Chapter 10. Lies and truths.

The garden of the mansion was one of the most beautiful places Ellie had ever seen in her three lives. It was extensive and filled with many different colors from exotic flowers and plants of numerous kinds. She had never seen that many in her entire life. 

"Do you like it?" Evan said as he walked beside Ellie. The two of them were slowly strolling over to a white gazebo in the middle of the garden near an artificial lake.

Ellie nodded, "I like it very much."

She wasn't lying, she hoped to see a place full of vegetation, water and freshness. In her past life, she lived in a decaying world of sand and dust, with dying plants and tore trees. Nothing grew anymore, just sickness, madness. 

What an irony, that she was healthy in that place, and now she was dying from a brain tumor. 

When they arrived at the gazebo, he lifted her like a princess and let her sit in one of the sofas. Then he passed her a blanket for her weak body. He didn't want her to get sick again. 

"Thank you," she smiled when he sat beside her. 

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes," she smiled again, but then the alarm in her mind resonated again. It was telling her about the mission.

Evan smiled at her and closed his lips to her, but then he noticed the frown in pain in her face. Her eyes become unfocused, and she pressed her hands on the side of her head. 

"Ellie! Get a doctor now!"

"No, there is no need," she said, grabbing his arm. "It was a sudden headache. Nothing..."

"No, you don't understand, we have to go back."

"No!" she pulled him, "I want to stay a few more minutes here. Please. I am fine."

Evan sighed. He was worried, but he didn't want to provoke her more stress. "Fine... but only a few more minutes."

She nodded and let him hug her. Meanwhile, she was hearing the details on her mission from Bonnie. 

<There are five spies in the mansion with task to kill you. Three had already been discovered by your husband Evan, but other two remain hidden. Find these before end of month, and you will be rewarded a clue miraculous doctor, sage, only one who can cure sickness. Clues on hidden spies: is known for his mastery lies, truths. They both don't serve same master, or that they were made believe. One an ally, enemy. You chose which want keep.>

Ellie sighed as she opened her eyes from resting in Evan's lap. 

"Do you want to go back?" Evan said as she sat and rested on his shoulder. He liked how she was comfortable around him and took the initiative to approach him. 

"I want to stay a bit more. I like the smell of flowers and fresh air," she turned her head to him and she watched him. "Why did you marry me?"

Evan's face showed a stunned expression. He didn't expect she would ask him that. 

"For the inheritance, right?" she answered before him. "I am not that oblivious to my reality, Mr. Owen. Not even with this thing in my head."

That was the second surprise she gave him. He thought she didn't know about her condition, even less the brain tumor. She must have met a doctor to know that. His suspicious grew. 

"How do you know?" he asked.

"What? About the inheritance? About the brain tumor?"

"Both."

She sighed. "My younger cousin kept saying that I shouldn't be the one who gets to marry the Owens' heir, that it should be her. She said, in between the hits and pulls, that she should be the one marrying you. Not me. That she should be the one helping you inherit that wealth from your grandfather."

Ellie smirked. Even when she didn't own those moments, she had several recordings of the previous host memories. She watched how that stupid cousin showed her cruelest side. 

"About the tumor... well, that... I can't remember," she didn't know how to explain about it. "It was a doctor at the hospital, once they hit me enough to make me unconscious. I heard a doctor said I had a tumor in my head."

Evan narrowed his eyes, thinking. Maybe the doctor in that hospital was the one who gave her the pill. He wanted to ask, but...

"You want to know, right? How could I recover?" she beat him to it. If she was the one to lead the conversation, maybe he will help her look for that miraculous doctor. "I know you wanted to ask, but I don't remember the face of that man, only his words. He gave me... pills."

She showed him a pill of the size of a bean but translucent like a gem. "Five in total... I ate four of them, this is the last one. He told me that these pills will save me from the poison, and help me recover, but the thing in my brain, he promised to help me if I get to save my life."

She handed him the pill and smiled. "Help me find him. You need me to survive for a year, right?"

Evan caressed her small and thin fingers, but he didn't grab the pill. "This is yours, I don't want it."

Ellie smiled but put the pill inside his shirt pocket. "The pill is not useful for me anymore. The poison was already expelled, and I am only recovering my strength. You keep that pill, make something out of it. It will be a waste if I have it. Someone can steal it and I will never know."

Evan sighed. It would be a lie if he said he didn't want that pill, but he didn't want to take something that could benefit her health. However, thinking of Elena, the most he could do is research that pill and replicate it. Now that she gave it to him... he was in debt to her. 

Suddenly, the voice of a woman reached their ears. 

"Evan!"