I need your help
“You all want to look at my things?” she asked with a small smile on her lips, then she looked at Bryce. “What do you think, Mr. Desmana? Is it really good for them to check what’s inside?” she asked again, teasing him.
“Just–” Bryce swallowed when both of their gazes met. It seemed that he realized what she meant by her glare and he turned his gaze away first. “Stop harassing her, Grandma. She knows nothing and this ID card might just be a hoax. Miss Jane and Doctor Acinea might not know each other nor have met so how can she steal something from the doctor? We all know that Doctor Acinea is not an ordinary doctor when she is able to hide from the eyes of the government and private institutions,” Bryce said seriously.
Lynet sneered. “I saw that ID card in Doctor Acinea’s hand. You all should believe me!”
Jenica turned her gaze to Lynet. She frowned slightly. In that gathering, she didn’t show the ID card so it was impossible for Lynet to see it if she was really present at the welcome party.
Jenica chuckled. “I brought this ID card from a street vendor because I am familiar with the logo. Miss Lynet, do you know what that logo in the ID represents?” she asked, squinting a little.
The woman pursed her lips. “I-I don’t know. I just know that I saw it in Doctor Acinea’s hand that night.”
Jenica sneered at her reply. She now realized that Lynet is lying and that someone instructed her to spout nonsense. Lynet did not see her carrying the ID card that night nor did she know what the card was for. She just wanted to accuse her.
What she worried about is if someone captured the ID and spread it on the internet or if Lynet informed Bree or Grey about the ID card. She can’t escape from the suspicious minds of those two Mondragons.
“Seeing that card in Doctor Acinea’s hand?” Jenica scoffed. “Have you met the doctor face to face? Or gotten too close to her so you know what she was holding in that night? And why would the doctor hold her ID card while enjoying the party? Was she afraid that no one would recognize her so she was waving her ID card when someone came close to her?”
Stifled laughter was heard around. Lynet’s face turned red at Jenica’s words. Of course, who would not recognize Doctor Acinea in her welcome party?
“You are saying nonsense! If you don’t believe me, ask my uncle!” said Lynette. The woman glared at her looking away, huffing mad.
The old woman’s face stiffened hearing Lynet’s words. Who has the guts to call Grey Mondragon after the head of directors died inside Desmana Group of Company’s office?
Well, Jenica did them a small favor and called Grey Mondragon in front of them. Wearing a small smile on her lips, she greeted Grey. “Hello, Mr. Mondragon. It’s me, Jane Lau.”
Some gasps were heard all around, and everyone except Bryce looked at her badly, but Jenica wasn’t affected at all. She waited for Grey to speak.
“Are you that woman Mr. Desmana brought to the Desmana Group?” Grey asked emotionlessly.
Jenica smiled. It’s the first time she spoke to Gray Mondragon as Jane Lau and the man didn’t recognize her voice at all. Of course, she had eaten a pill to distort her original voice that’s why those who have met Doctor Acinea won’t think that Jane Lau and the famous doctor are related to each other. So she was complacent even though Lynet was at the party.
“I am.” Jenica smiled.
She could imagine Grey sneering on the phone. “They are accusing you of killing the son-in-law of Mondragon. Miss Jane Lau, are you this brave to call me or you don’t know how severe the situation is to kill someone from my Mondragon clan?”
“Mr. Grey, don’t jump into conclusions without looking at the autopsy report. All I did was to give the old man a first aid and nothing more.”
Gray laughed. “Do you think we’ll believe you? A lady who just appeared out of nowhere to break the bond between my clan and the Desmana… I think you’re too delusional that you’ve gained the upperhand, Miss Jane.”
“Am I delusional?” Jenica chuckled. “In the first place, it’s not the bond between yours and Bryce’s clan that is at stake, Mr. Grey. Look how your relationship with the Antonete’s gone? Do you still remember how Irene seduced Joseph Antonete? Can you protect your niece against the Antonete’s anger?”
“It’s not your call to worry about my niece.”
“Of course, I know. I just asked. Maybe you need to call your niece before it’s too late, right?” She heard Gray inhaled a cold breath and seemed to be holding back his anger. Jenica chuckled. “By the way, your niece Lynet is spouting nonsense that she saw Doctor Acinea on the doctor’s welcome party months ago. She was accusing me of stealing something from the famous doctor. So I want to ask if you also saw Doctor Acinea’s waving her ID card at the guests that night?” Jenica looked at Lynet whose face went pale. The smile on her lips grew wider. “I forgot to mention that I was also invited at the welcome party and had seen Doctor Acinea with my naked eyes.”
Bryce widened his eyes in disbelief. Code X was invited in that party? Everyone knows that only the powerful and exclusive clans have the right to attend the party hosted by the government, but Code X was invited?
Bryce wasn’t the only one surprised. Even the Desmana members widened their eyes and stared at her. This pathetic looking woman was a guest in Doctor Acinea’s welcome party? Old Lady Desmana wanted to speak but Jane Lau was still talking to Grey Mondragon on the phone so she kept her mouth shut and waited for the call to end.
Gray was silent for a few seconds before he spoke again. “What ID card are you talking about? Doctor Acinea is a famous doctor and she doesn’t need one to validate her presence in that night,” said Gray angrily. He seemed to realize that Lynet was lying.
