Chapter 11 Avoiding trouble
>>Clio
I turned around on my heel and made a run for it again.
Somehow, the chase continued, each second feeling like an eternity as I maintained a careful balance between staying hidden and running away. My adrenaline-fueled determination gave me the strength to keep going, even as exhaustion threatened to overtake me.
I made it out of the party area, then frantically looked around to see where I could run off to hide. I had heels on and my feet hurt like hell since I had been running around with them on. I was not used to wearing heels and I knew running out of the building like this wasn’t a good option.
But where do I go!?!? Behind me, I heard the sound of running footsteps that made my heart race faster!
OH! Shit! Where!! Where!!! I did a 360 turn, shooting my eyes everywhere.
There!!!
In the midst of the chaos that was plaguing my mind, I noticed a door tucked away in a corner. It seemed like an inconspicuous exit, and without hesitation, I made my way towards it.
It led to the female bathroom and I made a run for it just as he entered the quieter hallway. I ran into the bathroom, locking it behind me to catch my breath.
My brain wasn’t braining or there was something more going on here that I couldn’t comprehend or it was just as simple as me having the worst luck.
I let out a few deep breaths as my mind kept racing. I shook my head at myself, trying to make sense of what happened but like I said, maybe my brain wasn’t braining because it wasn’t making any sense, not to me. I glanced at the door behind me as I took another deep breath, then ran and locked myself into one of the stalls, my heart pounding in my ears as I tried to regain my composure since I knew I couldn't stay hidden for long.
That’s when I felt the thing in my hand again and opened my palm to look at a USB.
What’s this? Why would he hand me this? To a complete stranger?? My breath was shaking as I thought about it… I feel like he made a strong gut judgment right then and there since there was a high chance of him getting caught.
I bit my lips as my reporter instincts told me there was something big in my hands. I put the toilet lid down and sat on it, then attached the USB to my phone.
There were some files on it along with a video. I didn’t have the time to look through the written documents properly but I immediately played the video after getting the gist of what was in the files.
My free hand traveled to my mouth in astonishment, “OH MY GOD…” I let out a soft gasp as the main bathroom doorknob got rattled.
!!!!
Then the door got pounded on. “Open the door!!!” The people yelled, “Open the door or we’ll be forced to break it down!!” My heart rate sped up once again.
SHIT!! Is it the guards!?!? It must be them. They must have caught the guy and found out he didn’t have what they wanted. I gulped. But I doubt he told them he gave it to me, he wanted me to take it to the press!!!
“Break the door.” I heard them say without even waiting for an answer and I felt myself go pale.
But the possibility that they beat it out of him isn’t zero. The stakes were high, and I knew I couldn't afford to be caught now, but how the hell do I get out of this?
Thud!
I heard the door get violated
>>Matthew
The scent in the air caught my attention, it was awfully familiar. It was like a whisper of my mate's fragrance, drawing me with an undeniable pull. My heart raced with excitement, but at the same time, confusion clouded my thoughts.
Was Clio here? At this party? But why?
I shot my eyes around to look for him, expecting to see a man but what I was met with only confused me and my wolf. There she was, the woman with the hauntingly similar scent, navigating through the crowd, looking a little nervous.
I frowned and that’s when she turned her head around and our eyes met which only led to more confusion. The moment she saw me, I saw fear rise in those brown eyes of hers. My instincts guided me, urging me to get closer, to understand this inexplicable connection but she turned her head around to walk away.
With each step, my confusion grew. How could someone else possess the same scent as my mate? It was a scent I knew intimately, one that had captivated me from the moment I first saw Clio. Yet, this woman before me wasn't him, everything about them was different. I know Clio wears baggy clothes, but still, he doesn’t have an hourglass figure like this woman. The thought defied all logic, leaving me perplexed and uncertain.
As I closed in on her, our eyes met again, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of recognition in her gaze but the fear was more imminent. The music got louder and the people danced, causing her to slip away from my sight. I couldn’t catch her scent that well since there were too many people in the hall.
