Episode 94

"Did you find him?"

" No "

Zhuang and Akio ended up crossing paths in the chase for Joshua Hughes.

"Ah! Akio you're not wearing a jacket!" Zhuang suddenly realized.

" Huh.. " Akio didn't notice until Zhuang pointed it out.

"You definitely can't get sick in this state" Zhuang took off his jacket and put it around Akio.

" You go back first, I'll find this guy don't worry"

"Okay" Akio agreed for once, Zhuang was right, Akio could seriously get sick out in extreme weather conditions like these.

If not for himself, he had to think about Kei and the girls as well as this kid.. if they were to catch anything from him, it'd be really hard to handle.

"But, contact me as soon as you find him, okay?"

"I will, don't worry" Zhuang reassured him so he ended up turning back.

Kei would be really worried, that's all that bothered him so he hurried up as much as possible.

"Akio san!!" Kei really was standing by the door waiting for him.

"Sorry" Akio apologized right away, somehow the girls had quietened down now. Kei put them back to sleep.

"Mari told me that.... you guys went after.... Joshua Hughes, where is.... he now? "Kei asked.

Akio shook his head indicating that they'd lost him in the chase.

"Where's Mari?" Akio asked.

"Uhm.. she grabbed two apples... And left.... " Kei told Akio but then realized Akio was wearing Zhuang's jacket.

"Akio san! You went... Without... Jacket!!"

"Ah, I'm so sorry I didn't realize I wasn't wearing one" Akio took off Zhuang's jacket since the house was well heated from the inside.

"You.. can't do that... What if you get sick...!" Kei was somewhat mad at Akio for being super careless about his health.

Akio neared in "I'll pay more attention from now on, won't you forgive me? " Akio closed into Kei's face who got really flustered

"So.. handsome..." Kei ended up mumbling unconsciously seeing Akio's worked up face upclose from all the running.

Akio pulled Kei's face in "Nowhere near you, pretty boy" and pecked his lips.

" Akio san...are you in.. a bad.. mood?" Kei asked since Akio's facial expressions really looked stiff.

"Yeah I am" Akio replied without batting an eye. Normally he wouldn't tell Kei even if he was but it surprised Kei that he replied to it so honestly.

"Why do you look so surprised..?"

Akio smiled a bit gently ruffling up Kei's hair

"Then...can I do... Something.. for you?" Kei looked a bit too happy. It was the first time Akio had openly expressed his true feelings without Kei having to pursue him to do so.

"Eh well, I don't know" Akio was confused, in his vision Kei looked like a little puppy wagging his tail happily.

"Then, how about you make me some chocolate milk, I'm really craving it right now"

Akio ended up saying, trying not to disappoint him. Kei nodded and ended up hopping his way to the kitchen.

'He's so cute'

He thought to himself as he sat on the couch and rested his head against the rim of the backside.

He stared up at the ceiling

'What exactly happened to you...Joshua Hughes..?'

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"Please eat something"

The maid spoke in a pleading tone.

Ian Strauss barely touched the rice, two spoons and he lost appetite...

Ivan Strauss would force feed him but that made him throw up mostly by the end of it. He wasn't even doing it deliberately...it just wouldn't stay in...

The maid really tried to convince him but it was as if he wasn't even listening to her, he stayed in a daze of his own ignoring everyone around him.

She got up and went to the door peeking outside and closing it. He didn't really care. She came up and sat really close to him and unzipped the back of her maid uniform lowering the neck a bit

"What the f-- are you doing?" Ian Strauss whispered almost reaching for the nearest lamp.

Though she just lowered it till the neck and stopped right there noticing Ian getting defensive

"It's not what you think, it's just I'm not supposed to get caught"

She said and ripped a thread at the border line of the inside of her clothing and the space between the double layers opened inwards towards her chest. She pulled out a piece of paper

"This is an old map..my mother passed it down to me, it was something that Raina san made to sneak out of this mansion... it's supposed to be a secret...."

She held out the paper.

"....This is as much as I can do.... for the sake of the late mistress..."

