The Lotus And The Billionaire

Chapter 67: The Old Mansion

After I received a message from Vin, Alvarez seemed to have finally relaxed. He is still as hostile as ever, but it doesn’t seem like he’s about to fight everyone in the room.

Right now, we are simply enjoying our time with the employees. There is plenty of food, but Alvarez and I haven’t eaten anything. They are pretty much distracted because of all the talk, so I’m sure they haven’t noticed anything yet.

Nevertheless, we’re still as vigilant as ever because we can’t really afford to make mistakes out here. We’re out in the open, and we’re very big targets.

“Tell me if he has sent another message,” Alvarez whispered again as he pulled me towards the crowd.

“Hey, I…” I muttered as I tugged on his shirt. “I don’t really like crowds.”

“Hmm? We’re safer there, but it’s fine if you don’t like it.”

Oh.

I looked over at everyone, and they seemed to be having fun conversing. To be honest, I don’t really want to mingle with them because this is our first time meeting, but if I have to go up to them to stay safe…then I guess it’s fine.

I forced a smile as I pulled Alvarez so that we could walk up to them, and that served as his signal. He quickly conversed with everyone so naturally, as if he’d known them for a long time already.

Wow.

So this is how Alvarez is when he’s being friendly? I guess it’s no wonder everyone’s just as surprised as I am. He has always been known as an annoyingly superior man, and he acts the part…

“Tell him to hurry,” he whispered as he pulled my waist closer.

Damn. He’s already annoyed.

“Alright, alright. Hold your damned horses…” I muttered as I began to text Vin the exact same words Alvarez used.

Tell him to shut up. I’m almost done. 5 minutes and you two can leave that shithole.

I nodded and relayed the message to Alvarez, who seemed to have gotten more annoyed as time progressed. Well, that was quite expected. I didn’t think he would be able to last, anyway.

As soon as the five minutes were finished, we immediately bid goodbye to everyone and hurriedly went back to the office. Vin told us that we should hurry back to the penthouse, but apparently, there was something we needed to take care of back at the headquarters.

I don’t really understand what’s going on because Vin seemed so against it. He’s normally so ready to go with us, but he seems hesitant now.

“Just don’t go. I don’t think you’d want to see the scene back there, anyway.”

He warned us so many times already, but things just seem a bit too weird for us to listen to him. The way he acted made us want to go to the office more!

And true enough, we didn’t like what we saw there. I can see reporters and people I don’t know everywhere despite being in the basement. Normally, there wouldn’t even be anyone here because of how secluded it is. But now, there are literally people I thought I’d never see present here.

We can’t get out of the car because of them anymore! Even when we wanted to move, they were just invading the only spaces we could move in! What the hell is going on…?

“Vin,” I called, my voice stern. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t really know the specific details because I only received word a few minutes ago. But apparently, you two are being framed.”

Alvarez and I turned to him. “For what?!” we asked in unison, unable to believe what he was saying.

“For attacking Zenon Leviste. Indirectly, though. He claims to have been assaulted by our people. I don’t know why and how.”

What…

But there are no reports of our men being in contact with him at all! There literally wasn’t anything despite the thorough searches! And I don’t think there’s a rat inside the Alvarez premises.

Well…

To be honest, I am unsure whether Alvarez’s people can be completely trusted, but they haven’t done anything to raise suspicion! This is definitely nothing more than a setup. Even so, we might be in danger.

“I’m trying to get people to look more into it because it seems a little too…unexpected.”

“It’s not unexpected,” Alvarez butted in, smirking.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just how this asshole wants to play the game,” Alvarez replied as he began to rev the engine as if to threaten the media.

“Hey, don’t—!”

Before we knew it, everyone had moved out of the way, and Alvarez was able to drive away. Vin got off somewhere near the place where Vienna lives, so I figured the two of them would work on it.

“Where do we go from here?” Alvarez asked as he glanced at me as if he was afraid of what I might say.

I shrugged. “Maybe get a drive-thru, and then just roam around the place?”

“I’d have to change my car, though.”

“Why?”

“Because they know this is mine.”

“Right.”

As we drove across the city, and surprisingly didn’t encounter anything weird, we ordered drive-thru food. I couldn’t take the hunger anymore because we didn’t eat anything at the site. It’s not that we were too proud. We are just careful.

Anyway, we’re back on the road after going through a fast-food restaurant. I had already asked Alvarez where we were headed a bunch of times, but he kept telling me I should decide.

“We can’t go to my parent’s house.”

“Neither can we pay those assholes a visit again after we left the party just like that?”

I chuckled upon remembering how the two of us had just left the party his mother set up back then. It was pretty dramatic, but it was fun.

Anyway, I tried to think of places we could go to, but there’s literally nothing I can think of. I barely know this whole city, and if anything, Alvarez knows it like the back of his hand.

“You really should learn how to set an itinerary.”

He flashed a sarcastic smile. “Seriously? Right now?”

“No, but—”

“Hey, where the f**k are we?” I cut him off as I looked around and realized there was no one.

