Page 96 of Merciless Sinner

She nods gratefully. “Thank you. I think I will.”

She stares at me for a moment, then leans in to give me a kiss on my cheek. But she lingers there, as if absorbing the memory of my skin, what it feels like. “Thank you, Virgo,” she whispers, her warm breath caressing my cheek. The way her fingers did.

“There's nothing to thank me for, Zayka.”

She shakes her head. “There is. I'm still afraid, and this is all new to me, but it feels like me. That’s thanks to you.”

It means a lot to hear her say that. Eden comes in at that moment, smiling when she sees us sitting together like this.

“Amelia just arrived,” she announces,

“Thank you.” Olivia glances at me.

“Go. Go have fun with your friend.”

She slips off my lap and looks back at me just before she walks through the door.

When she leaves, the hollow returns to my heart.

I can't lose her.

I mustn't.

I'll do whatever it takes to keep her.

But first, I have to establish my father's guilt.

* * *

I spent virtually all of yesterday and last night in my office looking through my father's files.

I've found nothing I hadn't seen before, and anything new I came across wasn’t relevant to anything. I've gone through everything, going back years, including his secret files that are all encoded and encrypted, but I've found nothing.

This is the part where I'd declare a person cleared of suspicion. But on this occasion, I know I have to keep going, because there must be something.

I was even thinking I might find something in relation to him hiring Evan to steal information from the O’Ridians.

As there was nothing, I guessed my father must have met with Evan face to face to discuss their plans.

I'm at my wit's end, and I feel that helplessness again that I loathe.

A guy like me with all my skills isn't supposed to be helpless.

But here I am.

It's now late again, and another day has passed.

I have a few more files to investigate. Once I'm done, I have nothing else, and I’ll be at another dead end.

Footsteps sound outside my office door. They’re too heavy to belong to Eden or Olivia.

As the door is open, I see Cillian before he reaches it.

I'm surprised he’s here, especially after yesterday.

“Hey,” I say first.

“Hello, old friend. Eden said you were up here.

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