Chapter TwentyMarianne woke up the next morning and noticed that Thompson still wrapped his hands on her, embracing her.For a moment, she lay still. It has been a long time since she felt that way. It's been a long time since someone has married her . She felt safe and wanted beside him.Last night had been different from anything she'd ever experienced. Blake had never made him feel the way before. He only just way her to satisfy his desire, then she disappeared. Now, she saw someone who made her feel wanted and someone who she matters to. For the first time in a while, she felt safe. She felt like she really mattered. She felt like everything is weighing her down as it has always been As she shifted, Thompson move closer to her, he warped his arm and tightened it around her, she doesn't want her to go She smiled softly, her heart swelling with a warmth that she hadn't felt in years."Good morning," he murmured, his voice husky with sleep as he nuzzled her neck.“Good Morning dar
Chapter Twenty One“So you mean you can't describe your house for me? You can't tell me the address of your house” Anna asked, shockingly.“I really don't know the place, you know it's my friend's driver that used to take me to office and pick me up at the closing hour”“So you don't know the address of where you stay? Is that what you are trying to tell me…” Before Anna could finish, the door was knocked.“Come in” Marianne said, and it was Thompson who came in.“Good Morning Mr. Thompson” Anna said, “I came to discuss about the dedication in price of our competitors”“The mood here doesn't look like that's what the two of you are discussing. Anyways, I want to put a warning for the two of you and for everyone in the company, you can extend this to them. They should never discuss personal issues at work…”“We aren't discussing personal issues…” Anna interrupted.“Are you interrupting me?” He asked, “Personal matters should be outside of the office. Not even now, when we have a lot of
Chapter Twenty TwoAs Mr. Francis left Marianne's office, Marianne had to drop everything she was doing, “Why should they hate me? What do I not deserve such treatment? I have only decided to work diligently and I don't know how I find myself as the topic of the gossip's mouth” she breathes in and out deeply.“I am going to keep this from Mr. Thompson though, I don't want him to know about this, I don't want to be the reason there's chaos in office, now even now and not even because of me”She straightened up, pushing the negativity aside. She had a job to do, and she wasn’t about to let petty office gossip stand in her way. As she focused back on her tasks, a steely determination settled in her heart.She was reading a file, when someone knocked her door again, “Come in” she said.It was the man after her heart, Mr. Thompson who came in.“Have you seen the promotion team, sir?” Marianne asked.“That? I will see them tomorrow” she said, moving closer to her.“Why tomorrow? There's sti
Chapter Twenty ThreeAfter they had refreshed their minds there. Thompson decides that they leave to go to a restaurant and that he's hungry.They entered the car and he drove off.They got to the restaurant, and they entered.“Have your seat” he told her.They sat down, and the bartender brought the menu list.“I'll like past and flavored drinks,” Marianne said.“Just bring two portions of what she wants, I'll eat anything she wants,” Thompson said and the bartender left.“Hope you enjoyed the food cooked by the chefs?”“Of course… though I have only ate twice in that house”“Twice? And they didn't tell me? Why?”The bartender brought the food.“I have always wanted to hang out with my lover. Be free with her and make sure she's free with me. I have always wanted a hardworking, resilient, reserved and hardworking lady. Although beauty was never in the list but I am glad that I have someone who is also beautiful”Marianne smiled, “I have always loved to be in a relationship with someo
Chapter Twenty FourIt was the next morning and Marainne woke up early because she had many tasks ahead — as an accountant and his secretary.As she got to the workplace, she resumed work as an accountant, calculating everything going on.As she sat back, and leaned her back on her chair, she turned on the system and she couldn't understand what was going on."No!" she whispered in disbelief. "Billions of money are missing, what's going on? I… I left here yesterday and everything was alright…."Her hands trembled as she navigated through the system, trying to make sense of the numbers in front of her. Panic began to rise within her. She knew how thorough she had been with her work the previous day. How could such a massive amount simply vanish overnight?Marianne’s mind raced. This wasn’t just a minor error—this was a potential catastrophe. She must find this and solve it, this could ruin the company and everything they had worked for.Without wasting another moment, she picked up th
AChapter Twenty FiveAs the tension began to weigh them down. Mr. Thompson told everyone to close for today.Mr. Thompson told Marianne not to worry and that she can go home..They went home together. But Marianne wasn't settled she feel the tension weighing her down.When they got home, the both of them went to their room. Marianne went to her room crying that she doesn't know when she slept off She woke up the next morning, tired and exhausted.She prepared for work, and as she got to the living room, she met Thompson.“Good Morning” she greeted.He ignored her at first, “Good Morning” she greeted again.“Good Morning Marianne, where are you going?”“I am going to work. I need to find out…”“You don't need to find out anything, okay?”“Why? I need to know”“See Marainne, I am sorry but you need to know that I don't mix my work with pleasure. I am sorry to announce that you can't resume to my company again”Marianne’s face fell. “What do you mean?”“I mean that your position is no l
