It was late in the afternoon. After getting done with a meeting out of the town, Cannon and Sam were just back to Henderson's Corp. Asking Sam to check on something, Cannon walked to his cabin. Sam was going to do as he was told when his phone rang.
Sam took out the phone and glanced at the caller ID. It was Hina. As much as he was happy, the feelings of Hina were just the opposite if it was not worse. She would not call him if she was not so worried for Elaine.Elaine did not go to the boutique today, did not even inform her about it, what she always did whenever she missed. Hina tried her phone but it was switched off. For the past few days, Elaine was quite tense. She had noticed that and tried to talk to her but Elaine shrugged it using some excuses. Thinking she would tell her sooner or later like Elaine always did, Hina did not mind it.Though she did not tell her, Hina could feel it was something about Cannon or her so-called family. Elaine wasn't looking well either but she tried to look all normal in front of Hina. Guessing something wrong with Elaine, Hina forced her to see the doctor on the last day. After so much of convincing, Elaine agreed to do that but she refused when Hina said she would accompany her to the doctor. Promising she would visit the doctor by herself, Elaine left the boutique that day.But after that, Hina didn't hear of Elaine. She called her several times at night but she didn't answer. Thinking she would get it out of her somehow the next day at the boutique, she came early today. But there was no sign of Elaine and it was already afternoon. Hina was tired of waiting, calling her, and getting the same voicemail response that the number wasn't available. So calling Sam was the last option for her."Hello? Hina, is everything okay?" Sam's worried voice got into the hearing of Hina and got her snapped out of her thoughts.Why did he think she would call him if everything was okay! Hina thought. She was just annoyed at Sam's all caring nature. She got straight to the point, "Where is Elaine? Is she okay?""Elaine?" Sam was confused. "Isn't she at the boutique?""If she was here why would I have called you?" Hina yelled at him."Okay, let me call.."Hina didn't let Sam complete, "I have called her. It's switched off.""Switched off?""Yes. She wasn't feeling well and saw the doctor yesterday but after that, I am not able to reach her.""Doctor? What happened to Elaine?"Hina tried to behave normally but ended up gritting her teeth, "Ask Cannon, your damn friend."Sam cut off the line saying, "I am calling you back."Cannon was in his office, working on a file when Sam entered, "Cannon, where is Elaine? Is she okay?"Cannon paused for a moment and then continued his work, "Sam, I asked you to check on the work progress of the marketing department? What's the result?"Sam stood there narrowing his eyes. When Cannon didn't get a response, he faced him, "I am asking you something. Have you even checked it?"When Cannon woke up, it was early in the morning. As he had a meeting out of the town, he took a quick shower and then got ready. As he was going downstairs, he cast a glance at the door of Elaine's room and got wondering.What made her believe that he would believe her nonsensical lies! Cannon stood there for a few moments before getting out of his apartment thinking he would deal with her coming back.Sam demanded an answer breaking his thought, "Answer me first. Where is Elaine? She didn't go to the boutique today. And I heard she saw the doctor yesterday. What happened?"Cannon answered coldly, "I don't know. Do your work and let me do mine."Glaring at Cannon, Sam got out of his cabin and called Elaine. When he found her phone switched off, he called at the intercom at Cannon's apartment but found the line engaged too much for his irritation.He again went into Cannon's cabin only to find him talking on the phone."Bell, where is Elaine? At home?"Bella answered while staring at Elaine’s room where she walked in a few minutes ago."Yes, she is home. She just came back from somewhere.""Okay." Cannon cut off the line and looked up only to find Sam at the entrance and staring at him."She is at home, happy?" Cannon uttered coldly, "Now go, check on the process of the marketing department."Nodding at him, Sam got out and made his way to the Marketing department as he called Hina. Hina was waiting for his call and answered it in the first ring, "Where is Elaine?""She is at home. Didn’t you say she wasn’t feeling well? She is just resting today."Hina gave Sam's words a good thought and she also thought that might be the reason for her not going to the boutique. But.."Did you talk to her? Why had she kept her phone switched off?""I called her but it was switched