Chapter 80 They're Dead

Chapter 80 They're Dead
\[MORNING, 10:50AM, MERRYLAND HOSPITAL\]

Knock, knock.

"Who's there?" An old shaky voice asked.

Silence.

"The door is open."

The door creaked open. Cassian walked in. The first thing his eyes did was dart around the office. Not too rich to his expectation for a hospital that has been in existence for over a decade.

His eyes landed on the man behind the white table, struggling to put on his glasses.

"Have a seat," he gestured.

Cassian stepped in fully, and behind him was Ziggy. He wore a black suit—same as Cassian. The man is an old man. He might freak out before they'll even have an interaction.

Cassian sat while Ziggy stood behind him, both men's gazes piercing through the old man's skin.

"How may I help you?"

"Dr. Reuben? Nice name." Cassian said, confirming.

The old man frowned. "How did you know that?"

Cassian's gaze travelled to the name tag on his white coat. "It's on your coat."

"Oh," he nodded. "I tend to forget that sometimes."

"Did you book any consultation?" He dragged his eyes down their bodies. "You don't look sick to me."

Cassian raised his hand to his chin, watching the man with cold intimidating gaze. "Not all healthy looking men are healthy."

Dr. Reuben nodded in agreement. "You're right in that aspect."

"Good." Cassian adjusted himself, leaning closer to the table. The eye contact he maintained was enough to freak the doctor out. "I want the accident recorded in this hospital nineteen years ago. The outcome of the accident. Victims that survived, and those that died."

Dr. Reuben cleared his throat, pushing the glasses firmly to his nose bridge. "With all due respect sir, you can't come in here demanding for almost impossible things."

"Almost isn't the same as impossible," Cassian countered in that smooth and dangerous voice.

"The almost is the thing you're requesting for happened a long time ago. And even if it happened two days ago, I still wouldn't give it to you. It's beyond my work ethics to release reports of patients."

"I don't want you to have the slightest thoughts that I came all the way here to take a no from you."

"Listen to me sir, I don't know who you are, but you can't come here demanding for the hospital's confidential files," Dr. Reuben stood on his words. "If you don't have any health issues, then I'd suggest you give room for other patients."

Cassian smirked, tilting his head towards Ziggy's angle. "He doesn't want to comply."

"Dr. Reuben," Ziggy spoke up. "We're asking respectfully to help us with the record. It's important we have it. If I were in your position, I'd start obeying without an argument."

"Susan!" He began screaming. "Send the guards in! Guards!!! Ahhh!" His voice shrank down in fear when he felt a cold metal pressed to the back of his neck.

His heart sank, and his hands shot up in the air without being told to.

"Shushhh," Ziggy husked behind him, pressing the barrel so it felt like he wanted to open a hole in Dr. Reuben's neck.

Dr. Reuben nodded obediently, hands trembling in the air.

"Can we have a proper conversation?" Cassian asked, his voice weighed with mockery even though he sounded normal.

"Yes, yes, yes," he panicked like a child given a favorite piece of candy.

Ziggy smiled, removing the gun from his neck. Just how much could people bend at the sight of a gun. A harmful toy.

Dr. Reuben slowly lowered his hands, his eyes turning pale with fear. He was shaking on his seat, his other parts of the body going stiff.

"The death of every single patient brought into this hospital nineteen years ago, I need the records of them all. Their names. The time they died. The mortuary they were taken to. I need them all within a day. Before twenty-four hours elapse."

"I... I'll do my best to arrange the file."

"What I need is a certainty. If I wanted an assurance, I'd have called you over the phone. Twenty-four hours," he said in a final icy tone and stood up.

He wanted to leave when he stopped, and went closer to the table. He lowered himself so he'll be at the doctor's face level.

"Your first daughter is in Africa. Cape Town. Your son is in UAE. Dubai. Both are happily married with their respective kids. Your wife is in this country. If you're having even the slightest thoughts of contacting the cops, then you should know that in a game of chess, Cassian Reid always emerges as the king."

Dr. Reuben gulped nervously.



\[REID'S GLOBAL\]

"Do you think sir is busy these days?" Lalissa muttered, loud enough for Bella to hear her.

Bella's strange silence made her look away from the laptop screen.

Bella's attention was focused entirely on her cellphone. Her fingers tapped on the screen like they were in some sort of tapping competition. Her facial expression made Lalissa giggle as she stood, and walked behind her.

"Ziggy...is he the one you've got your eyes on?"

Bella shivered startled as if a ghost had spoken behind her.

She spun around. "You didn't have to scare me like that."

