~With you I can be the 'me', the 'me' I don't allow others to see~

"You mean, the brutal attacks that left all the victims unconscious?" She seeks confirmation before biting into her sandwich. She shivers as she recalls the testimony of the people who saw the bodies before the authorities arrived. Brutally beaten, especially their faces, hit to the point they aren't recognizable, bloodied faces some with teeth missing. Bruised all over, their assault seemed to be done by someone with extremely malicious intent. Or just a pure madman and psychopath.

"Exactly. It was just released in this morning's news that there was another victim just last night. It was a woman, and her situation is just like the first five. They all were badly beaten and there were rope like marks on their necks. None of them are dead, yet, but they have all been unconscious even the very first person attacked."

"Err," the lady across from him hand's shake as she listens to his news. "and no clues have been found yet? Not even a connection between the victims."

"Well, nothing has been reported publicly, but..." he looks around and sees the only other people in the restaurant are the people in the booth whom he can barely see and have an 'uninteresting in others' type of feeling to them, so he signals her to lean closer and whispers. Well, whispers would be used too lightly, as it is a completely quiet restaurant and the man seems to have only whispered in loud areas, so the two in the booth could still hear him.

"I heard that there is a connection in their power type, but the SSCB is keeping that under wraps as to not frighten those who fit the criteria."

"Does that make sense! They should let them know so they can take extra care." she asks incredulously, raising her voice louder than the man's 'whisperings'.

"Ai! Calm down, I said I heard, I heard, it's probably just a rumor that people cooked up due to stress."

"Well, there is no smoke without fire is there, I don't believe all of it is hearsay."

The pair continued their 'hushed' debate, and the two in the booth also started a conversation.

"What do you think, just a rumor or is there a conspiracy?" He directs this question to the woman who carefully chews the sandwich in her mouth before answering.

"Don't know, don't care." then she places another bite of the food that was delivered to them while the man and woman outside the booth were speaking.

"Aw come on, don't be like that. Where is your sense of intrigue?" he pressed on.

Impassive amber connects with eager emerald, and she gives in with a sigh. Placing down her cutlery, she wipes her lips and crosses her arms.

"My guess is that there is some truth to the rumor, that the attacker is following a pattern the officials aren't sharing with the public."

"I see, quite a guess you have there." he gives her a cheeky grin.

"And it is a guess." she replies, taking back up her cutlery to finish her meal.

"If you say so, Ms. Arachnid." a sly grin forms on his lips as he drops one of her many nicknames.

She simply gives him an annoyed glance.

"I wonder what it could be, hmm?" a pensive expression covers his face, though it was hard to take it seriously with the flippant grin accompanying it.

"Don't even think about it." was all she said, not even looking up at him.

"What, I was just thinking about the issue I wasn't planning anything." both hands go up in a sign of surrender.

She simply steadied her gaze on him; her mind shifts through her memories of when things caught his interest, and he plunged headfirst into danger or completely disappears without a care and with no contact and then reappears weeks or months later. Though to some extent she was the same as she would relentlessly persist to get the answers for something that she didn't know and interested her. This place, for example. But getting involved with a more than likely lunatic of an attacker was not something she especially cared for.

"Eat your meal, or I'll leave without you." She silently finishes her meal, showing her refusal to continue the conversation any further.

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"Yes mam" the cheeky bastard replied. He was a little intrigued, but he doesn't plan to meddle in the Control Bureau's territory and make those stiff necks come on his case.

When they finished eating, they called for one of the Xirenias to clear the table. Andriet walks out the restaurant and waits for her companion to come after he paid the bill. She looked back at the restaurant once more;she can't shake the inexplicable feeling it gave her. He said it was created, but it seems different from any of the skill created plants she has seen and the feeling is just completely different.

Well, whatever, it wasn't really any of her concern.

Andriet felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up to see her companion had returned.

"Finished? If so, let's return quickly" she turned around and started walking away.

Leisurely walking beside her he tilts his head to her and raises a question full of taunting "Are you not curious about the restaurant anymore, I can tell you more if you beg me in a cute voice"

Andriet didn't even bother answering the man.

"Are you sure? This a limited time offer?" he persisted, shifting side to side behind her.

