Chapter 5

★★★★★

Gilbert's expression slowly changed from a smiley one to another that portrayed his disgust while his eyes remained on Nina.

"You're so mad, I meant to say" he said in a whisper, glaring hard.

"But –" she tried speaking as he turned back to Iris

"Come è possibile introdurre segretamente nella sua enorme villa con una sicurezza così stretta, per favore non voglio stressarmi, okay?.." His interruption came with raised voice, meaning 'How is it possible to sneak her into that gigantic mansion that has such a tight security?.. besides, I don't want to stress myself, okay?!'

Nina scoffed, understanding that he spoke in Italian language because of Iris' presence. Nina wasn't so good at Italian but she could still manage to understand his words.

"We'll find a way!" she said and he breathed.

"D U M P her faraway!" he called out the letters that made up the first word.

"Suit yourself!" Nina said, walking out of the room immediately.

Gilbert quickly changed into a smiley and friendly expression while Iris stared blankly at him.

To her, everything felt so weird and she couldn't help but wonder why a grown up woman like her will have no single memory of the past..

Was she really sick like they had made her believe?..

"Darling daughter, dad wants to take you out on a treat. Change your clothes and let's go.." he said.

She raised a brow..

"Really?.." she spoke in a whisper and he nodded with a smile

"Yes baby.." he replied and she smiled shortly, saying nothing else.

Her eyes locked with Gilbert's for a while and he licked his lips lustfully.

"I missed you giving me a head, you know" he said without realizing.

"You have no ice-cream on your lips, why licking it?.." Iris said gently with a smirk.

Gilbert quickly swam out of the pool of lust.

"It.. it's an old habit of mine" he stuttered, lying smoothly.

"I've searched the wardrobe, there are no good clothes there. Most of the clothes in there are rags. Is that how I lived?.." she asked..

"Shut up please.." Gilbert said inwardly while maintaining an innocent but fake expression.

"No dear, your mother and I gave you the best life. Our house got affected by a gas explosion so we just moved in here. It's a friend's house and the clothes in there are for his family.." he lied smoothly.

"Whoever owns those clothes must be a maid." she muttered.

"We don't have time. Go dress" he said and somehow anger crept out of his tone.

"I'll be back in a few minutes" he said again and in silence, she watched him leave the room completely.

"Was he really my father?.." Velvet (Previously Iris) muttered without realizing..

•••••••

•A SECRET WAREHOUSE•

Each strides she took forward made it seem like the dark room was shaking due to the fear her approach gave the victims in the room..

Cries from different corners filled the room but she ignored them all, as usual.

There were no traces of light except the small torchlight she was holding and just as usual, she was looking so fierce and ruthless..

Fear?..

Her presence gave that.

Power?..

Her words and behaviors screamed that.

Darkness?..

Her aura is the best word to define that.

They call her Tiger, not just because she's as bold as it is but because she had the ability to tear anyone apart.

They call her chameleon, that's because she can be anyone, anywhere. She's good in pretense, cunningness and has more than three identities in California alone.

They call her Kangaroo because she's notorious and unpredictable. Just as the kangaroo does, she keeps her targets off guard, arousing no suspicions.

In short, they call her TCK, a name that contains the first letter of each animal trait she processes.

"Shut up!" she suddenly yelled, stopping in her tracks and immediately, all cries got silenced.

"Turn on the light.." she said to one of her boys and he pressed the switch on the wall immediately. A red dim light instantly came on, casting a faint glow over the walls and the helpless people in the room.

Most of the victims were women and they all had heavy metal chains, binding them to something so strong.

No one had a complete outfit. They were either totally nak£d, had just bras and panties on or wore tattered and dirty clothes..

Several red marks with blood stains were on the bodies of the victims and of course, the walls weren't exempted. They had dried splashes of blood on them.

How do you imagine a place with experiences that are worse than death itself..?

No place can be as dangerous as TCK's warehouse.

Once you're in, you live in agony and pains yet never die..

It is what it is..

No one, not even the government knows the experiences going on in the warehouse because all sounds and cries were absorbed by the soundproofed walls.

For emphasis, IT IS WHAT IT IS.

"You!" she suddenly yelled at a middle-aged woman whose appearance rivaled that of a mad woman's. In Fact it even looked worse.

"You birthed a child who makes things so difficult for me!" she yelled again.

The woman gulped..

"Don't…. touch..Eun-jo.." she said with shaky lips, spitting out blood.

TCK laughed devilishly before changing her expression into a dangerous one just like it was before.

"Seriously?.." she scoffed, walking over to the woman and in a twinkle of eye, two slaps from her landed on the woman's bloody face.

"Arrgh.." The woman cried, spitting out more blood.

"And what makes you think you can tell me what to do?!.." TCK's dreadful voice filled the dark room.

More slaps came..

Kicks also joined..

"Don't touch him, you have me. Just kill me if you want" the woman said with a yell.

"Shut it!" TCK said angrily, punching her hard on the face.

The woman immediately lost consciousness and TCK turned to her boys who were now trembling in fear, wondering who she was going to transfer aggression to.

"No one tells me what to do, okay!" she screamed loudly and her voice echoed in the room.

"Yes Tiger!" they all said in unison.

"Inject her with the usual liquid. She shouldn't die now" She ordered and without a word further, she stormed out of the warehouse.

All her boys released the breaths they didn't even know they were holding immediately she went out of sight.

Today was better, none of them's neck got broken while she's transferring her aggression…

"I need to go meet her now, she'll be waiting for today's feedback in her chambers" one of the guys said to his colleagues..

"Okay.."

He got just one response before leaving too and once again, the cries from the victims resumed.

••••••

•HEAVENS ESTATE•

"I'm not eating.." Harrison said for the umpteenth time, rejecting the ninth food suggestion his chief maid, Gina gave.

Gina Anderson, a nun who had no husband and children, had lived as the only motherly figure in his life since she began working for him, six years ago, earning herself a special treatment from him.

"You know you need to eat something, even if it's just a dessert. You're starving yourself!" She scolded, sitting beside Harrison who was lying on the bed.

"I don't want to, I'm fine," He said.

She stared at him in silence for a short while, trying to guess what exactly was wrong.

"Still about the girl?.." she probed gently.

"I don't know.." he mumbled.

"You can always tell me you know." she said slowly.

"Everything is just so annoying. Dad's threatening mail to marry his friend's child, the lady whose name I'm told doesn't exist and also, work..!" he sighed.

"Staff's nonchalant attitudes are getting too frustrating these days. I'm definitely going to sack Kingsley tomorrow!" he added.

"Kingsley?.." Gina raised a brow.

"Isn't that your secretary?.." she asked and Harrison only breathed.

"It's high time I hired a female secretary. These male ones are fraudsters" he sighed, hissing.

"Just calm down. You've never been like this in a long while" Gina said and he sucked in a deep breath.

"Fine, I'm calming down.." he muttered

His phone rang immediately and at the same time, Gina's eyes and his diverted to it immediately.

As expected, his personal agent was the one calling and immediately he saw the caller's ID, he picked the ringing device, swiping green without hesitation.

"Boss!.." The caller's voice sounded quite cheerful like he had good news to disclose.

"Yes?.. any updates?" Harrison asked quickly.

"It's actually a good suggestion sir" the caller said and Harrison immediately sat up.

"What's it?.."

"Why don't we check the camera footage of the hotel to see who took you into the room that very day.." The caller said.

Harrison's eyes widened immediately..

"Perfect!"