"Anyway, how are you guys supposed to retrieve me here without raising suspicion from anyone?"
Alex suddenly raised another concern.
"Don't worry, we already come up with a plan before contacting you."
Samantha butted in and then Rico added,
"We will get you out of there and swapped you with 1096 without anyone knowing."
"Don't worry, Alex. Trust us, we got you covered. Nothing wrong will happen."
This time, it was Mike who gave him his words of reassurance. They thought that Alex was concern that they would get caught that was why he seemed to sound reluctant.
But little did they know that the other party's reluctance did not have anything to do with that. Rather, part of Alex was simply unprepared to leave Shantal's side yet."
"I thought your team would personally get me out of this house with the pretext of a recall notice? Is it not the plan anymore?"
Alex asked in confusion.
They had already discussed their i
"Hey, Alex! Who are you talking with?"Alex went stiff when he heard Shantal's voice from behind him.It turned out that just as when Harold cut their connection with Alex, Shantal, on the other hand, coincidentally walked to where Alex was.She saw him standing in front of her parents' portrait and for all she thought, her robot was only admiring the pictures.Little did she know that the party was actually planning about his escape."Hi, master. How long have you been there?"Alex asked as heAlex tried his best to keep a straight face and asked Shantal in order to gauge how much she heard if there was any."I just got here."Shantal answered without giving it much of a thought. Then she gave Alex a once over. She did not seem to notice anything out of ordinary from Alex so she added,"Anyway, I see that you are ready to go, so what are we waiting for? Come on!"She beckoned to the other party and headed
"Where are we?"Alex found himself asking Shantal that question.It was true that he already got the address beforehand. He even sent it to Harold's team. However, despite knowing its physical address, Alex still had no idea of what kind of place it was until they finally arrived at their destination.It was only when he used his eyes to linger around the area, did he realize that the other party actually brought him to the countryside."You are currently at one of the favorite vacation houses. We will be staying here for a while."Shantal answered him simply as she walked towards the gate.The place was mostly surrounded by fields and it has a huge orchard along with a townhouse. At the same time, it was relatively far from the highway making it hardly accessible to common folks, unless if they would go there using a private vehicle.With those things alone, Alex could more or else deduct that they traveled quite a distan
"I see that Arvin was not with you. Where is he?"Shantal asked Jodi as soon as she sat next to her."Oh, him. I asked him to go and fetched me some milk on the fridge but he has not come back yet. Perhaps he was having a hard time picking which was the right one.""Hmmm???"Shantal raised an eyebrow when she heard that from Jodi.Just how hard could it be for a robot to identify milk???"Don't give me that look, Arvin is no fool. It is just that, I forgot to tell him the difference between the color-coded caps and I happened to place the milk bottle next to the rice wine. That farm that used to supply us those goods does not put labels on its container, remember?. So there is no way he could easily identify it.""Oh yeah, I was aware of that. I remember drinking a rice wine by mistake back when we were a child. That is why since then I never forget the red cap means milk and the yellow one goes to the wine."Sha
"That pretty brain of yours is sure interesting, sweetie."Jodi said with a smile as soon as she accepted the two bottles of beverage that Arvin had handed to her. She clearly did not expect the robot to resolve it that way."For that, I suppose I'll be taking the rice wine instead."She added and opened the one that has the yellow cap. However, before her lips could even touch the lid of the container, Arvin already raised his hand to stop her arm."But Jodi, your alcohol tolerance is so-so, are you sure it would be okay for you to drink?"Seeing this, Jodi put the bottle down and flashed her robot a kind smile."Don't worry about me, sweetie. I can handle myself just fine. Besides, if ever something was blown out of proportion, you would be there at my side anyway. So I'll be fine."She said and when Arvin saw her smile, he relented."Alright, if you say so."He said with a bashful tone, and if only his skin would allo
