He had no plan ready, indeed.
But maybe it was an exaggeration to say he had been caught.
After all, he hadn’t been trapped in so overtly compromising situation: no alarms, no lab equipnt in pieces, no evidence of wrongdoing. The term "caught" implied a certain drama, a sense of guilt, a failure. And Blake wasn’t entirely guilty.
Not yet, at least.
"We et again."
Blake glanced at the man standing before him, noting the sa cold composure that seed to emanate from every inch of his posture.
He imdiately flashed a smile, deactivating his skill.
It was none other than Alfred Hicth.
Alfred Hicth.
’He should be anywhere but here! What the hell?’
The man’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought, then relaxed. His hand let go of Blake’s shoulder.
"It has, indeed," Alfred said, his tone even, asured. "I saw your application, and I was rather intrigued. Nobody ever offered such a well-thought profile. Your deductive skills are nothing short of impressive."
Blake blinked, caught between surprise and an awkward, nervously laughing. The complint was sincere, he could feel it, but the effect was a little scary.
He had imagined confrontation, suspicion, perhaps a sharp scolding. Instead... this?
"Oh, my, thanks for the wonderful praise," Blake replied, forcing the laugh into his words. "I... studied hard to get to that point."
He forced himself to keep his tone casual, though every nerve in his body was alert. He was in a position that could easily have gone south if he misstepped. Alfred knew more than most. He might even know more than he should.
Alfred’s gaze shifted slightly, a subtle tightening around the eyes that made Blake feel as if he was actually pretending to be good.
"But... what are you doing here?" Alfred asked finally, his voice even.
’Ah... there it cos.’
Blake swallowed. There really wasn’t much he could say. Being caught by the literal CEO of the building was not part of his plan, or his plan B, for that matter.
His improvisation, his little ruse with the bathroom, his act of the spoiled, unwell young master, it had worked on the guide. It had bought him ti.
But here, Alfred already t Blake before and after he was possessed. He couldn’t be fooled by a facade.
"Honestly," Blake began, choosing his words carefully, "I got here by mistake. Threw up earlier... and made the mistake of lashing out at the guide for rushing . So now, I was... searching for him to apologize."
The lie wasn’t perfect, but it carried just enough truth to make it plausible.
Blake forced a sheepish smile, hoping the faint flicker of genuine concern would sell the story.
"Is that so?" Alfred said finally. His voice carried no accusation, no judgnt. Just, a professional acknowledgnt. "I apologize for the discomfort caused by my employee."
Blake shook his head quickly, the motion almost exaggerated. "Ah, no. There’s no need. Really."
There was a pause, long enough for both n to asure each other silently. Then Alfred tilted his head slightly, a subtle signal, almost conversational, but edged with authority.
"You seem... curious."
Blake raised an eyebrow, instinctively suspicious. The way Alfred said it made the hair on the back of his neck rise.
Curious? The word implied observation, scrutiny.
"I... beg your pardon?" Blake said, keeping his tone careful.
"Curious, would you like to see more?"
The words hung in the air. Blake’s instincts scread caution. He had just been caught wandering in a place he had no right to be.
He had just perford a theatrical display of sickness to escape an awkward encounter with the guide. And now, the literal CEO, the man who owned this building, who knew more than anyone else, was inviting him to see... more.
A flicker of skepticism ran through him.
’More? What does he an? Restricted floors? Hidden rooms? The kind of things that were never ant for outsiders? Or perhaps, worse, a trap.’
Yet... curiosity, that constant, unrelenting itch, pulled him forward.
Blake squared his shoulders. "I... I would appreciate that," he said carefully. "But... only if it’s comfortable for you. I wouldn’t want to impose."
Alfred’s expression softened, like a true old man,. He gestured for Blake to follow. "Very well. Follow , then."
By the ti they reached the second-to-last floor, Blake realized just how different it felt.
The walls were darker. The lighting had a warr tone, almost muted, and the doors... the doors were unlike anything he had seen in the rest of the building.
They were thick, tallic, seemingly impervious, with strange inscriptions and markings that gave an unnerving sense of purpose.
Blake’s pulse quickened, not from fear, exactly, but from the strange mix of awe and suspicion that cos from stepping into spaces deliberately hidden.
Alfred walked alongside him, silent, letting Blake’s gaze drift from one massive door to another. They didn’t enter any of them. They didn’t need to
The silence made the walk feel awkward, as though any sound might break the spell, as though one wrong move could trigger alarms or attention.
Blake tried to keep his composure, though he could feel a bead of sweat forming at the back of his neck. His curiosity was piqued, yes, but so was his caution. Alfred’s presence was simultaneously reassuring and overwhelming; the man could have stopped him at any mont, and Blake knew it.
Finally, Alfred paused at the end of the corridor. Blake looked up, expecting perhaps another set of imposing doors, maybe another floor of mysteries. Instead... Alfred turned, key in hand.
"This way," he said simply, and opened a door at the end of the hallway.
Blake followed, surprised. The door led to a private study, a personal space unlike any he had been shown in the building before.
The room was impeccably organized, yet it felt alive, with papers neatly stacked but used, bookshelves curated yet accessible, objects that suggested thought, creativity, and secrecy all at once.
Alfred stepped aside, gesturing for Blake to enter.
Blake hesitated only for a second before stepping inside. His instincts scread caution, but this was exactly the kind of place he had been searching for.
And yet... he had arrived here, legally, with the CEO himself guiding him.
He allowed himself a slow look around the room.
Blake’s pulse quickened again, this ti from anticipation. Here, maybe, he had the chance to find sothing that matches that empty spot.
Alfred watched silently, expression neutral, yet Blake felt the weight of those eyes imdiately. They weren’t just observing; they were evaluating, considering, perhaps even testing.
’Hah, I’m not unexperienced in the slightest... Myles is worse than him.’
Blake realized sothing as he took a cautious step closer to a shelf of docunts, he hadn’t been caught at all. Not really.
Alfred had brought him here, willingly. Not as a punishnt, not as an accusation. Perhaps as a test, perhaps as curiosity mirrored back, but certainly as a choice.
The study felt like the perfect place for what he had co searching for.
And now, he had it.
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