UNDER HIS RULES

Beatrice no longer knew what her heart felt like. At that moment, she was killing boredom that had struck her. Despite only knowing bits and pieces of Sam’s news, she couldn’t find peace since last night. Even though Hera kept her company and they chatted until her friend fell asleep, Beatrice remained worried. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Sam and many strange assumptions swirling around in her head.

She had only one request to God: protect Sam. She didn’t know why she did this. Don’t ask her why she was willing to include Sam’s name in her prayers. Don’t ask either why her heart was in turmoil just because he hadn’t returned yet.

Although Valdo and Yongki had mentioned that their boss was fine, Beatrice trusted her instincts more. Something dangerous must have happened around Sam. The proof was that even until now, Ute and Anne hadn’t returned. The room that served as the control center where Anne usually stayed only left four people who rarely left it. The door was tightly closed, but sometimes Beatrice could hear them hurrying to do something.

She spent time cooking with Hera until the news came. The news that made her wish for the existence of a magic door to become real. A magic door that could take her to wherever Sam was.

“Val, can you go faster?” Beatrice impatiently asked.

“It’s not that I don’t want to speed up, Miss,” Valdo finally spoke after trying to patiently calm down Beatrice, who looked anxious. “The boss will be mad if I recklessly take you.”

Beatrice sighed in annoyance. “I want to get to the hospital quickly,” Beatrice complained impatiently. Hera was beside her, holding Beatrice’s hand.

“Be patient, Beatrice,” Hera said, trying to calm her down again.

“How can I be calm, Ra!” Beatrice roughly wiped her face. “Ute said the situation at the hospital is chaotic. And Bang Sam is there too! What am I supposed to do? How can I be calm?”

Hera understood this very well. All she could do was rub Beatrice’s back hand to make her calmer. “We’ll be there soon.”

Unbeknownst to her, tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m so scared, Ra.” She lowered her head. “It’s not just Sam making me anxious. But Ute and Anne, too.”

Hearing Anne’s name being mentioned also hurt Hera’s heart. She couldn’t imagine if something bad happened to the girl who was considered her own sister. Even Anne had worried about her mother’s safety because everything Sam did was related to her sister’s death. Although Hera didn’t know the details too well because Anne was busy in front of her work screen, she could see that those who had been around her recently seemed sincere and worked together.

Hera only briefly knew Sam. Shaking hands with him, she felt a bit nervous because the man was indeed terrifying. He was tall and stern, with sharp and cold eyes, rigid speech, a too firm face, and his tone of voice also gave the impression that he didn’t want to be disturbed for too long. However, Hera just wanted to express her gratitude for not forgetting her sister.

“Tony was my loyal subordinate. His death was a personal loss for me. I can’t promise anything, but I guarantee life for life.”

That was all Sam said at the end of their introduction before he returned to deal with his subordinates in another room. It made Hera shudder in horror and didn’t want to look at the ruler for too long. She was also a bit surprised that Beatrice could stay with such a frightening man for a long time.

“For me, Ra,” Beatrice whispered while wiping the corner of her wet eyes. “Ute and Kak Anne, who welcomed me at Sam’s house, were more than enough for me to consider them as friends. I was alone at that time. There was no one. I didn’t know anyone and instead met crazy people like Bella.” Beatrice chuckled softly. Her eyes returned to the road leading to the hospital, where Valdo was driving, and Ompong was in the passenger seat. Meanwhile, Yongki, Zein, and Mateo followed them on motorcycles.

Jack said, “Don’t leave Beatrice alone without supervision.” Jack had already rushed off as soon as the news about De Faux reached the resort where Beatrice was staying temporarily.

“I hope nothing happens, Beatrice,” Hera felt the same way.

They soon arrived at the hospital. Beatrice quickly opened the car door and ran. The only goal she wanted to achieve was the reception desk. After that, Anne and Ute. Only then would she visit Sam. Her mind was filled with many questions. She needed to get the real answers. She would make sure of that with Sam later.

“Excuse me,” Beatrice said, gasping for breath. “Patients named Anne? Or Ute?”

“Um… the group that came last night?”

“Yes!” Beatrice replied, even though she didn’t know which group was being referred to.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“There were no female patients, sis, in that group. Most of them are on the third floor, some are in the intensive care unit.”

Beatrice furrowed her brow.

“Miss,” called Valdo, who managed to catch up with her. “This way. I’ll show you the rooms Boss Hugo mentioned.”

“Ah, okay.” Beatrice simply followed. She didn’t like the smell of hospitals. To her, being inside didn’t make her feel healthier, it made her feel more sick. Not to mention, she couldn’t bear to see the pain on the faces of patients sitting in wheelchairs, waiting in line, whether for medication or to see a doctor.

She also saw the sadness on the faces of people sitting in the waiting area. They were probably waiting for their sick relatives. There was no joy or cheerfulness there. Beatrice repeatedly took deep breaths and tried to calm herself down. Although her hands were squeezing each other, at least she would soon meet the person who made her heart work differently than usual.

“Ouch!” Beatrice almost stumbled if it weren’t for Hera who caught her. She looked up and prepared to express her annoyance, but the person who bumped into her was actually smiling.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been looking down and not paying attention to the road,” he said.

Maybe that was true. Not wanting to prolong the issue, Beatrice chose to apologize. Two men in black suits immediately approached the man who almost made Beatrice kiss the floor. Although when she thought about it, the man was quite old. But his body seemed to receive maximum care. It was evident from his appearance and… Beatrice felt that this was his sudden bodyguard.

“Are you okay, Mr. Alfred?” David asked, looking at Beatrice cynically. “Next time, watch your step, Miss.”

