AFTERMATH

I COULDN'T STOP TOUCHING the place where Cyrus kissed me. I felt wary. I tried to avoid making eye contact with him, but it was nearly impossible because we still wouldn't let go of my necktie. I wanted to give him a reply, but what he said was something that I did not even deserve to hear. Not after everything that I did to him tonight.

I'm so stupid. I should have thought of a way out than a way in. What I did wasn't a way to stop his punishment. It was a way to continue it, but with a much higher risk of getting Cyrus and the others in more danger. Was it better if I just stayed put and observe as someone else took the place that I have now?

"Cyrus I-" My sentence was immediately cut off. Not by Cyrus, but by the loud sound of the bell that has now gotten me feeling terrified. I felt chills when I heard it. And now I understand why Chance looked scared when he heard it earlier too.

"What's going on? Do you usually have another bell ring like that after the punishment?" I ask, but when I look back at Cyrus, I immediately start getting worried.

"T-This can't be," Cyrus says with disbelief, slowly letting go of my necktie.

"What? What's going on?" I ask again, my heart beating fast because I could see that Cyrus was panicking too but he was trying to look calm for my sake.

Cyrus doesn't answer my question and pulls me out of the bed instead.

"Lucky for you this is an emergency case. You have time to think of how you'll pay us. Which means you have to come back tomorrow with twenty-five million dollars." Cyrus says as he starts dragging me towards a wall.

"W-What?" I ask, still confused about what was happening.

"Go back to your room and pretend like nothing happened tonight. That is an order. And I expect you to know how to follow it after everything that we have done." Cyrus says for the last time before pushing me towards a wall that was actually a hidden door.

I stumble backward and fell on my ass. I look back at Cyrus again, but he was once again expressionless. He didn't say anything and just slammed the door, leaving me confused, sad, and afraid. Three combined feelings that I have not felt in a very long time.

...

"Good morning chief Philip." I greet the person on the other line. It's four in the morning. I was safely back in my room, but I couldn't get enough sleep last night. But I was able to rest for a couple of hours, which is enough to not make me faint.

I hid the clothes and the mask and washed myself so hard I thought my skin would bleed. I felt like being a part of such a disgusting crowd would make me dirty too. I know I'm dirty myself, but their dirt was different. And I didn't want to have it on me.

"I'm glad you called. It's been a while since I've heard from you. You got any news?" Chief Philip asks.

"Actually I-"

I immediately stop. I wanted to tell them about the underground criminal organization, and all the shit that's happening below the Delton mansion. But I also made a promise with Luis. I told him that I'm only here to find Adam Delton's murderer, nothing more. Anything I discover at the sidelines is none of my concern. Of course, any agent would report all this, but I'm not just any agent. I can keep my word. Have another agent discover that hellhole and get all the credit that I don't even want.

"I found a few significant things, but it's not enough to point at someone specific. But all I could say is this family is fucked up." I tell chief Philip instead, making him chuckle.

"Well, they're rich. What did you expect?"

Oh, you can't even imagine it.

"But have you heard of a man named Boris? Apparently he was murdered at the parking lot of his own company. There were no handprints or any evidence found at the crime scene. The cameras were unfortunately turned off too. It was a clean kill. Seems like a professional did it." Chief Philip reports to me. And all I could do is gulp and pretend that I'm not the killer that he's referring to.

I walk towards the large window and just stare at the beautiful scenery outside while I continue to press the small phone on my ear.

"And it seems like he was acquainted with the late Adam Delton too. The media thinks someone's out there to kill all the rich CEO's, so we'll be keeping an eye out as well. Maybe the real killer isn't even in that mansion after all." Chief Philip then adds, and that was something that I could at least agree on.

"I know this may sound weird, but I think so too. The four siblings don't seem to be in any position to even do anything they want. Killing the head of the family in a mansion that almost guards them is nearly impossible. So I do think the killer is an outsider. But again, we can't be too sure." I tell chief Philip.

"We'll just wait and see. So, any more reports?" Chief then asks.

I take a deep breath and try to act calm. Cyrus said I should think of a way to pay them. Obviously Cyrus can't pay for that himself. He'll get in trouble since I presume the family holds their bank accounts too. So this is the only way I could think of so might as well give it a shot.

