Nico was unable to resister what happened. He knelt on the floor where the opening had long closed and tried to touch the spot from everywhere.
''The mechanism doesn't work like that,'' The officer who just disconnected the call informed the man calmly but when Nico looked up, the officer was startled. He recognized the face. Wasn't this the secretary of the business tycoon Zayden King? Moreover, other than being his secretary, the man had another identity, he was also Zayden King's younger cousin, Nicholas King.
Suddenly another thought crossed his mind, if Nicholas King was here in such a concerned state, then the person who jumped inside…
His doubts were confirmed when Nico composed himself and pulled out his phone, ''Guards, quickly look for the hidden mechanisms in this place and see if there are some underground chambers. Brother has disappeared into one of them…''
In fact, he had yet to react when he saw Leona's fall and even before he could come to his senses, his brother also jumped in right after Leona, disappearing in the matter of few seconds.
…
Leona had held onto the slippery floor with every ounce of her strength. Her entire body was being supported with one hand because she was still holding the child with her other hand. But the moment she pushed the child up, she felt like she had exerted every bit of her strength and her body started falling into what seemed like the void.
When she swung her hands to find some support, her hand did not touch any surface or anything that could keep her from falling.
She could see the opening on the floor was gradually closing given the light in the place was gradually diminishing. But in the next moment, she saw someone jumping inside the place.
She squinted, trying to get a proper look at the person but her back hit a hard surface with a 'thud'. Leona had instinctively curled herself like a ball hence most of the impact was on her spine. A wave of dizziness washed over her and before she knew, her vision went dark.
Leona did not know how much of a time had passed when she regained her consciousness. She struggled to open her eyes but it seemed like her she could not open them. When she moved her fingers, a chill seemed to have crept in her body.
She stiffened, startled by the strange sensations. Her eyes gradually opened but all she could see was a vast stretch of darkness.
The environment around her so cold that it felt like a frosty chill that could reach up to person's bones to freeze them.
''Ahh…'' Leona winced when she tried to stand up as her joints also seemed to have been frozen.
''Are you alright?"
Leona froze when she heard the voice.
It was a momentary realization that she was not alone in this godforsaken place. Someone else had also fallen victim to it.
But that was not what astonished her the most. Instead, it was the familiar voice.
''Are you in pain?" the man asked her within an instant when he did not get her reply.
And Leona knew that she could not be wrong about it. That familiar voice that she had not heard from so close ever since two years. But no matter how much time had passed, she would still recognize the voice with closed eyes.
That's just how human beings were. When they loved something or when they hated something, they would place it above everything else in their heart and let it consume it wholly. To her, Zayden King was the latter—her object of hatred, her ex-husband and everything that she was determined to stay away from her.
''Leona, respond to me,'' When Zayden did not get a response to his words, he reached out towards the woman but before his hand could come in contact with hers, he sensed her movements as she backed away from his touch.
''It has been two years, Mr. King. I did not expect we would meet under such circumstances,'' Leona said sarcastically but because of the cold, her voice came out shaky.
''Neither did I,'' the man said and Leona heard some rustling noises.
''What are you trying to do?" she frowned.
''Removing my shirt. The suit jacket is not helping you,'' the man said calmly.
Hearing his words, Leona reached out her hand to touch her body. Only then did she realize that she had a huge suit jacket draping over her shoulders. Since she had been wearing a business suit as well, she did not realize that this suit jacket was not hers.
She immediately reached out to remove it but the moment her fingers grazed the suit jacket, she heard the man speak.
''Rather than arguing, it is only better for you to cooperate with me at this moment,'' his voice was unquestionable.
Leona's movements however did not stop. ''Cooperate with you? You think you are worthy?"
Zayden ceased his movements when he heard her words, ''I am uncertain about that. Your worthy officer is still waiting for you outside and you can continue your cooperation with him once you step out of here.''
She removed the suit jacket draped over her body. But in the next moment, she felt a chill encasing her immediately, ''Are you stalking me?"
''Delusional,'' Zayden's indifferent voice seemed to be telling her to stop being narcissistic.
Leona massaged her forehead but every inch of her body started suffering in the intense cold. Still, she stretched her hand out towards him in the dark while holding his suit jacket in it.
''What you get here is me. So, either you take it or leave it. But do know that if you decide to be by yourself and refuse my hand then you can freeze all you want and I still won't offer help again.''
His straightforwardness made her scoff. If only this bastard was this straightforward about everything but no, she learnt it the hard way that he was a hypocrite in his own rights, and if his interests were concerned then, he would not bother with his straightforwardness.