CHAPTER 22

His wife moved at that precise moment, and he was thrilled. When she opened her eyes, he smiled at her. She burst into tears the moment she saw him. He had last seen her cry like that when they had lost their unborn child. Mark gave the detective a vile look and despised the man for torturing his child in this manner.

"It's all right, baby; you're fine now. Just let it all out," Mark said, attempting to calm his wife.

They are... I still can't believe it... How did it happen in the first place? T-they're all gone, Mark. Who could be so cruel as to kill my employees in this manner?" As tears streamed down her cheeks, she asked.

"I'm not sure, baby; the cops will look into it. This wasn't supposed to happen, especially since you'd just recovered," he said as he patted her on the back.

Aurelia wiped her tears and looked at the man who had caused this outbreak, smiling inwardly but giving him a puzzled look.

"What happened to my staff?" she asked as she gathered her composure.

"We discovered them dead this morning in an abandoned building," the detective explained.

"Have you figured out who did this? Is someone after me?"

"We are still looking into the matter. We just wanted to hear your side of the story because all of the victims are linked to you," the detective replied truthfully.

"So, you thought I was involved in that brutal scene you showed me?" she yelled at the man, heaving heavily as she looked at him.

"We have to clear you out. Everyone is a suspect in this case, but we are deeply sorry for the trouble we have caused you," the man apologized, but she could tell he didn't mean it.

"Since you've gotten what you want, I believe you should depart now. I don't want my wife to experience another shocking event as a result of you. If you have any further questions, please contact my lawyer. I hope you conduct a thorough investigation," Mark said coldly to the man.

The detective could tell he had already overstepped his bounds, so he bid the couple farewell and exited the hospital room.

He sat in the car with a shrug, so much had happened today that he couldn't believe it. He had the impression that everything was connected to Aurelia, despite the fact that she was recuperating on her island for two weeks.

They even checked her phone records, and she never left the island. There was no reason for her to torture and kill her own staff, implying that whoever did it was either after Aurelia or the case was random.

They were all victims of a psychopathic serial killer who enjoyed watching his victims suffer so much that he even watched them kill each other before killing the last victim. This was going to be a crazy case, and the media was going to freak out.

***

Lila rested her head on her husband's chest, enjoying the way it raised and lowered. She felt safe in her husband's arms, but a girl has to grow up and take care of herself. She awoke reluctantly and left her husband's embrace. It was going to be an exhausting day.

The police had released information about the killings, and she, as the employer, was required to issue a statement and express her condolences to the family, as well as personally visit the bereaved; after all, they were a family.

Lila took a warm shower in her own bathroom and went through her closet. She wore a simple black suit because it wasn't the right time to go all out. Because others are in mourning, she would do the same. She took the elevator down and went to the dining room where breakfast was served after making sure she was all set.

She made her way out of the mansion, where her car was waiting, after feeding herself and ensuring that she was full and energized.

Julius greeted her with a bright smile, to which she responded positively. After getting settled in the car, she glanced at the headlines of various newspapers, and a smile appeared on her face.

As she read the first newspaper, she wondered, "How are their masters reacting?"

"Right now, they are not in their right mind," Julius replied, "I have people watching them."

"Give me the full report," she said, tossing the first newspaper onto the seat.

"The Master is looking into the situation right now; after you were hospitalized, he doesn't think you're a part of it all. Eliza is terrified, but she makes no move. "The kids got rid of the evidence that is related to the deceased," Julius informed her, and she nodded.

"Keep an eye on them. What about the children?"

"They are far more powerful than you believe. They were traumatized for a day, but they are now fine,' he said, and she smiled.

"I guess I'll meet the kids another time. Inform the children that I will see them in three days. You choose the location and ensure that it is private," Aurelia explained to Julius.

"I will do so."

She finally arrived at the company, which was teeming with reporters who bombarded her with questions. She decided to make a statement before walking inside because she couldn't ignore them for long.

"I will issue a statement later, but for now, I would like to express my condolences to the bereaved family. These men and women were members of my family, and I am devastated that something so heinous and inhumane happened to them. I am deeply sorry for your loss!" she said as she made a bow

After that, she entered her building and went straight to her office, where she called a meeting.

She sat there, staring at her company's senior manager.

"I need to know everything about the ten employees we recently lost. I need to know everything there is to know about them. Contact their families; I need to know when their funerals will be held, and finally, I need to prepare some packages for the families. Do you have anything else to say?"

"Yes, Ma'am. How about we put a shrine in the lobby for the deceased?"

"That's a great idea. Do whatever you deem necessary. Those who are close to the deceased may take one day off to visit the families, but only tomorrow. "We have a lot to do today," she said as she stood up.

Aurelia made her way to her office, where she found Rita smiling.

"I am finished with the statement," she said, handing her the printed paper she had been working on for the past thirty minutes.

She took it and read it all the way through. She smiled at her and patted her on the back.

"You never cease to amaze me, Rita. Are the journalists still outside?"

"No, they've already gone."

"It's fine. Call the person you most trust and tell them I have a statement to make. Let's get this out of the way," she said.

Thirty minutes later, Aurelia was making a statement about the devastating loss of the staff that had been with her family for some time. She apologized profusely to the public and expressed her desire for the perpetrator to be apprehended as soon as possible.

Later in the day, everyone was busy, and people were assisting in providing information about the case. Everything seemed to be going so well, but that wasn't the case for everyone.

****

The days that followed were extremely hectic. Aurelia had to pay her respects to the bereaved families and express her condolences. She gave them some gifts to help them get through their difficult time. The families were completely innocent; if they had raised good children, nothing like this would have happened.

When she thought of the deceased, she wanted to slash them a thousand times. She fed them, gave them a place to live, and they had the audacity to spy on her and betray her. All she wanted was for them to be loyal; she even gave them numerous chances to repent and see the light, but they were simply too greedy.

Most of them were involved in all of her unfortunate accidents, and she vowed never to forgive anyone who was involved. As soon as she stepped out of the car, she smiled.

She took a look around the hospital where she was. She'd been to this hospital so many times that she deserved her own private room. She walked straight into the hospital, remembering why she was there.

She was escorted to the desired room after informing the nurses. She walked in, leaving her guards outside. She smiled as she noticed the woman unconscious on the bed. She smiled at her and put her hand on her shoulder.

She looked at her for a moment, watching as she slowly opened her eyes. Aurelia stood up and walked to the window, where she gazed out the window at the tall buildings that dotted the landscape.