Ambivalent

35. Allies

Rune

The more I listened to Akara, the more shocked I became.

Although what he told me seemed like a movie plot, deep inside I knew he was telling the truth. My father was a secretive man who never told me anything about the work and he was used to locking him inside his sound-proof home-office. How many hotel owners would have ten bodyguards? Come on, even I had one...

As for my uncle, I wasn't surprised a bit as he was obsessed with money, which was also the main cause of the fight he had with my father back then. Moreover, during those months I worked for him, once I noticed the anomaly of the accounts. There were huge amounts of money transactions which were categorised under 'VIP' title. I asked about this, but my uncle told me to delete those numbers as there was a mistake.

Due to the fact that I already had the signals, this part of Akara's words didn't make me wow. What I was shocked with was Akara's confession about me. He told me that he really loved me and he came back for me. He even accepted to work for Panit so that he could be close to me.

I knew I had to be sceptical after what I had to go through, but I believed him unconditionally. The sincerity in his words and the worry in his eyes crashed down my walls. I was also selfishly happy to know that all his acts weren't only for revenge, but for saving innocent lives. Therefore, when he grabbed my hands with panic and almost begged me to believe him, I said I believed him.

"Really?" Akara asked with a confused expression.

I nodded, "the accounts are fishy, I already noticed that."

He sniffed, "oh."

"So, what are you planning?" I asked.

"I won't let them go off the hook," he said firmly with a determined look in his dark eyes.

"Hmm, so it means we will stop them for good."

"We?" he asked, astonishment colouring his voice.

"Do you expect me to pretend as if I didn't hear anything and leave you alone?" I dared him with crossed arms.

"I don't want you to get hurt or be in danger more than you already did," he replied and broke my crossed arms so that he could hold my hands.

"I have nothing to lose," I said, shrugging, "also I can't let them ruin more lives."

"Then we are together... well, I mean like... a team..." he stuttered and the tension broke with my chuckle.

"Yes," I confirmed and we became allies.

After four months, I finally had some good reason to live.

***

"Now we have the proof of the weird accounts," I said, wig-wagging the paper I managed to steal from my uncle.

"It is awesome, but it can wait," Akara said authoritatively and put the papers aside, "it is dinner time, come."

I rolled my eyes like a child does in front of his over-attentive parents, but sat on the patted sofa anyway.

Smiling to my submissiveness, Akara handed me my food container and a pair of chopsticks. After that day in the hospital, he got himself a self-given bodyguard title and was taking care of me to the extreme. Not even one meal was skipped and I had to be in bed before midnight.

And it was only Tuesday.

"You don't have to do all these, I am an adult, you know," I said when Akara intended to take the empty container from my hand.

"I know, but I want to," he replied with a wishful smile, making funny things to my poor heart. Luckily, he didn't taunt my possible red cheeks and went to throw the containers to the bin. Then he prepared two cups of coffee and sat beside me again.

Too close... Damn!

"Now let's see what you found."

"Ha?" I exclaimed as I was too busy with his intoxicating perfume. Did he spray more perfume in the kitchen?

"These," Akara grabbed the papers I brought and checked them with a suppressed smile.

Feigning a cough, I recollected myself and showed him the suspicious transactions. "See? These amounts are astronomical to be legal and all are classified as VIP."

"Indeed," Akara rubbed his chin while nodding.

"What's more, after I asked my uncle about the numbers, he told me that there was something wrong and later, the numbers disappeared from the sheets."

"Okay, it is getting weirder," he nodded more vigorously, then looked at me with confusion, "how did you get these then?"

"From my uncle's office," I said proudly, "when he left with the papers, I guessed he wouldn't throw them to a random bin. I played a little game with his secretary and got it from the paper bin. Good that he didn't tear them to pieces."

Akara just looked at me with a small smirk dancing on his lips.

"What?" I asked, thinking something was amiss.

"Nothing," he shook his head, "I just love the way you use that smart brain of yours."

What?! I almost choked on my saliva. He would really be the end of me someday. Trying to look as if I wasn't affected, I took a big sip of coffee and burnt my lips.

"Be careful!" Akara jumped on his feet as soon as he heard my hissing. He brought me a glass of cold water which I accepted with gratitude. "Better?" he asked, trailing a finger on my bottom lip, "sleep here tonight."