“No, David,” Alfred chuckled. “It’s my fault. This young lady was in a hurry, but I made a mess of her steps.”

Their eyes met for a split second, and Alfred felt a sense of deja vu. Truly… the gaze of the girl in front of him reminded him of someone who was so dear to him. Who made his home no longer lonely since his arrival decades ago. Who made his son change for the better.

“I apologize, sir,” Beatrice said, immediately cutting off that gaze. “Come on, Ra. We’re being waited for.” She hurriedly left the old man who was still staring at her. She was somewhat scared because his gaze felt terrifying to her. In fact, Beatrice tightly held Hera’s hand.

“Are you… alright, Miss?” Valdo asked, slightly puzzled by Beatrice’s strange expression. “Sorry if I was driving too fast, yeah?”

“No, it’s fine,” Beatrice replied with a faint smile. “Where is the room?”

Valdo immediately showed her the corridor where her friends were mostly gathered. Many of them wore bandages or had their hands supported, while others were sitting in wheelchairs. But they were all gathered in front of one room.

Beatrice’s heart suddenly started pounding harder. She let go of Hera’s hand. She was afraid… afraid that her worries had come true. She half ran towards the door, which was surrounded by many people, most of whom Beatrice recognized.

“What’s going on here?” Beatrice asked softly, and everyone suddenly turned to look at her, but no one dared to speak.

“What’s going on?” she asked again, this time speaking more firmly. Now, the crowd, mostly Sam’s subordinates, looked down. “What’s going on?” Beatrice couldn’t wait any longer.

The door opened abruptly, revealing Hugo standing there. His head was bandaged, and the corner of his lip was injured.

“Come in, Beatrice,” he commanded.

“What’s going on, Hugo?”

“You’ll see for yourself.”

***[]***

When she was in her early twenties a few months ago, she hoped her life would be fine. She studied until she obtained her bachelor’s degree. Not knowing her father too well, Beatrice didn’t care. She had been supporting herself for a long time. Sometimes she would visit her mother’s grave to ease her longing. After graduating, she wanted to work as hard as possible and enjoy all the money she could earn with her own hands.

Now? Everything was a mess.

It all started with her encounter with Sam, who gave her a specific threat. The man whose first words didn’t leave a good impression on her. But as days went by, Beatrice realized that Sam wasn’t that bad. His treatment towards her sometimes crossed the line, but Sam knew when to stop. And what touched her the most was that Beatrice was allowed to continue her studies again. Without asking where the money came from to pay off all her outstanding debts.

Sam… gave her what had been Beatrice’s small dream for a long time. To become a graduate and work in a field that suited her abilities. And the more Beatrice got to know him, the less cold Sam seemed compared to their first meeting. Beatrice’s life turned upside down ever since her feet stepped into the headquarters that Sam called home.

And now she was here, by Sam’s side, who still refused to open his eyes. Whatever happened, no one wanted to tell Beatrice. She was so frustrated that she didn’t care about the two people who had been waiting for Sam all this time; Hugo and Eland. Beatrice yelled at both of them, urging them to speak, but unfortunately, they remained loyal.

Not a single word came out to give Beatrice an explanation. Only Hugo’s words that made Beatrice feel like forcefully grabbing the man’s hair. “The boss will wake up soon. Just calm down, Beatrice, no need to get angry.”

Damn it, right?

“You’re not ready to wake up yet, Sam?” Beatrice asked softly. Her hand no longer trembled every time she touched Sam’s cheek, which now appeared more refreshed. Yesterday, Beatrice was left weak due to Sam’s poor condition.

Sam’s head was wrapped in a thick cloth. Hugo said he had stitches because of a wide-open wound. Not to mention his hands and legs were supported. But what worried Beatrice the most was Sam’s chest, which had just undergone projectile removal surgery. It meant… Sam had been shot, right?

“Boss Sam has passed the critical stage, Beatrice. Just calm down,” Hugo patted Beatrice’s shoulder gently. “Our boss is strong, you know that yourself, right?”

Hugo’s words immediately earned a super-sarcastic look from Beatrice. Hugo quickly moved away to avoid being caught in the crossfire of this fiery-tempered woman. He hadn’t forgotten Beatrice’s rage when she mercilessly attacked Bella. It was terrifying for a slim woman like her to suddenly somersault and hit Bella simultaneously.

“Don’t take Hugo’s words seriously,” Eland intervened. “He’s the one most affected by this incident.”

“What really happened, Eland? Don’t you want to tell me?” Beatrice pleaded. Her hand gently stroked Sam’s arm.

“It’s up to the boss to tell you,” Eland appeared hesitant, actually. But Sam didn’t want Beatrice to know too much about his world. He had made it clear long before an incident like this happened again.

“Does Sam often get injured like this?”

Eland chuckled. “Even if you say so, this is the lightest one.”

Beatrice clenched her fists.

“I’ll go now. You take care of the boss. I have other matters to attend to with Hugo. The other subordinates will take turns guarding outside. Just relax, your needs are being taken care of by Ute.”

“Is Ute okay, right?”

“Yeah. She’s fine with Anne. Her duties are being carried out very well.”

Beatrice breathed a sigh of relief. Eland then left Sam’s recovery room and gave as many instructions as possible, especially regarding security at the hospital. It wouldn’t be surprising if Gerald launched a retaliatory attack because their business was far from over. Especially Paul.

Eland clenched his fist tightly. “Watch out, Paul.” He reached for the phone in his pocket. Once he got a response from the person on the other end, he said, “I need more information about Paul. The person who’s always by Gerald’s side.”

Eland paused, staring at the hospital corridor’s sky as if considering something specific.

“Whatever data it is, it’s valuable to me. Get it done now, Val.”