05: Secret Admirer

Iris watches her phone rings and finally it stops. It's annoying when people don't get the hint that you don't wanna talk to them right now. It's even more annoying when it's an unknown number. 

By exhaling an annoyed huff, Iris finally picks up the call when it goes off again. Her phone has been going off for at least half an hour now. Assuming it's that nonsense secret admirer of her who doesn't have the courage to reveal themselves, she blocked the number but that person is a shameless soul who didn't hesitate to disturb her with a bunch of more different numbers. 

"Why didn't you pick up the call?" Before Iris can curse her heart out, she hears an irritating robotic voice demanding an answer from her which makes her raise an eyebrow.

"And who the fuck do you think you are to talk to me like that?" Her question meets with silence as the line goes quite for a while, testing her thin line of patience.

"Are you alright?" Now, that's surprising. She hadn't expected such a question from the freaky voice.

She has been getting anonymous calls for a whole year now but she has never mentioned it to her father or anyone as she didn't want to lose her left over freedom. She used her own wit and tried to find out but none of her suspects matched with this anonymous. So, she didn't dig up anymore. This guy or girl just calls her to check on her so she doesn't find it harmful. However, she can't tell the gender of her secret admirer as they use  voice changers that prevent her from assuming the gender.

"Is that the reason why you are blowing up my phone?" She asks, annoyed.

"I heard what happened that night. I just want to make sure you are alright." 

It takes her a minute to figure out what he was trying to say. It's been almost over a month since that hostage situation took place. To her relief, she almost forgot about it though it gave her nightmares for a few days, she was trying to forget it totally. 

"Well, took you long enough." Scoffs Iris, thinking to herself that she should now cut the call, it creeps her out to talk to someone who doesn't even sound human. 

"Take care of yourself-" and she cuts the call before they can continue.

She converts her attention to her laptop screen to do her assignment but then again her phone starts to vibrate as she had turned on the vibrate mode. She groans with anger this time. It frustrates her so much  that she wants to report that freak but then she stops herself as It's her who will have to pay the price if someone comes to know about some freak disturbing her. 

An idea hits her head. She smiles to herself, mentally praising herself for coming up with such a brilliant idea. 

She takes a silver spoon and  bowl from the tray that one of her butlers brought to bring her breakfast earlier this morning. 

After answering the call she covers the phone with the bowl and starts tapping the silver spoon over the bowl hard enough to make an unbearable sound. It's even too much for her to bear the obnoxious sound, still she goes on with the torture. 

"What in the heaven are you doing, young lady?" Iris jumps off her bed hearing Martha's voice, one of her butlers whom she absolutely adores. 

"Umm...nothing?" She takes the bowl away and feels happy seeing that freak has cut the call already. Serves him right! 

The middle aged woman raises her eyebrow at Iris's crystal clear lie, leaning on to the door frame she crosses her hands over her chest, quietly waiting for an answer. 

"It was Emily! She was talking nonsense so had to teach her some manners." Iris lies through her smiling teeth, not exactly lying. Emily was indeed disturbing Iris to join her on a shopping spree instead of doing assignments that are due this week. 

Martha just shakes her head and walks forward. 

"You didn't have to turn that poor girl deaf. In fact, I'm afraid that I might turn deaf too." Martha points out, a humorous chuckle accompanies her statement.

"You shouldn't have peeked into my room then." Iris jokes, shrugging her shoulders. 

"Then how could I deliver the news to you that your father has requested for your presence?" Iris's eyes widens at that. 

"Shit! Am I in trouble?" Iris looks at Martha with hopeful eyes. 

It's always been Martha who saved Iris from her father's anger and stopped many unpleasant quarrels between the father and the daughter. Iris wasn't lucky enough to have her mother with her while growing up so Martha had filled that spot in her life. Shadowing Iris from trouble, making her feel important and taking care of her. Martha is an amazing lady!

"Oh my! Dad is finally home?" Realization hits her soon that her father is home after a whole week.

"Have you created any troubles that you should be worried about?" Martha questions back, playing along.

Iris thinks for a while. She didn't create any chaos in the past month. She was too much into the depression period about that night's incident to do something that may disappoint her father. Just home to college and sometimes going to hang out with her college friends. 

She was very afraid to see her father's reaction that night but much to her surprise he was calm and collected. He just wanted to make sure she was ok. Even after a month,he didn't talk about what happened, why did she go there, nothing at all. In fact, he spent more time at home with her so that she doesn't feel scared.

But a week ago he had to go somewhere because of business purposes, she didn't know he already arrived.

"I don't think so." She replies honestly.

"Don't worry." Martha smiles, "I believe he just missed his dear daughter." 

