The water, as soon as it touched his body, chilled him to the core. He was already shivering with fear, and the cold water further exacerbated his weak heart. He felt breathless. He loosened his tie under the shower and sank to the floor, gasping for air, head hung low.


    "I didn’t do anything... she was trying to be over-smart... she should have listened to me when I asked her. This is not my fault, this is her fault..." Mark muttered, continuously nodding his head, trying to convince himself. At that very moment, he felt a presence behind him. A silent shriek broke out of his mouth. He immediately turned around and stood up, looking frantically around.


    The water was running, drenching him, but it was enough to calm his wrecked heart. He turned off the faucet and stepped out of the shower. Now, he stared at himself in the foggy bathroom mirror. He wiped the glass and looked into it. His hair was wet and disheveled. He wiped his face and then hid it in his hands, breathing heavily.


    Looking up, now seemingly calmer, he set his hair and murmured, "It''s not my fault. She is too weak. She brought this on herself. She brought this on herself. She brought this on herself... she was at fault she was…VIVIAN!!! ...


    VIVIAaaannn!!!!...


    YESSS!!!!


    She did this, yes, Vivian did this." He waved his hand in the air, a manic frantic look in his eyes. "Yes, this all happened because of that witch, Vivian..."


    He pushed himself away from the mirror that was staring deep into his soul, telling him who he really was—a coward or maybe a killer. He slid the door of his bathroom open and stepped into his dark living room, his clothes still drenched with water. He kept muttering "Vivian, Vivian," under his breath, looking for the switch to turn on the lights. He didn’t even realize that he had already turned on the lights before he dashed into the bathroom. He just kept looking and looking, the name "Vivian" a constant whisper.


    Suddenly, he smelled something metallic. It was too sharp not to be noticed. His hand finally found the switch, and as soon as he turned it on, he exclaimed, "VIV..." but it went dark again. He fell to the floor. Someone passed by him. He tried to grasp the person''s foot, but he was too weak. The person jerked him away, opened the door, and looked back at him, the person''s round-rimmed glasses glared in the faint light of the hallway before disappearing and closing the door behind.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Sarah Blake stood in front of Apartment 501, knocking on the front door for the last five minutes but to no avail. "Mr. Mark Albert! If you don’t open the door right this moment, we will break in!" she called out, her voice firm. Officers Maya and William were with her, their faces tense with anticipation.


    But still, no one responded. Sarah took hold of the door handle. As she twisted the knob, it opened. "Mr. Mark, we are coming in..." she announced, using one hand to open the door and the other to firm her grip on her pistol. "Mr. Mark..." she called again.


    "Oh my... What happened to him..." she exclaimed as she saw the lifeless figure on the floor.


    Maya rushed over to the person lying on his side. She gently pulled him onto his back.


    "Be careful!" Sarah warned, coming around the person.


    Maya checked the vitals. "He’s dead..."


    Sarah''s hands fell to her side. She felt the weight of the situation pressing down on her. After a long pause, she said, "Seal the area. Check for any signs. William, get the CCTV footage."


    Mark was still drenched in his wet clothes, lying on the cold floor. Sarah was examining the surroundings when near the bathroom, she detected a peculiar metallic smell.


    Her eyes widened. "Not again!" She rushed toward the door. "Maya, report to me as soon as his forensics are received. Also get the CCTV footage from William. I’ll be at the station." Saying this, she hurried out, making her way through the crowd of curious neighbors who were desperately trying to get a peek at the scene.


    Vivian was in her office, reviewing some executive files and managing the budget plan for the new business Laura was looking into. She rang the bell, and Sofia came running into the office. "Yes, ma''am?"


    "Help me schedule a hotel reservation with Mr. Darcy tomorrow at 12."


    "Okay, ma''am..."


    "And make sure Mr. Darcy is allergic to shrimp and peanuts. Sooo…"


    "Got it, ma''am. I understand…!"


    Sofia hurried back to start the procedure while Vivian resumed her work. It was just like any other day. She seemed far too normal, considering the recent events. Everyone was worried about her, but no one dared to ask anything. They peeked at her through the glass walls of her office, whispering and speculating. Vivian soon realized this and, as she raised her eyes, she saw the gathered crowd around Sofia after she left the office, chattering and pointing at her without realizing she was looking back at them.


    Irritated as she already was, she frowned and stood up. Took off her glasses, picked up her trench coat and exited her office. She stopped near Sophia’s table where the crowd was gathered


    "I will appreciate it, Ms. Sophia Blythe, if you can arrange the reservation clearly, rather than gossiping and chattering into what is not your concern. Make sure there are no mistakes,"


    She said firmly before making her way out. Everyone stood stunned, watching her leave. Sophia couldn’t answer in her defense… just a vague response of affirmation to Vivian’s command.


    In their six years together, it was the first time they had ever seen Vivian leave the office before her usual off time. There wasn''t just one problem but a whole new set of issues they couldn''t solve and didn''t dare to confront.