Chương 22: Discovered

The second time Alexa woke up, she was in a new room that looked familiar in her memory. Alexa tried to look around before finally realizing she was in the main room of the building where she had lived all this time.

Or, in other words, someone had moved her to the main room when she lost consciousness in her room.

"Baby, are you okay?"

Alexa turned towards the door where Dominic had just entered with a tray of food in both hands. Alexa's face immediately changed as she remembered the incident she experienced before she fell unconscious. Alexa looked at Dominic angrily, while Dominic just put on a gentle and worried face as usual.

A gentle face that only makes Alexa even more disgusted with Dominic's attitude, which she thinks is hypocritical now.

"Baby... I-"

"What do you think of me, Dom?" Alexa interrupted coldly. Dominic looked at her confused before answering in a confident tone.

"You're the wife I love, Baby. Don't I-"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT AGAIN, DOM! No... no loving husband would have the heart to let his wife's body be seen by other people. You also shouldn't let them witness our sexual relations. What do you think our relationship is? A spectacle of other people?"

Alexa always wants to cry when she has to discuss this issue. Alexa tried to wipe her tears roughly. Alexa won't let Dominic touch her at all now.

"That... wasn't what I meant to do, Baby. I was just worried about you. I was afraid something would happen to you if I left you without any supervision...."

Alexa laughed dryly after hearing the explanation that Dominic could give. Tears continued to drip from her eyes while her hands continued to try to get rid of the droplets of salty water that were starting to wet her cheeks.

"Ah, yes. You're afraid of me cheating again, right? Or hurting myself, as someone with a history of depression and past trauma," Alexa sneered. Dominic didn't try to reply this time. The large room was only filled with the sound of Alexa's sobs after that.

"Come out, Dom. I want to be alone right now," said Alexa finally. Dominic looked unwilling until Alexa had to continue her words once again.

"Get out, or I'll hate you even more," she threatened seriously. Alexa could see Dominic's expression suddenly turn pale before he was forced to move from where he was standing.

"... Please finish your food, Baby. You need it now," whispered Dominic. He kept the tray of food he brought on the small table available in the room. His shoulders dropped when Alexa didn't reply to his words. Dominic stepped out with a heavy heart before his steps stopped in front of the exit when Alexa spoke again.

"Did you also install a camera in this room?" she asked coldly. Dominic tried to be patient before answering Alexa's question as gently as he could.

"No. I don't have any cameras in this room, Baby. In the future, there won't be any cameras in your room either. I'm sorry. Please finish your meal, okay? Have a good rest today," Dominic said softly. He left the room after that, leaving Alexa alone with her confused thoughts.

"Sob, ugh... Sob, sob."

Like before, when she was truly alone, Alexa just let out all her sadness and frustration. Tears flowed quickly down her cheeks. Alexa curled up, trying to relieve the pain that was starting to attack her head again.

Alexa really hoped everything was just a nightmare for her. She should still be smiling when Dominic returns, and as usual, Dominic will greet her with a gentle kiss on the forehead and then whisper a soft 'I'm back'.

Wiping her tears, Alexa glanced and opened the tray of food that Dominic had previously brought. Alexa suddenly felt hungry, and the food Dominic brought also happened to be her favorite food.

Slowly, Alexa tried to take a plate close to her. Alexa lifted the spoon weakly, before starting to eat.

Whether it was really because she was hungry or not, all the food was gone in no time. Alexa also drank all the milk that Dominic brought, even though Alexa could feel the different taste of the milk she drank.

Alexa thought Rika must have changed the brand of milk again. The girl often did this because Rika said she often bought the wrong thing when shopping.

"Bleugh."

Like before, a feeling of nausea suddenly rose in her throat when Alexa finished her food. Alexa ran quickly to the bathroom, throwing up whatever had just entered her mouth earlier.

Satisfied with emptying her stomach, Alexa leaned weakly in the bathroom. Her face was pale as Alexa tried to regain control of her ragged breath.

"Dom..."

Even when Alexa hated Dominic, she still wanted her husband to be by her side when her body was this weak. Alexa wants Dominic to hug her as usual. Kiss her when she starts to feel restless like now.

