Chapter 56 TWO HOURS
\[DREXTON'S HOUSE\]
Dark room, heat oozing from the flame filling the room. A flame, the very same flame he had vowed not to let quench. Same one that had been burning for ten years.
Drexton stood near the burning flame, his eyes fixed on the burning flame. The fire illuminated in his emotionless eyes. He was fueling the fire, and as he added more fuel, the fire burned.
As he stared at the fire, his mind revolved around Ixora. Each piece of fuel poured into the fire was a gentle reminder of Blake's face at the restaurant and at Ixora's house.
Did Blake think he had forgotten the punch? He does not forget things, and punching Blake back was something he'd never do.
He felt satisfied seeing Blake running around for her, and the tears—a part he wouldn't miss. He had watched everything, including the lies Ixora told.
He let the fuel gallon slip into the fire. He picked up Ixora's picture and raised it above the fire.
Her bratty attitude reeling back into his mind.
"Pervert. Man whore. Obsessed with seeing my body."
How he ripped them off with just a piece of her ribbon. He traced his gaze to the picture, his eyes falling on her face. She was smiling like a devil wasn't after her. Happiest lady in the world.
His eyes lingered on her face. He had gotten the pictures by taking an unaware picture of her. He kept the picture and raised another picture, letting it burn bit by bit into the flame. His eyes grew dark, bringing all the world's darkness into his eyes.
When he was done, he turned, leaving the room. The flame draping its light all over his shadow, almost like a demon. The ground shook, and bowed in respect until the door closed behind him.
He met Drew outside, a phone in-between his lips. Drexton stroked its fur before collecting the phone.
A text was on it.
~found a clue.
\[IXORA'S ROOM\]
"Do you think you're doing the right thing?" Nelly asked, carefully scrutinizing her face. No doubt, she was worried about Ixora's well-being. Ixora was the first friend she was close to.
After that terrible incident that changed her life, she became a loner. She was looking out for Ixora. Drexton wasn't a man to be trusted.
Ixora exhaled, sitting up. "I am not doing anything wrong. I don't want to get him arrested. Blake should have understood that."
"He was only looking out for you. You know he won't be able to handle it if anything happens to you. He was hurt earlier." Nelly's voice was softened and as usual picked as she spoke.
Ixora looked at her. "Really?"
Nelly nodded. "And Drexton, what exactly is going on between both of you? You are behaving strangely, and it's disturbing."
Ixora stood and slowly walked to the window. The gentle breeze blew some strands of her hair.
She held the window bars. "I'm so confused, Nelly. At times, it feels like he doesn't want to hurt me. I feel like there is a strong reason behind everything he's done to me. And whatever it is, it's deeper," she muttered, staring outside the window.
Nelly sighed, glancing at the clock. "Just don't make sure anybody gets hurt, including Blake." She stood. "I will be leaving now."
Ixora nodded without facing her.
Nelly left.
Ixora traced her gaze up to the sky.
He wouldn't have done that to her if she hadn't tried to act brave. She should have remembered he was insane rather than daring him. He kept saying the word 'pervert,' and she knew she had pushed the wrong button.
She left the window and lay on the bed and checked her phone, reflecting on Blake's reaction earlier.
Ixora: I'm sorry.
She sent.
\[BONNIE'S ROOM\]
Bonnie paced around her room, her fingers tightening around her phone. She still couldn't contact the man she had sent to kill Ixora. She had called the club to find out about him, but no one knew his whereabouts.
A part of her was scared. She couldn't make out a possible reason why he was suddenly out of reach.
Stacy had told her to ignore it. She just couldn't
A text notification chimed in her phone.
Unknown: One guy equals death. Try ten next time.
She read and saw a picture attached to the text.
Clicking on it, the phone fell from her hand. It was the guy she had sent. A knife was buried in his chest.
With a trembling hand, she picked up the phone and dialed the number.
The person answered when the call was about to hang up.
"H... Hello," she stuttered.
From the background, nobody spoke, just cruel silence.
"W...Who—"
The call got disconnected.
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she tried the number again.
"Sorry, the number you are trying to call is not available," the sweet automated reply said.
"Argh!" she screamed, frustratingly smashing her phone on the wall.
"The fool couldn't even complete a simple task!" she shouted.
She picked up the vase and smashed it on the chandelier. Some of the bulbs shattered on the floor, piercing her foot.
She stared down at the blood, the image of Ixora on Drexton's shoulder occupying her mind.
She crouched down and trailed her index finger on the blood. A smile kissed her lips as she began writing something with her blood.
The smile grew into a satisfactory smile when she saw what she had written.
Drennie. A combination of both their names.
She raised her hand in midair, slightly curving her fingers as the room became filled with her cackles.
Her eyes were closed, the cackles growing louder.
Slowly, it died, the image of Drexton and Ixora resurfacing in her head.
She was viewing the picture before the text came.
And she couldn't do anything. She has to lie low for now. She has to find the mystery caller and wipe whoever it is off the surface of the earth. The person knows her secret, and she knows if the person decides to share it with the world, then she is ruined.
Her mind went to Skye, and she smiled.
"He's just a pawn after all," she muttered, getting a new phone.
\[LOLO PET STORE\]
Among the top ten biggest pet stores in New York, LOLO PET STORE, owned and managed by Lorraine. She was currently inspecting the kittens. A smile was plastered on her lips as she enjoyed the scene of the cat walking while the kitten followed.
She was not a lover of pets or animals. In fact, she had never touched them, and she was allergic to them. She normally gets rashes anytime she sees animals, whenever she wears clothes that expose a single part of her body.
The only part of her body that was visible was some parts of her face. She also took drugs to prevent the facial rash from appearing.
She owned a pet store despite being allergic to animals because of Drexton.
Seeing how the cat always leads and controls their kitten was a perfect imagination of her and Drexton. She would be the mother, and just like the kittens, she'd have control over Drexton.
She laughed out loud, strengthening her posture, facing the staff and secretary beside her.
"Make sure to take extra care of the kitten," she said, walking inside.
The secretary nodded, aware that she valued the kittens more than their mothers.
Her heels clicked as she walked in. She paused, receiving a call.
Seeing it was a familiar number, her informant, she answered.
"Ma'am, I tried calling you yesterday, but your phone was switched off."
"Straight to the point." Lorraine cut him off cruelly.
"I sent a picture."
Lorraine hung up.
It was a picture of Ixora on Drexton's shoulder.
She smiled calmly and continued going to her office.
She took off her body cover, revealing the clothes she was wearing.
A pencil-knee black gown.
She called back her informer with that same calm aura.
"Her dead body in the next two hours," she said, tracing invisible lines on the edge of the table.
"Noted."
She kept her phone on the table, and her eyes fell on the hourglass.
She turned it upside down, fixing her gaze on the sand.
"Two hours," she muttered, counting the time with the sand.