CHAPTER 5

(Laya P.O.V.)

  All the time, I was thinking about the letters that I have received today and the appearance of Mr. Morrison's son last night. He must have a relationship with these letters. But why is he playing with me? As Peter says to me that he is an honest and respectful man. But if so, why they come out at the same time? And what about the last call that Adam made yesterday? So many questions running on my head and no logical answer can be found. I must do something.

  I take my phone and call him.

  "Hello, Peter!"

  "Hi, Lyly!"

  "Do you have time? I need to talk to you."

  "Yes, sure."

  "Can we meet after an hour?"

  "No problem, where?"

  "I'll send you the location."

  "Okay."

  "Peter, don't tell Selly about the meeting, please."

  "Is there something wrong."

  "We will talk later, see you."

  I hide the letters before leaving and head to the public garden, not far from my house. Peter is on time, he is punctual person.

  "Are you alright?"

  "I just have a flue. I hope you didn't tell Selly."

  "Don't worry."

  "Peter, I want to know more about someone you know."

  "Who?"

  "Adam Morrison."

  "Are you..."

  "No, it has to do with work, and please keep it between us."

  "What do you want to know exactly."

  "Everything. How much do you know him?"

  "We are childhood friends, I know him since college."

  "Does he meet his father? I mean the relationship between them."

  "No, they rarely meet or speak to each other. The relationship between them is not that good. He doesn't like to be with him or around him. He avoids him. Well, Adam is a reserved person. He didn't speak too much about his family and his life. He left their house and go abroad, he spends most of his time in nature, he used to live in yacht." Peter states.

  "What about his mother?"

  "She died when he was 13. She fell from the stairs but he blames his father for her death. He thinks that he is the one who killed her."

  " What that means?"

  "They were always fighting and screaming when Mr. Morrison came home. He used to beat her every night, they fought like cat and dog. He made relationship with many women. She was suffering with him."

  "He must be suffering since his childhood. He doesn't seem so."

  "Don't judge the book from its cover.I'll tell you something, Adam never acts the way he did with you yesterday, he really enjoys your company." 

  "What does that mean?"

  "He is sever and so serious some use to call him coldhearted and agressive but he is not with you. Even Mr. jasper thought that you are his lady."

  "Well, that is his problem. Anyway, it's not our topic, can you tell me about the company he owns?"

  "He loves photography and he worked with great companies in Canada, Mexico and great magazines as well. So, he decided to have an independent work and he opened this company 2 years ago."

  "Did he meet his father when he came here?"

  "Yes, in parties or during business. He used to avoid him as much as he can."

  "What do you mean by business?"

  "Well, his father created new perfume last year and asks Adam to work with him. Adam couldn't refuse but he was strict with him."

  "So, he still works with him."

  "I don't think so."

  "How is the relationship with his workers?"

  "Despite of his seriousness and strictness, they do respect and love him. He is whiter than white."

  "Can you give me the location of his company?"

  "Sure. I don't know what you are hiding Lyly. Let me tell you that I'm not clever but I'm not stupid either. Adam and his father are from different stars, he has nothing to do with his father's work or him." He utters clearly.

 I don't want to neither deny or confirm his words I just say, "Thank you, I really appreciate this."

  "Any time. I hope everything will be fine."

  "I hope so, and as I told you keep this secret, please." I didn't get much information from him but I need to investigate mor.

  "Don't worry and be careful, his father is too dangerous." Peter says before leaving and I remain silent.

   I am not afraid about what will happen to me but I care about who surrounds me. He will let you suffer by losing your relatives and friends. Marcus is the one who makes you taste all the kinds of pain before getting you dead. I must watch my steps carefully.

  When I enter I find Jenny and Nana there waiting for me, so I need to explain why I was out and not in my room.

  "Where have you been?"

  "I was in the green garden with Peter."

  "Why you left the house he can visit you here."

  "I told him to meet me there, cause I was afraid that Selly will come to see me here with him."

  "Is there something you hide?"

  "Peter and Selly are engaged, and I need to show him Selly's red lines and my reactions if things get wrong.He must treat her good."

  "I hope that you care about yourself the way you care about her. Any way. I'm not convinced at all, but I think you are mature enough to know the wrong things."

  "Good night." I say and left them. I know she is refering to something else. It would be better to let sleeping dogs lie and not discuss the problem any further.

  I didn't noticed that I forget my phone here. I go and check it, there is a message. hopefully, my phone is with a password so Nana can't do anything. I open the message to find it from Peter, it is the location of Adam's company. Fortunately, It is not far from my work place and there Jenny on the door with chicken soup. I didn't eat anything the whole day, I totally forget.

  "Lyly, Nana said that you should eat this soup to get better." Jenny says.

  "Ok, thank you.Put it there, I'll have it later."

  "Nana said that you should have it now because it wont taste good when it gets cold."

  "I do."

  "Then, have a nice dream."

  "Likewise, honey. Wait! Can you come and sit next to me?" I really don't give her importance lately and she doesn't complain at all. We need to talk whether as mother and daughter or as friends doesn't matter. I'm afraid that she gets a bad image about me, it is the last thing I want. We don't talk too much to each other and that will creat a huge gap between us in the future. Suddenly, I remember Nana when she tried her best to make me react and talk to her in the past. Now, I understand her better.

  "How was your day?" I asks her.

  "Oh!"

  "What?" Is she surprised that I have asked her about her day?

  "Nothing much. We had borring classes and stupid people."

  "And why you say so?"

  "I don't like neither mathematics nor history and when we have reading session I fall sleep."