Jenica looked meaningfully at Lynet who was restless in her seat. She made sure the call was on hands-free so the Desmanas could hear what Gray said.
“I see. That’s all I want to ask of you, Mr. Mondragon. We’ll patiently wait for the autopsy report,” Jenica said before hanging up. She looked at old lady Desmana and smiled. “See? Your daughter-in-law is clearly lying. Doctor Acinea was not waving her ID card so how come this woman is insisting that my small card is from the famous doctor, when she didn’t see it in the doctor’s hand? ”
The old waman’s face contorted. “It’s a misunderstanding! I’m tired. Escort me to my room!” the old woman ordered angrily.
Lynet’s face turned even paler and stood up. “Wait –”
“As for you, Miss Lynet,” said Jenica and smiled at the woman. “Why don’t we talk in private? There are things I want to ask you in person.”
Lynette glared at her. Jenica secretly flicked her finger containing a small needle towards Lynet and the woman widened her eyes while staring at her. “Let’s go,” she said and stepped out of the mansion first.
Lynet broke into a cold sweat as she stopped herself from following Jenica. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t stop her body from following the woman, as if someone else was controlling her body. She couldn’t even open her mouth to ask Bryce for help when “she” stepped past him.
Bryce looked at the retreating figure of Code X. He didn’t know but as his cooperation with the woman went on and on, it was as if the distance between the two of them was getting farther and farther apart. Now that he knew Code X was invited in the welcome party that even he, the president of Desmana Group, didn’t get an invitation to, he was at a loss for words. It’s like he was slapped by the fact that he still doesn’t have enough power to enter the capital that everyone dreams of.
…
Jenica took Lynet to the garden where there were many plants of roses and different kinds of flowers. Unlike Jobert’s garden in the South, she did not find even one medicinal plant here.
Jenica checked her surroundings first before turning back to face Lynet. The woman was drenched in cold sweat. Jenica’s lips twitched as she waved her hand. The small needle returned to her finger as she controlled the woman’s body to follow her.
Lynet took a deep breath. “Freak! What did you do to me?!” she said hysterically and touched her neck while glaring at Jenica.
“It’s just a small trick. Nothing’s serious,” she said.
“Small trick?! You have the guts to do it under the gaze of everyone?!”
Jenica frowned. She didn’t have time to calm Lynet down so with a wave of her hand, the woman was stunned. The woman’s chestnut-colored eyes became empty like she felt nothing at all.
When Jenica saw Lynet’s well-behaved manner, she nodded in satisfaction. As an Oriental Alchemist, she was capable of concocting liquid medicine that can make someone spill their secrets.
“Who asked you to mess with my things?” Jenica asked.
“Bree Mondragon,” Lynet said emotionlessly. Her facial expression didn’t even change.
“Who told you about Doctor Acinea’s ID card?”
“No one. I assume it was Doctor Acinea’s ID to mess with Jane Lau.”
Jenica frowned even more. “Did you send a photo of that ID card to Bree?”
“Yes.”
Jenica’s jaw clenched and she cussed softly under her breath. She had guessed it. It’s not really good to let people like Lynet lurk by her side.
Pursing her lips, she flicked her finger and threw a needle containing medicine to Lynet’s arm, and after a few seconds, she took it back. “Go back and forget what I asked you about.”
At that time, Lynet walked back inside the mansion absent-mindedly. When the woman stepped inside the mansion, she returned to her senses. She looked around the mansion curiously. The last thing she remembered was that she was talking to a maid in the garden.
When her husband asked what she and Jane talked about, Lynet shook her head. “That woman was arrogant to leave me in the garden! Don’t ask about her again,” she said, gritting her teeth. Lynet didn’t know where her intense irritation came from while thinking of Jane Lau’s face.
On the other hand, Jenica was left standing in the garden. She was thinking of what Lynet had said. Bree got a copy of Doctor Acinea’s ID card and she knew that cunning woman had started her investigation. She sighed, feeling frustrated over the another unnecessary mess.
Jenica quickly walked in the mansion to get the laptop and wallet that she had left in the living room. Then she quickly left the mansion and hailed a taxi.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
She had sent a text message to Bryce, telling him she’ll go somewhere for a while and will come back tomorrow.
The taxi stopped at the famous club house in the center of Laguna. After she paid the fare, she silently walked inside. There were no customers and she only saw the cleaning crews working around the place. Ah, it’s still morning.
“Give me a turner in the head and lover to the moon,” she told the bartender.
The bartender looked up and stared at her for a few seconds, before urging her to follow him into a secret door.
After a few detours they reached the heavy metal double doors. The man brought his face to an iris scanner and when his identity was verified, the door opened.
Jenica stepped inside. She saw a man sitting on an elevated chair at the middle of the huge room, smoking a cigarette. He smiled when their gazes met.
“What a surprise to find an HQ agent in my territory. What are you? An assassin?” He puffed out a smoke through his mouth. “A spy? Or both?”
Jenica’s lips twitched and she sneered. “No need to guess. I’m here to bargain with you. If you’re not available, I will find someone else.”
“Oh?” The man grinned. “You are the one asking for help. Don’t brag your a$$ in my turf, young lass.”