Chapter 6: The Power of a Scripture?

Kyla Showyer's answer caught Kyla off guard, and the surprise quickly turned into genuine appreciation. When she had said those words, she had meant them. Still, there had been a test hidden inside. If Holden Duffus had accepted her proposal, she would have kept her promise, and that would have been that. From then on, they would have gone their separate ways with no further ties. But after his refusal, she suddenly noticed yet another thing about him that shone. She was pleased, yet Kyla deliberately put on a wounded, aggrieved look. "So the first time you came to your big sister for help… it was all for your wife?" What was with that expression? There was nothing shady between them, alright? Stop staring at him like he had broken her heart. Holden wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and forced an awkward smile. "Well… I… uh…" "Pfft." Kyla covered her mouth as she laughed. "Alright, alright. I'm done teasing you. I can help with this, but you have to promise me something. When you've got time, you have to come by my place. Whitney asked about you last night. Looks like she really likes you." Only then did Holden finally let out a long breath. "Thank you, Sister Kyla." "Oh, and I almost forgot." Kyla's eyes curved as she reached for something. "Take this. With it, you'll be a true VIP of Showyer Group from here on out." Holden accepted the black card in a daze. Aside from a vivid, blood-red rose printed on it, there was nothing else. He figured he probably would not need it anyway, so he did not ask. He slipped it into his wallet. Kyla pressed her lips together, then asked, "Do you have any other plans later?" Holden hesitated. The strange change that had happened to him that morning, when he had massaged Juliana Letherdale's foot, flashed through his mind. Then he thought of his younger sister lying in a hospital bed. "I'm going to the hospital to see my sister." Kyla had already had someone look into him, so she naturally knew about his sister. She nodded. "If it's something important, I won't keep you. Come on, I'll walk you out." She rose from behind her desk and stepped forward, but after only one step her face tightened. Pain flickered across her expression. Seeing her limp, Holden asked in surprise, "Sister Kyla, what happened?" Kyla waved it off with a wry smile. "I probably banged my knee yesterday. It's a little swollen. It's fine. It'll be better in a couple days." Holden went quiet. So he had managed to get two women hurt. Watching her walk with obvious discomfort, a thought sparked in Holden's mind. Wasn't this another perfect chance to test the Supreme Mystery Scripture? He cleared his throat. "Sister Kyla, I happen to know a bit of massage for swelling. Want me to take a look?" She glanced at him, amused. "Oh? You know that too?" "Yeah." Holden did not even blink. "To be honest, my sister-in-law twisted her ankle yesterday. This morning it swelled up like crazy. I massaged it once and the swelling went down right away. If you don't believe me, let me try. You'll see." Kyla studied him carefully. He did not look like he was joking. After a brief silence, her smile bloomed. "Alright. Then take a look for your big sister." With Holden supporting her, she went to the sofa and sat down. Holden sat beside her. Kyla held one hand against her dress to keep it in place, then lifted her right leg onto the coffee table. She tugged her knee-length skirt up slightly, exposing her knee. Even through her nude stockings, the swelling stood out in a high, rounded bulge. Holden looked up. Kyla gave him a small nod. He slowly placed his right hand over the swollen spot. Just like with Juliana Letherdale, the instant his palm made contact, a warm current rushed into her skin and flowed through her body. It felt like an impossibly soft feather brushing across every inch of her from the inside out, and she shuddered before she could stop herself. "Mmh…" Kyla stifled a sound, her cheeks flushing a deep red. She bit down hard on her lower lip, trying to pull her leg back, but the strange tremor rising from the depths of her soul overwhelmed her. At the same time, Holden, eyes already closed, finally understood. He could only see the Supreme Mystery Scripture inside his body when his eyes were shut. And the moment his hand covered Kyla's knee, the Supreme Mystery Scripture changed again. This time, it slowly opened. As the pages turned, lines of text surfaced one after another. Soft-tissue abrasion. Joint sprain. Lack of sleep. Excessive mental stress. Menstrual period. Minor blood loss. Hypoglycemia! Holden jolted so hard he nearly cursed out loud. What the hell? Did it really need to list the last one? What was the point? Was this thing messing with him? "Ah! Don't!" The cry, thick with a trembling emotion, snapped Holden out of his daze. He could not help glancing at Kyla. Her face was flushed, a faint mist of moisture in her eyes, her expression dangerously alluring. His heart hammered. He swallowed and stammered, "W-what's