Kill Me, Kiss Me

THREE

    COLDNESS shot through the side of his face, Theo's eyes flickered open, and he took a deep gasp, drinking the air into his lungs. Grey tiles stretched under his face, where was he? The last thing he could remember was Setton's distorted smile, and anything else... He pushed himself upright and swept his eyes over the space. He was sitting in a corridor with gleaming white walls and a classy grey tiled floor; an office corridor of some sort though he wasn't entirely sure.

He clenched his jaw and struggled to his feet. Drugging someone, that girl, he was sure those could be classed something past legal, and oh, if that Setton thought he was easy, he was dead wrong. Lips tilting sardonically, Theo pulled out his phone from his back pocket and dialled his lawyer's number.

Beep, beep, beep.

A thin woman's voice floated from his phone, "The subscriber you have dialled is not in service, please check the number and dial again..."

His brows furrowed, and he studied the number he dialled. Every digit was correct, he hadn't made a mistake, so... why? He pressed the green call button again and leaned against the plain walls, tapping his feet, examining the corridor a little more carefully.

Beep, beep, beep.

Where was this anyway? Another floor of DGB's office?

"The subscriber you have dialled is not in service, please check—

Cold sweat beaded in the palm of his hands and he dialled Lily's number. It would be impossible for her number not to be valid, he had called her just this morning when he had arrived at the building.
   
Beep, beep, beep, beep...
   
His fingers curled, and he wandered further up the corridor to a floor to ceiling window.
   
"The subscriber you have dialled is not in service please—
   
Theo's mouth grew painfully dry, and his arm fell to his side. What was happening? Why weren't the calls going through? Did something happen to Lily? But it'd only been one hour at most, how could something had happened to her? He could clearly remember calling her and consoling her just before going to Setton's office.
   
He licked his lips and peered down into the scene outside, fighting down the rising panic twisting his guts. Glass skyscrapers and roads filled with zooming cars greeted his eyes, but even staring at the unclouded blue that peaked from between the buildings didn't douse the fire burning through his chest. Instead, the sickness grew heavier in his stomach. It had to be a mistake on his half, his phone must've malfunctioned.
   
Staring down at his phone again, he caught another glimpse of the city outside, and his limbs flinched. He took a step closer to the cold glass and sought the streets below him. Wrong, it was all wrong, he knew the financial sector like the back of his hand... So what was this? The DGB office should be at the centre of the sector, but these buildings, these streets below, they weren't part of anything he recognised.
   
Just where in all hell was he?
   
"Theodore." A low woman's voice that reminded him of a slowly smouldering bonfire rang out from behind.
   
He turned to see a tall middle-aged woman in a tight fitting burgundy suit stalk towards him in scarlet high-heels.
   
"What are you doing here?"
   
Theo's eyes narrowed, and he looked over the woman again, "Sorry, do I know you?"
   
The woman's green-eyed gaze sharpened, "I'm Mariah Kelly, Mr Hew's PA."
   
He took a step away from the window, the writhing in his guts secreting a bitterness in his mouth, "Well then, Ms. Kelly, where is this? It seems that I've gotten lost." He accentuated the 'lost' with an almost violent force.
   
"Are you well?" Her thin brows descended over her eyes like two thunderbolts, "Do you need a rest?" She took a quick glance at her watch and adjusted the documents she was carrying with a sharp flick of her powerful hands, "I suggest you go and take five minutes to adjust whatever problems you're having. That attitude is unacceptable before Mr Hew."
   
Attitude? Mr Hew? He smoothed his hand over his forehead and let out a deep, shaking breath. Just what shit is this woman spewing? He nodded his head helplessly and undid his shirt cuffs, "Ok, Ms. Kelly, I won't disturb you any longer, but could you please direct me to the reception?"
   
Her expression twisted into something stranger as if he was the one spouting nonsense, but she jerked her head back down the corridor, "Turn right and ride the elevator down to the ground floor. Be back before quarter past."
   
"Thank you, have a good day." He said sourly, brushing past the woman and her odd comments.
   
