"Aunty Grace, it's so good to see you!" Gary said with a forced welcoming smile, standing up from his desk the moment he saw Grace limping in.
Seeing how frail and weak she seemed, Gary felt whatever tension he had before in his chest dissipate.
"Please, have a seat. Can I offer you some tea or coffee?" Gary asked as he walked forward, extended his hand, and gestured towards one of the comfy seats.
Grace gave a greeting smile and said, "No, thank you, Gary. But you're looking as slimy as ever, even after all these years."
Gary gave an awkward chuckle, "Ah, always with the jokes like old times. What brings you here today?"
Grace leaned on her walking stick as she walked past him and towards the large windows, "Oh, just thought I'd drop by and say hello to my late son's only friend. I know you are a very busy man as the Guildmaster of this guild, but I am becoming older by the day and thought now would be a perfect time to catch up before it's too late."
Gary's face twitched with discomfort, but he maintained his friendly smile as he sat down and looked at her back as he said, "Of course, Aunty Grace. It's always a pleasure to see you. Forgive me if it seemed like I was distant for all these years. But the truth is that I barely get a minute for myself because of managing my guild and everything. I never thought my life could be so hectic."
Grace gazed out the windows as she waved her hand casually, "Don't worry about it, silly boy. It must have taken a lot of hard work and money to build this guild from nothing, right?"
Gary's eyes narrowed at Grace's casual remark, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His fingers drummed restlessly on the arm of his chair as he replied, "Yes, it did require a lot of hard work and money. But I would say luck also played a huge factor."
"Ohh, that must be it," Grace nodded as if she realized something and added in a honeyed voice but with a tinge of steel, "You know, Gary, I always thought it was strange how quickly you were able to build your guild despite being young and having nothing to your name. But now that you said it, it seems Lady Luck was really on your side," She chuckled softly, her back still turned towards Gary.
Gary's jaw tightened, but he maintained his smile as he said, "Yes, luck does have a way of favoring the bold, not that I am trying to brag. I had to make some bold decisions and huge risks to get where I am," he replied smoothly, though his eyes flickered with unease.
Grace's smile widened, revealing her wrinkles even more, "Oh, I completely agree. But sometimes, luck has a way of running out."
Gary's eyes briefly twitched upon seeing the vague reflection of her wide smile on the window.
Previously, when Grace first entered his office and saw how frail she was, he laughed at himself for getting a bit spooked when he first heard she was coming here.
But now, her presence in this room and her words were making him feel like something was amiss, and he didn't know why he was feeling like this.
His mind raced as he tried to decipher her words, "Luck can run out, yes," he replied carefully, "but one can always take steps to ensure it doesn't."
Grace let out a long, soft sigh, "Oh, I know you're always one step ahead, Gary. Maybe if only my son learned that from you, he could have been alive now, don't you think?"
Gary cleared his throat and said in an apologetic tone, "I am really sorry, Aunty Grace. Not a day goes by where I wish I could have helped him in time. It still pains me to this day."
Grace nodded with a sad sigh, "It must be quite painful for you. You have been friends with him since he was 8 years old. I still remember him inviting you to my mansion the first time I saw you two together. He even wanted me to adopt you as his brother. What a silly kid my son was," Grace said with a head shake and added, "He was the kind of person who would give away his entire wealth and power for his brother if he really had one."
Gary felt a nagging feeling continuing to grow within him the more she talked.
He had not expected her to bring up her son's death so casually, but it seemed like she was reminiscing old memories.
But he couldn't shake off the feeling that Grace knew more than she was letting on. Still, he wasn't completely sure, and so he forced a sad smile as he said, "Yes, he was a kind soul who can never be replaced. I still remember the time when he helped me through a rough patch."
"It was a good thing he found the right woman to marry him. Emily was the best daughter-in-law I could ask for. Pretty, intelligent, smart, and a loving wife to my son. She was the voice of reason for him. She had warned him about certain things, but my son's kindness influenced her too much for her own good. You knew her quite well too, right? All of you were in the same squad after all," Grace said, her voice wistful yet firm.
Gary's heart rate increased at the mention of Emily. What happened with her was a dark secret that he had managed to keep hidden all these years and planned to keep it that way forever.
He forced a sorrowful expression as he said, "Yes, Emily was a wonderful person. I miss her too, just like I miss Dorian. It was a tragedy what happened to such good people. But I always remember the good times I shared with them," Gary said, hoping to change the topic.
Grace nodded as if she was lost in thought and said in a calm and measured voice, "Only the good times? What about the bad times? Do you happen to remember them?"
