Chapter Thirty Six: Missing Documents

EVELYN’S POV:

"What's going on, Dad?" I asked demandingly, staring sternly into his eyes, waiting for him to say something comprehensible.

He seemed confused and gave me a look as if he didn’t understand what I was talking about. The whole thing was making me impatient, and I felt like I was losing my mind.

"Cut this off, Dad. This isn’t like you. What did you do to Dana?"

"Oh, darling, I only spoke to her about a matter that didn’t sit well with her. And, let’s just say, it wouldn’t feel right in your presence either. But don’t worry—it’s harmless, darling. Now, can we do something else?"

"What can’t you say in my presence but can with Dana? What don’t you want me to know? Do we keep secrets now?" I inquired, already losing myself. Why wasn’t anyone saying anything to me?

"My darling, you’re too young to understand, and you’ll only know when the time is right. And listen, I don’t ever want to hear you bring this up again," he said firmly. "Just know your dad loves you so much and would do anything to protect you."

"What are you protecting me from? What are you hiding, Dad? I want to know."

I was furious, but my thoughts calmed me. On the other hand, I wasn’t completely honest with my dad either, so I had no right to judge him if he decided to keep something from me. I left without another word.

As I got back to my apartment, I couldn’t shake Dana’s angry face from my mind. The feeling that something was wrong lingered heavily over me.

I began to regret inviting her over for my selfish reasons—it was all going wrong.

But what lingered even more was the darkness. I knew absolutely nothing about what was happening.

I went straight to bed, and sleep came quickly, carrying me into the next day, which I had already forecasted would bring trouble.

I prayed Dana wouldn’t find some way to retaliate.

I woke up at 6 a.m. to Leonard’s message wishing me a great day and hoping to see me soon. I smiled and got out of bed at ease. My morning started well, I thought to myself.

After my morning routine, I headed to see my dad.

We were supposed to attend a meeting together at 9:00 a.m.

As soon as I closed the door behind me, I found myself standing before at least six people singing a birthday song, their faces lit with smiles. Among them were Caleb, Dana, Leonard, my dad, and two of my dad’s security men.

I smiled as a wave of relief and happiness washed over me.

I thanked them, and rounds of greetings began. The atmosphere was filled with warm wishes and gifts.

Dana walked up to me and apologized for the previous day.

"It was just a way to keep you in suspense before the morning," she explained.

"It’s okay, Dana. I wasn’t feeling well at all. Thank you, regardless," I replied, smiling.

Once the celebration was over, we returned to work. It was announced there would be a party that evening.

I wasn’t much of a party person, but I wouldn’t let their efforts go to waste, so I agreed.

After everyone left, it was just my dad and me. He was already prepared for the meeting. I jumped up and hugged him.

"Thank you, Daddy," I said sincerely.

Since he was still technically the CEO of the company, he represented himself at crucial contract meetings.

We left together in the same car because he had offered to drive the birthday girl himself. The security men followed us in another vehicle.

Before the meeting, we stopped by the office to pick up some documents I had prepared.

As we drove, the atmosphere was mesmerizing. My dad handed me a cup of coffee—it was my mom’s favorite, and he had made it especially for my birthday.

 “ Thank you so much dad” I said, giving him a look of gratitude.

 “ I only blame how life could be unfair to take away my mom from him” I thought deeply as I reminisce on the nice stories he'ld always tell of her.

It sometimes hurt me to see how much my dad missed my mom. On special occasions, he honored her memory in small, thoughtful ways: wearing her favorite color on his birthday, cooking her favorite dishes on their anniversary, and more. It was bittersweet. 

I looked at him as he drove, a bit sad. I could only imagine how he felt. I couldn’t truly relate to losing someone you had planned to spend your life with, I could only tell. I also admired how he had been the best dad regardless.

When we arrived at the office, the security men rushed to open the car door for me. I stepped out and headed inside to retrieve the documents.

I searched my desk and drawers, but they were nowhere to be found. I called my secretary to make a duplicate, but to my shock, it wasn’t on the system either.

All efforts to recover the document were completely fruitless.

My dad, visibly impatient, entered the office. His face showed disbelief and frustration when he realized what was happening.

With no other options, we left for the meeting without the documents.

The car ride was filled with thick silence. I couldn’t bring myself to explain what had happened. My dad didn’t say a word; he simply focused on driving.

When we arrived at the venue, we were welcomed warmly despite being a bit late. After apologizing for the delay, we took our seats.

I couldn’t stop worrying about how we would present our company without the documents.

During the meeting, I began to feel dizzy and feverish. I leaned closer to my dad and whispered my discomfort. His face immediately softened with concern.

"Can you hold on for a little while?" he asked.

I tried, but it became unbearable. I knew what leaving the meeting would mean, but my condition worsened.

Suddenly, darkness overtook me, and I blacked out.