Chapter 8

Seora stares at her reflection on the bathroom mirror. This is the first time she looks at her image clearly after all these months. Not that she had never take a minute to notice how her appearance had gradually change through time, but right now she started to notice them a little more. 

Her eyebags have gotten worst. Her cheeks had turn hollow and not to mentioned her chapped lips. Let's not talked about her skin condition. Dried like a crippled old lady. It doesn't matter if she feels like she's exaggerating them because inside, she already felt horrible.

'What have I got myself into?' She sighed as she pulled open the mirror cabinet and rummage her hand in it to find a new toothbrush. Nicholas had fill it up with new items for her to use. A pink toothbrush and a pink mug proudly displayed right in front of her. Her eye brows perked up at noticing how cliché Nicho is.

Nonetheless, she's not one to complain.

As the silence of the room interrupted with her brushing her teeth, she begins to be lost in her thoughts.

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"I agree to help you but on two conditions. My safety and your apology" Nathan looked at her straight in the eyes. Seora felt unarmed but she sighed softly after he nodded to her request.

"That can be done." She quickly asked. "One question."

"Shoot."

"How do you know him?"

Her questioned leaves Nathan smiles to himself. They can already tell who is him.

"We used to be business partners. Our partner in crime, before he decided to call it all off." 

"He wanted to overthrown his father and having full authority on the old man's legacy. I think you know about this part already, don't you?" Seora cleared her throat. As much as she wanted to forget about this, her mind betrays her. The gripped on her shirt becoming a little more tighter.

"We were once loyal to each other but not until he choose to betray us." Nathan's words grew a little more heavier. He said those words like a script. Like it had been consistently playing in his mind. There was no emotions in his words.

"It has been years, some people might forget about it, but not us." Hugh interrupts.

"What a persistent guy." He mumbles.

"Torturing people, making us betraying each other, tried to burn us alive, too many of it. What a fun relationship, don't you think." Alden chimed in before he laughed with his own remarks.

"And now, we have you. The most precious source that would help us take him down for good. Don't you know?"

"'An enemy of your enemy is a friend' ?" Hugh smiles, knowingly.

Their share of the story somehow make one side of her wanted to lean more into it. 

"I need those information, Miss Song. In our world even a tiny bit of an info could make a lot of difference." Nathan sitting up straight as he's watchful eyes had never left hers.

"You knew too much to the point you have to fake your own death in order to live and now you're back on their wanted list and worst, that you're with us now." Nathan struck a chord again.

"Fine." Seora let out a huge sighed. "I'll give what you want and I hope you keep the end of your deal." Nathan smiles and it was the first time she noticed that he has a pair of dimples.

"Don't worry, you have my word." The man then bowed a full 90 degree, while Seora was too shock to react. 

"I apologise for my unruly behaviour for trying to cause harm on you, physically." His eyes darted to Seora's lower abdomen before he catches back her gaze. "I will compensate your loss and as stated, I hope you keep your ends as well, Miss Song." Seora watched him carefully. As always, the way he said those words, as if it was scripted. Hollow and meaningless.

"Nicho, she's your problem now. You deal with her." Nathan leaves the dining hall and everyone seems to follow him right after that.

As expected, he is indeed the leader.

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Remembering last night event doesn't help anything. There were many things she had wanted to clarify. She didn't understand how she had never knew the existence of a powerful group lead by Nathan. No, the real question is, how could she not knowing about the Maverick's family empire and their two current heirs. 

Based on her previous works, she should have known about this. This secret organisation seems to be in a bad beef with the Lee's, to the point that they would considered anything to destroy her previous employer.

"Is he hiding something from me during that time?" Seora stopped moving as an idea popped out of her brain.

"But why? Why would he hide such a dangerous gang like Nathan? What even these guys called themselves?" She mumbled to herself, before spit out the remnants into the sink.

After the nice warm bath and shower, Seora walk herself into Nicholas's walk-in closet. He had made a specific part of the closet for her. It was too kind of him to lend his room during her stay. His room's design is quite minimal and it wasn't too bright. It's just nice. 

As she brought the clothes her friend had provided, she laid them on the bed. Feeling satisfied after mix and match the shirt and the pants. At least her taste on clothes and Nicho is similar. For all those times she had seen him at the hospital, she knew he is one that keep up with his appearances. 

He used to hate fashion and accessories but now he had so much more than any women would. That simple thought had made her chuckled.

"Hey Nicho...!"

As Seora was about to undo the towel, the door to Nicholas' room is widely open by Luca who is now stunned without a single movement.

Both of them stare at each other before a loud united scream explodes throughout the whole floor. There is a similarity in their pitch but none of them care about it. Luca immediately shut the door while Seora crouched to the floor to protect what was left to be protected from his eyes.

