"Where are they?" A hoarse deep voice asked in the deafening silence. The volume of said voice was neither too soft nor too loud, it could even be said that it was only a bit tired, if it was to be explained in some way.
The face of the person who had asked this question could also somewhat be described in a similar manner. His expressionless visage was only perhaps a few shades darker than normal, but otherwise the statue like man looked quite calm.
Though the straight standing posture and the sharp gaze directed to the double glass doors in front of him could cause those around to doubt, if he was capable of expressing any human like emotions. Coupled with his black tight fitted suit and ice blue eyes, no one dared to casually approach him, no matter what motive they could have to do so.
Even Ryan, his assistant, whether only coincidently or not, reported the answer to his question from a few feet away.
"The bodyguards just messaged. The daughter has already arrived and is guided to the current floor, it should take no longer than five minutes. The parents are right behind also."
Normally, the capable assistant would always use respectful language when talking about any person Zane was asking him about, whether it was the name of a country's president or a normal person's on the street. But knowing Zane's personality and mood right now, he only used "the daughter" and "the parents" to talk about the people who were about to arrive, rather than their names preceded by Mrs. and Mr..
Finishing relaying his information, he did not wait for the somber man's acknowledgment or further orders, and stood quietly by the side. As far as confirming whether he heard the words correctly or understood them accurately, considering the iciness that went down a few degrees further after he learnt of the location of those people, there was no need for it. Zane had heard him clear enough.
And concerning other orders, there was nothing that occupied Zane's entire mind right now other than two important matters, his wife's current state and those people's arrival. Naturally, everything else was pushed to the side indefinitely, until those problems were resolved.
So there was nothing that Ryan could help Zane with more at this moment, before talking to those people. Though Ryan was sure that this problem was still too little in comparison, with the most ardent concern of the president. And how could it not, when it involved the safety of three people.
"Zane, how is Aria?" Malcom worriedly asked, as he came running down the hallway. There was no question for his sincerity, he was almost out of breath in his hurriedness to reach this floor from the cardio department.
A sincerity that Zane could hear in his voice, even though he had not turned to look towards his friend at all. He only kept staring at the glass door, as though he was able to see through it, able to see her.
"We do not know anything yet of Mrs. Black's state. Since she was rushed to the investigation room, no doctor has come out yet to inform us of her current health." Ryan replied instead of Zane. The latter hadn't asked him to answer, but he did not show any intention of answering himself this question. Just like before, how would he still be his assistant for all these years if he couldn't read the man's intentions?
"I shouldn't have left. I am sorry, I..." Malcom started to explain as the color drained from his face, even more so than from when he hurried down the hallway.
As a doctor employed by this hospital, with patients that only he could handle no matter what hour of the day it was needed, he hadn't done anything wrong in his course of actions. A single minute of hesitation could result in a person's life, and Malcom had still hovered for a few more minutes, before finally having no choice but to leave Aria's side.
Thus him saying now that he shouldn't have left was actually wrong. His decision from before was in fact the correct one, especially since Aria was alright when he had went away. He had left her in perfect health in a secure environment and Zane was also a few minutes away from returning.
So he knew in his mind... he hadn't made the wrong choice at that particular time as opposed to delaying a treatment for a patient whose life was hanging from a thread. But he still felt torn apart that he had left her alone, without noticing the evidences of her poor health, which led to her losing consciousness alone in the waiting room.
So he was trying to apologize for things that he could have done differently, even though there was actually no other choice. The girl he had just finished treating would have died if he returned later, and was also still in a critical condition. He had only temporarily managed to save her in the last minute possible.
"Malcom, I am really trying my hardest right now to control my emotions. Stop talking." Zane affirmed through clenched teeth. His voice still calm, but this exact normal tone was akin to the calmness before a raging storm.
Not allowing his friend to speak more was because he understood Malcom's reasoning, and felt that his decision was also correct... if it involved anyone else besides Aria. Theoretically Malcom had done everything properly. But though his mind could understand where Malcom was coming from, his heart was a different matter.
