Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Danger zone.
Meanwhile, Xylander too had gotten out of the golden palace without his family knowing. Rachel stood there at the stairs, still awaiting his presence, not knowing he had left long ago.
She and the others stood with her, attempting to either make Xylander transfer the property ownership of the golden palace and company, or make Daniel conform to the household rules and regulations. Unfortunately, none of those were happening, as they had all slipped out without their prior knowledge.
Inside a Mercedes Benz driven by one of Xylander’s men, Daniel was seated in the front passenger seat, his eyes peering out the window, feeding on things of beauty.
While behind him, Alexander was whispering to Xylander.
"I think we should take Daniel back home. He doesn’t seem well, and we might be forcing him into this," Alex confessed.
Xylander slowly scrutinized Daniel, seeing that he looked tired and exhausted, and he felt bad.
"God, it’s true. He looks tired, definitely not himself," Xylander noted. He was about to tell the driver to turn around when Daniel’s head snapped toward the back.
"I want a roasted duck now!!!" he demanded outright.
Alexander’s eyes widened. A roasted duck, now of all times?
"Later, as I promised, Dan. Xylander has an important conference to attend, and it’s a matter of urgency," Alexander explained to Daniel, but he wasn’t listening.
"My stomach is rumbling so badly, and I feel dizzy, like my eyes are about to give up. I don’t know what’s happening," Daniel confessed. Xylander quickly sat up, head down to avoid hitting the car roof.
"Driver, I want you to drive to the nearest restaurant to get my hubby the roasted duck. He needs it now," Xylander ordered. The man was about to drive when Alexander held Xylander’s arm and called out to the driver.
"Stop the car....!" he commanded, and immediately the car halted. Xylander wanted to know why Alexander asked for the car to stop when he could see his husband needed food and was starving.
"You don’t need to sacrifice this conference for a trivial matter. Remember, the meeting today with the associates is what will bring the project to finality. Remember what happens if the project doesn’t get finalized and what becomes of the company. So go on," Alexander urged.
"I’m not his bodyguard for nothing. Together, we will visit the Chinese restaurant and get the roasted duck," Alexander promised.
"But his safety...." Xylander drawled.
Alexander rolled his eyes dramatically and pushed the door open.
"I will call for a taxi, and the two of us will be on our way. Just go and get this finalized," Alexander beamed. Daniel nodded in agreement, still somewhat mad that Alex had made him get up when he didn’t know his health was acting up.
"Meet us at the restaurant when you’re done," Alexander announced. Xylander placed a kiss on his palm, sending it to Daniel.
"Love you, hubby. See you soon, senorita." And Xylander’s driver went on, wheeling away at speed.
"You know, you’re acting like a pregnant woman," Alexander joked while silently giggling at Daniel’s changed walking steps.
Daniel, who didn’t find it funny, made a face.
"I wasn’t the one who asked to be dragged on a journey of no return. So get me my duck, I need it now," Daniel demanded.
Alexander’s face turned mischievous.
"Are you sure it’s not my dick you want?" Daniel almost raised his slipper to hit Alexander because what did he mean by that? While complaining of his annoying attitude, he caught sight of a red-haired guy running desperately in a lonely street.
That guy... why is he... wait, what!!!
Daniel gasped when he saw seven men chasing after him, and it wasn’t a normal one. This looked like a chase laced with murderous intentions.
Who is that guy running there?
Daniel’s expression hardened as he turned away. That was none of his business, anyway.
"So what are we waiting for here? Oh, until I collapse is when you will call the taxi?" Daniel murmured.
Alexander flagged down several taxis, but none would stop, as if they looked at the area and changed their minds midway.
Daniel found this more baffling. So what if they didn’t want to help? But why were they looking behind them and hurrying away? So he turned and finally saw the signpost.
On a pillar was a drawing of a skeleton, but its head was cut off. Under it were several snakes coiled on the pillar.
Daniel identified it as a cult symbol. This place belonged to a dangerous cult that killed aimlessly, and surprisingly, the police had tried to apprehend them but couldn’t. It was as if they were just too good at hiding.
"Alexander, get me out of here! I want the fuck out of here right this moment!" Daniel screamed. Alexander looked at him, expecting an explanation.
"Care to explain why???" he requested, because at this moment he was frustrated at being ignored. As Daniel had understood, the drivers kept looking at the symbol and immediately went on their way without looking back.
"We are not members of the cult, you damn morons!" Daniel yelled at the top of his voice before nausea took over. He ran to a nearby gutter and let it out. More came as he kept on vomiting, and Alexander became hyper-worried.
He was now definitely sure that something was amiss. Moving to Daniel, he began to rub his back to calm him, and then he began to blame his own carelessness.
"If I had passed the information to Xylander that Daniel wasn’t feeling too well, he probably would have stayed at home and none of this would have happened." As he continued to rub his back, Daniel whispered in his ear.
"We have to run. This place is deadly, and we shouldn’t have stopped here. It’s normally lonely here at this time, and we can’t be sure who is who," Daniel uttered in sheer weakness, his eyes rolling back.
Once again, his eyes caught the red-haired guy, but this time he was closer, moving in their direction.
But before he could get there, gunshots fired straight into the air, and Alexander immediately went into action, his body turning rigid.
"Come on, Daniel, I will carry you," Alexander began to slowly lift him up, but Daniel wouldn’t let him.
Those eyes... the midnight blue color and hue... only one person possessed that kind of breathtaking, distinctive features and scent.
Oh, the familiar one of roses and lilies. He had found him finally...
Draven Swift. But before he could call out his name, and before the man himself could reach the far side where they stood, the men heartlessly pulled the trigger.
And with a need to succeed, they monitored his foot movements, and when he was nearing the opening of the street, they fired...
"Draven..." Daniel tone echoed in distress.
"Daniel!!!!" Draven screamed back, but it was too late. Even as Alexander pulled out his own weapon, pushing Daniel behind him, and fired back, Draven had taken two shots in the back. He fell down in slow motion onto the ground, blood gathering like a torrent.