IN THE CAGE

128. WHO'S WHO?

...NORMAL pov...

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Hating Arcelio Hunter is the easiest way for Anggara to get on with his life.

Born in a family that demanded perfection, Anggara who knew from the beginning that he was not so perfect, decided that he only had to blame all the misfortune that happened in his life to Ace. Because, only then could he feel relieved. He can feel all the mistakes and misfortunes that have occurred in his life are not his own fault, but because Ace Hunter creates a standard that is too high for him to be able to match.

It is not his fault that is not able to obtain perfect values, not his fault that cannot master various fields. It was not his fault that he was unable to match Ace Hunter who was a prodigy in this black world.

Anggara never wants to blame himself, because it's not fair. He had already suffered enough, blaming himself only added to the wounds in his life.

Therefore, whatever happens in this world, all the bad things that happen to him, it's all Ace's fault.

Vera, who disappeared and is most likely a prisoner of Evan Caspian now, is Ace's fault. If only Ace had not been Evan's enemy, it would not have provoked Evan's anger with his arrogant behavior...

If only Ace did not exist...

"Again" Anggara sat on the lip of his bed, face immersed in the palm of his hand. His mind was black.

Vera's missing. The situation would be better if Vera disappeared because Vera threw her away, left her and hated her. However, the situation is not like that. Vera-girl who lately has created a dependency, an addiction in Anggara's life, disappears because of something Anggara himself knows the reason and the answer.

All this because of Ace, all this is Ace's fault.

How could that bastard let his bodyguard get caught?

No, how could he not save his bodyguard at all when he had a myriad of experienced bodyguards?

Anggara doesn't understand. Ah, no. maybe Anggara understands..., what else is the reason if not for Ace being a fucking bastard who only sees others as tools he can throw away?

Vera shouldn't work with Ace. Anggara should have advised Vera to stop working when the dispute occurred. But he closed his eyes. He thought Vera would be fine. He is too naive to realize that everyone involved with Ace is a threat in Evan's eyes. He underestimated the situation that was happening. He was only fixated on his own situation and thought everything would be fine if he was passive.

Nauseate!

"What should I do?" Anggara murmured, his body shivering in the intervening anxiety and anger. Vera shouldn't have meant so much in her life, but somehow Anggara felt an overwhelming fear. The thought that the girl could have been hurt and suffered set Anggara ablaze by the flames of wrath.

Evan Caspian won't let go of Vera, no. Vera will just be another medium that Evan uses to curb her, control her.

"Fuck, shit, shit!" Anggara bites the tip of his fingernail, trying to find a gap to save Vera. He was trying to find a way to be useful.

Ace's face reappeared in his mind, grinning witfully.

"If you continue like this, Anggara. You're just gonna be a failure in our family."

"You should have done better, Ace completed this task at a younger age than you."

"You're so bad, how could you possibly match Ace to your current abilities."

"Do you know, Ace did this..."

"You will destroy the Rashid family with your incompetence, Angga."

Ace...Ace...Ace....Ace...

"Consider?" Like cold water suddenly hitting his head, Anggara who was immersed in his own mind spontaneously woke up when he heard the voice of a woman greeting him.

"Elle?"

It's Eleanor. He stood in front of Anggara's room, eyes showing curiosity. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good." Anggara. The sweat that had piled up on his forehead he just wiped it with the end of his shirt arm.

"Why are you here?" ask Anggara.

"I came to check on you. You didn't join us at dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

Eleanor frowned. "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing."

"Oh, then..." Eleanor held herself back from continuing to ask. Instead, he just stared at Anggara from toe to head. Scanning the man with a faint anxiety in his eyes. "By the way, Evan's calling you to his mansion tomorrow."

"Evan?"

"Yes." Yeah."

Anggara took a deep breath. Increasingly confused and depressed.

"Female," called Eleanor once more. "I know it's not my position to talk. Also, this is gonna sound a little rough so...,"

"Tell me."

"I know you as the leader in this family must have many dependents and burdens of thought, and then the war between Evan and Ace also occurred. Ugh, what I'm trying to say is, you don't have to think about everything alone. Now, as you know, Evan controls all of us, so...,"

"So?"

"How about you give up taking your share and let Evan control everything. I mean, it's kind of bad, but it's better than trying to defy it."

"Do you think I'm trying to oppose Evan, Elle. I'm under Evan's full control, just so you know." Evan already has Vera.

"It's not like that, you. All I think about is, if you're going to be used by him, why not just be a tool. A tool that doesn't need to think of anything, just do its job."

"..."

"At least, if something goes wrong, you don't have to be overwhelmed by anything. You just have to blame Evan."

"You do it again," Anggara looked at Eleanor with sharp tapered eyes. "Aren't you tired of trying to poison my mind with that shit?"

"Have I ever failed to do that?" Eleanor smiled faintly.

No. gabe. The answer is no.

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Vera found her consciousness when she felt a powerful jolt in the chains that surrounded her hands. His head was buzzing, shrinking with excruciating pain. It took several blinks for Vera to be able to open her eyes and adapt to the light of the lamp that fell on her face.

It was painful, opening my eyes and finding light. His eyes are like pierced.

