บท 48: The confirmation

True! Luck was indeed on Bella Lim's side, but so was a misfortune.

The next day, Eric Wu received the compiled report about Bella Lim and Ryan Lim after lunchtime. He frowned as he went through the report. They were not much, but enough to make him believed that his assumption about little Ryan was correct.

In his hands were two contradicting information regarding the siblings. The first one was a statement from Azure's registration department claiming that Bella Lim and Ryan Lim were siblings of the same parents. However, according to the DNA test conducted by his team, those two were not blood-related. Not in the slightest!

"Tao, the DNA test, was it conducted accordingly?" he asked. His tone was slightly harsh making his assistant stand upright.

"President, I did as you instructed. I assigned our personnel to gather the necessary materials for the test from Miss Bella and her little brother. We conducted the test several times before we penned the result on paper," Tao answered confidently. His eyes were looking only at one fixed spot, the transparent wall behind the president.

Eric Wu's frown deepened as he couldn't help but felt that something was amiss. He didn't doubt Tao as he knew that the medical team working for him was loyal and trustworthy. Besides, their expertise wasn't questionable. So what was it?

Eric Wu read the document again and all of a sudden his eyes flickered. Moving his fingers, he called Tao to come closer. Tao obediently followed while wondering if his life was on the line.

"Tao, I need you to recheck Bella and Ryan's birthplace," he said as he turned to the laptop in front of him.

Tao gulped as he was relieved. The president wasn't angry and was giving him an easy job.

"Sure president, I'll get it done by tomorrow," he replied happily and was about to go when he heard Eric Wu's low voice.

"Tomorrow?"

"Y-yes," Tao turned around and met eyes to eyes with the president. He felt a chill as the scrutinizing eyes of Eric Wu met his.

"P-president?" he called, trying to free himself from the sudden fear that began to eat him inside. Recently, the president had gotten a lot friendlier and approachable that he thought the scary side of him was now kept locked. Alas, it seemed that he only became human when he was with his friends. Tao could only pity himself for the misunderstanding. He should have known that the president was an entity beyond his comprehension.

"I want the information now," the president's instruction was short but commanding. However, instead of being scared, Tao was confused.

"P-president, the application form might not be approved so soon. The fastest it could be done was tomorrow morning," and as soon as he said this, it was the president's turn to get confused.

"What are you talking about? What application?" he asked almost impatiently.

"Application to get access to the information," Tao smiled, thinking that the president could be naive sometimes. Did he think that everything could be obtained so easily?

"Tao," Eric Wu chuckled in disbelieved.

"Don't tell me all the information you get about Bella and little Ryan was via legal means?" he inquired, seriously wondering if that was indeed the truth. If it was indeed so, it seemed that Tao was too good as his assistant.

Tao nodded.

"And all the things I asked you to do before?"

Nodded again.

"So, you didn't hack those?" Eric Wu asked again, lips slightly curved to an angle.

"President, n-no, no-no-no," Tao denied with hands frantically waving the air as if trying to get rid of the bad presumption.

"That is the worst thing to do! Although I'm a good hacker. I know my limit!" he added.

"I will not dare!" then, Tao bowed to a ninety-degree angle, almost touching the edge of Eric Wu's working desk.

Tao's denial, as well as strong opposition against illegal means, made Eric Wu laughed. He stared at his assistant with a disregarded look. He didn't believe him.

"Tell me how did you get the information so fast?" he asked, an eyebrow arched.

"I have a friend working at the national registry department. He gave the information to me last night,"

"How did he get it in one night?" Eric Wu asked again. This question made Tao stumped with no answer.

"T-that..." he began to wonder. And then as if hit by a realization, he twitched.

"P-president... I was too naive," he admitted with a sour look on his face.

Eric Wu smirked as he rose from his seat, bringing along his silver-colored laptop, and walked to the comfort zone in his office. As he passed by Tao, he patted his shoulder, comforting him.

Tao weakly followed his president and sat on the couch in front of him. He didn't dare to lift his face.

"Your friend seemed like an honest person," Eric Wu decided to tease his assistant one last time. Tao could only swallow his saliva upon hearing this. Thank God it was only one time. After this, he wouldn't dare to ask anything from his friend again, especially one regarding his job. Never! He oathed.

"P-president, I thought you didn't want me to go beyond the morals or laws. I'm sorry for being too naive!" Tao who had been listening gripped his hands. He knew he was influenced by his own expectations again. He expected to do the best for the president and thought that 'abiding by the law' would do good to his president. Alas, he only made things worst. What if his friend was caught?

"We do our jobs via any means as possible as long as it didn't hurt the people we love or put ourselves in danger," Eric Wu stated as he switched on his laptop.

"Take a rest. I'll do the rest," he instructed and focused on the screen. Tao shook his head but didn't dare to move from his seat. He remained there until the president finished with whatever he was doing.

Eric Wu's face changed to a gloomy look as he read the information on the screen. According to the registry report that Tao received from his friend, Bella and Ryan were born in Azure or to be more specific at Azure Birthing Centre and Medical Services, however, there were no records stating that their mother was once a patient there.

"Tao, it seemed that this legal information is all fake," he said. Although it structurally said to Tao, he was directing the sentence to himself. He chuckled as his slender fingers tapped on the coffee table.

Who made such a sloppy mistake as this? He wondered. However, the bigger question was - why? Why hid the truth about Bella and little Ryan? Eric Wu suspicion that little Ryan the Prince was now increased to ninety percent.

Did Bella know something about this?

As he thought that, his phone rang and Ekon's number appeared on the screen.

"What is it?" Eric Wu asked as he looked at Tao with a serious gaze. Tao who was sitting in front straightened his body, ready to listen to whatever instruction the president would give him.

"Boss, there was a break-in at the subjects' house. I just received the information and instructed the team to guard the house," Ekon reported. He sounded serious and stiff.

Eric Wu abruptly stood up. He could feel a volcano was about to erupt within him. Tao who was sitting across him was taken aback at the sudden change of demeanor. He wryly stared at the president while also standing up in standby.

"Ekon, tell me how is that possible?" he questioned. He had instructed four of his people to guard Bella Lim's and her little brother. How the hell a break-in occurred under such tight security. His people were not rubbish to let such a mistake took place under their nose? Ridiculous! Eric Wu was angered.