Ian was so taken back by surprise that he puckered up and ended up sobbing.

"Young master please...calm down I-" She panicked watching him cry like that but for some reason Ian hugged her tightly and wept on her shoulder.

She really had no other choice than to rub up his back.

"No matter what happens.. please make sure that you don't get caught... please never come back once you're out of here..." She said as she pulled a key out of her skirt's pocket and fixed her clothing before she held Ian's ankle and unlocked the chain.

"What about you-" Ian Strauss was struck with a sudden fear knowing well what would happen to this woman if he were to escape.

"Young master, I'll be alright" She spoke with a smile now that he was finally looking at her.

"He'll-" Ian tried to warn her but she held his hands in hers.

"Everyone in this household has turned a blind eye towards what has been going on with you for too long.... I'm one of those sinners too..I hope you can forgive someone like me and my parents as well..." She spoke with a calm demeanor.

" But-" Ian was somewhat more scared now knowing that this woman knew what was to come and yet she was choosing something like this.

"The guy you're looking for... I'll get him out too somehow, so please go ahead first and don't go looking for him... you'll only get both caught up again..."

She pulled his hands up making him stand up somehow and got him a jacket and muffler from one of the closets, somehow putting it around him.

"Don't get caught please... Or it'll all be useless....."

She spoke with a gentle expression and gave him a light push from the back.

He turned back to look at the woman once more and with an extremely frustrated expression he took to the door.

She stood there quietly until he left and only after he'd left her legs began to shiver and she somewhat dropped to the ground with her legs giving out on her.

"I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die..." She whispered to herself hitting her legs hoping they'd atleast help her up but it was of no avail.

On the other hand, Ian took to one of the halls hiding his way through and hid himself in one of the laundry rooms of the servant corner, opening that piece of paper somewhat hugging it....

He'd never imagined... that someday.... someday Raina Strauss... someday his mother would save him too....

His vision was really cloudy from all the tears hindering his view. He wiped his eyes nastily and focused upon the paper before him....

Was it really right to get out and not look for Nicolas...?

He was in dilemma but all he could do was trust that maid since going back meant risking getting caught and needlessly wasting what she'd just done for him....

He had to prioritize using his head over his heart for now otherwise he'd ruin what they'd put together for years....

As long as he could get out... he'd atleast be able to get to Josh and come up with something together...

This decision was the best course that he had at that moment...

He'd just gotten up getting ready to somehow get out of there when he'd suddenly got a tight knocking at the back of his neck and fell forward with a hazy vision.

He looked back at the assailant managing to get a glimpse of them... until he completely blackened out.

"Found you"

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"Here..."

Mari extended her hand holding out an apple in her hand. Josh was in no such mood sitting on the corner of the pedestrian walk hugging his knees.

He didn't take it so she just sat next to him and bit into the apple herself. Making crunching noises as she ate it.

"Why did you show me that?" Josh whispered, he sounded particularly in a bad mood.

Mari glanced at him from the corner of her eyes

"Hiromitsu Natsuro is the son of Hiromitsu Akio and Naoyuki Zhuang"

She replied and Josh's eyes widened, he was somewhat white in the face.

He went really quiet afterwards. Mari stood by his side.

She had a hunch....

And now she'd confirmed it.....

"Are you done testing me?" Joshua was no fool either, he could tell.

" Aoi was wrong " Mari settled her skirt and sat down next to Josh on the corner of pedestrian walk

" Nicolas Strahovski wasn't covering for you, you were a cover for him"

She referred to the time when they were looking for Natsuro along with Lian and cornered down Nicolas Strahovski.

That time Aoi let him go speculating that he was covering for someone else and that the mastermind was someone else.

However in reality that is exactly what Nicolas Strahovski wanted Aoi to believe in order to move her attention away from him.

He literally did set Josh up by making him stalk Aoi so that she'd get derailed and then purposely took the blame so that she'd think he was covering for someone to completely throw Aoi off track.

In reality, Nicolas Strahovski had been the mastermind.