Striding down the corridor, Theo couldn't help but shake his head. What was wrong with her? He thought himself as quite a lenient and tolerant person, but first Setton and now that woman; it was a miracle he hadn't snapped yet. If Gerald or William had been in this situation, he was sure he wouldn't be able to say the same about them. God, perhaps he should learn more from them and file a complaint.
   
"Mr Hew, good morning." The woman's voice rang from behind him again.
   
He glanced up and raised a brow subtly. A tall, well-built man was walking towards him, long legs bound in fitting, dark navy suit trousers. It was expensive and very stylish, the man's three-piece suit, and the watch, definitely a collector's item, something he would buy for himself perhaps, as a treat. What was worse, he couldn't help but look at the man's face even though it made him grit his teeth. He wasn't a very vain person, but this man in front of him... Those deep whirlpool eyes and arching eyebrows made him want to flinch.
   
The man swept his eyes over Theo apathetically. Holding his penetrating gaze for a transient moment, Theo gave him a nod and swept past. He had to admit, this Mr Hew was impressive, and that preyed doubly on his nerves. He just had to meet someone like this today; there was no need to think anymore, he was definitely going to file that complaint and sue.
   
"Theodore Harrow." A deep voice that sent a thrum through the depths of his body sounded just past his shoulder.
   
He couldn't help but turn back. Again, their gazes clash, fire against fire, and the heat of its friction burnt through Theo's mind.
   
Ding! A clear little ping crashed through the silence, and an automated male voice threaded through his ears, "Game Target Alexandr Hew met."
   
Theo's face blanched at the words; he searched the space for anything that could've made those sounds, but there was only Mr Hew and the secretary.
   
"Relationship status opened."
   
At those words, a small transparent heart with a bold 3% written inside bubbled above Mr Hew's head. Theo's finger twitched, and he felt the urge to step backwards away from everything, away from This.
   
"What is the matter?" That deep and heart-disturbing voice grated into the chaos of his mind.
   
What is the matter? His fingers tightened around the edges of his phone, and he stared around at all this slowly. The white walls, grey floor, the woman's smooth chocolate skin, the wrinkles in her suit, the vibrations of that masculine voice, that deep gaze, none of it was real. He pinched the skin of his hand, fingernails digging into the soft flesh. None of it was real, yet, the pain was real, and his sight seemed real, and his hearing seemed real, and everything seemed real.
   
Ding. The number within the heart rose from 3% to 4%.
   
This was the game, wasn't it? He wasn't sure, he couldn't be sure, but that was the only answer that seemed to make sense. The woman's strange words, this forged place, now he could see through the mist. Now, he could see the reason for all the hype. This experience, it was exceptionally... real.
   
Wisps of alluring cologne curled past him along with Mr Hew's strong footsteps, "Sort him out Mariah."
   
"Yes sir."
   
Theo followed his powerful back with his eyes all the way down the corridor through the sliding doors at the end.
   
The woman clacked back towards him and motioned for him to follow her, "No more rest."
   
He blinked and ran his fingers through his hair, tugging at the strands lightly.
   
"What's my job?"
   
A look of apparent annoyance twisted the woman's plump lips, "You're Mr Hew's new secretary, there's no time to dawdle!"    
   
Ah, so that was his role was it? Theo licked the edges of his teeth and followed the woman's straight back, burying the boiling mass in his guts. It was only eight hours, eight hours and he didn't need to go along with this nonsense anymore. And being a secretary for that man? It was frustrating but simple enough.
   
He slipped his phone into his inner suit pocket and strode through the sliding doors, the image of the girl's madness slipping out of his mind.

Sitting tensely against her chair, Lily dialled Theo's number again.

    "The subscriber you dialled is busy right now, please—
   
She bit into her lips, and she scrolled through her contacts hurriedly until she came to the correct number.
   
Beep, beep, "Hello, how are you doing L—
   
"Edmund, do you know how my brother resolved things with DGB?"
   
"Ah, didn't he tell you? He's taking part in the scheme in your stead."
   
Her face drained of all colour, and her hands started shaking, "No..."
   
"What's wrong Lily?"
   
She hugged her knees tighter, "I didn't tell brother, I didn't tell him!"
   
"What?"
   
"The reason I didn't want to do it anymore is because everyone who came out went crazy! They all became mentally ill! He can't go there!"