I lied.
I pretended I never heard of the oasis.
I told them I didn't know V's home had access to a secret passage leading out of the City.
They seemed to believe me.
They let me go home and gave me the night to think about it. I was actually surprised they gave me a choice. It made me think their threat to cancel my contract was empty, more like a scare tactic.
And it worked.
Firinne had assured me they meant no harm. Not to the City, not to anyone in it. They only needed to smuggle out medicines, ones their officials couldn't strike a deal for with the City. Time was running out for the people who needed the medication, so their group had decided to take matters into their own hands.
I asked what officials, what country, who they were working for? Was it one of the Stan countries, the side of the world where Chandra and Dionne were coming from?
But Firinne refused to tell me.
I had no memory of walking back home. My mind was clouded by everything I'd learned in such a short amount of time.
Firinne was a fake machine, like Kira and me.
Calypso and Kira were in a relationship.
All together, they worked for an outside entity.
And they wanted me to help them smuggle out some medicines.
They had a meeting planned with their group in a few days at the oasis. The problem was that the only way was through the tunnel V had shown me. And only someone with house authorization could open it from that side.
That was why they needed me.
I lay down on the couch, hiding my face between my arms.
For a moment, I wished I'd never hiked up that trail. Never overheard Kira and Calypso fighting. Never visited Chaoxing's house. Never seen Firinne coming back up those stairs...
But it didn't matter anymore. Wishing was useless now. I was already involved, not by choice, but because I was the last thing standing in their way.
How did they even find the medicines? And then I thought of Firinne, snooping around Chaoxing and Henry's house... The Chief Biotech Officer. And then, Kira and Calypso, at Malik's dinner... The Director of the Research Center. Could it be related?
For now, I couldn't even bring myself to consider helping them. It felt too risky. Too out of my comfort zone.
What would happen if I refused? They wouldn't dare cancel my contract... They had to know I could use the same logic they'd thrown at me: if I go down, you go down too. I could report them too.
Even if I wasn't sure I was brave enough to do it... I hoped they thought I did.
What would happen if Calypso canceled my contract?
No, I couldn't even bring myself to think of this option.
Saying goodbye to both my debt repayment and one more month with V? No, this was out of the question.
"Sade?"
I startled.
I hadn't even heard the entrance door open. My arms slipped away from my face, and V's face appeared above me.
"Are you alright?"
He leaned over me where I lay on the couch, a slight frown between his eyebrows.
"Mhmm." I forced a smile. "I must've dozed off for a minute," I added with a small chortle.
I hated how easily lying to him came now.
"Are you feeling tired?" he asked as he sat on the edge of the couch, his fingers tenderly caressing my face.
"No, I'm fine," I lied again, leaning my cheek into his touch.
"Because I thought we could go to the Firefly Lightshow Dionne mentioned. You seemed curious about it... I got us tickets for tonight, but I can change—"
Before he could finish, I pushed upright and into his arms, wrapping myself around him tightly.
How could I even consider letting go of this man?
"I'm not tired at all. Let's go." I smiled against the crook of his neck, clinging harder around his shoulders.
He chuckled, his hands rubbing warmth on my back.
"Good. I needed a distraction, too."
"Why?" I pulled back just enough to look at his face.
"Ah, nothing interesting," he said, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. "Just my manager... He keeps bugging me with questions."
"What kind of questions?" I asked, remembering V's manager's strange looks for me at Malik's dinner.
"About my research... He's pissed my deadline got pushed again. And he's suspicious about that expensive purchase I made."
"You mean... me?" I asked, knowing the answer already.
His eyes flicked to mine, softer now, as if sensing my concern.
"Yeah. But don't worry." His thumb grazed down my jaw. "He's nothing more than a nuisance. I can keep him at bay long enough."
He drew me back into his embrace, and this time, he was the one pressing his face into the crook of my neck. I closed my eyes as I felt him inhale deeply, slow and deliberate, then let out a long breath, his whole frame softening against mine.
"Hmm... I've been waiting for that all day," he murmured into my hair, holding me tighter against his chest.
His tender words sent shivers down my spine, and I felt myself trembling like a leaf. I opened my eyes, and they fell on the garden I had created in the atrium. It was completely green now. You couldn't see the dark soil anymore.
How could I ever risk all of this? I wondered, feeling V's lips peck a kiss against my ear.
In the greenery of the atrium, down the ivy leaves, the trapdoor to the oasis taunted me.
No. No, I couldn't.
☘️
I didn't want to do it. I wasn't going to do it.
Give up everything I'd built here? No. Never.
V. The garden. My debt payment.
What if we were caught? V would get in trouble because of my recklessness. Worse, if word got out that he had a Love Machina, they could find out his fake identity too. And if they found out he's a clone... I didn't want to think about it.
And what if Firinne lied? What if there were no medicines?
Yes. They were certainly lying to me.
I wasn't going to jeopardize all of this. I had someone to help, here and now. I wasn't just trying to pay back my debt anymore. I wanted to help V.
Yesterday evening, we spent another wonderful evening together. We ate delicious food, watched a fantastic spectacle, and walked home hand in hand.
What would happen when I refused their mission? I thought through every scenario as I dragged my feet to the Feng-Amar station.
I arrived early at the same spot I had overheard Kira and Calypso the day before. I imagined this spot was a safe place to talk.
At the top of the hill, I expected to see Firinne and Kira, maybe even Calypso. But someone else was there too.
"Annie?" I squinted my eyes at the woman I recognized.
She turned to face me, copper metallic lines shining around her warm brown eyes.
I recognized the machina caretaker, the one who had been offered the chance to stay with the family she had served, even after the grandmother she cared for would pass away. Or get grace, as they would call it.
