Chapter 9
He didn’t push her for answers. Instead, he gently adjusted her collar and said, “You don’t have to explain anything if you’re not ready. But if you ever need help, we’ve got solid lawyers and cops here who can step in.”
Alexandra gripped the sheets tightly and shook her head.
Yrian didn’t press her further. He turned to leave, but her soft voice stopped him. “Thanks.”
He looked back and saw her faint smile, her face still pale. “But it’s not needed.”
One afternoon, she was passing by the conference room when she overheard Yrian mid–argument with someone.
“They’re dead set on that price. We can’t agree to it-”
“But based on the market reports, they’re already pushing it 30% higher than it should be!”
Alexandra paused.
Something made her step inside, and everyone turned to look at her. Yrian frowned. “Linda?”
She stayed quiet for a beat, then pointed to the financial statements on the screen. “There’s an issue in the cash flow section on page three. They’ve hidden part of the debt. When you recalculate, the premium should be adjusted up by about 15%.”
The conference room went completely silent.
Yrian stared at her for a few seconds, then slid the folder over. “Keep going.”
The following day, he placed a contract on the desk in front of her. “The deal’s closed. If you’re up for it, I’d like you to come on board as a strategic advisor.”
Alexandra blinked, surprised. Then, she laughed. “You’re not worried I might be a corporate spy?”
Leaning back against the table, Yrian met her eyes calmly. “I ran a background check–nothing came up. Still, my gut tells me you’re someone I can trust.”
***
In the VIP ward at the hospital, the usual smell of disinfectant was faint, overpowered by the lilies set nearby.
Hendrix sat at the edge of the bed. Elizabeth looked pale, a light flush rising as he helped her sip some water. Her lashes cast soft shadows under the lights. “Hendrix, if you stay with me, won’t Ms. Norton-”
“She won’t mind,” he cut in quickly, like he was trying to believe it himself. “Alexandra has always been the sensible one.”
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07:36
Chapter 9
Three days had passed. He still got no response from Alexandra.
“I need to make a call.” Hendrix suddenly stood up, knocking over a stool with the strap of his suit pants.
Down the stairwell at the far end of the corridor, he tapped her number for the third time.
“No one is answering,” the robotic voice echoed strangely off the empty stairwell.
He then called his assistant, David Coleman.
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“David, go check the villa.” Hendrix paused for a second, but he still didn’t mention that he wanted to find out where Alexandra was. He only said he wanted the access logs checked.
About half an hour later, David called back.“Mr. Sanchez, the security system says everything looks fine, but there’s one odd thing.”
“What’s it?”
“The kitchen disposal hasn’t been used in three days. The smart home system shows the last time it ran was the day you left.”
Hendrix froze.
Alexandra was obsessed with cleanliness. She’d never let garbage sit overnight, let alone for days.
The fingerprint lock made its usual beep, and the entrance light flicked on.
But inside stayed completely dark. From the moment he walked in, the entire house felt cold and lifeless.
“Alexandra?” His voice rang out in the large, empty living room.
There was no reply.
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