"It doesn't matter" Josh lifted his face, resting his chin on his knees " I'll do whatever he tells me to do"

"Is it really fair to not know anything?" Mari asked him.

" Will that bring any of them back?! "

Josh's words somewhat surprised Mari but then again, she knew this feeling well.

"You still don't know why your wife and children were killed, do you?" Mari said to him, he got somewhat mad hearing that.

Now she really was sure that he didn't really know everything... whether it was because Nicolas Strahovski meant to keep his plans to himself or at an off chance because he wanted to keep Josh as less involved in this as possible... that was still unclear...but one thing was pretty clear...

Joshua Hughes only knew what Nicolas Strahovski decided to tell him.

He was only allowed to see and hear as far as Nicolas Strahovski allowed him to do so.

Four years ago Nicolas brought him here, he set up a career for him for some unknown reason and made Josh stand up to where he was today while he himself dug his way into the Strauss mansion.

Nicolas Strahovski was a man who avoided getting attached...

A vengeful man who didn't see any reason to live past his revenge.....

He introduced Ian to Josh, even Josh came to sympathize with the boy yet Nicolas dealt with Ian's situation as objectively as possible....

Then what had gone wrong....?

How'd this situation come to be?

"Does it matter whether I know anything or not? My family..the woman I loved...my children...all of them died because of Ivan Strauss..... I have nothing left..."

Josh suddenly spoke up after a long moment of silence.

"All of them died?" Mari raised a brow in confusion.

What did he mean by that...does he not consider Alex as his family...?

Even if they're not directly related...but he raised Alex....

Or could it be....????

"...In the end..I couldn't save anyone.."

Josh had a really gloomy yet frustrated expression on his face as he clenched his fists.

"I have nothing left to lose anymore ....so I'll dedicate this life to fulfill that man's revenge... and mine..."

"Nicolas Strahovski is cruel"

Mari mumbled lowering her head.

She had a grim expression on her face....

"Huh?" Josh didn't understand what she meant.

" I'll bring Nicolas Strahovski back to you so this time you better ask him" Mari stood.

" Ask him what?"

" You'll know when the time comes"

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"Natsuro san!"

Lian...???

"You're well??"

The boy rushed to me, ah good he looks healthier than before.

"Yes" He gave a gentle nod and looked towards the door.

"Aoi...san...."

Did my voice just crack..?

How dare she...?

How dare she...leave me by myself for days....!!?

I'm definitely not talking to her!!!

"This time, I took care of him" She said out of nowhere.

Huh??

"You were mad last time that I came after you and did not care about the child...so this time, I took care of the boy..."

She replied and I looked at little Lian standing near my bed.

Wait....is that why....??

I'm supposed to be mad here!!!

But.....

What am I supposed to do if she has a reason like that?

She was actually putting my feelings in consideration....

I can tell she'd really paid attention to the health of the kid....

Ah... This woman, again she's taken me by surprise...

What should I do??

I ended up raising my arms unconsciously and she slipped right into them as if she'd been desperately waiting to do so the whole time.

"I missed you so much" She whispered, her hot breath against my ear, the familiar sensation of her body...her weight over my body...

Oye! Stop! What are you thinking...!

I pretty much pressed against her chest, pushing her being really flustered.

Damn almost forgot there's a kid here..

Oh wait, two to be exact.....

"Lian kun..here come sit next to me" I patted at the bed and he sat over.

" You smell like flowers" He said out of nowhere.

" Eh do I?" I gently patted his head.

I almost forgot..this kid, he shares a bond with my child...a bond even before birth....

Ah but Aoi is she...

"OYE YOU'RE TOTALLY NOT FINE!!"

I yelled as soon as I turned to her and she was purple in the face but really holding it back.

"You sure smell like flowers!!!" She replied forcing herself.

"Your facial expressions really don't match your words!!!"

I lowkey smacked her head.

She can't stay here for too long, for some reason, this child has strange pheromones that are really nauseating to alphas but have no affect on omegas.

"It's okay.. I'm glad you came to see me..that is good enough for me" I brushed my fingers through her hair and let it go.

