影音先锋亚洲第一综合

"Seriously, who cares about that old geezer? Let him rot in that musty old room deep down in the earth for all you care," Rick continued, his laughter bordering on callousness as he dismissed Geoffrey\'s plight with a wave of his hand.

But as the old woman\'s gaze turned icy with annoyance and anger, Rick\'s laughter died in his throat, replaced by an uncomfortable silence.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Rick decided it was best to hold his tongue, the jovial facade fading from his expression as he met the old matriarch\'s gaze with newfound seriousness.

Before he could utter another word, she spoke, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "Instead of meddling in affairs that don\'t concern you," she said, her tone sharp and commanding, "focus on what you should be doing." The old matriarch said, her gaze piercing through Rick\'s face with icy intensity.

The old lady\'s words landed like a hammer, her tone brooking no argument. "And make sure to remind the manager about letting Geoffrey go. Enough is enough! Geoffrey is too stubborn to budge unless you give him a nudge," she instructed, her voice firm and decisive. Despite the seriousness of her command, a mischievous glint danced in Rick\'s eyes, a suppressed chuckle threatening to escape.

Before Rick could even formulate a response, the old matriarch turned on her heel and swept out of the room, her departure leaving behind a weighty silence that seemed to fill the air like fog.

"Looks like the lovebirds are pining for each other," Rick muttered to himself, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched the old matriarch\'s retreating figure. "Consider it done."

With a swift motion, Rick retrieved his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed the Cafe. It was close to his college and he was a frequent visitor there, so luckily he had their number.

"Good afternoon, Make a Wish Cafe. What can I get for you today?" The cheerful voice on the other end of the line greeted Rick as he dialed the familiar number.

"Could I speak with the manager, please?" Rick wasted no time in getting straight to the point, his tone serious but not without a hint of urgency.

"Um, is everything okay, sir?" The female staff member on the other end asked cautiously, her concern evident in her voice.

"No worries, it\'s nothing major. Just a personal matter I need to discuss," Rick reassured her, his voice softening slightly.

"Alright, please hold for a moment, sir," the staff member replied before disappearing to fetch the manager.

After a brief pause, the manager\'s voice came through the line. "Hello, how can I assist you?" he asked, his tone polite and eager to help.

"Hey brother. I am that guy from the morning. You know the commotion and all" Rick identified himself, hoping to jog the manager\'s memory.

"Oh, yes, of course, sir! I remember you," the manager exclaimed, his enthusiasm palpable even over the phone. "What can I do for you?"

"Thanks, buddy. I just wanted to check if the old man is still hanging around there," Rick inquired, getting straight to the point.

The manager\'s voice wavered slightly, the once bright smile now faltering as he struggled to find the right words. "I\'m sorry, sir," he began, his tone tinged with hesitation.

Rick\'s eyebrow shot up in curiosity at the manager\'s sudden change in demeanor. "What\'s the matter? Did that old codger kick the bucket or something?" he asked, his tone laced with a mix of sarcasm and genuine concern.

"No, sir, nothing like that," the manager quickly assured him, his words coming out in a rush. "It\'s just that..."

"Just that?" Rick prodded, his curiosity piqued by the manager\'s evasive response.

"He actually left not long after you did," the manager admitted, a note of frustration creeping into his voice. "We tried to stop him, but he was... well, he was quite..."

"Powerful," Rick murmured, the pieces slowly falling into place. "No worries, man. I appreciate you trying. And hey, consider that debt forgiven. I\'ll swing by the café soon, don\'t worry about the money," With a decisive nod, Rick ended the call, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

"You old bastard... I thought of going easy on you. But you dog, you had to go and pull a stunt like this," Rick murmured to himself, as his grip tightened on the phone, "Just you wait."

"Geoffrey is stubborn... Won\'t leave without me begging him.... That stupid old bitch. Knows nothing about her lover."

And with that, Rick made up his mind to follow behind the old lady. But then it struck him, he had no idea where he could find the whole lady.

Rick\'s frustration grew as he muttered under his breath, feeling like he was hitting a dead end. "She didn\'t even have the courtesy to give me a hint on where to find her. That stupid..." he grumbled, his annoyance bubbling to the surface.

But just as his irritation peaked, his gaze fell upon something lying by his foot—a small, nondescript card. Curiosity piqued, he reached down and picked it up, examining it closely.

The card was a dull shade of blackish-grey, with a single word printed on it in bold letters: "BloodThrone." Rick scoffed at the simplicity of it, crumpling the card in his hand with disdain. But before he could discard it, something strange happened.

A wispy tendril of black smoke emerged from the crushed card, swirling in the air before darting straight towards Rick. With a startled curse, Rick tried to dodge, but it was too late—the smoke had already infiltrated his senses, seeping into his brain with an unsettling sensation.

For a brief moment, Rick felt disoriented, his head swimming with a strange buzz. But as the sensation passed, he couldn\'t help but grin. Despite the odd method of delivery, he now had a lead.

"She could\'ve just told me straight up. What\'s with all this unnecessary secrecy?" Rick mused to himself, shaking his head in amusement. With newfound determination, he turned to his father, his expression softening.

"Don\'t just yet go back home. I will take you back," Rick reassured him, his voice gentle yet firm.

His father hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. "Are you sure? You must have things to attend to," but Rick hardly noticed.

"Don\'t worry about it. I\'ve got time," Rick insisted, his voice tinged with impatience as he waved off his father\'s concerns. "I will take you home, no big deal."

His father nodded reluctantly, a shadow of unease lingering in his eyes as he acquiesced. "Alright, if you insist," he conceded, his tone tinged with resignation.

"Then wait for me. I will be back in a while," Rick told his father as he turned around to leave. But stopped by the entrance of the ward and turned towards his father once again.

"You don\'t need to act so awkward with me. Whatever there is between me and Olivia. We will take care of it ourselves," Rick said that and walked out of the room.

"I wasn\'t worried about that, son..." Rick\'s father sighed as he looked at the door closing after Rick left, "I am not worried about that..."

*****