Spencer was still in the lab when Alpha Kilian returned.
There were various tubes and bottles all over the table and beakers full of mysterious-looking liquid. Spencer had a serious expression on his face that made it hard for anyone to guess how the experiments were going.
Suddenly, Alpha Kilian walked in and placed a cup of coffee in front of him. Spencer looked up and his tense expression relaxed at the sight of Alpha Kilian . “Thanks,” he said.
Alpha Kilian glanced at him. “I heard that you've been in here for a whole day. Any progress?”
“Yes,” Spencer replied. He continued to look at Alpha Kilian as he replied, “I've done a full test on Nelly 's blood. There are traces of poison, but I've never seen anything like it. I've asked a lot of other labs, but none have any information on the poison, which means it was specifically made. So far, I haven't been able to figure out its components.”
Alpha Kilian 's frown gradually deepened as Spencer spoke. “So what does that mean?”
“It means you'd better mentally prepare yourself. Seems like this is going to be a long battle,” Spencer replied coldly.
“What about the antidote?”
The antidote was something that Alpha Kilian had gone into the lion's den for. It wasn't a hundred percent foolproof, but it was the only chance they had so far.
Spencer placed the medicine on the table. “I've already done a test on all the medicine you brought back and I've also sent the components to other labs overseas for them to help figure it out as well. So far, we've already crossed three off the list. Out of these three, there are two poisons and one antidote, but it's not the corresponding antidote to what Nelly has.”
“I took all of them as a precaution in case Boss was lying, but he did say that one of them is the antidote,” Alpha Kilian said.
“Don't worry just yet. That so-called antidote is still being tested. The components are quite complicated, so it will take some time.”
“How long?” Alpha Kilian asked.
Alpha Kilian 's expression became serious as he stepped closer to Spencer. “Alright. Thanks in advance.” Spencer stopped drinking his coffee and stared at Alpha Kilian in surprise.
What kind of dictator does one have to be to say something like that?
He took a deep breath and stared at Alpha Kilian directly. “I haven't eaten or drunk anything today.” Alpha Kilian just looked at him. “Aren't you drinking coffee right now?”
Spencer looked at the coffee in his hand and paused incredulously before looking at Alpha Kilian again. “This is the first thing I've had all day. My stomach is still empty!”
Alpha Kilian nodded, looking as if he had finally understood what Spencer meant. “I'll get someone to deliver some food in a minute.”
Spencer was rendered speechless.
He smirked coldly as he looked at Alpha Kilian . “As expected of a capitalist. You're all vampires.”
Alpha Kilian looked back at him seriously. “Spencer, you know how important this is to me. Nelly 's life is in your hands right now. You're going to have to power through this.”
Spencer's brow finally relaxed and he nodded. “That's more like it. At least that sounds human. Don't worry. Nelly is your girl, but she's my friend too. I would do my best even if you didn't ask.”
Spencer put his coffee down and began fiddling with the tubes and beakers once again. Alpha Kilian nodded without planning to disturb Spencer further and got ready to leave.
“By the way, I know we're all worried about your girlfriend right now, but don't forget about...” Spencer suddenly cut himself off.
Alpha Kilian looked back as his gaze swept across Spencer's face. Even without finishing his sentence, Alpha Kilian knew what he meant.
“Don't worry. Dave has everything under control. Your girlfriend is in good hands,” Alpha Kilian replied.
Spencer's expression shifted uncomfortably. “That's not what I meant. She just saved my life, so I kind of owe her one-”
Alpha Kilian looked at him knowingly. “Whatever you say. It's none of my business,” he said before leaving.
As the door closed, Spencer frowned slightly. For some weird reason, Alpha Kilian 's stare had made Spencer feel strangely guilty.
...
That night, Nelly was trying to sleep when she turned around and saw the man sitting next to her. She woke up when she caught sight of what he was toying with and sat next to him.
“Can't sleep?” she asked gently.
He turned around. “Sorry, did I wake you?”
“You were so quiet that you nearly gave me a heart attack just sitting here,” Nelly teased. He took a deep breath. “Still, sorry. Go back to sleep. It's still early.”
Nelly smiled in reply. “I'm not tired anymore. I'll stay up with you for a bit,” she said as she watched him fiddle with the box in his hand. “I've been seeing you hold onto this since you came back with Dave. What is it?”