My heart wrestled with conflicting emotions and I wanted my answers so I didn’t stop. My confusion propelled me forward, chasing after her through the vibrant party. The pulsating music and the sea of dancing bodies seemed to blur around us as I focused solely on keeping her in sight but she moved with a sense of urgency, as if she was aware of my pursuit, yet unsure of its intent.
I know I’ve never met this woman before, so why is she avoiding me? I can tell that she’s keeping an eye on me and moving further away, but why?
I navigated through the crowd, deftly weaving between people, determined not to lose her in the chaotic sea of partygoers.
With each step, my senses honed in on her scent, and I couldn't help but wonder about the enigmatic connection between us. How could she possess such a similar fragrance to my mate? The unanswered questions filled my mind, driving me to chase after her, seeking some semblance of understanding. It’s that exact same scent, belonging to neither a man, nor a woman… The first time I caught the scent off of Clio, I was confused. Males and Females have different smell spectrums, with men having sharper scents while women have sweet ones. Yet Clio, and this woman here, they’re strange.
As I closed in on her, she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widening with surprise and bewilderment. It was evident that she felt the intensity of my pursuit, and managed to disappear in the sea of people.
Her sudden acceleration only fueled my determination to catch up to her. I wanted answers, an explanation for the impossible connection between her scent and that of my mate. The chase intensified, and a mix of emotions surged within me—confusion, curiosity, and an unyielding desire to uncover the truth.
But I couldn’t get my hands on her, she kept slipping away from me. I was lost for a few minutes on the first floor since I lost her scent in the sea of other smells.
The party had a commotion where the guards ran after some injured man, creating a clearing in the crowd as well. But that clearing allowed me to catch her scent once again, solely because she wasn’t far. I shot my head to the second-floor inner balcony and our eyes met again.
There was something awfully familiar about her yet I couldn’t recognize her. I had never met this woman in my life. But there it was again, the look of horror in those pretty pupils of hers. Like before, she didn’t waste any time, turned around and started running again and I followed.
I lost her midway. The crowd gathered again and their scents mixed together once more. It took me a while to find out that she left the party hall and I followed her out. But I barely got a glimpse of her before she disappeared into the women’s bathroom, locking it behind her.
I stopped a few steps away from it, unsure if I should go further or just wait for her to come back out.
What is going on here? No matter how much I think about it, it doesn’t make any sense. Clio’s clearly my mate and each wolf only has one, unless there are twins.
Does Clio have a sister? No… That’s not how it works. Only identical twins can share the mate bond… So what is happening here??!
I was still thinking about it when the bodyguards crossed me and went to the bathroom. There were two of them here and they tried to doorknob but it was locked
Hmmm…
Another one approached me, “Sir,” I looked at the guard, “The video and files have been stolen from the China client.”
My eyes went wide at his words, “What?” I immediately understood what was happening, “What about the man you were chasing, he’s the culprit right?” This ‘party’ today had many officials here to exchange information behind the curtains.
“We caught him,” The look on his face already told me they failed before he said it verbally, “But he doesn't have it.” I frowned at his words, then he looked towards the bathroom, “Apparently he gave it to that woman.”
…
And then my eyes went further wide,
Oh…
If that video gets out, it will cause a lot of trouble for many of us…
“Get that woman out,” I ordered, “Bring her to me.”
“Break the door,” One of the guards said and with swift and precise movements, the guards positioned themselves outside the bathroom door, ready to take action. They exchanged knowing glances, communicating without words as they prepared to breach the space.
One of them started pounding his body on it, to weaken it but stopped after a while. Then the other guard gave a signal, and they all simultaneously burst into the bathroom, breaking it open.
They swept the room with trained efficiency, their eyes scanning every corner, while I followed behind them and entered the bathroom space. The guards violently opened all the stalls to not miss anything. Then, a perplexed expression crossed their faces and they all looked at each other.
The whole place was empty.
I looked around, and there was a faint scent of her lingering in the air but she had escaped. My eyes caught the bathroom window centered above the stalls. The net binding had been removed but it was still dangling with one nail intact while the sound of rain made its way in
Ah…
“She climbed her way out,” I said with my arms folded and all of the others looked where I was looking, “We lost her.”
Shit…