CHAPTER 32

"Where's Oceanus?" I asked as soon as I entered his office. He set down the car keys on his desk and sat down.

"He's upstairs. I just gave him a task for section 2 of the lab. I'm having the packed drugs sent up so they're ready for shipment."

I nodded and approached him. He had a small black card, similar to the one he gave me.

"What's this for?" I asked, frowning and looking at the black card again.

Hyperion.

@Hyperion's residential.

8:00pm.

That's all it said. I looked at Atlas, who was busy with his laptop. As usual, he was focused on his screen.

"We're attending a birthday party. It's Hyperion's birthday, and that black card is your invitation. We need to be there as a sign of respect since I'm his underboss."

I nodded, understanding. "Anything else?"

He shook his head, still looking at his laptop. "We'll buy some clothes tomorrow. Don't worry, it'll be quick."

"What about Oceanus? Isn't he coming with us? Won't he get an invitation card?"

He shook his head. "No. He's going back to Mexico for a while because there's an emergency with our cartel and Ismael. He'll handle it for now, but he'll be back here as soon as he's finished."

I unconsciously grimaced at his words. I could already hear Oceanus complaining about Atlas' order. He wasn't even here yet, but I could already hear his voice.

"I just can't say no to Hyperion, so Oceanus will have to handle the problem in Mexico with Ismael."

"Okay. When do we need to buy clothes so I know and can adjust my schedule? I might have rounds in your lab that day."

He shook his head and looked at me. "Don't worry about that. I'll just tell Ria to handle it."

I shook my head too and eventually sat down on an empty chair in front of his desk. I rested my elbows on the desk, leaning towards him with my chin resting on my right hand.

"If we can get back quickly from shopping, I can still finish what I need to do here. Ria is busy in the lab, and your section 2 of the lab is huge. If she's the one checking it, it'll take a while," I said while watching him.

He paused for a moment before looking back at me. "Okay. If that's what you want. We'll leave the next day. Just reschedule whatever you need to do that day."

I nodded and stood up from my seat. I walked towards the door of his office to leave but turned back to him one last time.

"Are you okay, Atlas?" I asked, frowning.

"Yeah. There was just a small problem with Faction Tres in our organization," he replied quickly.

"When did it happen?" I asked curiously.

"Last week. I only found out about it from Hyperion earlier."

I thought it might also be news on our organization's website. I rarely checked it because I was too busy, so I wasn't surprised that I was just hearing about it now. Unless Oceanus told me because he would definitely have the latest gossip.

"What happened? I don't think we'll be involved, right?"

He shrugged and took off his glasses. He placed them on the desk before answering my question.

"There was sabotage against one of the big bosses in Faction Tres. Cronus hasn't addressed it yet, so we're unsure how to handle the saboteurs. And our faction won't be involved," he said slowly, as if holding something back. "Unless some of the other frontlines had a hand in it."

I breathed a sigh of relief at his answer. Even if he didn't tell me, I knew that each of the big bosses in every faction of El Orden Del Abismo had many associates. They needed them because they handled other operations, some followed orders, especially when it came to trafficking, and other things they could do.

It would be a big mess if all the factions were involved. In my five years of working for them, I had never seen any of the members of faction uno of El Orden Del Abismo. It seemed like my world revolved around this warehouse, Atlas giving me a missions, going to Mexico, and checking on the packed drugs that were ready for shipment.

"I see. Okay, I'll go now, Atlas. Sorry for asking. I rarely check our website."

He nodded. "It's okay, don't worry. Oceanus didn't tell you? He's usually quicker to pick up on problems in the three factions of our organization than me."

"He didn't tell me. Maybe he's busy."

He nodded. "Okay. You can go now, I have something else to finish here."

I nodded quietly and turned the doorknob, leaving his office. I went straight to my room to rest. Even as I fell asleep, the problem with faction three was still bothering me.

It wasn't an ordinary problem because if it got worse, there was a high chance it could lead to bloodshed.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

I furrowed my brow and gaped as I read an anonymous post on our organization's website. Oceanus let out a loud laugh beside me.

We were sitting on the soft sofa in the living area on the first floor of Atlas' basement. We were having breakfast while browsing the website on Oceanus's laptop.

"Young wife?" I asked myself, confused.

I looked at Atlas because of the other people's posts. There were so many, actually. I was okay with them knowing I worked for Atlas because there are moderators here who welcome new members to our organization.

This website is general. It includes factions one to three.

I was just surprised, and it became a topic of conversation that I work for Atlas. Oceanus also said that Atlas rarely accepts new members unless someone refers them.

I'm my father's replacement, so why is my work in their organization becoming an issue?

I choked on my own saliva when I realized I was staring at him. Atlas just raised an eyebrow at me and focused on his food.

