My Most Precious Human novel Chapter 55

I leaned my back against the sofa, feeling weaker by the second. Until that moment, I thought that the only dangerous situation I could encounter was meeting those who got fired because of me. I had never thought that someone would target me just to mess up with Sariel.

"I… I don't understand," I mumbled, "Why would someone attack me to get to the Duke?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Gabriel chuckled, "Sariel used to be in love with a human. It's only natural for his enemies to think that you've become someone important in his life since you live in his castle and even helped him get revenge on the Adragnas."

"I still don't get it. How is attacking me causing any harm to Sariel?!" I burst out in a panicked laugh.

Gabriel looked at me with a slightly pitying expression, then sighed.

"Do you think he would be running like a madman each time his employee was endangered? If you have any doubts about that question, then I will state it clearly to you: no, he wouldn't. I cannot recall him being as enraged as the moment he called me and told me that someone's after you." Gabriel stated, smirking.

Before I knew it, my heart began to flutter, and my cheeks flushed. I told myself that it was the blood bond, but I already knew it was more than that. Whoever told me about what Sariel had done at the moment of my attack didn't have any doubts that Sariel cared for me. My rational mind kept searching for an argument that could take Sariel's behavior as a calculative action, but I was unable to find any reason other than the one that included emotions. That made my Sariel-treatment close to impossible.

My anxieties returned once my fluttering heart allowed my brain to work. If someone planned an attack to kill me and failed, it would only mean that he would try again…

"Mr. Foubert… I've been given bodyguards for my protection, so does it mean that my life is on the line and that I may expect another attack inside the company?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"We don't know that yet." Gabriel sighed, shaking his head.

"But if the plan fails, perhaps those who devised it will try again, right?" I mumbled, trying to give myself false hope.

"No, because they had expected their plan to fail." Gabriel's tone crushed the rest of my delusions, "I and the Duke suspect that the attack was a test."

"W-what test?! I nearly died in that test!" I called out, being on a verge of crying.

"They had proven that our security and employee verification failed." Gabriel gritted his teeth, "They managed to implant a spy right under my nose. They took over our surveillance, and they corrupted bank workers. We have to find out who they are fast because their next strike is going to be much bolder than this."

"S-so… what now?" I asked hesitantly.

"Leo gave you two of his protégés. These two men are really skilled," he assured me. "From now on, take at least one of them wherever you go during your working hours."

"What if I need to pee?" I smirked just to ease off the seriousness of Gabriel's voice.

"If you need to pee, take your bodyguard to check the toilet." He smirked back at me.

I didn't like the idea in the slightest, but I knew that I shouldn't underestimate my situation. I couldn't count that Sariel would miraculously appear each time I'd be in danger. I had to be extra cautious of my surroundings, especially when he was away. I promised Gabriel that I would keep the bodyguards by my side all the time, even though I felt suffocating merely stating that I would.

As I walked back to my office, I felt that my steps were becoming heavier and heavier. My restlessness was increasing rapidly. I started to think of some way to ease my mind. If it hadn't been for keeping my focus, I would gladly drink a glass of wine… or the whole bottle. Unfortunately, for the time being, I had to stick to breathing methods and meditation.

Engaging my whole self at work temporarily helped me not to think too much about the surrounding danger. Apparently, my work devoured me to the point Patrick knocked on my door a few times during the day just to check that I was alive inside. I thought that I was doing fine until I had finished the pile of documents I had inside my office, and I had to go down to the archives again…

I hesitantly knocked at my bodyguard's door, "I… I need you to come down to the archives with me." I squeezed out.

Patrick smiled warmly at me, "We don't need to come down. The rest of the documents Ms. Leber would need has already been moved to this floor," he stated confidently.

"W-what do you mean?" I chuckled nervously.

"It was Mr. Gotha's order. The whole archives are now closed, and the boxes of contracts that we were told that Ms. Leber would need, have been moved to the special room on this floor." He grinned.

My mouth literally dropped. I would never suspect Mr. Gotha of being thoughtful or understanding. Certainly, I could assume that his thought had concerned saving documents from drowning in those bastards' blood. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but feel grateful and relieved.

Patrick turned out to be more than helpful, showing me the clear upsides of having an assistant. Apparently, he decided to prove to me just how strong he was and carried all the boxes I needed into my office. He carried them all at once… I had to say that the way he acted was adorable. Even with all his supernatural strength, I couldn't stop thinking about him in any other way than as a cute puppy. His presence made me feel at ease. From time to time, I almost forgot about my anxieties and the luring around danger…

Patrick's assignment included his full involvement in my day's work schedule, from the moment I entered the company in the morning to the moment I got into Mike's car. If it weren't for Patrick's kind personality, I would have gone insane after my first day of constant surveillance. Nonetheless, the mere fact that he was checking every single room I was about to enter created an additional stress factor, a constant reminder that something was bound to happen.

I would love to say that I could finally relax once I got back to the castle, but that couldn't have happened. I could either feverishly long for Sariel, be terrified of the damage the blood bond could cause inside my heart and mind, or feel the overwhelming anxiety caused by the constant need to look over my shoulder, trying to stay out of danger. Three days later, I was completely mentally exhausted.

Sitting in my office started to feel like sitting on a bomb. I caught myself stepping inside it as if I was walking on egg shells. Every time I walked past Gabriel's office, I stepped inside to ask about the investigation, and each day I was given the same message…

"We still have nothing, Lilith." Gabriel clenched his teeth.

"What about Mateo… Did you find him?" I asked, a hopeful expression stuck to my face.

"Yes, we found him." Gabriel sighed.

"That's great! Then—"

"He's dead." Gabriel cut me off, "Mateo Wallace's dead body was found in the dumpster at a strip club's back door. His wrists and neck were cut open, and he was completely drained of blood."

I collapsed on the sofa and smiled bitterly, "Poor idiot. I guess this wasn't the kind of "reward" he was hoping to get after all he did."

"We were hoping to find him alive. With Dominique's abilities, we could have found out who is behind in no time." Gabriel gave out an angry sigh.

"So… what now?" I asked, counting on Gabriel's words to calm my hysteric heart.

"You will not like it, but we have to wait while keeping our eyes open," he stated unwillingly.

That certainly wasn't something I wanted to hear. My mind instantly searched for anything else that Gabriel might have missed, even though it was highly unlikely.

"What about the security guards who were responsible for the surveillance that day?" I inquired.

"They were all bribed by Mateo, and they all talked to him alone. There wasn't anyone else's name mentioned anywhere. The rest of the known culprits are already dead." Gabriel clenched his teeth.

He sounded irritated, but the annoyance in his voice was merely a way to hide his powerlessness. I bet he hated this situation as much as I did, but it wasn't his life that was endangered.

I walked back to my office, praying to every kind of god for a distraction. My head was filled with gloomy thoughts. I could barely focus on anything. I needed a break.

I jumped up at the sound of the incoming email. I opened the message and a faint smile appeared on my face. The message was from Colleen.

"How 'bout that coffee? Ready to take a break?" She wrote.

I grinned widely at the screen as I replied, "Meet you downstairs."