(Chapter 39) Opening Her Eyes

"Madam... Do you want me to inform Master?" Andrea asked as she placed a new cup in front of Mrs. Tuhs.

Mrs. Tuhs shook her head lightly. "No need, it won't be a problem for much longer." She spoke quietly. But Andrea seemed to understand.

"Does the Young Miss..." Andrea was surprised, did Astrid already figure it out?

Mrs. Tuhs nodded. "I'm certain, since she left me and Ver to speak on our own. I'm very sure she figures out something was wrong." Mrs. Tuhs looked into the distance, as she smiled.

"Maybe Ver can finally be liberated, despite knowing for years, we haven't been able to do anything." The look in her eyes, were especially guilt-ridden and sad.

"Howard had completely hidden everything about Astrid to the outside world, till this day, they still believe Astrid is on death's door. Now that Anya is here, their pressure will intensify." Mrs. Tuhs looked down at her daughter and picked her up.

Andrea looked on with so many emotions in her eyes. Mrs. Tuhs had been pressured ever since she was born. Her family was completely decimated, only leaving her and Veronica. Now all of those years of being suppressed, she could finally be liberated herself.

....

"The Young Miss and Winoa arrived in your office." Stephan whispered into Mr. Tuhs ears during a meeting with the shareholders.

He nodded. "That is all I have to say for now, meeting adjourned." He spoke up and then left to his office.

Upon seeing his daughter he smiled. He lost his business face and transferred into a loving father instead.

Astrid looked at her father with an emotionless expression, she eyes Stephan. Who seemed to be leaving. "It's alright, you should listen Stephan." Astrid made Mr. Tuhs quite surprised, it seems it was something important today...

Stephan nodded and then sat down. They all sat in the secret room with drinks prepared by Winoa, seeing the cups, Stephan then knew that he was invited to listen in.

As the four sat in the seats, Mr. Tuhs took the cup and sipped slowly. "So, how was it?" He asked with eyes on his daughter.

"Veronica is under surveillance, I would say that she is providing enough information to make it she isn't suspected, but also not enough, since the information you let slip only confirmed her information." Astrid's eyes slowly turned calculative as she spoke.

Winoa was stunned. Since when was Veronica under surveillance? It also seemed like it was well known within the family as well...

Mr. Tuhs sighed. "But, the person keeping her under surveillance isn't the leader. His methods are different." Astrid continued talking. As Stephan suddenly realized the situation.

"You mean he's an underling?" Stephan asked as he took out a notepad to write some notes down.

Astrid shook her head again. "I'm not sure yet, just think. The illness I have. Nowhere else in the world has it been seen before. Not in the past, or after doctors attempted to diagnose me." Then, Mr. Tuhs felt an understanding come to him.

"The illness must be man-made, there is no other explanation. But the proof isn't there. There must be a laboratory somewhere, there must be a middle man. How was I infected? When? By whom? These questions need to be answered. What if it isn't only just one enemy? What if there are more? What if they colluded? We need answers now." Astrid spoke about such a serious topic like she was talking about the weather. While Winoa's face paled.

She didn't know this! But then again, it made sense when she thought about it. And now she understood what Astrid was talking about earlier.

Mr. Tuhs face was dark, "Multiple enemies. Maybe, I might have made some during the rise of Hanxi. While your mother... Her family had many enemies." He spoke softly, he already knew that Astrid knew about her mother.

Stephan stopped writing and looked at Astrid. "Why would you say more than one family is targeting us? There has only been one family behind it all in the investigations." Stephan asked seriously, these questions needed to be asked.

Astrid looked down at her tea and gave a smile. But it wasn't the warm smile that her family and friends had slowly gotten used to, no. It was chilling, calculative, and held darkness within...

"The old Russian nobility... One must have guts to try to suppress them openly, unless. They had more power, if the Russian nobility couldn't hide in Russia, then they would move somewhere else no?" Astrid replied with her own thoughts. As Winoa was stunned into silence.

Russian nobility... Was that the background of Mrs. Tuhs? She kept quiet, as she absorbed the information.

"How... Many, how many do you think are targeting us?" Mr. Tuhs then understood the thing that had bothered him for the longest time. He didn't understand how his enemies had such wide connections, it would make sense if it weren't just one or two, but even ten or twenty powerful families targeting them!

Astrid shook her head. "I'm working on a way to counter it. But it will take time. But... All I can say for now, is that I have a theory on why they are targeting our family." Astrid spoke with dark eyes.

Stephan stopped writing suddenly. "You figured it out?" He asked in surprise, his boss had been wondering this ever since he understood what was going on.

Astrid nodded. "I can't say for certain, all I can say is that it's a theory. I want to fully confirm it first." Astrid took a sip of the tea.

Stephan nodded with understanding, it was obvious that Astrid didn't want to make too many assumptions right now without full understanding of the situation.

Mr. Tuhs sighed, "Alright. I believe in whatever you wish to do." He had full confidence in his daughter.

Astrid nodded in understanding. "I'll send over my documents to Stephan later. I also have something else to talk to you about." Astrid's eyes turned calculative. As her eyes rippled.

....

Astrid, Winoa and Mr. Tuhs came home together. Astrid brought Winoa into her room. "Here is something I prepared." Astrid took out a large folder from her drawer.

Just as Winoa was going to take the folder, Astrid took it back slightly. "Are you sure? This world is dark and cruel, I'll be walking you directly into it." Astrid looked Winoa straight into her eyes.

"Very." Winoa didn't hesitate, after hearing what Astrid and Mr. Tuhs spoke about in the hidden room, she now had a desire to help Astrid.

Astrid then gave Winoa the folder and went back to her computer. "For now, just watch this." Astrid typed something on her computer, the showed Winoa something.

A video started to play, Winoa started to watch... But after a few seconds, she understood that this was the camera feed in Mr. Tuhs office...

She was surprised, but as he saw Mr. Tuhs working at his desk she just watched quietly.

In came a woman through the door, she was pretty and was subtle, she looked like a hard worker and was reporting something to her boss.

But then Winoa's expression slowly shifted, the woman seemed to be revealing her assets quite subtly.

But Winoa could see what she was trying to do, and she looked at Astrid. "This woman has been trying to seduce father for a year now. She has 3 sugar daddies and also had an altercation with mother a bit ago..." Astrid explained without any fluctuations in her expression.

Winoa listened with a frown forming on her face. "So, what would you do?" Astrid asked Winoa, as she looked into Winoa's eyes.

Winoa looked back at the camera footage. And thinking about the question. "I... I would investigate her sugar daddies first." Winoa responded, she had been tutored since young, and taught by Astrid. So she was intelligent in her own way.

Astrid nodded. "Mm, good idea. But, you must also answer the question of why she is trying to seduce my father? Money? Position? Power? Or, maybe she is a spy." Astrid then opened Winoa's eyes.

Winoa looked back at Astrid. "So... What will happen to her?" She asked, since Astrid had set up these measures, surely she knew what to do with her...

The next second, Winoa shivered. Astrid's smile turned dark as she looked at the camera footage. "You must also ask if she is somehow related to our enemies. Since we have so many questions to ask her... Then doing so will be the first on the agenda." Winoa was confused at what Astrid said, how was she going to ask the woman these questions?