Marble Statuette | T. Drake

[04]

The sound of the television running was the only disturbance in the eerie silence that usually shrouded the place. No other sound could be heard in the desolate office although a shadowy figure was veiled in the dim glow of the screen.

A broadcast of the Wayne family's famous Fall Gala was running on TV but all the spotlight was on a new face. Instead of any member from the Waynes launching the new software, the girl on the screen was given full control of the stage.

That new face was a young girl who was leading Project VANYA; Olivia McArthur. Her name was displayed on the screen as she was giving her speech thanking all the guests and attendees of the Gala while informing them about Vanya, the latest software released by Wayne Tech. 

The press had created quite a hype about the product launch as well as the person behind it. So it was no surprise to see Olivia and her boyfriend Tim Drake featured in most press publications that week.

Cold and calculating eyes bore into the video, dissecting every word, every nuance of the talented young woman's address.

Her surname was most interesting for the person watching the broadcast on repeat mode even though it had aired days ago. If his guess was right then the girl he was watching on screen was the daughter of or possibly related to his former colleague Ashlar McArthur.

There was something in her features that reminded him strikingly of the young and ambitious couple who set out to bring revolution to the world of technology. Ashlar and Gemma McArthur; two scientists who had ventured too far in the world of the unknown prospects of scientific innovation. 

A quest for knowledge that had ended up taking their reputation, their jobs, their freedom, and then eventually their lives. 

The young girl on TV could only be their daughter although he was well aware that there was no record of the McArthurs having a child. It could be possible that they intentionally kept her existence a secret so that she would not get dragged into the turmoil their lives were put in after they started working for CADMUS.

But how could one deny the resemblance that was so evident? And someone who had personally known the McArthurs could certainly not overlook that resemblance.

Olivia had Gemma's black eyes, the same irises that seemed to hold the power to stare down into one's soul relentlessly. And she had the rest of Ashlar's sharp features with only the difference of her slightly rounded face that she shared with her mother. 

Seeing her talk so passionately about the software she had worked on and was launching reminded him of the time he and Ashlar had worked together on genetic cloning.

But their labs had been shut down and even though Ashlar took the work to completion, he was later convicted for illegal experimentation along with his wife.

As a result, something was still left incomplete and Viktor Stryker now had a potential target who could help him take his project to completion.

The only problem was figuring out how to reach out to the girl he had just seen on the screen since it seemed she was quite close to the Wayne family. And if she had spent the rest of her life unaware of her parents' former connections, then it would be somewhat difficult to persuade her to resume what was started years ago.

However, one thing was set in Viktor's mind. He had gotten certain that Olivia McArthur was the missing piece he had spent years searching for. Therefore, he had to get to her by all means possible.

Even if it meant tearing her out of the influential Wayne family's grasp.

It could bring unwanted consequences for him and the secrecy he had maintained for the past many years. But he wasn't hesitant to take that risk.

What he saw in Olivia was far more valuable than staying low just for fear of getting convicted. After Ashlar, he had been searching for someone like him but failed to find anyone who could come close to the expertise Ashlar McArthur had. But now fate was giving him a second chance or so it seemed.

For who better to fill Ashlar's place in his schemes than the deceased man's daughter?

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him and he couldn't let it slip from his grasp.

***

Olivia woke to the pale light of dawn filtering through her curtains, illuminating the room in a soft, muted glow. She cautiously disentangled herself from the arms of her lover, making sure not to disturb his sleep.

He woke up nevertheless, alert to even the slightest of movements probably as a result of being trained as a vigilante. 

The bags around his eyes were ever prominent as she brushed his hair back and placed a light kiss on his cheek, "rest. I will come back in a minute."

"Are you going to the kitchen?" Tim asked, his voice slurred from sleepiness.

"Yes, but I won't bring you your coffee. You are not allowed to wake up so soon," she remarked, making him close his eyes again. "Go to sleep, don't make me resort to other measures."

A light chuckle escaped him but he knew better than to resist her order. So he closed his eyes again, subconsciously hearing the soft sound of her retreating steps as she stepped out of the room.

Olivia had gone to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. Vanya got activated sensing her presence in the kitchen and greeted her.

"Good morning, Olivia, what can I do for you today?"

"Not much. And I will watch the news some other time so don't put it up. Tim is sleeping and I don't want him to get disturbed."

"Noted." 

A beep sounded and the software went into silent mode. Olivia resumed working in the kitchen as she put finely grounded tea leaves into the boiling hot water. As the tea was brewing, she checked her emails and her schedule on her phone.

However, she found one email that wasn't something she had expected to see in her inbox.

It was an encrypted message and she hesitated to click on it as she knew the troubles people got into by clicking links that contained viruses making them victims of cyber crimes.

She didn't know who had sent her that email as there was no ID being displayed just yet. There was only one name that didn't ring any bells for her. But something about it made her curious nonetheless.

She didn't know anyone by that name but then she didn't know many people altogether. Still being cautious, she didn't open the email and thought of discussing it with Tim before checking out what the name Stryker meant and why she had received that mail.

But right then, she wanted Tim to rest so she put her phone aside, temporarily forgetting about the strange message.

***