"I didn't," she confessed, smiling. "You were too engrossed not to notice I have been trying to talk to you for the past ten minutes. It's him, right? Seriously?" Lalissa's shoulder slumped.

"I'll listen to you from now on. Noted..."

Lalissa sat on the edge of the table. "So tell me, what's going on?"

"What?" Bella moved her brow.

"Don't give me that look, you were stalking his page."

Bella showed the phone screen to her. "You mean this? I couldn't find his page. That dickhead isn't on any social media. Even though he's following me, I can't click on his page, or block him. It's like the page doesn't even exist."

"Not surprised though," Lalissa shrugged. "He's sir's ally. Would be surprised if he was too plain."

"He's nothing but a pain in the ass," Bella hissed.

"Weird how you both have gotten so close."

"Close? I'm thinking of arresting the eff! He's an intruder!"

Lalissa burst into laughter. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." The laughter died when she saw the serious expression on Bella's face. "Fine. But, he's close to Sir. Even if he looks like a criminal, he isn't a criminal at heart."

Bella raised her brow suspiciously. "And how would you know that?"

"Because my Cassian appears to be stone-hearted, but he has the kindest heart—" her eyes bulged when she realized what she just said.

My Cassian? Who calls their boss that?

"My Cassian...hm. He is indeed—"

Lalissa got off the table. "I just remembered, I have a file to finish typing."

"My Cassian should help you out with that!"

"Shut up!"

The sound of Lalissa's phone ringing cut through the cheerful moment.

Her smile lit even more when she saw Lance was the caller.

"Lance," she said cheerfully.

With so many things happening at once, she didn't realize how much she's missed them.

"I'm good."

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Tonight?"

She paused, thinking.

"Fine, I'll be there."

"See you soon."

She hung up the call to find Bella staring at her strangely.

"You're going out with Lance?"

"It isn't the first time."

"But, it's the first time I'm hearing about it."

"We attended the same college. Our outings have gone a long way back."

Bella hummed in agreement, then spoke again.

"Have you ever thought that Lance likes you romantically?"

Lalissa frowned. "It's my best friend you're talking about."

"I know that," Bella sighed. "During your kidnap, he was the most worried. It felt like his world was crashing when we couldn't reach Cassian. I can't count the number of times he crashed out."

"W...why are you telling me all these?"

"Because I think Lance is in love with you."



\[STARR BRIDGE\]

Lance exhaled from his mouth, and rubbed his palms nervously. It's seven in the night, and he had asked Lalissa to see him. He's not supposed to be this nervous—she's Lalissa. But, what he's about to do, the brave decision he has taken, he's scared of that decision crashing down on him.

But, it shouldn't crash. Lalissa is sweet, kind-hearted, and would rather sacrifice her happiness than let anyone close to her get hurt. Besides, they've been friends for a long time, and he's sure he's making the right decision.

He heard footsteps approaching behind him. Spinning around, his face lit up with a nervous smile.

"Lissa," he engulfed her in a hug.

One.

His arm squeezed around her.

Lalissa's smile turned strange.

Two.

Three.

Four.

He remained in that same position, inhaling as much of her scent as he could.

Lalissa raised her hand to his arm, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the hug.

"Few more seconds," he murmured, increasing the deepness of the hug.

Lalissa's hand dropped, but her body failed to relax. Their usual hug is lasting longer, and above all—it feels deeply strange.

Nine.

Ten.

He broke the hug with their eyes mirroring each other's.

Ten long seconds. He had her in his arms for ten seconds, and he didn't know if he's realizing it now but it felt so good.

What has he been missing out on?

"You look happier?" She questioned carefully, scrutinizing his face.

She noticed the way he smiled more. Not as if he doesn't smile. Lance has always been the one who smiles more. While Sienna does the dirty talk, she talks less, and Lance's smile, it always had that soothing, and calm energy. Many girls in the university wanted him back then because of his smile.

"You came. It means a lot."

She raised her brow jokingly. "Did you get hit in the head? I've never missed little outings like this."

"I thought your mom is back. Your stepdad—the wedding on your hands, you would be so busy."

"Not so busy to miss important memories like this." She bumped her shoulder into his. "Chill."

Lance smiled, faced the bridge, and rested his elbow on the metal barrier. He stared down at the water beneath that looked so beautiful, and calm especially with the moon reflecting on it.

Lalissa also did the same, enjoying the cool ambiance the water and bridge carried.

"It's nice isn't it?"

"Hmm."

Lance shook his right leg. "My parents used to bring me here when I was a child."

Lalissa's neck turned to him. "Used to?"

Lance faced the sky, nodding. "They're dead."