Temporary bride for the demon overlord-Chapter 32: A little visit

Karma’s leg trembled and her vision swarmed. She stopped by the car and breathed in deeply.

Somehow, she had an inkling to who the sender of these anonymous messages was.

But that different make her feel better, if anything it increased her wariness tenfold.

Being kept in the darkness was something she hated so much it made her fist clench. But Alphonse wouldn’t tell her anything.

Not even about himself. But a vein throbbed violently behind her eyes and her mouth tasted of bile. She wasn’t sure she could get to the office without collapsing.

But she remembered the load of files on her table and she squared her shoulders. She wasn’t going to take the afternoon off because of a puny headache. Nevermind the fact that black dot painted the edge of her vision.

Perhaps some Tylenol and cold bath would help. She drove silently to her office, concentrating on inhaling and exhaling.

She opened her office door and sank into the comfortable leather with a groan. She removed her low heels and massaged the sole of her feet. Her fingers found the intercom and she sent a message to Grace.

"Help me grab some Tylenol from downstairs and some broth from the cafeteria." She said into the machine. The machine beeped once and she sighed in relief.

Grace had gotten the message.

She kept the worn enveloped inside her bag and begin to flip through pages of proposal left on her table, when the door opened.

She was grateful for Grace’s efficiency this morning. But it wasn’t Grace that entered her office, it was Ethan.

And with him, was a man who made her breath hitched. The pounding behind her eyes intensified and a wordlessly gasp left her mouth.

But she wasn’t going to let them get the better of her.

"Ethan. Mr Ryan. This is such a surprise. Please do sit," she pointed to the single chair in front of her.

The two men stared at each other and back at her. She met there gaze squarely, though it took a lot of grit.

Ryan’s eyes were so cold and dead. The golden flecks glinted like a sword scabbard in daylight. Hiding just as many secrets she could think of.

If she expected Ryan to get get irritated at her subtle display of reluctance, she was proved wrong.

He merely smiled, a smile that never reached his eyes. Karma could swear he was amused, though nothing of such could be trailed to his disconcerting eyes.

But Ethan, same old Ethan, bristled in annoyance at the perceived disrespect. Not that he could say bathing outrightly without sounding like a snob.

"You take the chair Mr Ryan. I’ll just.." he waved his hand in a general motion. "I’ll just step out to see my fiancee."

His face was down and his steps lingered. Karma wanted to yell at him not to leave.

Who knows what this man would do if she was left alone with him? But the door only closed gently behind him.

She supposed she was going to find out soon enough.

"Mrs Li. It’s a pleasure meeting you once again. I thought I perhaps was dreaming about yesterday, because no one could surely possess that sparkling radiance. But I see that I wasn’t," he smiled at her.

Karma scoffed under her breath. If he wanted to use flattery, the least he could do is be original with it.

"Thank you Mr Ryan," she smiled and her eyes pulled tight.

"Yesterday, we weren’t able to talk much. I’m here to invest." He stated.

"No,"

"No?" Surprise was evident in his voice. "Won’t you listen to whatever I have to say first?"

Karma’s fingers shook and trembled on her thigh but she clenched them into a fist. She worked her face into a neutral expression and even managed to squeeze a small smile.

Her head protested with the effort but she gritted her teeth.

"Mr Ryan, I’ve heard all I needed to. And my answer is still the same,"

Ryan must have saw something on her face, because his blank expression slipped and his mouth twisted into something feral.

"Well then Mrs Li. I suppose you wouldn’t be in your position if you’re liable to be swayed easily_"

"I won’t he swayed ever," Karma said coldly.

Ryan smiled, a chilling thing that sent dread coursing through her bone.

"I’ll see you some other time Mrs Li," Ryan leaned in, his palm on the table.

"I hope "some other time" translates to never." Karma hissed under her breath.

Tension was thick in the air. It made it oppressive for Karma to draw breath and the air seems laden with unspoken promise.

The door opened and Grace slid in, her gaze flickering from Karma’s pale face and Ryan’s callous smile.

"I’ll uh..just drop this," she dropped the broth and the crinkling bottle of Tylenol on the table.

"My regards to Alphonse. Tell him it’s been a long time," He left the room.

Karma collapsed back on the chair and waved Grace away. Her fingers shook as she tried to open the bottle and everything spilled on the floor.

"God damnit!" she whispered.

Her body was burning up and her breath came in hurtful rasp. What is going on? She tried to reach her phone to call...someone. Anyone, really. But her fingers wouldn’t comply.

The door was swung open and Karma finally gave in to the shuddering darkness. A bright burst of color behind her eyelids before everything turned black.

She could hear the faint sound of someone shouting. The voice was familiar only she couldn’t make her brain concentrate.

"Karma! Omg, what’s going on?" Veronica yelled, trying to lift her up.

"She’s burning up! Somebody help! Grace!!"

And just like that, she had a hazy feeling of being jostling around. A voice, commanding and concerned.

Someone whispering somethi

ng soothing inside her ears, a placing of gentle kiss on her forehead.

It might be her fevered mind, but she thought the person might have been Alphonse.