Getting out of the car in the office parking lot, he once again took my hand in his again. It made me uncomfortable. I had no desire to display anything like that in the office.
We went up in the elevator to his office through his apartment, and before the door I pulled my hand away.
"Ha…" he smirked, looking at me insolently.
"Mr. Vescari, let's behave professionally," I reminded him without raising my eyes to him.
"As you wish," he whispered, leaning toward me.
Opening the door, he entered the office; I followed him. Over the phone he contacted Hilda, and she reported that Vel was already waiting for him.
"Ready?" he asked.
I sat down at the conference table and nodded in agreement. Theron told her to show him in.
Vel walked in with a swagger. He was accompanied by two men in suits—they looked like guards. But since when had he started using them? He had always been greedy and stingy. He had even searched for a driver with low expectations. And now—two guards at once.
"I am so glad to see you again," his sickeningly cheerful voice filled the entire office.
Without invitation, he walked in and settled on the sofa standing on the opposite side from the conference table, near the door to the apartment.
"I'm surprised you still have any business with me," Theron did not even grant him a glance, looking through some papers on the table.
Vel clearly did not like his disrespect. His eyes darted to me, and a sugary smile spread across his face. It made me uneasy, but I showed no emotion.
"I would recommend that you show more respect toward me," he smirked, licking his lips and looking at me.
Theron lifted his gaze. I clearly saw how his eyes darkened.
"Speak," he commanded in a cold voice that sent goosebumps over the skin.
Vel nervously shifted his gaze to him, but, swallowing, continued, gathering his confidence back. He nodded to a guard, and he brought a tablet to Theron. He accepted it with doubt but began to examine it. A minute later, Vel continued:
"I need all your port assets. And the ones I sold you as well. Even the leases," he said with satisfaction.
"Very bold of you," Theron ground out, putting the tablet into the desk. "But very reckless to come to me with this."
"Don't worry, it's only a copy. The original is stored far away and inaccessible," Vel continued self-assuredly.
"So if I kill you right now, no one will ever unlock it?" Theron smirked, taking a gun from the desk where he had just placed the tablet.
I saw how the two guards tensed and reached for their holsters.
Vel jumped up from his place and moved toward the guards.
"My… my staff will send it to the police," he stammered, hurriedly shuffling his thick little legs.
Not a trace remained of his confidence and insolence.
"You are much braver than I thought," Theron smirked. "And you're doing all this only because of the port assets?" he added with doubt.
I had no idea what exactly he had seen there, but he looked quite calm. Had Vel done something foolish? That really did not seem like him.
Standing beside his guards, he adjusted his jacket and slightly lifted his head, pretending he was not afraid.
"I would also take my employee back as compensation," his eyes slid over me again.
I distinctly heard the click of the gun in Theron's hands. Could he really, right here… Vel heard it too, and immediately the guards shielded him.
"You are much more reckless than I thought," Theron said in a low voice. "I will give you one chance to leave now. And wait until I reissue the documents in your name."
He was furious, but held himself in check: he leaned back in his chair and began to pressed the gun to his temple, rubbing it absently.
"You must be completely desperate if you dared to blackmail me… and utterly insane if you decided to speak about her."
I flinched when the office door opened, and guards familiar to me filled the room; there were about fifteen of them.
"Let's do this," Theron placed the gun on the table and approached Vel. "You leave now and wait until I legally settle all matters. Then you hand over the original and provide proof that this recording exists nowhere else. And then we will pray that everyone remains satisfied… and alive," he smirked.
I saw Vel sweating. What had happened to him that he had sunk to this? Blackmail… to threaten Vescari himself. He had been greedy, lazy. Accustomed to manipulations in markets, to bargaining in deals.
I sat and watched everything as if it were a film. But there was neither fear nor worry. I… liked it. The way Theron kept everything under control—confidently, decisively, dominantly. Even when he was being blackmailed, others trembled before him. For a moment it seemed that I could easily fit into his criminal life… but I immediately cast that foolish thought aside.
I felt the vibration of his phone. Mine rang as well—Ostin. I declined: not the time.
Theron answered. He listened to what was said on the other end and looked at me. I showed him the incoming call from Ostin. He nodded, as if giving a silent order to take it. I answered, but remained silent.
"Ron Denis is heading to you. Warn Theron, it's urgent. Our contact says eight girls have disappeared…"
My heart stopped.
Without delay, I approached the desk, put the gun into the drawer, and pushed it shut. Theron did not break away from the phone. Calmly I walked up to him and, rising onto my toes, whispered:
"The FBI is here."
