Chapter 23
2016 Words
“Excuse me, where is the cosmetic section?” I asked the helper at the mall who stared me as if I was drunk.
He looked at his side and then me before passing me a smile.
“Miss you are already in the cosmetic section.”
I bit my tongue and gave him half-smile followed by a ‘Thank you’.
I was nervous. The reason being that I know I was under surveillance and considering the international meeting that was scheduled after two weeks; I needed to win this deal. The only person that could help me was Mr. Scott. He was one of the board members and very loyal to my grandpa.
I can bet my life on him that he would eagerly help me when required so I asked Dylan to fix us a meeting somewhere unnoticeable. Upon his suggestion, I am impetuously waiting for him at this mall.
I felt someone brush past me and hastily I looked at the ‘someone’ who turned out to be Mr. Scott.
“Mr. Scott! Glad you could make it here.” I acted observing the products on the shelf and giving him side-glances now and then.
“Miss Iris. The pleasure is all mine to have finally met you.” His pleasure was evident in his voice.
“Sunny, call me Sunny please.” I cut him off fearing what if someone over-heard us.
“My bad, my bad. Mr. White told me you needed company details and information regarding the consignment to be held, is that right?” He asked while inspecting the contents of the facewash.
I fought hard to restrain the laughter threatening to escape my lips. He was a man in his fifties and bald. He still had a sense of dressing up which didn’t hide his intellectual. In my words, he could easily compete with Isaac Newton and Einstein; if intellectual looks were something to be compared to. Seeing this man, reading the contents of a face-wash was enough for me to want to laugh out loud as if he was on a mission to discover something out of it.
“Uh yes! Hope I ain’t asking much from you.” I turned to face him as he looked at me studying my face.
His eyes gleamed as he genuinely smiled and patted my shoulder while passing next to me.
“At counter 2; furnish your name.” He whispered and left.
I quickly made sure he had left the mall before rushing to the counter and giving her my name. She gazed at me and nodded pulling out a packet towards me.
“Thank you so much.” I smiled which she returned.
I breathed in relied carrying the heavy packet in hand.
‘Where should I go?’ I wondered standing at the ground floor of the mall.
I quickly made my way towards the top floor but in process collided with a hard body. I stumbled to maintain my balance and felt his hands on my waist trying to steady me. I pulled back quickly before taking my leave.
When I was safely sitting at the managerial floor; I happened to notice that the man looked familiar who collided me few minutes ago.
“Excuse me Miss, how can we help you?” A voice pulled me out of my thought’s trail.
“I-I wanted to see the manager.” I mumbled and sure enough, they looked at me with suspicion.
The door of the office opened and Alex came out; who happened to be Aiden’s friend.
“Ahaan pretty lady. How are you and what are you doing here?” He shook hands with me as I told him that I needed some personal space to finish of this assignment which was needed to be submitted.
He agreed and offered me his office. I was grateful for that.
I was engrossed in studying all the data furnished by Mr. Scott and comparing it with the Jones’ House data which we hacked from Aiden’s phone. I was surprised to find something odd. I was making mental notes of it.
My stomach growled. I looked at the watch when the door opened abruptly. Swiftly, I shoved the documents back and folded the white blank sheets with some coded notes. Aiden peeked in and gestured to someone. A man holding a tray of food entered the office as he smiled at me.
“I heard you were doing some assignment, is it done?” he asked with genuine interest.
“Almost; I will finish it later. I was starving!” I answered dramatically as he chuckled.
“I knew it!” he asked me to help myself and I actually did without even giving it a thought of asking him to share.
He shook his head and joined me.
“My parents asked if you could join them to… you know… visit your- I mean Iris’s parents’ grave.” He dropped the bomb suddenly.
My hand stopped mid-air hanging in front of my mouth.
‘Was I ready to face them?’
I felt the same pain, loss and grief emerging inside my body with the mere mention of them. Discerning that I hadn’t visited them once since that unfortunate day, I gulped hard.
“Hey, if you don’t want then it’s okay. No pressure.” Aiden quickly covered it.
I became aware of him now; it was true he might have noticed my expressions so I needed to act accordingly.
“I would pass that. Maybe sometimes later because right now, I want to learn everything about her; her past, her thoughts, the way she acted and all. You know?” I tried to shrug it off casually.
