Upon a thorough look at the factory, it had nothing special about it. There was not much human traffic around. If someone were to walk past, they might think that it was an abandoned building. No one would have guessed that there would be an operating theatre there.
On a closer look, several rooms on the second floor showed signs of being cleaned. Those might be the wards where the patients stayed in. Most patients here were likely from wealthy families.
“Ms. Stovall, you’re…” Brandon came down to check on me, squinted his eyes, and asked, “Are you taking a stroll?”
I chuckled lightly and replied, “I was just walking around while waiting for a taxi.”
He chuckled and said, “This place is in the suburbs, so there won’t be many taxis around. Since I’m also heading back, I can give you a lift.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Dumphy.”
He chuckled and replied, “You’re welcome. Please wait at the entrance. I’ll go get the car.”
I smiled and nodded in response.
It was noon as I walked past the doorman having his lunch. “Hi Miss, you’re heading back now?” he greeted.
I nodded in reply. I walked over to him and asked, “How long have you been working here? It’s so isolated here. Did your family send you lunch?”
He laughed. “I’ve been working here for several years. My wife has difficulties walking, so she’s currently staying at home. These were made by her last night. I heated it and brought it here for lunch.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. Do you live far away from here? Is it convenient for you?” I asked while I glanced at his legs.
He took a mouthful of food and replied, “Not far. I live in the village across. I may appear old, but my legs are still strong!”
I chuckled. “Since there are not many people that come here, and your house is nearby, why don’t you head home for lunch and return after?”
He looked at me and smiled. “It may appear to be quiet, but there are many vehicles that drop by daily. Since the boss ordered for me to deny entry to unauthorized vehicles, I’d have to obey the order.”
I got curious and asked, “This building looks very old. Why are they so strict on entry? Are there other offices located within this building as well?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. It has always been the same few cars. I find it weird that people are going in and out of this place too. I’ve walked around but did not spot anything unusual. I heard that the boss had set up a live stream studio, and there have been young girls and kids coming here to work. However, due to my poor eyesight, I couldn’t catch a proper glimpse of them.”
I nodded slightly. It seemed like they were tight on security. Though they hired an elderly to guard the entrance, they enforced strict rules.
Since I knew the location of the operating theatre, I could easily gauge the location of other hidden places too.
Brandon drove over and waved at me. I got in the car and had a light chat with him.
It was afternoon when we arrived in the city. My stomach grumbled loudly as I had not eaten anything that day. I entered a restaurant, ordered my meal, and took out my phone. As I was about to call Ashton, I noticed I had several missed calls.
Out of habit, I had placed my phone in silent mode. The calls were from Ashton and Hailey.
Ashton probably called to check if I had eaten lunch, so I decided to call Hailey first.
Ashton called before I could dial Hailey’s number. I picked up the call and chuckled. “Mr. Fuller, I feel very honored to receive your call despite your busy schedule.”
He scoffed at my mocking. “I’m guessing you missed your lunch. Why didn’t you pick up my calls earlier? What were you busy with?”
This man seemed to grow more protective as the days pass. It seemed like I might need to start reporting to him every hour.
“I told you that I had an appointment with Brandon to view the operating theatre. That appointment ended, and I was about to feed your baby and myself.”
