Chapter 20: Picking up the Pieces

I didn't know how I got home that night. I didn't remember falling into bed or when I fell asleep. I was woken up by the ceaseless knocking on the door. My head hurt a little. I remembered that Sofia seemed to have said that she was coming to my house today. It was probably Sofia. But didn't she have my house key? Why did she knock? It was so noisy. I went to open the door in my pajamas with ruffled hair and puffy eyes. Unexpectedly, the person at my door was Locas with red eyes. Taking in his appearance woke me up instantly. His hair was messy, and he hadn't even shaved. He was holding a box in his arms... How could he be so down and out overnight? Hmph, what did his downfall have to do with me? I raised my hand and was about to close the door when he pressed against the door and stopped me from closing it. I hardened my heart and walked back into the house, not talking to him again. Locas followed me into the room and placed the box on the table. "Mia, your vase. I've repaired it for you." I didn't even look at it. It was said that a broken mirror couldn't be reconciled. What was the point of sticking it together with glue? He walked behind me and said in a low voice, "I thought about what happened yesterday. I was being rude and impulsive. I'm sorry," he said and opened the box. I looked over and saw that the vase was perfect. There were no cracks at all. Surprised and delighted, I cradled the vase in my hands. "How did you do that? There is not even a single crack!" "I have magic." He kept me in suspense again. He was about to say something else when a call came. After taking the call, he left in a hurry. I looked at the vase. It was the same as before. There were no signs of cracks at all. I didn't know how he did it. Although he was rash and prejudiced, I decided to forgive him for the time being because he had completely restored the vase. I would never speak to him if he ever treated me that way again. After a full day's work, I rubbed my sore neck and heard footsteps behind me. I sat in a chair and said, "Willard, please help me massage my shoulders. Thank you." "Miss Mia," someone called out to me hesitantly. I quickly turned around and realized that it wasn't Willard. I suddenly remembered that Willard said he had something on and had left work an hour earlier. "You are..." This person seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember who he was. "I'm Ade, Locas's assistant," he introduced himself shyly. I instantly remembered that I had seen him around Locas. He was a reserved gentleman. As an assistant, he was much more stable than his master. Ade looked at me and said hesitantly, "This time, I came to you on my own accord... Locas spent a lot of effort to restore that vase to its original state. I would like to talk to you if you are free." Ade politely invited me to a coffee shop. As soon as I sat down, Ade placed a stack of money on the table. I was stunned. "What is this?" "The money you paid for the vase. The police have already arrested the con men." I lowered my head in silence. Since Locas told me that the seal at the bottom of the vase had just been printed that night before it shattered, I had a vague feeling that what he said was true. But I stopped myself from thinking further. I didn't want to believe these evil people had used my good intentions. That older man was so pitiful, and his daughter was still waiting for surgery in the hospital. Could all of this be fake? My hand holding the coffee cup trembled slightly, and I could still hear Ade's words lingering in my ears. "That organization has already deceived many people. All kinds of auctions are the primary occasion for their crimes. One went on stage to act pitiful, and the remaining few went off stage to generate a lot of buzz to force the organizers to agree to their participation in the auction. Then, accomplices below pretended to bid to raise the price." Listening to his words, I recalled the details of that time again and again in my mind. I was too arrogant in believing that I understood antiques and that I was doing a good deed. It only turned out that I was deceived and used by bad people. I returned home with a heavy heart. Ade's words repeated in my heart again and again. He said that Locas had spent a lot of effort on that vase. When Locas came to look for me, he was haggard, as if he had not slept the entire night. I took out my phone to call Locas, but there was no answer. It was already past eleven at night. Maybe he was already asleep. Worried, I fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly, something licked my hand. When I opened my eyes, I saw a black wolf licking my hand with a hint of sadness in its eyes. I sat up and stroked his head. "Who are you? How did you get into my house?" He let out a mournful howl, then leaned his head against me. The wolf was so familiar to me. For some reason, I immediately recognized him from his sad eyes. "Are you Locas?" He didn't deny it; he just rubbed his head against my face. Locas in his wolf form made me feel closer than his human form. I touched his back and said, "I should apologize to you. I was too vain to know that I was being deceived..." Suddenly, I realized that my hands were covered in blood. It turned out that he was seriously injured. It was just that I didn't notice it at first under the black fur. "Are you hurt? Let me take a look at you." I tried to get up, but I lost my balance and fell. I fell headfirst to the ground. My whole body shook, and I sat up at once. Only then did I realize that it was a dream. There was no black wolf or Locas. Although it was a dream, I felt that this dream was strange and unusual. I couldn't sleep anymore. I got up and waited for Locas outside of his company. After waiting for a few hours, Locas did not come, but I saw Ade. Ade was stunned when he saw me. "Locas isn't here." Ade's behavior was so strange. He must be hiding something from me. "Is he on a business trip?" I thought of the injured wolf in my dream and had a bad feeling. Ade hesitated for a moment. "I don't want to hide it from you anymore. Although Locas doesn't want me to tell you, I think it's better to let you know... He is injured and is still in the hospital." "Injured? How?" As expected, my dream was real. The black wolf's sorrowful gaze made my heart ache. I held back my tears and grabbed Ade's clothes. "What exactly happened?" "Locas has a restoration power but it consumes a lot of vitality. He consumed a lot of vitality to repair that vase for you that day." No wonder he looked so worn when he came looking for me... "Those criminals who used fake antiques to deceive people knew that all of this was secretly pushed by Locas, so the remaining members who were not caught attacked him. He could have dealt with these scums if it were any other time. However, he was already weak from using the restoration power and could not resist them. He was stabbed a few times. Before he fainted, he reminded me not to tell you... Although he is no longer in danger, it's not sure when he will completely recover..." "Please tell me which hospital Locas is in. Take me there. Ade, please." "But he wouldn't let me tell you..." "Ade, believe me, I can cure him." My determined expression might have moved Ade, and he finally decided to take me to the hospital.