I am the Queen

Alvaro's face turned from dashing as a knight into a devil full of maliciousness in one second. Extending his arm, he demanded with words that didn't accept refusal, "Show me what you've found."

Asher inwardly cursed. See! His true face is finally showing!

"What are you talking about?" Asher pretended, still not looking at the demon sitting beside him. He would rather look and sat beside an actual demon than with his older brother, who hid his wicked intentions behind his saintly disguise.

"Hm?" Alvaro's tone didn't change. His face remained smiling yet beneath his eyes held lethality with unknown depths, promising endless punishment.

Asher was drenching in cold sweat by now. "I told you, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hmm . . . ?"

Clicking his tongue, Asher closed his eyes tight. His hand brushed his hair in surrender. "I didn't find anything useful. All the people link to that woman didn't have anything useful to say except for one who said she and her brother disappeared when she was sixteen and came back after six months. But he didn't know where they went. When her brother's wife was pregnant, they moved out, never seen again. I think they moved to a province or something. It was like the last years' we investigated. There is no new information. I don't know how long the investigation team can track down the places they went to. It's been years after all."

"Hmm . . . ?"

The more Asher tried to explain, the more threatening Álvaro's tone while the latter's arm continued extending in his direction.

". . ."

". . ."

Sighing in exasperation, Asher grabbed his bag and brought out a file, giving it to Alvaro grudgingly.

Opening the file, Alvaro scanned its contents.

"You found one of the men who was linked to that woman," Álvaro muttered, eyes glued on the files.

Starring at the scenery outside, Asher answered a bit bored, "Yeah. My sources said he was in Apricot, and since my mission coincides with the family, I went to Apricot. But that guy is also clean like the rest."

". . ."

". . ."

Clicking his tongue, Asher shut his eyes and scratched his head with force. "Argh! We have been investigating this for years, yet there is still no lead whatsoever! All the people linked to that whore are either rich married men or disgusting bastards in the alley, and all of them, if not dead, are clean."

He paused and sighed. "It's either Aunt Emerald really died due to complications, or those people are excellent in erasing their dirt."

"I don't believe that they can hide their dirt for long. With it being so rotten, the smell would eventually come out."

Looking at Alvaro, Asher frowned. "What do you––"

Snap!

Alvaro closed the files and gave it back to Asher. "Compile the reports and give me a copy." Starring outside, his lips quirked upward in a smile, one which made people hide in fear. "We've been looking at this in a broader perspective that sometimes . . . we forgot . . . we have a lead who is very close to us."

Asher raised a brow. Couldn't comprehend his brother's line of thinking. "Huh? What are you––"

His face then darkened, and he grabbed Alvaro's collar, forcing the latter to face him.

"Don't you ever involve Evangeline into this!"

Álvaro was unfazed by his little brother's outburst. Instead, he was enjoying it.

Asher's anger and irritation only set ablaze by Alvaro's laid-back attitude, and his grip against his collar tightened. "Evangeline already said she doesn't know anything."

Álvaro's smiling face gradually froze. It cracked, revealing a stern face emanating a bone-deep chill. "And you believe her?"

Asher snapped and shouted without a second thought, "Of course! She's my cousin! What reason does she have to help those people who killed her mother?!"

The gripped on Alvaro's collar tightened by the second as Asher brought his contorted face nearer to Alvaro. "I'm warning you, if something happens to Evangeline, even if you're my brother, even if it's a Cole, I'll make you all pay."

". . ."

". . ."

Álvaro broke out in soft chuckles before he returned to his former gentleman's façade. Like the devil draped in sharp freezing, lethal halo was but an illusion.

His arm then seized Asher's wrist, which was holding his collar. It might appear light on the surface, like a touch of a feather on a pillow, but Asher knew how much force his older brother was gripping his wrist that it began to numb and quaked. Wincing in pain, Asher felt his bone was about to break while his strength gradually left him, releasing Alvaro's collar in the process. At the same time, Alvaro freed Asher's hand while the latter crunched in pain, holding his injured limb.

Not paying Asher any mind, Alvaro fixed his collar and cuffs. "Don't forget, Evangeline is my precious little cousin too. It goes without saying . . . I won't let anything happen to her."

----

The whole ride was smooth and quiet, while the two men didn't continue the topic anymore. However, after a series of twists and turns, Álvaro let out a question.

"As I remember, this isn't the way to Evangeline's unit."

Furrowing his brows in irritation, Asher answered while rubbing his injured wrist, "I'm going to check something first."

In response, Alvaro's head leaned against his hand, elbow resting on the car's window. "Hmm . . ."

Asher smacked his lips tight, containing his annoyance. The truth was, he wanted to go home and see Evangeline, but he had something bothering his mind.

I need to check out that place. It's been a month since I last visited. Gotta keep everything under control, so Eva doesn't have to do a thing.

Just have to get the report and check the area, and I'll be on my way to her. Reporting about that place always kept her in a good mood. Yep, no better present to make her happy than this.

While Asher was basking in the happiness of his bright idea, smirking and chuckling like an idiot, Álvaro raised his brow and resumed looking at the scenery outside.

Two hours later, the car finally stopped.

Álvaro casually fixed his lapel and roamed his eyes all over the place.

They were in an area on the outskirt of the city of Blue River. A place which was known as agricultural lands. There were vast greeneries all over, forest, rivers, and mountains as well as Burberry's famous farmlands, orchards, vineyards, and ranches.

In front of him was a modern organic building with its flowy design, soft and curvy lines made of steel and glass reflecting the natures all around, making it one together with the environment.

A pet shop?

Such a luxurious and state of the art looking building was a pet shop?

Álvaro heard and known of it, but this was the first time that he saw it up close and personal.

It was the only building Evangeline ever erected. It was built two years ago, and only the Cole's main line of the family knew that she was the owner of the establishment.

It's a . . . how do you put it? It's not only a mall for pets . . . Accurately speaking, it is more like a paradise for animals.

Besides the extensive selections of animals' needs and accessories, there were also spas and grooming shops, restaurants, hospitals, hotels, in the building. They were also countless dogs and cats sheltered inside as well as other animals that were injured and strayed.

However, it was more famous for its features. At the back of the building hid thousands of kilometers of vast Greenland's complete with artificially made exercise equipment for pets, rivers, ponds, lake, gardens, forests, walking paths, arch wooden bridges, and the likes.

Besides the celebrities and famous persona who frequented the place to have their pets pampered to the max, the most popular features were, the kids could spoil and play with the animals. And maybe at the end of the day, the family would adopt a pet home.

It was a top-rated attraction for families, not only for pet lovers.

Álvaro thought Evangeline could splurge. Building an establishment that didn't rake her any monetary returns. He wagered most of his cousin's money went in this establishment to operate to a world-class level. Not to mention she had to pay the staff, specialists, maintenance, and all the animals' foods and all the other things to continue its operation.

If not for the many facilities and shops and entrance fees inside, Evangeline might be broke in the future just to keep the building operating.

Alvaro didn't care, though. The Cole would invest all their resources to keep this place running just to make her happy, no questions asked. With their family's resources, splurging with something like this wasn't a big deal. Just the income of one of their many businesses was enough to keep this place operate for years to come.

After checking out the area, Álvaro followed Asher inside the building where a tall, gorgeous lady clad in a formal shirt and skirt greeted them. The two of them followed the lady all the way towards the private, restricted area. But at this moment, a voice stopped them on their way.

"Let go of me!"