Chapter 21: HEIR WITH A SIDE OF SERIAL KILLINGS

The waiting room of Solace Pharma headquarters is huge. The business owns the whole tower. Apparently, as Rose has told him on the way, the CEO and his family—including the heir— live in the higher floors. 

They’re sitting in a white leather sofa. To his right, an abstract golden sculpture takes up most of the space. Noah is down dressed for such a luxurious space, he feels his jeans and hoodie is just too conspicuous, at least his sneakers aren’t bloody. 

Rose seems to fit, though, with her pastel pink suit, and her golden jewelry. She’s wearing a pearly white headband to tame her wavy hair. She’s stunning. 

The receptionist’s heel click as she approaches the visitors. Her black hair is tied in a bun at the nape. Not a single hair is out. She takes a look at Noah, and apparently decides he’s not worth her time, as she smiles at Rose. “Miss Maddison, Mister Larson is ready to see you now. It’s on the 25^th floor. The elevator is on the corridor, to the right.”

Rose smiles back at her, and nods a quick thanks. Noah ignores the sideways glance the woman gives him when he follows Rose to the elevator. He narrows his eyes, glaring at her before getting on the small space. His messenger bag bounces against his jeans, at the rhythm of his steps. 

Noah clenches his fists, and takes a deep breath. 

“Easy there, Riley, it’ll be okay. I’m here.”

He nods.

A thirty-something man in a tailored checkered suit is sitting in his desk on a leather chair, revising some papers. His metal glasses rest on the bridge of his nose. His dark brown hair is gelled back, slick and elegant. His attention switches back to Rose and Noah when he hears the door closing. His golden eyes travel from Rose to Noah, lingering for a second too long. He offers them a cordial smile, not too forced, but not a toothy grin. Something more professional. 

He gestures them to sit.

Rose takes the lead. Noah follows closely. 

To the left, there’s a window that covers the entirety of the wall, it offers views of the city. But the perspective is limited, as Noah realizes he can only see the top of the tallest buildings. The lives of people, the older and smaller residential neighborhoods, all are blocked by the titans. Watching from high up, everything is shiny. 

“I’m Kent.” He offers his hand to Noah. “Kent Larson.”

Noah shakes Kent’s hand, observing the man’s face. Searching. Any recognition, anything out of place. A crease, a muscle tensing. 

“Riley.” He waits. Nothing. “Addaway.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Addaway.” He turns to Rose. “And Miss?”

“Rose Maddison, enchanté,” she says, offering her hand with a bright smile. “We’re here for the interview.”

Kent nods. “Of course. Unfortunately, my father Richard is going to be busy, so he personally appointed me.”

“We’re flattered.” Rose answers, she takes a recorder from her handbag, setting it in the glass desk. “Please, tell us about Solace. Whose dream was it?”

Kent chuckles, he crosses his legs, propping his elbow up in the back of the chair. His hand dangles in a carefully careless manner. One strand of hair falls in his forehead as he leans forward. “Being the third generation of an immigrant family, my father had difficulty accessing healthcare. He made a promise to provide affordable health products, especially for those outside the system.” He looks at Noah, with a sideways cocky smile. “We take pride in being the number one choice in the majority of household. They’re our family.”

“Do you tend to kill your family with your malpractice?” Asks Noah with narrowed eyes. “If that’s so, I wouldn’t want to be your relative.”

Kent’s eyebrows shoot up. “Is this for the merger?” Noah nods. His voice is bored, “Surely, Gamma Pharmaceuticals made mistakes. And we’re holding them accountable, so they can make amends.”

“You’re selling the same drug, that’s not learning from your mistakes. It’s repeating them with the knowledge of how many will die, and still pressing the button.” 

Kent’s eyes glisten, and Noah can almost see the liquid gold slushing in his irises. It’s a nice color, especially when lights reflect the specks of green near the pupil. He lets out a loud laugh, and points at him with a lazy gesture. “How aggressive,” he says with muddy words. He lowers his gaze, to the cast, and he raises his eyebrows. Then, Kent flicks a quick amused look at Noah. “Maybe you met with other aggressive fellas.”

Noah doesn’t respond. The man tilts his head, curiosity showing in the corners of his mouth, in the shine of his eyes. “Do you tend to bark at anyone that offers you sympathy?”

“I bark at anyone that profits from people’s desperation. There is nothing that I hate more.”

Kent nods, “Mr. Addaway, we agree on that. I assure you Monalgia has the benefits without the adverse effects. We conducted strict clinical trials, and we hold our products to an excellence standard.”

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“I’m sure you do.”

The man stands up, pushing his chair back. He approaches Noah, leaning his hip on the glass. And for a moment, Noah’s breath catches, and he clutches the armrests until his knuckles are white, and his body slowly moves away, trying to put as much distance as he can between them. Kent smiles again, a cocky smile that says ‘I saw you’. And he’s satisfied with the result. Noah winces when Kent’s hand get dangerously close to him, but is relieved when he looks at his watch, letting out a loud sigh. “I’m sorry, I forgot I have a meeting in ten minutes. But I’d like to follow this conversation over some coffee.” He winks.

Noah’s stomach lurches. “Of course.”

Kent writes something in a business card, and hands it to Noah. 

“It’s my personal number. So we can finish this conversation.” The golden orbs trace Noah’s face, stopping in his lips. Noah shifts, rubbing his neck, avoiding his gaze. 

He offers a small smile to Rose. “I’m sorry for the urgency.”

Noah places the card in his jeans pocket. 

Rose pulls the door open, and Noah takes a look back before going out. Kent’s gaze is fixed on him. His glasses reflect the overhead white artificial light.

“Does he ring a bell? Have you met him before?” Asks Rose once they’re back in the elevator.

He narrows his eyes, staring at the number buttons. They’re illuminated with white light. “I don’t know.”

Rose lets out a sigh. “Well, at least he’s interested in you.”

Noah gives her a quick glance. 

She continues, unaware of his trembling hands, and his deliberate breathing. “You can go undercover. In any case, you’ve scored high.” Rose elbows him, but he doesn’t share her excitement.

He hasn’t seen any signs of recognition in the man. Kent expression remained unwavering under Noah’s scrutiny. Maybe Riley talked to someone else. Maybe he didn’t get the chance to face Solace, because he found something else. It’s a long shot, but still a possibility. If Solace is not involved in Riley’s fate, then there’s someone else trying to hide something. 

He tugs on the loose thread of the bag. 

“Riley, this is a big opportunity. Don’t you want to know what happened to you?” 

Noah doesn’t respond, he licks his chapped lips. 

“You can destroy them from inside.” Rose adds, a vicious smile in her face.

He frowns, looking at her. “You’re right, but…”

“But what?” 

But Noah’s mind is traveling a few miles ahead, to the tiny bookstore and the boy in black crouching over a book. Fear recoils, and the tingles in his stomach turn to a guilty void. He knows there’s nothing there. Just an illusion born from the loneliness of stealing someone else’s life. But still, Noah hesitates. He remembers the warmth of Rune’s body against his in the midst of a feverish dream. 

He opens his mouth, although he doesn’t know what he’s going to say, where he’s going, or how he’s going to get there. However, Rose slaps her palm in Noah’s shoulder.

“Oh my god. Noah Davies. You remember? The guy that… killed… Leonarda Patterson.”

Noah swallows, hiding his trembling hands behind him. “Yeah?” He responds with a tiny voice, merely more than a whisper. 

Rose’s expression is dark when she says, “He killed again.”

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