Chapter 92: An Uninvited Guest
"Ugh..."
Marco let out a short groan as his knees suddenly buckled. His eyes stretched wide with shock. He fought to stay conscious, but his head felt as heavy as a stone. The pistol slipped from his hand and hit the concrete floor with a sharp metallic ring. Behind him, the soldiers fell one by one. They collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.
Melynda slumped onto the stairs. Her shotgun lay just out of reach of her limp body. Xavier, who was lying on the floor, could only watch a pair of black boots step past Marco before his eyes finally drifted shut. Silence followed. Only the low thrum of the generator in the distance broke the quiet of the basement.
The footsteps were incredibly light. Tap. Tap. Tap.
The figure climbed the stairs with a casual air. He passed the unconscious bodies without a single glance. He continued down the long hallway toward the wing where Agatha was kept. The anesthetic gas he had released through the air vents worked perfectly. Not a single soul remained to stand in his way.
Click.
Agatha’s door opened slowly. The crimson glow of the emergency lights still hummed. The man stood in the doorway for a moment. He pulled the protective mask from his face. His dark hair was tied back in a side ponytail. He stepped toward the bed where Agatha lay.
The ventilator gave a steady, rhythmic hiss. The man reached out his right hand. He wanted to touch Agatha’s pale cheek, which was partially covered by an oxygen mask. His fingers hovered in the air.
Grab.
A cold but powerful hand clamped around his wrist just before their skin met. The man flinched slightly. He had not expected resistance.
"Stop," the voice was raspy and incredibly weak.
Agatha opened her eyes. She stared directly at the man with a sharp gaze. There was no fear in her eyes. Only a profound, bone-deep exhaustion.
"Julio," Agatha whispered.
The man fell silent for a moment before finally letting out a delighted laugh. His laughter was low and melodic in the quiet room.
"You still remember me? I am truly flattered," Julio said.
He did not try to pull his hand away from Agatha’s grip. Instead, he allowed her to hold his wrist.
"I knew you would come. The scent of this perfume hasn't changed since our meeting at the mall," Agatha said.
"So you’ve known who I was since then?" Julio asked with a curious tone.
"A photographer wouldn't have a callus on his index finger from pulling a trigger too often, Julio. I am not that stupid," Agatha replied.
Julio pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat down casually. He rested his elbows on his knees while looking at Agatha with a look of familiar greeting.
"That restaurant was so crowded back then. Remember?" Julio asked.
"You sat in front of me and asked for permission only because there were no tables left," Agatha said.
"You looked like you really needed someone to talk to. You kept looking at the door as if waiting for someone you wanted to avoid," Julio countered.
"I just wanted to breathe freely, away from Xavier’s guards for an hour. It was my first bit of free time in months," Agatha said.
"And you ended up chatting with me for two hours while eating that overly salty pasta," Julio laughed heartily.
Agatha tried to adjust her sitting position, but her body still felt incredibly stiff.
"You claimed to be a photographer. You carried a very expensive DSLR camera," Agatha said.
"That wasn't entirely a lie. I did take many photos of you from a distance before I worked up the courage to approach you," Julio said.
"You’re a terrible stalker, Julio. I could see the reflection of your camera lens in the clothing store window," Agatha shot back.
"But you still laughed when I told that silly joke about the waiter who brought the wrong menu," Julio said.
"Only because I was bored and your joke was actually somewhat funny," Agatha said.
Julio stared at the oxygen mask covering Agatha’s face. He reached out his left hand to brush a stray lock of hair away from her eyes.
"You aren't surprised to see me here? In a situation like this?" Julio asked.
"I already suspected you were working for someone with a grudge against this family. Luigi, right?" Agatha asked in return.
Julio nodded slowly. He did not try to hide his true identity anymore.
"Luigi thinks I’m only following his orders to watch you. He doesn't know that I have my own agenda," Julio said.
"What is your agenda? Killing me now while everyone else is unconscious?" Agatha asked with a defiant tone.
Julio shook his head. He moved his face closer to Agatha until they could feel each other’s breath.
"Killing you is the last thing I would ever do in this world, Agatha. You are the most beautiful work of art I have ever captured with my lens," Julio whispered.
Agatha hissed as she felt a tug on her IV line.
"Ugh. Don't talk nonsense. You are Luigi’s man. You came here to destroy Xavier," Agatha said.
"Xavier Valois is a lucky man, but he is very foolish. He let a gem like you stay in the middle of this battlefield," Julio said.
"He protects me," Agatha said firmly.
"Protecting you? Look at yourself now. You’re hooked up to a machine just to stay breathing. That isn't protection. That is a failure," Julio replied.
Julio stood up from his chair. He walked around Agatha’s bed while watching the heart monitor blink steadily.
"How much time did the doctor give you? Sixteen hours?" Julio asked.
"Fifteen hours now," Agatha answered shortly.
"I can take you away from here right now. I have a helicopter waiting behind the northern hill. I have a doctor who is better than Pierre," Julio offered.
"I won't go with you," Agatha refused without hesitation.
"Why? Because you love him? The man who is currently passed out on the floor downstairs because he couldn't guard his own home?" Julio asked mockingly.
"Because I know who you really are, Julio. Your obsession isn't about love. You just want to have me as the rarest piece in your photo collection," Agatha said.
Julio stopped right beside Agatha’s head. He leaned down low. His eyes glinted with an unnatural light under the red emergency glow.
"You truly do know me well. That makes me want you even more," Julio said.
He rubbed the edge of Agatha’s oxygen mask with his thumb.
"You know? Back at that mall restaurant, I almost kidnapped you right in front of the guards. But I decided to wait. I wanted you to see how everyone you care about falls apart first," Julio whispered.
"You’re insane," Agatha said.
"I am more than just insane for you, Agatha. I have spent thousands of hours just watching the CCTV footage of this house. I know every little movement you make when you think no one is watching," Julio said.
Agatha tried to pull her hand away from Julio’s wrist, but this time Julio gripped her hand back with immense strength.
"Mmmhh. Let go," Agatha groaned.
Julio laughed again. This time his voice was louder and filled with a terrifying layer of obsession.
"Don't ask me to leave, Bellissima. We have only just begun a new chapter in our relationship. Xavier has already lost. Marco has lost too. Now it is just you and me in this building," Julio said.
He stared at the tightly closed bedroom door. He knew no one would be waking up anytime soon.
"You will be entirely mine, Agatha. Whether you are breathing or not," Julio said while continuing to laugh.
His gaze was fixed on Agatha’s face, which was beginning to pale. Julio seemed indifferent to the time ticking away on the digital medical monitor. He only continued to stare at Agatha with a parched, unquenchable hunger.
"What are you going to do to me?" Agatha asked with a voice that was growing weaker.
Julio only smiled widely. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black camera.
"First, I will immortalize this moment. The moment you realize that no one can save you from me," Julio said.
Click.
The sound of the camera shutter echoed through the room. The flash of light turned Agatha’s vision completely white for a moment. Julio laughed even harder seeing the confused expression on Agatha’s face.
"You look so beautiful when you’re afraid, Agatha," Julio murmured.
Agatha tried to scream, but her voice was caught in her throat. She saw Julio lean his face close to hers once more with a wild look in his eyes.
"Now, let’s see how long you can last without this machine’s help," Julio said as his hand moved toward the ventilator’s power switch.
Agatha’s eyes went wide as she saw Julio’s fingers already touching the switch to cut the power.