"There you are, I have been looking for you."Alex exclaimed as soon as she spotted Shantal who happened to be staying under the shade of a tree. He then picked his pace and ran towards her side."What are you doing?"He asked her the moment he got near to where she was and he realized what the other party was actually doing.For some reason, Shantal deliberately made her whole body sweat as she do some aerobics in the middle of the day. It was as if she was trying to tire herself on purpose.Meanwhile, when the other party noticed Alex, she stopped what she was doing and while she was still in the middle of catching her breath, she rubbed her belly."I don't really feel good. My tummy is acting up."Shantal dropped all pretense in front of her robot and told him about the truth. However, she did not tell Alex the reason why she started feeling that way.The truth was, the fact that Jodi suddenly brought up their past and even
Alex first went back inside the townhouse and took something in there and bring it with him outside.He saw a mini park with wooden benches on his way back when he was still looking for Shantal and that was where he planned to bring the other party.As soon as they were seated, Alex lifted Shantal's right arm and without saying a word, he started massaging it; standing from below her armpit down to the tip of her fingers.After that, he made Shantal balled her hands into a fist and deliberately tied a thread around her thumb."Where did you get that?"Shantal blurted out and when all of a sudden, Alex took a thread and needle out from his pocket."Duh? Obviously, I got it inside the house."Alex replied as he fought back his desire to roll his eyes.Shantal, on the other hand, braced herself because she already has an inkling of what Alex was about to do next. Yet as when the needle at Alex's hand was a few centimeters aw
"Are you saying something? Sorry I did not catch it. Can you say it again please?"Oblivious how her untimely distraction had been a blessing in disguise for Alex, Shantal asked her robot to repeat his wordsShe happened to get distracted by a flying butterfly before her eyes just as when Alex had a slip of his tongue and that made her missed what Alex just said."It's nothing."Alex replied shortly as he heaved a sigh of relief and thinking that it was really not important, Shantal no longer pursued the matter and put it at the back of her mind.What she did instead was she changed the topic and expressed her gratitude towards Alex."Anyway, thank you. If it has not been for you, I would have been miserable by myself. To be honest, what you just did to me reminds me of my mom. Nobody has done acupuncture for me since my mom died."Meanwhile, when Alex learned how his action managed to reach a sentimental
"Prior to coming to this place, you told me that we are going to enjoy the rest of the day....""Well, yeah. I kind of recall telling you that thing."Shantal seconded Alex right away the moment she heard him say something."So are you telling me this is your idea of having a blast?Alex asked back with a twitch on his face. Because apparently the two of them were doing nothing but dally inside their air-conditioned room.Shantal was even browsing an online store using her phone while a throw pillow was placed atop Alex's head and she resting her head on it."Thankfully this place has a working WIFI despite it being somewhat a secluded village. I don't know what else I could do without my internet connection."She added afterward with a sigh."Would it not be better for us to go and have some fun outside? After all, I believe we did not travel all the way here so as you could lie around in this room."Alex suggeste
"Gosh it's good."Harold said when he got to taste how refreshing the drink was. When he looked at the other two guys, he saw them gesturing to their head but he did not give them much attention."Yes.Sam repeated the same thing with a voice and face devoid of emotion."Something needs fixing."Harold told Sam afterward and so Sam fought back to urge to do and eye roll before replying flatly to him."Okay."This time, Harold noticed that Rico and Michael still keep on doing the same thing so he asked them instead,"What? Is your scalp itchy.""No."The two answered in unison. Jodi on the other hand who was watching all of this farce unfold right before her eyes, could not help but let out a sigh."You sure are made for each other."She said to no one in particular and it was also as seemed she was only talking to herself."Anyway. Michael, I need you to go to Casterly."
"I am right here. Respect my existence."Michael insinuated afterward before he sarcastically added,"Do you guys want be to get you a room instead?""I should not have fallen asleep that night."He muttered to himself as he recalled the night Jodi asked Rico out for a date. He believed that if only he was not asleep that time, then maybe Jodi would also consider dating him.On the other hand, Rico seemed to be out of it and oblivious of him."Lover."The other party mumbled to himself as he observed the tarot card in his hand.'"I did not know this will happen. I feel so lonely."Michael muttered to himself out of despondency and while he was in the middle of self pity. Someone walked into the room.They though the one arrived was some random girl who was in full glam and obviously had just gone to salon for her touch up when it decided to have some coffee."Wow! I told her she would be pretty."
