Chapter 34: ‘The witch is OTW.’
After the tiring trip at the amus.e.m.e.nt park, Evan drove Daniella back to her apartment.
Daniella had fallen asleep in the pa.s.senger seat so when they reached the building, Evan pondered whether to wake her up or not.
He puffed a sigh and unfastened his seatbelts. Then he turned to free her.
In the process, he could hear her m.o.a.ning the name Danny. His eyebrows rumpled, wondering if it was the boy or the man in the image he saw earlier.
He lightly laid a hand on her cheek, grazing his knuckles on it to wake her up.
"Ms. Chen, we are here," he said in an almost whisper.
But Daniella didn"t move.
He tapped his fingers on her face and, called her name again but still, she didn"t wake up.
His brows knitted, wondering how could she sleep so tightly in this position.
With his lips pressed together, he pinches her cheek and, once again called out her name.
He rose an eyebrow, and his face went dull when she suddenly snort.
"Daniella," he called her name. He tried pinching her cheek, this time a little harder.
Her snore went louder and hearing it, Evan could not help but scoff.
It was the same snore she had at their first meeting, same tired face though this time, her face was cleaned.
He blew in another sigh and, pinch both of her cheeks.
Still, Daniella didn"t wake up.
With a sneaky plan in his mind, Evan set his hand on her chin and moved her lips like she was a puppet.
"I am sorry but, I don"t remember sending my CV to anyone," he chuckled soundlessly after mimicking her tone the words she said at their first meeting.
He remembered her sarcastic tone and the serious expression on her face that day, that"s why the explosive he found in her pocket did not surprise him.
When Daniella suddenly moved, Evan immediately gripped the steering wheel. His smile evaporated and as he pretended to pull the key from the keyhole.
"where are we?" Daniella said after stretching.
"We are in front of your apartment building," he pushed the door opened and got down.
"Do you have everything?" Evan asked after noticing that Daniella got out of the car like a zombie.
"I don"t know. I am so sleepy," she said in between her yawning.
"Do you want me to walk you inside?" he worriedly asked.
"Mr. Su, I am sleepy, not drunk. I can find my apartment. Don"t worry."
"Let"s go," Evan disregarded her words and dragged her inside by holding her wrist.
Daniella just followed him, too exhausted to argue on how he never listened to her.
When they stopped in front of her apartment, Daniella pressed the key code and pushed the door opened. She was still in her dream and all she had in her mind was her bed.
"Goodnight Mr. Su," she said in a m.u.f.fled voice.
Evan was about to bid his goodbye when Robert"s voice - screaming Daniella"s name filled the hallway.
Robert stopped by the door, next to Evan, catching his breath like a dog.
"Daniella. I have been trying to reach you. What happened to your phone?" Robert asked, gasping for air.
With the same drowsy expression, Daniella spoke, "What do you need Robert?"
"The president is dead."
Daniella blinked once, then she shut her eyes for a minute. When she opened it, she parted her lips
"Say that again, but slowly,"
Robert slightly pushed Daniella inside her apartment and with both hands on her shoulders, he roared. "The president is dead. Lemuel Minoan committed suicide."
As he finished saying it, Daniella"s hand lifted in the air and hit his head with full strength.
"I said say it slowly not yell. Seriously, Robert, even a crab is smarter than you," she said as her nose wrinkled with irritation.
She was exhausted that she couldn"t understand what he was saying. She took in a deep breath; her eyes were shut tightly.
As she slowly tries to remember what Robert had just said, her body frost.
Her eyes opened widely, shocked imprinted in her brown irises.
When she completely understood the news, her body shuddered. Terror overtook her face.
With her lips shaking inexplicably, she turned to Robert.
"Did you just say he committed suicide?" she said, petrified.
"Yes, I just got the news from Claire that he just died. She could not revive him."
Daniella"s head rocked, eyes went black with disbelief.
"No, No! He can"t die yet. Not now!" she said with a broken voice, there was a smile of doubt on her lips, eyes widening as her feet moved backward.
"How? What is happening Robert?" she asked him, her body anxiously paced around the house, thinking if she will have enough time to reach the hospital and check the president"s body herself.
"I don"t know. His family rushed him to the emergency and Claire said she had tried reviving him but, it"s too late."
"Ms. Chen," hearing Evan"s voice, Daniella stopped from wandering like a ghost and turned to face him.
"Yes?" she asked.
"It was me who ordered him to kill himself," he straightforwardly said.
Daniella was astonished, her lips parted with shock as she stared at Evan.
