The Essence Of The Darkness
Episode 58: Secrets

Now Elana understood why Akram had asked her to go up to the lap. Because, with their current position, Akram's face so close to him too with a sharp gaze of Akram pierced towards him.

With this position, there was absolutely no chance for Elana to lie, because from such a close distance, Akram would definitely be able to know Elana's lie from her clear expression.

Elana gulped, confused to start talking from where to answer Akram's question. There are things she does not want to tell Akram, but Elana is really confused how to hide all of it from Akram's sharp instincts.

"Did Xavier speak sweet words to you to make you lulled?" because Elana did not also speak, Akram immediately guessed with a grim expression and it even made Elana more nervous.

"Xavier wasn't trying to seduce me at all. She..really just invited me to speak," Elana was finally able to answer in a stammered voice.

Akram frowned. "Speaking about what?" the sambar is fast, the tone is looking. "Was he trying to disprove all his ugliness that I told him? Is he trying to defend himself?" guess quickly.

Elana shook her head strongly.

"Ti...no! Xavier doesn't deny it at all, he says everything you say is true." he said honestly.

Akram frowned, sensing that something was not right in the picture in his mind. He knew Xavier, the man always acting sinless, meek and masked in front of his victims to deceive them all on the surface.

But, why in front of Elana, Xavier even took off his mask and admitted all his ugliness?

"Then, what else did Xavier tell you? He's been bothered to fool Elios and Nathan into talking to you. It's impossible for Xavier to do all that just to confess his sins to you, isn't it?" akram's voice sounded curious and impatient, making Elana's heart pound.

Really, Elana did not want to say about Xavier's offer to Akram. She needs time to think things through and Elana knows for sure that she won't be able to get time thinking that Akram hasn't already found out about it.

"Xavier... Xavier told me something that went against what you thought..." suddenly Elana remembered the important part of her conversation with Xavier and immediately decided to lift him to the surface to delay Akram getting the truth. "He said all he's done so far is because he loves you and wants to protect you."

The handle of Akram on Elana's body tightened, even with her expression stiffening as if holding back anger.

"Love and protect me? And you believe it?" Akram growled while half shaking Elana's body. "You have to remember, he destroyed everything I loved. He even made my first lover commit suicide in a brutal way! He also attempted murder against me many times. How can human logic accept that it is all a form of love and an attitude of wanting to protect?"

"But. but Xavier said.." Elana's voice stopped in her throat as Akram's sharp gaze filled with anger rained down on her.

Elana actually wanted to reveal all of Xavier's words to her earlier. About Xavier deliberately hostile to Akram in order to attract Akram's hidden enemies to be caught off guard and bring himself up, about Xavier who has the role of thwarting Akram's assassination attempt at the last second and much more. However, all Xavier's explanations can actually be accepted with common sense so Elana really wants Akram to listen and consider it.

But at this moment, Akram looked like dynamite whose axis was almost burned out. Making Elana realize that if she continuously tried to provide a defense for Xavier, it was certain that Akram would end up exploding with tremendous anger.

"I know Xavier is very good at manipulating human minds. He is very difficult to deal with when it comes to theatrics and wordplay. Xavier was able to flip through the facts to the point when he said that the leaf was actually red, you would immediately believe it unconditionally," Akram looked worried and touched cupped his palms to Elana's cheeks. "Whatever happens later, you must not fall into his trap" Akram said later.

Doubt directly crawled Elana's soul when she heard Akram's words, making Elana think whether Xavier's offer of freedom to her was actually just a trap to catch her? Should he tell Xavier's offer to Akram? Or should he keep it first and make sure of his feelings before speaking?

"What else did Xavier tell you?" as if charging at the right moment, Akram voiced his question back in a demanding tone.

Elana was stunned, momentarily worried. But, eventually his impulsive thoughts took over later. Elana doesn't want Akram to be more angry than this. Later if Akram hears about Xavier's offer of freedom for Elana, the man will definitely be furious.

At the moment Elana is too tired to start a long argument that will drain her energy. That was why Elana decided that it would be better for her to delay revealing this matter to Akram, as well as steal a little time for her to think things through.

While putting on her most innocent gaze and chanting a prayer in her heart so that Akram does not realize her lie, Elana shook her head strongly.

"Ti. is no more. There may be a lot that Xavier wants to say, but Nathan and Elios are in a hurry to find out about the digital glass door trick so that Xavier rushes away," replied Elana in a stupefied voice.

Akram immediately narrowed his eyes, his gaze grew sharper as he spoke in a threatening tone.

"You're not hiding anything from me, are you?" ask Akram with a suspicious tone.

Elana once again shook her head vigorously, suppressing the guilt in her chest.

"I'm not hiding anything." said Elana trying to convince.