"I need twenty-five million dollars," I say without any hint of hesitation.

Chief Philip was silent for so long I thought he dropped the call. But finally, I hear him taking a long deep breath.

"What?" He finally asks. It was only a word, but I knew he needed an explanation as to why I asked for such a large amount of money.

I have to think of a lie. A gentleman is the greatest liar. I have to make something up.

"I found something important last night. Employees are usually asked to be in bed as early as 9 PM. I used that opportunity to look around the mansion and discovered that the siblings were actually having a meeting with a bunch of elites at the mansion's private meeting room." I was supposed to continue but chief Philip immediately butts in.

"Elites? Who in particular?" He asks, and I could hear him moving around. He must be looking for some pen and paper. Looks like he's buying it.

"I...I don't exactly know, but there was this French guy that thought I was one of them so I got in that meeting. Everyone was wearing a mask so we didn't recognize each other. I thought the meeting would be normal. Like it would be related to business. But then they started bidding." I continue to lie, and I could tell that chief Philip was listening to every single word carefully.

The best lie is when you believe it's the absolute truth. So the perfect lie is when you mix truth in them. Having a combination of both will make it more believable.

"They were bidding on Cyrus Delton." I finally reveal. It was the only truth that I told him, but it was the only thing that could finally make the chief believe in my crazy story.

"What? Did I just hear you right?" Chief Philip asks the sound of shock very obvious in his voice.

"I don't exactly know why they were bidding on him. But I'm guessing you know what happened next. I need the money tonight. Because I think I can find a clue about Adam Delton's killer there." I finish, and chief Philip was once again silent.

It took him a few more seconds to finally say something back to me.

"These rich people. I can never understand them. No wonder the Delton's are rich. They're selling themselves." He tells me with a sigh.

"Wait. So you're telling me you bought Cyrus Delton for twenty-five million dollars?" He asks, and that question alone made me remember everything that we did last night.

"N-No, I didn't technically buy him. I bought the service that he will be providing for a night. But things happened so I didn't have a chance to even talk to him properly. It was some kind of emergency and I had to leave. But I have to go back tomorrow with the money." I tell him; which wasn't exactly a lie nor was it the entire truth. But the chief was already believing in me so there's no reason to back out now.

"It would be hard to know the people participating in that meeting with those masks you mentioned. But you have to at least give as a few names. They could be possible leads that might even be connected to Boris's murder." He tells me instead.

"I will tell you the details if I have them and if they're ready. But it's hard to keep on pretending. They might realize who I am and I might get in big trouble. So it's best if you don't rely on waiting for information from me. Focus on that Boris murder case instead." I add just so chief Philip wouldn't be too engrossed into my story. But he might discover that I killed Boris if he focuses on that case too. I don't know how, but he might. But him being distracted with that will give me enough time to go deeper into this family. It doesn't matter if he finds out or not. I'll have an excuse for why I did it if that time ever comes.

"Alright." The chief finally says.

"I'll transfer the money to your new account later this evening. Please, I hope you're not planning to run away with this money." He says, and a victorious smile immediately appears on my face.

Seriously, great lies can bring you places.

"I can't even run away from this mansion. But don't worry. If I crack this case, we'll be paid triple." I say, heading back to the bed to sit down.

"I hope you're right about all this Elliot. Twenty-five million is a lot. But then again, this is the biggest case we've ever had. The Delton's are an elite family. They're the richest family in the continent. You getting in their mansion is already a miracle, and I believe is something that no other agent will ever be able to do. I'll talk to the others and explain to them the situation. Just make sure you do this right and pay it back." Chief Philip tells me.

"Thank you." I sincerely say.

I thought it was finally the end of our conversation, but chief Philip immediately starts another topic, "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. We have new information regarding the Delton's."

"What information?" I ask with a hint of doubt in my voice. I've discovered so much about the Delton family that this new information might already be old information.

"Apparently district 8 was actually able to get an agent inside the mansion before you. They disguised him as an escort. They heard a few rumors about Chance Delton being a sex addict. So they got the perfect man who fit the rich boy's preference." Chief Philip reveals, surprising me.

