Chapter hundred and three

Oliver

“Let me get this straight, you met up with your old man's best friend but he's giving off a wrong vibe, so you want to carry on your own investigation without involving ‘Mr creepy once-upon-a-time dad's best friend’, but in order for that to work we need to find Alberto?” Ethan asked, pacing around the cold sauna, partly because of the news I just broke to them just as we were setting foot in here, and because he was starting to feel the cold.

“Pretty much,”

I leaned back and rubbed my palms together trying to generate heat. It was both weird and unsettling.

My eyes flew to where Xavier was standing by the door, preparing to launch into an aimless pace like Ethan.

Ever since the three of us started the cold sauna, I've never felt the cold. But I could slowly feel it seeping into me right now.

Normally I wouldn't have accepted to go to cold sauna with them. Despite it being once in a month commitment, I haven't attended it in a while. But after everything that had happened, I really needed a break.

Mum wouldn't stop shoving the engagement in my face. She was pretty adamant about making my engagement to Jenna public. I had totally forgotten that she weren't public yet.

But mum hadn't forgotten. It seems like she has become more sensitive after the lunch at the Jangs house. Whatever discussion she had with Dallas that day must have heightened her worry.

Also, I needed my cousin to stop whining about how I was “breaking up the group” by cancelling on them everytime. Not like I cared, but I decided to take the window.

“So technically, we're back to phase one?” He added and I gave him a nod.

“This is nuts.” Ethan threw both his hands up.

“Tell me about it.” I muttered under my breath.

I've been on edge ever since I left Ron's house. It doesn't help that I have this gnawing feeling that someone is watching me closely.

I hadn't told anyone but I had taken a few measures to keep the people around me safe. My friends and my mum are more than capable of taking care of themselves. They hadn't rose this high in our world by being carefree about their safety. I was certain they'd handle any threat quite well. And none of them had mentioned any odd happenings around them.

I was mostly worried about Dallas. She was new to this world. And while she's more than capable of protecting herself, it'd be kind of difficult to do that if the dangers posing a threat to her safety lurks in the shadows.

“But what is it about Old Ron that gives you the creeps? You said you could see the similarity between him and your father. Could that be the reason it feels weird being around him?” Xavier asked.

He seem to be seconds away from bolting out with how close he stood by the door. I gritted my teeth together to refrain it from clattering as the cold seeped under my skin. It was like my blood was starting to freeze over.

God, damnit, feelings are a complete shit. Life was so much better when I couldn't feel things like heat or cold.

I thought hard about Xavier's question. Could that be the reason? I don't have a particular reason for not fully trusting Ron except pure instincts.

“I don't have a reason, but I'm quite certain it's not that.” I said.

I've been around men who were like my father a lot during the years and I've never felt this way. The only thing I'd felt in those moment was guilt for contributing to his death, not a silent warning hanging in the air.

“Or maybe you're just feeling that way because he's your father in law?” Xavier shrugged.

“Can't relate, but I can assume father-in-laws are a pain in the ass.” Ethan said and chuckled.

“Yeah, wait until you have one, or until you become one.”

“Oh, neither of them seem to be happening anytime soon. Dearest cousin here, is saving me from getting married by dragging his feet on his own marriage. I'd probably be super old by the time he finally get his acts together. And by then, it'd be too late to produce a spawn.”

I leaned back as I watched them exchange words. The cold was freezing me over making it really hard to concentrate on anything.

“Or maybe you'd knock up someone's daughter and end up with kids way before Oliver gets married.” Xavier paused before he added, arching his eyebrow, “if you don't already have kids.”

“Okay, first, that's highly impossible. I make sure to use protection all the time. I'm not about to die of sexually transmitted disease, thank you very much.”

Both Xavier and I groaned at his words.

“What? Why are you two acting as if you don't get banged? Especially you, Oliver, you even have a girlfriend now.” he angled his arms at his sides, halting his pacing movement.

“Nope, I'm not going to discuss my sex life with you.” I shook my head before he could even think of it.

He sighed and turned to Xavier.

“Don't look at me, I certainly don't have a ‘memorable sex life'.” He rolled his eyes.

“You sure are missing out a lot.” Ethan muttered.

“Not interested. Sex is the least of my worries now.” a serious expression crossed his face but he quickly masked it with indifference.

“See Oliver,” Ethan pointed at me, “his world used to revolve around exchanging stocks and ruining people's life, we all know he thrives in making people suffer…”

I nodded my head, agreeing with him

“...but now, he's happy and crazily in love with a very beautiful and nice girl.”

I sighed, exhausted from having to correct him that I wasn't in love with Dallas. But I didn't exactly have a title to describe what I felt for her, and since this world seem to revolve around giving titles, I'll have to agree with him.

“How exactly do I factor into all of these?” Xavier arched an eyebrow at him.

Their argument seem to have made them forget about the cold, but it didn't help me in the slightest. I shifted my weight uncomfortably while standing, thankful that they were too engrossed in their conversation to notice me.

“Point is, you need to cut yourself some slack. You've been working a lot lately. And not in the usual Carson's heir ways. You look like absolute shit most of the times. You need to let off some steam.”

“And I should do that by having sex?” I could sense the note of frustration in Xavier's voice, but it seem to be directed at himself rather than my nosy cousin.

“Bingo!” Ethan chimed.

“Yeah well, thank you for the advice, but no.” Xavier said. “And I don't understand how the fuck we ended up talking about my sex life when we were talking about Oliver's father-in-law?”

They both turned to me, seemingly remembering that I was in the same room with them.

Thankfully, the timer buzzed at the time indicating the end of our time.

“As entertaining as that discussion would have been, we need to get going.” I was already heading towards the door before they could say anything.

“We have to find Alberto quickly. I feel like I'm really close.” Ethan was trailing behind me.

“I'll keep my ears out for any news of him. If the three of us concentrate on finding him, we'll get results sooner.” Xavier added.

The mood had completely shifted from the playful banter to a full-on business mood as we strolled to the locker room to get changed.

“I'll have Tabitha concentrate on the ‘Seung’ lead Ron provided. I can't rule anything out.” Not when everyone I cared about could possibly be in danger.

I didn't say it, but it must have been evident in my eyes considering how they both nodded.

Ethan brought out his phone from his bag and groaned.

“Mum is asking me to come over for suit fittings. You'd think I was the one getting married.” He rolled his eyes.

I turned to him sharply. I had completely forgotten about Suzy's wedding. To be honest, it's kinda hard to keep up when she gets married almost everytime. Traditional wedding, outdoor wedding, indoor wedding, Suzy had had all types of weddings, though the marriage never last long. It seems the only thing that mattered was the wedding, not the groom or the marriage life itself.

And I had been so distant from Suzy and Mum lately that I completely forgot they were planning a wedding. They'd been planning it for almost a year now, before Dallas started working for me.

I wonder how long it would take them to plan my own wedding.

“What wedding?” Xavier asked. He must have had the same thought as me.

“The one with her Chinese boyfriend. They broke up some time last year, but got back together and resumed their wedding preparations.”

“So when is the wedding?” I asked.

“Next Saturday.”

“Next Saturday?!” Xavier and I exclaimed simultaneously.