Chapter Eighteen
1468 Words
In and out,
In and out.
Her eyelids were heavy, a constant state of drifting in and out of consciousness.
Veiny fingers caressing her face...
Mismatched eyes staring at her,
Cool cloth on her stinging wounds.
Surely , she was imagining it.
A cool kiss on her forehead.
Cora thought she was dreaming then.
She blinked at the dark green celling . The fragments of her memory were like a dream each time she drifted back to consciousness only to pass out again.
Mr. Yong's treatment took a great toll on her body. She was in constant pain and exhaustion was killing her. She could briefly dream if not imagine gentle large veiny hands holding a spoon to her mouth to feed and she was very embarrassed.
Cora slowly sat up , she was pressed and did not even want to think about how the man from the bits and pieces of her memory helped her out when she was unconscious .
Her eyes darted around : the same large wooden bed, the same jungle green walls , a large wardrobe. She was back in her room , at Jonathan's house.
“ Oh no ! ” She gasped weakly and came to the full realization that it was Jonathan who most likey took care of her.
Cora struggled to leave the bed but just ended up an injured heap on the floor. She groaned when she heard the door open and the very last man she wanted to come face to face with stepped in , stopping at her side.
“ What a notorious...come back , ”he rasped.
Cora slowly looked up at that shiny black mask over his face dreadfully. He was in a white t-shirt, the first time she had seen him in one and her eyes roamed over his built chest for a minute then averted to the celling before she made a fool of herself.
“ I need to use the bathroom, ”
“ Okay , ”
She waited for a hand only to look back at him moments later to see him casually leaning on his cane and absently staring at the walls.
“ I need the bathroom, sir , ”
“ Okay , ”
She could hear the smugness in his voice, fueling her irritation.
Cora glared at him , “ I said, I need the bathroom. ”
She begun to panic. Her control was loosening.
“ I said , okay , ”
“ Please just take me , I - ”
Her eyes widened in mortification when she lost it and her bladder gave way. She burst into tears and turned her face away from him. It was the most demeaning thing she had ever experienced and she could not bear to see the disgust in his face and so she even shut her eyes.
“ Hey ! Hey ! It's ...okay , ” he rasped , the mischievous tone gone.
She felt gentle hands on her shoulder and she stared at him through her blurry vision .
“ It's okay , ”
He lifted her up gently and walked into the bathroom .
“ Might as well ...run you a ...bath , ” he said .
Jonathan lowered her into the tub while she gaped at him. His eyes twinkled in amusement.
“ Been bathing you , ”
“ Wh - what ? ”
“ For awhile now, ”
Cora blushed. Her mind yet to come to terms that the man infront of her used to bathe her. His hands tugged at her loose dress.
“ Uhm ! I think I can handle myself for now , ”
“ I see , ”
He withdrew and left the bathroom.
Cora felt terribly weak. She raised a trembling hand towards the faucet and it took forever for her to finally grasp it.
“ What did he do to me ? ” She wondered aloud.
She stared at her mildly stinging cuts . They would scar permanently, she observed and she shut her eyes using her entire strength to turn on the faucet.
She watched the tub fill up and she tried to turn off the faucet once the water was at the brim but she could not do it. Cora panicked, she was too weak to pull herself from the tub.
“ Mr. Blue ! ” She called out.
“ Mr. Blue ! ”
Her voice sounded so low that she was actually shocked but more relived when he showed up and quickly turned the water off.
Cora shook her head , “ Help me . ”
The man did not speak but gently got her soaked dress off and bathed her.
Life was quite peculiar.
The man she was sent to kill was the one gently taking care of her and not only that ,he was a whole charismatic tycoon: her boss. She was even at a loss over how to address him. Was it appropriate to still refer to him as ‘ boss ’ given that he most likely knew the entire truth ?
Cora dared a glance at his masked face, she could see his eyes try hard not to linger at her sensitive parts, instead darting between her limbs and neck. It went on until he spotted a wide cut on her belly then she saw blazing anger in his eyes.
