The Scent of Illusion (Published under IMMAC)

Chapter 34: Mourning at the Hilltop

Trigger warning: May contain sensitive topics such as death, sex, profanity, suicide, self-harm, drugs, alcohol, mental health, sexuality, etc. There might be depictions or references to sexual harassment. Please be guided accordingly and read at your own risk.

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The calm that surrounded the house in its warm embrace, illuminated by the golden rays of the sun, suddenly crumbled. The clear atmosphere that enabled Malloy and Emilia to have a wonderful and mature conversation melted into the background, fading into the past as the sight of Aurora sent fire through Malloy's veins.

Noticing her father's hands clenched into fists, Emilia stepped in and placed a hand on her father's arm which made Malloy look at her. She gave him a reassuring nod and a gentle pat, almost as if quietly telling him that he did not have to be hostile towards Aurora.

And as much as Malloy did not want to give in to a pat and a nod, he could trust his daughter. After that conversation that they had, he was more confident in trusting Emilia's judgment.

"Where were you last night?" he asked. The warmth that coated his tone earlier had completely melted. He was addressing the two with a more authoritative tone that demanded an answer. "Why are you just coming home now?"

There was a thick tension that settled over their heads, weighing on them as they exchanged glances.

Eli took a step forward, shielding Aurora behind him since he knew how his father was not entirely fond of the woman. But he did notice that his father was less hostile somehow. "Uhh. We were–" He was immediately cut off by the loud ringing of the landline phone, which made Eli clear his throat.

A housekeeper walked towards them, informing Malloy that the call was for him before handing him the wireless phone. "It's from the headquarters, sir."

Malloy's brows furrowed, wondering what could be so important that early but he knew that they would not call if it was not important. He then pressed the speaker against his ear and answered, "What is going on?"

There was a bit of crackle from the other end of the line before it turned clear, telling Malloy a piece of news that he did not expect to hear again and something he had to pacify to avoid any form of panic. The tension that immediately surrounded Malloy was something the three recognized, knowing that whatever it was, it was not a good one.

Malloy nodded. "Okay, I'll be there." The person on the other line was about to end the call but then Malloy caught Emilia's eyes, reminding him of something. "Wait. Release Hayden Thomas before noon."

A bright smile glossed on Emilia's lips as she uttered, "Thank you," softly before pulling her hand away from her father's arm. She could feel warmth spreading across her chest, knowing that Hayden would be back in the mansion within the day.

While Eli was not sure what happened while they were not home, he could sense that there was a shift in the energy between Emilia and their father. Whatever it was or however it happened, Eli was just glad that there was an understanding between the two. It had been a while since he saw a genuine smile on Emilia's lips.

"What happened?" Eli asked once Malloy was done with the call.

Malloy pressed his lips together, a small part of him still did not like the idea of talking about official matters in front of Aurora but he did not have the time to spare. "There was an attack..." He paused, sighing exasperatedly as he rubbed his temples. "And a guard is in critical condition."

It was evident then that the situation needed urgency and discretion. It was not the first attack that happened but to have a guard in critical condition only meant that Blood Rage was no longer just giving a lukewarm warning. It was an aggressive approach that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.