Chapter 180 The Picture
Eris
“Looks like she didn’t pick up,” The nurse looked at me as she patted my head, “We can try one more time if you want,”
I looked at her, but before I could say anything else, I heard the unmistakable sound of Mom's footsteps, fast and purposeful. She appears in front of me, her face flushed with anger.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she snapped, yanking the phone from my hand. I barely had the time to react. "You can't just take someone else's phone!"
She thrusted the phone back to the nurse, who looked more concerned than angry. Mom grabbed my arm, her grip firm and unyielding, and yanked me away from the nurse.
“Maam,” The nurse tried to intervene, “It’s fine! I allowed her to use the phone.”
She didn’t even bother to look back at the nurse, or stop for her, she simply took me away.
“I’m trying so hard to make sure you get better, and what are you doing!?” Her words stung, “You tried to call your sister, didn’t you?” I just wanted a few minutes with Sera, to hear her voice, to feel connected to her.
“...” I didn’t give her an answer.
“Why! I’m here! Why do you need her!!” She glared at me, “Just ask me! I’ll give you anything you want!”
“...” I want Sera. I want to talk to her.
But now that I didn’t get to do that at all, the fever began to take over me faster. My world spun and although she was pulling me along with her, the world around me became so dizzy, it took me with it.
I fell to the floor.
“Maam!!!” The nurse, though she was far, still noticed and came running over to help. And only when she ran over and took me from Mom, did I close my eyes and let myself be taken by the darkness
>>Somi
“We heard something,” An underling of mine came to me while I was having tea in the lounge of my house.
“What?” I asked
“The woman that belongs to Azef, her sister is in the hospital again.”
“The one I sent last time failed so miserably.” I glared at him, “Do you think you’ll do something better this time?”
“Yes,” I heard another voice from the back, “You might succeed this time,” The private detective I hired came into view, “Because it seems the kid isn’t with Azef, her mother took her apparently.” He came and sat down on the single-seater couch next to mine, “Azef took the older one with him.”
“Her mother?” I looked at the detective, “You told me last time, they didn’t have a mother.”
“Seraphina doesn’t have one, but apparently the kid's mom is alive.” He looked at me, “Azef took the woman and vanished, but the kid is very accessible at the moment.”
“If they left the kid behind, doesn’t it mean that brat doesn’t mean much to them?” I asked as I sipped my tea.
“Could be,” The detective answered, “But I also learned something else,”
“What?”
“Seraphina was originally taken in as collateral. Her father ran away with Azef’s goods. The father seems like a scumbag but the sisters were close.”
“Hmm,” I brought the tea cup down, “But she definitely isn’t ‘just’ collateral when he presumably did so much for her.”
“You’re right,” He hummed, “Since he took her with him when he learned of the Soma’s searching for them, she must mean a lot to him.”
“What are you suggesting?” I put the tea cup away.
“Let’s not kill the child,” He smirked, “Let’s try and lure Seraphina, which will ultimately lure Azef and then Matthew to us.”
“Hmm,” I tapped my finger on the sofa’s arm, “Not a bad idea.”
>>Azef
“He’s trying to kill himself?” I asked as Raye and I stood in the office.
“Yes,” He replied, “He’s made several attempts, although all of them were half-assed.”
“That’s expected of a man like him. He won’t be able to actually do it. He’s simply looking for some leniency, so he can escape again.” I folded my arms as I went through a few documents, “Did you get the money he stole back?”
“He used up a lot of it, but whatever was left, we got it.”
“And what about ‘kookie?’” I asked
He shook his head, “He said he would never give it back.”
I paused, “Never,” I raised my brows, “Give it back?” I looked at Raye, “How long do you think is needed before he cracks?” I stood up but all of the sudden felt dizzy.
I felt a little hot. I’ve been feeling off since I woke up today.
“Are you alright?” He asked
I placed my hands on the desk to stabilize myself as I thought about it, “I should be fine.” I said. But why am I feeling hot?
My rut shouldn’t be here this soon.