He glanced over me, continuing to listen. His face bore clear calmness and severity.
A knock came on the already open door. Vel, Theron, and I turned. In the doorway stood Agent Ron Denis, and behind him uniformed officers.
"Am I interrupting?" the agent's voice sounded harsher than usual.
Vel smiled maliciously and straightened his shoulders, as if the presence of the agents gave him courage.
"You're free. I'll send you the documents," Theron ordered, gesturing toward Vel and simultaneously giving a silent signal to his guards.
They waited until Vel headed for the exit with his guards and followed him. Theron's tension was felt on the skin.
And at once the difference became visible—how insignificant Vel was to him. The office emptied in a couple of minutes. It was impossible not to notice Vel's satisfied smile as he passed the officer.
A minute later, Theron dropped the call, took me by the hand, and led me to his desk.
"Try not to say anything if he asks," he whispered along the way. "Just listen and remember the details."
He gently kissed my forehead, guided me to the table where I had been sitting earlier, and took his seat.
"Please," he invited the agent with a gesture.
He entered unhurriedly, six more agents behind him.
"Where are you?" Theron asked, dialing someone's number. Hearing the answer, he immediately hung up.
Next, Ostin entered the office along with another man I had not seen before.
"Take a seat," Theron said calmly.
Everyone took their places at the conference table, and he sat beside me.
"Will Miss Mirey be present?" Agent Ron asked.
Strange. He paid no attention to Ostin or the second man, but clarified specifically about me.
"Yes," Theron answered shortly and harshly, making it clear that this was not up for discussion.
"Do you know why I am here?" Ron began calmly. But today there was something new about him… almost anger.
"I cannot say for certain yet, but my people reported that several of my employees have gone missing," Theron kept steady.
But the tension in him was visible.
Something had gone off plan…
Girls connected to the FBI had disappeared.
"Do we need to speak in private?" the agent suddenly stopped.
"These are my close associates. They must be aware of all my affairs," Theron answered calmly. "Get to the point. You didn't come accompanied for no reason."
"This morning reports were received about missing girls. Eight," he was clearly restraining anger. "The girls worked for your various companies."
"I was informed of this only a couple of minutes before your arrival," Theron interrupted him. "But I don't understand why you came here specifically, and not to the companies where they worked."
"I wanted to personally make sure you were informed and to warn you to stay in contact. I need to obtain more information about the companies where they worked," a harsh edge in his voice echoed through the room.
"Ostin and my lawyer will provide you with all the information you need and access to their workplaces and companies," Theron leaned back, relaxed.
"You're not concerned at all about the missing girls?!" the agent sprang up, shouting furiously.
"That is your job, to deal with this issue," he continued calmly. "I have no idea what happened. But since if that's all you wanted from me, you may leave. I have enough to do as it is. In this matter, I will not be of help."
I looked at him in surprise. But he was right.
Studying the enraged agent, I realized: he most likely did not even suspect that we already knew who those girls were. But why eight? Were these the girls without the "Eve" number? Too many thoughts. Besides, Vel had brought something I did not yet even know about…
The agents' phones rang, and they all immediately began checking them. Theron waited calmly.
And within seconds, shock appeared on all their faces.
"I think… you should take your lawyer and come with us," the agent's hands were shaking, and anger soaked every word. "The girls have just been found dead in one of your buildings."
What…
Shock spread inside. Dead… the girls—agents—dead… How?
I threw a glance at Theron. He was looking at me, studying me or questioning something, I did not understand, but he clearly maintained calm. Then he exchanged looks with Ostin and, as I understood, with his lawyer.
"We will go with you," Theron answered coldly.
He stood up. Everyone around began to gather, and I sat, still in shock.
Several guards entered the office, and Theron gave them some instructions. After that he finally approached me.
I held my hands under the table, trying to understand what the hell was happening.
"Mirey," he called, pulling me out of the trance. "Take the documents about my family from my apartment and review them again. There are updates there. Work on them. And I will deal with this situation for now," he whispered.
"Everything will…" I whispered in response when his face was only a few centimeters away.
He leaned in and gently kissed me.
"Everything will be fine," he tried to reassure me, running his hand along my cheek. "Review the documents again. And remember: don't go anywhere without security."
I only nodded in response. Everything inside tightened.
Someone had killed eight girls connected to the FBI. This was already another level of the game. And we still had not found out anything… had not even come close to answers.
