CHAPTER 19

"I already examined your blood."

A day passed, and I returned to Atlas' warehouse. He allowed me to go home again. I was with him now, and we were back in the main hall of section 1 lab. Ria wasn't here because she had something to attend to in the production area where they were making drugs, as some were going to be sent to Mexico. She said they were kind of in a rush because there was a problem with the shipping.

We were in the same place where Ria took my blood. He was sitting in a swivel chair, reading something on the tablet he was holding, while I was sitting quietly in the empty chair in front of his desk.

I frowned when I saw the corner of his lips rose, and he adjusted his glasses. He was trying to hide a smile while still looking at what he was reading, as if he was very interested in what he was reading. His gaze fell on me and his left eyebrow raised, then he put the tablet on the table.

"Hmm... this is very interesting, huh," he said softly to me.

"What is it, Atlas?" I asked, confused. "Did you find something wrong with my blood? Ria said you would tell me what my blood type is."

He nodded. "Yes. I'll tell you your blood type, don't worry. You have the rarest blood type, Sarah. The thing is why it's very interesting because one of my frontliners has the same blood type as yours. Your blood type is an A-negative."

A-negative?

"I think Ria already told you that I'll take one or two bags of blood from you."

I slowly nodded. "Yes."

"Okay. Stay here for the meantime. I'll just get something outside for a bit," he said.

I didn't reply because he left in a hurry. I just sat quietly in my seat and waited for him. There were still a lot of things to do before I could start working for them.

'The thing is why it's very interesting because one of my frontliners has the same blood type as yours.'

Maybe it's just a coincidence that I have a match. But he said my blood type is rare, so I'm curious who that is. I know he knows them because they work for him.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"Who is the person who has the same blood type as me, Atlas?" I asked him.

I was now lying on a hospital bed with the backrest up while squeezing a stress ball. I looked up at the ceiling and didn't bother to look at Atlas, who was now sitting quietly in the swivel chair, busy reading his tablet. Sometimes I could even hear him typing on his laptop keyboard.

"You don't need to know that," I heard him reply.

"Sorry," I replied in a soft voice. "Do I really have to live here in your warehouse after this?"

"Yes."

My chest tightened when I heard his answer. Could it not be changed? It would be a big adjustment for me if that happened.

"Can't I visit my mom even once? Just for a little while?" I repeated.

He rested his right elbow on the table and propped his chin on his palm as he looked at me. He shook his head several times, which made my chest tighten even more.

"Yes and yes. Do you think your family will be safe if you still go home to them while you're working for me? We don't know what might happen next, Sarah. So it's better if you don't go home to your family anymore."

I secretly clenched my fist as I squeezed the stress ball I was holding. I looked away and turned my gaze back to the ceiling. Why did I even ask that when I knew he saw me crying now?

"Besides, why would you even go home? I know that your mother hates you. What's the point of going home to your house if your mother hates you? They treated you badly. There's no other reason for you to go home anymore."

I swallowed hard as I clutched my chest, feeling it tighten. My eyes were already blurry from my tears that were welling up. I couldn't stop them from falling down my cheek because I was hurt by what he said.

"I-I love them..." my voice trembled as I replied.

"Did they even love you?" he asked me.

My vision blurred again, and my tears continued to fall down my cheek because of his answer. I couldn't stop myself from sobbing because everything my mother did to me replayed in my mind.

How she would always get angry with me whenever she saw me. How she would yell at me for every little thing I did around the house. No matter what I did that I thought would make her happy, it would always end up with her yelling and throwing hurtful words at me, and it felt like she wanted me gone from their lives.

I paused in my thoughts.

I couldn't control my crying anymore and just silently cried while lying on the bed. Maybe that's what she wanted, who would want to see the result of being raped by her?

"I'll ask you again, Sarah. Did she even love you? Did your mother love you?"

"She doesn't love you."

"Your mother doesn't care for you, and you already know what the reason is."

He kept saying things that made me feel like I was going crazy. My breathing quickened, and my grip on the stress ball tightened. I felt like I couldn't, and my heart was beating so fast.

"Because you're a rap—"

"Stop, Atlas," I said, hurt. "I-I won't go home anymore. Are you happy now? You don't need to remind me that my mom doesn't love me because I already know that," I sobbed.

"That's good. I'll give you one day to bring your important belongings from your house here and after that, you come back here immediately."

"If I do as you say and live here under your control, will my mom be safe from the work I'm doing here?" I asked, wiping my tears.

I wanted to get up, but I couldn't because they were about to finish filling the first bag of my blood, and there was still a second one because that's what Atlas wanted.

"Of course. They're not involved in what you're doing here, so don't worry, they'll be safe," he smiled thinly at me when I glanced at him.

