In the early hours of the morning, Taylor was awakened by the interruption of tranquility caused by the ringing of the phone. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Clarice calling. A mixture of relief and curiosity ran through her body, and she promptly answered the phone.
Holding the device firmly, Taylor responded, "Hello?"
Clarice asked, "How are you? Can we schedule a meeting later?"
Taylor let out a sigh before replying, "Right now, I'm trying to disconnect from everything. Anyway... there are so many meaningless interpretations for me."
Understanding the situation, Clarice said, "I understand. The recent changes haven't made anything clear for me or you."
Clarice proposed, "Let's meet later at the café in front of the Kadman Business Center."
Taylor agreed, saying, "Okay, see you there."
While waiting for the meeting, Taylor couldn't stop thinking about the persona she had created. It took courage, strength, and determination for her to adapt to the character she had invented to be by Adam's side. It was a complex game involving careful words, meticulous acting, and the construction of possible scenarios, all to stay one step ahead.
Although Clarice didn't need money, perhaps she was concerned about her status. There was an underlying worry about this omega. If he turned against her, she could risk losing her job. However, how long would she be able to keep him under control? Maybe, through Adam's hands, his days were numbered.
Adam was also different. He wasn't as available as before, and Taylor noticed that he constantly called the hospital for information about the omega. Since the incident at the hotel, the past two days have been hellish.
At the end of the day, Taylor met with Clarice at the scheduled time, of 5 p.m. Clarice expressed her concern: "Do you have time at this hour?"
Taylor replied, "Not today. I need to go back."
Adam went to visit his omega at the hospital, and something seemed off about the situation. Taylor's face revealed her anguish, and she blurted out, "I deeply wish he would die. I want him to die!"
Clarice found herself in a delicate situation, searching for the right words to respond to Taylor. With a look of understanding, she said, "Taylor, I understand that you may lose your job. We're in a difficult situation."
Looking directly into Taylor's eyes, Clarice continued, "But you've worked with Adam for five years. We've been through dinners, meetings, and trips together. You're inside the Kadman house; you entered through the front door. You can't just give up."
Clarice paused before continuing, "Although Adam and Callum are known as perfect, they have their flaws. They're masters at working, signing contracts, and demanding results, but they're not perfect. Their perfection is their greatest imperfection."
With an encouraging tone, Clarice reassured, "Even though it may seem like he's emotionally distant, believe me, Taylor, everything will eventually return to normal."
Clarice's response seemed to bring some comfort to Taylor. At that moment, she felt her confidence renewed.
Clarice added, "When you encounter this omega, befriend them voluntarily. Understand their weaknesses and use them to your advantage."
With these words, Clarice tried to strengthen Taylor's determination and provide her with a strategy to face the challenges that lay ahead.
Adam delved into his thoughts, considering that there wasn't much to investigate about Damián. He was an orphan raised in a foreign country and adopted by Eleanor Forrest, the caretaker of the orphanage. Both of them arrived in the country (Y) when they were 16 years old, seeking treatment for their adoptive mother, who passed away three years later. Damian was now 25 years old.
Their education was focused on the arts, and they graduated from college with excellent grades, leading a peaceful life. However, there was a gap in the available information: there were no records of how they ended up in the orphanage or any data about their biological parents. It was as if this information was completely absent.
The investigation coordinated by Callum also yielded no additional results. The Stonehenge Gallery had been operating for three years in the capital of Country Y but started in a much smaller space as an experiment. Damian and Aster's friends had the vision to create a venue that housed simultaneous exhibitions with gardens and space for coffee.
They had an ambitious project: an elegant space with 10 halls, cement floors, and theatrical scenic lighting. The Stonehenge Gallery hosted simultaneous exhibitions by international artists, becoming a meeting point for diverse groups through the exhibitions.
The variety of artwork present in the gallery was impressive, with sculptures, paintings, prints, mixed media works, and drawings that expressed feelings, values, and thoughts. Artistic expression was present both in the indoor and outdoor environments, showcasing the scope and quality of the exhibited work.
Damián and Aster stood out with a contemporary photography exhibition, which was trending in the world of visual arts. Additionally, they had developed a database of promising young artists to complement the gallery space, offering a wide variety of artworks.