"Why didn't you tell me you were already married to Atlas?" Oceanus joked while laughing.

I glared at him and rolled my eyes before turning back to the random posts about Atlas and me.

"That's why Hyperion's underboss has been missing in action for so long. He's busy with his wife..." I read one of the posts. "He has a good eye for younger women..." I read another comment from someone I didn't know.

"Atlas is more like my father!" I shouted loudly at the laptop screen as if it were the one who posted that. "Are they crazy?" I said incredulously to Oceanus when I looked at them.

I ignored Atlas' glance when I saw him look at me because of my shout.

"I told you there are a lot of nosy people on our website," Oceanus said. "Congratulations, you're the popular one on our website now," he said, laughing and trying to mess up my wet hair because I had just taken a shower, but he stopped when I gave him a sharp look.

I sighed and took a sip of my iced tea and scrolled down, hoping to find more of their nonsense. When I reached the end, my eyes were fixed on a picture posted there. It was the one on the yacht, where Atlas was holding my waist to get us out of the position where I had a knife to his throat.

I was about to explode in anger because I knew immediately who had taken the picture of us, Atlas and me.

It was Helios. He was the only one I saw at the far end of the hallway, where the cabins were lined up. Especially from the angle of the photo, I knew right away it was him.

He started it.

'Underboss' young wife, it's already here in the Philippines. Welcome back!'

Underboss' young wife, my ass!

The post was anonymous, but I knew it was him. In anger, I slammed the laptop shut and heard Oceanus complain about it.

"Hey! You're about to break my laptop," he complained, and he took the laptop from me.

I rolled my eyes and took the plate with my food to finish it while watching a movie on the big flat-screen TV. I didn't care about what else he was saying, and Atlas and I just ignored it.

"You have plenty of money to buy a new laptop, Oceanus," I replied and took a bite of my food.

I sighed and kept thinking about the rumors on our website. Atlas is more like my father, why do they think that way? Well, I can't deny that even though Atlas is older, he's still very handsome, especially with his face structure that looks like it was sculpted by a great sculptor and his stubble, which is well-trimmed and shaved. He's always clean and smells good even after coming from wherever he's been.

Maybe some people would like him, but I don't... There's only one person my heart belongs to, and I still can't replace him. It's like he's already planted in my heart, and it's hard to remove. I let out a loud breath before I stabbed the sausage on my plate before eating it.

Rafael is still the one in my heart and no one else.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"Good evening, Mr. Collazo," a saleswoman greeted him and then turned to me. "And Mrs. Collazo—"

"You can call me Hexia," I interrupted. "And I'm not his wife," I gave her a smile and went inside.

"Yes, Ms. Hexia. I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay," I replied with a smile.

I looked around and took in the entire large boutique. It was spacious, with a white interior theme and a touch of cream on each side. The lighting was also easy on the eyes. In the center, there were several long gowns and cocktail gowns on display. There were also large, antique-looking vases in every corner with flowers in them.

The place was crowded, so the other staff were very busy. Each customer had their own attendant.

"Just pick whatever you want."

"What's the theme of Hyperion's birthday party?" I asked him.

"He didn't mention a theme, but anything formal. It would be much better if you wore a long gown, that's mostly what his other guests wear when he has a birthday party," he answered quickly.

I nodded and started looking around the other sections of gowns and dresses.

"I'll just give you one hour to choose a long gown, and I suggest you look for a blood-red long gown, you have something to match it with. I'll show it to you later. Don't forget to choose accessories that will match your outfit," he instructed at length while sitting on a long cream-colored ottoman near the side of the counter.

"Okay. Is that all? Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

He shook his head. "None."

"Excuse me, Mr. Collazo. Should I bring out the three-piece suit that you requested?" a woman interrupted.

Atlas nodded and stood up from his seat. "Yes. I'll just get it after Hexia has checked out at the counter."

"Noted, Mr. Collazo. Your suit is in the private fitting room. You can check the clothes there, and if you need any adjustments to the suit, we can still fix it."

"Sure, let's go."

When he looked at me, I just nodded, and he walked towards the private fitting room the saleswoman was referring to. They entered a hallway where several private fitting rooms were lined up.

I started looking around for an outfit. There were a lot of people inside, and it was quite noisy. I scratched my arm in irritation because I couldn't choose properly because of the noise.

I sighed and grabbed the first bloody-red long gown I saw hanging at the end. I examined it carefully. It was turtleneck halter style and sleeveless. It had a long fabric design starting from the shoulder that looked like a small, thin cape. It also had a slit on the left side of the thigh, and the overall design of the gown was plain. It was just a bloody red color and nothing else.

It seemed to fit me well, the waist was small so it would accentuate my body. I took a cream-colored basket from the side and carefully placed the long gown I chose in it.

