CHAPTER 6 - UNCLE!

"Did you drug me? Why can't I move? Was it in the green tea?" Eunice demanded, her voice rising with each word. She glared at Mammon, anger flashing in her eyes. "I didn't even drink it because of you! So how?"

Mammon chuckled, a low, condescending sound that made Eunice's frustration boil hotter. "How can I possibly answer all those questions, woman?" he replied dismissively, waving a hand as if swatting away a fly. Then, his tone darkened, the smirk fading from his face. "But let me say this—if I hadn't stopped you from drinking that tea, you'd already be dead."

Eunice's breath caught, her heart pounding against her ribs. "What?" she asked, her voice quieter now, a flicker of fear creeping in despite her best efforts to suppress it.

Mammon's smirk returned, sharper this time. "You trust your little maid too much," he said smoothly, as if delivering a fact she should have known all along.

The name hit Eunice like a jolt. Elizabeth? Her mind raced, sifting through fragments of memory for any sign of betrayal. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, though her voice wavered slightly.

"Be thankful, woman," Mammon said cryptically. "You're alive because of me. For now."

Eunice opened her mouth to retort, but Mammon cut her off, his tone suddenly curious. "So, you really don't know anything about me?" he asked, his crimson eyes narrowing. "Do you even know my father? Satan?"

Her body stiffened at the name, and her throat felt dry as she struggled to respond. "No, I don't," she said cautiously, unsure if honesty would appease or enrage him.

Mammon studied her for a moment, then tilted his head. "And God?" he asked, his voice growing sharper. "You know him, don't you?"

"Yes," Eunice replied after a pause, choosing her words carefully. "I know of God."

Her reply seemed to amuse him. "isn't he that Jewish baby," she added, her tone clipped. "The one that little book talks about, isn't it?"

Mammon froze, blinking as though she had just spoken in riddles. "Jewish baby? Little book?" he repeated, his expression shifting to mild confusion.

Eunice let out an exasperated breath. "Jesus and the Bible," she clarified, her irritation slipping into her voice.

Something cold and dangerous flashed in Mammon's eyes, but his lips curled into a mocking smirk. "This mere human has no fear for the holy book," he said, shaking his head.

"And Jesus being Jewish," he continued, almost as if musing to himself, "is just another lie. History has been tampered with, woman. You humans can't even keep track of your own stories."

Eunice clenched her jaw, her patience thinning. "I don't care if he was a Jew," she snapped. "Just tell me what you want. Is it money?"

Her words seemed to amuse him further. "Money?" he echoed with a scoff. But before he could say more, his eyes darted toward the office door. His body stiffened briefly before his gaze flicked back to Eunice.

"I have to go now," Mammon said abruptly, the smirk returning to his face as his form began to shimmer and fade. "Call my name if you have a wish."

"Wait!" Eunice barked, her voice sharp with anger. "What trick is this?"

But Mammon was already gone, his laughter echoing faintly in the air.

The room fell silent, leaving Eunice gripping the armrests of her chair, her breaths shallow and rapid. Her body felt light, as if released from an invisible weight, but her mind spun wildly, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Before she could process it further, there was a knock at the door.

"Madam, you have an urgent meeting with the governor in thirty minutes," a staff member said, stepping into the room. She paused briefly, her gaze flicking over Eunice's disheveled appearance and the strange look on her face.

Eunice blinked, snapping out of her daze. "Send my PA. I have a serious headache," she said, her tone softer than usual.

The staff member hesitated. "I don't think that will be possible, Madam. He insisted on seeing you in person," she replied respectfully.

Eunice let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine," she said curtly. "Get everything ready. We'll leave in ten minutes."

The staff member nodded and turned to leave, but Eunice stopped her.

"One more thing," she said, her voice regaining its sharpness. "Get me the security footage for my office."

The staff member's brow furrowed slightly, confusion flickering across her face. "Yes, Madam," she said with a slight bow before exiting the room.

As the door clicked shut, Eunice leaned back in her chair, her fingers brushing against her temples. Her mind churned, a storm of questions and half-formed thoughts. Elizabeth. The green tea. Mammon. What did it all mean?

For the first time in years, Eunice felt something she hadn't allowed herself to acknowledge: fear.

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Some minutes after Eunice had left the mansion this morning,

Diego approached Nevaeh in the hallway outside Eunice's office. His expression was tight, his usual confidence replaced by a faint unease.