Gary felt his heart sink as he asked with an awkward chuckle, "Uh, I am not sure—"
Grace's grin widened as she interrupted him, "It's just that I am an old woman with a bad memory. So sometimes I forget things, and I was hoping you could rekindle my memories."
Gary inwardly frowned. What did she forget? What does she remember? He decided to play it safe, "I am sorry, but if you are talking about the wrong choices they made in the end and the whole demon cult thing, I don't remember much because I try not to. In my heart, those two are still my best friends. I had no idea where it all went wrong."
Grace tilted her head with a surprised glint in her eyes, "Oh, you don't want to remember them? That's a surprise. I thought you would remember them as clear as day. After all, you must have been there when they made the 'wrong choices', right? Or am I remembering it wrong?"
Gary loosened his tie, wondering why the air conditioner was not working properly, and said, "I am not sure what you mean by that, Grace. I only wanted to help them in any way I could. But it was too late when I knew everything. Even if I was close to them, I had no idea about the secrets they kept. I feel like I had let them down as a friend."
Grace's voice turned sympathetic as she said, "Oh, I see. It must have been difficult for you to live with the guilt of not being able to save them. But don't worry, Gary. You can't be blamed. We all have secrets we want to keep hidden. But maybe it's time you spilled your secrets in the open so that you can put your burdens to rest forever."
Gary held his breath for a moment, wondering what she was onto. He unbuttoned his sleeves as his wrists were getting sweaty and put on a fake smile as he said, "I am not sure what you mean, Aunty Grace. I am not a man of secrets."
Grace's expression remained friendly, but her words carried a warning tone, "Oh, I think we all have secrets, Gary. Some are more sinister than others. And sometimes, such secrets can come back to haunt us."
Gary gritted his teeth as he realized that Grace was playing games with him. She must know what really happened.
But he didn't care since even if she knew, it was not like she could do anything about it.
However, he also didn't want to keep listening to this and said in a semi-icy tone, "I would love to chat with you longer, but unfortunately, I have a meeting to attend. I hope you won't mind."
Grace still had a friendly smile hanging on her lips, though her eyes glinted with something dangerous, "Why the rush, Gary? You have been able to run from your secrets all these years. But now there is nowhere else to run," As she said the final sentence, her voice turned eerily cold and dripped with power, making Gary feel a chill run down his spine.
But he shook away this feeling and said in a tone of annoyance, "I want you to leave now. I won't keep listening to this—" Gary suddenly swallowed his words as his eyes widened upon seeing hot vapors sizzling off from Grace's body.
He watched with widened eyes as her appearance slowly began to shift before his eyes.
It was as if she was shedding her old body like a snake shedding its skin. Her age spots vanished, her wrinkles began to fade, her skin became smoother and tighter, and her body grew leaner and more athletic.
However, one of the most noticeable changes was how her drooping breasts began to regain their mass and became bigger and firmer until a large pair of soft mounds were stretching her dress forward, revealing a tempting cleavage.
Her once wrinkled face was now smooth and radiant, and her almond-shaped brown eyes sparkling with vigor.
Her previously silver-white thin hair began to change shade until it became a vibrant color of vermillion and more voluminous, making them cascade down her waist in fiery red waves.
Her eyes glowed with a dark green light briefly, after which faint dark vermilion lines ran across her face.
Grace exhaled as she basked in the feeling of youth and power which she thought she would never feel again. She knew she was still not at her peak, but she remembered again how good it felt to hold so much power and slowly turned around with a cold grin, "You still think you could make it in time for the meeting? I am afraid Hell is expecting you first."
Gary had his jaw slack upon seeing this sizzling hot beauty with sharp features, piercing brown eyes, and a suffocating, powerful aura that made him feel like he was standing in the middle of a scorching storm. She was looking exactly how she looked during her 40s, right around the time her son was born.
But her words made his scalp numb and his heart thud against his chest.
He was profusely sweating before he realized it, but he quickly gathered his thoughts and tried to slam the button under the table to sound the alarm.
"Argh!" To his horror, the button suddenly became red hot, making him retract his hand with a grimace after getting stung by the heat.
Grace's eyes locked onto Gary's with a malicious smile as she raised her walking stick and pointed at him, "You won't be needing company, little Gary. You are going to suffer ten times the pain my Dorian and Emily suffered. But not before I burn everything you love and possess until your soul succumbs to eternal agony," The atmosphere in the area seemed to darken and burn as her words, heavy with malevolence, reverberated through the air.
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