Mafia Caught the Mermaid

9. Discovering Secrets

"...fainted!" I heard a faint cry from the hall.

Sun was bright. It's been a few days Cordelia have been restricted to stay withen the four walls of the house.

She is still clueless. I never provided her any reason.

The meeting is going on. That must be the maid shouting, everyone exchanged alert glances. I motioned them to go on. Alfonso will take care of the disturbances.

*Knock knock

"..Miss..huff huff!" She must be running. The gunman opened the door just enough so he could ask her the problem.

What was Alfonso doing? She had guts to run here, when meeting is going on. Yet it didn't get to my nerves. I was jaded myself. I received no news of Ericks attacks or his meddling with my business.

The hushed exchange ended. The message was passed to Samuel first. Our eyes met, his showing serious.

Is there an attack? Is she hurt?

He walks straight to me, and whispers, "Cordial fainted in the kitchen. Alfonso is calling the doctor."

I jerked up slapping the table I hurried to stand and made my way out.

Doubtful murmurs started in the office as soon as I left, I hear Samuel yell and not a sound reach my ears after that.

Is she not eating properly? Bullied? No. Not on my watch.

Why in the kitchen though? They making her work?

She Poisoned?

I pushed open her doors, the guards lining outside stepped aside beforehand.

Finding me the doctor started, "There is nothing to Worry about, no injury. When she wakes up I'll ask her some questions to be sure." Very slowly explaining me, he left me alone withy girl lying on bed, her deep calm Breathings had me at ease. I decided to wait for her to wake up, sitting on the sofa near the window.

Her room smelled of books, there's a library downstairs but she has a habit of bringing new ones in her room. Climber plants framed sides of her windows, the flowers fragrance matched with Cordelia's.

I picked up a random book from the floor she had kept bookmarked.

"Alien Ocean"

I flipped the pages. Boring for me, she had scribbled the book like investigation studies.

She had sticky notes on selective pages, I read each and every one them,

I am not much interested, my curiosity grew for why she is attached to water.

I went through another one, and another,

Tired already I picked up another book, Different name, similar content. Same words highlighted as the previous books.

Every one of them belongs to oceanic research, encyclopaedias, and marine creatures studies.

Just Why?

Tossing the one I had in my hand, I checked out another book from the latter.
Same!

Hastily I got up,

I browsed through her shelf, I finally found a notebook, kids stuff, It is full of drawings. A smile cracked up at her 3 grader drawings and Coloring. Improvements were seen in her later arts. But things She made had my attention, sea creatures, and wierd dangerous animals, mermaid bodied animals, nothing clicked into place, I squinted my eyes, rubbed my temple, all reading out lines only comprising of words like,

'Ocean'

'sea'

'Mermaid'

'Monsters'

'Humans'

Their depths

Figures

These types of words have caught my eyes because only such lines she has highlighted in every one of her belongings.

She was new to holding a pen, somehow studying me and Samuel most of the times she has learnt copying.

Somewhere in the same row must be the notebooks she attempted her initial writings, new letters. In between series of expert sea guide books, I found diaries. She shouldn't have any. Samuel must've gifted these to her, no other person has permission to be near her. Beside me, Samuel must've also taught her literary skills, arts and general knowledge. She does spends a lot of time with him too, it's only natural.

But she never raised deep questions about water. What is she doing calculating the depths, density and distance of the ocean. The marking on the maps stuck on the wall appear to be specific locations.

My muscles tensed the more I look around, the scattered mess I created raging my veins.

She wasn't this intelligent.

Or she didn't show it?

Was she playing dumb all along?

Just why the fuck is nothing of land here!?

Not even beaches to name as lands!

This room was tidy minutes ago. Now it looks like a geographical lab. She kept her belongings well assembled, I never once suspected it.

If not anything else, Her secrecy disappointed me.

If Cordelia never shared with me ..

Samuel should've informed me..

Maids should've reported Samuel.

I glanced at the peaceful lushous beauty resting under covers, her hairs shimmering as the cool breeze caresses her.

I dailed to Samuel. "Come the fuck here! Right now!"

"Now what have I-" I cut the call.

Seconds later he is standing in front of me, he hung his head eyeing the books and charts, drawings on the floor. He must be rig

"Can you explain this to me?" My teeth baring.

"It's her hobby." His Sympathetic eyes met mine.

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" My fingers curled around her diaries I intend to go through.

"We can talk about this later. It's nothing dangerous." He examined Cordelia's peaceful sleeping figure. "Right now she needs you."

"I know that!" I barked, he showing a pinch of care for her. Unnerves me.

"You both kept things from me! What should I do about that?" I glared him down. 

"We didn't wanted to bother you with her nuisance. That's it. No big deal." He had the audacity to speak for her in my presence, when he's at fault.

My temple is pulsating. Even smallest of her details should be familiar to me.

"You fuckin' not decide for what's mine!" I roared, he swallowed visibly, fixating his stare down.

"Lorenzo,is that you?" She shuffled between the sheets. I came into her line of sight, "Are you here?" She stretched yawning. I saw her, she had her eyes squeezed closed, beautiful she looked, her hair messed up, she dropped on her back again hitting the pillow, stretching again. That lifted up my mood.

"Yes, baby. I'm here." I rasped out. She look tired even after waking from a long nap.