The tense atmosphere inside the room was biting the three figures pensive and nervous. There were questions in their minds. The girls were continuously passing glances to each other. They were thinking why would anyone this powerful offer them a job out of the blue?
Do they know our background?
Is this a nice deal?
And the most dreadful a thought, is this all a big trap?
It was becoming too much to handle for Akeno, he spoke coldly- "this is not a trap? We don't need to trap people to kill them off; you should understand that till now.
Evan, "please read the deal, you will like it and we don't know from what you are hiding, erasing your traces, but we will protect you if you sign this off.
Ichiro- "what's with the atmosphere? Please believe us ladies. You will be safe."
Ace- "what if we decline."
Akeno- "leans on towards ace on the other side of the table. Are you sure you don't want to go to your home today?"
Evan-"you sign the deal, we let you leave. Deal!?"
It felt as if the three ladies were having a stare off competition with the guys. Suddenly Ria spoke with a jolt.
Ria- "ugh! Gimme a pen and let us go."
Akeno backed up, who was still leaning on a cold faced ace. He took out a pen from his pocket and put it on the table.
The three quietly signed off their names and sat down again, wondering what they had gotten themselves into.
Ichiro helped up Sash who shrugged off his hand promptly. As they walked along the hallway the eyes staring were making them uncomfortable with each step.
Ria was bubbling with anger on inside as she rolled up her sleeves to confront one or two of the starrers. She felt a burning sensation pass through her as Evan paced up along her side and the eyes found it hard to not stare at them, but a look from Evan sent them searching for a different landscape. As Ria was lost in that familiar scent she was jolted back to reality when Ace held her hands firmly.
It was getting dark outside as they stepped out in the dark night bereft of stars and moon.
"The day sure is bad." Sash.
"I can guarantee." Ace.
As the three stood huddled up surrounded with armed guards they could see from a distance Akeno staring at a distance nonchalantly, Evan standing beside him and Ichiro approaching them with a small bag.
As Ichiro handed over the bag to them they bid their farewell.
There was nothing they could do except walk to where their car was parked. They were already late for the last subway.
As they were walking through the windy night, a car pulled up beside them, the window rolled down and the driver said- "the masters have arranged a car it should be here in a minute. You will be dropped near the mall. Have a good night miss.
"Yeah, sure. Now tell your masters to piss off." Ria grumbled as the car pulled off.
Just as the car sped away another car stopped and a guard held open the door to the passenger seat to them.
"Ugh! I can't walk." Sash sighed as she climbed into the car.
Ace and Ria followed her with less time to go home and no choice.
As they went through all this they had no words to speak. The trip to the mansion was eerily silent. They pulled up to their mansion, very silently. The energy was all drained out of them.
As they stepped up on the stairs to the mansion, suddenly Ace spoke- "we have to tell oppa. Do you both understand?"
Sash- "but how."
Ria- "yeah we have to tell him."
Ace- "I will tell him. You either just nod along or whatever. But we can't hide anything about this."
Ria-"okay! Let's go inside. It's a cold night."Inside on the couch sat oppa Kym with a cup of coffee in his hand and butler Samuel instructing the kitchen maids about dinner.
Both of them were startled with a very hurried entry of 3 figures. As manager Kym's hand stooped midway to a sip and his lips folded into back. And butler Samuel with instructions half completed and dismissing the kitchen staff. The three crashed down on the couch, eyes closed. Suddenly Ace sat upright with a jolt and snatched away the coffee mug from manager Kym's hand and ordered him to put away the magazine too, to which he promptly obliged.
"What's up with you guys?" Oppa.
"Please. Listen to us carefully." Ace.
"Yeah! But what's up with those two. Are they asleep." He said mockingly as he nudged them with his feet.
"I am alive." Sash.
"I am dead." Ria.
"OK." Oppa said as he touched his chin with surprise.
"Hey both of you sit up." Ace said.
The two opened their eyes and sat upright at once.
"What we are about to tell you will enrage you, but first listen us out." Ria said with hands joined into a plea.
Sash was silent, because she feared the brother in front of them, who seemed calm all times but was a powerful figure in their organization. He could ruin the deal if he simply made his mind to. Ace started to speak.
"Do you know AMATE corps?" Ace.
"Yeah, I do." Oppa.
"It's related to them." Ace.
"What!?" Oppa.
"Let me explain from beginning and listen carefully. No actions against them. And that's an order." Ace.
"Okay, speak." Oppa said sternly.
"So, this happened today when we went for a lunch to the local Mc Donald's. We were being watched I guess. I remember feeling creepy. Sash got held on knife point and got a scratch on her shoulder. She is fine now. Don't worry. They were armed guards and a Man; he seemed to be local, called himself the security chief of the AMATE corps. He escorted us cum kidnapped us." Explained Ace.
"What! Are you serious?" Oppa had his mind running wild.
"Yes. But we were not harmed. Please listen first. We met CEO's. They are tough to handle. A little bratty to state it right." Ace.
"Did they say anything to you!?" Oppa.
"No. but we had to sign a deal to free ourselves from them. And in order to get the camouflage that we are looking for." Said Ace.
"What kind of deal is that?" Oppa.
"They offered us a job." Ace.
"What! A job, what job?" Oppa.
"We will be specified later. We got a week until then." Ace.
"So, now, what have you thought about it? Tell me." Oppa.
"Yeah we have. We will work for them." The three said in unison.
There was a dangerous silence in the atmosphere. Kym had been pacing up and down the hall for almost 20 minutes now.
The three were still on their knees on the ground.
"You don't have much to think about. You have to agree. You know we have to compromise. We are being HUNTED. For god's sake." Pleaded Ria.
"And we are telling you to let go off us. We need you to back us up." Ace.
"Oppa, sit down and talk. Please!" Sash pleaded.
He stopped and glanced at them and said okay! With a sigh.
As the car stopped outside Evan's mansion and the three pensive and expectant looking faces and their weary bodies headed for a warm shower. They feeling they got from reaching their home was what they felt today in that basement. Leaving those three figures on their own was a little unsettling to them yet each remained calm.
After a warm shower, on the dinner table was a take out from some expensive restaraunt. It had been years since they had homemade food.
"Ugh! I am fed up. I don't feel like eating." Ichiro.
"I am also not eating." Evan.
"I will have juice only." Akeno.
"Today was tiring. They are too hard headed." Evan.
"And you don't know how to speak." Ichiro.
"She growled first, can't help that." Said Evan.
"They were pretty logical and straightforward. Befriend them if you want to keep them. Fools." Told Ichiro.
"But, I doubt their loyalty, honestly." Evan.
" I have a solution." Akeno said as he took a sip of his juice.
"Say, what!" Evan.
"I have sent a spy." Akeno.
"Cunning fox." Claimed Ichiro.
"Just one month." Akeno.
"Yeah, let's see." Evan said dreamily.