Tears brimmed Becky's eyes when she heard Brian's confirmation. She smiled up at him happily,"I know you still love me."
Groping for Brian's hands, she continued,"I'll never be wayward again, Brian. I thought a lot while we were apart. We love each other. Why should we let these things stand in our way?"
"You're right. Nothing can stop us," Brian said, his usually determined voice somehow lacking conviction.
Looking down at Becky's hands, he felt her hand tremble with emotion. As he gently stroked the delicate white skin with the tip of his fingers, he realized that it felt soft as a baby's skin.
Molly's hands were different. She had rough and calloused hands that were accustomed to hard work. She didn't have pampered hands like Becky since she was constantly working before she met him.
Now, holding Becky's soft but cold hands, Brian felt it wasn't as real as the touch of Molly's rough yet warm hands. He shook off the thought violently.
While he was buried in thought, the waiter quietly served their appetizers and poured their drinks. Brian picked up the knife and fork and started cutting the meat into small pieces for Becky. His phone rang as he placed the plate before Becky. He pressed the answer key as soon as he saw the identity of his caller.
"Hello, Emperor. This is Elias."
Elias greeted, speaking in fluent English.
"How's the drug research going?" Brian asked, matching Elias' perfect English. His emotionless voice belied his anxiety over the progress of Elias' research.
"Well, that's why I'm calling," Elias said after a brief hesitation. "The drug is ready to be tested, but I need a test subject." he said in a serious tone.
"You know the drug can't be clinically validated, and the girl who is important to you has no time to wait for the results of clinical validation."
Elias meant that he needed someone to test the drug on. The longer the delay, the worse it would be for Molly's condition.
A faint sneer curled on Brian's lips. There was a bloodthirsty look on his cold face as he said in a firm voice,"I have sent your test subject. If there is no accident, he'll appear in front of you tonight."
On the other end of the phone, Elias gasped in shock. After a while, he asked in an awestricken voice,"Are you a prophet, Emperor?"
"I'm just a man who believes in thinking one step ahead of his opponent,"
Brian answered emotionlessly. "I hope you won't let me down, Elias."
"Certainly not," Elias promised confidently.
"You should have absolute trust in me."
Brian smiled slowly. Glancing at Becky, he said,"Come to A City after the drug is tested successfully."
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