“The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night.”
— Haruki Murakami
. . .
It was two hours before midnight when her cellphone suddenly began ringing, Cassandra–assuming that it was just probably Cyan calling to pester her why she missed dinner for the fourth time this week and was still working at the office–opted to ignore it as she continued to pore over some of the files that needed her immediate signature… until the noise finally bothered her.
Suppressing an aggravated huff, Cassandra tugged the phone out of her pocket, mentally preparing the argument she’s going to present to Cyan…
That is, until she read the caller ID.
It was Akihiro.
She immediately answered and swiped the screen to answer the call as she held the phone closer to her ear, doing a quick scan around her office just in case her bodyguard was within earshot… just because Anton’s not in plain sight doesn’t mean he’s not in this office.
“Nani?” (What?)
There was a moment of silence.
It was kind of disturbing. Cassandra was so used to her… former professor’s ability to always have a reply ready for the most part. And, well… he hadn’t really told her directly, but she was getting the feeling that Hiro wasn’t the type to contact one of his (former or not) students through a phone call. He’d always reached out to her by her school email, or he sends messages.
“Uh... Lunamor?”
Cassandra very nearly sprang out of her seat.
That voice did not belong to Akihiro.
It sounded far too uncertain, lacking the faint traces of a Japanese accent that Cassandra had gotten so used in hearing from Akihiro whenever he speaks, and for some odd reason, despite the fact that the voice who answered was so wrong in so many levels, it was still… kind of familiar? She had heard this voice from somewhere… but where?
“Who is this? Where did you get that phone?”
“Uh, it’s M-Mr. Anderson,” there was a faint shuffling noise in the background, “…you know, your professor in World Litera—oh, FUCK! IS HE DEAD?!”
Despite herself, Cassandra began to feel uneasy. She could practically feel the panic oozing from her professor’s voice. She couldn’t be too sure who the ‘he’ in question was, but she suspected that Professor Anderson most likely meant Akihiro.
She just hoped that he was wrong, that there might be some sort of misunderstanding... for Anderson’s sake, this better not be a prank call.
“Professor,” Cassandra began, effectively cutting the older man from going straight into a panic attack. Had he somehow forgotten that she was still on the line even though he had been the one to call her? Why did he even call her in the first place? “You need to calm down–”
“Calm down? CALM DOWN?! KID, YOU DON’T GET TO TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!” Anderson’s unholy screeching noises barely made Cassandra wince (no thanks to the worst of Cyan’s temper tantrums) although she did tilt the phone away from her a bit, “…Hiro’s bleeding all over my carpet! Which part was I supposed to be calm for?!”
…What?
Cassandra’s pride would never let her admit it to anyone, but her brain effectively felt like it just shut down in that one moment.
“Is this a joke?” she finally snapped.
The many questions she had remained unanswered, much to her annoyance, no matter how much she raised her voice to the point that Anton and one of the guards were hovering by the doorway. A bit distracted, and still incensed, Cassandra watched Anton’s mouth opening–no doubt to ask her if there was something wrong.
She angrily waved them both away as she tried to make sense of what was happening on the other line.
Anderson may be no longer paying attention to her, but if she listens hard enough, she might have an idea what the hell just happened… unfortunately, judging from the faint sound of his voice, it seemed like he wasn't even near the phone anymore.
Then she heard it.
Akihiro’s name.
Anderson was pleading for Akihiro to stay awake.
This time, Cassandra did stand up.
Then, as she began to march out of her office without her coat and her phone still firmly placed by her ear, she hissed out an order to her bodyguard: “Chiama SkyCare.” (Call Skycare)
Barely stepping out of her way, Anton pulled out his phone and began dialing the emergency number before he hurriedly jogged after her to the elevators. “Signorina, cosa sta succedendo?” (Ma'am, what's going on?)
" Metti la linea sull'altoparlante." (Put the line on speaker) Cassandra simply told him as they both got inside the elevator. To the guard, she said: “Lock my office and secure the floor. I don’t want anyone else stepping foot here, especially in my office until I come back.”
The guard nodded frantically just as the doors closed. Anton diligently held up the phone towards her. Someone had already picked up the call. Good. She’s not in the mood to wait.
“SkyCare Hospital, what's your—?”
“This is Cassandra Lunamor of Luna Enterprises.” she didn't bother waiting for the lady to finish her sentence as she opened another tab on her phone–pointedly trying not to react as she can still faintly hear Anderson’s panicked calls for help on the other line–to search for the necessary details. “My boyfriend was shot in his friend’s house. Get them an ambulance.”
Cassandra immediately listed out Anderson’s address (thank God unlike Akihiro’s, Anderson’s account was not set in private; the home address was literally posted on his social media)
“I understand ma’am, but don’t worry one of the neighbors have called a few seconds earlier and it is already on the way now.”
Not good enough.
“Have him placed in a private room as soon as he gets there under Doctor Florentino’s care,” she demanded just as the elevators opened once more.
“Yes, m–”
Cassandra barely waited for the agent to finish her sentence before she signaled her bodyguard to end the call.