Iris nods her head, she missed him too. So, she walks out of her room with a happy mind that she gets to see her father after a long week of boredom. 

Finally reaching the spacious drawing space, she finds her dad sipping on his tea while reading a newspaper, such a typical dad pose. 

"What is my old man reading?" She takes her father by surprise and that gets proven when he almost spills the tea over his expensive suit. 

"You might give me a heart attack while you are at it." She can hear her father's sarcastic reply. Taking a seat beside him,she takes the magazine away from him while he puts the cup of tea on the tea table. 

"You are not like my old superhero dad anymore then." 

"Excuse me? I'm still the Superhero of your life and always will be!" She smiles at him, he is so childish sometimes. 

"So, is there any reason why you called for me?" She finally asks, putting an end to her inner monologue which was about whether she should be worried or not. 

"Can't I ask to see my daughter without having any reason?" Her old man who isn't exactly that old, asks her. 

"Cut the chase, dad. I can tell you have something to say. Your face is screaming "Will she like my idea of imprisoning her?" " 

"Dad loves you, you know that right?" He defends himself, finally accepting that he is actually imprisoning her at last. 

"What kind of torture is it now?" Her mood gets sour as her dad just proved her right. Just when she thought he would go lenient on her, he just had to break her hope. 

"It's good news actually." Iris looks confused at his words. 

"Really? Am I now going into hiding? In Space maybe?"

 Not that she wants to jeer at her father after what happened but she finds her unable to stop. All the bodyguards thing stopped a month ago. When she got home, she learnt her father fired all of them as they were unable to locate her and thus she was in that state while it was her mistake. She felt guilty for being the reason why they lost their job but can she deny that she was more than elated knowing she didn't have to be surrounded by them anymore? Not that he hadn't assigned anyone to look after her, it was one of her butlers, the bulkier and stronger one. So, she wasn't that free either. 

Before she spoils her mood even more, Richard puts his arm over her shoulder, a tactic he learnt over the years. Iris feels at peace when she is near Richard and he knows that. He starts to pat her head to calm her down. 

"I know I have been restricting your actions for a while now and I'm really sorry for that. I just want you safe that's all." Richard starts. 

"Let me finish, princess." Richard cuts Iris off before she can speak. He knows how much she likes to tell him that she doesn't need any kind of protection to be safe. 

" So, let me promise something to you." That gains Iris's undivided attention, she eagerly waits for her father to finish. 

"Yes, I'm hiring a new bodyguard for you. But it's just one of them so that you don't feel like you are always surrounded by people." Irish rolls her eyes. 

"So thoughtful of you." 

"Indeed. And also, I won't stop you from doing what you like to do. I mean you are 19. You can soon handle my business, can't you? Will you like to start investing your time in business?" 

Iris beams with joy. It may be the first time her father is treating her like an adult that she is. She is not  a business major for nothing, she is sure she will love to be a part of her father's business.

"Are you being serious right now?" 

"Absolutely, sweetheart." Iris hugs her dad. 

"Yes, I would love to be involved in business. I have so many ideas to share with you! And before you say they are childish ideas, let me say that I will prove my point  statistically." Being super excited she speaks nonstop, making her father smile at her. 

"But nothing comes that easily. Why are you offering me this deal,dad? Are you hiding something?" Richard laughs at her sudden change of tone.

"That's a good businesswoman here. Always negotiate and make everything clear before taking a deal." 

"Come on now!" 

"I'm just surprised my little girl is all grown up now. I want to make sure you can handle yourself and everything on your own." 

"Are you okay?"

"Oh no, it's not the time when I break the ice and tell you I'm dying soon. I'm just being realistic. I'm alright, don't worry." 

She looks sceptical, something is definitely bothering him but she decides to shrug it off. When it comes to sharing worries and all her father always decides not to share them with her no matter how much she tries. Well, it's a progress that he doesn't see as a little kid anymore. One at a time, she tells herself.

"But promise me you will follow all the protocol and cooperate with your bodyguard. That young man is one of the best I've found for you and I don't want you to chase him away." He warns though his voice is soft and tender.

"It's not an old man this time?" She sounds impressed as her group of bodyguards were not so young. 

"He is just 24." He informs her to which she nods her head. Not that much older than her, maybe she can have her way with him as they might be sharing the same sets of beliefs and liking. 

"You have met him before." 

"Have I now?" 

"He was the one who shot that son of a bitch." His tender voice turns into a stern and angry tone. 

That guy? Iris thinks. She has always wanted to thank him but she just didn't have the opportunity to do so. But she doesn't know how to feel about having him as her bodyguard.