Chapter Twenty SixMarianne's PovI was bored inside, but Kane came in, to cheer me up.Probably she knew what was going on, I didn't know “Good Morning” she said, as she come in.I already wiped my tears before she came in, so I replied, “Good Morning Kane, how are you doing?”“I am fine, you didn't go to work today? What happened?”“Oh! Yeah… Something happened yesterday so I won't be going to work for now”“If I am not asking too much, what exactly happened?” She asked.I hesitated, not sure how much I should tell her. The weight of yesterday’s events still lingered heavily on my heart. "H&m… I did everything I could," I began slowly, trying to find the right words. "But it seems like it wasn’t enough. I lost my job, Kane."Her eyes widened in shock. "You lost your job? But how? You’ve been doing so well!"I sighed, feeling the lump in my throat return. "It’s complicated. Mr. Thompson… he said he doesn’t mix work with pleasure, and… and that my position is no longer available."Ka
Chapter Twenty SevenMarianne's PovI was asleep when the door was opened.I stretched my hands and I managed to open my eyes. I saw ‘Thompson’ as soon as I realized he saw the one. I got up from the bed and I stood up.“Welcome Thompson, how's work?”“Please, I had like you to start using the Mr. again”When I heard this, I knew there's nothing more between us, I crossed my arms in anticipation of what he wants to say “Yeah, I'd like you to call me Mr. Thompson,” he said again.“Mr. Thompson I am sorry for whatever has happened, I am very sorry. So, how's it now, have they been able to get the sources of it? Do you have any good news to share to me”“I have a news to share to you, you are this one to decide if it will be good to you or bad, but that doesn't concerns me anymore”“What's that?” I held my breath, feeling my heart race as I waited for his next words. The tension in the room was almost suffocating.Thompson—no, Mr. Thompson—looked at me with an expression that was hard
You'll be dead when I return. And when I'm back, you wouldn't like how your story would end!" He let out, as I heard him walking away. The police arrived almost immediately he walked off."Hello, Avia." I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "He might come for you, just like he did me. He even had a bunch of spare keys! Luckily for me, I guess the key didn't fit!" I exclaimed."Oh my goodness, I think you should move in with us till everything is settled, till he's handed over to the police. You can't play gamble with your life. Because if he kills you, the worst that could happen is him being executed.""But you'll be long dead and gone before then. So you need to try to be as logical as possible." She adviced. "I know. But I also know that staying at your place, that's a different level of inconvenience. I don't want to put you through that." I said."Not in this life or another, would you ever inconvenience me. Please never say that again, you are a sister to me and you prov
"Do you feel better now?" I heard her mother ask her. "Better, mother." She said, weakly, looking around, as if still feeling like they were still being watched or followed."I'll be on my way now, Avia. Please get well soon." I said, getting up to leave. I knew I had overstayed and my job might be paying for that soon. "That's... That's... Okay, I'm grateful! Thanks you so much for staying around!" She said, her voice now shaky."Oh come off it, stop now or you're gonna make me tear up too." I said, getting emotional already. "I have to say what's on my mind. I didn't see it coming at all. How you were there for me. Fought and defended me." She said."That's just how I am, and you're not an enemy of course." I said, "What would you have rather had me do? Stay there and watch you die?" I joked, "now come over here!" I said, as we embraced each other.We held each other tightly for the following seconds, soaking in our emotions and just being grateful that she was alive."Thank you." S
"Is there really anything good about the afternoon?." He replied, not bothering that someone else was now in the room. "How may I help you?" I asked, spiting him, "oh you!" He said, in composed excitement. "What a small world." He said, under his breath, not knowing that I heard him."She?" I asked, pointing in her direction, "yeah. If I get what you mean." He answered, a pale countenance sweeping through his face. "Okay?" I asked, "why are you here?" I asked, looking squarely at him."Is there a rule that says I can't?" He asked, goofingly. "I expect you to know that." I said coldly, "you have overstayed your welcome. You can now use the door." I said."You're in no position to order me around," he said. "But I am, this is a health facility. I'm in charge, and I now inform you, you have overstayed your welcome." The doctor said from behind us.He turned slowly, walking out in a cold manner. "How did he even get in here in the first place?" The doctor asked, turning to face me. "I don
