Alice arrived half an hour early at work, trying to escape the tension at home. But her emotions were still raw, and her eyes betrayed her attempts to hide them.
Nikki noticed and approached her. "Hey, Alice, how are you? What's wrong?"
Alice forced a smile. "I'm fine, just need some rest."
Nikki looked concerned but let it go. "If anything's wrong, please talk to me, okay?"
Alice nodded, and Nikki left her alone.
Later, Mr. Michael, the marketing manager, approached Alice.
"Good morning sir."
"Good morning Alice." He replied with a smile.
"The CEO asked me to dismiss you for the day."
Alice's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the CEO. "Okay, thank you, sir."
Mr. Michael noticed her distress. "Is everything okay?"
Alice avoided eye contact. "I'm fine, sir."
As she left the building, a black car came to view. The driver approached her saying. "Mr. Black asked me to take you home ma'am."
"You can tell him that i would find my way home" she said to the driver calmly and walked past him. The man was in shock because no one has ever asked him to deliver such message to his boss before.
"Please ma'am, i wouldn't want to get into trouble with him, please ma'am." he begged with pleading eyes.
Alice hesitated a bit, but got in, not wanting the driver to get into trouble.
At the Blue Line Software headquarters, Alex sat behind his desk, his expression emotionless as usual. "Has Alice been taken home yet?" he asked Louis, his assistant.
"Yes, sir, but she seemed upset."
Alex's eyes narrowed. "And the waiter from yesterday?"
Louis replied, "He's been taken to the dungeon, awaiting your orders, sir."
Alex dismissed Louis and leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Alice returned to the mansion, still reeling from her emotions. She went up to her bedroom, where she curled up in a corner, crying silently.
Later that night, at a remote mansion, Alex stood in an underground structure, his eyes fixed on a man chained to the wall. "Has he said anything yet?" he asked his subordinate.
The man trembled. "Not yet, boss."
Alex's patience wore thin. "Cut him apart." He ordered coldly.
The man's eyes immediately, fear written all over his face as he begged, "Please, I'll tell everything! It was Scarlet, your fiancée. She paid me to drug you..."
Alex's expression remained icy. "Start talking."