Falling in Love : I love you, Today and Forever

"Valarie, my Dad is alive and I found him a few weeks ago," Ivy stated, her eyes fixed on the only other woman in the room. As soon as the words left her mouth, the three people from the Intelligence stared at her blankly, especially Valarie. Her expression then turned to joy at once. 

"That is great, Ivy. How is he now? Is he alright?" Ivy smiled at her concern. Instead of asking her what her Dad had told her about the organ trafficking scandal, Valarie was more worried about her Dad's well being. This showed how good the woman.

"He was in a coma for three years and he woke up just recently," Ivy replied honesty and the next few minutes were spent with her cooking up a story on how a stranger had taken care of her Dad for all these years. She completely omitted the three names behind the story. "You can meet him if you want. My Dad would be glad to meet an old acquaintance's daughter."

"That would be great." Valarie could make use of this opportunity to find out more about her Dad's death and also the ones behind it. "I'll have to trouble him then."

"Not at all. Dad would be more than happy. What do you plan to do next now that the man is caught?"

"We will have to interrogate him thoroughly to find out more about the people working with him," Valarie answered with a sigh. She could imagine how stressful the upcoming days would be. She knew the man well and he would never confess his crimes even if there was solid proof against him. 

"Then, I suggest you examine the factory in the video. You may find things of your use there." Ivy suggested. Since they already knew that she was the one behind the video, there was no need for her to stay still, at least not in front of these three people.

"Do you suspect something about the place?"

"I don't suspect. I know. There is a hidden laboratory downstairs that acts as a temporary storage for the organs." Again, her words took the three already stunned people by a storm. They could only gape at her and their eyes were filled with respect for her. "It's best that you search the place right away. We do not want people escaping after finding out Frederick's capture."

Ivy's suggestion seemed valid and it was best that they struck while the iron was hot. They could save a lot of trouble in the future. However, Valarie still had a few more questions to ask. "By the way, how did you find out about this place?"

Ivy smiled at her question. "I have my resources. Anything else?" Her answer was short and nobody probed into it further.

"Do you have any idea who else might be involved in this issue other than Frederick?" This time Ivy went silent. She knew the answer for it as Noah and Joshua had already told her about Jared. But she did not have any substantial evidence to prove her point. So, she did not say the name.

Valarie could guess what Ivy had in mind. "Who is it?"

"I am sorry, I cannot tell you the name right now as I don't have any valid evidences to prove his crimes." Ivy said straight forwardly and she closed her eyes shut for a second. "I'll let you know once I am sure about his involvement." Valarie could only give up her hope and smile in helplessness.

"Thank you for your help, Ivy. I owe you this."

"Not at all. It is my duty." Ivy said with pride and stood up to take her leave. However, she remembered something she had forgotten to tell before. "By the way, did you know that the poison was a substitute for the virus that was supposed to be released a few months ago"

"What do you mean?" This time it was Ryder who asked the question. His eyebrows were slightly narrowed as though he was thinking something.

"What I mean is, the one who planned the deadly virus attack and the poison attack is the same team."

Baam. As soon as Valarie heard the words, her brain short circuited. Everything fell into place now and she could more or less guess who Ivy was suspecting. Now, Valarie too got the answer she wanted. 'To think that Frederick was working with Jared. Oh Lord!!!'

"I have to leave now. Good luck with your work." This time Ivy and her two guards left the Intelligence. Now that Ivy was done with her work, she delighted to go home, to Joshua. She had expected to mission to go on for a few days at least. Who knew she would get all she wanted right on her first day? She could now relax and enjoy her time with the man she had started to love slowly, but surely.

Meanwhile, Valarie could only stare into space as Ivy's words replayed in her mind. Her face paled and she covered it with her hands. "Ugh." She yelled startling both Preston and Ryder. 

"What happened, Val?"

"I know who Ivy was speaking about, Preston."

"Who are you talking about?"

"The guy behind the virus issue. It's Jared Augustus."

"Jared? The resort king, Jared? How is he even involved in this issue? Preston could not help but question it more. He knew who the man was, but he was not sure if was capable of behind the mastermind behind such crimes.

"Yes. He was the one behind the virus issue. Since his plan did not go accordingly, he resorted to this idea and used poison."

"How do you know about it, Val?" Ryder could not stop himself and sat beside her with his right arm hugging her shoulder. The woman looked visibly shaken and he wondered why.

"Maggie told me."

Her reply rendered both the men speechless. After Maggie had left her job at the Intelligence, they had no idea where she had gone. She had just disappeared from the surface of the earth. They had tried searching for her, especially Ryder but with no results. "Do you know where Maggie is?"

Valarie nodded slowly and she explained what had actually happened and How Maggie had ended up in Jared's gang, The Vipers. Ryder completely lost it when he found about the gang that he was all too familiar with. They were involved in sorts of crimes and shady dealings and for a long time, his team was trying to track them, especially its leader.

To think that Maggie was in the lair of such vicious people made his veins burst. He was now furious and he did not know what to do. He was also angry at his friend for hiding such a huge matter from him especially when she knew how he felt about Maggie. "How could you do this, Valarie? The girl must be suffering in there right now. What if she is in any sort of danger?"

"No. That's not possible. She is not in danger as far as I know. She seems to be fine. And I am sorry. Although it was her request to hide this matter from everybody, I should have told it to you at least." Valarie could only lower head in guilt and Ryder sighed in despair.

He could neither blame his friend nor could stay still. He knew how stubborn Maggie could be and once she had made her decision, nobody could stop her. Also, in their field of work, sometimes they had to go undercover to not get exposed and not many people would know about it. So, he could understand Valarie's dilemma.

Meanwhile, Preston who was watching them silently had another matter running in his mind altogether. "If Frederick was working with Jared, didn't Maggie and the old man never come face to face?"

His question made the other two people to look at him. "I don't think Maggie knows about Frederick's involvement. Otherwise, she would have informed me about it when we spoke a few days ago."

"Is it? But how is that possible?"

"Apparently, there is somebody more powerful behind Jared and he controlling everything, although it is Jared who coming up with such cruel plans. Now that we are on this topic, I remember something Maggie had told the last time we spoke."

"What did she tell you?" Ryder was quick to put forth his question. He was anxious to learn about the girl he was attracted to. 

"It seems there was supposed to be a meeting with the man behind Jared and the Vipers gang. But it got held up due to some reasons."

"And?"

"As far as she knows, nobody in the gang has seen this man they call as Godfather."

"What kind of cringy title is that?" Preston commented his eyes narrowing in distaste. But his words were ignored completely.

"This man who is the Godfather and apparently Jared's biological father were supposed to meet the people. Now, I wonder who Frederick is. Is he Jared's father of Godfather?"

"I guess we will get the answer to it when we interrogate the disgusting pig. But before that, as Ivy suggested, we need to secure the factory first." Preston added after a lot of thinking.

Ryder stood up suddenly, his eye still cold and furious. But Valarie did not blame him. She knew she was at fault, partially. She should not have allowed Maggie to go to such a dangerous place in the first place. She should not have given into the girl's desperate pleas. "I"ll prepare the search warrant. Let's leave right away."