Chapter 5 Almost Get Caught

Lily Russell's POV

“To find the Y-intercept, you have to replace the variable x with zero. After the replacement, you can now solve for the Y-intercept. Here, the answer is (0,7). The final answer should be an ordered pair.”

“Miss Russell, how about finding the X-intercept?” Zaid asked while staring at me.

I’ve already noticed that Zaid has been focused on me for a while. He’s not looking at the equation. I don’t know if I’m just wasting my breath here or what. He isn’t paying attention properly.

“In finding the X-intercept, you just need to use the same process as when we found the Y-intercept. Replace the variable y with zero then solve it. The final answer should also be an ordered pair where Y equals zero and X will be the number that you get from solving.”

“Thank you, Miss Russell. I learned a lot from our few hours of session.”

I smiled at Zaid. I closed his book and then stood up.

“That will be all for today, Zaid. I wish you luck on your upcoming midterm exam.”

“Thank you, Miss Russell. I'm going to ace it and I will give my papers to you as a sign of gratitude,” Zaid said with a smile.

“There’s no need to do that, Zaid. I'm just doing my job as your tutor.”

I picked up my bag and turned away from Zaid. I was about to leave when I saw Wayne, Wade’s assistant and right-hand man, passed by.

“Are you leaving already, Miss Russell? Let’s have a snack first.”

I turned back to Zaid with a smile. “Sure, but I need to use the bathroom first. Where is the nearest restroom here?”

“Just walk straight from here. You’ll see Kuya Wade’s personal space. There’s a restroom beside it. I’ll just pack up my things, Miss Russell, then let’s meet in the living area.”

“Alright.”

I quickly turned away from Zaid. I held my bag tightly and confidently walked out of Zaid’s study room. I lengthened my strides until I reached the room where Wade and Wayne were. I kept glancing around to make sure no one saw me. I leaned closer to the door so I could hear what the two were talking about.

“Sir Wade, here is the report you requested from Mr. Conan.”

I frowned when I saw Wayne hand a folder to Wade. What could that be about?

“He works fast. Send him his bonus later,” Wade said while opening the folder he was holding. He immediately read its contents.

Lilibeth Russell. 27. Female.

Line of work: finance analyst, writer, and tutor.

Previous work: researcher.

“I’m amazed. She’s talented,” Wade muttered.

I moved closer to the door because their conversation was getting quieter. I couldn’t understand much. Dàmn it!

“She doesn’t have siblings?”

“No, Sir Wade. Only her mother is left as her family, and she is currently being treated in a private mental facility.”

“So it explains why she works so hard. She’s a breadwinner.”

I saw Wayne nod, but I still couldn’t really understand what they were talking about.

“There’s nothing intriguing in her profile. I can’t see anything unusual or suspicious. Wait, how about her father? There’s no information about him,” Wade asked in confusion.

“That’s also what I find strange, Sir Wade. Mr. Conan couldn’t find any details about Miss Russell’s father. There’s no trace even in the PSA office. I think someone ordered and paid to delete his records. It seems the traces of her father’s identity were intentionally erased,” Wayne reported.

I saw Wade put down the folder he was holding. I was about to read his lips when Wayne suddenly blocked my view. Dàmn it! I didn’t get anything out of today. I don’t even know what they were talking about. Why are their voices so low?

“That’s it. I think Lily intentionally hid information about her father. Call Mr. Conan later. I don’t care if he asks help from his colleagues. I want to know the details about Lily’s father, whether he is alive or dead. If dead, what caused his death and why Lily hid information about him. Even if it takes time, I am willing to wait. For now, I will play along with Lily's little game. I still don’t know her real motive… why she approached me.”

Wade leaned back on his swivel chair. I stepped back when he suddenly looked toward the door. My knees almost went weak because he almost saw me!

When I noticed the door to Zaid’s study room opening, I quickly walked toward the restroom. I almost tiptoed just so Wade and Wayne wouldn’t notice me but…

“Miss Russell, do you have something to say to me?”

My eyes widened when I heard Wade’s loud voice. I closed my eyes. I tried to calm myself because my heart was beating so fast it felt like it couldn’t keep up anymore! I could almost go deaf from how loud my heartbeat was!

I stopped walking when I felt Wade’s approaching presence. Calm down, Lily. You have been practicing to stay calm in this kind of situation. Focus.

“Miss Russell…”

I composed my face and removed any trace of nervousness. I smiled at Wade while holding my stomach.

“Sorry for the disturbance, Mr. Chilton. My bladder was about to explode. There was no restroom in Zaid’s study room so I came out to look for one. I was about to knock on your door earlier to ask you but I saw you had a visitor. I didn’t want to disturb you so…” I scrunched my face and held my stomach even tighter. “So I decided to find the restroom myself.”

Wade raised one eyebrow. Didn’t he believe what I said? Dàmn it!

“You’re going the wrong way. The bathroom is on the right.”

I felt a huge relief when he said that. Good thing my excuse worked. That was close.

I quickly ran in the direction Wade pointed. When I reached the restroom door, I immediately went inside. I stood properly and looked at my reflection in the mirror.

“Lily, it’s time to level up this game.”