  "Honestly speaking, neither do I but I love reading. I feel joy when I read books and stories."

  "Our teacher reads stupid stories of animals, she think that we are kids when I told her this she got angry and punished me and the whole class were loughing at me, I became a loughing stock. I hate them all."

  "Really, when was that?"

  "It was last week, and now, she ignores me."

  "Why you didn't tell me that?"

  "You were too busy so, I don't want disturbing you and annoying you with my problem. Don't worry, i'll deal with it."

  "You are my daughter and best friend, you never annoying me or disturbing me. I'm here to help you and protect you."

  "Thank you."

  "Hum, how are you going to deal with this situation?"

  "I'm going to tell you after. I have things on my mind." She says and her eyes full of pain but what is on her mind? I really neglekted her. It's all my fault.

  "My apologies Jenny, I didn't take care of you but not any more. Promise...What are you going to do? Tomorrow is weekend."

  "I'm going with Nana and help her all the day."

  "Can we have a drive together?"

  "I don't know. If you insist then yes." Jenny says and we both smile.

  "I'll pick you up at 5:00 pm."

  "You didn't finish your soup, it must be cold."

  "I've get enough. It's time to bed. Have a sweet dreams."

  "You too."

  I take my family's picture and hug it. Sorry dad, sorry mom. I know I upset you both, I didn't take responsibility over her, I feel so guilty, if something happens to her, I won't forgive myself. I didn't keep my words, but I'll make them pay for everything that happened to you whatever the cost is.

  I feel blessed that I watch the sunrise, it just gives me hope. Speaking about hope, I think about Nana, she puts all her hope on me after all she lost her granddaughter and son, she suffered a lot and I can't bare that to make her suffer again, I need to handle her with kid gloves. But, she will have a cow if I do what must be done. I have to find a solution the sooner is the better. 

  I change my outfit and go for run.

  Nana left the house without checking on me! I'll talk to her later, she must be agry. I take the cab and go for my appointment.

  "Good morning, Mr. Eric." I say.

  "Godd morning, Laya. Please have a seat."

  "Thank you."

  "What do you want to drink?"

  "No, thanks."

  "Have a look on the menu. You should have a taste. You won't regret." I get confused, why he is acting like that? "Trust me." He says but looking at something else. I follow his gaze, then, I find a man standing behind me trying to hear our talk. But why? 

  "Are we...?"

  "Yes, the file that I gave you last time is my best friend's case, I hope you do your best in it. However, you didn't make any progress in it. do you need help?"

  "Aw! My apologies, sir, I had a bigger fish to fry. I told you before but you insist."

  "How dare you talking to me like that?"

  "I... I, I am sorry." I don't know what to say. "Your friend, I mean our client is not clear with us, he must hide something, that's why I put it off." In the meantime, he takes a disposible paper and writes something on it.

  "Why don't you meet her and asks her? You become irresponsible and neglected lately. It is the last worning. You are working in the best law firm that everyone dreams to join, and you didn't even apreciate this. You..."

  "Sorry, sir. I want to go to see a man about a dog." I cut him off. I think he overacts. Before leaving, he gives me the paper he wrote on it.

  Fortunately, I find the cab at the back entrance so, I leave quickly the place. As I climb in, I open the paper and read what is written on it. And I do as it said. The place that Mr. Eric mentions it doesn't take a long. The place is breathtaking and its roads are pleasing to the sight, they are wooded. I didn't know that such a place does even exist, it is heven on earth. The cafetoria is on the top of a hill, it gives you the sight of the place, you can sit here for years and decades, even the cafeteria is artfelly designed and decorated, everything is wooden and utensils are made of clay. I fell head over heels in love with this place. 

  "Do you love the place?" I heard Mr. Eric standing in front of me.

  "You cannot imagine." he sits and stare on the other side.

  "I didn't come here for a long time, since the death of my wife."

  "Oh! Sorry to hear that." I don't know wha to say.

  "Don't be. Nothing is certain but death and taxes. Tell me what's going with you?"

  "Well, I received this note with flowers in my office yesterday." I say and hand him the card.

  "If I remember well, the accident happened on your first day at work. Right?"

  "No, the second."

  "The same thing. Do you have any idea what they want fom you?"

  "I have no clue."

 "If they want you dead, they must do it long time ago. That means you have something very important that belongs to them or they threat you for something you are about to do it.'

 "I really have no idea. If it is what you said, why they don't make things clear to me."

 "Because you have alredy knew it... They think so. You are a threat for them. Have you noticed that you have been watched?"

 "No. And I'm sure I didn't get in someones hair."

 "Is that all what you have received?"

 "Each time, I receive a call with private number, but I didn't answer."

 "Maybe someone has a relation with one of your client."

 "I don't think so. It seems more that this." As I say that I recieve a message. I open it to find...

 There is no where to run, your grandma and daughter are safe with me...For now.

  "are you all right? What is written there?" Mr. Eric asks with concern.

  "My...My family" Tears fall down my cheeks. Now, I feel really helpless. I freeze on my place, my...I black out.

  As I open my eyes I see Mr. Eric sits besides me waiting me to regain my consciousness. I don't know how much time I was laying on the wooden bench. For a moment, I remember what happens. The letter... Nana... Jenny!!

  "Where is my phone?"

  "Here it is." Mr. Erick hand it to me.

  I try to call Nana on her phone. She doesn't answer. I also try to call her on the land line, no respond. I can't bare it, I won't forgive myself if something happens to them; Not again. Not the same story.