"Hi, Sade," she smiled, holding herself with a calm that made it seem like she wasn't surprised to see me.
My eyes darted between Firinne, leaning against the wall, and Kira, crouched low beside the gap in the cave that overlooked the waterfall.
"Wait—are you—" I stuttered, my eyes snapping back to Annie.
I couldn't believe it. Was she a fake Love Machina too? Was anyone among us truly a machine?
But she answered my thoughts before I could speak again.
"No. I'm not human," she said, shaking her head.
And she seemed to imply she knew we all were.
"What are you doing here—?" I blurted out, unable to stop my eyes from turning to Firinne, the one I knew was the leader here.
This one straightened from the wall, ready to explain, but Annie spoke first.
"I'm here to help," she said with a reassuring smile. "It's what Mother would've wanted."
"Mother...?" I echoed, remembering vague fragments of her caretaker story.
"She got grace last week. It was a very peaceful and dignified passing," Annie continued, her face serene as she announced the passing of the old woman she had been taking care of until her last breath. "As she chose grace, peace will follow her."
She spoke this last phrase with solemnity, like something she had heard many times before. Behind her, Firinne and Kira exchanged a brief look.
"Are you... Are you going to stay with your family now?"
It struck me how much I had held onto Annie's story, tucked away in the back of my mind. Who knows, maybe V would want to keep me with him forever too? I knew my situation was different, but I had quietly hoped for a story like hers.
"My family..." Annie broke into another peaceful smile, a strange look in her eyes as they fluttered on me.
"They lied to her," Kira spat.
"Kira," Firinne warned, giving her a sharp look. The redhead turned her sullen face away.
Annie pretended like she hadn't heard them, her calm remaining unbroken.
"They chose a different path in the end," she said softly, her eyebrows coming slightly together. Her pupils shuddered for a split second before she regained composure. "My contract will be terminated at the end of the week."
My breath cut short in my chest.
"You're... You're not staying with them? They're... turning you off?" My voice cracked, rising higher than I meant.
Annie's brows flicked together for the briefest moment.
"I might be turned off for some time... But I believe I'll be reassigned a new contract soon," she answered evenly.
I didn't respond. The image of her face beaming at our first meeting replayed in my head. Her joy, her dreams of working for the City, of studying to become a kindergarten teacher...
"Annie..." I shook my head, stunned.
I couldn't even imagine why people would lie on such high stakes. Why lie to Annie? Why not tell her the truth? Were they fearing she wouldn't commit until the end to her contract if they didn't bait her like that?
But Annie was still talking so highly of Mother, even after her passing, it was hard to imagine she would need a carrot to do her job.
She met my eyes as if she knew what I was thinking.
"Maybe we'll meet again... in another life," she said, smiling with those same kind eyes.
She opened her arms, and we hugged each other. Behind her, Firinne looked away, giving us some space. Kira watched me with a puzzled expression, and my eyes shied away from hers.
A part of me was also confused by Annie's sudden warmth toward me. After all, we were only acquaintances, at best.
But somehow, I understood.
It felt like she wanted every person she had met in her life to count for more than they actually did. I could understand that.
"In the meantime... I hope this life would have meant something," Annie added as she pulled away.
She glanced at Firinne, who gave her a small nod.
We hugged once more before she turned and left the cave.
As she walked down the eucalyptus path, I began to realize why she'd been there.
"Why are you involving her?" I asked Firinne when Annie was out of sight. "I thought innocent people weren't supposed to be involved."
It was not lost upon me that I had not included myself into the group of innocent people. I had buried myself in so many lies already that I couldn't pretend anymore.
"Believe it or not," Firinne replied, looking sincere, "she's the one who came to us. She wanted to help."
I frowned, unsure how Annie even knew about this secret group.
"What did you ask her to do?" I said, my tone sharper than intended. "Spy inside her family's home? Steal medicines?"
My glare slid to Kira.
She rolled her eyes at me, no longer disguising her dislike for me.
I realized she was standing right next to that hole because some water droplets were drizzling there. She angled her face so that it would refresh the spot on her face that had been beaten.
"I can't share that information," Firinne said, arms crossed. "Annie wanted to help. We gave her a mission, that's it."
She took a step forward.
"What about you? Have you thought about it?"
I looked away from her intense gaze.
All the way up to the cave, I thought I had my answer ready.
"The stakes are high for me," I said. "If we're all caught and I lose the contract... I could lose my chance to pay off my debt."
"I know," I heard Firinne's whisper behind me.
My stare fell on the footsteps Annie had left on the sandy path down the hill.
"It's not just about the contract. I'm also scared for my owner," I continued with a gulp, turning to face Firinne. "I don't want him to feel even more betrayed because of my lies."
"I understand," she nodded.
Kira clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Just refuse already so we can move on!" she snapped, her whole face glaring at me before she winced in pain.
Her black eye must have flared with the facial expression.
She pushed her long red hair back, angling her face to the cool mist of the waterfall. Her skin looked almost translucent, the purple around her eye barely visible below the makeup.
It seemed like she had new bruises already.
I turned back to Firinne. It looked like she already knew my answer.
"I'll do it."
She nodded, calm as ever, like she had known long before I had.
"She's kidding—" I heard Kira's baffled voice in the back.
Firinne silenced her with a simple hand gesture.
"I'll help," I said again, the most sure I'd felt in a long time.
Firinne nodded again before putting a knee on the floor, taking a piece of paper out of her bra.
"So, here's the plan..." she said, unfolding what looked like a map of the underground of the City.
⭐️ don't forget to vote ⭐️
(the next chapter is already here! ❤️)
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