The food forced down my throat as it lost its taste. I felt a lump in there that was making it hard for me to swallow my food but on outside, I behaved like it wasn’t a big deal. As if we were just discussing about the weather and not some grave; what more? Of my own parents’.
***
They strolled around the city as Aiden narrated about his Iris. Sunny wanted to add where he seemed to have missed few details but she bit her tongue. The memories as alluring as they sounded were bitter as well.
He was interrupted by a phone call as he excused himself to answer it just then a woman approached Iris for her help.
“Excuse me, my car isn't starting. Would you mind letting me place a call to the mechanic?” She asked looking worried.
It was such a genuine request but Iris hesitated because she didn’t trust anyone and especially if it was regarding her number. She thought of a way to politely decline her request when the woman stared her with incredulity which made Iris feel guilty.
Finally she nodded and passed her phone. The woman smiled with relief and quickly dialed a number, the conversation was short and she handed Iris’ her phone back.
“Thank you so much.” The woman looked thankful genuinely.
“Never-mind.” Iris passed her a smile which she returned with uneasy.
Iris felt something was missed. She studied the retreating woman but found nothing unusual.
‘Maybe I am reading too much between the lines.’ Iris wondered and finally Aiden was back asking her to wait till he brings back the car.
She watched as he rushed to the parking lot and reversed the car but suddenly strong hands gripped her shoulder and covered her mouth with a cloth. She tried to scream but the pressure on her mouth didn’t let her voice escape it. She sensed the danger and fought the urge to breathe only for few seconds and when she finally had to take intake of air; her eyes felt heavy.
She could feel being dragged before she was knocked out of her senses.
Aiden lowered his window and waited for Sunny but when he couldn’t see her coming or standing there; he grew anxious.
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and glanced at his watch. He dialed her number but nobody picked it up. He hurriedly exited his car and ran to where she was supposed to be, searching around for her. He redialed her number and the phone ringing could be heard at a distant.
He kept looking till he found her phone lying near the seat as he picked it up wondering what could have happened.
He knew it shouldn’t be this way; he ran to the security and requested for the CCTV footage. Everybody knew him and his power and why wouldn’t? He had practically helped develop the city. Even the mayor couldn’t refuse his request.
The security personal was scared of his annoyed look as he played the last minute footage. Aiden could feel his heart thudding with anxiety but when he watched the footage; he wanted to punch someone. Apparently there was some commotion at her spot but he could just see someone kidnapping her like cloth placed on her mouth, the gloves clad hands and her trying to wriggle out from their reach. He saw how her body limped and she was dragged but those people couldn’t be recognized due to the advantage of the corner and the tree placed in front of the camera.
He turned around and gripped the security man’s collar threatening him. “Is this the way a CCTV should be installed? Leaving the other end as blind spot?”
The man was ready to pee in his pants; he couldn’t fight him and it wasn’t his fault that the CCTV was installed this way but he couldn’t even give his reasons.
Aiden pulled back and pulled his hair in frustration. He had called his bodyguards and detective to find her. He got to find her before something happens.
***
Head throbbed as the hair cuticle pained too. Iris opened her eyes slowly which was proving to be difficult. Her eyes seemed heavy and she felt dizzy even with closed eyes. She heard some noise and got alert.
“The girl isn't responding, is that a good sign?” A male voice was heard from afar.
“Shut the f**k up! We were asked to find her alive and not dead.” Another refuted.
“But she was being stubborn and I had to put the chloroform for longer.” The same man seemed tensed from his strained voice.
“You better hope she wakes up before boss comes.” Another one reasoned.
She heard the footsteps approach but remained still like she wasn’t conscience.
She felt someone shake her violently, it scared her but she didn’t respond. Her fear was growing with the risk of being caught up. She could feel her heart racing and tried to calm herself to not give away.
The man must have been convinced as he cursed and huffed before retreating back. Sizing this opportunity, Iris opened her eyes to look around.
She was in a dark room with nothing but a door. She was lying on the floor with her hands and legs tied as she could feel her body ache. Her eyes trying hard to look out for something to help her but even if she would free herself, she had no idea what was waiting outside for her.
“Dammit!” she cursed under her breath and tugged at her wrist incessantly, in a hope to free herself.
Only now she realized, she couldn’t feel her phone and had to find some way.
As if on cue, the door opened and her eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights.
“So, you are awake!”
- Writer
