago was now on the floor. And her hands?? They were roaming around his body, caressing his fine assets as she matched his kiss with the same intensity as his. ========================= ~ Author''s Note ~ [1] Volume 3 will be written after 6 Months or 1-year Break of this Author. It depends on Author''s availability. [2] This Volume will focus more on the Side story of Two Supporting Characters: James and Black Shadow. [3] The other characters from Volume 1 and Volume 2 like Erick and Elle, Erick''s Team, Azumi Twins, Phantom''s henchmen, Charles, and many more will still appear in Volume 3. [4] You will also see Little Lee growing up in this Volume as Little Lee will become a disciple of Black Shadow. [5] For now, the Author will be focusing on her second story: The CEO''s Wife Is A Demon God''s Daughter, and another story in the making [ Human & Angel or Human & Vampire ] I Hope you will support me as well with my current novels just like how you supported The Devilish Assassin meets the Angelic Detective.