Chapter 39: Stranger Friendly.
Kathe kept tossing on the bed as an uneasy feeling crept over her each time she tried to close her eyes.
She stood up from the bed and walked to the window as she watched the rain pour down heavily.
She didn’t know why it felt like something was drawing her close to the rain, trying to tell her something. She pulled away from the window as it was freezing cold, and she was in her sleeveless pajamas.
She looked at the clock on the wall. It was already past twelve, and Jark hadn’t gotten back. She was sure that it wasn’t because he was angry with her. Something was wrong. She couldn’t help but feel worried.
"Ma’am, it’s really dangerous, and we don’t want you getting involved."
Those words that Thompson said to her kept ringing in her ears.
"Has he gotten himself hurt? He should be home by now."
She picked up her phone from the table and called Jark repeatedly, but he didn’t answer, making Kathe more worried. She had never felt such panic for anyone before.
She quickly called Thompson, but he didn’t pick up too.
Kathe kept pacing around the room. She was confused and worried at the same time. She didn’t know if she should alert the old lady or wait a little longer.
Just as she was pacing around, her phone suddenly rang in her hand. Seeing that it was Thompson who called back, she quickly answered the call.
"Thompson, where are you?"
"Somewhere, ma’am. Is anything wrong?"
Hearing Thompson’s voice made Kathe relax a bit. If Thompson was okay, that meant Jark was alright.
"Why didn’t Jark answer my call?"
"I left all the phones in the car. I just came to pick them up now, and I saw your missed call."
"Oh, that meant they were not with their phones," Kathe thought to herself.
"Where is Jark? Give him the phone."
"Ma’am, it’s late. Why are you not asleep?"
"Give Jark the phone. I need to speak to him."
"Is everything the problem?"
Knowing that Thompson did not hesitate in giving Jark the phone whenever she requested to speak to Jark made Kathe grow suspicious.
"Thompson, is everything alright?"
"Everything is alright."
"Then give him the phone."
Thompson went silent. Kathe could hear his breathing becoming heavy.
"Ma’am, he can’t speak now."
Kathe was now getting more suspicious, but she didn’t rush her questions.
"Why? Is he busy?"
"No, it’s complicated."
"Is he angry with me?"
"No, he’s not angry at you."
"Then why is he not willing to speak to me?"
"He isn’t in a good shape."
Thompson decided to tell her the truth.
"What do you mean? Is he safe? Is he injured?"
Kathe finally understood why she had the uneasy feeling.
"He’s not injured, but it’s something complicated. It can’t be explained over the phone."
"Where are you? I’m coming over."
"Ma’am, it’s late."
"Where the HELL are you?" Kathe quickly lowered her voice.
Thompson sighed, giving in after seeing that he couldn’t change Kathe’s mind.
"Go down to the car lot. The driver will be waiting for you. He will bring you here."
"Okay."
The call got disconnected.
Without wasting time, Kathe quickly ran out of her room wearing only her nightwear. Just as Thompson had said, the moment she reached the car lot, a car was already waiting for her. She didn’t waste a second before getting into the car, and it zoomed off.
.......................
The guest room window was opened slowly as the masked lady watched Kathe drive out of the mansion.
She couldn’t help but frown. She was left confused, wondering why Kathe would leave that late at night, and also that Jark wasn’t home too.
After making sure that the car had zoomed off out of the mansion, she went out of her room quietly, making sure that her footsteps weren’t heard as she headed to Jark’s room. Luckily for her, she had asked Jacklyn of Jark’s room, and he had pointed it out for her, and she was in luck to use it.
She walked to the room using her flashlight to avoid stepping on anything that would alert people.
She tried to click open the door. That was when she noticed that his room door was auto-locked and couldn’t open without her being approved by Jark’s system.
A smirk curled up her mouth as she muttered to herself, "No wonder those fools can’t defeat you. You are always one step ahead."
She didn’t give up even after finding out that it was an auto-locked door. She decided to hack the door open.
Rhea had also seen Kathe leaving the mansion through her window, so she walked to their room to check if Jark was in the room or if he had left with Kathe to the hospital. Remembering what she had put inside Kathe’s meal, she was curious about the outcome, but on getting close to the room, she found someone in the shadows, fiddling with the door.
"What are you doing there?"
Rhea said, pointing her flashlight at the shadow.
The masked lady paused on what she was doing and stood straight, backing Rhea.
"I ask again."
Rhea asked, walking close to the shadow, but got no response. When she got closer, that was when she discovered that the lady was dressed in a strange manner.
"Who are you?"
Still no response, but rather she turned, facing Rhea.
"If you don’t explain yourself, I will make sure to alert the security."
Rhea said as she developed goosebumps the moment the stranger turned to her.
"There is no need to alert the security."
Jacklyn said, walking close to them both.
"Do you know her?"
Rhea asked as she narrowed her eyes at Jacklyn suspiciously.
"Yes, she’s my friend. Any problem?"
Jacklyn walked to where the masked lady stood, standing side by side with her, but he quickly shifted again after he noticed that she was glaring at him. He didn’t want to get into trouble while at the same time saving her.
Rhea sneered at them both.
"Are your friends also as dumb as you?"
"What do you mean?"
Jacklyn asked, frowning. He didn’t know how to alert Rhea to be careful with her words. He could only sigh to himself, wishing that his boss wouldn’t get angry at Rhea.
"I saw her trying to break into Jark’s room."
Rhea said, pointing her flashlight at the door.
"Don’t be silly. How can she break into Jark’s room, which is on auto-lock? Look closely. She’s an innocent lady, and her culture forbids her from doing such."
"What was she doing here then, if not trying to break in?"
Rhea asked as she raised her eyebrow at Jacklyn.
Jacklyn turned to his boss but was surprised that she was quiet the whole moment, and she had restrained her dangerous aura, which surprised him.
"She mistook his room for mine. I had asked her to come call me whenever she needed to use the kitchen."
He turned, facing the masked lady.
"Right?"
She nodded her head, agreeing to Jacklyn’s words.
But still, Rhea was looking at the stranger with a suspicious look.
"And why didn’t she go straight to yours?"
"I never showed her my room in particular, so that’s why she mistook my room."
"You both are dumb."
The moment Rhea made the statement, she felt a killing instinct toward her. She couldn’t help but shiver as she looked around to find where the killing instinct came from.
Jacklyn also felt it, and he knew that it was from his boss.
"Let’s go," the masked lady whispered to Jacklyn as she walked away.
Jacklyn nodded at her, but he didn’t follow her. Instead, he turned to Rhea, with concern and warning both showing on his face.
"And Rhea, sometimes you should mind your tone with strangers. Not all strangers are stranger-friendly."
Rhea rolled her eyes at him, not taking his words seriously.
"Who cares?"
Jacklyn looked at her briefly and walked away.
After making sure that they had walked up to their rooms, Rhea walked to Jark’s room and fiddled with the door a couple of times before she finally walked out of the hallway.
....................
Jacklyn escorted her to her room in silence, but before she could shut the door, he quickly went inside.
"I’m sorry about earlier. That’s how she behaves since she was the only female being raised. She was pampered. Please don’t get angry at her."
Instead of anger, she turned around, backing him. A smirk curled up her lips. She walked to the nearest flower vase, plucked out a single flower, and squeezed it in her palm.
"Why will I get angry at my pet? It shows that she has potential."
"What do you mean?"
She threw the crushed flower out of the window.
"You don’t have to know. You can go now."
She waved her hand at him.
"Okay. If you need anything, call me."
"Okay."
Jacklyn shut the door as he walked out.
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