Chapter 131 WE GET TO WORK
\[NEW YORK, HOSPITAL\]
Drexton's eyelids lifted, welcoming the bright fluorescent light. He shut them back and opened them again, fixing his gaze on the ceiling.
He recalled what happened to him; he went in search of Ixora and ended up slamming his head on a brick. He thought she'd come to him, but her scent was far from him.
How then did he end up in the hospital?
"Punk," he heard someone say in a familiar voice. Not familiar, Maddox's.
He turned his head, and true to his intuition, Maddox was standing in front of him.
At first, he stared at him, thinking it was a dream. How was Maddox in the hospital when they planned to get him together?
"What's going on?" Drexton asked, sitting up.
Maddox put a pillow behind him.
"I'm back," Maddox said and hugged him.
Drexton reciprocated the hug, and they patted each other's backs.
"I fucking missed you," Maddox whispered.
Drexton was about to reply when his eyes landed on Jaxon.
He broke the hug. "What day is it?" he asked, directly to Jaxon.
He didn't know why, but his body felt somehow. Relaxed, something he hasn't felt in eighteen months, and at the same time, something he hates. He feels like he's been out for a whole day.
"Twenty-two," Jaxon replied.
"Fine, I'm going to spill the beans. Jaxon injected you into a coma," Maddox said, answering all Drexton's unspoken questions.
As Drexton's eyes remained on Jaxon, it turned cold.
"You're trying to say I've been out for a whole day."
Alexa nodded, refusing to meet Drexton's eyes.
She was against it.
Drexton slammed his fist on the drawer, and the contents fell. Some broke, others rolled away.
His ears turned red with anger. "I've been useless all day. I've been in bed!"
"What could I have done!" Jaxon started. "Day in, day out, I see you sulking over Ixora. Going mad because of her. Toying with your mental health. Should I have stayed back and watched you lose your sanity?! You felt Ixora in the dark, and you almost killed yourself with a fucking chandelier! You were buried alive, and as soon as you came around, you snuck out of the hospital and went in search of her! You fucking banged your head on a tree! What was I supposed to do? Relax until you end up in the mental asylum!" Jaxon yelled, breathing heavily.
He was angry because he cared about Drexton deeply.
Alexa rubbed his forearm, trying to calm him down.
"If I have to lose my sanity to find Ixora, so be it," Drexton replied, throwing cold stares at him. The thought of him lying in bed all day made him want to throw punches at Jaxon. He wouldn't mind ruining their friendship.
How dare he put him into a coma when he's alive?
Jaxon stepped forward, ready to punch Drexton if that would make him come back to his senses.
Maddox held his hand. "Control your temper," he said and brought his hand down.
He faced Drexton, whose eyes hadn't softened.
"As crazy as it may sound, Jaxon is right. We aren't ready to have a twenty-seven-year-old man behaving like a child."
Alexa stepped forward. "He's right. I admit I was against Jaxon, but it's for your own good."
Drexton looked away without saying anything.
"How did it go? Were you people able to bring down the organization?" he asked.
"You can trust us on that," Alexa said. "Though at the last minute, Slade changed, who knew what Maddox told him. J. K died, but not at our hands. Someone else knew we were coming to get Maddox back, and the person sent a rescue team."
"Who?" Drexton gave them his attention.
"I don't think the person came for me. They came for Nelly. The person knew Nelly was trapped in the organization and came to rescue her," Maddox said.
"The team refused to disclose their boss's identity," Jaxon added, and everyone fell silent, thinking.
"Ixora," Drexton said, and they all looked at him. "She's the only one who can save Nelly."
"It could be Blake," Jaxon said.
"Blake is not in this country."
Jaxon sighed, not ready to start an argument with him again, and not when it concerned Ixora.
"You know you could be wrong? What if she isn't in this city?"
"Believe me, Maddox, a lot has happened. From Hazel pretending to be Ixora..."
"Hazel is back?" Maddox asked, looking completely shocked.
"Yes, and we're sure it's because of revenge," Jaxon replied.
"Where was I again? Right, to her weird bodyguard, who seems to have a thing against Drexton. The birthday party event, and burying Drexton alive. At this rate, if Drexton says he saw Ixora, then I believe him. He was able to tell me something was wrong with the imposter. Why then would he mistake the real Ixora when he's close to her?" Alexa said, trying to hide the stress in her voice.
Her gaze and Drexton's met briefly before Jaxon poked her forehead.
"You looked serious today."
"I've always been serious, just got caught in Drexton's issue."
"I also hate to admit it, but I believe you. Your love for her is a weird one," Jaxon told Drexton, and Maddox nodded in agreement.
"Since we've all agreed Ixora is in this city, what next?" Maddox asked.
"We get to work," Drexton said in a low voice.
They exchanged glances with each other.
"How?" Alexa mouthed.
"My phone. The person who saved me still has my phone. We're tracking it down."
"Now that you mentioned your phone, she's indeed Ixora. I tried calling the number while looking for you, and I swear her voice sounded familiar."
"But, how do you plan on tracking the phone? You know your phone can't be tracked," Maddox spoke up.
Alexa smirked and took out a pen drive from her pocket. "Leave that to me."
"Argh!" The man cried, rolling on the ground in pain and agony.
"In your next world, you'll know how to complete a mission," Nikita said, walking around the men sent to bury Drexton.
A bottle of acid was in her hand, which she poured on the man.
She had gone to the forest to punish his dead body, as she said, since she couldn't punish him alive. On getting there, she found out Drexton wasn't buried.
A phone call was all it took to find out Drexton was at the hospital.
She called the man Hazel sent, and questioned him. He gave an answer that annoyed her, and she fought him. She's a skilled fighter.
Successfully bringing him down, she used a knife and gave his body a series of cuts. But that wasn't enough. She got some acid and poured it on the man.
It sent a stinging, burning sensation, and she felt at ease watching the man wallow in agony.
She was done and let the bottle slip down on the man's face.
It shattered his face, and the man went limp.
Hazel was shaking silently as she witnessed the horrific torture Nikita gave the man.
She thought she'd be crueler by stabbing her mother to death, but she's seen someone who's crueler. How could she be okay torturing a man like that? It would have been better to kill right away.
Nikita picked up the man's shirt since she forced him to take it off. She wiped her hand as if she had touched dust.
Her eyes were hollow and dark. The scene couldn't even bring out a smile or even a look of victory.
She doesn't need to doubt again: someone is working against her. She's sure of it.
She turned to Hazel and sent cold, dark glares at her.
Hazel's finger trembled against the rail, and all colors drained from her face.
"N-Nikita I..." she stuttered, wishing someone would come to her aid.
"You said he's trustworthy?" Nikita took cold steps towards her.
Hazel nodded repeatedly. "He is. H-He completed the job. He said so himself. Someone is plotting behind our backs, and the person is winning."
Nikita's hand flew to her cheek, shutting her up.
"Say that again, and you will suffer the same fate as the fool you called," she threatened darkly, but it wasn't a threat, it was a word she meant and would give her life to get it done.
Hazel pressed her quivering lips together.
"Dispose of the body," Nikita ordered.
Hazel's eyes widened, but seeing the look on Nikita's face, she hurried outside, thinking of what to do.
Nikita's eyes followed her until she was out of sight.
"Could Hazel be the one?" she thought, but shook the thought.
Hazel's her puppet, and would never even think of going against her.
Then who?
The person had Ricky out of her reach, and the private investigation out of her reach, too.
The only people working with her now are: Hazel, whom she has her life wrapped around her finger, Dr. Felix, and...
Her eyes caught Winter standing in the garage.
Winter.