Chapter 15 A Quirk User
Though, I was slightly grossed out after Eric revealed that her quirk involved explosive blood. Just the mental image alone made my skin crawl a little, imagining someone accidentally bleeding and the whole room going boom was something I didn’t want to picture too vividly. Yet for some reason, despite the uncomfortable detail, I was still deeply interested in her. Maybe it was because she stood out. Maybe because she felt different from the rest. Maybe I was just drawn to weird people. Who knows.
“How well do you know her?” I asked, still staring at the goofy smile on Anna’s profile.
Eric straightened slightly, hands behind his back. “She’s the sister of the half-Asian woman you swiped away earlier.”
I blinked. “Really?”
“Yes, ma’am. And I know the half-Asian woman very well. I can vouch that all the women I showed you are trustworthy.”
I muttered under my breath, “Except for the grumpy-looking woman.”
He burst into laughter, the sound echoing lightly in my room. “Fair enough,” he chuckled. “I’ll get back to you with the person you chose. And I’ll quickly order something for you to eat before we head out.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“No problem, ma’am.”
He bowed slightly again before leaving, footsteps fading down the hallway.
The moment he was gone, I let myself fall backward onto my bed, sweaty from yoga and emotionally tangled from the morning’s revelations. The sheets felt cool on my back, but my mind was anything but calm.
“Eric is such a nice dude,” I muttered to myself, staring at the ceiling. “If only he were single.”
I sighed, rubbing my forehead in mild frustration. “This isn’t a fairytale,” I reminded myself loudly, as if saying it out loud would make my brain stop fantasizing for two seconds.
Maybe being single for too long was taking a toll on me. Maybe that’s why I kept thinking Rudy was acting strangely these days. Maybe the issue wasn’t Rudy at all. Maybe I was the one acting weird. Overthinking. Projecting loneliness into nonsense.
What I truly needed right now wasn’t romance, it was vigilance. Caution. Awareness. Especially concerning Diana.
Now that I had seen how cunning and evil she could be, I had no doubt she had something to do with everything that happened in my previous life. The thought alone sent a chill up my spine. It made my heart tighten, remembering the horror of Rudy stabbing me back then. No matter how I looked at it, the scene still terrified me.
I wasn’t stupid. Rudy wouldn’t have done that on his own. Someone had pushed him toward it. Manipulated him. Twisted his mind. And when I thought about who stood to gain from my fall… Diana’s face was the first to appear.
“What did she do to Rudy back then?” I whispered to myself.
The question lingered like poison in my thoughts as I finally forced myself up and began dressing. I had a courthouse visit soon. I needed to stop spiraling and get myself together.
As I slipped on my clothes, another knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” I called.
Eric stepped inside holding a tray. “Your food,” he said. “I’ll be waiting for you at the doorstep.”
“Thank you,” I said.
He nodded before stepping back out.
I sat at my desk and began eating my breakfast. Halfway through my first bite, I heard a soft meow. Wheezy padded over with that dramatic expression he always put on when he wanted something.
“What?” I asked him.
He meowed again, longer this time as if giving me a lecture. Then he gently scratched my leg with his claws, not enough to hurt, just enough to demand attention.
“You’re hungry?” I guessed.
He meowed a third time. That confirmed it.
I stood up and checked his food dispenser, and sure enough, it was empty. Completely wiped clean.
“Wheezy…” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Did you hack the food machine again?”
He sat innocently, his tail wrapped around his paws like he had never sinned in his entire existence.
For the life of me, I still couldn’t figure out how he managed it. He only ever triggered the dispenser when I wasn’t around. Never once had I caught him in the act. But the evidence didn’t lie. He had found a loophole and abused it thoroughly.
I chuckled. “You little criminal.”
I refilled the machine and plugged it into another corner of the room, hoping changing its position would confuse him for a while.
Wheezy strutted over to sniff it, already plotting his next move. I could practically see the gears turning in his furry little head.
With breakfast finished and Wheezy fed, I put on the rest of my outfit and checked myself in the mirror. Everything looked presentable enough.
Soon after, I stepped outside my room.
It was time to go to the courthouse.
Eric was already waiting patiently near the door like he said. I gave him a small nod as I approached.
As I walked through the hallway, I noticed something odd, Diana wasn’t around. The estate felt slightly too quiet without her usual presence lurking around corners like a smug ghost.
“Where’s Diana?” I asked one of the nearby maids casually.
“She left early this morning,” the maid replied. “Very early.”
I hummed under my breath.
Typical of her. Always leaving early. Always plotting something. I needed to watch her carefully. But for now, the courthouse awaited.