"And what did they say?" Mia asked curiously.

He settled down on the chair and she did so too while waiting eagerly for him to speak up.

"They didn't say much but they said that the gun he used was a ghost gun, of which they had seen a lot throughout the month. They suspect a gang runs the whole thing but are not sure and also haven't been able to trace them."

"But supposing it was a gang as suspected, why would they want to kill you? Have you had any bad records with any gang before?"

"No. I don't think I have, maybe not one that I was aware of. We need not worry about it, the police promised to do their best and even offered to send officers to protect me but I declined. I'd just work on my security system and it'll be fine" he tried assuring her.

"It's not as easy as you say it, it may be more..."

"Nat, no more police talk, let's cut your cake"

"This isn't something to take lightly, you..." her mouth was suddenly filled with a large piece of cake.

She stared daggers at him as she chewed the cake quickly and angrily but then slowed down and chewed it gradually; this was the first time in a long time that she ate something this sweet and she wanted to hate it but couldn't. Then that feeling of guilt crept in again...

Anton expected an outburst but rather she spoke calmly.

"The cake is worth the work you put in; it's nice and soft"

"You also know that it's true that you did most of the work, I was just an apprentice"

"Fine then,if you don't want the acknowledgement, I'll take it" she shrugged.

"I thought you'll refuse it one more time, then I'd collect it, but turns out you're not so patient" he half smiled and half laughed.

Mia put her hand in her pocket and felt the sedative.

'No matter what, I'm doing this tonight'

"Make a wish and blow out the candle" he said immediately he lit it.

"But you already fed me some of the cake, I don't think the candle thing is necessary"

"I only used the cake to shut you up so it doesn't count. Now make a wish."

"Fine"

She closed her eyes and made a wish in her head.

'I wish to find my parents murderer' and she blew out the candle.

******
She put his hand over her shoulder as she pulled him up the stairs.

"Hey I'm telling you the truth, I'm not drunk" Anton said in his defense but Mia wasn't listening.

"Nat please, I'm just feeling a bit dizzy but that's all"

She didn't reply but just keep pulling him upstairs. No doubt he had some weight.
She strengthened her hand around his waist and continued the journey.

"You're so cold and stubborn" He said and snuggled towards her for more support.

Once they had successfully ended the journey of the stairs, Anton's hand that was on her shoulder slipped down and his head fell to her shoulder indicating that he was asleep.

Mia sighed; at least they were able to make it upstairs before he fell asleep. She tried pulling him but his weight was pulling her the other way.
She took out her phone and dialed Luther's number.

"Hello"

"Remember what we discussed?"

"Yeah"

"It's time, do your thing and fast" with that she hung up.

He called back after few minutes;

"We're good"

"Okay"

"Please be careful" he said with care and worry in his voice.

"Okay" she hung up.

She groaned somewhat pissed as Anton's weight pulled her down. Encircling her arm around him, she pulled him to the study room.

She placed his thumb on the biometric lock on the door of the study and it clicked open. Slowly and steadily, she let him down on the floor and after taking a deep breath she walked inside.

There was something she was aiming at and something she was looking for.
What she was aiming at was a secret door and what she was looking for, she wasn't quite sure but she knew the if her father did work here then something referring to him must be here somewhere.

She checked the shelves without a specific description of what she was looking for. It might be a button, a lever, or something somewhere.

After searching for ten minutes, she placed her hand on the wall frustratedly.

This was harder than she had thought.

Ever slowly something moved beside her, only to find out that the wall was moving. She had found it unknowingly.

She smirked. It was smart for him to use a painting as a lever. She unknowingly pushed the picture from below and the secret door opened in-between the shelf, it was almost like it divided into two.

She waited for a moment to see if it would close but it didn't, and she was glad about it cause she didn't want to end up being trapped in there.

Taking a few strides, she entered in but unlike what she expected, it was a room with two sofas and a table with drawers, chair and computer system.

Mia looked through the documents in his drawers until she found one tittled:  "Employees Data Forms"

She looked through it carefully. The documents dated from ten years ago. She checked the employees that were hired in the year 2016 but her father's name wasn't included. List of drivers employed, her father's name wasn't included.

She looked through the computer which was unlocked but found nothing. Her father's name wasn't on the list of past employees either.

She laughed in frustration as she held her head in her hand.

In a state of confusion, she asked herself if what she had heard in her dream/nightmare/remembrance was correct, or had she been mistaken?

No! She was sure she heard it that night.

'What a waste of time' she thought as she placed a call to Luther.

"How did it go?" He asked anxiously.

"Well I found nothing. I may have been wrong." she admitted tiredly.

"This was just a big waste of time" she added.

"Don't beat yourself up too much. We'll find the real culprit sooner or later okay?"

"Hmm okay" she replied dejectedly.

"Hey don't be that way, where's the enthusiastic Mia?"

"I don't need your encouragement punk"

He laughed. "Okay okay I get it, there's no need to call me a punk"

"Where's Dixon?"

"On a call"

" I'm guessing with a girl?"

"Uh hmm" he laughed.

"He never changes" she said as she massaged her temples.

"I would tender my resignation tomorrow, so I'll see you then hopefully"

"Alright. I can't wait "

"Goodnight"

"Goodnight".

Once the call ended, Mia was swept back to reality. She arranged the documents, close all the tabs and checked for any thing she might have disorganized although there was low probability of that.

There was a red button attached to the wall, which she knew was to close the secret door from the inside.
She stepped out, took a good look at the  secret room one last time dejectedly before closing it up.

The study was just the way it was when she walked in, she didn't scatter a thing. She walked out and shut the door. Now she was faced with another task; getting Anton to his room.

She squatted down and stared at his sleepy face. He looked so peaceful.
She didn't know if she was relieved that she may have been mistaken or sad for wasting her time.

Placing both knees on the floor, she raised his head up and placed it on her shoulder, then wrapped her hands around him and pulled them both to their feet then they or she journeyed to the room.

She laid him on the bed. Took off his shoe and socks and covered him up with a blanket.
Looking at him intently, he seemed almost lifeless and for some reason she felt guilty that she had misjudged him.
She looked at his sleeping face, a face people were dreaming to behold so closely, he looked so calm and handsome. She didn't know where the urge came from but she wanted to touch his face.
Slowly, she laid her hand on his cheeks, looked at him intently and moved the stray hairs lingering on his face. He shifted slowly, his hand touched hers on his face but he was still asleep.

Her body became stiff, she felt caught red-handed. His hand fell from hers slowly. It was at this moment that she realized what she was doing.

"What is wrong with me?" She thought and groaned as she got on her feet.
This was so unlike her, touching someone? And what was that supposed to mean?

She was so annoyed with herself right now.

"Ugh" she groaned as she stepped out of the room.

"Mia, you're so stupid" she hit her head in frustration.

Clearing up the dining table and washing the dishes even though she wasn't supposed too, she left the mansion to her quarters.

She laid down on her bed eyes open with the resolution of resignation; she had no reason to be here anymore.

Something kept her from closing her eyes, 'if it wasn't him then who?' but she didn't have the slightest clue.

         ******         ******         ******
The first security guard noticed something on one of the camera visual. He alerted the second guard.

"Hey, come look at this"

"No way" he exclaimed.