"That robot was sometimes human and sometimes a robot for me and that was why others who can't understand my situation mistakes me as someone who hallucinates and believe a robot as a human just because I am treating it just like one. But for my opinion, my situation was no different from those who loves their pets so much, they even considered them as their child and called themselves as furparents.""My emotions were input into that robot and that person. That is how this miracle happened. That fact completely changed the way I view things. This will be yet another scoop for the reporters present. Nordstorme Corp will go from financing mergers and acquisitions to investing in futuristic industries that involved human sensibilities. Just like what Alpha Tec Inc pioneered years ago.""This is your first change in business strategy in 15 years. Do you have anything mapped out?"One of the reporters raised a question just like what a normal press conference should
On the flip side, just like what Shantal assumed, Mr. Takashi with Mathilde's instruction called for an emergency meeting on that afternood. Which happened to coincide to the time when Shantal will hold her press conference.Moreover, since Mathilde would not be able to make it there since she was still held in prison, her secretary presided the meeting."We shall begin the emergency board meeting."Secretary Ye declared loudly and her voice reverberated in the room. Jiro was also there along with other board members."The agenda is the dismissal of Director Shantal Nordstorme and the cause is as you were all informed. An illness."She continued while everyone was silent and anxiously prayed so they could ever this meeting once and for all. On the contrary, Mr. Takashi was nodding his head on the side and though he was anticipating for this day come.Mr. Takashi nodded his head toward Secretary Ye to signal her to start it once and for
In there, Jodi found a list of shares under her name as well as a soft copy of memorandum of renunciation address to Shantal with her name on it and it was then that Jodi realized that her mom had already long planned about it ahead of the time.As it turned out, Mathilde was thinking of using her influence to oust her cousin out of the position.In addition, inside the flash drive she also found an old email account with records of bunch of emails and it took Jodi more than four hours to go through all of them.But by the time she finished reading the exchange of chats Mathilde had with her hitman, Jodi's eyes was bloodshot.It was unsure if this was cause by her prolong exposure to the screen or if it was exhaustion that was doing this thing on her body, but when she get up from her chair, Jodi balled her hands into a fist.She slammed the door shut behind her back as she left the office and on the screen, the last conversation
It was late in the evening when Jodi received a call out from nowhere. When she checked that registered on the caller ID, she was surprised to see Jiro's name.Truth be told, he was the least person he would expect to contact her. After all, the two of them never talked to each other for ages.Jiro used to be a good friend of hers as well. Just like how she and Shantal were cousins, Jiro and and Zorens were first cousins too so naturally all four of them get to know each other and as a child, they eventually became acquaintances in no time.Besides, since Zoren's parents were a family friend of the Nordstorme they often had an opportunity to hang around during their childhood.However, ever since the day Zoren committed suicide due to the incident regarding the Nordstorme controversy, Jiro also stopped communicating with them.So this made Jodi wonder what had come to Jiro to decide and phone her at this time of the night.But
"In other words, she wants me to become director and cover up all his shortcomings?"Mr. Takashi insinuated after his contemplation. He did not exactly declined the offer this time, unlike before. Although he also did not directly implied that he would do it.Nonetheless, Secretary Ye considered his response as a good sign. At least, the other party was no longer adamant at turning them down.So with the same insinuating manner, she answered him back."That would make it easier for you to do your duties once you become a director. All that was left for you now is to leave Ms. Shantal Nordstrome no other choice but to step down and abdicate the position of board directory to your hands.""Ousting her is not enough. He will just come back. We must make sure he loses the will to come back."Out of nowhere, Mr. Takashi declared with conviction and for a second, the secretary was taken aback by this.One moment, he almost drove her a
"You told Jodi about everything?"Mathilde asked her secretary as soon as the two of them were finally allowed to have some private conversation within the prison hall where she was currently detained. Panic was noticeably present on the other party's face when she raised her question. Meanwhile, the secretary remained silence yet that was all enough for Mathilde to guess her response and not long after that, her shoulders dropped on the side when the realization hit her."I guess she was bound to find out about it sooner or later."She muttered under her breath with despondent undertone.An exasperated sigh escaped Mathilde's lips afterward. But then, she suddenly tenses up when she recalled about something else.Leaning towards the other party all the while grabbing a hold to the iron bars, Mathilde looked around her warily first to make sure that no ears were on them.Only when she confirmed for the umpteenth time that no one was listenin
Adelaine Smith's P o V~~~~While Jodi and I were driving down the road looking for any sign of the robot, I received a call and when I checked who it was, I found out that it was Amanda so I accepted the call right away."Ms. Smith, the robot just got on the bus number 707."I heard her voice telling me the moment it picked her call"Great! Thank you for the information."I replied and not long after that, she hung up on her because I reckoned that it would be best if I could relay this news to the other search parties. In this way they would also know where to start looking. Of course, the first one that I tried to call was my lady boss. However, to my dismay, I was only redirected to the voice call feature of the phone.'The number you have dialed is busy at the moment. Please try your call later or leave a message aft