Almost immediately, the doctor arrived, he was checking Avia with his stethoscope, she was now calm and stabilized. It looked strange that she had begun to convulse, after being confirmed okay by the doctor."She's stabilized now." He let out, heading out, "please hold on, Doctor, what... What if the convulsion starts again?" I asked, my heart racing within me. "She won't, he replied dismissingly.I watched her intently, counting her breathe, hoping the convulsion wouldn't start again. She seemed to be sleeping sweetly, it however got strange and weird when she had been sleeping for the following hours.I was now concerned and had to call the doctor's attention. Her family were still there too. "She's in stable condition," he said, sure."But she's been sleeping for too long now." I asked, concerned, he went on, checking her pulse repeatedly, she still looked like she was asleep. At this point we could already sense everything wasn't okay."Doctor! What's the matter," I asked, frantic
"I can't forget the sweet mother she was to us. She showed us so much love and motherly care. Loosing her was a huge blow to all of us. So I was taken aback when my father seemed happy about her passing." He explained."At rare times, he tried to feign mourning her, which didn't work because he wasn't one to pretend. So it was always crystal clear what he thought or felt." He explained."The scariest part is that I walked in on him, on a phone call, he was talking about a body. I left almost immediately when I noticed he didn't see me walk in and listened on. I didn't want to draw any conclusions based on what I heard, but I feel he was talking about a human body.""My goodness! What human body??" I asked, frantic. "Any chances it could be Nadia's?" I asked, not letting him land. "It just might be. The voice he was speaking with on the phone appeared to be a woman's voice." He added."A woman's voice?" I exclaimed, "how were you close enough to hear this and not close enough for him t
"I apologize sincerely!" I let out, trying to avoid hitting more persons. My eyes met those of the voice I was hearing."Mark!" I exclaimed, "what are you doing here?" I asked, stretching out my hand for a handshake. "Oh, not something I'll want to talk about." He said, as we shook hands, his facial expression changing."You look sad all of a sudden, what's the matter?" I asked, as we slowly moved to a chair close by to sit. "There's no matter." He lied, pointing his nose. "Yeah, go on, you need to do exactly what you're doing now." I said, casting a goofy glance at him."Do what?" He asked, looking intently at me. "Point your nose. You know what happens to Pinocchio huh?" I joked, looking squarely at him. "Oh there you go! Goofy you!" He let out, laughing. "You look better, happy." I said, looking intently at him."Oh.... Yeah, who doesn't?" He said, nervously, adjusting his shirt which wasn't disarranged. "You look bothered, and you know you're not good at hiding things like these."
"You should ask someone else, I know nothing. You have no right whatsoever to hold me hostage, I'm as innocent as the word innocent. Let me go!" She let out.She looked modest, no one would imagine she could have such a wicked heart. She was also soft spoken,so it was very hard to tell she was a goofy lady, who enjoyed seeing others in pain.As we conversed, speaking about some painful scenarios, including the pain Nadia might have undergone, seeing what the autopsy was showing, she seemed to enjoy talking about the pain of others, and that was a very bad sign, a huge indicator that something was wrong somewhere."Of course we'll let you go, after you've answered all needed questions." The officer insisted. "I committed no crime." She said, "What happened to your friend? That's all we want to know." He asked. "She was suicidal." She let out, in an unreal manner."Suicidal? Is that all you knew about your friend?" He asked, we'll be taking you to the station now for further questioning
"My mind was beclouded by the fact that she was in pains, she was suffering from a terminal disease like I told you." I explained, looking queerly at him. "That's just a lead, we need to get to the root of the matter." He added, looking intently at me."I spoke with her bosses, those she worked for, and they said she was very fine the day before." I said, I could see through to the fact that he wasn't satisfied. "I know that Nadia was ill, but I don't know of any complaint from work. She enjoyed her work as much as I knew.Days had now passed and I hadn't seen Mark at the office. His father, now had two offices, his and theirs. I wanted to ask what the problem was but I didn't even know where to start from or how it'll come off to him, so I let it slide.I received a call from a strange number. I was glad and sure it might be Mark, "Hello, May dear, how are you doing?" The voice asked. "I-I am okay, who's on the phone please?""This is Nati, I know you don't know me but I really need t
"Can you kindly let me know why you are in my office?" He asked, I noticed his shirt looked like it was hurriedly arranged, and she looked like she was drawn down from a mountain, just when she was close to it's peak."I would love to speak with you and your brother." I let out, impressed at myself at how easily I was able to cook up something."Hmmm... That's huge, I hope no problems?" He asked, his eyebrows raised, as he adjusted his shirt better. "Not at all. Just family business. I'll want to be speaking with the both of you, alone." I said, with emphasis on the word 'alone', throwing disgusting glances at her."Alright. Honey would you please excuse us for the moment?" He said to her, I watched satisfyingly as she pushed herself out of the office. She didn't want to go, but she had no choice."The floor is yours now, so please go on. I'll send a staff to get my brother, right away." He said, "okay, even better. I'll be waiting." I added, taking a seat.In no time Mark was in the