Chapter Twenty Six
"Three Hundred Ninety Eight... Three Hundred Ninety Nine... Four Hundred!"
Ren huffed as his body fell flat on the floor after doing four hundred pushups on one hand. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he turned around, looking up at the ceiling.
’I wonder how the ladies are doing...’ Ren sighed, placing his hands over his eyes as the faces of Elena, Monica and Alex flashed in his mind, making his lips press in a thin line. ’Haiiizzz... Hope they don’t get in trouble...’
—
"Are you serious, Alex?!" Monica yelled, slamming her hands over the restaurant table, making everyone turn around to find the cause of the commotion.
"Sit first, Ica. Finish your food. I need to talk to Miss Elena first." Alex glared at Monica’s childish tantrum.
Monica huffed, taking her place back on her seat as her eyes lingered to her blue coloured soft-drink on the surface of which she could see a lingering reflection on Ren. ’What has happened to me? Since when did I start fighting instead of accepting whatever was thrown at me?’
"Ica... I shouldn’t have yelled but this is important." Alex sighed as she watched Monica’s angry gaze relax and turn into the lotus-like gentleness they once possessed before Ren’s arrival.
Monica nodded at Alex’s words as she picked her fork again, turning her gaze from Elena and Alex back to her food.
"Mr. Esper won’t be happy if you talk to Miss Monica like that, Miss Vance." Elena sighed, taking her seat beside Monica as she glared up at Alex while the phone call from ten minutes ago rang in her head.
Ten minutes ago...
"Sienna, what’s wrong?" Elena gripped the phone, her eyes lingering on Monica, who nibbled at her food despite her gnawing hunger.
"Miss, I tried to investigate Ren Esper like you asked. However, there seems to be a problem with that man..." The voice on the other end trailed off as Elena’s sixth sense warned her of the headache about to strike.
"What did you find, Sienna?"
Sienna’s panicked breathing crackled through the speaker as she continued, "Ma’am, even with the full power of the Lavel Family name, I couldn’t access that man’s record. That leaves only two possibilities about his background..."
"So he’s either from a very powerful family on another continent, or he’s the son of one of the seven noble families in the Mainland," Elena finished, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as a sharp thunderclap of pain roared through her head. How troublesome.
"Yes, ma’am."
Elena sighed and opened her eyes, landing them on an unaware Monica. If he’s more powerful than the Lavel Family, it won’t hurt to be his second wife. The noble families in the Mainland are famous across the planet for their polygamous nature, anyway. When the time is right, I can even ask him to get Waterblossom for Grandpa.
"Got it. What about the other thing I asked you to look into?"
A giggle came through the speaker as the tension in Sienna’s voice vanished. "Miss, that was the easiest thing you’ve ever asked me to do! I’ve gathered all the evidence. Donovan Marsh deliberately damaged an archaeological site to build his mall. If we hand this over to the Hunter’s Safety Association, he’ll face public execution for sure, and all his assets will be seized and donated to the Archaeological Association as compensation."
"Don’t do that. The matter has gotten a bit more complicated right now. Donovan sold the property to Mr. Esper. Even if Esper didn’t know the property was built over an archaeological site, just buying it could land him in prison for life. Keep the evidence safe until I deal with this situation."
"What are you going to do, ma’am?"
"Make sure Donovan Marsh begs for death."
"Elena!?" Monica’s gentle voice and hand on the shoulder pulled Elena out of her thoughts as she smiled at Monica then looked up at Alex. "Elena, why are you so nice to me?"
"That’s because you feel like a sister to me, Ica." Elena took Monica’s hand off of her shoulder and rubbed its back before turning her attention to Alex. "Anyway, Miss Alex, please sit down. There’s no need for such harshness. We are all sisters."
’Who wants to be your sister? Humph!’ Alex gritted her teeth in frustration before calming herself and taking a seat. "Miss. Lavel, Ren has asked me to ask you for a favour."
Monica’s eyes scrunched in confusion at Alex’s words. ’What favour would Ren need from a waitress? Wait. The secret! Is the secret that Elena is a hunter?’
"How may such a lowly daughter of Lavel Family be of help to Mr. Ren?" Elena smiled, pouring some water from the kettle and passing the cup to Monica.
"Miss Lavel, Ren has insisted that you take care of the issue related to Donovan Marsh and DM Mall. If I’m not wrong, your friend, Officer Sia was investigating this place and was raped and killed by that bastard. Don’t you want this opportunity to have your revenge?"
The air around the table turned cold.
Elena’s smile didn’t waver, if anything, it widened, but her eyes became two chips of frozen jade. She set down the water kettle with deliberate care, the soft clink against the table sounding louder than it should have.
"Miss Vance," Elena said, her voice silk wrapped around steel. "You’ve done your homework."
Alex met her gaze without flinching. "Ren asked me to deliver the message. That’s all."
Monica’s fork paused mid-air, a piece of pasta dangling. She looked between the two women as she felt the familiar ache in her chest. ’Sia...’
Monica had never met Officer Sia, but she knew that kind of loss. She had lost her father and mother as well.
"Sister Elena..." Monica set down her fork and reached across the table, her fingers brushing Elena’s wrist. "You don’t have to do this alone."
Elena blinked. For a fraction of a second, the ice cracked. She looked down at Monica’s hand as her throat tightened. ’I see why Ren likes her.’
"Tell me what you need. Since, I’m the owner of this mall now. I’ll help you with your revenge." Monica smiled as the innocence in her eyes melted Elena in one go.
Elena exhaled slowly, then straightened her back. "Then I won’t hold back. Can you transfer the ownership of this mall to me? It will be dangerous if you and Mr. Esper own this mall while I deal with this situation."
Monica clasped her hands together, then pulled a small bottle of water from her bag and held it out. "Okay!" She nodded eagerly. "I’ll transfer it to you if you drink this water first."
"Whaaa... Ica, did you forget your bestie already?!" Alex gasped, clutching her chest as if suffering from a heart attack. She staggered back a step, eyes wide with theatrical betrayal.
Monica pouted in response, crossing her arms and turning her head away. "You didn’t tell me the secret Ren promised yet! I’m mad at you! Humph!"
Alex raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips. She leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a teasing whisper. ’So, you won’t be mad if I tell you?’
Monica shook her head firmly, still refusing to look at Ica. "No."
Alex reached out and gently took Monica’s hand, her expression turning serious. "You must go into seclusion with me for three weeks for training."
"Wow... Did Ren put all of us in seclusion?" Elena giggled, gulping down the water from the bottle Monica handed her earlier.
"Then, let’s make a toast with teacups! Let’s get stronger in three weeks!" Monica excitedly jumped up from her seat, raising her watercup. Alex and Elena chuckled, joining in the childishness as Elena joined the toast using her plastic bottle while Alex joined using the spare cup on the table.
"To getting stronger!"