After exchanging a few more words with Sofony, Chris felt that he was just as exhausted as yesterday.
The woman had given him update regarding the person he had mind-controlled to amputate himself. On the surface, they appeared like they were merely at the middle of a work-related discussion, yet underneath the glowing barrier and layer of illusion, he and this Level 5 host were holding a talk about the matter with a suspected host or hosts of the C Empire. At one point, they even had a disagreement on whether to take a roundabout approach by feeling up their government.
"You can't leave the whole trouble to me. It seems a tough ordeal this time. The man hinted it is an organization and based on the clues I had him cough out, it should be comprised of people who knew about the immoral system. Who knows how many hosts they have on their side?"
"... You have Sofia. Didn't you make her increase her physical stats the most, so she can do espionage works?"
Sofony gave him a weird look. Moments later, it then became a stern glare.
"Stop pushing responsibilities to others and contribute too."
A frown surfaced from the half-host's clean and shaved face. But thinking of the possible consequences if the matter was not handled appropriately, he helplessly relented.
"... Fine, I'll hack into the C Empire's Intel body and see what I can get from there."
Sofony nodded at him, pleased that he didn't argue or say anything as retort anymore.
Their discussion did not last long. A few more minutes were spent on mundane talks about the party, business, the sisters, and the poor police.
And then they parted ways.
The high-profile woman went back to the crowd while he directly marched into the exit, planning to just tell a staff near the double door there about his departure. Anyway, he had already done his job and tortured himself with the various greetings and introduction. His hard work should be already enough to garner a rest, no?
Well, even if it was not, he already made up his mind to think that it was indeed how it should be.
...
Many people had been left conflicted in that night. Two of them happened to be the famous Morgan half-sisters, Alessa and Amelia.
The latter, a couple of minutes after the extremely known actor excused himself from the breakroom, received an anonymous phone call which was actually from a lady bridging Amelia with the mercenary group from the C-Empire.
That time, all her personal assistants and guards had been asked to go out of the room so nobody knew what went on inside. Everyone could only make countless speculations in their brains, guessing just what kind of bad news did the First Miss received as to become very cranky when they left the place.
As for Alessa, while escorted by Aura and Diaz, she almost didn't manage to restrain herself from throwing a warning to Amelia through one of her assistants. She got badly shaken by the realization that her so capable sister had started to suspect who Chris really was.
Driven by the fear that a person dear to her would be stolen away again by Amelia, she almost had Aura dropped a message to one of that woman's subordinate to stay away from him. Thankfully at the last second she got a grip of herself. Nothing was definite yet. Suspicions need proofs to be solidified as the truths. If she shows agitation now, the other woman would surely recognize that as a positive sign.
'... She must be sounding out both me and him.'
Because she realized this at the last second, she luckily managed to avoid a sort of disaster. After all, Amelia was known to be a perceptive woman. Even with that man's outstanding acting, just a slight reaction from her would still rat our Chris or her other secret helpers to her half-sister. It was a scenario she deeply dreaded to ever come into play in reality.
Alessa inwardly sighed then decided to just leave the premise as to not slip up or have any possibility of slipping up anymore. On her way to the place beyond the brightly lit hall, she encountered Starlight's real queen who gave her signature pure and heart-warming smile. Yet for some reason, Alessa couldn't bring herself to return the courtesy with anything more than a polite nod.
...
"Chris!"
When the man turned around, he immediately directed a questioning glance at the woman that called out to her. He saw her flanked by two familiar people who were alertly looking around to check for CCTVs and paparazzi.
It was very early in the morning, around 5 am. The man had begun his daily routine of jogging around a nearby park. It would be normally only him circling the oval there since the city-dwellers of this area were not fond of outdoor exercises in every early morning.
'... It's this so early, and she wants to see or talk to me?'
His forehead lightly creased, eyes narrowed. This was when the childish voice in his mind spoke up.
"..."
The other party called out his name with the intention to speak with him and it's asking him if she merely wants to jog around too?
He inwardly shook his head in dismay, feeling resigned to his future.
"Let's have a proper talk, please!"
Seeing the other's serious expression, his mind promptly pondered if something important just happened. A second later, his gaze flickering at her turned weird, then amused. The latter was of course hidden through his brown eyes.
It seemed this non-host ally of him became alarmed because she saw him with Amelia. Was she curious what they had spoken about then?
Since Alessa knew his temperament, she led him into the mini forest of the neighborhood and had her two bodyguards to be on the lookout for unnecessary eyes. She placed her right hand on the trunk of a tree and then faced the man. The woman didn't know why, but she felt like if she didn't hold on to anything, her body would just collapse.
"Is it because your sister and I meet yesterday?" he directly asked.
The woman wearing a simple white shirt and jeans in front of him nodded honestly.
So this conversation would be short, he took the initiative to say, "The woman is cautious and is only trying to piece out clues about me being a hacker."
Alessa's burning gaze did not leave his face. "She... didn't try to take you away?"
Another weird look appeared on Chris' face. "What takes me away? Am I some sort of stuffed toy?"
"Poaching you..." her voice slightly trailed off as she lowered her eyes to her white sports shoes.
"... Of all people in the world, you're the one who knows her style in business the best. If she wanted to poach me from Starlight, she would first collect some blackmail materials or anything that could be used against me. I won't even be surprised if she just suddenly tried to kidnap my family. But currently, Amelia doesn't have anything in hand and wouldn't do anything since I am still just another actor in her eyes."
Alessa's feverish eyes bore through him again. She shook her head and said, "I know this. But my head is feeling dizzy, and I think it's because I'm feeling so afraid and insecure. My heart is aching too. I, I don't have anything that can guarantee that you'll remain by my side... She is an expert in taking away what I have, even my people..."
Chris scowled. The state of the woman was quite odd. He was about to reason to her about her that the shady guy who poisoned him being under her command was enough ground for him to see her as his lifetime enemy. But the actress before him suddenly lowered her head and fell down.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" he asked while holding her up with one hand as to not let her completely collapsed on the moist ground.
'... Her temperature is quite high.'
The unnatural warmness transmitting to his palm despite the layer of clothing in between their skin made him flinch a bit. 'A fever? So this is why she's not acting like herself?'
Then Alessa spoke up again, her voice sounding so sultry with it being accompanied by her audible breathing.
"... I just want you to know... that I am not really about to fall."
The man held both her shoulders since her knees seemed to be failing her. Alessa was so close to him when she gave him a tearful smile. It was very beautiful, but due to her reddening face and few beads of sweat on her forehead, she appeared so weak yet... alluring?
In the next moment, all crazy thoughts that he was having flew over the reddish horizon when she laughingly said, "I'm telling you, my knees are not really failing me. I was planning to kneel down."
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The man became dumbfounded at first. Then he took a deep breath and seriously commanded. "Stop speaking. You have a high fever so you're being delirious. I'll call over Miss Aura so she can check on you."
The woman was made to lean her body against the tree while he walked off to find her assistants and inform them of her condition. He hadn't truly vanished from the woods when Alessa melancholy and softly whispered to the air. Chris froze and almost became rooted on the distance when his ears picked up the few words uttered with unspeakable sadness and self-mockery,
"... didn't hear me... I... to kneel... planning to beg him... not... leave me..."
Three meters away from him, the same distance he had with Alessa, there was a white palm-sized white flower with a petal that seemingly cried when the solitary dewdrop on top of it fell off and disappeared on the damp soil... The sight was just sorrowful, one would just wonder why sadness exists in this world.
...
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