"No, it can't be..." X muttered to herself, her mind reeling. Although she had never met the Boss in person, the pictures painted a clear image. And the other subordinates, without fail, spoke of a man in his mid-thirties leading them.
"How can such a young guy be him?" she questioned the empty room. The whispers of his past, or perhaps present, as a notorious playboy only added to her disbelief.
"Ah!" A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she walked over to the solitary table and picked up her phone.
"Christopher can't be the Boss," she reasoned, her fingers hovering over the screen. "He might just be one of the Boss's subordinates..." The only way to be certain was to ask the Boss himself. Her gaze fell upon the number that had called her just moments ago, a wave of hesitation washing over her. "What if he thinks I'm snooping?" she paused, her eyes then drawn to the ominous red skull icon on one of her screens.
"No..." she resolved, a new determination hardening her features. "If Christopher is truly one of us, and his subroutine... I have to let him know there's a kill order on his head. Maybe the Boss will know how to handle this." Taking a deep breath, she tapped the number, sending the call. With each passing second, the frantic rhythm of her heartbeat intensified.
____
"Master Jim... From this moment forward, your membership with Imperial Store is revoked." Murphy's voice was cold, devoid of any warmth.
Jim's head snapped up, his face a mask of disbelief and horror. "What?" he stammered.
Murphy moved with deliberate steps towards him, bending down to retrieve the discarded purple card from the polished floor. Before the stunned gazes of everyone present, she tore it cleanly in half, then in half again, letting the pieces flutter to the ground like fallen leaves.
"Please," she addressed her bodyguards, her tone sharp and commanding, "take Master Jim and this... insufficient human outside. We cannot have them sullying the sanctity of my store."
Two imposing figures stepped forward, their movements swift and efficient. They grabbed the bewildered Jim and his companion, dragging them unceremoniously towards the exit. A moment later, they were unceremoniously thrown onto the pavement outside.
_
"Master Christopher, is there anything I can do for you?" Murphy inquired, a subtle smirk playing on her lips as she turned her attention to Christopher.
Christopher raised a questioning eyebrow, then slowly nodded. "Prepare her for me... We don't have time," he stated, his gaze flicking towards Advika.
"That can be arranged." Murphy turned to her manager, Maggie, her eyes conveying a silent instruction.
"Don't worry, Boss! We will take care of it!" Maggie responded quickly, a wide, professional smile gracing her features.
"Miss, this way, please," the salesgirl said politely, gesturing towards the elevator with a welcoming smile.
Advika turned to Christopher, who offered her a reassuring nod. She exhaled slowly, trying to quell the unease that had settled in her stomach, and followed behind the salesgirl and the ever-smiling Manager.
"Master Christopher, may I have a word with you, in my office?" Murphy's tone was polite yet held an underlying authority.
"Sure," Christopher replied casually.
Murphy glanced at her four hulking bodyguards, who responded with silent nods and began to subtly disperse the lingering crowd of onlookers.
"This way." She offered a smile, turning and walking towards the sleek, modern elevator, Christopher following closely behind.
__
[Murphy's Office.]
Christopher stepped into the office, his gaze sweeping over the surprisingly modest furnishings. Despite the grandeur of the store, Murphy's personal space was understated. A comfortable-looking couch sat against one wall, accompanied by a small, elegant center table.
"Have a seat," Murphy offered, already seated behind her desk, her smile still firmly in place.
"You were enjoying the show, weren't you?" she asked, her eyes twinkling slightly.
Christopher settled into the offered chair and let out a soft sigh. "You could put it that way... It's always fascinating to witness how some people believe their wealth grants them invincibility."
"Wealth?" Murphy echoed, a hint of amusement in her voice.
She reached for the ornate teapot on her table, which seemed to have been prepared in anticipation of her arrival, and gracefully poured herself a cup of steaming tea. Then, she offered him one.
"Do you truly understand the value of money? As the proclaimed god of wealth, owning countless businesses both within Cordelia and far beyond... do you really grasp its significance?"
"I understand its value, although to me, money is merely paper," Christopher replied, accepting the offered teacup and meeting her gaze. "But that doesn't mean I'm oblivious to its impact."
"When I drove to this store earlier," he continued, taking a thoughtful sip of his tea, "I saw a number of homeless children along the way. It sparked an idea."
