Financial Emperor: After I Rose From the Dead
Chapter 26: Almost Caught

Chapter 26: Almost Caught

The knock on the door came again, and again.

The way the knock had come hinted at how civilized the person was. Three light cautious soft taps on the door still managed to slice through the silence of the night.

Rino remained still.

His heartbeat, which raced moments ago from reaching the climax with Dalia, now thudded with alert.

Against his chest, Dalia remained still as well.

They waited for another while, but another knock didn’t come.

Instead, Rino heard the shuffle of feet and then the clink of the doorknob being whirled from the other side.

He almost got up from the bed, his instinct screaming at him to gather his pants and singlet which lay strewn carelessly on the floor, as well as Dalia’s gown.

But on second thought, he stopped.

No, he declined his instinct’s suggestion.

He was not going to rush himself into a panic.

Whatever happened in this room he occupied, this night was none of the business of anyone. It was his business. His alone.

Recovering his stance, he reached for the blanket at the edge of the bed and tugged it over both of them, covering their nakedness, quietly.

Beside him, Dalia sprawled not out of fear of danger, but out of fear of betrayal.

"Do you think it’s her?" she whispered to Rino.

She didn’t need to mention the name of Rino to understand who she meant.

She had completely mistaken that Rino already had Zaria as his girlfriend. She was yet to know the real fact behind the matter.

"Shh," Rino replied with a shush sound, placing his index finger on his lips as a sign to make Dalia keep quiet.

"Don’t move," he whispered.

Dalia obeyed him and stopped moving. She only kept her wide eyes staring at the door.

In this quiet moment, Rino moved his eyes across the dimly lit room to the wall clock. The time was 3:45 A.M.

He sighed silently.

The Red Tann meeting had taken much of the night’s time, from the initial discussion they had started to the game activity and then, his registration to become a member.

No one had left the lounge until well, after midnight when they retired to the various lodges of the building.

Anyone knocking at this hour had to have a damn good reason, for real.

He wasn’t going to take a shit for having startled them.

They continued waiting, but the doorknob suddenly stopped turning.

Then, silence fell in the room again.

***

Outside the door, Zaria stood with her fingers hovering just an inch from the knob she had just twisted.

She could have gone in. She wanted to. She had almost done it.

But on second thought, decided against the decision.

It wasn’t a result of fear, reluctance, or even, hesitation.

She just thought it best to give respect to whom it is due.

The little time she had spent with Rino had made her realize a few things about him.

Unlike most men she had met, he was a man of deep privacy. For all his presence, there was always something closed off about him, something that seemed to warn people to knock before entering—not just through his doors, but in his life too.

Who knew what had made him accept her invitation to come to Red Tann that night?

When she told him about it, she had thought he would decline against the idea, but he reluctantly accepted.

It only meant he had a reason for having accepted.

This Rino guy always has reasons for whatever he does, she thought.

Back to her reality.

She thought this wasn’t the best time to have the discussion with Rino.

It was at that point that she let the doorknob go, returning to its place with a tiny click sound.

Tomorrow will be advisable.

She would take to him the next day, first thing was the dawn of morning embraces the sky. Or, maybe, she will raise the discussion on their way back home.

Back home?

She slapped her head softly.

What was she thinking?

Well, since they came together, she could plead with him to drop her off at the estate gate. And maybe, they will have to meet up again for the discussion.

That was a great idea for her.

She would use it as another means of meeting up with Rino one more time before maybe he decides to visit Amaka.

Letting her mind free of these thoughts, she turned down the corridor, wrapping her arms around her slender frame and left.

The cool breeze of the night didn’t pity the silk nightgown she wore, as it floated behind her like there was a need for it.

There could have been the need for it if men were around the premises, but well, it doesn’t matter as long as they won’t have access.

Why the dirty thoughts?

Zaria slapped her head again.

***

Inside the room, Rino waited patiently for another full minute to be sure he had heard distancing footsteps.

When it seemed like the person who knocked on the door had gone, he turned to Dalia and began speaking again.

"Whomever it may be, is gone now," he said finally, keeping his voice barely above a whisper.

Nobody could tell the actual turn of events at times, so, it was better to remain cautious.

Once Rino said that the person who knocked on the door was gone, Dalia let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding for long.

If it was Zaria who knocked, she was thankful to God for the miracle he had performed that night. She didn’t want Zaria to find her, or worse still, see her. Not like this. Not now.

Rino sat up from the bed, the blanket falling to his waist.

As if continuing what he said, he added. "That’s the more reason why you should leave now. Before morning brightly comes."

"..."

"There will be eyes by dawn, and possibly, tongues," he said. "I hope you understand."

Dalia understood vividly. She simply nodded and collected her scattered clothes from where they were strewn on the floor.

Now fully dressed, Dalia leaned over and kissed Rino once on the lips, not taking much time.

"I will be leaving now," she muttered and slipped out of the door without another word.

The moment the door gently closed behind her, Rino pulled the blanket off and rose from the bed.

His head was no longer in the clouds.

Passion time had passed.

Reality has returned.

He began to gather his clothes from the floor, not to hide from anyone this time, but to prepare for whatever next step he would take.

He made his way to the bathroom and as he moved, he thought.

Pleasure is a fragment of time, but hustle... hustle is what builds empires.

"First thing at dawn, I will head back to the Carter’s Mansion. The gates should be open by 5 A.M.," he murmured.

This time, he won’t be going back for rest. He will have to start the real art of business, especially now that he has gotten an ally.

He hoped so.

And, he planned to leave as early as he could.

He closed the bathroom door behind him, and let the rushing sound of the water from the shower fill the eerie silence.

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