Their screams had successfully made everyone in the house to be in trance. Nicholas, who crashed into Alden's room last night, had completely awake. His eyes meet with Alden's who was just came out of his bathroom.

Before both could register what was happening that early in the morning, Alden steps outside. He then saw Luca completely stoned in front of him. The youngest's face already filled with red hues.

"What's wrong?" Alden look at him and the surrounding.

"Why are you suddenly so red?! You okay?!" He smack Luca's head making him to come back to reality.

"Yah, that hurts!"

Alden looked at him skeptical before he shook his head. "You've become weirder and weirder. I don't know what to do with kids these days." He ignored him and walked back into his room as Nicholas on the bed, smashed his face into the fluffy pillows. It's too early for him to rise anyway.

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After a lot of thoughts and pulling up all the courage of a woman who is currently starving to death, Seora took the first step outside of Nicholas' room. In hopes she would never cross path with that person ever. The sudden incident; in which in her defense was that Nicholas forgot to lock the door for her, or she thought he had done it for her giving his protective nature, or maybe he just forgot to tell his friends that she was sleeping in his room.

"Please, God. Don't let me meet him." She mumbled prayers in each steps she's taking down the stairs towards the main section of the penthouse. When she came down, the living room was empty. As well as the dining hall. Not until she walked into the kitchen section, where she meets with the handsome stranger who was with Nicholas when they were at the hospital.

The guy seems to be struggling near the stove.

Seora thought to herself whether it was a good idea to greet him or just to ignore the small man. Apart from the others, he has a similar height as hers. She was reminded of her conversation with Nicholas before he left his room.

"I know you still have doubts on me and my friends. I understand. But at least, give them a chance. You won't regret it."

Nicholas was so sure that his friends would never harm her in any way. Well, except that obnoxious leader whom if she could, she would have shot him back. Let him feel the fury of being the one at the other end.

She took a deep breath before walking towards Alden, who seriously in dire need of help. 'I hate you Nicho for being logical for once.' She mutters to herself as she approaches him.

"What are you doing?"

Alden yelped to Seora's unexpected question causing the hot spatula to drop and sears his foot. He cried in agony as she's watching him in amusement. She turns the electric stove off while he gives her death glares.

"Are you kidding me?" Seora couldn't contained her laughter.

"Don't laugh. People could die from that you know." Alden lifts his leg into the sink, letting the water runs through his burnt skin. 

"You don't look like someone who would react to something like that."

Alden rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me?" He's repeating her words. She shook her head as she moves near him and looked over to his leg.

"Let me see." The little guy glares her.

"What? I just want to see, if it turns out bad or not?"

The guy reluctantly bring his foot closer to her, but as she looked over, she pushed them off the sink. 

"Yah!"

"Relax, let me help you." Seora pulled the cabinet above the stove and all the other remaining cabinets she could find. Knowing someone like Elliot living in this house, there should be at least a small first aid kit that they could use. When she found one, she claws inside and taking out the burn cream. As if she had done this many times, she helped dresses Alden's burnt skin.

"What are you even doing? Burning down the kitchen?" Seora sounded like she's starting to lecture the poor guy.

"I was just trying to make some breakfast..." He stops for awhile before he continues, "...for the very first time." Seora couldn't help but giggle.

After making sure Alden's foot looks fine, Seora motioned the guy to sit down. She peers into each cabinets and the refrigerator. "Let me help you." She scanned the inside of the cool refrigerator before pulling things she thinks it would be useful. 

"I'll make something good. Ignata's cuisines in the morning would really make a great breakfast." Ignata, one of the big four cities in the country is widely known for its big breakfast feast. No, not just breakfast but every meal time. The city that thrives with forest and jungles. A land that filled with edible and useful plants. It's common that people from Ignata could cook many different type of dishes.

Their sources never runs out.

Seora begins her work like it was her kitchen. She washes the ingredients. Sliced, chopped and hammered. All the noises could easily make one anticipates the result of her work. She hummed gleefully to an unknown song. 

Alden observes her by the kitchen bar's table as he lets her do wonders alone. The smell coming from there had keep him in his toes. Alden was born and grew up in Caralina for as long as he could remember. He was not used to eat big breakfast but he can't refuse if one coming through freely right in front of him. Although he did a lot of travels but he never had the chance to stay and taste the real foods in Ignata, the east side of the country. 

"You don't look like someone that would cook for us." Alden's interruption had earn him a side glare from her.

"I'm hungry, and I can't go out. Whose fault is that?" Alden shrugged off his shoulder and looked away.

"Anyway, where are the others? The house looks empty." She hasn't meet a single soul. That pervert of a guy just now doesn't count.

"They all have works to do. You don't need to know that." Alden said haughtily. 

"Well, you don't have to act so high. You don't even know where they are either." The guy snorted in displeasure. 'Does she can read minds? How does she know that?' He mumbles lowly.

