Chapter 10: The Red Restaurant

Everything is creepy quiet, not even a single sound from anyone around... just the faint blow of the wind running around this deserted alley. I kept turning my head around, and on my back because of Shyn... He couldn't have possibly followed me here, right? I took several confusing routes today just to get to my work! Now that I don't have my other job, which concerns Gladiolus, I might as well earn something from somewhere else.

For three consecutive days, Shyn showed up at the back of my school; that guy really take details seriously! And, he even secretly followed me to my apartment! It's crazy! It's been a while since I met a challenge like him.... Well, it's my fault underestimating him! He's not employed by a multibillionaire for no reason.

One more single glance, and I'll think it's safe! Sigh! I took a deep breath, blew all the worries in my system away, and gulped. Everything seemed fine, and finally my nerves calmed down. I walked inside a red themed restaurant...red chairs, table cloths, decoration lanterns, and red painted walls.

"Ava, hey, Matilda wants you in her office!" I nod at Tripp, who was wiping a table near the wide open entrance.

As soon as I opened the metal door, the room reeks of smoke! And, the sound of anger greets my afternoon, "You are late! ... and guys from a gang keeps loitering around my restaurant all day, it keeps my customers away!" Some old ladies are really noisy, geez! Matilda widened up her small eyes at me like implying that it is my fault! Well, she is not wrong... but there is not much people going here these days anyway.

"Ugh! All right! All right! I get it! I will sort it out. Geez!" I slumped myself on his black leathered couch and stared at red carpeted floor.

"She is biting her nails again," Matilda muttered. She knocked on my head like a door, it hurts so much I want to do it to her too! "Ava, I let you work here at my restaurant because you said you have your reasons. I required you to meet simple rules, be here when I asked you to, and don't bring trouble here! Do not wait for me to ruin your game."

"I already said I will sort it out! Geez! Stop nagging..." The question is... just how will I do that exactly?

I am caught searching around the boss' office the night Mr. Smith's men found me.. I can't just go back there and say that it is just a misunderstanding! I can't say that it is a coincidence either! Oh, crap!

"Gladiolus Clan have a reputation of killing people you know. Just tell them not to send you in front of my restaurant, it is hard to clean up a dead body; And it is bad for business."

"Geez! Thanks for the concern Matilda!" Where is my bag? I should not have come here! I need to get going before those guys come back! "How come you know that I am in the gang out of the blue," I whispered to myself.

She stood up from her black swivel chair, stepped closer to me, and slightly leaned on the front side of her glass table. "Leaving already to get killed?" Ugh! She really reminds of an annoying old man that keeps visiting my apartment once every week!

Before my feet left her office, there is something bugging me, "You know why I am here, Matilda! So, why not give me the information I want?" I snapped! Rei's investigation is a dead end, so maybe Matilda has something we do not know. "And, since when did you know about the Gladiolus and me?"

Matilda blow the smoke out of her pouted mouth and looked at me without any hint of interest. "When you applied, I knew you were asking around for something.... Just a background check honey, you know what kind of business I run. You came to me because I do not just sell food; I sell information. You stumble on one accidentally a year ago, and then... you tried to look in the Gladiolus Clan by infiltrating them."

Woah, I am out of words! I tried to keep my mind on the sane side, but what the heck? "If you wasted your men's time gathering information about me, why not use it for the information that I need?!" For my one year working in these restaurant, I forgot that she is really scary when it comes to gathering information about almost everyone and everything!

Matilda slightly lifted herself, sat down on her table, and crossed her legs. "Even if I know the information you want, I don't need anything from you. You do not have anything worthy as the information you need."

"God, Matilda! Just run a normal restaurant if you are like that!"

Matilda sighed and took puff from her cigarette between her fingers. "Yeah, goodbye too."

I stormed out from her office, and took a deep breath. Sigh! The air smells like foo- Crap! They're here!

I sprinted quickly and managed to hid behind the restaurant's big, red cylinder pillar before they see me! Crap! Why is the restaurant's entrance so open anyway! Phew, I almost can't breathe! I hear my heart racing that it might get out of my chest !

"Eric, Are you sure she works here? I haven't seen her yesterday and today too. I am here all day!"

I am too late... I should have left sooner! I shouldn't have come here!

"Are you stupid! Of course, she will not come here because we are looking for her! Obviously, we will search here, maybe she knows that! Let's just go, we will get her before the boss arrive! We still have time, don't worry!"

"I am thinking, why didn't she fight us like she always did? She is one of the greatest ones, right?"

"You are really stupid, Arman. If she did that, that means she is really guilty, and she can never ever go back to the clan, even if she is falsely accused. You know the boss, you know the rule. Just what the hell is she even doing in the boss' office in the first place?! Tsk, enough of that, let's just go."

Thank goodness they are leaving! It should not be a problem for Matilda for now.

"So they are the ones responsible for what happened the other night..." a whisper in my ear, while my eyes are on the leaving guys, made me feel like my soul just left my body! And, so does my strength from my knees!

What the heck!

Before I could even turned my head and look at his face, my hands are already on his neck, ready to strangle him!

"What- What are you doing here?!" What is Shyn doing here?! One wrong move, and I... Geez, I almost killed him!