“Raye,” I called his name
“Yes sir?”
“We’re leaving for the city,” I said
“Right now?” He asked.
“I should get the deal over with Allen as soon as possible. I need it done so I have proof.”
“What proof?” He asked
“Kookie,” I said, then paused.
Wait
Don’t I have another thing?
I reached down for the last drawer in the desk and opened it. Rummaging through it a little I found a small picture that had been laminated.
Then I smirked
I wonder if this alone will work or not. I placed it in the document file and closed it.
“Let’s go,” I began to walk, “I want to take care of Allen as fast as I can.”
>>Seraphina
I moved through the pack house looking for Azef, my footsteps echoing softly on the polished wooden floors. I thought my phone might be with him since I slept in his room but his room was empty.
But each room I entered was empty, each hallway I passed through didn’t hold any sign of him. The living area, the kitchen, the backyard, I looked everywhere for him but couldn’t find him.
My mind raced as I considered where he could be. Maybe he went out for a run, or perhaps he had some other business to attend to. Maybe he’s in his office then? It did seem like he had something important to talk to Raye about.
I turned around to make my way to his office when I saw Lila, “What are you looking for?” She asked.
“Azef,” I replied, “And my phone,” I told her, “I can’t find it, so I thought he might know.”
“The Beta should be in his office.” She answered.
“Yea, I was going there.” I said and we both began to make our way to his office, “You have something to say to him too?”
“Oh, I just need to ask him about the supplies.” She smiled and I nodded.
We opened the heavy wooden door and stepped inside, the familiar scent of leather and cedarwood enveloped me. The room was dimly lit, the sunlight filtering through the half-closed blinds casting long shadows on the floor.
My eyes scanned the room, taking in the organized chaos of papers strewn across the desk, the bookshelves filled with volumes of pack history and strategy, and the comfortable leather chair that sat empty. I moved closer, my fingers lightly brushing the surface of his desk, feeling the faint warmth of where his hands had recently been.
He’s not here either.
“That’s weird,” Lila folded her arms and I looked at her, “Where could he have gone?”
“And I can’t remember where I left my phone.” A sigh escaped my lips, frustration mixing with concern. I keep getting this weird feeling that I should have my phone with me.
I turned to leave, but right then something caught my eye. Something on his desk, sitting in the corner of the document file drew my attention.
“What’s wrong?’ Lila noticed me when I opened the file and my eyes landed on the picture.
!!!
I would have answered her, but looking at the picture made me freeze.
What is this?
I was utterly confused
Lila walked over and peeked over my shoulder to look at what I was looking at.
“Oh!” She seemed to recognize it immediately, “That’s the Beta’s mate,” She paused, no she froze as the realization hit her as well. Her eyes went wide and then she slowly looked at me as my heart fell to the pit of my stomach.
I felt something strange, almost nauseous. My mind swirled with questions and I had a hidden urge to cry.
I was holding a picture of a kid. Not just one kid. Two kids. One was Azef, his face looking directly at the camera while the girl next to him had her face sideways, she was looking at Azef with a smile.
Lila’s expression turned sour as well. She slowly turned to look at me in horror, “She looks like you,” She whispered, “Well, she would have looked like you if she grew up.” Her voice contained a hint of suspicion.
Something ominous gnawed at my chest. I couldn’t stop staring at the picture. It was too familiar. The person in the picture looked so similar to me it was scary. That was the moment I remembered something.
‘You look like her’ These were Matthew’s words. He spilled them out when I first met him and I barely heard him then, but didn’t really pay much attention to his words.
They do make sense now. This must be it.
I don’t have many pictures of when I was a kid.
Our parents didn’t take any.
We did have a polaroid camera though.
I stared at the picture
“It's a print from a polaroid camera,” I whispered, but no matter how much I looked at the picture, I knew the person in there wasn’t me. I had never met Azef before.
Or had I?
And I don’t remember? No, he would have told me then, like when he told me we met as kids and he pushed me down the hill. I clearly remember that.
So if not that,
then
Is he using me as a replacement?