Apparently it is new information.

"What's his name?" I ask. Maybe it's one of Chance's guards.

"It's Jamie. But his real name is Karl Chapman." Chief Philip answers, confusing me. I heard of the siblings' guards, so I'm sure none of them is named Jamie nor Karl Chapman.

"I haven't heard of that name being mentioned in the mansion. But if he was an escort, I'm pretty sure he already got out. They wouldn't let an escort stay here for too long." I truthfully answer. But after everything that I discovered last night, that agent might as well be dead. This family is ruthless. If they can do such things to the siblings themselves, it's not impossible they'll do something ruthless to an escort.

"Well, that's the problem. They never heard of him anymore." Chief Philip reveals.

I knew it. This guy is totally dead. But of course, it's hard to conclude on things without evidence.

"That is a problem. Alright, I'll try asking around if I can. Maybe they know something." I answer him, but then my eyes wandered at the floor near the window.

"Is there a way for me to send you a blood sample?" I ask, and chief Philip was once again surprised.

"Blood sample? What happened? Where did you find it?" He quickly asks me without even pausing.

I sigh and brush my hair back with my fingers, "At Cyrus Delton's room. I don't know what it is. It's too small. It could be from a cut, a nosebleed, or even red paint. I don't know. But it might be useful."

"Are you saying it could be Jamie's blood?" the chief asks.

It's a possibility, but I thought about these things before.

The view outside this window is perfect for distraction. If someone was killed standing there, then it's someone who used a knife, or any close-range weapon. If it were from a gun, the blood would splatter on the window instead, and when the body falls, it would fall in a direction far from where I found the blood sample. And if it was a gun, a headshot would be done instead because multiple shots in a room like this are unnecessary. Which is why the body would immediately fall before the blood could drip on the floor from where the person is standing.

But if it's a knife, the blood will drip downward, exactly from where he's standing. The knife kills slower than a gun, but it's messier. So the blood must have been everywhere. But when they cleaned it off, they missed a spot where I found the sample.

Chance and that escort can't get in here. The only people who can are Cyrus, Luis...and Tobias.

Tobias...he has a knife. I remember. It was the night he almost attacked me. So yes, my first suspect has always been little Tobi. But the question is, why? Why would he kill the man who was going to give him all the family riches?

"Not exactly," I answer the chief.

"I'm saying it could be Adam's. And that food poison report was just a very stupid cover-up to something a lot more gruesome."

...

The halls were silent as I was waiting outside Cyrus's study room. He told me last time to wait outside his room at seven. It's still five minutes before seven, but I don't want to get scolded by Catalina again because of my work ethics.

"You follow instructions well." I heard someone say.

I turn around and saw Luis walking towards me.

"Good morning," I say back with a respectful bow, and Luis smiles and approaches me.

I thought he was going to say something, but then he hands me a gun that I soon realize was actually mine.

"I also washed your uniform." He tells me instead.

Chance must have given it back to Luis since I left all these back in his room.

I wanted to say something about last night, but Cyrus ordered me to pretend like last night never happened. And it looks like Luis was doing the same thing. But the fact that Luis might be one of the people who saw what Cyrus and I did can't help but make me feel so embarrassed and ashamed. Even if everyone who saw would pretend like they didn't see anything, I still will never stop feeling conscious.

"Thank you," I say instead, tucking the gun at the gun holder of my pants.

Luis smiles and nods his head. Soon after, Cyrus comes out of the room. The moment I saw him, I immediately looked away. I could swallow everything after the sex. But that stupid kiss...

"Good morning gentlemen." I heard him say. But before Luis and I could even reply, Cyrus, walks away.

I take a deep breath and follow behind them.

This is really stupid. I shouldn't be feeling like this. I did what I had to do as a loyal bodyguard. I guarded his body against those disgusting pricks. There's no other explanation for that. I shouldn't feel ashamed anymore. But seriously, why the hell did I even cry? And then he even kissed me afterward. Was it out of pity? How embarrassing!

"Mr. Carter," Luis calls out.

I blink and realize he has actually been calling me since earlier.

