Joseph walked briskly down the corridor, the air around him thick with murmured gossip. He could feel the weight of their stares on his back, each one heavier than the last. The hushed voices filled the hallway, a low drone of suspicion and judgment.
"I heard he's been summoned by the higher-ups."
"Did he really do it?"
"Someone said he ran away from the crime scene after the incident."
"He's definitely a suspect, no doubt about it!"
"You can't trust anyone these days."
"He used to play the righteous man, but now? Look at him."
Each whisper felt like a needle, puncturing the respect that had once surrounded him. Just that morning, these same people had greeted him with nods and smiles, but now their gazes were sharp, their conversations poisoned by doubt. Every step Joseph took seemed to amplify their accusatory stares, and he felt as if knives were being thrown at him with every glance.
At last, Joseph and his guide reached the meeting room. The guide, who had been silently escorting him, stopped just short of the door and turned to Joseph.
"I'll take my leave now," he muttered, avoiding eye contact, before slipping away down the hallway.
Standing alone in front of the door, Joseph took a deep breath. His mind flashed back to the warning from the Demon General:
"They are humans, Joseph. And humans fear what they don't understand. They will see you as an enemy once they learn your truth."
He brushed the thought aside, snapping back to reality. He was here now, and he had to face whatever awaited him on the other side of that door. He gripped the handle and pushed it open, stepping into the room.
Inside was a large, well-furnished conference room dominated by a U-shaped table. Around it sat the department managers, each one staring at him with cold eyes. The air was thick with unspoken accusations. Their expressions made it clear—they had already decided that Joseph was guilty, whether or not he had anything to do with the incident.
At the head of the table sat Thomas Blackwood, the CEO of Enigma, the very man who had built the company from scratch. Now, it stood among the top three in all of Asia. Thomas was a man in his mid-40s, his white hair and white beard, well-toned physique giving him the appearance of a seasoned leader who commanded both respect and fear. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, locked onto Joseph as soon as he entered.
"I believe you know why I've called you here, Mr. Joseph," Thomas said, his voice calm but heavy with authority.
Joseph met his gaze, standing tall and showing no signs of fear or panic. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing him crumble. "Yes, sir. I am fully aware."
Thomas leaned back slightly, nodding. "Then let's not waste any more time. I'll ask you directly—what happened last night?"
Joseph began carefully, choosing his words with precision. "I'm sure many of you are eager to hear about the events that unfolded yesterday. But—"
Before he could finish, one of the managers stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His face was twisted in frustration, and his voice rose angrily. "But? What do you mean, 'but'? Isn't it already clear that you're involved in this crime? Are you trying to hide the details from us?"
A tense silence followed as all eyes turned to Thomas, whose expression darkened. With a sharp motion, he slammed his fist onto the table, his eyes blazing with authority. "I don't recall asking for your input", he said icily, his voice commanding absolute silence from the room. The manager who had spoken immediately sank back into his chair; his face flushed with embarrassment.
Thomas took a deep breath, visibly calming himself before turning his gaze back to Joseph. "Now, Joseph, you are not in a position to keep secrets. I want to know EVERYTHING—not a single detail left out. Do I make myself clear?"
Joseph knew there was no more room for deflection. He would have to share as much as possible without revealing certain sensitive parts of the story. His voice steady, he began,
"Last night, I was at a café with Ms. Lopez, discussing the recent case involving the deaths of a college student and a gangster in the same hotel room."
He paused briefly, watching their reactions, before continuing. "While we were at the café, a body fell from the building above. I saw it happen right in front of me."
The room was silent as Joseph spoke, the gravity of his words hanging in the air. He intentionally left out any mention of David, trying to shield his colleague from unnecessary suspicion. Continuing with the story, he explained how the body had identical wounds to the previous victims.
Thomas interrupted, his sharp voice cutting through the room. "Are you saying the wounds were the same?"
"Yes, sir", Joseph confirmed, his tone resolute. "When I arrived at the top of the building, everyone was already dead. I did not want to compromise the crime scene, so I left to meet Ms. Lopez. But shortly after, my health started deteriorating, so we returned to my home."
Another murmur ran through the room. The same manager who had interrupted earlier jumped to his feet once again, his frustration evident. "So, you just left the crime scene? Just like that? Does no one else find this story a little suspicious?"
The murmurs grew louder, the room descending into a cacophony of doubts and accusations. Managers whispered and mumbled among themselves, their suspicions bubbling over.
Thomas had enough. He stood and raised his voice, cutting through the noise with a single word: "SILENCE!"
The room fell into an immediate, uneasy hush.
Thomas's gaze swept across the table fixing his eyes on Joseph; his tone final. "I am giving you ten days, Joseph. Ten days to sort out this media frenzy, find the truth, and report back to me. No more excuses. I want this situation cleaned up. Am I clear?"
The dissenting manager tried to say: "But Sir, how can we just--", but Thomas raised a hand, silencing him before he could spoke his full sentence. "This is the end of the meeting, now all of you may leave."
The manager, his face flushed with anger, clenched his fists but said nothing further. He, along with the others, gathered their things and began to file out of the room, their footsteps heavy with frustration.
Joseph turned to leave, offering a nod to Thomas. "Thank you, sir."
As he walked out of the room, he could feel Thomas's sharp eyes on his back, the weight of suspicion lingering. Joseph knew this was not over. In Thomas's mind, the pieces of the puzzle were already falling into place. And Joseph, whether guilty or not, was now a key part of it. And Thomas was not going to let the puzzle pieces unsolved.
To be Continued...