Thus the best he could do right now was not talk about it at all, otherwise he might say something hurtful to Malcom, if he allowed the latter to finish his words. He might even do more than just spout words that could no longer be taken back.
He also did not want to blame anyone else at this moment, because he had no right to. Deep down he knew... all of this was his own fault. Nobody could be blamed more than him, so what use would it have to lash out at other people?
If he had talked to Aria first, none of this would have happened. If he had told her everything from the start, she wouldn't have been so shocked about finding these facts from another bad-intended person. His way of thinking and the choices he had taken were the worst decisions he had ever made.
His heart felt like it was about to be torn apart when the petite woman questioned him with a shaking voice about the contract, and it was really ripped to pieces when she suddenly moved away from him, before faltering towards the floor.
He was a composed person, he always knew what he should do in cases of emergency. Even when Aria fainted in the company's building last time, he immediately took her in his arms and went to the hospital.
But this time he had remained petrified with her in his arms. He did not even know just how he managed to catch her in the last second, but after that he did not know what else to do. It was only thanks to Ryan, who had snapped him out of it.
Was it because he knew Aria's weakness was because of him? Was this why he had been stunned into place and lost his composure? Or was it because he felt this time was different?
This time it was forev... No, the doctors had yet to tell him anything. She would be alright, she had to be alright... only this thought still kept him from losing his sane mind right now.
"But, I..." Malcom still tried to say, but could not continue his words. Zane no longer wanted to converse with him at all, it was evident by his tightly shut eyes and the slightly lowered head which still had not looked his way even once.
Ryan at the side also shook his head, to discourage Malcom from speaking further. Raising his hands and slightly pulling his hair towards the back of his head in frustration, Malcom indeed stopped talking, and only silently waited by Zane's side. He couldn't even bring himself to ask how Aria was, or what exactly had happened.
During the phone call he had made some minutes ago to Ryan, asking him if Aria and Zane had safely left the party, he had only found out that Aria was in the hospital, having been carried by Zane in an unconscious state to the E.R..
Even the assistant could not tell him what exactly had occurred in the short time that Aria had waited alone for Zane, and the reason for her current state which the doctors hadn't yet informed them of. But how could he ask for more details at this moment? The only one who knew the most was Zane, but the latter had already made it clear he would not talk to him at all right now.
All of them could only wait for the doctor, who was at this moment checking Aria, to exit through the glass door Zane was standing in front of. Ryan had told him that since they arrived until now, not even one doctor had yet spoken to them yet.
***
"Hey, take your hand off of me. I can walk on my own. And I said to give my bag back. Don't you know who I am? How dare you just take it away?" A screechy voice ordered harshly having lost its elegance. With third parts annoyance and arrogance nuances predominating the words she used, and one part fear, she still went in the direction the bodyguards were instructing her to walk towards as she spoke.
Well maybe it was not that she wanted to walk of her on volition, but better said she had no choice but to. After all, the guards who had approached her in the middle of the ballroom were guards from the company and had informed her that Zane was the one who had call for her to come with them.
If she were to refuse to follow them, then it was a clear sign of guiltiness on her part. Did that stupid woman directly ask Zane about what she had learnt from her? She never thought Jillian would actually disregard her warning and talk to Zane about it. She had clearly told her cousin that Zane would take the children away from her, were he to know of their talk.
She had even went back to the party, and did not directly leave for her house, just so Zane would not suspect her involvement, if Aria's state of mind and mood changed in some way and thus accidently gave herself away... but it had been futile. It seemed that foolish woman could not even quietly do her part, and this was... to leave as far and as unnoticeable as possible with her heart broken, as she should.
Realizing these facts, although she acted high and mighty, inside her heart she was as fearful as she could be during the drive. But just now, when they alighted the car and she recognized the hospital, her heart ever so slightly relaxed itself.