off. Cannon called his staff at home and she said this.""Okay then." Hina cut off the line thinking she would visit Elaine the next day if she wouldn’t come. She would have gone today if it wasn’t this late already. She was supposed to drop by the orphanage today.When Sam got out of his cabin, Cannon closed the file. As soon as Elaine's words and the blank night from his memory crossed paths, he got thinking for a moment.He got snapped out of his thoughts when his phone rang off. The caller ID got him enraged. It was Evana. He cut off the line and leaned against his chair as he closed his eyes.Everything was getting out of place for him. The more he was trying to get it handled, the more it was becoming haphazard.Sam entered the cabin after some time. Seeing Cannon like that, he didn’t utter anything for a while. But then finding nothing else to do, he announced his presence.Cannon opened his eyes as he asked him about the work he was asked to do. Sam filled him with the information of the progress. Though it wasn’t as per Cannon's expectation, he didn’t utter anything as he got up. He was in no mood to work now. Asking Sam to handle the rest, he made his way back to his place.When he reached home, it was early in the evening. Seeing him, Bella ran to him to say something but he cut her off and walked to his room.A dim light was on in the room. But even in that light, a few things on the bed got into his sight.An envelopeA briefcase and a single piece of paper on it.And on top of that, there was a sparkling ring.......It was early in the afternoon when Aiden got back to his place. Since getting back from the meeting room, he was fuming as he remembered his project getting rejected to be signed just because of Cannon.He knew it was just the beginning and being a member of the Elite Panel, he couldn’t go against Cannon's decision. Now a days he was earnestly wishing a panel like that shouldn’t have existed. If he could, he would have gotten out of the panel but that was out of the question now.Seeing the stock of his favorite wine, filled, he sat on the chair with a thud after taking few bottles of wine and a glass and putting them on the table. He went on filling the glass and gulping down that in a go. The more he was thinking about it, the more he was enraged.Laya, his wife saw him once while talking on the phone but thought of leaving him alone for a while. She knew the reason for his foul mood. But what she could do? She was expecting Aiden to go on with another plan like always but found him
"Where is Elaine, Cannon?" Mary thought of asking him first. Bella had told her already that Elaine had left with her bags packed but she still thought Cannon might have known she had gone where to.Even if Cannon didn't go, she would go to her to ask forgiveness. Not just because of her guilt towards her but on behalf of Cannon also. She didn't know Aiden was plotting all this and Cannon was using her."Why are you asking me!" Cannon scoffed. His patience was getting thin already. "You must have known where she is. After all, she is a part of you all."Mary closed her eyes trying to get control over her restlessness, "Cannon, I am asking you where Elaine is?"Cannon stood there staring at her. Getting no response from him, Mary opened her eyes, "You didn't do anything to her, right?"Cannon knitted his brows in confusion hearing Mary but didn't utter anything as he thought in mind what that was supposed to mean."Elaine didn't do anything deliberately, Cannon. She never wanted to mar
Getting back to his place Cannon found Mary waiting for him in the living room. He frowned as he didn’t expect her to wait for him this long but without bothering to listen to her, he spoke up, "Why are you still here? Just leave."Mary was thinking that Cannon was going to get Elaine back from wherever she had gone but when she found Cannon walking in alone, her face fell. She thought of following Cannon as he ascended the stairs without bothering to talk to her and she did.Totally forgetting Bella's words that Elaine had left, Cannon made his way to Elaine's room. But when the room looked empty, it hit him. Bella's words echoed in his mind.He took out his phone and called Elaine but it was switched off. After trying several times, Cannon thought of calling Hina thinking Elaine must have gone to her.Hina's number wasn't there saved in his phone book. Giving it a thought, he called Sam but it was answered by Sarah, Sam's sister on its second ring.Sam was taking a shower then and S