His slender, bony fingers toyed around with the box as his inky gaze darkened even further.
Nelly quietly watched him.
The note was short and straightforward, but it perfectly described everything that had happened.
The whole thing was a matter of Zavier planning to sacrifice himself without telling Alpha Kilian and writing a note so that Alpha Kilian wouldn't blame himself so much.
Sadly, that note had taken quite a long time to get to Alpha Kilian . His hands were still trembling and she reached out to grab them.
He turned to look at her with reddened eyes and shaking lips. It looked like he was trying to say something, but he couldn't get the words out.
At that very moment, Alpha Kilian 's high and mighty image cracked, revealing his vulnerable side.
Nelly looked at him and said calmly, “I think Zavier must have guessed that this would happen long ago. That's why he left this for you. I don't know why it took so many years for the note to appear, but he wrote it so that you wouldn't keep blaming yourself. Are you going to let his good intention go to waste?”
“You think so?” Alpha Kilian asked in a low, raspy voice, sounding like a little boy who had just cried.
“Of course! Why else would he specifically write this letter to you and hide it in something that means so much to both of you? He must have known how much you would beat yourself up about it. Still, he had not guessed how long it would take you even to open that box after he passed.”
“I never dared to,” he said in a deep, quivering voice. Looking down, Alpha Kilian explained, “I always thought he would blame me, and I never dared to open anything that reminded me of him.”
She reached out to hug him at the sight of his helplessness. She had never seen him look so distraught.
“Why would he? He was your best friend. He saw you the same way you saw him. Besides, Zavier did all this because he felt he was the cause behind everything. He knew that if it wasn't him, it would be either you or Dave. If you guys had a choice, wouldn't all three of you make the same decision?”
Alpha Kilian nodded. “I was thinking about that when I first approved of the plan. I just didn't expect Zavier to beat me to it.”
“He was afraid of you getting hurt. That was why he did what he did. Alpha Kilian , Zavier did love you as a brother. Why would he ever blame you for this?” Nelly asked.
“Really?” Alpha Kilian asked, looking at Nelly as if she were a beam of light in the dark. “Yes. Isn't this letter pure proof of that?” she asked.
He was beginning to understand, but after so many years of wallowing in self-doubt, guilt, and regret, it was hard for him to convince himself that it wasn't his fault.
If he hadn't seen the note himself, he might have thought that they had come up with a plot to get him out of his rut.
Alpha Kilian immediately picked up the note and began studying it.
The note was written in Zavier's handwriting for sure, and because of how long it had been rolled up inside the pen barrel, the wrinkles in it were already practically permanent.
“It's him! It's really his handwriting. So he doesn't blame me after all?” Alpha Kilian asked.
Nelly smiled at the sound of his enthusiasm. “Yeah! Not only does he not blame you, he even specifically left a note for you so that you wouldn't blame yourself. That's something a true best friend would do,” she said.
He looked up at her. Her words were gentle yet powerful, and the warmth of what she had just said began to melt the icy weight on his shoulders away. The pain he had been holding onto deep inside him was beginning to fade away too.
He smiled and hugged her back. “Thank you, Nelly .
“Thank you for telling me all that. Thank you for finding his note, too, and thank you for finally lifting this weight I've been carrying for years off my shoulders,” Alpha Kilian said. “You truly are the best.”
She chuckled at his words. “I remember a certain someone forbidding me to say the words 'thank you' to him. Have the tables turned?”
“No... I love you. I love you so, so much,” Alpha Kilian murmured as he pulled her into another tight embrace, lightly nuzzling his chiseled jaw to the top of her head. He hugged her tightly, almost as if he wanted to fuse and become one with her.
But no matter how much he said “I love you” and “thank you,” the most important thing was that Nelly could sense the burden on his shoulders slowly lifting. He no longer seemed as depressed as before.
“You must remember that the people who truly love you would never want to hurt you. It applies to everyone, whether it is romantic, platonic, or familial,” she said.
In a soft voice, he whispered, “Okay”, while holding onto her tightly.
Nelly said, “No matter what happens, don't give up so easily. You have to be more positive about things.” She patted him on the back lightly.
Alpha Kilian suddenly stiffened at her advice.
He could hear the implications behind her words.
He let her go slowly as his inky black gaze fixed on her small face. Nelly still smiled brightly as if she didn't have a care in the world.