67

"Coffee?"

Oliv was scrolling through his phone when one of his men bowed his head, right beside the man.

Still sitting in the car with the windows now open, Oliv nodded his head as he accepted the warm cup of coffee that was now changing hands quickly.

"Thanks, John!"

The man named John nodded faintly, running a little to go around the front of the car. Not getting into the car, John chose to join the other two friends each already holding a matching colored cup.

The three men in distinctive black-on-black costumes sat beside the car park, using the cement ledge for planting flowers as a place to rest.

The bank wasn't wide enough, but at least the breeze that blew out there was more refreshing than having to wait in the car.

Oliv brought the coffee cup to the edge of his lips, sipping slowly the blackish liquid that just passed through his throat. Black coffee with half a spoonful of sugar, was always Oliv's favorite wherever he was.

The man's gadget was still brightly lit, displaying some news that Oliv was paying attention to.

It had been almost more than half an hour that they had been in the parking lot of the luxury hotel, keeping watch and monitoring the surroundings as Lexton and Aurora were now on the top floor.

Immersed in the coffee that accompanied the afternoon, Oliv turned his head when John approached him again. The man poked his head through the open window, thrusting something towards Oliv now.

"Phone call for you, Oliv," John said politely.

Accepting the offer without hesitation, Oliv simply pressed the flat electronic object to his right ear.

"Hello?"

Oliv's interlocutor on the other side had not yet spoken, making Oliv reflexively frown.

"Hello?!" the man said again. His hand moved quickly to lower the cellphone, checking the identity of the caller who turned out to be using the hidden information feature.

There was no cell phone number listed on the screen, but it was clear that the call was still connected.

"Speak up!" Oliv said again.

A long chuckle sounded on the other end of the line, and just like that Oliv's body stiffened completely now.

If the man had been leaning casually on the car seat, then Oliv was now sitting up straight.

"Jovanka!" he exclaimed impatiently. "What are you doing?!"

The snickering became clearer, followed by a mocking tone later.

"Apparently you still recognize my voice, Oliv." A woman's voice sounded clearly in Oliv's ears, which was also a voice that the man knew well. "How are you?"

Clenching one hand, Oliv let his jaw harden slowly.

"You should know this isn't the time to ask each other how we're doing, Jovanka," Oliv hissed in a stifled voice. "You think you can escape, huh?"

Oliv really didn't expect Jovanka to be the one to contact him first. Because until now the woman's trail had not been traced, when David Senegal's whereabouts had been confirmed to still be in their city.

That meant David Senegal was not there, but Oliv could not guess whether Jovanka was also not in the same city as him.

"Hey! Calm down, Oliv," Jovanka lowered her tone of voice, as if not wanting to be provoked by Oliv's snapping that had just been heard.

"I heard you were looking for me?" she asked again. "Have you found me yet?"

Oliv tried to hold back the rumbling in his chest. He didn't know how Jovanka could contact him first like this, but this call proved that the woman was no longer on the same level as before.

"Damn it, Jovanka!" Oliv cursed without restraint. "You've really raised the war flag on me!"

Jovanka remained calm.

Not at all provoked, the woman still kept her tone of voice at a moderate volume. Even if Oliv could see her, he would know that she was spending time relaxing in one of the best spa boutiques.

"I didn't mean it like that," Jovanka said now. "It's just, don't you think four years is enough for me to make amends?"

Oliv was silent, his hands clenched even tighter. Jovanka had managed to pull the lever of his anger, because it should have been Oliv who made sure that the woman no longer appeared and disturbed the life of their organization.

But Jovanka had already made a decision, even though she didn't know her decision might endanger many people.

Oliv could be heard trying to catch his breath, even though it felt so tight.

"Listen, Jovanka," Oliv said firmly. His teeth clashed together, radiating the anger that the man was still trying to contain.

"You probably don't know what you're risking," Oliv said again. "You can escape my watch, and you're so proud of it."

Jovanka was silent on the other end, playing with the ends of her hair as she tuned her radar to listen.

"You showed up and disrupted the life of our organization, trying to get away with stealing our best fighter. But you should know that you can't run forever. Sooner or later, I will find you!"

Jovanka sighed in place, as if she was crying in fear. Even though Oliv knew, a Jovanka Scholer would never do that.

"Your words scare me, Oliver," Jovanka replied in a seductive tone. "I can't wait for our meeting later. How long will it take for you to track me down?"

Oliv was still trying to remain calm, not wanting to let Jovanka provoke his anger further.

"Whoever is behind you, I make sure he won't be able to protect you anymore, Jovanka," Oliv said this time. "Not only did you make trouble with me and our organization, but you also tried to harm the Alpha."

Jovanka gritted her teeth where she was, as Oliv continued.

"But you're still the same," the man said. "You don't know who you're dealing with, and you don't know what risks might be waiting for you for something you do."

Jovanka was still silent, now alternately pressing her lips together with eyes that blinked several times. The warmth that had washed over her body from the sauna faded away, replaced by a growing sense of anxiety.

"The bullet you fired at the Alpha that night, I will make sure it is lodged in your chest as soon as possible," Oliv continued. The man seemed to be getting the hang of the conversation now.

Jovanka chuckled again after a few seconds of silence. Thankfully she was able to hide the look on her face from Oliv, who was now showing how surprised she was by what she had just heard.

It turned out that Oliv knew it, that the bullet flashes that night came from her gun.

"You can't be so confident like this, Oliver," Jovanka sneered. "Weren't we friends once? You shouldn't say scary things like this to your friends, you know?"

Oliv's jaw hardened again. The man didn't expect Jovanka to bring up their past, something Oliv wanted to forget and erase from his memory.

Seeing Oliv who was now silent, Jovanka again stole the opportunity to speak.

"I wonder if you've forgotten about that," Jovanka said again. "But you know what? Joaquin still misses you. She still remembers you like she used to, just like back then."

Oliv was really angry. Jovanka's words had managed to ignite his anger to the highest level, as the man was now unconsciously hitting the dashboard of his car with all his might.

The thumping sound created attracted the attention of the three Alfacht clan fighters who were still out there.

John hurriedly got up to walk over to Oliv, again poking his head through the open window on the other side.

"Did something happen, Oliv?" he asked worriedly.

Oliv suddenly turned his head, with his cell phone still attached to ear.

Shaking his head, the man waved his hand. Signaling John to get the man out of there, Oliv's ears were back to hearing Jovanka's snickering.

"Damn it, Jovanka! Don't ever mention her name again!" Oliv snapped in a restrained tone, completely consumed by anger.

"Hearing you get angry like this, I can now tell Joaquin something. That you still think about her, that maybe you still miss her."

Oliv took a deep breath, having just decided not to continue the conversation with Jovanka.

Now the man knew Jovanka was trying to provoke him, by presenting the fragments of memories that Oliv kept tightly closed.

Just now the man was about to disconnect the call, but again Jovanka was back in the conversation.

"I will bring Joaquin to you," Jovanka said confidently.

Oliv's fingers were stuck just like that, now that the man had refocused his sense of hearing.

"Stay by my side," Jovanka said again. "Give me that warehouse, and I'll give you Joaquin."

Just as Jovanka finished her sentence, the phone also cut off. Not giving Oliv room to speak again, now the call left Oliv who could only rmain silent with his head down.

Both of the man's hands returned together clenched into fists, with a head that began to throb painfully.