Chapter 30: Mutual scrutiny
Another pause. He could almost hear her breathing sharpen.
"Shin's in the hospital? What happened?! Why—why didn't anyone tell me—?"
"Because you're not important to him, just a stranger." Sergei snapped, feigning indifference.
He let that sentence hang in the air like smoke.
Then, like a flick of a match, he added: "They say she's been influencing him. Changing his habits. Even eating sweets. Romantic isn't it?"
Calin's breathing was now ragged. "No. No, no, no. He hates sweets. He—he told me that. I mean I know that!"
"Well, apparently she's got him change his lifestyle now," Sergei said with a chuckle. "Sounds like they're getting serious, doesn't it?"
"Who is she?" Calin hissed, her voice now laced with venom. "Do you know?"
"No idea. Yet." He made sure that word hit like a lure.
"Find out," she demanded. "You must find out for me."
Sergei raised an eyebrow, intrigued at how quickly her obsession reignited into full-blown madness. He almost pitied the mystery woman. Almost.