His car was within sight so Andriet just sped up and when she reached, she directed an blank look at him while she waited.

Ignoring her look, he walked up to her step by step until he caged her between the car and himself.

"Are you sure? I know how you feel when you have unanswered questions."

"Curiosity killed the cat." was all she said and turned her head to the side. A sweet peach like scent filled the man's senses with her movement.

"Oh~" hot breath spray across her fair neck as he leans in, his lowered voice echoes in her ear and like an evil spirit trying to tempt her into evil he retorted "but my dear, did you know? Curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back. Don't you think I could satisfy you?" he especially said the last bit directly into her ear.

His highly suggestive words caused her to look at him, making the distance between their faces shrink, the very tip of their noses only a millimeter away from each other. They left the restaurant a little past when lunch was to end so most of the workforce had already left the streets. People were still around but he had come so close to her no one could really tell what was happening, especially because his car was taller than Andriet. She has called it 'Monstrosity' ever since she first saw it.

Andriet looked at him; her eyes calmly examined his face, then she showed a smile, a soft sweet smile that was very warm. Anyone who looked at such a smile on her beautiful face would become intoxicated, and the man in front was no exception. Andriet slowly stretched out her hand and brought it to his cheek. The man's eyes were already closing just waiting for her caress. She brought her hand closer and gently touch his cheek, even lighter than a butterfly touching the surface of a lake.

"AHHHHH!!!" he jumped back in shock and held his aching face.

"Hmph, you dare try to apply your player tricks on me. Didn't you ever here not to play with fire or you'll get burnt?" she crosses her arm and looks at the wailing man. Gone was her warm smile and back was her usual expressionless face, though if you looked closely there was a tiny curve at the corner of her lips.

"Doesn't mean you should actually burn me!" he shot her an incredulous and betrayed look.

"And I wasn't using tricks on you. Is it my fault I am naturally charming?" he cried out.

'This bloody narcissist'

"I know you 're calling me a narcissist in your mind you hypocrite. Who was the one who said 'I don't know how one person can be so perfect, it is honestly unfair to everyone else' while looking in the mirror." he points his index finger to the woman in front of him, he raised his pitch to mimic her voice, resulting in Andriet putting on an extremely disgusted look as though someone just vomited before her.

"I never said that."

"But you thought it!"

"So what? The truth hurts. Anyway, can you hurry up its 1:10, my meeting starts in twenty minutes." she said indifferently, her eyes clearly showing she believed the man was wasting her time.

He was tempted to just shout 'no!' and tell her to walk, but he knows only death awaits if he makes her late and ruin her track record, plus he couldn't bear to do that to her. What can he say, he treasures her?

He opens the door and the two enter and he drives her back to work. When the company was in sight, she asks him without looking away from the window "Does it still hurt?"

The corners of his lips slowly stretch outward. "See, I knew you loved me. Why try to pretend?"

"Hmph, see if I care next time"

"He he" He stops the car right at the building entrance. Andriet steps down with familiar struggling movement out of the Monstrosity and looks back at him who remained seated.

"Not coming?"

"Nah, you go to work I'll go find something to do"

"Okay" used to his waywardness, she simply nods her head and waves goodbye at him.

He drives off and after watching for a while, Andriet turns and enters the building. Upon entering her office, her freckled face assistant follows right after her.

"You are just-in-time miss, I was informed that the CEO of Lampsi Jewelries just arrived. Shernel is leading them to the conference room." she explains as both women walk out together. One leading with overflowing poise and confidence and the other following her appearance reliable and astute.

"Mm" any bit of expression that she had before was completely wiped away and the inexpressive look returned to her face as she listened to her assistant on the trip to the conference room.

"Since this new line is a big deal to both sides, I estimate this will run directly to your 4:00 meeting."

"That's fine" she was already used to being swamped with work and though it irritated her, she would still work hard to maintain her dream. Plus, she enjoys being the best.

When they reached the conference room her assistant opened the door for her to enter.

A figure in a neat, tailored suit was sitting with his back to the bright sunlight, the glare of the sun made it hard for her to properly see his face upon entry, she could only vaguely see his sharp and defined jawline.

"Well, it has been a while hasn't it, Andriet?" a low moving voice fills the space of the quiet conference room.