The Black Scorpion
Ch. 18

"You calm down?" ask Aaric.

Adrienne simply nodded in Aaric's arms without saying anything.

"Rest," said Aaric, releasing his embrace.

Adrienne went into the room leaving Aaric alone on the balcony and lay down on the bed. Shortly thereafter, he fell asleep.

On the balcony, Aaric looked at the starless night sky. The shadow of a figure flashed in his mind.

"Sasha, can I love her?" murmuring Aaric slowly.

With a troubled heart, Aaric went into the room and found Adrienne already sound asleep. He headed for a sizable sofa and threw himself in there. It didn't take long, his eyes were closed.

Around the time he was in the early hours of the morning, Aaric's hearing was interrupted by someone's voice. Heavily, he opened his eyelids and heard Adrienne being delirious. He immediately approached the woman to check her condition and was surprised to find that she had a fever. Aaric immediately called the receptionist to bring her the heat-relieving medicine. After the drug came, Aaric woke Adrienne up.

"Anne, wake. You're feverish. Take the medicine first," said Aaric softly.

Adrienne wriggled and looked at Aaric's face in front of her in confusion and sat himself with his head.

"Anne, let's take some medicine first" Aaric said, then offered medicine and a cup of warm water.

Adrienne received the drug and swallowed it with the help of warm water given by Aaric. The man laid Adrienne again carefully but as he was about to move, Aaric's hand was blocked by something. Adrienne was clutching her wrist as if not letting her go.

"My company. Please," said Adrienne.

Aaric paused the intention of returning to the sofa and sat down beside the woman while stroking her head. Before long, tired, Aaric decided to lay down beside Adrienne who was on his back.

...*****...

The next day, Adrienne awoke with a load on her stomach and something supporting her head. Aaric slept next to him. The man's right hand supported his head and the man's left hand coiled around his stomach. The man's head was immersed in the niche of his left neck and warm breath swept across the area. Adrienne turned her head and looked at the face of the man sleeping beside her. His face was peaceful and without burden. He put away the hair child covering the man's face and enjoyed the pleasant morning scene.

After being satisfied to look at Aaric's face, Adrienne put away the man's left hand that was coiled around his stomach slowly and then moved from the bed to the bathroom. After finishing cleaning and wearing a new bath kimono, Adrienne took Aaric's phone with the intention of calling Nikolai to bring a change of clothes. As the phone screen lit up, the background photo showed Aaric and a woman who looked compatible with him showing a ring on their finger.

Adrienne's heart immediately pulsed and her eyes began to heat up, but she immediately tried to control herself by repeatedly reminding herself.

"Anne, you can't fantasize too high. You're with this guy because he's in debt. Once your debt is paid off, you can start your life over and look for your own happiness" Adrienne told herself repeatedly, wiping her chest.

Unexpectedly while calming down, Aaric's phone rang loudly and Adrienne spontaneously replied that she would not wake the owner.

"Ha..hello," said Adrienne.

"Who is this? Where's Aaric?" the sound across.

Adrienne kept the phone away to see who was calling and it turned out to be Nikolai. He put the phone back to his ear.

"Huh.hello. Nikolay. It's me, Adriennne."

"Adrienne? Where's Aaric? Where haven't you been all night?"

"Pulse...Aaric was sleeping and we were in a hotel room but didn't know which hotel. Last night something happened that made us unable to go home."

"We're doing fine. Um Nikolai, can I ask you a favor?"

"What can I help you with?"

"Please bring a change of clothes for me and Aaric."

"Where are you now?"

"We're still in the hotel room but I don't know which hotel."

"Explain the hotel interior to me."

"The room is large with a bathroom inside. Dark blue curtains with velvet material. There is a big red sofa. Golden yellow hotel doors with Victorian design. King size bed."

"Wow Miss. You can explain the whole room in detail. I know which hotel you are referring to. Wait for me twenty minutes."

"alright. Thank you very much."

The phone connection was cut off and Adrienne again looked at a photo of a pair of humans who were used as the background of the phone. Suddenly there was a hoarse baritone sound that made Adrienne almost drop the phone in her hand.

"What are you doing?" aaric asked with a hoarse voice khaa wake up.

"Sorry I was sassy. Nikolai called and I picked him up. I also asked him to deliver a change of clothes for the two of us" Adrienne replied trying to calm down.

"alright. Wake me up when Nikolai arrives" Aaric said, closing his eyes.

Adrienne did not reply and only looked at Aaric who had returned to his dreamland. Not knowing what to do, she decides to watch television without a sound while waiting for Nikolai to arrive.

...*****...

Ting tong's.

After waiting thirty minutes, there was the sound of a bell. Adrienne rushed to the door and Nikolai brought a package and two hangers with clothes that looked washed.

"Please come in" said Adrienne, inviting Nikolai in.

Nikolai handed over everything in his hands to Adrienne. The woman accepted it and placed it in a closet near the entrance and hurried to wake Aaric up. After Aaric wakes up, he's allowed to change his clothes and Aaric and Nikolai have a serious conversation.

"Tell me what happened until you were here, Rick," Nikolai said.

"Something happened at the party yesterday and I found out about it from Vino. It seems someone wants to frame and harm Adrienne. According to Vino's lover, a man put something in Adrienne's drink and the woman acted strangely last night. I'm guessing that guy put drugs in Adrienne's drink and caused Adrienne to act weird last night. I couldn't possibly take her home in such a state and I'd decided to spend the night here" Aaric told the story at length.

"Vino and his girlfriend know who that guy is?" ask Nikolai again.

"The two of them had no idea who the man was but before the man approached Adrienne, there was a woman who approached Adrienne first who made Adrienne leave her place so that the man was free to put drugs into the drink. The woman also introduced the man to Adrienne and left him after he put the medicine in. I wonder who that woman is" Aaric said, thinking of some possibilities.

"I know Adrienne didn't have any close friends or anything like that before or after she disappeared five years ago" Nikolai added.

Seriate...