CHAPTER 34
ALEXIA P.O.V
The whistle blew sharply, and it was so annoying. I ran back to Wyatt.
"So, did I pass it?"
"1,000 laps in ten seconds. I'll say, Alexia, you are strong—and way faster than supernaturals your age."
"Yay… so, what's next?"
"Meditation."
"What?"
"Meditation helps in your astral projection, dream walking, entering people's heads—even hypnotic powers."
"Wow… I can do all that?" He nodded.
"But it all starts with keeping quiet and calm, and taking control of your unconscious mind."
"But with all this adrenaline pumping, it'll be hard to remain calm."
"Breathe in… and out."
Following his instructions, I was able to calm down.
"Now, from now on, we are going to have our conversations in our heads. Understand?" Wyatt said inside my mind. I nodded.
"Wyatt… Wyatt? Can you hear me?"
"I can, Alexia. Now I want you to read my thoughts."
I tried, but after so many attempts, I couldn't get through.
"I'm trying, but for some reason I can't get through."
"That's what you'll encounter with some people. People like us have barriers that prevent others from reading our thoughts. Only those with strong power and strong mental ability can break through. I want you to conquer it."
"Wait… so that means you read my thoughts every time?"
"Not all the time. I like giving people their privacy, but I do it when necessary."
"Oh…"
I tried again for minutes. It was so hard that beads of sweat gathered on my forehead—until I finally did it.
"Ha! Wyatt, I did it! I got through… but I don't see anything, though."
"That's because I'm not thinking of anything. Good job, Alexia. Let's rest for today."
I nodded. Somehow, this lesson felt like I already knew how to do all this—like I was just refreshing it again.
Odd.
Because I could swear I had never done any of this before.
After training with Wyatt, I showered and left for work when I received a call from Nadia.
"Miss, there is a problem."
I frowned. "What is it?"
"The project is… is… missing."
"Missing?"
"Yes. Yesterday, there was a break-in. After investigating, we found no trace of the culprit—but the project was gone."
"What the hell?!"
"I'm so sorry, Miss Alexia. I should have placed it in a more secure location. I should have investigated the staff better. I should have—"
Nadia tends to panic in situations like this. She's a bit of a neat freak and always blames herself when something goes wrong.
"It's okay, Nadia. It's not your fault. I'm not angry with you—but we do have to act quickly to retrieve it. Have the FBI come around?"
"They are already here."
"Give me 30 minutes."
"Any clue?" I asked the detective investigating the scene.
"No, ma'am. Whoever was behind this was a mastermind."
"Was a mastermind—or you're not doing your job well?"
"Miss, I am an FBI detective, which implies that I am more than capable for the job. As I said, there are no clues—but that doesn't mean we won't continue to search. We do have some leads, but we need to investigate."
"Officer, you don't understand. This is a very critical situation. Once this machine falls into the wrong hands, it can cause damage beyond your imagination," Nadia said.
"I understand, but we need to investigate, which takes time. So we require your patience."
"But—"
"Nadia," I cut in. "The officer is right. We should give them time to investigate. After all, we know it takes time. Let's leave them to their work. Officer, I would appreciate it if you could find more clues."
"You have my word, Miss."
I dragged Nadia into my car and drove off.
"Miss, if we don't act quickly, this could end very badly. Why are you so relaxed about all this?"
"Those men aren't who they are supposed to be. Something shady is going on, and while I look into it, I want you to be discreet. Go on with your day like any other day. Am I understood?"
I pulled over and stared firmly at her.
"Of course, Miss," she said, getting out.
"And one more thing."
She looked at me.
"Please be careful. These people might be dangerous."
"I'll try my best."
I nodded, then drove away to the darker side of the city.
Pulling up at a huge warehouse, wearing my silver-colored mask—with the ignition of three turning blades—and black sunglasses, I walked in.
The place was filled with notorious men and women. All of them gave a slight bow as I passed.
I threw a picture of a man onto the table.
"This man stole something very important from me, and I need you to retrieve it."
"What did he steal?" a sturdy, rough-looking man named Pete asked. "I don't mean to question you, but at least we should know what we're going for—and who we're going to meet."
I placed a picture of the machine on the table.
"This is what you're going to get. I don't know who's behind it yet, but whoever it is must have power and influence—seeing as the FBI is involved. So you'll have to be careful."
They all nodded in unison, then exchanged glances.
"Something I should know?" I raised a brow.
"Yes, Raven," a red-haired girl with an Irish accent spoke. "Concerning the affairs of the underworld—the Whites are making a move on every major group, tearing them down one by one."
"Have they made a move on us yet?"
"Not yet. But a few days ago, we received threatening notes saying we're next."
"Make no move yet. Secure all checkpoints, send reinforcements, and stay alert. If the Whites make a move—be prepared."
They nodded.
I walked out.
I drove over to my grandfather's company. Walking in, I approached the secretary.
"He's in his office, but Miss, you must have a meeting scheduled to see him."
When my grandfather died, I was put in charge of the company as CEO. But I was too broken to step in, so I had someone replace me—for the meantime. Most of the staff didn't even know me.
"I assure you, he would want to see me."
"I'm afraid I can't let you in."
She blocked my way. I rolled my eyes, clearly annoyed. I appreciated her doing her job—but I didn't have time for this.
Then suddenly—
A strange blue light flashed through her eyes.
She stepped aside quietly and returned to her desk.
I froze.
What just happened? Did I do that?
I'll ask Wyatt later.
I entered the elevator and made my way up. He was in a meeting, so I waited in the lobby.
After 30 minutes, someone stepped out.
That familiar sandalwood scent hit me instantly.
I looked up—
Asher.
Our eyes almost met, but I quickly looked away, pretending not to notice him.
And it wasn't easy.
"Alexia, you're here. Please, this way."
Hayden greeted me warmly, and I followed him into his office.
"Please, take a seat here," he said, pointing to his chair.
"No, there's no need for that. Thank you."
"But Alexia, you know you're supposed to be here."
"I know… but I'm more comfortable here."
"If you say so."
"I see everything is going well," I said, referring to his meeting.
"It is. Mr. Slade and I were discussing a project. From the looks of it, it will be beneficial to both of us."
"I didn't make the wrong choice with you," I smiled. "Anyway, I just came to check on things. I won't disturb you."
"Nonsense. You aren't disturbing me. Actually…" he pulled out an invitation, "I was going to send this to you."
"I'm getting married."
"Oh my—Hayden!" I stood and hugged him. "I'm so happy for you!"
"Thanks," he smiled brightly. "You can invite your squad—even the crazy blonde one."
"Of course we'll be there."
Later…
"Girls, guess who's getting married?" I said excitedly over the call.
"My gym instructor," Naomi said. "I knew he had a thing for that blonde."
"No."
"Oh! My colleague!" Clara jumped in.
"No, Clara!"
"Is it you?" Naomi teased.
"Ew, no! It's Hayden."
"What Hayden?" Clara asked.
"Hayden from high school!"
"Ohhh, the handsome nerd! What about him?"
"He's getting married! And he invited us!"
"Aww, that's sweet," Naomi said.
"What's sweet about marriage?" Clara scoffed. "Sounds like a burden."
I smiled, listening as they argued.
Then Naomi asked softly, "A… are you okay?"
I sighed.
"…The project was stolen."
Silence.
"That's bad," she said.
"It's dangerous."
After the call ended, I stared down at the bright red sachet in my hand.
Blood.
My grip tightened.
I felt… pathetic.