CHAPTER 8

"That is both fascinating and troubling, Sir. You obviously know a lot. So, you're saying the picture I found is from the lost book that contains the map to the Demoness Treasure?" She inquired of the man.

Who wouldn't want to know where treasures are hidden? She had been in a good mood ever since she discovered her recent treasure. She'd be overjoyed if she could find another.

"That is exactly how the book is. However, based on my research, the book cannot be read by ordinary people. Even if you are not greedy for the treasure, your life force will be slowly sucked out of you. Only the keepers of the book can be spared," the old man said, and she nodded.

"That is extremely depressing. I guess if we ever find the book, we should track down the demon to find out where the treasure is," she lamented.

"No one knows if she exists. It has now been over four millennia. If such a person exists, our world will be in shambles."

"So, you don't believe what you just said to me?"

"Partially, I do; I just hope it's true. I've made it my mission to discover the truth. I can die happy now that I've found someone who is willing to listen to me. Because of my obsession with these issues, people have labeled me as insane. So thank you for paying attention to me," he said, and she smiled.

"I really appreciate it."

"However, I have a question for you. How did you find that picture?" he questioned, and she turned to face him.

She was quickly racking her brain for the perfect lie. She had no intention of telling the man that she had the ancient book in her possession and that she had attempted to read it and had experienced dizzy spells as a result.

She realized now why she couldn't read it at all. Despite the fact that she could understand the symbol, she couldn't grasp anything.

"I was visiting another elderly lady the other day when I discovered the old photograph stuck in an old book. She was dying, so she gave me some old books to read; I'll give you some of them another time. There are some things I don't understand, but you may," she said calmly.

She could see the man's hesitation, and she could tell he was suspicious of her, but he had no proof.

"I will be honored to be the recipient of such a collection. Please call me when you've organized them," he said, and she nodded in agreement.

"I will comply. I'll have Rita forward them to you. After all, I don't need them."

"I suppose I should thank you ahead of time. Now that we've shared our curiosities, this old man will depart," the Professor said as he stood up.

"I should take you out to dinner for sharing such an interesting story with me," she insisted, but the old man was a tough nut to crack.

"You have things to do, and I've already taken up a lot of your time, and I don't want to impose.' Besides, you've already given me a substantial reward."

"If you say it like that, I'm at a loss for words. I'll show you the picture I found among the books. It might be useful in your search for the book. I don't need anything that can drain my life force. After all, I want to live for a very long time," she joked.

"That will be greatly appreciated. Let's see each other soon, and I'll leave," the Professor said.

Aurelia escorted the elderly man to the elevator and said her goodbyes.

When she returned to the office, she summoned Rita.

"Pick up the new collection I got from the old lady for my library and give it to the Professor. He likes those books, so I'll give him the original picture you sent him. He is a huge fan," she told her.

"I will comply. Sir Julius called and told me to tell you that everything is ready and that you should come as soon as you are finished," Rita said, nodding.

"All right, cancel everything else for the rest of the day, and when you finish work, come to my house and do what I told you. I'm going to leave for the day," she told Rita, picking up her belongings.

Aurelia sighed as she stepped into the elevator to the underground parking garage. It was show time, and she hoped the man didn't let her down, or else she'd kill him slowly and painfully.

He could sense something was wrong, and it was intense. He'd seen that look in his wife's eyes about four times in the four years he'd known her. He saw that much hatred for the first time when she found out he was going to marry her.

It was the first time he'd seen a young woman so enraged that she wanted to rip his guts out. He had money and power, and women and men flocked to him. Some of these young girls desired his attention, but this angel despised him so much. He was so desperate for her that he pushed himself on her.

He remembered how hard he had to work to win her over, and it wasn't easy. When she had her first miscarriage, they all knew she wasn't ready to have a child, especially his child, but she refused to abort it, which made him happy.

When she lost that baby, she was so distraught that it interfered with her studies, and he was at a loss. The same thing happened twice more, but the third time it broke and shattered her. He was in pain because she had slept in that bed for months without moving.

He tried everything to put her at ease, but nothing worked. He had no idea what had happened, but one day she awoke a changed woman, and he simply let it go. He didn't mind as long as she was happy.

His wife was not a materialistic individual. He knew she wasn't interested in his company because she had started her own while she was still in school. It was hilarious because he owned such a large corporation.

She simply desired to open a salon and a boutique. He opened it for her and let her run wild. He was willing to give her whatever she desired as long as he didn't have to see that look on her face again.

The problem now was that she was giving him that same look, and he had no idea what had happened this time. He just wanted to get to the bottom of it all and have his wife back. He summoned his secretary, who came in with a file he had requested earlier.

"Sir, I brought the file you requested," Ben said as he handed him the file.

He sighed as he took it. He wasn't the type to do something like this, but he needed to know or he wouldn't be able to take back his cheerful wife. Mark opened the file and began going through the photos of his wife that he had his men take.

He was curious to find out who she was meeting and if any of them had ruined her mood. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw what he was seeing. Mark shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Ben.

"Could you please explain all of this to me?"

"I, too, am stunned after hearing what you told me about her. They said to the men we sent..."

Ben deduced from the words he spoke that his wife Aurelia had been acting suspiciously recently. She'd met up with a group of kids and shared some food with them. Because of her upbringing, he was aware of his wife's generosity.

The majority of them were photos of her with various clients, with the most suspicious being of a particular warehouse. He examined the photograph of Aurelia with her guards at the warehouse.

The warehouse appeared to be abandoned, but Ben informed him that she had recently purchased it. He never meddled in his wife's affairs, but that warehouse made him itch.

"I investigated it, Sir, and your wife is not involved in any illegal business. According to what I've heard, she intends to open a factory because she is in the fashion industry," Mark felt better after hearing the explanation that the warehouse was abandoned and cheap, so she bought it for a good deal.

"If it's like that, it's fine. She didn't meet with any of my children or my ex-wife." Mark wondered if it was his family again, which irritated his wife.

"She hasn't, she didn't meet anyone outside of work and home. I think you should sit down and talk to her; maybe she'll open up to you," Ben suggested, and his words sounded reasonable.

"I suppose I should do that," Mark said, closing the file.

Ben returned the file to his boss and left him to his thoughts. He'd known this man for a long time and knew how he operated. On the surface, he appeared to be a caring individual who was devoted to his work.

He was a ruthless and cold businessman, but with his young wife, he was all soft and a fool. He wondered if things would have been different if he hadn't taken his boss to that restaurant that night.