The King of City

29 RESIGNATION

"Where are you?". Elsa said, doing the claim to Lionel who hadn’t come to pick her up. "A while ago I’m dressed and organized, I’m supposed to have started in that new university recently and if I miss many times, I’ll surely lose many subjects".

"Sorry, I had something important to do. Are you already there?".

"No, you know that I cannot leave my house without an escort, and less since what happened with Bennet". And taking a breath for not to explode, she continued. " Just come and don't delay!". Then she hung up.

Lionel had to give up Gray Umbrella in order to continue with his objective of following Elizabeth's trial, however, he had to tell Elsa first, with whom he already had a very close relationship, but it hadn’t been possible to tell him such news during the call since first it wasn’t the appropriate means and second, as was Elsa's custom, she hung up the phone. Then, immediately, Lionel went to his car to go to the Einstein’s mansion, when he got to the car, he had such bad luck that it didn’t turn on, so he had to go out to take a taxi, which wasn’t easy, since there was no whereabouts at the scene, when he finally reached the Einstein mansion, Lionel was two hours late, prepared to go in and rang the bell.

"Einstein Mansion". Roger the butler said.

"Good afternoon ¿Is Elsa there?". Lionel asked over the radio.

"Ah, you are Miss Elsa's 'escort'". Roger said recognizing Lionel. "She left twenty minutes ago, however she wrote a letter for you".

"Can you give it to me?"

"It cannot".

"Why don't you want to give it to me?". Lionel said enraged.

"Mister 'escort', it isn’t that ‘I don’t want to deliver' the letter, as you say." He paused to verify that Lionel was paying attention to him and continued. "What happens is that the letter no longer exists, Miss Elsa burned it by throwing it in the fireplace, along with a bottle of bon délicieux from 86. I thought it would burn the whole house".

"And what did the letter say?". Lionel asked desperately.

"How could I know?". The butler said defensively. "She just said, 'He don't deserve to know where I’m if he deigns to show up, tell him that he lacks manners and that if anything happens to me, it will fall on his conscience'". He said.

Lionel couldn’t utter a word to what the butler said, so Roger ended by saying. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to attend dinner and get someone to paint the fireplace again". Then he hung up the radio.

Now, Lionel, he didn’t know what to do, on the one hand, he didn’t want Elsa to do something crazy and put his life at risk and on the other, he didn’t want to give up Gray Umbrella without Elsa knowing, because he wouldn’t want her to find out about that In his determination, he preferred to do it personally. He had to ponder his thoughts for a long time, even if it was a small clue of where she might be, but he only came up with one place. After this he wasted no time and shot like a bullet, however, he didn’t have a car at that time which made it very difficult for him to get a taxi, because in that neighborhood everyone had cars and even drivers, so he would have to walk a good time until you find something. At last, it was a man who picked him up to see him walk alone and told him that he would take him to where he needed.

"I just need you to take me downtown, thank you very much". Lionel said to the mysterious driver, when he got there he went directly to the stone tower, it was a great monument that could be entered at any time, it had beautiful architecture, which made it seem that it was made of stone despite its construction was recent. It was really the tallest building in town, but Lionel headed there for a memory of a conversation with Elsa.

"What is this place?". Lionel asked on that occasion.

"It’s a rock tower," Elsa replied

"It looks like an ordinary building. Why are we here?". Lionel thought there was no point in going to a place like that. 

"Don't be insensitive!". Elsa chided him. "We are here because it’s my special place."

"And why is such an ordinary place like this so special to you?". Lionel asked with a genuine interest in what Elsa would answer.

"This place has been my favorite for many years, I discovered it the day mom and dad divorced." Elsa's voice was beginning to falter. "So, I ran and ran, I didn’t want to be found so I entered here". Elsa was saying to him, while the two of them ascended more and more up the stairs.

"But why is it so precious to you?"

"Haven't you wondered why I like football so much?". Elsa said smiling, as they reached the rooftop door, then she opened the door and big flashes of lights blinded Lionel who wasn’t expecting it. "When I came here this was what comforted me on that occasion". In the town, there were two football stadiums and both were seen from the tower completely, which made a great show because you could see the game of the two stadiums, the bustle of the stadium was heard in the distance when any of The two teams scored felt the clamor of the spectators celebrating the victory of their team. It was really amazing. 

"That's why I like this place and football so much". Elsa smiled and said no more.

While Lionel remembered those moments, he was going up the stairs at full speed, his pulse was rising, only a few stairs were missing, he was almost there, he reached the rooftop door and for a moment he hesitated and stood thinking that he was going to say when he saw her, he hadn’t stopped to think about it, all because of his eagerness to just find her and that she didn’t do anything crazy. He spent almost five minutes of idly wandering. When suddenly.

"You're getting in the way". A voice talked to Lionel behind him. "First you don't pick me up and now you won't let me through". Lionel turned and saw that she was Elsa, who with an angry look was talking to him.

"ELSA! I was so worried about you". Lionel said sincerely, but from Elsa's expression, she didn’t believe him.

"Just leave me alone and go away, after all, three hours late isn’t an accident". Elsa said trying to go through the door that Lionel blocked. Suddenly Lionel gave her a big hug, she punched and kicked him, but in the end, she gave up and said. "You are a fool!".

"I'm sorry for disappointed you". Lionel said sincerely.

Later, they both sat for a long time on the roof watching the football games, which served to raise Elsa's spirits and leave behind the differences between the two, so Lionel took the opportunity to finally tell her.

"Elsa, I'm not going to work for Gray Umbrella anymore". Lionel told her.

"Why? Don't tell me you got bored with me". Elsa joked.

"It’s nothing like that, only I must resign to continue with my goals. Does it bother you?".

"Will we stop seeing each other?".

"Not at all".

"Then there is no problem for me". Elsa said and smiled at Lionel to stop him from being so tense.

At the end of the games they were watching on the roof, Lionel took Elsa to his house and Lionel went to his, so Lionel wrote his letter of resignation and sent it to the director of Gray Umbrella, who didn’t take long to respond, trying to reverse Lionel's decision, from the flexibility of schedules and being capable choose the case he wanted, to salary increases, however, Lionel didn’t give in and with this ended Lionel's cycle in Gray Umbrella.