She hadn't thought Jillian was as frail as the rumors in the company had claimed her to be, but if she was brought to the hospital, then it meant that she might just be lucky. If Jillian suffered from some sort of ailment because of the news, if she also aborted the children then it would be better.
If she also lost consciousness for good, or if it was the best option possible, as in death, then she was really lucky. She could be rid of the three pests in one shot. The only problem was that she did not know, if Zane had talked to her yet, or if he had only found her in a poor state and only brought her to the hospital.
There were many possibilities at this moment, but she could only push through as she did before. It was too late to turn back right now. She could only pretend to play the part of a concerned cousin, and maybe comfort her future husband also.
As such, with these thoughts in mind, she kept her arrogance fitting for a person who could not understand why they were brought to the hospital, or had anything to do with the reason for Aria's admittance to the E.R. as well.
"Why are we in the hospital? You should tell me at least this much, right? Is it my mother? Did something happen to her? She was not feeling well when I left the house. Or is it Aunty Victoria?" She asked worried as they had just exited the elevator on the fourth floor. She did not know how close they had gotten to where Zane was probably waiting, so she had to start acting her part already. It would be too abrupt if she only changed her attitude in front of Zane.
Just as for the previous questions she had asked, there was no answer from even one bodyguard now as well, not that Aileen thought they would answer. Since they had informed her that they were only tasked with bringing her to Zane, they hadn't said a word more. No, wait, they also told her that they needed her bag just now in the elevator, when she had opened it to search for her phone.
Without a word of explanation for why she needed to hand over her bag, when she asked the bodyguard for his reason, it was snatched away ruthlessly from her hand, since a few moments had passed and she still did not comply to their demand.
This fact had unsettled her, and doubled her fear, but knowing that there was nothing that could incriminate her in the bag, she had let them have it. She had already deleted the pictures from the phone, and there was also a lock on it. So she had nothing to worry about, but she was still feeling frustrated as she was not able to contact her parents and have them come to the hospital also. A few more mouths in her favor wouldn't hurt, if Zane had really spoken to Jillian.
"Z-zane?" Aileen uttered slowly, just as her thoughts were slowly getting the best of her. Unknowingly as her anxiety and worries grew, she hadn't noticed when she and the bodyguards had turned around the corner, and entered the hallway where Zane and two more men were standing.
His straight posture and perfect profile would always be the most recognizable in her eyes. She had only glanced at him from quite a distance away and the hallway was also fairly poorly lit, but she knew for certain it was him.
Coming closer with barely controllable unsteady steps, trying to maintain her composure and also correctly assess the situation, she noticed that the three people were quite calm, despite being in the hospital. Was Aria actually alright, and she had gotten her hopes up for nothing?
"Zane, what happened? Why are you here? Is there something wrong with aunty or my cousin? Is Aria alright..." Aileen's confused and worried tone should have been the best proof of her innocence, but her act was unfortunately cut off by an ice cold voice before she could complete it.
"Were you the one who told Aria about the contract?" Just like how he had acted earlier with Malcom, Zane still did not look towards the person he was talking too. He had only opened his previously closed eyes and started staring at the glass door again.
If he were to look closely, he would be able to clearly distinguish his dark frame in the reflection, but his gaze was too lost to notice such a fact. He was only interested about what was happening beyond those doors, even the conversation with Aileen only had a small part of his attention, not even a quarter the room in front of him had.
"Contract, what contract?" She asked confused. She was appearing to be just as bewildered as Malcom and Ryan were about his unexpected words. Though inside her mind countless alarms were setting off.
Waving his hand to the two bodyguards, making the two bow politely and leave after handing Aileen's bag to Ryan, Zane spoke again, with a tone even calmer than before.
"You have two choices right now. One, speak the truth and be the only one from the Langdons to suffer the consequences of your actions. Or two, continue denying... and I will make sure both you and your parents suffer them. So think again before you speak... were you the one who informed Aria about the wave of parental rights agreement and the divorce papers?"
Hearing his words, Malcom widened his eyes and wanted to inquire what Zane was talking about, but the strained mood prevented him from reacting.
