Chapter 28

"You do not have to obey Ferine's order. She was raised in a very different setting, so she tends to see people so lowly, as if everyone were her servants," William seriously told me while putting out the groceries he bought in the refrigerator.

"And then what? Die in so much irritation with her non-stop rants? I guess I'll be better with her mouth shut!" I mumbled as curiosity about the same tattoo they both had lingered in my mind. As I watched William meticulously organize the groceries, I couldn't help but wonder about the deeper meaning behind the matching tattoos that adorned both Ferine and him. A mysterious connection seemed to bind them together, despite their stark differences in personality and upbringing.

"I saw a scar behind Ferine's neck?" I wondered aloud, breaking the silence that hung in the air. William paused momentarily, his hands still busy stacking cans on the shelf. 

"Ah, yes," he replied, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "Ferine got that scar during an accident when we were younger. It was a moment that changed our lives forever." 

Intrigued, I leaned in closer, eager to hear the untold story behind their tattoos and the scar. "What happened?" William's eyes flickered with a mix of nostalgia and pain as he began to recount the fateful day. "We were just kids, exploring the woods behind our village proper. Ferine was always the adventurous one, never one to shy away from a challenge. On that particular day, we stumbled upon an old abandoned treehouse nestled deep within the dense foliage." As he spoke, I could almost feel the weight of the memory settling on him. "We decided to climb up and explore, unaware of the danger that awaited us. The treehouse, worn down by time and neglect, gave way beneath our weight, sending us crashing down to the forest floor. I remember the sharp pain shooting through my body as I landed awkwardly on my side. Ferine, always quick to recover, sprang to his feet and helped me up. She was fine at the moment, but when I saw her blood gushing out, it was at that moment that we knew our carefree days of exploring had come to an end, forever marked by the accident that changed everything."

I stared at his back, and I knew he was lying. "That scar...looked like it was from an operation," I said with my voice quivering. Deep inside, I was hoping that he was not involved with the organization my father was looking for because I could not bring myself to fight with him someday.

William crumpled the paper bag after putting all the groceries in the refrigerator and turned to face me. His eyes met mine, and I saw a flicker of guilt before he quickly masked it with a reassuring smile. "I'm telling you, it was not what you think based on what you see. Scars sometimes do look the same, but they don't always tell the whole story," he said softly, his voice filled with sincerity, trying to ease my worries. But I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something he wasn't telling me. "Now let's go eat with Ferine. She might end up making an outburst in hunger, and you would not want that."

Curiosity gnawed at me as we made our way to join Ferine for our meal. Despite his attempt to reassure me, I couldn't help but wonder what he was hiding. His sudden change in demeanor and the flicker of guilt in his eyes had left me with a nagging sense of unease. As we approached the table where Ferine was waiting, I tried to act out my normal cold personality to hide my suspicions. Everything that was happening now could end up in a mess if I were not cautious.

As we sat down, Ferine's eyes immediately locked onto William, her gaze sharp and discerning. It was as if she could see right through him.

"So, what took you two so long? You know very well, William, that I have tendencies to go crazy when I miss my eating time," Ferine said, her usual playful tone tinged with a hint of irritation. I could sense the tension in the air, and William shifted uncomfortably in his seat. I knew that Ferine's comment was a mere facade, a way to divert attention from her true intentions. 

I watched as Ferine's eyes darted from William to me, analyzing our every move. "I'll just eat in the kitchen, and I'll be in my room." I could tell that Ferine was just trying to tell me that she was not into having me with a chance of getting Willaim all for herself.

"No!" William exclaimed suddenly, surprising everyone in the room. His outburst broke the tension and startled both Ferine and me. It seemed as if he couldn't hold his thoughts and feelings in any longer. His voice quivered with frustration as he continued, "Ferine, I am not letting you do whatever you want. You can't just push people away whenever you feel threatened. I won't allow this to behave like you own me." The room fell silent as his words hung in the air, leaving us all stunned by the sudden display of his true emotions.

Ferine's eyes widened, her face a mix of surprise and hurt. I could see the impact of his words sinking in, and it was clear that she had not expected such a strong reaction from him. The tension in the room had shifted, now heavy with an uncomfortable silence. I glanced at Ferine, searching for any sign of a response, but she remained silent, her gaze fixed on the floor. It was as if his words had knocked the wind out of her, leaving her unable to defend herself or offer any kind of rebuttal.

However, I was not fazed by the sudden shift in atmosphere. I saw an opportunity to step in and diffuse the tension. Taking a deep breath, I spoke up, addressing both of them in a calm and empathetic tone. "I really should just leave you two here. I am not in the mood to get in between, so just do whatever you two want until this thing is over and we can all go back to our usual lives."

I immediately tracked myself down to my room and locked myself inside.

"Argh! What took you so long?" 

"Silence!" I shut Cavin's mouth up and pulled my bed up to expose a hidden wooden board underneath with pictures, lines, and notes, connecting dots of possible pieces of evidence that would connect to the organization we were looking for.

"So, what have you got?" Cavin whispered, opening my laptop and scrolling through the encrypted files that contained classified information. I leaned in closer, pointing at the pictures and notes and explaining the connections I had made so far. 

"William and Ferine, they got tattoos resembling the sign my father had talked to me about!" I said coldly. "I saw a scar behind Ferine's neck, and I am certain it was from an operation, but William lied to me. But the story he told me about to divert me was true. We got to go pay a visit to that village where the two grew up. I'm sure they can get something there."

Cavin's eyes widened as he studied the evidence. "That is huge. A sinister organization hiding behind a known medical group. What are they into?" he murmured, his voice filled with both excitement and concern.

I nodded, my heart pounding with adrenaline. We knew that finding the clues we needed was crucial, not just for our safety but for the sake of everyone who was unknowingly caught in the web of the organization's sinister plans.

"I'll have to lure them to bring me to that place, but I don't know how when all I only know is get into Ferine's nerve and be awkward with William," I muttered, hopelessness washed over me.

"Try to talk to them; be your normal self. You have made them talk now, so you only have to make them talk more. After that, we can plan the location plan when we visit that place," Cavin encouraged me. His words offered a glimmer of hope amid my despair. 

"Yeah, right, but I have to prepare myself to get in more fights just until this week is over." I exhaled heavily, steeling myself for the upcoming challenges. 

"Anyways, I made this camera piece; you can put it somewhere in their room to see something that is suspicious. And...this one...it's connected to Nick. I just thought you might want to see him." Cavin handed over a small device with a smile. "It's a hidden camera and audio recorder, so you can gather evidence without being detected," he explained. My eyes widened in surprise and gratitude. 

"I only need one for William; I don't need the one connected to Nick. I don't see it's needed in any way---"

"Oh, shut up, Navi! We grew up together, and I very well know when you like something," he smirked. "You know you can just watch the footage your father gave you!" He said before tossing my laptop on my bed after pulling it back. "I'll be going now! I'm done setting up the connections; you can just look at it whenever you want."

I let out a long sigh and spent my whole day sulking and wondering whether to take a peek at Nick and his activities. Despite my curiosity getting the better of me, I couldn't shake the feeling that invading his privacy would only add fuel to the fire of the feelings I had started to have for him or the things I might find out would hurt me.

"Ah, I forgot that I installed one in the bathroom." Cavin suddenly appeared outside the window and immediately darted down the fire exit stairs.

"Damn him!" I growled quietly, burying my face in my pillow. "That idiot!"

Then I heard hurried steps going up once again the stairs, so I jumped off the bed and was about to pull on my curtains when Cavin popped up, smiling, "He's going to take a bath in about...ow...five minutes! Goodluck, princess!"

"F*****"