Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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By the time Ash finished work, it was nearly half past nine at night. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the building was unusually dark. She pressed the elevator button, only to find that it was out of order.
Turning on the flashlight on her phone, Ash took a good look at the elevator but everything seemed normal. She then turned to check the light switch, which worked just fine. ‘What’s going on? Did the elevator simply stop working?‘ she thought.
Ash let out a barely audible sigh and immediately called security. “The elevator on the third floor seems to be malfunctioning. Please send someone to fix it, and make sure to put up a warning sign. We can’t have any accidents.”
After hanging up, Ash had no choice but to take the stairs. A growing sense of unease crept over her, so she took each step with extra caution.
Focusing on her footing, Ash didn’t notice the jagged nails sticking out of the wall. As she turned the corner, one of them grazed her arm, causing her to gasp in pain. She shone her flashlight on the wound and felt relieved to see that it was only a shallow scrape. Continuing down the stairs, she halted her steps when she reached the landing between the first and second floors.
The stairs ahead were covered in an unknown liquid–someone had gone to great lengths to set this up for her. ‘Who on earth had so much time on their hands?‘ Ash wondered.
“Who’s there?” Ash called out as she heard hurried footsteps approaching. She leaned over the railing to get a better look.
The figure below also carried a flashlight, and the sudden beam of light made Ash close her eyes. Then, a deep, familiar voice reached her ears. “It’s me.”
“Don’t come up. Someone spilled something on the stairs, and I’m not sure what it is. Stay where you are.” Ash’s voice echoed through the stairwell.
Calvert shone the flashlight on the pool of liquid and bent down to examine it closely. He took a sniff and said, “It’s probably some sort of chemical agent. Is this the only emergency exit?”
“There’s a back door, but it’s probably locked at this hour. You should go find the security guard. I’ve already called him; he should be on his way. Just don’t come up here,” Ash replied. Her arm was still stinging from the scrape.
“There’s a clear path on the left of the stairs at about 8 inches wide,” Calvert said. “Stay as far to the left as you can. Does your company have someone monitoring the surveillance cameras around the clock?” He followed the instruction not to move up the stairs, but he didn’t leave either.
–“Yes,” Ash responded; she was in a foul mood. “They’re supposed to, at least. But who actually does that? Nobody stares at the
surveillance cameras closely every minute of the day. Why are you here anyway? Who told you I was working late?”
Ash admitted to herself that she was a tiny bit elated to hear Calvert’s voice. But anyone showing up at this point, as long as they weren’t a threat, would make her feel relieved.
He didn’t respond, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. The silence stretched on. Through the small window at the top of the stairwell, Ash glanced outside. The moon was particularly bright that night.
“Why don’t you go check if the security guard has arrived? Otherwise, we’ll just be waiting here forever,” Ash urged.
“Didn’t you say the back door’s locked? The guards will have no other choice but to come through here,” Calvert replied flatly.
Ash was rendered speechless for a moment before speaking, “And what does that have to do with you not leaving?”
Calvert furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes narrowing as he looked down. “Do you really want me to leave? Or does my presence make you uncomfortable? Are you sure you won’t be afraid if I leave?”
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Chapter 121
He had arraully been waiting outside the building for quite some time. He didn’t know why he had driven here after work, or why he felt compeller to stay.
When he overheard the security guard speaking on the phone with Ash, he got out of his car and circled the building until he found the emergency stairwell. As for the security guard, he had gone to contact the repairman, and Calvert figured they would show up soon
“Out of contractual obligation. I should stay to ensure your safety,” he said.
Ash chuckled at the mention of the familiar term. “Right, contractual obligation. I almost forgot that we’re bound by an invisible contract. But you, Mr. Snider, remember it all too well.”
Calvert looked a little weary, but his entire presence still exuded a cold, aloof sophistication. His lips curled slightly as he said, “You remember it more clearly than I do. You never forget the fact that this is a contractual relationship.”
Ash leaned on the railing, gazing down at him. “From the sound of it, you don’t seem too satisfied with this arrangement. Or, are you will upset? I wanted to ask you last time, but it didn’t seem like the right moment.”
Upset?” He looked up, meeting her gaze in the moonlight, and her captivating eyes sparkled.
“Yes, after the event. You were upset, weren’t you?” Ash asked.
“No Calvert’s reply was swift and firm.
“Oh, she drawled. “I thought you were angry; your expression soured so quickly. Glad to hear you weren’t. We’re having a family gathering next weekend. Can you help me out by making an appearance?”
“We’ll see,” Calvert said flatly, his voice detached as if they were nothing more than business partners.
“You need to check your schedule, I assume? If there’s a conflict, can I count on you to clear it for your partner? After all, it’s a family event–it’s rather important.” Ash’s tone was calm, but her words carried a subtle, sarcastic edge.
Silence fell between them again, broken only when Calvert spoke in a deep, magnetic voice, “Is that how you ask for a favor?”
“There’s someone here!” a voice exclaimed.
Just as Ash was about to reply, she was interrupted by the security guard who had just arrived, his flashlight sweeping through the stairwell.
“Ms. Turner, what are you doing up there? And what is this stuff on the stairs?” The security guard was followed by two men who appeared to be the repairmen.
Ash glanced at her phone. It had been almost fifteen minutes since she called. If this had been a real emergency, it would have been too late.
The security guard stepped onto the stairs, only to pull his foot back quickly. The slippery, foul–smelling liquid burned a hole in the sole of his shoe. “What is this stuff? It’s corrosive!”
Calvert frowned deeply. He had smelled sulfuric acid earlier, but this liquid wasn’t just that. There had to be something more to it.
“Are you alright?” Ash called out from above.
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