Chapter 10

"Don't you think that woman's dress is weird? I mean, I've seen it a lot before but the colour could never works on me. Won't you agree?" The rambles only passed through Elliot's ears without him putting any thoughts into it. He almost dozed off while spinning the straw of his milkshake.

The woman who was sitting in front of him was none other than his fiancé, Heidi Swiss. The heiress of the infamous Swiss Department Store and the founder of Tiara, a luxury brand that is currently soaring high up through the market ladder. They have been childhood friends and are still engaged after almost ten years.

Currently, they were having a dinner in one of the famous restaurant with exquisite cuisines from Malaka region. Suddenly he felt like he miss his brother who's currently handling their branch there. 

"Honestly, does people have that much of..." Heidi continues to ramble about the people she was observing while commenting on their choices of fabrics, colours and style. She can talk all she wants but Elliot just couldn't force himself to focus. He really just wanted to sleep. Thirteen hours worth of surgery and he's depriving for it even if its only a minute.

Lately, the hospital is making him do more works than usual. He barely had time to breathe and even some time for himself.

"Elliot, are you listening to me?" Her question wakes him up. He blinks a few times before meeting her eyes once again.

"Yup, what is it?"

She rolled her eyes. "You obviously didn't. What were you thinking?" She starts to increase her volume making the guy restless. The last thing he wanted is being the centre of attention. "Uhm..sorry. I was just thinking..." He rub his pants, a gesture when he was nervous.

"What could you possibly think about when I'm talking?" She look at him intensely.

"Uhmm.." Shit. 

"Are you hiding something from me, Elliot?" She leans forward.

"What? No." She can't know he sacrificed his time to help some VIP patient who personally requested him to lead an operation while he knows he doesn't have much time for himself. Oh, she cannot.

"Then, what?" He sighed. "Well, uhmmm..." Think idiot, think!

He looked around the restaurant to find answers when he saw a bunch of people celebrating a birthday party not far from his table. His eyes widens.

"A party." Heidi looked surprised. "A party?"

"For my sister. Yeah. Edith needs a big party since it's her last year in college." He looked at her with so much reassurance. Silence fall onto the table.

Elliot was anxious. He could hear her sighed before a smile was created on her face.

"Really?! Elly, we should plan it together! I know just what she likes. Let me help you with....." Then there goes her blabbering.

Heidi could talk for hours about anything and Elliot would enjoy listening to them. But only when he was not in a sleep deprived mood. Calling out his sister who literally hates a big party just like him, was a bad move but at least his fiancé doesn't feel like she was left behind. 

Elliot keeps on sipping his milkshake as he smiles while nodding to whatever Heidi was talking about. In the back of his mind, he made a mental note to never go on a date after a long hour of surgery plus deadly meeting in that afternoon, the same day.

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Seora throws her gaze to the scenery of the sleepless city of Caralina. All the lights from the transports to the buildings and towers, all seems to signify that the city was never dead. People alive and thrive at this hour of the night.

The first day of her stay had pass briefly. There isn't much she had done for the day except chatting with Nicholas about literally everything. 

Her fingers making lines on the glass window, casting smeared cloudy lines on the crystal clear glass. Her eyes locked to the view but her mind was elsewhere. The day after tomorrow will be the day she would have to go back to her past. Riding with the past as if she was driving her present.

There will be no turning back and it was kind of useless to back down now when she had go far as to sign a legit contract, on paper, regarding this matter. She had made up her mind a while ago and she just need a little courage. 

Seora was still curious about the whole organisation lead by Nathan. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him but for now, her priority is to trace back all the documents, safe and sound. She swore to herself she will put everything to its end and bring back justice not just for her, but to those who are innocent along the way.

Even when she wishes to only turn back time but sadly, she couldn't. She have to finished what she had started. Put it all to an end. Everything.

As Seora keeps busy watching the city lights, Luca watch her from a corner. Alden and him will assist her on the task. 'I wonder what she's thinking about.' He thought.

A few minutes ago, they were discussing on the task in Nathan's room. The room where all sorts of work were discussed and planned. Not just anyone could enter that room. 

Luca's mind rewinds back to what they had discussed in the room after the woman had left. 

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"Nathan, you know I have a lot of things to do. Why me?" The jack of all trades Luca who loves to explore died down to one request by the leader.

Nathan glared at him. "You know its an order, right?"

Luca grumbled in annoyance. The job was to observe her while at work. Take note on things that normally people would overlook. The subtle gestures or words. Anything. 