“ Why are you helping me ? ” She blurted the question out.
He sighed , “ I'm not done ...with you yet. ”
“ What do you mean ? ”
“ That you should...shut up, ” he said angrily , “ Cora . ”
She cringed at the anger in his voice when he rasped her real name and his demeanor suddenly changed. His hands became jerky in movement and Cora could tell he was struggling to restrain his anger.
She swallowed.
Eventually, she was pulled from the water , dried harshly and another clean white cotton dress pulled over her head.
Cora almost yelped when he abruptly picked her up bridal style, a slight limp to his steps as he left the bathroom. He lowered her into a chair back in her room and strapped her hands to it.
She frowned in confusion and watched an angry Jonathan pace infront of her then the door opened and Lan came in.
She watched the boot clad man approach her then assess her appearance.
“ I hate to do this , ” Lan began, “ but we need to know a few things first before we do anything else. ”
She nodded warily.
“ So - ”
“ Why am I so weak ? ” Cora interrupted him.
“ Mr. Yong kept you chained for a long time and in the same position. We also traced a chemical used to slowly shut down the human system. He must have used it in the whips , but not to worry, we've taken care of it,”
“ Okay , ”
“ As I said , we need to know a few things , ” he said , his green eyes narrowing at her.
She nodded.
“ What's your profession ? ”
She nearly groaned, “ You already know. ”
“ I'd suggest you tame your smart mouth today, ”
Cora looked at Jonathan who was glaring at her from a corner in the room.
She gulped. This was not good.
“ Can't we do this another day ? ”
“ Don't make me do this , ”
“ Fine ! ”
“ What is your name ? ”
“ Cora Liya Dukuzumuremyi , ”
“ What is your profession? ”
“ An assassin heavily considering retirement, ”
“ For how long ? ”
“ Three years , ”
“ What type is your hair ? ”
“ The hell ! ”
“ Cora...”
She sighed, “ Four A ”
“ What's your profession ? ”
“ I said an assassin considering retirement, ”
“ Who do you work for ? ”
“ Mr. Yong , ”
“ Wrong answer , ”
“ What ? ”
“ What is three minus forty seven ? ”
“ Forty four, ”
“ How old are you ? ”
“ Twenty five , ”
“ What is your husband's name ? ”
“ What ? I'm single - not married, ”
“ What's your hair type ? ”
“ Four A ”
“ How long in your profession ? ”
“ Three years , ”
“ What is your name ? ”
“ Cora Liya Dukuzumuremyi, ”
“ Who do you work for ? ”
“ Mr. Yong , ”
“ Who is your boss ? ”
“ Mr. Blue- ”
She screamed, unbelievable jolts of electricity assaulting her body.
“ Please ! ” She cried out.
“ Who the hell do you work for ? ”
“ Mr. Yong - ( scream ) ”
He released the button of the remote in his hand.
“ Tell me the damn truth , Cora , please ! ”
She could hear the pleading and desperation in his voice.
“ Don't make me do this , ” green eyes stared at her hauntingly , “ who do you work for ? ”
Cora looked up at him.
An image of a laughing Master Yen flashed before her eyes and she could feel the warm embraces from him as he called her child. Cora knew she could not do it. There was no way she would drag the Don into the matter even if the man never helped her and she would rather die before mentioning Master Yen . They were the kindest people she had ever known, the only family she ever truly had.
She stared at him dead in the eye, “ Mr. Yong. ”
“ Who is your boss ? ”
“ Mr. Blue - ”
She screamed , her entire body shaking in pain. There was something she desperately wished for : death. She never had a good life anyway and she never saw the day that she would.
“ Stop ! ”
She heard him rasp.
“ Stop ! ”
“ Stop it Lan ! ”
The pain ceased . Her heart wild in her chest and her breathing was shallow.
“ Cora ? ”
“ Cora can you hear me ? ”
She was too tired and she gave into the darkness.
- Writer