I went to the side where the accessories were displayed and decided to pick out a pair of long diamond earrings.

"Where's your husband?"

I paused in my picking from accessories when a familiar voice suddenly broke my focus, just as I was inspecting the first pair of long earrings I had picked up. My hand froze mid-air as I slowly turned to face the source of the voice.

"If you're planning to kill me, you won't be able to do it now. There are too many people here, and so am I. I guess better luck next time for both of us," I responded quickly, walking past him.

I went to the counter and placed the basket I was carrying on it. Absentmindedly, I glanced at him, his head bowed as if he were choosing accessories. I saw him pick up a dogtag necklace, and before he could look at me, I quickly averted my gaze.

"Do you accept debit cards?" I asked.

"Yes ma'am," the cashier replied quickly.

"Here's my debit card—" I was about to hand her my debit card when she suddenly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but Mr. Collazo will be paying for everything you've chosen today."

I furrowed my brow. "Huh? I can pay for it. Here, take this."

She shook her head again. "Mr. Collazo will just wire the payment to our bank account, Ma'am."

I scratched my arm, frustrated that no matter how hard I tried she wouldn't accept my card. She started to check out the earrings I had bought.

"Please try on the gown you've chosen, ma'am. Before you pay, Mr. Collazo also told me that you should try on the gown first before we put it in a paper bag."

I sighed and didn't argue anymore. I took the hanger and went straight to the fitting room. I knew it would fit me, so I didn't need to try it on.

I was already frowning when I went inside. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in front of me as I took off the bodycon dress I was wearing, leaving only a white bra and lace panty. I still looked good, I couldn't help but smile a little and combed my long, chocolate brown hair. If anything, I felt even better now—

A loud bang startled me. The fitting room door burst open, and I saw Helios suddenly enter.

My eyes widened, and I leaned against the full-length mirror as he pinned me against it, his hands around my neck. The mirror shattered loudly, and pieces fell to the floor. I winced slightly and held onto his strong arm.

"There's no one else here now, Hexia. Anything is possible when you want something badly enough," he murmured suggestively, his voice low and husky.

My heart pounded violently in my chest as I stared wide-eyed into his smoky gray eyes. He was inches from me, our breaths mingling, and I could feel the heat radiating from his body. A strange mix of fear and excitement coursed through me. I couldn't explain why my heart raced so wildly.

His lips were slightly parted, their redness glistening in the dim light. When our gazes met, there was a glint in his eyes that sent shivers down my spine.

I bit down on his arm and headbutted him, pushing him back. Despite my efforts, his larger frame made it difficult to overpower him. I punched his arms, trying to defend myself but he blocked my attacks with his arms. I quickly glanced around and grabbed a shard of broken glass. As I turned back to face him, I dove just as his fist swung towards me.

I took the chance and stabbed the shard into his side. The glass tore through his skin, drawing blood. I pulled it out, the shard dripping with blood.

I couldn't fully stab him, he caught my hand just in time, pinning it down with a grip that made me gasp involuntarily. The knife slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor.

"Oops, looks like I left a bit of a scratch there. My bad," I taunted with a smirk, ignoring the growing numbness in my trapped hand.

His hold only tightened, sending pins and needles shooting up my arm. He slammed me against the cracked glass behind us, sharp edges biting into my back and a fresh sting flaring up.

Damn it! Another scar for sure.

"Did you just scratch up my back?" I said icily.

"Hmm? I don't think so," he replied with a mocking tone. "Lucky you even grazed me. This will be the last time you land a hit on me, Hexia. I let you take that moment for the memories."

His smugness sent a dark haze across my vision. I spun around, and as Helios stepped behind me, I kicked out at the broken mirror, shattering what remained of it with a forceful crack. We both stumbled back as the fitting room door caved in, and we hit the tiled floor hard—me landing right on top of him.

"I hope your body's sore from what you did, Helios," I sneered as I straddled his stomach.

Shards of glass littered the floor outside the fitting room. I grabbed a jagged piece within arm's reach, aiming to drive it straight into his chest, but he caught my wrist again and shoved me off of him with a rough push.

I flew back, landing hard, my head smacking against the tiles. I let out a low groan, feeling the ache as I struggled up from the floor. Blood was everywhere—his and mine mixing on the tile. I staggered back into the fitting room, realizing I wasn't exactly dressed for public view. I didn't need to give anyone passing by the surreal sight of me, almost fucking naked, battling it out in front of a fitting room!

I glanced back to see Helios already on his feet, clutching his side. A dark smile tugged at the corner of my mouth when I saw him wince, blood seeping between his fingers.

But then he turned and started walking away.

"You damn coward! Come back here! We're not done yet, Helios—"

"What's going on here, Hexia!?"

SHANGPU