For a moment Akram just kept silent, watching Elana deeply, deliberately creating an intimidating atmosphere that was so stifling. At the same time, Elana struggled so hard that the pounding on her chest did not become firmer than it is now. She was so scared that Akram realized how fast her heart beat was and finally found out that Elana was lying.

But what Elana was afraid of did not happen. Jemari Akram suddenly moved to touch the strand of Elana's hair that covered the side of her face, then inserted the strand into the back of Elana's ear in a gentle motion. Akram's gaze was very serious, looking straight at Elana as her lips spoke.

"There are still three more meetings with Xavier. I hope you're unshakable" there was a beam of worry in Akram's eyes as he continued his sentence. "Xavier told me that he would use all the time he earned to make yourself fall into his charms. I know Xavier, he's going to put all his effort into tricking you, being charmed by him, and following every word like it's magic," akram's gaze when speaking inexplicably implied deep sadness and regret. "Other women always fall in his trap. I don't want that to happen to you either. Because the fate of all the women trapped by Xavier will always be the same. They're gonna die horribly."

Akram was always harsh, harsh and firm, both in deeds and in words. But somehow now Akram gives advice with a soft persuasive attitude, not demanding as usual.

It was as if he wanted Elana to listen to his words in earnest.

And Akram succeeded. The shadow of Xavier's cruelty immediately reappeared in Elana's mind as if reminded, until Elana's body was automatically shocked in horror.

"Cold?" Akram apparently realized Elana's movements and misinterpreted them. His hand moved slowly pulling Elana's body tightly into her body. "It's early in the morning, want to sleep a little more?" bargain Akram gently, making Elana relieved because Akram finally ended their conversation regarding Xavier.

Elana herself was not able to resist Akram's embrace, too tired also fell asleep with the warmth of the man's body that currently feels so pleasant.

"It's not cold anymore" answered Elana honestly. Suddenly, after digesting Akram's sentence about the morning still, Elana seemed to wake up and keep her head slightly from Akram's chest to look at the man's face. "You... You didn't go to work today?" tanyanya.

Akram grinned at the question, as if to laugh at Elana's innocence.

"Have you forgotten that I'm the boss of my company? I can take a day off whenever I want. After all, technology has become increasingly sophisticated so that we can still work without requiring a continuous physical presence. I can have the data file sent to my place and I can lead the meeting online," Akram looked at Elana with a meaningful gaze. "Then, answer your question, then no, Elana. I'm not going anywhere today. In any case, I should monitor your situation after you receive that healing serum." Akram replied in a relaxed tone.

When Elana opened her mouth to ask about her work, Akram seemed to be able to read Elana's mind and immediately placed his finger on Elana's lips to prevent her from speaking.

"Don't think about your job. You're still sick so it's been decided that you won't work" Akram mengptimatum said in an arrogant tone.

When he saw that there was anxiety over Elana's face, Akram's voice softened. "Don't worry, Elios has arranged as if you're being assigned as a favor to another branch. Assistance systems to other branches are common in companies and apply to all divisions, so your colleagues will not be suspicious," akram's hand moved pushing Elana's head back to her chest, gently stroking it. "Now go to sleep, I'll hold you so you don't get cold."

Akram's gentle attitude coupled with the drowsiness that came after the hunger in his stomach was satisfied, made Elana had no strength to rebel. Elana according to close her eyes in Akram's arms, while her heart was touched by the fact that Akram even bothers to take care of her work problems as a cleaning service in his company.

Akram nodded his thin head without a sound, then gave a kiss on Elana's forehead. Meanwhile, her fingers continued to move stroking Elana's hair with a constant rhythm that was gentle and soothing.

When felt the body of Elana lunglai in the arms and breath of the woman was well down regularly as a sign that the woman had really dissolved in her deep sleep, Akram further tightened his embrace while his facial expression turned dark and gloomy.

Elana lied to him...

The woman was clearly hiding something and was too innocent in her attempt to cover it up. Akram will not be that easy to be fooled because he is too smart to be lied to by inexperienced women like Elana.

What exactly did Xavier tell Elana that she decided to keep it a secret from him? What other ruse from Xavier this time was he using to ensnare Elana into his trap?

Jemari Akram clenched as her expression hardened filled with anger.

All his life, Akram was silent when Xavier took all his favorites with a cruel attitude. All the women in his life who passed by and who had incised wounds, none of them were able to survive Xavier's temptation that would waste them all getting to the bottom. In fact, the attention of her own birth mother, has been snatched by Xavier without Akram being able to fight back.

But this time it was different. Akram vowed not to let this one be snatched from him. He would defend it even if it had to spill blood and casualties.