My eyes stung from crying, and my eyelids were getting heavy. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, still looking at me.

"How can I be sure?" I asked.

I need and want to know if my mom will be safe because the work I'm doing now is no joke. I don't want my mom to get involved, and I don't want anything bad to happen to her.

"You need to create a new identity when you enter our organization. Since you're still new and your data is still being processed in our system, I will handle your training for now. Don't worry, only I and the big bosses of each faction of El Orden Del Abismo know your true identity, and no one else."

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"Where are you going? Why are you packing?"

I looked up when I heard my mother's voice. I didn't notice she had already entered my room. I was busy putting my other clothes in my black backpack.

I stood up and zipped up the backpack after I put everything in there. When I looked at my mother, she was still standing outside my room. She was standing with her hands on her hips, a toothpick in her mouth.

"I have an overnight stay at Ei's place, Mom," I replied politely. "After that, I'll go straight to my workplace so I might come home the next day."

One of her eyebrows raised at what I said. She folded her arms in front of me and entered the room. She eyed the bag I was carrying. I was nervous because she might have a hunch that I wasn't coming back, but if she knew, maybe she would even be happy.

"Who is this Ei? Does she have a lot of money?" she asked.

I quickly shook my head at her. "No. It's her birthday today, and she invited me to her house. The party starts this afternoon, so I'm sure she'll make me stay there."

She scoffed at me and seemed annoyed by my answer. Whenever money was involved, her ears perked up. The thing is, I didn't want to tell her because she would surely say that I was taking advantage of Ei.

"Make sure that your first salary from your job goes to me."

I slowly nodded at her. "Yes."

Atlas hadn't mentioned anything to me about my salary, especially how I would get it. I wasn't going to argue with my mother anymore to avoid a fight.

I was ready to leave the house because I was already dressed. I was wearing a simple, fitted white shirt and nude slacks. The whole room was quiet because neither of us spoke. My chest felt tight because this was my last chance to be with and see my mother.

I sighed, and I knew she would be surprised by what I was about to do. It was better this way than to say goodbye to her because I knew she wouldn't agree. I hugged her tightly, very tightly, because I knew this wouldn't happen again.

"What's wrong with you?" my mother complained when I held her tightly. "Let go of me!"

I didn't let go of her. I hugged her even tighter. She was struggling in my arms, but I didn't let go.

"Let go of me, I said!"

She pushed me hard, causing me to stumble back. The tears I had been holding back finally fell in front of her. My mother's figure was blurry to me because I couldn't control my tears anymore. Her eyebrows were almost furrowed in annoyance.

"What's wrong with you, Sarah? Are you crazy?"

"I-I just wanted to hug you," I sobbed in response.

Her face turned sour at what I said. She didn't seem to like it based on her facial reaction.

"Get out of here. You're just making me angry," she shooed me away.

It felt like millions of needles were piercing my heart because of what she said. My chest tightened with what my mother was saying. I just cried silently in front of her and didn't say anything anymore.

I spent a few minutes crying in my room before I left the house. My black bag was slung over my shoulder, and I was ready to leave. My mother wasn't in the living room, and I knew she was in her room. I looked at our house from outside our gate one last time before I walked away.

"Next time, this house will be fine, Mom. Just wait," I whispered to myself, as if she could hear me.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

I was able to visit Ei at her condo after I left home. She was surprised when I suddenly showed up because I didn't text her that I would be visiting her.

"It's a good thing I just got home from work. Maybe you waited outside my unit or in the lobby. Have you eaten?"

Ei just came out of her room, freshly showered and dressed. She had a wide smile on her lips as she walked towards me.

"Sorry for coming here without telling you," I said shyly.

She just laughed at me and sat down beside me on the sofa. She put his arm around my arm and rested her head on my shoulder, then took her phone, which was on the center table, before leaning back on her seat.

"Let's just order food so we can eat right away. I'm too lazy to cook. It's tiring to work," she told me while looking at her phone.

"Sure, you decide," I replied with a smile.

She had already ordered food, and we just waited for a few minutes. We immediately ate the food after it was delivered to Ei's unit. We ate it in her mini dining area where we always have breakfast.

"I won't be staying here for long, Ei," I said when I put down the soft drink I was drinking.

She looked up while chewing. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she looked at me.

"Why?" she asked. "Do you want me to drive you home? My driver isn't around now, but my car is in the parking lot. Maybe something bad will happen to you outside if you go home this late. It's already night."

I just left my backpack with the guard for a while so that Ei wouldn't notice where I was going. After this, I would go straight to Atlas' warehouse. I needed to spend my remaining time with Ei because I know I'll never go see her again.

"No, I can manage, Ei," I replied with a smile.

