Chapter 185: Tick-Tock, Mrs. King Naomi was the unknown. The one tormenting me the entire time. I clenched my fist hard and did my best not to show any weakness. She was bold enough to come to me; I could only imagine what she had in her sleeves. I tried not to rein in my anger and chose to stay as stoic as possible. "Mrs. King in the flesh..." She began sweetly. "Even though I wasn’t counting on seeing you here... I mean look at the place crawling with those wanting to spend that fortune. Did you know most of the stuff here was imported, the kind of things you only see in ones or twos." Is she speaking in riddles right now? Though her words didn’t convey a secret message. "Catherine?" I blinked out of it. "I didn’t expect to see you either, not ever." "It’s a big city, but it’s also a small place too." I forced a smile. Why do I get the feeling Naomi wasn’t the unknown? Shit! Was I wrong? "I know you probably don’t wanna see me right now, and I understand." She passed a look around and saw Nico watching before she stepped closer and whispered. "The only reason I told you that was so you wouldn’t end up like me." "I know..." I replied stiffly, not wanting to dive into that area because heaven knows I was starting to see myself in her. I became the last thing I promised myself not to be. Naomi’s smile turned soft. "For what it’s worth, I do hope you find happiness... with Ares." Happiness. That word was becoming impossible for me; she might as well spit on my face and tell me to live happily ever after with him. I walked past her to the bags on display in the glass, disregarding the squeeze in my lower abdomen. My phone dinged, and my pulse raced when I checked it. Just to be on the safe side, I threw a look over my shoulder. Naomi was in the middle of walking out with someone she probably came with. I looked back at my screen, releasing a heavy breath. It’s not Naomi. Unknown: Ditch the bodyguard. You’ve got five minutes. Your friend won’t wait that long. My hands shook, but I held tightly. I walked close to the display, eyeing Nico through the glass. I acted as if I was checking a particular bag, my palms getting sweaty by the minute as I thought of how I was gonna ditch Nico. This is Nico we’re talking about, and he’s persistent. Unknown: Tick-tock, Mrs. King. Fuck it! I scurried, pushing open the glass door and ran. I didn’t stop until I made my way to the next hall, pressing my back against the wall to catch my breath. I peeked and found Nico searching for me, amidst typing on his phone in speed and placing it to his ear. Ding! Unknown: Take the elevator in the next hall on your left. Tick-tock. That tick-tock unnerved me, and it made me assume they had a gun to Tori’s head, and one wrong move, they would kill her. I pushed myself off the wall and walked snappily as I searched for the elevator. When I spotted it, I ran towards it and punched the button multiple times until it opened. Unknown: The first floor. I swallowed hard and pressed the button. The sound of my harsh breathing drowned the space as I leveled my gaze at my purse. I opened it to reveal the small kitchen knife I had shoved in before I left the penthouse. This was stupid. But it was better than doing this with nothing to protect myself with. I steeled myself for what was to come, eyeing the top where the levels were shown, as the lights blinked towards each one, my chest rose and fell in speed. A ghostly tick echoed in my eardrums, prolonging the tension gripping my bones. It got harder to stand on my two feet until the light stopped, and a soft ding followed before the doors opened. I hesitated, shuddering before I forced myself to step out, observing the area that looked like it was still under construction. Suddenly, I was grabbed, but before I could scream, a hand covered my mouth, and the sounds were muffled. "Shh... You did well, Mrs. King. Very well." He chuckled. "I underestimated you. I really shouldn’t have." My nostrils flared as I gripped his hand tightly; my purse had fallen off amidst the jump scare, and now I don’t know where it went. I felt his breath close to my ear, and my entire body went still. "Don’t worry, your friend has been set free, all in one piece, as promised. I’m a man of my word." I want to find relief, but I can’t. He still hasn’t let me go, and there was a nagging feeling that he wasn’t done with me yet. "Now... for the moment I have been waiting for." He stabbed something into my neck, and I squirmed. He released me, and I crawled toward the wall, pressing my back against it, one hand clamped to my neck as pain shot through me, followed by a writhing sensation like a worm had worked its way beneath my skin. There was no blood. What did he do?! The man came closer, eyeing me like a predator. He looked pale and skinny, and had dark curly hair atop his head like a mop. He looked familiar, like I had seen him somewhere before. A pain shot to my neck, and I clamped the spot tighter, whispering in fright. "W-W-What did you do to me?" He crouched. "What I have been waiting for..." I narrowed my eyes. He still hasn’t asked for the flash drive. Why? He raised the injector pen he used, and it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. He grinned broadly. "And now... Mrs. King. You’re my key to bringing down Ares King for good."