"Eat." A bodyguard watching him gave him a plate of food. Vera stared at the food for a long time before grabbing the spoon and began shoveling away the bland and seemingly empty food into her mouth.

Fuck, if it wasn't for him not being allowed to die here, Vera would probably have thrown that glass plate over the bodyguard's head like yesterday. Unfortunately, Vera felt she had reached her limit. If he does not eat again today, it is likely that tomorrow he will wake up and immediately face the almighty.

"If you're not stubborn, you don't have to suffer so far." the bodyguard spoke. It's as if Vera cares.

"Think about your attitude again later when Evan's boss returns. If you don't want to die in a very painful way, you'd better cooperate."

Vera finished her meal shortly afterwards. Without responding to the bodyguard at all, Vera meditated. He closed his eyes, emptied his mind and ignored the pain that plagued his body. Just calm and focused. There is no higher wall that can trap your own mind. You're free as long as you don't let the torture become a prison that traps your wits.

Right, think only of fun things. The happy things. Imagine yourself in an open field, bathed in the warm sunshine of spring. Dandelions fly in the wind while the tips of your fingers gently sweep away the shady stalks...

Think Anggara over there...

Wait, why is Anggara there?

Vera opened her eyes and frowned at her own thoughts. He should be meditating, not thinking about Anggara who, by the way, must be worried about him. Oh, Anggara.

'Does he know I'm trapped here?' Vera wondered while biting the wall of her cheek. He felt better after meditating, but the thought of Anggara took up a separate space in his mind.

"You look better today" Evan Caspian came along.

Damn, Evan Caspian is coming.

Mood Vera who had just improved, instantly collapsed as she saw the curly arrogant figure entering the room. Vera held her breath. He had yet to recover from the blow he received yesterday, if he provoked the man again today, it was likely that his organs would no longer be able to do so. He's gonna die.

"Are you still as stubborn as you were yesterday?" Evan sat on his stool, eyes glaring at Vera as if staring at a dog in a kennel. Her smile expands implying a friendliness combined with cunning.

"Hardheadedness is my personality, so well, don't expect too much about my change." Vera rolled her eyes.

"Awww, that's cute. At least someone has a personality other than being a boring dog." Evan chuckles. "But, Vera. If you don't change, you'll be the dog that gets injected to death. No matter how adorable an animal is, if it can't be tamed, they'd better be exterminated."

"Sorry before, are you talking about me or yourself?"

THE PLAQUE!

One slap landed on Vera's face, as usual.

"I thought you wanted to talk..." Vera spat out her saliva mixed with blood onto the ground. His frustration is back.

"It's true, I want to talk. Therefore, you better respect your opponents."

"Did I hurt your pride, your majesty?" Vera spoke to Evan before glancing at the bodyguard nearby. "Did the dog in the Caspian family have no personality at all? They're like clones of ice cubes given lives."

"Personality is not important here, as long as they can work well."

"Yes, tell that to your subordinates that I hit that day. Ah, how are they?" Vera scoffs. "I'm sure one of them is dead."

"You seem happy to have killed people, Vera. What are the criteria of a bodyguard in the Hunter residence? A psycho?"

"You can think like that" Vera said before grinning.

No. gabe. Not that Vera justifies that the whole bodyguard at the Hunter residence is a bloodthirsty psychopath. Vera just said anything to irritate Evan. Perhaps, by giving Evan false information that Evan will feel alert or frightened.

Whatever, Vera just doesn't like to argue. He would rather pour gasoline into the fire. Creating a bigger commotion than there already is.

"You're pretty interesting people." Evan was not provoked by his emotions this time. He let Vera and preferred to continue with his words. "Anyway, I've been hearing interesting information lately, Vera. Information about the weakness of an Ace Hunter."

"A weakness? Pffts. Where's that shit from?" Vera threw away her face, staring at anything other than Evan Caspian as she felt she found out where the topic would go. It was dangerous and he had to avoid the topic completely.

"I'd also consider it nonsense if Ace hadn't hit his partner to the point of dying from it." Evan continued on. "Jemaine Emery is not a good man, but he is a figure that Ace still values his existence. No matter how poisonous Jem is, Ace doesn't care for the man to touch him, destroy him."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

"No, I think you understand." Evan chuckled as he read the change in expression on Vera's face. Right, the girl must have understood something. He was quite close to the Hunter family. Something important must have happened.

"Ace will not waste his energy by hurting Jem to the point of eliminating any power Jem has, but Ace does that. Doing something he shouldn't have done."

"It's getting boring" Vera doesn't want to hear this. God fucking.

"I'm Ace's friend, just so you know. We were pretty close at school. I know what Ace is. I know he doesn't like to care about things that don't interest him. So..., what is it? What has attracted her interest?"

"Oh. So, is that your question?" Vera looked at Evan, looking at the man with a faked firmness and indifference. "I don't know anything. Why should I know things that are beyond my responsibility."

"Stop messing with me, I know a liar when I see one."

"Haaa..., what good is it that I lied to you?"

Evan clapped his hands once. "justified? What good are you lying to me, Vera? Just say..., what was the thing that Ace was interested in back then, or rather...., who?"

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