Tonight the full moon is high up in the sky. The moon is especially beautiful tonight and shone a crimson light down the city below. There's an eclipse happening tonight that created the reddish shine.
In the second floor of purple rose, Alex stood with the lead investigator. Today is Alex's turn to handle massage and he would never miss his chance for a private talk.
It's been another month since Alex heard about the corruption of the investigators from him. Alex had been trying to dig the info of the briber out but he still wouldn't budge. Until today, that is.
"You seem to be in a bad mood" said Alex while massaging him.
"Yeah.. a bit" the investigator replied grumpily.
He is usually full of smiles and teases Alex endlessly but today he is unusually quiet and grumpy. His brows are creased and thin lines appear on his forehead.
"What happened? You wanna tell me?" Alex asked him again but the investigator just shook his hand and gave a thin smile.
Alex pouted and switched her tactic. She smiled and poured more wine for him. "Let's drink your pain away? Everytime I massaged you hard enough until you let out a voice, you'll have to drink one glass!"
The investigator seemed to like the idea and drink a glass to start. Alex mustered her strength and massaged as hard as she could so the investigator will let his voice out more.
"Another one!" said Alex with a happy tone before pouring another glass. By the time, the investigator had a red blush across his face and his eyes are half closed. He's having a hard time keeping them open with the alcohol running in his body.
"Soooo! Alex deaar, I am soooo annoyed you knoow. People neveeer appreciaates me!" said him while bumping his hand on the massage chair. He's obviously drunk already and started running his mouth. Alex's plan worked out and he started talking all kinds of nonsense.
"You know... you know!? Those bastaards.. they can't do anything without mee!! Hic!"
"What did they do to you? They must be blind to not see your value sire" replied Alex while keeping her massage going. This investigator is finally talking! And he's obviously drunk already. Perfect to get information out.
"You knoow dear... They can't do anything without me!? Hic! and now.. and now!! They want to haggle for the prize?! Ungrateful little!!! Hic!" he said again. "Ugh he's speaking gibberish, and it's quite hard to understand him now" Alex thought silently to herself.
"How dare them. You must make them know their place sire" she replied with a charming smile plastered on her face.
"I knoooow... You know.. You know! if not for me, those people! They can't even plan an assassination!! If not for me.. that noble house won't ever go down!!! Now... now they won't even pay to buy the evidence I found?!?! The whole kingdom will know they are killers if I leaked this out!! Hic!"
Alex froze. She felt her heart dropped when she heard what the man said. He didn't say the house's name but didn't he mean her house?
So... this man in front of her had something to do with what happened that night?
Lost in her own thought, she didn't notice the man falling asleep right there on the massage chair. He must be super drunk and relaxed since he could pass out right there.
Alex felt her hands tremble. She can hear the echo of screams from that night, the smell of blood, the feel of the thorns cutting her flesh as she ran away, the coldness of the wind.
"Ugh" Alex felt her head hurt. She felt her heart thumping loudly and blood rushing to her head.
"This man.. If not for this man" Alex felt her heart thumping faster. Her eyes became bloodshot and filled with anger. If not for this man, maybe her family would still be alive right now.
Alex left the man inside the room and she walked out. She went to her room and grabbed a small bottle of colourful liquid from her drawer.
"Aaah that felt good" on the second floor, a man just left the massage room. He stretches his body that felt lighter and smiled happily. It was Will.
He started walking towards the stairs when he saw a figure walking downstairs to his current floor. The woman is beautiful, but.. her aura.
Will saw the cold glint in the woman's eyes. It was killing intent. The aura is so thick that he can feel it from behind the silver mask she wore. She held a glass bottle in her hands and descend slowly from the stairs.
Will waited for her to walk past him but she didn't spare him one glance. She just walked slowly and pass him without a word. He can see her eyes shining with a strong killing intent and he felt chills on his body.
Thump... thump...
My heartbeat is so loud. Shut up. Shut up!!
Alex felt her head hurt. The more she tried to silence her thoughts, the more she felt anger rushing to overtake her. She felt the adrenaline pumping and her feet moved on their own. Before she knew it, she opened the massage room door and saw the man inside who is still in deep sleep.
Her right hand that hold the bottle with colourful liquid is trembling again. She moved closer and closer.
This man.. This man must die!
Alex hold the bottle of poison tighter and get ready to feed it to the investigator. She lost all of her reasonings and sense. She can't hear anything right now despite the purple rose always bustling with noises and the room had music playing to set the mood. All she can hear is her heart beat and her own mind going nuts.
"ey... hey!!"
Huh?
A large and muscular hand suddely appeared and gripped her hand who holds the bottle. The force it gave woke Alex up and stopped her in her tracks.
The sound of music can be heard again and she saw there's an uninvited guest in the room. She tilted her hand to saw the owner of the hand, it was Will.
"You didn't even notice I went inside the room after you." said the man.
"You were so focused you didn't even close the door. And you want to commit a murder with an open door?"
"Furthermore in this kind of public space? Didn't this man come in groups? What do you think the other men will do once they started to look for him taking his sweet time upstairs?"
"Are you stupid?" Will closed his remarks with a big sigh. This woman.. Is she crazy or is she just stupid? Killing the guy without even closing the door. What kind of person does that?! That's basically handing yourself up to receive punishment.
Alex felt insulted by his remarks. But he's right. She can't even remember what she did after leaving this room. It felt like she's under a spell. A spell of hatred.
She didn't even close the door. If someone else came in and see her trying to kill a man, she would definitely receive punishments.
"You.. what did he do to you?" Will asked her but Alex didn't reply. Her eyes are fixated on the colourful liquid on her hands.
"I don't know what he did, but if you wish to kill him you can't do it here. Get him to take you somewhere without telling anyone. You will have a better chance" he said while letting go of her hand and leave the room.
Alex stood there silently.
Get him to take me on a trip without telling anyone and kill him then? That's actually a good idea. But isn't Will a merchant? I don't know merchant does shady business like killing people as well, but he seemed very well versed with planning it.