Nathaniel sat behind the coffee table with an aura that was befitting a powerful and unbeatable figure.
His aura was overbearing and elusive. The air around him gave a hint of mysticism and power. The ladies in the café would have swooned if the woman beside him weren't his wife, who didn't glare daggers at them as she clung to him.
Rhea looked away from those hungry women who were eyeing her piece of eye candy with bedroom eyes. It was disgusting, to say the least.
Turning her gaze from the 'eye-r*pists' and to the man in front of both her and her husband. The man they were sending undercover to keep an eye on Tanya was one of the rookies who were supposed to take part in the awareness campaign.
Like her husband, Adam was dressed impeccably in an immaculate suit that seemed to carry and hold his aura perfectly. It was as though it was made for him and it was a perfect blend of both worlds.
Nathaniel eyed the man sitting before him silently before he opened his mouth to speak, "I called you here to ask something of you…"
There was a pause before the deep baritone voice continued, "I need you to protect my sister. The child has been a bit out of it for quite a while and I need an insider to help me look over her while I'm not there."
Adam narrowed his gaze at the couple suspiciously and asked, "When you say 'out of it', what is the range of this peculiarity?"
Nathaniel brushed a hand over his face as he reminisced with a sense of helplessness, "Well, for one, she was dismissed from her old high school on unclear basis…"
Suddenly, Adam cut in, "Unclear basis? That doesn't sound like Tanya…"
At that statement, Rhea looked like she could burn a hole into his head with her glare alone, while Nathaniel gave rose a brow in confusion before shrugging his shoulders.
"The Lieutenant refused to say any more than that. He also looked as confused as we were. As though he wasn't even sure as to why this decision was coming to be."
Nathaniel leaned back into his chair and folded his hands together, "Please, I need you to keep an eye on my little sister…" Nathaniel took a brief pause to gauge the reaction of the man before him before he continued, "I never thought I'd ever say this, but… my sister hasn't created a cause for complaint and has been oddly cooperative."
Adam let out a grunt in disbelief but immediately turned serious when he saw that the man before him hadn't cracked a smile or even a quiver on his lip.
"Isn't it better this way? She's less inclined to trouble and has her head to the ground. I mean… what more could you ask for?"
Nathaniel eyed the young man before him with a calm silence but a piercing gaze. Yes, he had usually talked to him when he was confronted with an issue, and, more often than most, his issues had bordered on Tanya.
Nathaniel sighed even heavily as he kept his gaze upon his friend across him as he opened his lips.
"I don't expect you to understand where I'm coming from. All I need you to do is keep an eye on my sister for me."
Adam looked at Nathaniel in shock. This was his very close friend who was so close to him that they were literally living the saying, 'brother from another mother'. This was the first time he had acted this defensively against him, and the cause was his sister.
Nathaniel looked at the shocked expression on his friend's face and a pang of guilt spread within his chest, but at the same time, an inexplicable feeling of annoyance began bubbling within him.
"I'm sorry for lashing out like that." Nathaniel said as he combed his hair back with his long and slim fingers, a sign of his growing annoyance and frustration over nothing. "I've been very…"
Nathaniel went silent and buried his face in his palm as he bent over. Rhea gave him a sympathetic gaze before rubbing comforting circles on his back in understanding and whispering gently into his ears.
After what seemed like a brief conversation of comfort and confirmation between the husband and wife, Nathaniel sat up straight with regained composure, but his slightly empty eyes were putting Adam off.
"I just need your assistance to keep an eye on Tanya. Anything you find suspicious, I need you to report back."
Adam looked at his friend whose whole demeanor seemed to have changed from just a suppressed outburst. It didn't seem to be what Rhea had told him. Then what was it?
Despite these questions, Adam spoke up with an unfazed demeanor, "What's in it for me? Or are you expecting me to do this for you for free on account of our friendship?" Adam asked with an eyebrow quirked up in questioning.
Nathaniel let out a smile that seemed like it was born from evil. His face seemed to split in half from the sheer intensity of the smile. His eyes turned into slits, yet by some miracle, Adam had no problem seeing his whites and pupils, which seemed to give an eerie glow.
Despite this evil smile, Nathaniel's charm didn't seem to diminish in the slightest. Adam could swear that he heard some women behind him swoon and scream for mercy while asking for some kind of punishment. It seemed a bit far-fetched, but Rhea's gaze that went overhead told him that his hearing wasn't an auditory hallucination, something that he felt was sickeningly unfortunate.
Reducing the intensity of his smile, Nathaniel paid no attention to what was happening ahead of him and answered, "You know that I wouldn't abuse the nature of our friendship by using it solely for my benefit without any reward."
Adam's brow quirked up in question as his lips dipped in an inverted smile at his friend's words, "I know how hard it is at the academy and how unsure you are of becoming a real person in the force with all the work of your superiors."
At this statement, Adam's eyes widened in surprise as his ears perked up. He was about to ask, but Nathaniel beat him to it, "What sort of friend would I be if I didn't know of my friend's sufferings?"
At that, Adam's heart felt both warm and cold at the very same time. Here his friend knew of his every need, meanwhile he…
Adam's lips quivered as he suppressed the urge to bite them out of anger and sadness.
"Soon, there will be a power change… " Nathaniel continued after a brief pause, "…though I'm sure you know that already." Adam nodded in affirmation, his face stoic with a little confusion in his expression.
"I'm putting some of my people into the force to oversee things for me. It's not all for benefit, I have my reasons too." Nathaniel quickly added the last part to clear the air.
Adam's jaw was on the floor by the time Nathaniel was done. He quickly composed himself at the sight of his best friend's mirthful smile.
"Damn! What you said you were going to take care of my entrance into the force, I thought you meant like a referral letter or something…"
"We both know that in this country, a referral letter doesn't mean anything unless the right price is involved." Nathaniel said with a cold sarcastic smirk. "And besides, isn't a 'thank you bro' in order after what I have done? It wasn't easy, you know?"
Adam looked at that smirk and a shudder ran down his spine. Never had fear felt so tangible and real. So suffocating and sufferable.
"You know that this is against the already entrenched laws which you had sworn obedience to, right?"
Nathaniel laughed, mockery dripping in every sound and his expression, "You sincerely can't be serious while saying that right?" When he saw that his friend's expression was unfazed and serious, he reigned in his laughter, but his mirthful eyes never dimmed, "You're serious?"
"We took an oath to serve the country for its betterment and not put our own selfish interests to the fore!" Adam shouted pissed.
"You're still young and naïve and have learned nothing, so I'll forgive your childish passion and ignorance." Nathaniel said with little enthusiasm and a dispassionate gaze which he directed at Adam.
"You live in a country where the people who teach you about justice and equity take away from the common people as though it means nothing. This is a country where underhanded means are the new method of dispensing justice." Nathaniel paused for a moment before he continued, "Justice is a commodity that is sold to the highest bidder, not the most passionate."
"So, kill that naïve thought out of your head and quit embarrassing me with your righteous philosophy. It's becoming quite ugly and unbecoming."
Adam sat there with various emotions running through him: shock, disbelief, confusion, anger, regret, and a suffocating feeling that squeezed his heart so hard it felt as though he were about to stop breathing in a moment.
He then turned to Rhea with those tumultuous emotions running inside his eyes and gazed with her eyes. Rhea's head bowed in silence and resignation and at that moment, something in Adam weakened and collapsed.