Ryan was just as baffled as Malcom, but as Zane's assistant, he was more calm and collected than the latter. He didn't sketch any gestures at all, and only waited for any orders Zane had for him. He had a feeling that Zane was moments away from commanding him to finish off the entire company owned by the Langdon branch family.
"I don't know what you are talking about. What documents are you asking about? I am too worried right now, is Aria the one in the..." Frustrating as it was right now to admit it, she was truly frightened by the atmosphere, scared of Zane beyond compare. And the fact the Zane's mother was not present to keep him in check, even more had her worried. She could only pretend to play silly until Victoria arrived at the hospital.
She knew for sure that Aria was the one who was in the emergency room right now, if only because of Zane's questions. So it wouldn't be long until Victoria would come to the hospital also.
This was her intention, to stall time as much as possible. An intention she couldn't follow through though, when Zane turned around and faced her for the very first time. Each time she had seen him in the past, and although he had even briefly spoken to her before, she had never seen his eyes clearly looking at her.
A direct uninterrupted gaze between the two, a shared glance that would make them feel they were the only two people in the whole wide world... this was unfortunately not it. He was looking towards her eyes quite focused at this moment, but the malice behind the ice blue color could barely be contained.
"Ryan, search her bag." He ordered with his eyes locked on Aileen's face. The small unnoticeable flicker of her eyelids, slight frown, and the pressed lips of the woman who still feigned innocence, all of them were quite clear visible to his analytical gaze. How would one survive in the business world for so long, if he could not tell when someone was afraid of being caught?
It was only a mere half a second for this changes to occur before Aileen's bewildered and puzzled face replaced them again, as Aileen unconsciously remembered the photographs inside her phone and subsequent deletion. Even though she was aware that there was nothing she could be caught with, it was hard after all for her body not to react reflexively.
"Zane, what is the meaning of this? This is an invasion of my privacy. I even came to the hospital with no questions asked, and I am treated this way. I... what made you do this?" Rather than saying her tone was a blaming one, the soft voice and small droplets on the corner of her eyes... all of them indicated the gentleness of her voice. This fact coupled with the perplexed and hurt expression a wrongfully accused person would have, made Aileen seemed nothing but a victim.
Right, she composed herself. If Aria did tell Zane something, if she could make herself a victim, and turn things around by insinuating that Aria had recuperated her memories and was playing Zane around her fingers... it could be the biggest gain. If there was nothing in her possession, then the fact that Aria knew of the contract, meant she had remembered her past and was feigning ignorance.
She, Aileen, would become an innocent bystander and Aria a manipulative woman. It would seem as though Aileen was used by Aria to cast herself in an even better light, to diminish any chances that remained of Zane going through with the divorce papers, or gain a better divorce settlement by invoking pity on herself.
"There's nothing in the bag, besides a lipstick, a mirror, a credit card and a smartphone." Ryan stated his findings, not bothering about the questions Aileen was currently asking. Zane was uninterested in replying, and appeared to only wait for him to search. Naturally, he wouldn't wait for their talk to be over.
"Passcode." Zane said one single word. It was clear he was demanding the password for Aileen's phone and at the same time Ryan understood he was to search it, once Aileen provided the pin.
"Even my phone you want to search... for what? What do you think there could be stored inside, for you to act disregarding any manners toward me? Just what is going on?" Aileen said becoming even more desperate and sad at the discourtesy she was subjected to. Even if there was nothing they could find in her phone, it would be unnatural if she did not protest for a bit, before relenting to Zane's demand.
Waiting for a few moments with a wronged look that still did not stir any emotion on Zane's visage, she finally sighed and with a small voice continued speaking.
"Fine. I do not know what you are looking for, but so be it... my password is aileen2104." Just as a person who had nothing to hide, she complied to the search. It would have been counterproductive were she to refuse too much.
Then, as Ryan started searching her phone, she resumed her worried expression and concerned filled questions for the patient who was most likely in the hospital.
