"That's not healthy," Horus says.
"Then what am I supposed to do?!" Hilde's throat is sore, her voice coming out nasally. "I tried. I tried to move on."
"For less than a day? Why are you quick to give up? What's so good about him?" Horus asks, incredulous.
"He's the love of my life. We've been together for four years..." Hilde sighs. "Four years, and he still hasn't learned."
'What the fuck??' Horus wants to run away at this instant, hearing the spite in her voice. He doesn't want to hear anymore. But he stays put.
"It's not your fault. This is not your fault," he says in a soothing tone trying to calm her. "If he hadn't done this, you wouldn't have lost him; you wouldn't be feeling this way."
"That makes sense, but he's my boyfriend! My boyfriend... Who just cheated on me!" Hilde's eyes twitch, and her breath turns ragged as she tries to fight the tears in her eyes.
******
Hilde walks to the Schauplitz company building with a new glint in her eye. She struts into the building confidently and approaches the receptionist, her smile wide.
"Hi, I'm Miss Weber. I called earlier about the meeting." Hilde introduces herself.
The receptionist glances at her ID card and nods, "Right this way."
Hilde follows the receptionist to the elevators and presses the button for the 6th floor. The receptionist starts speaking to the intercom system as they wait.
"Yes, Miss Weber is here," she says after a while. "She is scheduled to meet with the CEO now."
The elevator door slides open, and she steps inside. Once they arrive at the top floor, she leads Hilde to a conference room where a woman sits on the table's far side.
"You have 10 minutes to state your case."
"Thank you," Hilde replies, walking past her and sitting down.
"You are Miss Weber, correct?" the woman asks.
"Yes, I am," Hilde replies.
"Please state your position." the woman instructs.
"As one of the Chief Agents in this company, it's my responsibility and obligation to report any information about possible threats to our clients. I believe I have found those threats and eliminated them, but the perpetrator may be a member of the organization that has caused the incidents that have occurred lately. I wish to share the evidence with the authorities."
The woman scoffs, her voice audible and her apparent disdain permeating from her gaze.
"You're an agent in our company, and yet you want to go to the authorities?" she says, her voice cracking and slightly wavering as if she is holding back a sob.
Hilde bites her bottom lip in frustration and clenches her fists. Her knuckles start to turn white from the pressure she places on them. She closes her eyes for a moment and takes several deep breaths, loosening her fingers with a gentle movement from their tight hold. When she opens her eyes again, she sees the woman standing up and making her way over to the other side of the table. She grabs a file and throws it onto the table in front of Hilde before taking another seat across from her. "You see?" she asks, leaning forwards. "Do you know whom you're working for?"
Hilde shakes her head and looks straight into the woman's eyes. "Not until we catch the person responsible for these incidents," she replies sternly.
The woman smirks, looking unimpressed.
After a minute, the woman stands up from her chair and gestures to Hilde to follow her. They walk through the hallway in silence, the two of them stopping at two identical doors. The woman unlocks the first and opens it, allowing Hilde to enter.
Inside the room are rows and rows of filing cabinets. Some shelves contain files, books, and other miscellaneous items such as pens and pencils.
The place is quiet and secluded, giving the impression of isolation from the rest of the building.
"This office will be your home for the next week." the woman explains, stepping closer. "Now, take a look at your desk."
Hilde looks down and finds a folder next to one of the other folders. She picks it up carefully...
Her jaw drops open as the realization hits her.
"Rovanovski?"
"It's a good thing, you know." the woman says. "So, let's get started on our investigation. Let's talk."
Hilde remains silent, keeping her lips tightly pursed. Frankfurt... Hilde thought to herself. Her eyes scan the office. There's no doubt Frankfurt is the headquarters. The place where everything happens...
"You're very young, aren't you, Miss Weber? You're just a child!" the woman exclaims.
"You should be nicer to young people," Hilde replies, ignoring her comment, trying to avoid provoking the woman further.
"Oh really?" The woman laughs, sarcasm dripping from her words. "Bold of you." She sits next to Hilde and leans forward, resting her hands on the table.
"I'd like to hear what happened."
Hilde sighs deeply and sits down. She puts the folder on the table before her hands clasp each other between her knees, waiting for the questioning to begin.
"So, tell me. Where did you meet him?"
"I haven't met him! But Ms. Jovanovski, my speculation is Felix Schrock's in trouble!" Hilde exclaims, hoping she won't offend the woman.
"How can you know? He seems to be a nice guy." the woman argues, attempting to hold back a laugh.
"Ms. Jovanovski, please listen to me! Please believe me! Everything about him screams danger. His behavior could only mean bad things for everyone involved, including me!" Hilde yells as her face twists in worry and fear, her body tensing in anticipation.
The woman laughs, causing Hilde's shoulders to slump.
"You don't understand, Miss Jovanovski. Please help me find him. Please help me stop him." she pleads.
Ms. Jovanovski's eyes turn cold. "You'll be locked in this room for a week. Think about why I find you funny." She points a finger toward her.
"But-"
"No but's! If you try anything funny, I won't be so merciful!"
*******
Horus walks towards the car without making much of a sound. He kicks random bottles on the ground as he walks behind the alleyway. He ambles, trying to avoid attention. He finally reaches the vehicle and quietly climbs inside. He places the bag between the seats and starts driving away as soon as he gets in the car. The entire drive there, his thoughts are occupied with Hilde, trying to figure out how this situation can end well. But he quickly dismisses the idea, knowing full well that she will do exactly what she thinks she should do.
When he arrives back home, he goes upstairs to his room. He sits in his desk chair and stares blankly at the empty bottle of whiskey. He rubs a hand against his tired face and takes a few seconds to breathe before picking up the bottle and pouring himself a glass. He downs the contents in two large gulps before setting it back down and getting ready for bed. As he lies in the middle of the sheets, he wonders where Hilde went.
She was supposed to be back by now. What if something has gone wrong? What if...? No, there's no point in thinking that.
And then the image of her, crying with grief, appears in his mind. Her hair fell as she buried her head in her hands. And her eyes...
Horus steels his resolve.