Okay, this is creepy. I looked at Alvarez to clarify if it really was him, but it was! I guess I’m not in one of those horror films, after all.

“We’re in nowhere,” he replied, the smirk never leaving his face.

“You look creepy!”

He chuckled and smiled more sinisterly, obviously trying to scare the s**t out of me. “Do I, now?”

“f**k off—Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.” Alvarez sighed and pulled over near a grassy part of the place…where there was barely anything.

“Where are we?”

“Near the mansion.”

“What mansion—Ah.”

I barely noticed the sign that says this is an Alvarez property because of the tall grass. It’s almost as if everything was almost covered!

But damn…

I know a literal paradise will be waiting for me somewhere around here. I have forgotten the right way to the mansion, but I’m pretty sure Alvarez here knows where it is.

“Is there anyone there?” I asked.

He nodded. “There are plenty of people there, Diaz.”

Alvarez is still flashing that mischievous smile of his, as if he’s really trying to scare the s**t out of me. I glared at him and took my headphones off, not wanting to hear anything anymore.

“Hey, hey,” Alvarez stopped me while chuckling. “Sorry about that. You’re cute, so I couldn’t really help it.”

I glared at him. “It’s not funny.”

“Yeah, but you are.”

“Do I look like a f*****g clown to you?” I asked, glaring at him.

“Actually…” he trailed off as he removed his seatbelt, grinning. “Yes.”

“Hey, you’re leaving me here?” I yelled when he got out of the car and started looking around. “Hey!”

“Just stay there. Someone’s coming to get us.”

“Who?” I asked worriedly.

“One of the maids.”

“Is she alive?” I asked as I sunk deeper into my seat.

He raised a brow at me. “Yeah. What? You seriously think there will be undead people here or whatever? Diaz, come on.”

“I’m scared.”

“We’ve been here way too often, and you’re saying you’re scared?”

“We were kids! And this place wasn’t abandoned!”

“It’s not abandoned, Diaz. Many people are taking care of it these days. It’s as good as new.”

He was right, the two of us used to stay here with our grandfathers back when we were kids. I’ve been here a lot of times already, but that was back when it didn’t seem like one of those creepy haunted places.

The last time I had been here was back when Alvarez and I got married, but that was months ago…and I haven’t lost my edge back then. I’m not as fearless as I was before, so this might not go too well.

Either way, this might actually be the safest place to be at the moment. No one can come here unless they want to get lost on purpose. If anyone besides us and the residents tried to track us here, they’d end up being the ones who want to get tracked.

Anyway, as I cowered in fear in my seat, I noticed that something was approaching the car. Alvarez closed the car’s door and remained outside to greet whoever it was, but I tried to call him several times. What if it’s someone we wouldn’t want to talk to…?

I watched carefully, and as the sound drew closer, I noticed that it was just a cart. There were familiar maids inside, who were laughing and seemingly just having fun.

Oh, they’re the ones who were here during the wedding. I sort of remember their faces because of how bored I was!

Anyway, Alvarez talked to them, and they immediately led us to the manor. Damn it, we would have gotten lost if we hadn’t reached out to them. I kind of want to thank Alvarez now.

“Still scared?” he asked.

And that was how I remembered the reason I had been filling my head with thoughts I didn’t want. I just wanted to bury the terrifying images that have been constantly popping up in my thoughts!

Meanwhile, Alvarez was just driving carefully as we followed the cart. Damn, the maids really seemed normal, so we’re safe.

My heart won’t stop beating so fast, though…

“Diaz, are you okay?” Alvarez asked, his tone expressing his genuine concern.

I nodded. “Yeah. Don’t worry about me anymore.”

He glanced at me before parking the car where the maids told him to. “Still scared?”

“Kind of.”

“It’s alright, I’ll be by your side the whole time we’re here. We’ll let everything settle down first, hmm? I’ve left the important things to certain people, so it will be fine.”

Alvarez’s words seemed genuine, so even when I didn’t want to believe whatever he had told me, I couldn’t help it. I decided to just go with it and stop overthinking…

“Just tell me if you can’t take it anymore,” he told me as he cupped my cheeks.

“No, it’s fine. We have no choice, anyway.”

He sighed. “Yeah. I couldn’t really think of a place where they wouldn’t find us besides this. The security in this place is greater than you think, so even if they find us, they could never get inside.”

“Why, though…?”

“This place…” he trailed off, his face remaining impassive. “This is the old man’s treasure. He’ll protect it regardless of what it costs.”

I nodded and looked around. “Yeah, everything seems valuable.”

“It’s more than just what you can see, Diaz. It’s my grandmother. She’s the sole reason the old man hasn’t tried to sell or do whatever he wanted with this place.”

Oh.

I looked around and saw old pictures of the family. These are the ones I often looked at before, and I remember being so scared whenever I did.

The person who found me crying every time? This guy beside me. It was him…

“It’s fine if you’re scared, Diaz…” he trailed off and pulled me by my waist again. “I’ll make sure you remain distracted from everything.”