I put down the spoon I was holding and reached for her hand. She looked at me because of what I did.

"I just want to thank you for everything, Ei. Thank you for coming when Rafael was gone. I thought I wouldn't have any other friends, but I was wrong. I guess it would be better if Rafael was here because he wasn't just my friend but you are too," I said softly to her.

She paused what she was doing and just looked at me. She tightened his grip on my hand and smiled thinly at me.

"You're always welcome, Sarah," she replied softly to me. "Is there something wrong? Why does it seem like you're saying goodbye? Do you have a problem? You know I'm always here for you. I'll listen to your problems."

I shook my head. "Nothing. I just really want to thank you."

I smiled at her to convince her that what I was saying was true. I was still nervous because she was just staring at my face, and it was as if she was reading my expression to see if I was telling the truth or lying.

Eventually, I seemed to have convinced her when I heard him sigh.

"I hope we will have a bonding time soon, Sarah. My schedule at work is very hectic. I don't know when I can squeeze in the next time we meet. I'm afraid to say that this will be the last time that I'm seeing you, and I don't know when will be the next."

"It's okay, Ei. I understand that you'll be busy with your new job. We're the same. I'll be busy too, so maybe we'll rarely see each other."

She let out another sigh of sadness, and her shoulders slumped.

"Don't worry, Sarah. When I have a chance, we can meet," she assured me.

She stood up from her seat and went to me to give me a warm hug. I hugged her back very tightly because I knew this wouldn't happen again.

I'll try to meet her again, but deep down, I doubt it's possible. I don't want her to get involved because she has a family, she has children, and I don't want to risk their safety.

"I'm going to miss you, Ei."

"Me too. I'm going to miss you too, Sarah."

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

I arrived at Atlas' warehouse in the early morning. As usual, one of his men picked me up at the arch to get there. It took a while because we watched a movie at Ei's unit before I left.

"Give me your bag."

I handed Atlas my bag when we got out of the elevator. Even though it was early morning, his basement was still alive. I was even wondering if Ria was still asleep because she was too busy with what she was doing.

I followed him until we reached the living area. He wasn't wearing a lab gown. He was wearing a white long-sleeved polo shirt, and it was rolled up to his elbows. It was tucked into his black pants. I think everything was okay in the lab, so he wasn't there, or maybe he was just taking care of other tasks.

My eyes widened when I saw him open it. Luckily, my personal belongings were at the very bottom, so he didn't see them.

"I thought you would bring a suitcase here. These things you're carrying are okay, and besides, you can buy new things with your first salary working for me," he said, checking my bag again.

My eyes went down to his hand when he extended it.

"Atlas?" I asked.

"Your phone. Give me your phone," he ordered. "And open it already."

Even though I had second thoughts, I had no choice but to give it to him. I stood beside him and watched what he would do next. He went to my contacts, and my eyes widened when I saw him delete the numbers saved there one by one. Next was Rafael's number when I called his name.

"Atlas, please leave that one," I begged.

He looked up at me with a furrowed brow.

"Why?" he asked me, frowning.

"Don't worry if you think someone else will be able to track that too, they can't," I replied, tears welling up in my eyes because I remembered Rafael again. "That's the number of a friend who passed away, Atlas. Don't delete that number, please. It's important to me."

Sometimes I would text his number when I didn't feel well, especially when I missed him. Because I felt that in that way, I would still be connected to Rafael even though he was gone.

"Okay," Atlas replied briefly.

"Thank you..."

I smiled and rubbed my eyes because of the tears that were about to fall. That was the only thing he looked at on my phone before he stood up. He just left my bag on the side and gestured for me to follow him.

We went to his office. I sat down immediately on the chair near his desk when he went straight to his swivel chair. He took something from the drawer and handed it to me.

"This will be your new phone, Sarah. This is what you'll be using from now on and not the cellphone you're using now. Make sure that you don't use your old phone whenever you're on your mission or working here," he said seriously.

I took the black phone from the table. It was still off, and it looked new because it was very smooth. When I looked at the back of the phone, there was the logo of their organization, the logo of the faction uno of El Orden Del Abismo.

"When can I use my old phone?" I asked.

He shrugged. "You decide. If you think you're safe in your environment, you can use it. But I suggest that you don't use it whenever we attend some gatherings under our organization because they can easily hack your phone."

I just nodded as I listened to what he was saying. He took something else from the drawer of the table and opened the white folder. He turned it towards me, and I immediately read what was on top of the paper.

Zevallos Real Estate Corporation.

Rafael's family owns this, isn't it? I raised my head to speak, but Atlas beat me to it.

"Your work starts now, Sarah. I have a small mission for you, and it will be very easy. Since you're just starting now, you should begin with something easy so you don't get overwhelmed."

SHANGPU