A Scandal in Nueva Aurora

003. Secret Admiration

Chapter 003:
Secret Admiration

“And who was this sent to?” Raine asked, her feet fidgeting rapidly, the movement drawing my attention as her restlessness grew.

“To your client,” Elizabeth replied.

“Why do you keep saying they’re my client? They don’t even bother to visit me in person,” Raine murmured again, her voice laced with frustration.

If I had to guess, her grumpiness likely stemmed from a lack of sleep and the stress of whatever had been keeping her so busy lately.

“Your client has been receiving texts from an unknown individual. He blocked one number, but more messages kept coming,” Ms. Garcia explained. “My friend holds a prominent position in the country, and this young man here is very dear to him.”

“Why?” Raine asked, her feet still fidgeting, impatience creeping into her voice.

“That’s what I want you to figure out,” Ms. Garcia replied.

“Why?” Raine repeated, her tone sharper this time.

“I can’t disclose that directly, Lori. I hope you understand,” Ms. Garcia said.

Raine’s feet finally stopped tapping as she crossed one leg over the other, resting one hand on the arm of the sofa. “Can I at least ask who this boy is, not just that client of mine, Ms. L.?” she asked.

“Zephyros Elizalde, also known as the Celestial Virtuoso,” Elizabeth replied.

“Celestial Virtuoso, eh?” I thought, trying to keep myself occupied by examining the items on the side table beside me.

“Then what exactly do I need to do about him? Is he the unknown texter? Why is he involved?” Raine pressed further.

“He’s one of the students at your university, N. A. U., which means you can easily track his movements—” Elizabeth began, only to be interrupted by her sister.

“Elaborate,” Raine insisted.

A moment of silence passed as Elizabeth gathered her composure before continuing. “You are tasked with spying on him and reporting anything unusual in his life.”

“Why?” Raine asked for the third time.

“This young man has confidential records in my files about his mother being a psychopath, locked in a room until she died a few weeks ago,” Elizabeth explained. “After that, Ms. L.’s client contacted her about the messages.”

“So there must be a connection between the client and the actor,” I murmured, fidgeting with a pen I’d spotted.

“And don’t worry, li'l sis. Just in case he’s a psychopath too, Nuñez will be there to mediate between you two,” Elizabeth added with a playful grin.

“Elizabeth, stop teasing your sister!” Ms. Garcia admonished, giving Elizabeth a gentle slap on the shoulder.

A wave of laughter almost broke free from me as I watched their familial banter, but I quickly redirected my focus to tidying up the scattered items on the table.

“Anyways,” Elizabeth interjected after clearing her throat, “you can just read about him online.”

“What will happen if… let’s say… I failed my mission?” Raine asked, her expression turning serious.

“Then it will likely lead to a major scandal, I’m afraid,” Ms. Garcia replied with a sigh. “And our company might be affected as well.”