***

***

"It's a blood test from Miss Lana, sir," Renault's doctor, who was responsible for the whole process of infusing the antidote serum into Elana's body, appeared to be shoving sheets of lab paper into Xavier's hands.

Xavier accepted it, then studied the data that happened on the paper carefully. The results of the blood test on his hands were the results of a lab examination of Elana's blood taken immediately after the process of infusing the antidote to stage one was completed. The lab test serves to see how effective the antidote to the poison into the body Elana.

After coming to a conclusion according to his wishes, Xavier nodded his head in satisfaction.

"As expected, the antidote serum began to bulldoze the effects of the poison bit by bit," Xavier looked at Renault's doctor with a serious look. "Reply the serum for the second stage. I'm giving up all responsibility on you. Lana had to make a full recovery" Xavier's face still looked friendly, but her sharp glittering eyes were completely the opposite. "If you don't make it, I'll take your life insurance in the most painful way I can do it" he continued in a threatening tone.

Renault's doctors were almost tiptoeing in fear of hearing the threat. But, he managed to hold on and stand still on the spot while nodding his head obediently.

"Ba.. well, Mr. Xavier," he said quickly in a stammering tone.

Xavier nodded his head thinly. "You may go," he kicked out, giving a hand signal of expulsion, without feeling the need to turn twice to the Renault doctor who was moved to leave the room.

Xavier's attention was turned to Regas who had been standing faithfully by his side.

Xavier's hand stretched out toward Regas, then spoke in a firm commanding tone.

"Get me my phone. I have to contact Akram to make new arrangements,"

***

***

It was still early morning when Akram sat on the big sofa of his apartment with a cup of coffee in his hand. Akram's eyes are fixed on a digital screen in front of him that displays reports regarding work and requires strategic decisions from him immediately.

Akram took a sip of his coffee while his eyes glanced towards Elana who was sleeping soundly, curled up with a body wrapped in a thick blanket close to where Akram was sitting. After Elana fell asleep this morning, Akram decided to lay Elana on this big sofa and cover her, while she started working seriously.

Akram has to finish his job today, so that when Elana wakes up later, he has no workload on his shoulders and can spend all day focusing only on Elana.

The distinctive ringing sound of his cell phone made Akram's eyes stare at Elana who was still sleeping distracted. Akram's face immediately darkened as he read the screen of his phone and realized who was calling him.

He dropped his phone and answered it in a loud voice.

"Xavier," Akram immediately mentioned the name of his enemy without feeling the need to mince words.

Xavier immediately chuckled slowly across there, as if instead of being offended, the man was even pleased with the hostile attitude Akram was stirring at him.

"Kram," Xavier called Akram's name in a slow, deliberate tone to make it sound annoying. "You've started your day so early. I thought you were still curled up under the covers hugging your favorite girl..."

"Quite the bases," Akram interrupted quickly in a furious tone, "Tell me what you want Xavier," growled Akram in an impatient tone.

Once again Xavier chuckled.

"It's early and you've roared here and there like a starving wild lion" Xavier muttered in a mocking tone. "I'd like to inform you that I have sent you digital data from the laboratory test results from the blood samples Lana took after the first stage of serum reception. His condition improved and the poison had already begun to be neutralized from his blood,"

Akram blinked as a stream of relief flooded him listening to Xavier's information. His hand moved to the digital screen in front of him, searching around for messages from Xavier and downloading information from there. When the lab results appeared before his eyes, Akram read them several times to convince the truth of the data. After that Akram tried to control himself, before returning to speak coldly to Xavier.

"good. You kept your promise. You must have prepared for the second stage of serum, right?" akram's voice turned cynical. "For the second time, I don't want you to cheat us like you did with a digital screen against Nathan and Elios" Akram said in an accusatory tone.

"Hey, don't take my actions too seriously, Akram. I'm just happy to have succeeded in judging your two over-loyal men," there's the joy that's implied by Xavier's voice when speaking. In any case, the joy instantly vanished as Xavier said his next sentence. "After all, for the second time, I'll make sure that Nathan and Elios won't be involved at all."

"What do you mean, Xavier?" Akram immediately struck a vigilance while a bad premonition instantly struck him.

There was no need to wait for long until the bad feeling really materialized. Because, Xavier immediately threw it immediately in front of Akram.

"For the second stage of serum, I want Lana to come alone. Can be controlled by a bodyguard who will be on guard outside, but without Nathan and Elios. I want Lana to really spend her time alone with me without anyone else's interference," when Akram said nothing across there, Xavier quickly continued. "You've seen the effect of the antidote serum on Lana's recovery. You certainly also know that if he does not receive this second stage serum, Lana's condition will decrease by the third day and could end in death. So, Akram, if you refuse my terms, I'll cancel the second stage serum and you'll have to prepare the grave and the death ceremony for Lana."

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