"Now please tell me. Who is in the hospital? Is it Aria? Has something happened with the pregnancy? Please tell me, is my cousin alright?"
"We still do not know yet. The doctor is checking Aria at this moment." Malcom finally took the initiative to reply, when Zane still did not seem inclined to answer.
He did not know about the problem between Aileen and Aria, or understand what Zane was talking about before. He only felt awkward about the worried Aileen who was pretty much ignored by Zane, even though he was the one who had called her to the hospital.
He knew his friend was a cold person, but he shouldn't be too harsh with the frail lady, who was weeping sorrowfully at the moment. Especially since Aileen was Aria's cousin and was also quite cooperative to whatever Zane was trying to find out.
"What? So it's really Aria, the one who doctors are checking?" She asked again, seemingly surprised and even more worried.
Malcom only nodded, as the silence finally returned for a few moments.
"There's nothing in the phone." Ryan informed Zane as he got closer to his side, having finished looking through the folders. His boss hadn't informed what to search for, but he could deduce it from Zane's earlier questions.
There should have been pictures or documents in the internal storage or on email. But on a first glance he couldn't find any such thing. And Aileen had been brought under his orders to the hospital. She shouldn't have been on guard or had any chance to delete the pictures... probably.
Hearing this, Zane didn't say anything and only motioned for Ryan to give the phone to him, then he unlocked the phone once more and started searching it.
Ryan's voice had been quiet, but in the empty hallway it could be easily heard. Naturally, Aileen who had been waiting for these words finally relaxed her mind even more, but maintained her solemn appearance of a worried relative.
"Zane, can you tell me now, seeing as you did not find in my phone whatever you were expecting to see, just what exactly is the problem? Both you and Aria... each time I see you guys, one or the other keeps acting strangely.
Last time at the restaurant, I met Aria in the bathroom and she eagerly asked me when would be a good time to meet my father alone, to talk about some legal stuff with him... And now you also mentioned a contract of some sorts. When Aria is in the E.R. the most important should be her well-being... Just what exactly is the problem between you too?"
A smart man like Zane would immediately doubt it, if she talked about how Jillian wanted to speak to Aileen's father of her divorce papers. But if she phrased it vaguely, only indicating that Aria was aware that Darren was her lawyer and she also wanted to speak with him, then it would be clear that Aria had been lying about her memory. She only had to subtly imply it, and his deductions would fill in the missing meanings.
"And how did Aria felt unwell all of a sudden? She appeared perfectly well during the party. Did something upset her... I had heard in the company that she fainted once when she exchanged some words with an actress in your office. If she was this frail, didn't you check her health at that moment to see if there was some other..."
Mentioning her good health and fuss about a small squabble that caused her to conveniently faint, these facts added to Aileen's implied meaning of Aria's scheming. What kind of measly words could make her faint at the drop of a hat? She was attempting to make Zane realize this, instill in him the knowledge that Aria was only pretending.
And just so she appeared sincere, she raised her eyes to look for Zane's gaze. A doubtful gaze on his face could count as half an answer, and a favorable one at that.
At least this was how it should have been, but she did not know since when she felt a sudden force that threw her back mercilessly, classing it hard against the wall. She hadn't even managed to understand what exactly happened or acknowledge the pain that coursed through her body, when she felt a strong cold hand coiling around her neck.
Akin to the constriction of a python snake, which slowly but surely suffocated its victim until it lost its very last breath, Zane's cold hand could also vividly be felt at this moment against her pale skin.
When had he stopped looking through the phone and decided to act like this? And more importantly why? They hadn't found anything in her phone, so why was he this hostile towards her?
"Should I just end it all right here? With a bit more force your neck would break like a dried out twig." His words filled with malicious intent serenely exited the somber man's mouth, while his expression only showed a detached uninterested disposition, as opposed to the cruelty of his actions.
He was indeed trying to kill her at this moment, Aileen realized, as a shiver ran down her spine.