"Luca, you know when Kaysen unavailable, you are up next." It was a short explanation but Luca knew Nathan was not playing this time. He can be emotionless but Luca noticed that there's an edgy attitude sipping through his mask.

He scoffed but the elder pay no minds to his attitude. The younger simply express his dissatisfaction over an overwork task but Nathan could care less. He knew the guy is stubborn as hell.

"Just so you were informed, I would never put myself to protect her. She has Nicholas for that." Luca finished his words before he looked away. Suddenly he feels the room a little too small for his likings.

"I know. But it's The Lee we're talking about. That man is capable of doing anything and you know to what extend he could do to us. So I have to ask this from you." Nathan take a few steps towards the younger as he calmly put his hand on his shoulder.

Of course Luca knew what he meant. Before anyone, Kaysen and him were the ones who had to deal with the true cruelty of the Lee's. He hates just listening to the mentioned of that pathetic of a guy's name.

"Don't let her out of your sight. If they got her, then all of our hard works will be nothing." Nathan and Luca look at each other deeply in the eyes. They both know they could trust each other like brothers. Luca let out a heavy sigh.

"Fine." A miniscule smile was noticed on Nathan's face, though he quickly retreated them.

"Good."

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Funny how he used to be the one who emphatise her situation the most but now, their relationship is quite strain just because he forgot Nicholas wasn't using his room anymore. He sounds like a real jerk right now.

Luca slowly closed Nicholas' door that was widely open just now. He strolled back to his room after completing his task for the day. Working overtime for the like of Nathan and for his own good sake. Even when he and that woman had a bad start.

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The night air in the city of Caralina has always been chilling. Despite the lack of snow around this season, the wind was quite strong across the late hours. Kaysen pulled up the zip of the front of his black jacket as he strolled down the empty alley towards his go-to diner.

The usual restaurant was situated at the edge of the suburbs towards downtown of the city. Not much people knew this place except for nearby neighbourhood but Kaysen had been one of the usuals of this small restaurant owned by an old lady for a couple of decades.

In the day, he had been working and now at night, he wanted a little rest after using too much of his brain. But the man knew he was in no position to rest when he waas known to be a cold case fugitive.

Within mere seconds he notices the subtle differences around him. From the way the old lady behave to the sudden amount of customers she's having despite the location of the diner. 

From the reflection of the glasses on the refrigerator that stored all the liquors, he could see clearly the whole section of the restaurant. It doesn't take him long to know who were they and why they were there when he walked in. 

He just thought that, maybe today is finally their lucky day.

Kaysen lowered down the baseball cap he was wearing as he sips the broth he ordered. A bowl of hot noodle in this weather is pure satisfaction minus the people who were watching him closely. He chuckled a few times as he begins to get excited by their act.

He keep his gaze as minimum as he could. Acting like he knew not about their whereabouts and their plain-in-sight intention. He was doing his best on their behalf as to not make it any more obvious than what it was. 

There is something enjoyable to Kaysen about his current situation. Other than the fact that he loves watching people on edge, another was that he kind of taking in pleasure watching undeserved people failing to meet their sweet ends.

He gobbled down the last bottle of liquor he had for the day.

'These people should have taken some acting classes. Why are they so bad at pretending?' Kaysen shook his head. The thought of people following him cringed him to his core. He glanced another time to the reflection. He smirks in sarcasm.

Before leaving, he calls for the old lady as he pulled out a piece of a big cash. He hands her the money while eyeing for the way out.

"Keep the change." The lady thanked him and bowed a full 90 degree angle. 

When he was out and a few metres away from the small diner, that he felt the tension in the air. Suddenly, a warm hand patted him on his right shoulder.

As the hand makes no attempt on leaving his body after a few seconds, Kaysen let loose his nerves.

"We got you." The familiar voice greets him. He lowered his gaze as he shows no reaction to it. He proceeds to walk but the strong grip from the hand prevent him to do so.

Calculating his moves in his mind, he glanced over to his watch. 'Aahh.. it's been thirty minutes.'

He smirks playfully before he said his first word.

"You guys are really no fun."

Before he could take another breath, a hard pointy object was pointed at the back of his head. He scoffed when he realized what it is.

"On your knees." Another voice pops out making Kaysen's body tickles in excitement.

"I said kneel, right now!" The voice come out again as the person keeps on pointing the gun to his head.

Kaysen begins to giggle until it turns into a big laugh. For someone who was first time meeting a man like him, it was scary. Even when that first timer is a police on duty.

