Chapter 86 Eliminate permanently
Dandelion.
"Lexi?" My hand stretched across the bed, searching for his warmth, but I felt nothing. Just an empty space where Alexander should have been.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. The bedroom was dark except for the faint moonlight streaming through the window. The clock on the nightstand read 2:47 AM.
Where is he?
I slipped out of bed, my bare feet curled upon touching the cold floor. Maybe he went to get water. Or maybe he couldn't sleep again, he had been restless earlier today, tossing and turning more than usual.
The bathroom door was slightly open and the light was off. I checked anyway, flipping the switch on, but it was Empty.
A strange feeling of unease settled in my chest.
I walked slowly to the bedroom door and opened it quietly. The hallway was dim, but I could see small brighter light coming from downstairs, in his study.
Ok, he's probably working.Typical Alexander, he never really stopped working, even at this ungodly hour.
But I somehow felt annoyed that he was still working even by this time.
I should go back to bed and give him privacy. But I went down the stairs instead, wrapping my arms around myself because I was only wearing a short night gown.
As I got closer to the study, I heard his voice.
It seemed like he was on a serious call, and he sounded cold as usual.
Couldn't the call wait till morning. I was about storming in to drag him back to bed when I noticed something odd.
He wasn't speaking English.
I froze at the doorway, The door was slightly open and I could hear his voice clearly now.
The language was unfamiliar but beautiful in a sharp way. It sounded like Italian, I'm not too sure.
But this wasn't a casual conversation.
It sounded like something else entirely.
His tone was commanding and unusually dangerous. As if he was giving orders to soldiers, and not having a late night business call. The last time I heard this tone was the first day I met him back at his penthouse.
I pressed my ears closer to the door,
"Sì, capisco," he said, his voice dropping lower with each word. "Ghost Blade non esiste più, ma vedo che il passato si è rifiutato di dimenticare."
Ghost Blade?. But what does that mean?
I didn't understand the rest, but those two words were crystal clear.
I suddenly felt goosebumps.
He continued, switching partially to English. "Dite alla Cleanup crew di gestire la cosa con discrezione. Nessuna traccia. Niente errori."
Cleanup crew?
What the hell was he talking about?
His voice hardened now. "Se continuano, eliminate la minaccia. In modo permanente."
Eliminate, Permanen....
Permanently?
Did I hear him correctly? Or is this just a dream.
I took a step back, my hand covering my mouth to avoid making any sound.
He sounded really different and it sent a cold shiver down my spine, what the hell was he talking about?
I heard movement inside the study.
I wanted to run back upstairs and pretend I never heard anything. After all ignorance is bliss.
But my feet wouldn't move.
The door swung open.
Alexander stood there, still holding his phone, his expression was blank. He was in his dark joggers and still shirtless, but somehow he looked more intimidating than ever.
Our eyes met. And for a moment, neither of us spoke.
"How long have you been standing there?" He finally asked.
My throat went dry as I tried to explain. "I... I woke up. You weren't in bed."
"So you followed me." It sounded more like a statement than a question.
"I was worried," I voiced out, hating how small my voice sounded. "I thought maybe you couldn't sleep, so I came to check....."
He stared at me with raised brows, his green eyes colder than usual. This wasn't the Alexander I knew. He felt like someone else, someone I was subconsciously terrified of.
He sighed with a hint of annoyance, "Angel What did you hear?"
I swallowed hard, contemplating what to say, we just officially confessed our feelings for each other, I would be really mad at myself if things turned out bad due to my curiosity.
"....I don't understand Italian."I managed to say.
He hummed but a raised brow like he didn't believe me, "But you heard something, didn't you."
It wasn't a question, he was definitely sure I heard something.
I nodded slowly. "Who's Ghost Blade?"
The change in his expression was instant. His entire body went rigid, his eyes flashing with something between anger and fear.
He cleared his throat slightly, "You shouldn't have heard that."
"But I did," I pressed on, taking a small step forward despite every instinct screaming at me not to get involved. "Alex, is something wrong, what's going on? Who were you talking to?...What cleanup crew? And what did you mean by--"
"Stop." Muttered cutting me off, his voice was low but sharp enough to make me flinch a little.
He closed his eyes briefly, like he was trying to regain control of himself. When he opened them again, his expression had softened slightly, like the version of him I had gotten used too, but the tension still remained.
"Let's go back to bed, Angel." he said, reaching for my hand, leaving no room for argument.
I didn't argue further, maybe it's for the best or I was simply overthinking things. So I followed him silently, his hand sneaking around my waist as we climbed the stairs together. His touch was familiar and even comforting, but it still felt slightly different now,
Because it wasn't just comforting, his touch felt slightly firm, like he was afraid or worried about something.
We reached the bedroom, and I slipped back under the covers. He did the same, settling beside me like nothing had happened.
But something had happened.
I heard the danger in his voice and that name that clearly meant something dark and terrible.
Ghost Blade.
He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. His breath was warm against my neck.
"Sleep Angel," he murmured. "You don't have to worry about anything."
He assured me, but I just couldn't shake off the weird feeling building up inside me.
I lay there in the darkness, feeling his heartbeat steady against my back, my mind racing with questions I knew he would never answer unless he decides to tell me.
Questions like, What or who is Ghost Blade? What cleanup crew? Who or what was going to be eliminated permanently?, and what kind of threats would require such order?
I closed my eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. Because somewhere in the back of my mind, a terrifying thought was taking root.
What if the man I'm in love with was someone I didn't know at all?
What if Alexander Graham wasn't who he claimed to be? Just like Tristan had tried to warn me.
And what if the danger he was trying to protect me from was actually him?
His arm tightened around me slightly, as if he sensed my thoughts
....................
Author NOTE:
Sì, capisco (Yes, I understand)
Ghost Blade non esiste più, ma vedo che il passato si è rifiutato di dimenticare (Ghost Blade no longer exists, but I see that the past has refused to forget.)
Dite alla Cleanup crew di gestire la cosa con discrezione. Nessuna traccia. Niente errori (Tell the Cleanup crew to handle
it secretly, No traces. No mistakes.)
Se continuano, eliminate la minaccia. In modo permanente (If they continue, eliminate the threat. Permanently.)