Theron once again ran his hand along my cheek and left after the agent and Ostin.
As soon as the door closed behind them, I remained in the office with three guards. Visually I already knew them, but not by name.
I approached the desk and opened the drawer—in the commotion, Theron had forgotten to lock it. I took out the tablet, unlocked the screen.
There was a video there. I rewound to the beginning and…
Froze. What I saw was not what I expected.
A recording from the cameras: he leads me out of the building covered in blood, and after that… his people come out with some kind of box.
I went to the gallery and opened the next video. It showed my stepfather entering the building.
But how did Vel find out about this? Yes, at that time the building had been his… but Theron should have secured the camera recordings. I need to ask him.
Vel… then the bodies of the girls…
I tried to gather my thoughts, but my head was a mess. Too much of everything. Too sudden.
And yet Theron remained calm. Confident. Even taking into account that Vel had provided sufficient evidence. Could he really lose all his points because of this?
I sat in his chair, rubbing my temples, trying to understand what was happening and how the hell we had gotten into this.
I did not even notice how I ended up at his desk, in his chair. I glanced at the guards, but there was neither surprise nor reaction from them. As if it were meant to be so.
"I need to take the documents from his apartment," I said, standing up and heading to the safe.
One of the senior guards followed me. The folders lay on top.
Returning to the office, I began to go through the pages with the new data.
There was Amy's family tree, and all the people she had interacted with in America, as well as the companies they had been in contact with. The new owners of the buildings and commercial points sold behind Theron's back…
Toward evening, a name I least expected appeared on my phone screen. It was the head of my sister's school.
"Hello…" I answered uncertainly, already mentally going through the bills. Had I forgotten to pay something?
"Hello, Mirey. This is Agnes, your sister's supervisor," she introduced herself briefly and strictly, as if I had not recognized her. "We are calling to notify you: Brittany has begun to violate the rules and leave the dormitory outside the permitted time and beyond the campus. I believe that since she turned sixteen, she decided that she is allowed to leave the territory on her own. But, as you know from our rules, while a student is under our supervision, leaving the campus without accompaniment is prohibited. Many teenagers have permission from their parents, and she slips out with them. You should issue permission or speak with your sister. If she violates the rules again, we will have to expel her."
"All right… all right," I hurried. "I will definitely talk to her."
There was absolutely no desire to deal with this as well now. Considering everything that had happened today.
"Thank you very much, Miss Agnes. I will try to arrange the permission within a week. May I send it to you by email?"
From the other end of the line came approval and a couple more remarks about her behavior and performance. After that, the call ended.
I stared wearily at the folders. It was already late evening—Theron was still not there. The guards sat at the other end of the table.
"Have you not had dinner?" I asked them.
One of the seniors addressed me:
"Everything is fine."
I shook my head. Even if they were on duty, they were still people. From their build it was clear they needed to eat a lot to maintain their form.
On the way home, I stopped at my favorite pizzeria and ordered three pizzas. The same guards accompanied me and, most likely, would remain on watch all night if Theron did not return. Like gentlemen, they helped carry the documents and boxes into the apartment.
I noticed the flower had withered again, the water had not been refilled.
Derek…
We had not seen or spoken for a long time. Something pricked inside—guilt or anxiety. With Theron's appearance in my life, it was as if there was no longer time for him. I need to speak with him tomorrow. No matter what.
I entered the apartment without closing the door. The guards came in after me and helped arrange the things.
"Stay here. Have some pizza, you can settle in the living room," I offered calmly.
"We cannot," the senior cut off immediately.
"It will make me calmer," it was a trick.
From somewhere unknown, long-forgotten feelings were awakening inside—care, concern, pity…
All of this returned along with the way Theron became mine. As if I were coming back to life.
After taking a shower, I sat in the living room at the table next to one of the guards, the other two settled on the sofa. They turned on the television to dilute the awkward silence.
I tried to read a book, but thoughts of Theron gave me no peace. After he left with the agent, there had been no call, no message, neither from Ostin nor from him.
I checked my phone again.
Nothing…
The door handle jerked, and all three guards instantly tensed, drawing their guns. The main one, the most powerful, immediately covered me with his body, aiming his weapon toward the door. The other two moved closer…
Another movement of the handle.
Every sound coming from the door lodged in my head, drowning out the running television…
We all heard the click of the lock. I froze. I saw nothing. The guard was twice as wide, completely blocking the view.
A second, quiet, careful click. We froze in anticipation.
But the door did not open from the other side…