Liar Liar Billionaires

20. Must be out of his mind

Chloe's head was banging like she had downed thirty pints of alcohol the previous night. Groaning slightly as she sat up, Chloe wondered what could be the cause of her discomfort.

Something on her bed buzzed before she could figure that out.

As she reached for the satchel tucked within her sheets, a loud sneeze came, causing her even more distress. Sniffling, she took out her spy smartwatch, and with the quick decision of taking a risk at that moment, she didn't bother to get off her bed.

She was feeling too weak anyway.

"Agent Pepper here," she said when she connected her headset.

"What on freaking bollocks earth do you think you are doing, Pepper?"

"Agent Markings?" She recognised that angry voice anywhere. And she hated the man who owned it. He just always got on her nerves.

"No, Chloe. This is your mother." Chloe just had to manage a sigh and an eye roll at his sarcasm. "Why on earth are you helping a suspect?"

"So, you guys do watch me. No, let me put it better- you guys stalk me."

"Do I sound like I am in the mood for chit-chatting, Pepper?"

Chloe shrugged. "You are never in the mood for anything, sir."

"Don't get..." She heard him take a deep sigh, she imagined that his brows were knitting while he pinched his eyes. "Explain to me why you are helping Mr Cook."

"Because he isn't guilty of the crime he is being accused of."

"So, we are the wrong ones now, eh?"

"No, I am just saying... Listen, sir, at first it did seem like he did it, but as of yesterday, we found out that he is being framed," she said with a slight frown, her hand running through her hair as her headache worsened.

"Pepper..." A heavy pause followed. "I am trying to keep my cool here. So I will keep this simple. Face what you are there to do. Only that."

"So, I should sit back and watch an innocent man go to jail for a crime he didn't commit?"

"Chloe, do you still want those answers or not?" That question clipped her stubbornness. She instantly fell quiet. Markings continued, "If you don't need them, do as you wish over there and never come back to this agency."

"Sir..."

"Make your choice, Pepper."

Not even willing to continue arguing, she nodded and said, "I will consider your words, sir. I will make sure to face the mission squarely henceforth."

"You had better." He did not even give her the chance to ask about Agent Conner when he disconnected.

She flung the headset and slid back into the comforts of her sheets.

Then, she thought about the state of her mission. Things were changing course.

The guilty were being proven innocent. She had become part of Amir's little party of finding out who was framing him. She was acting contrary to what the Agency sent her to do.

With a groan, Chloe slammed her hands over her face. She was not making sense to herself. She was not even meant to be thinking at that moment, it just worsened the mess in her head.

As she checked the time, she realised how late she was for the day’s work. But she did not bother herself with jumping out of bed because the job wasn't even a real one.

So, she took her time, which was about two hours, before she finally left her room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Chl...oe," Amir's voice dragged when he saw her face. "What's wrong? You look like someone flogged the heck out of you."

Chloe, who had cast aside her work to take a break on a nearby couch, opened her eyes and looked his way. "That doesn't even make any sense."

His lips scrunched. "Are you fine? You look sick."

"Just some crazy headache and..."

"Why are you up then?" He rushed to her side. "You should be in bed. Come on." He gently lifted her arm. "Let's get you in bed, have you drink soup, take some medicine."

"Ughh." Chloe stuck her tongue out. "I hate medicine." Amir dropped her arm, squatted before her. With curious eyes, he leaned in closer, his face only inches from hers. Chloe could strongly smell him. "Uh... Amir?"

"Chloe, we need to get you to the hospital." He did not move a step back; his worried gaze held her heavy ones. "You are burning up. I can feel your high temperature without touching you."

Chloe chuckled dismissively, "I don't... I am not hot."

"Well, you are actually hot." Chloe's brows furrowed. "I am serious." Her eyes shifted, and he continued, "But to be more serious, you need to go to the hospital."

"Who needs to go to the hospital?" Gabriel's voice came in.

"Not me," Chloe immediately refuted.

"Lies." Gabriel's eyes displayed concern when he saw her. "You need to be in a hospital."

"We should carry her if she refuses."

"Maybe we should sedate her first. I feel she will be very feisty if we attempt to move her," Gabriel suggested.

"Good idea. I think I still have those medications Dr Hallow gave me..."

"I am right here, guys." Chloe broke their deliberations. "And, I don't need a hospital. All I need is my bed and a very, very long sleep." Another sneeze followed, destabilising her even further. She just hated feeling sick.

"You do look sleepy," Amir commented.

"Exactly." Her eyes fell heavy again, and she just had to close them.

"What is going on here?" Nathaniel joined the gathering.

"Chloe is sick. She needs to go to the hospital," Amir replied.

Her eyes snapped open. "Please, no hospitals. I hate them."

She sensed Nathaniel moving away from them and further into the room. "Well, if you had not spent a great deal of time outside, you wouldn't have to go to one."

"This guy..." Amir complained.

"Have you always been a d**k, or did you just become one?"

Nathaniel turned to face Gabriel. "Excuse me?"

"What is it with you since yesterday?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are acting like a douche, and you normally don't. That's Amir's thing to do."

Amir butted in, "I should be angry at that, but you are right." Then, he took a few steps back as though creating a fight area for the duo, who were glaring at each other hard.

Nathaniel gave a short laugh. "You are calling me a douche."

"I won't have to if you stop being rude to Chloe. And, when did this start? I thought you liked her."

"Me liking her doesn't mean I would shut up when I see her doing something stupid."

Gabriel's face instantly wore disbelief. "So, helping Amir was something stupid?"

Chloe wanted to interrupt them, but she found the scene in front of her cinema worthy. So she sat back and watched.

"That's not..." Nathaniel sighed as he shook his head. "Why are you even acting this way?"

"What way?"

"You are acting like you like her or something."

"Well, maybe I do like her." Chloe's eyes darted left to right, then left again, her eyes super squinted. "No. You know what, I like her." Chloe's jaw dropped, and Amir's head tilted as he wondered if he had heard right. "I like Chloe."

Chloe's eyes widened. He was actually serious.

Nathaniel huffed. "You are just talking s**t. Aren’t you pathetic?"

"Nathaniel," Gabriel doubled his steps till he was eye to eye with the man whose blue eyes glared dangerously. "From this moment onward, neglecting the fact that you have an interest in Chloe, I will be working towards making her the woman in my life. And trust me, I ‘will’ make sure she becomes the woman in my life."

"Wow. This guy must be out of his mind," Amir said from where he stood.

"No, Amir. I am very serious. So Nathaniel, watch out, I am out to steal your girl."

"Uh..." Quite taken aback, Chloe jumped into the heated exchange. "Just putting it out there, I am no one's girl..." The duo snapped their heads in her direction. "Yet." She felt she had to add that.

"Don't worry…" Gabriel looked at Nathaniel, a smug look on his cute face. "That is about to change."

"Uh... Chloe," Amir moved closer to her. "We should get you to your room."

She quickly nodded her head in agreement and got up with her reserved strength. Anything to leave the unexpected drama she just witnessed.

"Did I imagine that? she asked Amir as soon as they left the room.

"Everything was real, Chloe."

"Huh..." She was not sure what to make of the recent development.

"Chloe, darling, forget about that and focus on resting. We have a lot to do, remember?" She nodded, shut out all thoughts, and let him carefully lead her to her room.