Chapter 80 Dark revelations
Clio
He noticed me even though I had stopped at a distance from him.
"Clio," He came rushing over, "Clio," He had a desperate look on his face, "I need to talk to you."
Why? Why is he here? Didn't I make myself clear the last time we met?
I took a step back feeling anxious but Matthew immediately covered me. For a second I completely forgot about him but his action made me look at him as I felt like I was being protected.
The scene made Nolan frown but he still approached us anyway.
"I need to talk to you," He said once again but I felt a little better because of Matthew's presence. It made the anxiety settle down.
"I have nothing to say to you." I replied, "We're over, aren't we?"
Nolan gritted his teeth, "Just like that?"
"It wasn't just like that," I replied as I stepped forward, "It happened because of a reason and you know who was behind it." Matthew stepped back after seeing that I was ready to talk.
He clenched his jaw, "I apologized for that and I'll do it again-"
"Don't," I replied, "It's over. I don't want your apology," The last time we met, I was in so much pain. But somehow, this time is different. My heart isn't hurting like it did last time. I am still sad about what he did but my feelings are calm.
It was surprising. But I've moved on from him quite fast. Because rather than sad, I'm simply disappointed now.
I glanced at Matthew.
I wonder why...
"What about the people after you?" Nolan said, "You were harmed just recently."
!!!
I immediately placed my hand on my stomach, his words reminded me of something very unpleasant and it caught me off guard. A few months back I accidentally met Murim and he had a minion of his stab me.
'The sight of you is very annoying,' I recalled his words as the past image flashed through my mind. It was a very short interaction. Only happened because I went to the wrong part of a shooting set late at night and he was there.
I gritted my teeth. I know of the kind of trouble I can get into, but that's no longer his problem.
"I'll take care of myself." I told him.
"How!" He stepped towards me but Matthew blocked his path again.
"I can't deal with this shit anymore." The boss was even more pissed off now, "Don't bother her," He growled at him.
"Her?" Nolan's eyes went wide as he only focused on one word. He paused for a moment to process the information, then his expression turned grim, "So you told him?"
"She did," He replied, "And just so you know, we're also dating."
I mean it was understandable that Nolan was shocked, but I was even more shocked. My eyes went wide as well and we both looked at Matthew in awe.
But I didn't hate it. Rather, I felt a tingle in my stomach at that. So, I composed myself fast. I didn't want Nolan to catch on that he was lying.
Just a few hours ago he told Chris we weren't dating, now he is telling Nolan that we are...
I guess he accessed the situation and just said it, but I can't believe how different my reactions are in both cases.
...
I don't think I can deny it anymore.
I'm falling for him.
I may say I can't.
But I seem to already be caught in his web. I clearly like him a lot.
"Are you really planning on permanently leaving me?" Nolan ignored Matthew and looked back at me, "After we went through so much?"
"You were the one who sent me here," I replied, "You were the one who threw it all away."
"On a job!" He retaliated, "I sent you here on a job!" And looked at me like I was a fool for wanting to stay here, "Besides it's dangerous here!" He pointed at my boss, "He's dangerous!" Matthew frowned at his words but didn't even attempt to say anything. He already saw how I was ready to talk back.
His words pissed me off, "If you really thought it was dangerous, why would you send me to him?!!" I raised my voice
"Only because I knew you'd get your hands on something good! You're talented! And you always do a great job!"
I clenched my fists, "No," I looked straight at him, "You sent me away so that you wouldn't get caught cheating!" I felt anger rise in me, "Why else would you send me to a place, knowing full well how much trauma this city has caused me and how much danger could be here!"
"Clio-"
"Do you have the slightest idea how hard it has been living here?" I raised my voice even higher, there was just so much pain in me, "You don't know anything about what I had to go through as soon as I came here!"
"Clio, it was all for you, I promise," He extended his hands in my direction, "Clio, I love you."
"NO!" I replied instantly, "I LOVED you," My voice got shaky, "And for you, I came all the way here, to a place filled with trauma...." I felt like crying, but not because I loved him but because of how he treated me, "Just for you..." I said in a softer tone, "Only for love but," I shook my head, "You..." I licked my lips, then gulped and cleared my throat, trying to compose myself, "You couldn't even commit to me." I glared at him, "You never loved me, you were only using me..."
There's no doubt I brought him a lot of scoops.
"Clio, I'm sorry, we can,"
"No," I let out a soft breath, "I'm over us," I told him, "I pretty much despise you now,"
Matthew nodded his head in approval.
"What?" The words seem to break him
"I have a lot to pay you back for." I replied, "But I won't come back to you." I looked at him firmly, "But that doesn't mean I'm running away. I will return my debt." I told him, "I'll return all that I owe you. I promise you this."
"Forget about the money," He got angry, "Why would you move on from me that fast!"
"Because you're a bad man!" I replied, "A cheater!!"
"But you're dating him!" He pointed at Matthew, "He's worse than me, he's a murderer!"
"He's not!" I stood up for him and Mattthew smirked.
"He is," Nolan lowered his voice, "I've seen him kill someone,"
My heart dropped, "What?" I defended the boss on a whim but it is a fact that I know nothing about him.
"We attended the same highschool and back in school I saw him," He lowered his voice, "One early winter morning when the fog's still thick, on my way to school," He looked at Matthew, "He was standing by the bushes with a mutilated corpse under him."
My heart beat began to rise.
"What?" Wait no. There's no time to panic at the moment, I need to say something, "He was just near a corpse, doesn't mean he killed it."
"Oh no," Nolan scoffed, "He didn't kill the guy, he ate some of him."
My heart trembled, "W-what are you even saying?"
"I saw him," He pointed at Matthew again, "And his bloody skin." I looked into Nolan's eyes and saw them clear and firm, "His hands were filled with blood, both his hands, as he stood there naked, and even his mouth was bloody as he was chewing the man's throat that he spit out when he saw me. His mouth was full of blood and even when he saw me, he wasn't fazed."
Those words were chilling, I felt a bad shiver go down my spine at his words and I almost instantly rebuked them but before I said anything, I turned to look at Matthew, "D-did something like that happen?"
I just needed his word on it and then I would stand my ground.
Matthew looked at me, "I don't remember anything like that happening." I stared into his eyes as he spoke with a straight face and my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.
If there's one thing that has helped me in my reporter career. It's that I can tell when someone is flat out lying. Not when people mix in stuff or tell the half truth but when someone is telling a white lie, I can tell.
And Matthew was lying.