"M-My apologies. What is it again?" I ask, and Luis looks over his shoulder and says, "As I was saying, I have important business to attend to today. So you will be driving the master to the company."

Great.

"Of course," I answer with a frown. Then we arrived at the dining room where all of the siblings were seated.

Of course, no one looked at me. They pretended like nothing happened last night. And the other guards were sleeping soundly too so they didn't even know what went down.

At least the atmosphere didn't make me feel uneasy. It was still the usual normal morning routine. I'm just being paranoid.

"Good morning master." Everyone greeted Cyrus as usual.

Cyrus sat on his seat and Luis and I stood at our usual position. The siblings had a normal conversation throughout breakfast. It was so normal that I felt uncomfortable for their behalf. How could they easily move on with their lives like this? The fact that they can easily do this now just makes me realize once again how long they've been living like this.

"The Delton Enterprise lost a few investors after president Boris's death, but I was able to talk to a few companies who invested in Boris. I think I'll be able to negotiate with them." Catalina tells everyone.

"That's good to hear." The only thing Cyrus could say.

He sounded so tired, and I could already imagine why.

"I have a party to attend tonight so please don't wait for me. And don't worry, the one who invited me is the director of Silver Corp. It's a good opportunity for me to open a few doors for future business negotiations." Chance says with a grin. And just by the tone of how he's talking, I already knew what he's planning to do with that Silver Corp. director.

"Silver Corp. is one of the corporations that we haven't talked to yet. If you can start strong with them, it could be a really good starting point for a partnership deal. I'm expecting a lot from your performance tonight Chance." Cyrus tells him seriously.

"Of course brother. I won't fail you." Chance answers.

Everyone was quiet again, but I noticed Catalina looking uneasy. She takes a sip from her glass, then she lets go of the fork that she was holding as she finally looks at their youngest.

"Tobias," Catalina calls out, making the silent Tobias flinch.

Tobias looked off. He doesn't usually talk when his older siblings are talking, but he seemed different today.

"Yes?" He asks, gently putting his fork and knife down so he could look at her sister.

I waited for what Catalina was about to say, but then I was surprised when I saw Catalina's expression. She looked sad. And it seemed like her eyes were moments away from shedding tears because of how red it was. But like everyone else, she brushes the expression away and looks back at Tobias seriously, "You are called to the main house."

Everyone looked surprised, even Luis.

What is she even talking about? What main house?

"I already talked to your professors this morning. You won't be going to school today." She continues, and all Tobias could do was look down on his plate with a shocked and terrified expression.

The atmosphere immediately became tense.

"I understand." Tobias answers. And when he looked back up, his normal angelic expression was back. He was forcing himself to smile that it was almost painful to watch.

"Thank you for the meal. I'll be heading out first my dear siblings. Please do well today." He tells them with a sweet voice. Then he slowly stands up. I watch as he struggles to do so like his legs were shaking too much that he couldn't even stand from his seat properly.

"That's not necessary." Cyrus suddenly says, surprising everyone.

Tobias was already standing from his seat. But he stops and looks down at his big brother.

"I'll talk to the people at the main house. Tobias is expected to do well in his classes, and it is in our rules that his education is not to be interrupted by family matters." Cyrus says. He wasn't even looking at anyone. He was just cutting his meat and he said those words.

Everyone was surprised, but the one who looked more surprised was Tobias himself. I watch him as a tear fell from his eye. But he immediately wipes it away so no one could see.

"Now go to school before I change my mind," Cyrus says, and finally, he lifts his head and looks at Tobias's face.

He looks at him for a second, then he reaches out for his pocket and hands him his handkerchief. The action actually surprised me.

Tobias's reaches for the handkerchief with his shaking hand, and then his butler approaches him and gently drapes his arm around Tobias's shoulder to assist him.

"Let's go, master." He tells him, and then both of them leave the dining room.

Everyone fell silent.

I don't exactly know what's going on, but that's the first time I saw Cyrus look at Tobias like he's a brother that he cares about. It's no doubt a very rare experience. And it only makes me wonder...

If Tobias did kill Adam, then did he kill him...for his siblings' sake?