CHAPTER 13

Rainora

I went to Eunice's office days later.

Vastoni Cooperation was among the top construction companies in the city. Their headquarters stood a high building, its unique architectural design gave it a distinct look that was visible all around the working area.

I met a burly man who was fully armed and had an intimidating look at the entrance. There was a dangerous aura around him. He gave me a sinister smile as I walked into the lobby.

"Hey, pls I will to see Eunice Johnson, I'm Rainora." I said, the receptionist gazing with intently as she sized me top to bottom. I was on my way to work, before I stopped to see Eunice first. I work a purple suit-top and a pencil skirt that accentuated all my curves smoothly. She looked at me with envy.

"Do you have an appointment?" The receptionist asked. 

"I have a package for her. "I signaled my designer hand bag to her. She paused momentarily before picking up her telecom to make a call.

"Eunice, there is a lady in the lobby called Miss Rainora. She said she has something for you." Her eyes kept following me as I glanced through the lobby. It was filled with expensive decorations, yet the atmosphere felt tensed and sketchy. I couldn't shake the gut feeling that something felt off about this place. All the doors were heavily guarded by burly men, there was no sofas anywhere in the lobby. The windows were doubled to avoid outsiders looking inwards. I held my bag tightly as I stood waiting for Eunice.

"Rainora, what are you doing here?" She asked as she came out from the elevator. Eunice walked quickly towards me. She had a surprised look, as she hugged me warmly.

"You left your scarf in my house, it looked expensive so I brought it to you on my way to work." I replied her, I met the receptionist's eyes as she feigned ignorance while looking at the computer infront of her. She earlier seemed unconvinced that I knew Eunice, it was only when she came to lobby that the receptionist looked down in shame. I had a smirk on her face. Who's lying now. I muttered myself. My attention shifted to Eunice, as I opened my bag to bring out a butter-creamed colored scarf that was neatly sown and crafted.

"Thanks Rai, I totally forgot. I thought I lost it." She inspected it and let out a sigh of relief, she finally confirmed it was hers by sniffing her scent on it. It was a soft and subtle fragrance which aligned with Eunice's high rate perfume.

Suddenly I felt a cold gaze behind me.  It was quite overwhelming, I couldn't even move. A calm, emotionless voice called out from the direction of the gaze. 

"Eunice, who's this pretty lady with you today." A man in his late twenties, stood in a red tailor-made suit and crocodile shoe. He had a well-groomed beard, and silky hair. He was tall, with a slender frame and broad shoulders. Like the frame of a professional swimmer. He stood close to me with a wry smile on his face.

" Her name is Rainora, she's just about to leave." Eunice gritted her teeth as she held my hands tightly dragging me to the exit door. We walked past him quickly without making eye contact. Yet, I could sense his gaze still watching us as we left. Eunice and I exhaled quietly as we went outside. I felt a huge weight lifted off my chest, as I withdrew my hand slowly from hers. Eunice gestured we move away from the door with some distance from the burly man at the entrance. It was only till when there was a significant space between us and him that Eunice began to speak.

"Rainora, you can't just show up in my office unannounced. My boss doesn't like that." Eunice said in a low voice. She had sweat on her brows. She kept turning her head to make sure the guard couldn't hear us.

"Sorry, I just wanted to surprise you. Who's the man that spoke to you?" I asked her sensing Eunice was rattled.

"His name is Ovek Pvaston, my boss. He can be quite scary when he's upset." She replied.

"I'm sorry if I put you in any trouble." I held her soft hands to calm her, her breathing became slower as she forced a smile on her face.

"No worries, just be careful. He can get possessive if he fancies a girl." She checked her watch. "I have to get back to the office, I will find time to come see you-" she hugged me before finishing her sentence. She quickly returned back as she waved at me goodbye.

I smiled and waved back. I pulled my phone from my bag and searched through my contacts to call  Gerald. Within a couple of minutes, he pulled up to pick me up at the office. As I entered the car, I kept thinking of Eunice's boss, who made her shiver rapidly. I have to be careful with him to avoid any issues in the future. I thought to myself as we drove to my own office. 

After returning to the office from Eunice's, I had an earth-shattering headache. I asked May if I could close early, and she obliged. Nikolas went to a mysterious meeting and won't be back for the rest of the day.

I arrived home, earlier than my usual time. The sun was just about to set, and its orange-red color shined for all to see. As soon as I got to the bedroom, a familiar contact appeared on the screen of my phone. 

"Hello Mother, what a pleasant surprise!" My heart sank as I heard her reassuring voice on the phone. She had this magical ability to always cheer me up, no matter how gloomy I was, without even knowing. I closed my eyes as I slumped with my back on the bed while holding the phone.

"Always a treat hearing from you, Rai-" My Mother replied abruptly. She hesitated as we spoke simultaneously. She continued while I became silent.

" A package was delivered today to our home. Arin has been so eager to reach you." Mother said, I quietly smiled as I knew exactly what he wanted to say. The breathing sound became heavier as footsteps were running toward the phone. Mother gently handed the phone to Arin.

" You're simply the best sis." Arin sounded enthusiastic.  "You got me the latest laptop, with the latest components. It had the fastest processing unit and the largest storage space. I will cherish it forever." 

"I made a promise to you so I made sure to fulfill it," I replied. His voice filled with rigor and joy. I can't remember the last time Arin spoke so joyfully. He's usually so sad and depressed. I hoped the laptop would give him a new sense of purpose in life.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Mother was concerned as she could hear my voice was weak and uninspiring.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired." I couldn't tell her about the incident with Ovek. I wiped the tears that slowly dripped on my face and sniffled. She could tell I wasn't in the mood to talk so she quietly let it slide.

"Everything will work out sweetheart, try to get some rest. I'm always here anytime you want to talk." Mother gently said. We both exchanged our goodbyes. After ending the call, I recalled all that Eunice said. Ovek had a terrifying face, yet for some reason unbeknownst to me, I had this peculiar feeling that I had seen him a long time ago...with my father.