"Woah, smells great! Who's cookin...?!" He stopped abruptly.

Seora's body immediately turn stiff. She recognises the familiar voice. Damn it, why is he here?

The owner of the voice was reluctant to step forward or decided to reverse himself. He was choosing the latter when Nicholas jumped from behind and grab the poor guy's shoulder.

Luca begins to panic.

"Woahhh!! The legendary Seora Song is cooking?! Is the sun raised from the west this morning?" Nicholas playfully howled at witnessing his friend whom he had never seen her cooking before. Seora ignores him as she was trying to not let herself be the most awkward one in the space.

Alden on the other hand nudged Nicholas for more secrets about her. With such a small minuscule time she had spent with him, Seora already know Alden is another one of those annoying person who wouldn't let her live peacefully. She rolled her eyes as she listened to Nicholas backstabbed her with her embarrassing childhood memories.

She was surprised Nicholas could even remembers them so well.

"You know, there was this one time she ..." Before he could go on rambling about it, Seora already knew what he was about to reveal. She turned towards them as she put down the bowl contained her hometown dish.

"Nicho, that was centuries ago. Give me a break." Nicho stuck his tongue at her before he continues in excitement.

The peaceful breakfast she was planning to enjoy seems so far-fetched. She literally forgot how infuriating Nicholas can be when he was in the mood. Even when the topic of the conversation between these two partners has changed, she wishes nothing more than to let it be any more awkward for her. 

And because she had to share a table with Luca.

"Hey, don't you guys heard a loud scream this morning?" Nicholas' sudden question had cause Seora and Luca to choke themselves with their own food. 

"Speaking of it," Alden looked at the two, full of skepticism before he pulled a playful smirk. "I wonder what happened."

"That's weird." Nicholas mumbled with his mouth full. Coincidentally, the two culprit find each other's eyes but they quickly looked away.

"Eh Luca, you're turning red again!" Alden said mischievously. He loves to tease the younger when he had the chance.

"No, I'm not!" Luca tries to defend himself by acting calm. The younger sipped his water in one go.

"Stop denying, you were freaking red before by the door."

Alden's statement was enough to make Seora's death stares digging holes onto the forehead of Luca.

"I..I ... don't know what you're ta... talking about." The younger stutters. He can already feel the heat scorching from her stares just by his seat.

"Aha! You've been watching porn didn't you?! You've always red when you watch one!" Nicholas adding a little squinch of oil into the hot flame making the boy embarrass even more.

"The hell, man?!" Luca denied but he still couldn't look at Seora who was now had turn as red as him. In the end, he left his dishes unattended in the sink and make a run to his room.

All three of them eyed him from behind.

"Aish, this kid." Alden shook his head with a smile while Nicholas broke into a hearty laugh.

"You sounds like you haven't done it before." Alden teased his friend but Nicholas ignored him with a shrugged. His attention then switched to Seora, whom suddenly had turn silent.

"Why are you suddenly blushed? Wait, no way?!" He was about to ask when she glared at him.

"You wanna die??!"

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Kaysen lowers down the front of his baseball cap to cover more sides of his face. The mask he had been wearing wasn't enough to conceal his dark siren eyes. Provided his circumstances, he couldn't afford to risk his identity. Especially not right now.

He glanced over the small watch he had on his wrist. There should be ample time for him to break into someone's office. His eagle eye scanned his environment carefully before he made a conclusive reaction.

Kaysen had done this type of stealth work countless of times. Doing this was almost like breathing to him. Within less than a minute, he managed to slip into the security room of the most highly guarded building in the city. His skills should be applaud since not a single staff in the room noticed his movement.

He reminded of the blueprint Hugh had made him remembered. From the main door, he has to go left and another left where he will met with a locked storage room that has nothing but a main computer which controls all the surveillance camera of the whole building.

Kaysen easily breaks pass the lock and before he could relieve his own tension, he sighed as his eyes scanned around the cold room. There were nothing but machines and too many technologies that an old soul like him would prefer to die rather than dealing with one. But, he couldn't do anything other than to finish the job on behalf of Hugh.

Normally, that hacker should be doing this since it would be way more easier and faster, but he is currently unavailable.

Watching his steps, he pulled a pendrive out of his pocket. He swore again trying his best to follow what that hacker had drilled into his head. Choose the pc that is only labelled and push the pendrive into the port. Downloading and extracting files into the pc of the storage room. 

"Security all clear." 

One simple update from Kaysen was enough to let loose the nerve wrecked underneath Hugh's skin. He tries to act calm and collected. Well, at least he tries. 

The hacker made an eye contact with Nathan who is sitting not far from him, before the two of them locking gaze with Elliot who was about to present his findings on their monthly board of directors' meeting.

"I'm going in." Kaysen said again, and with that, Elliot begin his presentation.

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yuuki