"Oh? And what idea might that be?" Murphy placed her own teacup back on its saucer, her interest piqued.
"I want to build an orphanage in Cordelia," Christopher stated. "I already possess a suitable piece of land, but I require someone to oversee its operation... someone to truly care for the children."
"Hmm... So you're proposing I take on this task?" she inquired, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.
"Yes," Christopher confirmed. "Advika would have been my first choice, but she already has a significant amount on her plate – her education, Beast training, and other pressing matters."
"I will accept your proposal," Murphy said, picking up her teacup once more, "on one condition."
"And what might that be?" Christopher asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Let me see Lazarus," she murmured, her gaze direct.
"Is that all?" Christopher chuckled softly and idly rubbed the ring on his finger.
Two shimmering lights detached themselves from the ring, coalescing in mid-air to form the distinct shapes of a rhinoceros and a purple cat.
".....?"
Murphy stared at the two creatures in utter confusion before turning back to Christopher, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Second form... Don't pretend you don't recognize her," Christopher said with a knowing smile.
The two beasts seemed to roll their eyes in unison. Then, before Murphy's very eyes, a brilliant blue and white light enveloped each of them. The next moment, standing where the rhinoceros and cat had been, were a magnificent, towering dragon and a sleek, powerful tiger.
"Lazarus! Lucas?!" Murphy exclaimed, her voice a mixture of shock and disbelief. Lucas's appearance, in particular, seemed to have caught her off guard. She turned back to Christopher, her eyes wide.
"You resurrected Lucas?"
Christopher nodded, taking another sip of his tea as if witnessing such transformations was an everyday occurrence.
"What about Grim?" Murphy then asked, her curiosity clearly not yet sated.
"I'll be acquiring him after the auction. I received word that Lady Gabi will be attending," Christopher replied, his tone matter-of-fact.
"I also received an invitation to this auction..." Murphy mused, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I wasn't planning on going, but now... I've changed my mind." A genuine smile finally replaced the professional one as she stood up and walked towards Lazarus, who stood at an impressive ten feet tall. (Not his full size).
Lucas, in her tiger form, gracefully shrunk in size and leaped into the air, landing with a soft thud on Christopher's right shoulder.
'So boring,' Lucas projected telepathically, a hint of feline boredom in her mental tone.
'You can't blame her. Ever since the day Lazarus saved her life, Murphy has held a deep affection for him,' Christopher replied telepathically, a chuckle rumbling in his chest.
They watched as Murphy embraced the massive blue dragon, who, in turn, gently enveloped her in the shelter of his enormous wings.
RING!
The sudden shrill of Christopher's phone broke the peaceful tableau. He glanced at the screen and raised an eyebrow in surprise at the caller ID.
'Uh? For more than five years now, she hasn't called me even once? Did something happen to her?' Christopher wondered, a flicker of concern in his eyes as he answered the call.
__
"Boss!"
X's voice crackled through the phone, a note of urgency in her tone. She walked quickly towards her chair and sat down, her mind racing.
"Is something wrong? You never call me," Christopher's voice sounded from the other end, a hint of surprise evident.
She nodded slowly, even though he couldn't see her.
"You asked me not to... Only in an emergency." X said with a sigh, trying to gather her thoughts.
"Okay, Xing... Tell me why you called," Christopher prompted, his tone now more serious.
"This... Boss, are you Christopher?" she asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Silence stretched for a few agonizing seconds before Christopher's reply came, calm and measured. "Yes... I see you've been snooping around."
Xing shot to her feet, her face paling rapidly. "No! Boss! I wasn't snooping, I just... got curious... But... I saw your picture, and it's not Christopher..."
"That wasn't me," Christopher clarified. "I deliberately misled the five of you. When the time is right, I will organize a meeting and fully explain my reasons."
"So you were hiding your true identity?" Xing asked, her voice still tinged with disbelief.
"Yes," Christopher confirmed simply.
'This is strange,' Xing thought, her mind working furiously. 'Why would the Boss, the man currently commanding the most elite force across five countries, the only individual known as the god of wealth, be concealing his identity? Perhaps...' Her gaze drifted towards the ominous red skull on her screen.
"I understand, Boss," she said, trying to sound composed. "But there is something else you need to know."