Without realizing it, Alexa had become too accustomed to all the attention that Dominic always gave her. Alexa feels nervous when Dominic is not by her side, especially in difficult times like now.

"Ugh... Sob, sob."

With difficulty, Alexa tried to get out of the bathroom. Her body immediately collapsed as soon as she reached Dominic's large bed. Her eyes became heavy again as she took a small glance at the food tray, which was now empty.

If Alexa could, she would want to eat more now.

***

SLAP!

"What did I say about keeping an eye on Alexa, Rika?"

On Rika's white cheek, a bright red line formed from Dominic's slap. Dominic's face is so scary right now. He seemed ready to kill anyone who annoyed him more than he felt right now.

"Be careful when talking to Alexa. Don't do anything unnecessary, and don't let Alexa know what we are doing," repeated Rika calmly. The girl wasn't the least bit afraid when Dominic lifted her chin roughly, looking at her with a gaze that was so piercing as if the man wanted to finish her off right then and there.

"Then, tell me why she knew I installed a surveillance camera in her room, Rika. Tell me why she said she would hate me if I stayed beside her and threw me out of the room today!" Dominic snapped emotionally.

Seeing that Rika was still calm when facing him, Dominic released his grip on Rika's chin. He sat on the sofa while his hand moved to massage his sharp nose.

"I was careless, Boss. Alexa succeeded in tricking us before. At the cafe at that time, it seemed like the woman had given Alexa something without our knowledge. A telephone number, a number belonging to someone we didn't know. Alexa hid it cleverly in a place she knew we would never guess. Alexa called the number, and a man answered the call. Alexa didn't seem to know anything about the call. The only thing that made her angry was my anxiety, which made the secret reveal itself," said Rika regretfully. Her knees bent as she began to kneel in front of Dominic. Meanwhile, Dominic still looked at Rika with a cold gaze, even after her confession.

"Forgive my carelessness, Boss. I promise I will be more careful from now on. I won't lose my cool again no matter what happens," promised Rika seriously. She could hear Dominic take a deep breath before replacing his gaze with a lazy look.

"Are you sure she didn't know anything about that call?" Dominic asked.

Rika nodded confidently. "I saved their call, Boss. You can listen to it yourself later," she answered bluntly.

Dominic nodded slightly. His finger tapped constantly on the edge of his chair before continuing his question.

"Then, who is the man who answered the call?" he asked coldly. Rika was silent for a moment before starting to answer in a cautious tone.

"I'm sorry. However, I still can't find the exact identity, Boss. I also can't trace his whereabouts because the call must be disconnected immediately, or she will know everything. However, I'm sure the man who answered the call is one of Madam's closest people. Someone she can trust in critical situations, considering the group is always wary of the people around them."

Dominic silently agreed. Alexa and Irina, both of them were raised in an environment that did not allow them to socialize like normal people. The only ones they can trust are their people. Therefore, the person who picked up the call was part of their group.

"Then, what were the results of your investigation?" Dominic asked. Again, Rika was silent before answering Dominic's question with a heavy heart.

"Since General Hugo's death, the group has split and merged with the society. Due to their background, some chose to die in battle while others disappeared somewhere. There are only a few of them whose whereabouts are known and are likely still related to each other. And among them, there is only one person who stands out above the rest."

"Then who is that person?"

"Connor Mckay, Boss. General Connor Mckay, previously known as Connor Asylum," answered Rika.

Dominic immediately had a change in expression when he heard the name. The man began to look anxious, especially when he remembered that Rika reported that the man had heard Alexa's voice on the phone call.

"Find out what that guy did recently. Where did he go, who did he meet. I want to get a detailed report as soon as possible. I'll be back for now. Alexa will need me when she wakes up."

Rika nodded as she stood back up as Dominic walked out of the room. Rika swiftly opened the door for Dominic. The man stopped for a moment at the door, his hand patted Rika's shoulder once before continuing his steps.

"Don't disappoint me again, Rika. You are the best among your siblings. That's why I gave you this task and not another," said Dominic before leaving Rika.