Chapter 12: Connection

Duke's brows furrowed in confusion as the woman looked at him knowingly. He stood up immediately, deciding it wasn't safe to stay.

"You can't walk just yet, your leg isn't healed," the young lady started to say, but seeing Duke halfway past her, she muttered, "Or not."

Duke opened the door, intending to leave, but he halted when he saw the teenage girl from earlier standing there with a plate of the heavenly aroma he had been perceiving.

"You're awake! I brought you something to eat," she said cheerfully, brushing past him into the room. She placed the dish on the table and turned to face Duke, noticing he was already beside her.

"You should eat. You lost a lot of blood and had to be carried in here. Wait—how are you walking?" the teenager asked, assessing Duke's body.

"Beats me," the young lady responded in his stead, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Duke didn't respond; he just kept staring at the plate of food. His body and mind conflicted, contemplating whether it was wise to eat at a stranger's house. The silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of Duke's rumbling stomach.

"You should really eat something," the teenager said, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm not hungry," Duke replied, trying to convince himself. But as if his stomach heard him and was greatly displeased by his answer, it rumbled loudly, betraying his true hunger.

The teenager smiled knowingly. "You can go ahead. I didn't poison it. Here..." She took a bite of the meal and swallowed, reassuring Duke with her actions. "See, no poison," she assured him.

Duke watched her intently, his hesitation slowly fading away. Without wasting another moment, he rushed to the meal and started to devour it as if his life depended on it. The taste was even better than he imagined, and he couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh.

The teenager chuckled, pleased to see Duke enjoying the dish. "I knew you couldn't resist. Good food has a way of winning over doubts," she said with a mischievous grin.

Duke looked up from his plate, a grateful smile spreading across his face. "Thank you. I didn't realize how hungry I was until now."

The teenager shrugged, her eyes filled with kindness. "No problem. It's the least I can do after you saved me earlier. Plus, I love cooking for people. I'm Mahalia, but you can call me Halia or Hali. And that's my sister, Nadia."

"Duke," he said, briefly glancing up from his plate.

"I really can't thank you enough," Mahalia started to say again.

Duke looked up, a hint of a smile on his face. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I wouldn't mind another plate."

"Sure thing," Mahalia responded cheerfully, ready to get up. But her sister, Nadia, stepped in.

"I'll get it, Halia."

Duke placed the empty plate to the side and patiently waited for a second round. As he occupied himself, he decided to ask Halia a question.

"Why were they chasing you?" he asked.

"I managed to escape their clutches," Halia replied.

"You were held hostage?" Duke inquired, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Yes, and it was a terrifying experience. I overheard the men discussing the idea of eliminating everyone they had captured because our family had failed to complete a task successfully," Halia explained.

"A task?" Duke asked, his confusion evident.

"Well, you see, some men came to our home and asked that our older sibling perform a certain task. The information was classified, so I don't know what it was. When they declined initially, they took me, seeing that I was the only family my sister had left. They did the same to others who were given the same tasks too."

Duke's mind raced as he recalled the conversation he had with the supposed security man. The man had mentioned something similar upon seeing Duke with two briefcases.

Suddenly, a sense of urgency surged through Duke. If his encounter with the security man was connected to this story, he couldn't afford to stay any longer, even if they were currently accommodating him.

"I have to go," Duke said, abruptly rising to his feet. His sudden movement caught the attention of Nadia, who had just walked in with another serving of the meal Duke had finished.

Duke narrowed his eyes as he studied her appearance. She had dark skin, brown eyes, and was currently wearing a long dress. There was a slight chance she could be the mysterious "dagger girl" he had encountered before.

Duke smirked as he looked at the girl, wanting to test his theory. "You let your hair down, afraid to show the nice fleck I left behind?" he questioned, his voice filled with curiosity and a hint of mischief.

He watched her closely, waiting for her reaction. If she was truly the "dagger girl," she would surely recognize the reference and reveal herself.

And he confirmed it when her eyes widened.

"What fleck? Do you two know each other?" Mahalia butted in.

"No. Well, yes," Nadia stuttered. Duke's eyes narrowed. She looked uneasy. What was she afraid of? he wondered.

"We met there and helped each other with our tasks before someone raided the warehouse to rob us of our supposed duty. Right, Duke?" Nadia turned to Duke with taunting eyes.

"That's not how I remember it," Duke responded, with a grin of his own. But sensing Nadia's discomfort and seeing how she wanted her sister to know nothing about what had happened, he added, "But yeah, that's what happened."

"Can you give us a moment, Halia? I'd like to talk to Mr. Duke."

"I have to go," Duke announced. He turned to Halia and said, "Stay out of trouble," before redirecting his gaze back to Nadia. His words to Nadia were filled with a mix of concern and gratitude. "And stay low for a while. Thank you for the meal; it was really good."

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