wrong, Sister Kyla?" Kyla licked her dry lips and stared at his raised right hand, her voice unsteady for reasons she did not want to name. "N-nothing. Holden… is it done?" Only then did Holden realize that when he had been startled by the words on the Supreme Mystery Scripture, his hand had unconsciously left her knee. He looked at the spot. The swelling was gone. Completely. Supreme Mystery Scripture… Supreme Mystery Scripture. Healing and saving lives, holding life and death in its grasp. It was really this miraculous? His mind churned, but his face showed nothing. He only smiled and nodded. "Yeah. It's better." Kyla parted her lips. For some reason, a hollow sense of loss rose in her chest. That strange, exquisite sensation from deep within had left her almost unable to let it go. After a long moment, she finally gathered herself. She stood and tested her leg. It truly did not hurt anymore. A peculiar light flickered in her eyes as she looked Holden up and down several times. Then she gave him a sultry smile. "Thanks, good little brother. Otherwise, who knows how many days I would've had to suffer." Kyla's mature, seductive aura could topple any normal man with ease. Paired with the domineering queenly presence she had cultivated from years at the top, it was lethal to someone like Holden, hot-blooded and inexperienced. His breathing stalled for a beat. His face burned. He turned his head away, mumbling, "You're welcome, Sister Kyla… I should be thanking you for helping me with something huge." Kyla's lips lifted into a charming curve. "Alright. Your sister is fine, I'm fine, too. Come on, I'll walk you downstairs." "No, Sister Kyla. I can go myself." The next moment, Kyla looped her arm through his. She blinked at him, playful and bold. "Either I walk you down, or you don't leave at all. Two choices. Pick one." The soft, cloudlike pressure against his arm sent a shiver through him. His face turned even redder. He tried to pull his arm free, but Kyla only held tighter. Feeling himself sink deeper into that softness, Holden did not dare struggle again. He could only let her cling to him as they walked out of her office under her smile, one that carried a meaning he could not quite read. In the assistant reception area, Serena Lapwood heard the door and reflexively stood. The sight nearly made her eyes pop out of her head. Th-this… what was going on? Chairman Showyer was… linking arms with a man? Even when her husband had been alive, the two of them had never been this intimate. Who exactly was this Holden Duffus? Hadn't the person downstairs said he had a wife? Then why was Chairman Showyer still…? But the moment Serena met Kyla's warning gaze, it felt as if a giant hand had seized her heart. Her breath almost stopped. Serena quickly lowered her head, burying her face as if she had seen nothing at all. Satisfied, Kyla did not bring her along. She took Holden into the elevator alone. As soon as they stepped out, before Kyla could react, Holden yanked his arm free and bolted away like he was fleeing for his life. He was not stupid. Serena was one thing. Even if she saw, she would not dare spread it around. But downstairs, people came and went. If others saw him and Kyla acting that close, he could handle the gossip. He was used to being pointed at. But Kyla was different. She was one of the very peaks of Midcoast's business world. If she ended up the target of malicious talk because of him, he would never accept it. Kyla had ruled the waves for years. Of course she understood. Watching his flustered retreat, the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. She murmured, her tone unreadable, "Little brother… let's see how long you can keep running." Far away, after he had sprinted a good distance, Holden finally clutched his still-thundering chest and took a deep breath. He shook his head with a bitter laugh. "That woman… who could possibly withstand that?" After the thought, he checked the time on his phone. It was almost eleven. "I wonder if the Supreme Mystery Scripture can wake my sister up." The moment he considered it, heat surged through his veins. He hurried toward the Subway Station. He had only taken a few steps when a harsh screech of tires tore through the air in the distance. A commotion rippled through the crowd, mixed with startled screams. Then, a split second later, came a heavy impact. Bang! Holden looked toward the sound. Dozens of meters away, a red Bloodsteed L-Series Sedan had slammed its hood into a tree. A Young Woman shoved open the driver's door and stumbled out. She looked dazed from the impact. Swaying on her feet, she lurched to the back seat, yanked the door open, and struggled to drag out a middle-aged man. She laid him on the concrete and sobbed, "Dad… Dad, what's wrong? Dad, wake up… please, say something…" People began to gather around, pointing and whispering. The Young Woman looked up, helpless and terrified, crying out, "A doctor! Is there a doctor?" "Can someone save my dad? Is there a doctor? My dad needs help. Please… someone!"