As they both stepped out of the elevator, Cassandra went silent as she tried listen to what she could hear through her cell phone. From what she can hear, it seemed like the medics have already arrived on the scene and were telling people to back away, judging by the faint sirens that was going on and on in the distance.
She hung up.
There was no point in keeping the call going if Anderson couldn’t be bothered to answer, and no one’s going to tell her what the hell just happened to Hiro anyway.
By the time Anton opened the door for her to exit the building, she spotted her driver already waiting for her inside the car. Had it been another situation, she would have smirked at the old man’s foresight.
And everyone still bothers to wonder how come Nonno Autista lasted so long as her driver… “Portami subito all'ospedale SkyCare.” (Take me to SkyCare hospital now.)
Bartolini must have sensed the urgency from her voice because as soon as Cassandra had finished putting her seatbelt on, he immediately pulled away from the curb without bothering to ask questions (unlike her bodyguard) and slammed his foot down on the accelerator.
Cassandra wondered what she should do once she got there. She doubted she could do anything much to help… other than filling the necessary paperwork Then again, the hospital might ask for one of Hiro’s immediate family to get on with it but as far as Cassandra was aware, Hiro doesn’t have any family other than his little sister (who was also hospitalized and is currently residing in said hospital) so… the task should naturally fall to her.
Fake or not, Akihiro had already signed the contract and it is in Cassandra’s best interest to make sure that Akihiro receives the best treatment for whatever had happened to him.
The idea that he had been shot (in a friend’s apartment no less) didn’t sit well with her. Akihiro doesn’t have any known enemies… at least, not from what she had observed. Megan’s face immediately came to mind but for all the older woman’s faults, she doesn’t strike Cassandra the type to kill someone. There’s no reason for anyone, even Megan, to call a hit on him.
Unless…
“Anton,”
Her bodyguard turned to look at her.
“Hai detto a mio nonno che avevo una relazione con il mio professore?” (Did you tell my grandfather I was having an affair with my professor?)
At that moment, they passed a tunnel, making the interior the car turn dark with only the headlights showing the path just straight ahead… although Cassandra can still see half of her bodyguard’s face shrouded in the darkness.
A shadow, Damian had called him.
…the prince couldn’t have been more right.
This man might have served as her bodyguard for an entire month and while Cassandra couldn’t deny the fact that he was good–too good–at his job, Anton was still employed by her grandfather, tasked with the duty of protecting the only daughter of the Lunamor family (and to report any suspicious or untoward activity she might be doing as well) … she couldn’t trust him.
Trusting is a double-edged sword.
And while that sword may not end up stabbing her in the back in the most literal way possible, there’s a possibility that it will turn against the people around her.
After all…
“…certo che lo faccio.”
Cassandra’s eyes instantly narrowed just as the city lights came flooding back to illuminate her guard’s smiling face.
Fucking bastard.
Anton’s job is to watch her.
And only her.
“Se muore... ci sarà l'inferno da pagare.” Cassandra hissed.
If he dies… there will be hell to pay. And she couldn’t even find it in her to take a step back to examine that yes, this wasn’t a threat.
Anton must have realized that his lady boss was dead serious as well because his smile falters for a moment as a tensed silence falls between the three of them inside the car. It was so thick; the silence was almost like a living thing that could be cut by a knife as the two of them glared across each other.
Fortunately, it was her driver who cuts through it.
“Non si preoccupi, signorina Cassandra,” he tells her with that same soothing smile he had on the night she and her brother were sitting on the garage, waiting for their parents to–…no. Don’t go there. “Sono sicuro che i dottori non lasceranno morire il signor Hiro mentre sapevano che sei in sala d'attesa.” (Don't worry, Miss Cassandra. I'm sure the doctors won't let Mr. Hiro die while they knew you're in the waiting room.)
She deadpanned at the old man’s reflection, ignoring how her stomach feels like it was falling or something, “Stranamente, questo non mi fa sentire meglio.” (Strangely, this doesn't make me feel any better.)
He only gave her a weak grin.
Cassandra leaned back on her seat, before turning her head away (partly so she wouldn’t have to look at the damned traitor sitting right next to her and partly to calm herself down) to stare at the street outside the car…
The thought that something serious could have happened… was happening to Akihiro while he was on the way to the hospital–the same way her mother was reported to be still breathing but somehow declared dead upon her arrival on the hospital–made her slam her fist against the window, making the others flinch at the spiderweb-like crack she had made on the clear glass.
God… damn it.
She get it.
She gets it now.
And Cassandra thinks she has never hated her grandfather more than she had ever hated him at this moment. How could she be so stupid?
“Signorina…?”
Ignoring them, Cassandra pulled out her phone and tried calling Akihiro’s number again. Perhaps Akihiro was already awake, or maybe Anderson was just overreacting, and it really was just a minor issue…
It rang a few times before going straight to his voicemail.
“Hello, you've reached Professor Hiro at Athena’s Sacred Tree Academy. I’m sorry but I'm unable to come to the phone right now. Just leave your name and number, and I'll return your call as soon as I'm free. Thank you."
Cassandra patiently listened to his voice until it ends before chucking her phone across the seat from her, never mind the fact that it nearly hit Anton’s face if it weren’t for his quick reflexes.
Damn it.