"I want to stick here longer" She legit went sulking there.

"It's okay, Lian is here, I think he can give me a good company" I tried to cheer her up.

" Aoi san..you can...trust on me" The kid replied.

Eh...why is he all blushing? Huh? Huh..??!!!!

" Then I guess I'll leave it to you Lian kun" She said, for some reason the kid looks really happy there

or am I just imagining things?

"Is everything alright out there?" I asked her changing the topic since I was kinda curious where she'd been half the week other then tending to little Lian.

"Actually alot has happened..."

She started off

I knew it...

She ended up telling me all about the issue with Joshua Hughes and Alex finding out he's alive moreover Mari san contacting her about Ian Strauss being missing...

Thank goodness Lian had fallen asleep in my lap by then otherwise if he'd heard this he'd probably be worried sick about his brother even though his fever just came down recently....

This kid is still recovering from a trauma himself... I'm surprised he'd started talking again after a week with Aoi, I'd thought he really wouldn't after what happened...

But I guess my woman is quite the charmer... I'm so proud of her...

"What are you thinking, you have a really weird expression on" She said.

I take it back, I hate her!!!

" It's nothing, I'm just happy Lian kun is talking now...well he isn't as cheerful as before... but it's better than just staring into a distance..."

I gently patted the boy's head as he shifted sides.

" Ah I just remembered I cheated on you" She said out of nowhere making me choke on my own saliva.

"Huhh??!" I covered little Lian's ears and ended up getting a little louder than I thought I would. "YOU DID WHAT???"

"So basically I just grabbed Alex's face and did like this" She grabbed my face by jaws and gave a really hard ass smooch and then used her wrist to wipe my lips.

"Uh- I see-"

Was that a kiss? I felt like someone sucked my face with a vacuum cleaner.

I'm sorry Alex for whatever reason you had to go through this.

"Apparently I read somewhere that surprising a person can stop a panic attack as they are able to focus on one point"

She said being completely unaffected by the amount of stupidity she was sprouting.

"Aoi san-"

I grabbed her head in a squeeze.

"You're supposed to tell them to breathe and make them count or something not sexually harass them!!!"

" Ow ow ow" She went as I really squished her head in my head.

This stupid woman, if it were someone else they must have ended her life for this.

Sorry for having to bear with this, Alex.

**Meanwhile Alex sneezed twice back at his home**

I took a deep breath. This woman's really teasing me now...

She looks so pleased getting scolded by me too...

Stupid woman!

"So? What are you going to do?" I asked her rather seriously.

"Actually, I think, this time I'll leave it to Mari chan" She somewhat smiled.

" Huh?" I raised a brow... what does she mean by that? Is that really okay..

"Yes I will do everything in my power to get rid of anything that hurts Alex... he's my family afterall..." Her expression became really compassionate there.

I feel like I've been seeing alot of expressions on her face lately.

She's getting more expressive compared to before....

"Then what's with leaving it to Mari chan?" I couldn't understand.

"Someone like Nicolas Strahovski... Who's driven by a violent sense of revenge... I think she can understand him better" She replied

Well... She's right in that regard...

Aoi san is more of a person who delves into self hatred and self blame... If I were to look for a vengeful type amongst us then it'd definitely be Mari san...

But isn't that also problematic..?

Aoi san might be little twisted but she still has a sense of right and wrong... Mari san lacks it...

But....For a person like Ivan Strauss... only a person with a distorted sense of right and wrong like him can stand up to him....

"You're overthinking" She noticed it and gently tapped my forehead.

"Can Mari chan really do it? " I ended up expressing my concern.

She nodded " I think she has a strong motivation for it too"

" Ian Strauss..." I whispered.

" I hope those two can have a really good ending for their love story, I'm rooting for them"

She spoke with a gentle expression.

Well...

It'd honestly be a miracle....

For someone with a dark past like Kirihara Mari..can she really atone for her mistakes and start anew...?

Can Ian Strauss really make a better person out of her...??

"Ah! I realized something"

" What?"

"I'm not the only one with an alpha girlfriend"

" Huh?"