Chapter 5 Even the Score
974 Words
"Who's there!" Hetty's nerves had been on edge, and she grabbed the vase nearby, ready to defend herself.
Slowly, a shadow approached the glass window, and then Hetty saw Alvar's attractive face. Unfazed by the vase in Hetty's hand, he flashed her a brilliant smile.
'Hasn't he left already? Why is he here?'
Though she was still puzzled, she opened the window for him.
"You..."
Before Hetty could finish her question, Alvar's fingertips lightly traced her slender neck.
His blond hair caught the moon's glow, casting an enigmatic silver sheen as he leaned in, his voice a dangerous whisper. "It's unwise to open the window so readily, Hettie. If I wanted to kill you, I could have slit your throat by now."
Hetty couldn't help but shiver, a tingling sensation spreading from the skin where Alvar touched to the rest of her body. Her heartbeat raced uncontrollably with a mix of fear and allure.
"Have you come to kill me, then?"
Alvar retracted his fingers. "You've given me ten million, my biggest patron. I owe you my loyalty."
"Then why are you here, Alvar?"
Alvar quickly winked. "I heard the Amelias have installed the world's most advanced security system, and I thought it would be nice if I could sneak in without noticing."
That was a rather dubious explanation.
Hetty was about to press him further when Alvar shifted the conversation.
"Your security system is a joke, but your family drama is quite entertaining."
He leaned in so close to Hetty that their lips nearly met and asked in a voice like they were sharing a secret, "Hettie, as a formidable CEO, how did you let a mere girl like Amy get the upper hand?"
"It's none of your business." Hetty realized Alvar had heard her argument with Amy, and her face darkened immediately.
Those moments of vulnerability were private, and she resented Alvar for treating them as entertainment.
"I give you three minutes to leave. After that, I'm calling security. If you don't want to use my money for school, prison might suit you better; they'll teach you not to intrude and spy on people's lives," Hetty warned coldly.
"Three minutes? That's plenty."
Hearing Hetty's words, Alvar didn't leave; instead, he nimbly climbed through the window.
"What are you doing?" Hetty exclaimed in disbelief.
Alvar didn't answer. He moved to the door and picked the lock in a heartbeat. Peeking out for a brief observation, he glanced back at Hetty.
"Amy, right? The prick who hit you earlier. Does she live at the end of the hall?"
"Why do you ask?"
"There it is."
Before Hetty could question his intentions, Alvar was out the door, moving with the grace of a young panther.
As Hetty reached the doorway, she caught only a glimpse of him at Amy's door, a blue shadow slipping from his sleeve and entering Amy's room through the door crack.
"What have you done?" Hetty asked urgently as Alvar returned. "Are you going to kill her?"
"Relax, she won't die. She bullied you, and I'm simply evening the score," Alvar said with a sly smile.
'Evening the score?'
Hetty was taken aback, feeling absurd and oddly touched.
"Why?" she couldn't help but ask. They had only met for the first time today; why would Alvar care so much about her?
"Consider it a favor for the ten million," Alvar replied, then changed the subject abruptly, "Three minutes already?"
"What?" Hetty stumbled, thrown by Alvar's rapid shifts. "I suppose... I don't know, maybe a few seconds are left..."
"Can't waste the last few seconds either," Alvar said, brushing his lips against Hetty's before dashing to the window and leaping out.
"Good heavens!" Hetty instinctively rushed to the window, worriedly looking out, just in time to see Alvar blow her a kiss and disappear into the night with the agility of a cheetah.
'What a madman.'
Hetty touched the spot where Alvar had kissed, lost in thought for a moment before a soft laugh escaped her.
Alvar Groot was such a man of mystery and enchantment.
Unfortunately, they probably wouldn't see each other again.
Meanwhile, Alvar returned to his Rolls-Royce, where Amelia's family doctor, Melissa Holt, was anxiously waiting.
"Alvar, you entered Hetty's room! That wasn't part of our plan," Melissa chided, her voice laced with doubt and reproach.
She was right. Alvar's plan had been to infiltrate the estate, plant the hacking hardware, and leave undetected. But witnessing Hetty's mistreatment by Amy had given him pause.
"It was a good opportunity to get closer to our target," Alvar explained as he slid into the car.
"This isn't you, Alvar! Don't tell me you're interested in that woman. What about our plan..." Melissa continued as she joined Alvar in the car, her words relentless.
Mike, sensing the tension, interjected, "Alright, Melissa, Alvar knows what he's doing. He's more committed to our revenge than any of us."
Alvar, Melissa, and Mike were all participants in the revenge plan, seeking vengeance for their common father. But Melissa and Mike were adopted by their father from an orphanage; only Alvar was blood-related to him.
No one felt the loss more keenly than Alvar, and no one was more determined to see their plan through.
Hearing Mike's words, Alvar lowered his eyes, his slender fingers grazing his lips as if reliving a memory. It was hard to say if he did it for reminiscing or simply wanted to wipe it away.
He reached for the laptop, swiftly hacking into Amelia's security system, monitoring every corner of the house through the security cameras.
His gaze lingered for a second on the image of Hetty's room before he forced it away, his blue eyes cold and detached as he announced, "I've breached the security system; Crown Hotel is the next."
'Looking forward to our next meeting, my prey.'
- Writer