After Four YearsCannon was driving the car, with Sam beside who was briefing him about the project for which they were going to attend a meeting.Out of nowhere, a woman came in front of their car. Cannon stopped the car with a jerk and the car got stopped just a few inches before. Both of them rushed out of the car immediately and uttered in unison, "You okay?"The woman stood up holding a little puppy in hand uttering, "Yeah, I am." but when they came face to face, all of them were bewildered. Uttered silence occupied the place.Sam spoke up first breaking the silence, "Elaine? You?"Before Elaine could say something, a little boy got there running, "Mom, you okay?"Elaine stared at Cannon’s face who was looking at the boy with widened eyes. The boy also turned to him. Pulling out a serious expression, he scolded him in his baby voice, "Be careful."Cannon stood there dumbfounded, his eyes never leaving the three-year-old boy.But without bothering him, Elaine got down and assured
Cannon kept there sitting on the roadside bench all alone as his entire thirty years of life flashed by in front of his eyes.He was a talkative child, good to make friends and get himself him into trouble as well but then he had to realise the bitter truth of his life.His parents were never there for him. Cannon always heard in his childhood whenever he asked his nanny about his mom and dad that they were busy.The feeling being a child, he went through hearing that his parents were so busy that they didn’t even have a little bit of time for him was way worse beyond imagination for him.He was sent to boarding school forcefully and only got to visit his family once in a year but that time he got to realise, they were better off without him.He stopped visiting them despite his wish. Though he wished, they would visit him if he didn't come home or ask him to visit them at least but nothing of this happened. It made him feel unwanted, unworthy, worse and what not.He was gotten to be
Cassandra was just done preparing some cake and cookies as per his preference. She tasted a cookie to check and got pleased with the taste.Not sweet at all but yummy. Sometimes, she wondered how come a little child hated sweets with such a passion!When chocolates, ice-creams, candies, different types of sweet cookies are the things children seemed to love generally,Ryan was a bright exception in this case.Well, he just liked ice cream among all of these but for other sweet things, he had a big fat No.Smilingly Cassandra shook her head at her thought and was placing the cookies in a box when the doorbell rang. She knew it was them only and walked to answer it.She opened the door to reveal Elaine standing there with Ryan holding her finger and Tom, their pet was standing in the row."Cassie!" Ryan squealed in joy and when he saw his nanny bending and opening her arms for him, he literally jumped to her."How's your outing, honey?""Good." Ryan answered smilingly and Cassandra nodd
It was early in the evening. Elaine, Cassandra and Sienna, Cassandra's friend were decorating the living room with all colourful things. Most of them were of moon and star-shaped things and balloons. Ryan was jumping around happily seeing all these.Cassandra and Elaine were astonished to see Ryan not minding Sienna touching him and talking to him as Ryan didn’t get along with strangers easily.Knowing the reason behind their shocked faces, Sienna spoke up smilingly, "Well, that’s my charm." making Elaine smile back to her whereas Cassandra rolled her eyes.When they were done with the arrangement and all, Cassandra placed the cake on the middle of the coffee table that she baked herself. Though a cake couldn't be but sweet, she made it otherwise with the thought that the birthday boy had to like the cake no matter what.When Cassandra set the candles on the cake, Ryan blew them off while clapping himself being all excited. After wishing him, when Elaine reached to his mouth with a pi
After getting into the room, Ryan laid flat on his stomach as he opened a random page from the book, Damien brought him. After staring at the moon there for a while, he pulled back and turned to Cassandra, "Cassie, who is he?"Cassandra was thinking about what must have happened between Elaine and Ryan's father. She had asked Elaine but she never talked about him. Not even his name. She didn't even know if Elaine was married or just a single parent. She didn’t push her into this much seeing her fallen face every time she asked. Something might have gone wrong between them but then what could be it? She couldn’t just get this.Elaine was a nice girl and Ryan was nothing but a sweetheart.. Then?Well, his father might not have known about Ryan as when she met Elaine, Ryan wasn't even born and she had never seen him visit them before. And when she saw Damien treating Elaine and Ryan with nothing but sincerity, she couldn’t help try playing a cupid.Ryan's voice pulled her out of her thoug