"What's wrong?" Nevaeh asked, his tone clipped as he noticed Diego's unusual hesitance.

Diego glanced around, ensuring they were alone. "We searched everywhere, but once again, we found nobody in the madam's room," he said in a low voice. "And I'm certain no one went in or out."

Nevaeh frowned, irritation flashing across his face. "So the only person who's seen this so-called thief is Eunice?"

"That's correct, Sir Nevaeh," Diego replied, his confusion evident. "The madam claims to have seen him twice."

Nevaeh's brow furrowed deeper. "What are you insinuating?" he asked sharply, his voice hardening. He stepped closer, his stance brimming with irritation. "Are you saying Eunice is hallucinating now? Seeing men appear and disappear out of thin air?"

Diego stiffened slightly but kept his voice calm. "That's not what I'm saying, sir," he said carefully. "But... there's something else."

Nevaeh tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. "What?"

Diego hesitated, then said, "When I inspected the madam's room, I found a broken teacup on the floor. The tea had spilled, but there was still enough left in the shards for me to examine. I sent it for testing... and it came back positive for poison."

Nevaeh's eyes widened. "Poison?" he repeated, his voice rising. "What the hell do you mean, poison?"

"I mean the tea was laced with chemicals used in insecticides," Diego explained grimly.

Nevaeh took a step back, running a hand through his hair. His mind raced, connecting fragments of the morning's events. "Elizabeth prepares the madam's tea every morning," he said slowly. "But Eunice didn't drink it, did she?"

"No, sir," Diego confirmed. "It seems like it was spilled before she could touch it."

Nevaeh clenched his fists, his voice tightening. "Do you even realize what you're implying, Diego? You're accusing Elizabeth—the person Eunice trusts most in this house—of trying to poison her. Are you sure about this?"

Diego raised his hands defensively. "I'm not accusing anyone yet, sir. For all we know, the thief Eunice mentioned could have tampered with the tea. I just thought you'd want to know."

Nevaeh let out a slow breath, shaking his head. "Okay," he said finally. "I'll handle this myself."

Diego hesitated, his brows furrowing. "Are you sure, sir?"

"I'm sure," Nevaeh said firmly, brushing past him. "Go back to your search for the thief. Leave Elizabeth to me."

Diego watched him go, the weight of the situation heavy in his chest. With a reluctant nod, he turned back toward Eunice's office, his mind churning with lingering questions.

40 minutes later.

After searching the entire house for Elizabeth and coming up empty-handed, Nevaeh let out a frustrated sigh as he leaned against the kitchen counter. His mind was clouded with unanswered questions, and his patience was wearing thin.

"Uncle!"

A small voice startled him, and he turned to see Aurora standing in the doorway.

"Yoo! Little girl," he greeted her with a smile, his tone softening despite his mood. But his smile faded as he noticed the worried crease in her brow.

"You okay, boss?" he asked, crouching slightly to meet her eyes.

Aurora shook her head, her expression darkening as she pointed toward the door that led to the backyard, a secluded area just beyond the kitchen. "No, I'm not. There's something out there, Uncle."

Nevaeh tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean, something?"

Aurora frowned, stepping closer. "It's the smell," she whispered. "It's worse this time. Rotten. Disgusting. Like something's... dying." She wrinkled her nose, her small hands clasped tightly in front of her.

Nevaeh raised an eyebrow, sniffing the air instinctively. "I don't smell anything," he said, his voice laced with doubt.

Aurora looked up at him, her stormy blue eyes wide and earnest. "It's there. I promise. I called for Elizabeth, but she didn't answer. I followed it down here." She hesitated, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. "I think it's a man."

Her words sent a ripple of unease through him. He forced a reassuring smile and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Okay, little boss, let's not get carried away. Go back to your room, yeah? You know your mom will blow a fuse if she finds out you've been wandering around."

Aurora hesitated, glancing at the door one last time before nodding reluctantly. "Be careful, please," she said softly, her voice tinged with worry.

Nevaeh watched her retreat, his protective instincts on high alert. Once she was out of sight, he turned back toward the door.

"What the hell is she talking about?" he muttered under his breath.

He stepped closer to the door and opened it cautiously. A cool breeze wafted in, carrying with it nothing unusual. He sniffed again, finding only the faint scent of damp grass and earth. "There's nothing out here," he said, shaking his head.

But as his gaze swept the area, his eyes landed on a figure standing just beyond the doorway.

His breath caught in his throat.

"Elizabeth?"