The minute she stepped inside the university, Haven felt her arm being pulled toward a secluded corner of the building.
Who in the name of—
"..."
Since when was Lily into girls!?
"I'm not into girls you lunatic!" Lily hissed in her face and then paused. "And even if I was, you're not my type!"
Haven placed her hand on her chest, her lips forming into a small, cute pout at which Lily scowled. "Guess what happened today."
"Why? What's wrong?"
Lily stepped closer, looking around to make sure no one was in the vicinity to hear what she was about to disclose. "Sophie jumped off a building last night, some people are naming it suicide while others are calling it murder."
Haven's breath stopped. "What about Ava and Charlotte?"
"They're declared missing."
Haven knew only one person who could've pulled this off but she didn't want to believe that he'd actually killed them. Even if they were bullies, simply just murdering them was crossing the line! And why the hell would he even go that far?
For her?
No way.
...Right?
"It was him, wasn't it—"
No!" she shouted out and then clapped her mouth shut, her eyes wide. Lily gaped at her in silence. "I-I mean why would he do such a thing? There has to be a reason if he did kill her, right?"
"What if he did it because of you—"
"NO!"
Lily stared at her, her brows slowly beginning to rise when Haven cleared her throat and headed for her first class of the semester. Why couldn't Lily have been a little stupid, she thought internally and sighed. All I wanted was a dumb friend!
She had opted for a basic business course to keep her other life separate from this one. Less chance of him growing suspicious of her being a secret agent since from his perspective, she would be too busy with schoolwork for anything else.
By noon, her bones were aching all over while her daily headache had returned with full force. In her free periods or breaks, she was occupied with gathering proof that it was Zei who was the actual culprit rather than anybody else.
Day 1: Zero proof gathered.
And then the idea suddenly clicked inside her head.
Why not hack into CIA's database?
Risky but worth it!
Considering the fact that CIA had footage of most areas in City X, then the chances of there being crucial evidence were extremely high. And anyway, how else could CIA have determined that it was Wei who killed them not anybody else?
After all, all she needed to do was confirm her previous theory.
And then back to the main plan: Destroying his entire empire.
All these weird, disturbing feelings would fade away too then!
The bus stopped near the area where his mansion was located and she once again cursed her memory for forgetting her bike early in the morning. As she opened the front doors, she felt her arm being pulled again by someone.
What's with people and pulling my arm like that!?
Do they want my shoulder to get dislocated or something?
"Time for me to test you, Ave! Or should I call you wild kitten too?" Damien wiggled his eyebrows which instantly settled down into a straight line at seeing thunder crackling inside her eyes in response.
"I think my name would be perfectly adequate, thank you very much!"
He laughed heartily, his infectious chuckle reverberating through the air, as he playfully took her hand and led her toward yet another uncharted section of the vast, labyrinthine mansion.
The sheer enormity of the place left her awestruck, for it seemed to defy the conventional notion of a mere dwelling and instead resembled a magnificent colosseum, a grand architectural marvel that exceeded the boundaries of her imagination.
With each step, she marveled at the intricate details adorning the walls, the soaring ceilings that seemed to touch the heavens, and the opulent furnishings that whispered tales of luxury and splendor.
Coughing out loud, she straightened her shoulders when he glanced back at her. "Um, a few of my classmates were absent today. Rumor's been going around that one committed suicide while the other two are missing..."
Haven cursed internally seeing his emotion-free face without any sign of guilt or embarrassment at being exposed. "Huh, well there have been many kidnappings these days. Who knows where they must be?" he shrugged nonchalantly.
He paused and she almost went face-first into his broad back. Scowling, she peeked out from behind his shoulder, her jaw falling to the floor at the sight of an elevator placed in front of him.
"..."
A-An elevator!?
Inside a h-house!
The hell?
Damien struggled to contain his laughter, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his lips, as his eyes darted toward her shocked, utterly bewildered expression.
With a playful glint in his eyes, Damien extended his finger toward a small, inconspicuous button on the elevator's control panel. On it, a bold 'B' was written and the elevator doors closed as it slowly started moving downward.
As the gates slid sideways once again, she gaped wide-eyed, her jaw dropping in awe, as the scene before her unfolded. The sight was nothing short of extraordinary—a vast underground chamber lay before her, bathed in a soft, ethereal glow that emanated from hidden sources of light.
As she hesitantly took steps forward, her eyes widened with anticipation at the sight that she was greeted with—a vast expanse filled with an array of fighting equipment, meticulously arranged and ready for action.
The air crackled with the energy of adrenaline and determination, pulsating through the space like an electric current. And there, at the heart of it all, lay a massive shooting area, sprawling out into the distance, with rows upon rows of target boards meticulously placed at varying distances.
"..."
Damien stared at her, wondering if she had gone into shock and if he should risk calling Theo to get his eardrums blown once again.
'Ah well...'