Chapter 21

"Come with me!" William grabbed my left arm and dragged me out of his office.

I did not bother fighting off his grip. An immense frustration and disappointment were consuming everything in me; I could not bring myself to think straight.

Could it be that Nick was just acting lame and stupid all this time, just so he could get away with things easier?

He tricked me.

I should just kill him!

"Heureu?" William interrupted my thoughts. His voice, which usually sounded soft, now had an uncharacteristic edge to it. "What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but the words would not come. I clenched my jaw shut. His face was ashen from anger, but he still managed to keep a pleasant demeanor. "What are you doing? Are you trying to get hurt again? Ha! Please stop this! Whatever you are doing!"

William looked at me for several seconds before finally shrugging and releasing my arm. He turned away from me and walked ahead while rubbing his forehead in frustration. "No matter what I'm telling you, you won't listen to me."

Finally, I said, "I want to go home."

William turned to look back at me. "What?"

I stopped my pace behind him, and his face had become devoid of any emotion.

"I want to go home. If the officers refuse, I want to know why when Nick was already dead. Right? Whatever they wanted to know from me wouldn't matter anymore anyway when Nick was already gone. I guess Ferine will be at ease now. Her life will not be in trouble anymore, I believe. So, I want to go home now. I want to take a rest there and far from a place where I can remember him." My voice sounded pleading as my throat tightened up with emotions that refused to fall into words. My voice shook slightly as I talked. "I might have been wrong for almost everything. I should have known that people like him are the most conniving ones!"

"Heureu,"

"I believed him when no one did! So f*king let me go home! You're a doctor here, right?"

"Heureu, will you just cooperate for once? You cannot go home!" William refused and looked uneasy while scanning the environment.

"I'm going home!" I stormed away from him, but he grabbed my left arm and slammed me back to the wall.

"You don't understand, Heureu!" William hissed, looking more furious than ever. "The reason I am not allowed to give orders about your release is not because I don't want to, or because I can't, but because..." His sentence trailed off. He took a deep breath and stared into space for several long minutes, his grip tightening around my arm, trying to collect himself again. When he returned his eyes to mine, the intensity was back on.

"What? Explain it to me!" I demanded angrily.

William released my arm and took a step backward, sighing deeply. "You have to stay here to ensure your safety. This is an order from a higher person that only I can deliver." His tone and expression were firm and cold.

I looked at him intently, trying to comprehend his looks and determine if he knew about the organization.

"Higher person?" I tried hard to sound confused and intrigued. This could be a trap; we were trained not to trust anybody unknown to the organization, and it just fueled my fury when I almost trusted Nick and forgot my revenge.

William gulped and inhaled deeply before answering, "Mr. Ben. He asked me. But he asked me to be careful of you. There are deeper reasons, but I am afraid this is all I can give to you at the moment."

He seemed to be telling the truth, but I could not just let my guard down.

"Then tell them you'll accompany me to my home. Try making up words to convince them; I need you to look out for me in the meantime! I need you now; let it be me for now!" I pleaded with him and looked at him desperately for the very first time.

I had to remember how I felt for William and not let myself be fooled by anyone again.

"Fine! Go back to my office and I'll try!" William looked dissatisfied, but he knew I'd rather die than not go home.

"I'll wait here!"

"No, you go back to my room! If some officers see you, you'll be in trouble again!"

As much as I wanted to refuse to be with Ferine in one room, I had to oblige.

"Why can't I just kill all of them?" I hissed, and I gasped as a doctor passed by and murmured something before letting out a devious chuckle.

"Because you are getting weak, princess!"

I followed my gaze, and I couldn't believe my eyes to see Cavin walking out in a doctor's uniform with the girl he was with back in my room dressed in a nurse's uniform. He was jus ta cop moments ago!

My jaws dropped as he winked and moved away effortlessly!

"You fell in love, didn't you?" Ferine's voice caught my attention, and I snapped towards her with wide eyes. She smiled mischievously and looked as happy as if she were talking to someone she knew.

I scoffed. "Excuse me?"

She grinned again and pushed her wheelchair beside me by the door. "You know what? I thought you liked William for a moment back then, but I was wrong. I misjudged you! Well, too bad Nick's dead, and you can't tell him any more, so I thought you wanted someone to listen."

My hands clenched tightly together while a strange feeling flooded through me. My fingers dug through my skin. I tried to ignore it and focus on finding out what her intentions were.

"Why do you treat him so worthless? Hm?" I tried to control my emotions. Though I am in doubt of Nick, I cannot stand people treating other people like trash, valued less than others.

She put both hands over her mouth and started laughing hysterically while laughing loudly. Her laugh echoed across the empty corridor, and everyone in sight turned around to look at us with disdain. She giggled even harder, clutching her stomach while wiping the tears from her eyes. I stood rooted to the spot as she continued to laugh maniacally and laugh at my discomfort. "Nick deserved to die! And even if he dies, so what? It was just you that I could not fully understand. Everyone is happy without him, but you keep wanting him back! You should not look for someone who makes life hard; instead, you should be happy and rejoice. No more stress, no more hassle, no more problem."

A strong force of pressure built inside me, filling my body with a burning feeling, and I couldn't breathe, as if a strange energy coursed through my body and caused all the hairs on my arms to rise.

Oh gosh! She should be the one killed.

She stopped laughing, and her eyes suddenly grew colder and more sinister. "It's been four years since he tormented me for that recording, threatening me and everything, that I even have to resort to sacrificing my life to get rid of him. Finally!"

"That recording, where is it?" I asked her directly.

She stopped with her blabbers and looked at me. "Why?"

"I just wanted to know if Nick came to you at the place where the recording is, there could be a recording of him stabbing you."

I saw her face turn pale and quickly turn enraged. "What the? So you are accusing me of lying?" Her voice was so high-pitched that she even sounded panicking.

"No! I just want to see it for myself so I can move on easier!"

She let out a strong sigh before regaining her composure. "My father asked the authorities to keep it immediately as Mr. Ben could get hold of it and try to destroy the evidence, so I don't know where the recording of the night Nick stabbed me was. But if I am to be asked, I'd burn it! Along with his ashes!"

"You hate him, ha!"

"Of course!"

I took a deep gulp. "But you know, he lo..."

"Heureu, where's home?" William cut in, and my heart felt a slight relief for a moment.

"Really?"

"I took my first leave, just to see you safe." William almost choked; he looked blushing.

"Wait, what is happening?" Ferine asked in such confusion.

I turned with a blank expression and answered, "We're leaving."

She looked startled.

"Where?" Ferine inquired in a shrill voice.

I sighed heavily and spoke softly, "Home." I said the word as if my heart would shatter into millions of pieces from its sadness.

Home? When did I ever have a home? They said a home does not always mean a structure or dwelling made of at least four corners, or a bed to sleep in, but home means somewhere or someone you never get tired of going back to. A feeling I felt for the very first time with Nick.

"With William?"

"Yes." I wanted to take pride in the first time he chose me.

"I'm coming!" Ferine declared with determination and pushed herself forward quickly, but I grabbed the armrest of the wheelchair for a full stop.

"Ah no? You can't!" I hissed at her.

"Well, she should come!" William said sternly and walked ahead of us. "The new president wanted me to personally take care of Ferine while she was heeling, and he found letting her in a different environment could fasten her recovery."

"Oh no!"

"Oh yes!" Ferine smirked. "Now if you kindly push me? I was thinking of getting you as my nurse now!"