A specific room was dedicated to Damian and Aster's works, where they worked on two significant artistic projects: photography and virtual tours.
Adam ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the strands slide between his fingers. His distant gaze was fixed on the horizon as information flowed through his thoughts. He felt a growing tension in his jaw, his jaws clenching involuntarily in the face of the new revelations.
As Adam pondered Damian's description, he realized that he was a perfect young man with a harmonious, graceful, and well-proportioned appearance. Despite living as a Beta, his Omega characteristics were notable. However, something seemed off. Adam furrowed his brow, his eyes narrowing as he delved into his thoughts.
In Adam's opinion, the reports were simple and straightforward, but they didn't convey the necessary effectiveness. He felt that there was something beyond the surface-level information. It was as if the lines between the lines hid secrets that had yet to be revealed. Adam had a keen intuition, an ability to read beyond the written words and grasp hidden nuances.
Returning to the present... Emeline's house.
While Josh was awake at Emeline's house, immersed in thoughts and self-analysis, Spencer was plunged into a deep sleep. Memories, both recent and distant, provoked a flood of conflicting emotions in Josh, accompanied by an uncomfortable headache. It felt as if these memories intertwined in his mind, creating a web of unsettling thoughts, almost like disjointed dreams.
Josh approached the window, his eyes fixed on the drenched landscape. Raindrops fell incessantly, in a melancholic melody that echoed through the city. The gloomy atmosphere, tinged by heavy clouds, enveloped everything. A deep sadness settled in his heart, weighing upon him like a cloak. As he watched the water cascading down the windows, a torrent of thoughts flooded his mind, a deluge that brought forth all the losses he had endured. Amidst the desolate scenery, a sense of despondency and disorientation engulfed him more and more.
Throughout the journey to Emeline's house, Josh constantly averted his gaze from his reflection. His hands, beautiful and delicate, were a constant reminder of a profound change. The transmigration to a new body brought with it a feeling of discomfort, a latent fear of losing his identity, which he often believed he didn't have, and now he had lost.
The Spencer he knew was no longer the same. The new, pale physical form haunted him and sparked internal conflict. His life was centered around the pursuit of identity, and now he found himself confronted with a body that didn't match his previous image. This fear of losing their identity consumed him, casting him into an abyss of doubts and uncertainties. A deluge of bad memories...
However, beyond grieving the loss of his parents, Josh carried a deep sense that society owed him something crucial: the presence of his sister. For many years, he felt unable to comprehend the cruelty and relentlessness of the separation that kept them apart. Why were they deprived of the sibling bond they yearned for? This piercing pain consumed him from within, corroding his hopes and feeding his insecurity.
But he never had the opportunity to share special occasions with his sister. Prom night, Halloween, and other important events passed unnoticed, leaving him with a gap in emotional development and his sister's identity. This lack of knowledge about her well-being caused him constant torment, a wrenching uncertainty that ate away at him.
For him, his sister Janine was more than just a child who had gone through the adoption process in an orphanage. He grew up with the overwhelming feeling that he had lost his sister, that she had been stolen from him.
His childhood was far from easy, as he faced challenges from all directions. Being biracial and an orphan, his identity was constantly questioned. Amidst this emotional turmoil, a historical fact echoed in his mind: the infamous "one-drop rule," though formally abolished, still persisted for many. Josh found himself trapped in a racial limbo, never quite black enough nor white enough. The question of where exactly he belonged became the centerpiece of his existence.
From the state he should reside in, to the city, neighborhood, and even the street that he would call home, every aspect of his life was dictated by social norms and deeply rooted prejudices ingrained within society.
For a significant period of time, music became his sanctuary, utterly transforming his world. He could never forget the day he first listened to Beethoven's 9th Symphony, the "Ode to Joy." At a mere nine years old, he experienced an overwhelming sense of liberation through its melodic embrace, as if he transcended the clouds, drifting within a starry sky. Music allowed him to express profound ideas and emotions, going far beyond being a mere spectacle or shallow entertainment. It became something extraordinary that resonated with the very depths of his spirit.
However, this same music that filled him with a profound sense of deliverance also ignited emotions of anguish, loss, solitude, and rebellion in its various interpretations. It was a paradox that he tirelessly endeavored to comprehend.