Chapter 3

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 envelope

A briefcase and a single piece of paper on it.

And on top of that, there was a sparkling ring.......