Chapter 94; Stranger-Danger
"God...what is happening again...?"
This night in Asteria felt warr than usual.
Theo was sprawled on the couch, pretending to read a magazine written in a language he couldn’t understand, completely ignoring the people outside.
His tactics were; "If we ignore them-they will go away..."
Danielle, too, was sitting cross-legged on the floor near him, combing her hair in front of the mirror.
Her hair shined under the lamplight, and Theo found it more interesting than anything on the page.
"You are staring again," Danielle muttered without looking up.
Theo flipped a page lazily. "No, I am observing the cultural influence of Asterian hairstyles."
"That magazine is upside down."
Theo looked down, cursed under his breath, and flipped it back. Danielle’s laughter filled the room like music.
He smiled...and to Danielle, it was a rare and real smile that made his tired eyes look softer.
"See," he said, leaning his head back. "That sound. That is why I am still alive."
"Because I laugh?" she teased.
"Because you do it like the world is not broken."
She looked at him through the mirror, her eyes looked warr for a mont before she stood up and stretched. "You always find a way to make uncomfortable with your words."
He grinned. "That is my talent."
"Where did Frank go?"
"He’s looking for a helicopter, trying to take us out of here..."
And their peace lasted exactly twenty seconds.
A knock ca from the door, and it didn’t sound polite or kind. Three heavy knocks that made both of them look up instantly.
Theo got to her fast. "Stay behind ."
Danielle frowned. "Theo, it is probably one of the guards or Frank."
"No one knocks like they want to eat the door," he muttered.
He walked to the door slowly and placed his hand near the pistol hidden under his shirt. The knocking ca again, but way louder this ti.
Theo opened it a few inches, enough to see a tall man standing outside. He wore a white uniform and carried a tray with tea and fruit. His smile was weirdly uncomfortable and sothing about his eyes looked wrong.
"From the kitchen, sir," the man said. "A gift for the lady."
Theo looked at him up and down closely. "I didn’t ask for tea."
"The chef insisted."
Theo let his gaze drop to the man’s hands. No trembling or sweat. This man just looked too calm.
"Put it on the table," Theo gave an order.
The man nodded, stepped inside, and moved toward the table near Danielle. The mont his shadow touched the candlelight, Danielle felt her skin crawl.
There was sothing cold about him, like the temperature in the room fell just because he walked in.
Theo closed the door slowly and followed. "You from the kitchen, right? Which one."
"The main one, sir."
Theo lifted his head. "Funny. We do not have a main kitchen. The villa has two small ones."
The man stopped in the middle.
Danielle gasped loudly.
Theo grabbed him by the back of the neck and slamd him onto the table so hard the tea cups jumped. "Who sent you," he growled.
The man stayed silent.
Theo pressed his arm tighter. "Who sent you?"
The man moved his chin up and smiled,curving his lips in a way that made Danielle’s lips shake. "She is already marked."
Theo’s jaw tightened... "Wrong answer."
He twisted the man’s wrist. Sothing tallic fell from the man’s sleeve and hit the floor with a dull clink.
It was a small silver crescent pendant. Danielle felt her heart stop. The symbol...
Theo kicked the tray away and pushed the man down harder. "You are from the cult."
The man laughed quietly. "You think you can protect her forever. Even the President cannot hide her fate."
Theo’s hand shot to his collar. "What did you say?"
"Hahaha!" But the man just kept laughing. "Hahahah!"
Suddenly, he jerked his head forward and bit down on sothing in his mouth.
Theo realised too late.
Foam bubbled at the man’s lips. His eyes rolled back. Within seconds, his body went limp.
"Theo, he is dead."
Theo cursed violently. "Perfect. Just what I needed. A suicidal delivery man in my living room."
He checked the man’s pulse anyway, but it was gone. He looked up at Danielle, who looked paralysed. "He was going to poison you."
"What...?"
Theo pointed to the tray. The tea had turned a strange color, darker at the bottom. "He would have waited for you to drink it. Then you would have joined your fan club of near-death survivors again."
"That is not funny," she whispered.
"It is a little funny," he muttered back.
"Theo..."
"Fine, not funny. But this is getting serious."
Before she could reply, his phone received a ssage. The screen showed a secure number. He frowned and answered.
A voice behind spoke clearly. "This is the President."
Theo straightened instantly. "Sir."
"I am aware of the intruder," the President continued. "You will remain in the villa. Don’t attempt to move Danielle. Don’t inform the local police. We have a situation under control."
Theo’s eyes narrowed. "Under control? Soone just tried to murder her in this house."
"Stay where you are," the President repeated. "That is an order."
Theo glanced at Danielle, who was watching him with confused eyebrows.
He spoke slower. "What kind of situation, sir."
"Information you do not need," the President said firmly. "Just keep her inside. That is all you must do."
Theo’s silence stretched for a few seconds. "With respect, that sounds like the kind of order given by soone who already expects another attack."
There was no answer.
Theo’s tone changed. "Sir, I want to know why we were sent here in the first place. This was supposed to be a break. Now we have cults, assassins, and tea that glows in the dark. You are hiding sothing."
The line stayed quiet. Then the President spoke again and more softly. "Protect her. That is all I ask."
The call ended.
"Theo?"
"I don’t give a shit! I was going to kill him anyway. I’m getting you out of here, Bunny!"
And just like that, Frank rushed into the living room, "the president cancelled the pilots...we’re stuck here."
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