Chapter 288 - Looking For Answers

As Alcina emerged out of the car, she tossed the car keys at Nick. 

Nick was a man Lord Tang had specifically arranged for her many years ago. He knew from the beginning that Alcina wouldn't be a part of Phantoms forever. She was there for a reason and once it was achieved she would return, no matter what the price she had to pay for her freedom. 

And that's what Alcina did...

"Take care of my baby," Alcina said to him and Nick shrugged back at her. Only Alcina could treat cars as dear as a mother would treat her children. 

"So, where did you find her?" Alcina asked Nick as he navigated the path for her. She had been looking for a certain old lady for as long as she could remember. And today, when she received Nick's call that he found her in a village situated on the eastern border of the country. She was elated after hearing good news after so long. 

Finally, there were some clues. 

"Are you sure that you can get information on your mother through this old lady?" Nick asked her. 

Alcina grinned roguishly. "Didn't you say if we find this woman you will help me crack this case?"

Nick shot her a look which said are-you-crazy? But what could he do when he certainly had made a promise such as it? Not only this, he made this particular promise in front of his boss. Now he was stuck with her to work on this bizarre case. 

Alcina knew that she couldn't crack this case without Nick's help. He was a genius and there was no denying it. However, with geniuses comes insanity, and Nick didn't lack any. He could never work under anyone, especially a woman such as Alcina who by all means thought of herself as nothing less than a queen of the whole universe. 

However, it would be a lie to say that he didn't enjoy working with her. If he was insane, then he had no words for her. She was a brand of her own self. 

Alcina didn't know what secrets she would be going to unearth today or if there would be anything worth knowing about Elena Zhang also known as Zhang Xuelin who also happened to be her mother. 

But it was paramount that she meets that old lady today who was her mother's caretaker back in those days. Her father once said that there was only one woman who stood by Elena Zhang's side during the worst time of her life. And knowing quite well how difficult it was to get information out of her father's mouth, Alcina decided to reach the bottom of the matter once she grew up or when she was capable enough of it. 

Her father never wanted her to avenge her family as he had sworn that he would never do anything that would hurt his family. To him, family meant everything. Even if the same family orchestrated his death. 

However, she was his daughter. Not the forbearer of his promises or commitments. She would do everything which meant it could keep her daughter safe. Even if it meant to pluck the roots of her past completely because she didn't when these roots would bloom into a poisonous vine capable of threatening the life of her daughter. 

"We are here," Nick said, pointing towards one particular house. It was slightly larger than the rest of the houses in the neighborhood. They knocked on the door and a few minutes later, a woman came out only to scowl at the two strangers. 

'Well, that's not how someone behaves with the visitors.' 

"We do not accept visitors," the woman said and slammed the door on their faces. When she was closing the door, Alcina wedged the toe of her pointed heels into the space between it. 

"Good thing, we are not visitors. We are here to meet Mrs. He who perhaps is your grandmother." 

The woman opened her mouth to say something, but before she could utter anything, Alcina waved her hand to cut off her words, and said in a haughty tone," You see young lady, I'm not here to make little chats. If I say that I'm here to meet Mrs. He, it means that I won't return without meeting her. It doesn't matter what methods I may have to choose. To our knowledge, your grandmother is in her later eighties and I don't know when she would leave this green earth, leaving me with more questions and doubts that I will ever solve on my own." She cocked her brow and said, " So, move." 

The woman threw a help-me look at Nick, who just shrugged in return. If he knew how to deal with her, wouldn't he be enjoying his vacations? 

Accepting defeat, the woman moved and let Alcina enter the room. 

"You have ten minutes to meet my grandmother and if you took even a second more than the said ten minutes, police will be here to deal with you," the woman directly told Alcina. Then she took Alcina, yes, only Alcina to meet the old lady to the other side of the house while Nick waited outside the door.

"Grandma, someone is here to meet you." Alcina could hear the woman talking to the old lady in a soft tone. 

"Didn't I make it crystal clear to everyone that if someone comes asking about me, tell them I'm dead," the old lady said in a frustrated voice. 

"I'm afraid, Mrs. He, that the other party is quite persistent," Alcina said, entering the room without the permission of the old lady but only if the said old lady was healthy enough to throw her out of the room. She was lying on the bed and seeing the color of her face, Alcina knew the old lady wouldn't survive another month. 

This wasn't how she had expected to meet her mother's caretaker.

However, things didn't surprise her these days...