"Kaysen, if I were you, I would follow what had been told." The man whose voice he knows speaks again. The very same voice he heard countless of times that it annoys him whenever he was bound to hear it again.

"Or you prefer the hard way?" Kaysen stop laughing.

'He's getting old, and I'm getting tired of this.' He thought to himself. 

He walks away from the gun and turns around facing the team that have been waiting for him. "Miss me, already?" He heard some of them scoffed.

"Let's see. How long has it been? Six months? No, a year? Hahaha.." He said in amusement as he continues his unlikeliness talking mood.

"Applause!" He brings his hand forward and clap as loud as he could, making all the polices watching him with unreadable expression.

"Ahhh, you guys must be the new ones. I don't know how many times you keep on changing your people, I lost count." He shrugged them off.

"Ten, mind you. Have you no shame what you've done to them?" Inspector Gordon, the man Kaysen hates the most. One of the people who had been tailing him since the last fifteen years. 

"You can't blame me for their actions. Can you, Gordon?" He smiles. "I see you have a very brave daughter." He changed his attention towards the young police officer who points him the gun.

'A family of police. What a drag.'

"You know, if I were you, I won't follow your father's foot steps." He said lowering his eyes for her convenient, only to make her alert to his sudden moves.

"What I want to be has nothing to do with you. You're a criminal, and always be one. I will catch you, and make sure you rot in jail" There was a sudden silence to it but her determination entertained him a little.

"Genes. They run deep in the family isn't it?" Talking as if he understood what that is.

"Okay, I'll be waiting for that day to come." He said nonchalantly. "But sadly, that day can't be today."

Kaysen stop smiling and before anyone could register what was going to happen, Ins. Gordon yelled out. "Careful!"

The fugitive knells down and swiftly knocks both of the young woman's leg making her stumbles backward. She hit her head on the tar in the process.

In one swift motion, he quickly rolled over to his left side and kick away the gun the police was holding before kicking him straight on his torso. The guy was pushed towards the rest of the team. Ruining their current stance.

'That's four of them.'

He turns his head, witnessing more people are coming towards him, he punch one of them in the jaw, and side kicks another by his side. The battle continues as the young polices are trying to go for him all at once.

Unfortunately, Kaysen close range battles weren't that rusty at all.

"You guys are making me sad. Is this what you've been train for?" Kaysen grab a guy's hair and punch him right on the nose before he threw his body towards his friend.

Another guy starts a gun shot making him dodge it quickly. He glares at him. "You bad kitty." He lunged towards him and knock him of with a kick straight to his head. He was about to finish it off, when he hears another click from someone's gun.

"Stop now, Kaysen. Or you'll face things more worse." Ins. Gordon aimed the nozzle directly at him. Even when their distance was two metres away, Kaysen knew he can't dodge this man's shooting range. He dealt with him before.

"Stop? Hahaha. I thought you know me so well, Gordon? I have no intention to." He's out of breath but it doesn't mean he's not thrilled. The liquor he had was not helping to calm his nerves, rather act as a stimulant that keeps him on edge of excitement.

"You can stop now." Kaysen watch the old guy carefully but he has yet to drop the gun.

"You out of all people know why. So, don't try to track me down again." The words coming out of his mouth suddenly struck a cord in Gordon's heart. He watch the young man whose age as similar as his little brother back home. 

Its been awhile since he saw him alive in front of his eyes. He remembered the day he first saw Kaysen, fifteen years ago, back when he was accused of murder. He saw a harmless child rather than a murderer and somehow that child's shadow was still looming around this old version of him.

"There's a way." Gordon continues but Kaysen scoffed right after.

"A way? How, this? You're the one who should stop, or your next people will die." He looked over to Gordon's daughter whose begin to gain conscious after getting hit on her head.

In the blink of an eye, Kaysen managed to vanish into thin air, leaving no traces of him behind. Whereas for Ins. Gordon, he sighed for the nth time. He failed yet again, though he never actually expected to succeed.

Kaysen's case was an old cold one in his department that literally every detectives or inspectors that came across him would tend to give up. The original crew who were with him from the start had slowly left the team, one after another. Some were because of obvious reasons but some are too sketchy to dive deeper.

Gordon helped out his young teammates to their feet. There were a lot of injuries they need to treat and some paper works to finish. A lot of paper works. Well, there goes another same old report since the last five years. And its all because of Kaysen.

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yuuki