"You? Why?" those words scarcely left her lips.
"I told you that I am going to help you kill him."
"I know! But after the contract, right? I haven"t even started yet!" her voice elevated; panic shimmered in her eyes.
"What – how did you convinced him to kill himself?" she tensely asked.
"I gave him a pill?"
"What pill?"
When Evan gave her the name of the pill. Relief flooded her heart; she blew in a deep breath and, sat on the armchair of her ouch.
"Good!" she babbled.
With a relief expression, she turned at Robert.
"Robert, tell Claire to take the b.a.s.t.a.r.d"s body out of the hospital. If the security is tight, tell her to give me access to his room."
Robert nodded and instantly took his phone out.
On the other side, Evan queried why Daniella was behaving like this.
He had promised her that he will help her kill the president and now that he did, she looked so accentuated.
"I thought you want him dead," he asked her.
"Before yes but, my plan changed so I need him alive," Daniella blurted. She was busy walking back and forth from the bedroom to the living room. She had a bag in her hand, it was empty at first but, after she came out of her bedroom it was suddenly packed.
"But he"s dead Daniella," he said with his head tilting with difficulty.
"No, well, yes. Technically his dead but, the pill you have given him has an ingredient the Soviet spies are using to fake their death. He wouldn"t have a heartbeat but, he can still be revived if handled properly." Daniella explained – she"s now sitting on the floor with crossed legs, checking the inventory in her bag.
"Wait!" Evan paused and sat on the floor opposite her.
"The pill I gave him is the common pill used for suicide. I don"t understand it,"
Daniella looked at him, "Mr. Su, he"s dead alright. I don"t doubt that but, I know a way to revive him. The pill might have stopped his heart from beating but, I can still revive him, it is if the pill you gave was the one he took," saying that, Daniella zipped her bag.
She rose and marched towards the door.
"Mr. Su, I appreciate your help. I didn"t know you would do the end of your bargain soon. If I have known, I would have told you about my new plan. Anyway, I will see you on Monday," she said those words in an ice-cold tone, unlike the one, she had earlier in the amus.e.m.e.nt park.
He wondered why would she want to meet him on Monday. He was even planning to meet her tomorrow for lunch.
Perplexed, Evan turned to Robert.
"Is she angry at me?"
Robert shrugged, "Don"t worry Mr. Su, Daniella is just like a typical woman. No matter what you do, you can"t satisfy them," Robert clicked his tongue repeatedly as he sent Claire a message "the witch is OTW."
He lifted his sight from looking at his phone to Evan. He took in a deep sigh, he understands that Evan was just trying to help Daniella but, even himself couldn"t fully understand her.
She thinks differently than them. Her mind has predicted what would happen if a certain incident was to happen. Like now, one of her targets had just died, knowing her, she would run and save the president only to torture him later.
Daniella has a wide knowledge of when it comes to health. She could still revive a person, hours after death. And all she had to do was to pin her needle at the end of their heart. That was the reason why they called him a witch, that and the fact she drives her motorcycle like a witch on her broom.
Daniella had explained it to him numerous times how does she revives a person but, his lack of interest with the topic was blocking his mind from understanding it.
"Hey! She said she"ll meet you on Monday. At least you don"t need to get a new sitter," Robert laugh awkwardly, being around Evan is making him tense.
Evan glanced at him.
"Can she really revive him?" he shivered in his own words. He knows that it is possible to revive a person after losing the heartbeat but, once the doctor reported that a person is dead, it should be the end yet Daniella had just explained to him that she would try to revive the president.
"There were cases where she was able to do it. It really depends on patient cases. If it"s a heart or organ problem, she usually could do it," Robert groaned as he tried to remember all the weird things, he had experience with Daniella.
How? And why? Those questions flashed in Evan"s mind.
"Robert, why would she revive him if her first plan was to kill him?" he asked curiously, wondering about Daniella"s plan.
"Well, in Daniella"s perspective, suicide death is too luxurious. That"s why she flew to save the president,"
"What? Why? What is she planning to do with him?" he asked even though the figure of two senators in the warehouse was already in his mind.
"Mr. Su, I am not in the position to tell you her plan but, all I can say is that Daniella has a reason why she"s doing this. And even though she"s stubborn as a rock, I hope you can stay with her."
Evan quiets down, his eyes were emotionless as he stared at the television playing the news about the president"s death.
"Who is Danny?" he murmured.
Robert sighed, "Mr. Su, I am pretty sure Daniella will open up to you one day. You"ll just have to wait."