CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE

SECRET POV

My heart raced as I spoke into the phone, "Boss, we have a problem. We missed her."

Silence lingered on the other end before he barked, "What do you mean you missed her?"

"Do you have any idea how little time we have left? . You need to find her and eliminate her before she discovers the truth about herself. Or else..."

My palms grew sweaty as I struggled to respond, "It happened so fast. But we won't give up. We'll track her down."

"Your words better be true," he thundered, "or you'll both face my wrath."

My boss's voice boomed with fury, leaving me on edge as I wondered what consequences awaited me if I failed.

The line then went dead, leaving me with a sinking feeling in my stomach. We had to find her, no matter the cost.

MIRANDA'S POV

Flora's threat echoed in my mind, my heart raced with fear. But Alexander's words offered a ray of hope, a flicker of light in the darkness of my thoughts.

Little did I realize that my first day on the job would be a descent into a living nightmare. The workload was crushing, suffocating, and I struggled to catch my breath.

Desperate for help, I reached out to my sister, but her phone remained silent but as the hours ticked by, my nerves frayed to the breaking point. But then, a glimmer of hope. Maybe she was just in a lecture.

As I let my mind wander, Alexander's voice suddenly thundered through the office, snapping me back to reality with a jolt. Panic seized me as I stepped into his ominous office, bracing myself for the worst.

His piercing gaze locked onto mine, sending shivers down my spine. I held my breath, waiting for the verdict.

But instead of a punishment, he revealed a task that was beyond my wildest nightmares. My heart pounding, I had to chair a board meeting in just two hours.

I stumbled through the meeting, barely keeping my cool as Flora launched attack after attack but I fought to stay afloat.

With a final burst of strength, I emerged victorious. Alexander congratulated me and slipped out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Richard's words of praise echoed in my mind as I returned to my office. Questions swirled in my head, taunting me with their elusive answers. What did Alexander want from me? And why was he so insistent on keeping our agreement a secret?

Just as I was about to leave for the day, an email from Alexander appeared in my inbox. My heart raced as I read the message, a warning laced with threat. If I dared to break our agreement, he would fire me. The audacity of it all made my blood boil. How dare he threaten me like this?

As I stormed out of the office, a car pulled up beside me. The driver beckoned me to get in, and before I knew it, I was thinking being whisked away to Alexander's house.

My mind was consumed with thoughts of my boyfriend's birthday party, the one I was forced to miss. Annoyance and impatience clawed at me as I arrived ten minutes late, only to be scolded by Alexander for making excuses.

As I completed my tasks and left without a farewell, a sense of unease lingered in my mind, a feeling of impending doom settling over me like a dark cloud.

My heart pounding, a voice inside me urged me to go to the party and surprise Simon. But my subconscious mind had doubts that night. And as I arrived at the party, I saw Simon in a circle of friends, including girls and boys I knew. Initially, seeing him among people I trusted calmed me down. But as I approached him, a girl kissed him, and he did not resist or show any signs of disturbance.

My heart racing, tears streaming down my face, I watched as he declared his love for her. The music at the party faded away as his words echoed in my mind. And I stood there, feeling like a statue, barely aware of my boiling blood and shattered heart.

But as soon as Simon noticed me, he broke free from the kiss, calling my name. I swiftly picked up my shoes and turned away from him, taking to my heels. Was I fleeing from him? Undoubtedly, I was indeed running away from him.

I sprinted all the way back to my house, refusing to take a cab. And as soon as I reached my room, I slammed the door, causing Emily to wake up abruptly.

"Are you okay, Mira?" Emily asked, her voice filled with concern. I barely managed to respond before collapsing on the floor in front of the door, crying uncontrollably and giving myself a headache.

Emily sat beside me, her eyes wide with worry. I clung to her, grateful for her presence, as I tried to calm down.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling with anticipation.

I took a deep breath and braced myself for what I had to say. "Simon has been cheating on me," I whispered.

Emily's eyes widened in shock and anger. "That jerk!" she exclaimed.

Before we could say anything else, Simon appeared, looking guilty. Emily tried to chase him away, but I asked her to let him speak.

Simon looked at me with pleading eyes and started to talk. "I love you, Mira," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm sorry for hurting you, but I couldn't help myself."

I felt a surge of anger and betrayal. "How long?" I demanded. "Is this the first time? Did you ever love me?"

Simon hesitated and then admitted that he had been seeing the other girl for five months and that he had a girlfriend when we first met.

My heart shattered into a million pieces. "Why did you lead me on?" I asked, my voice shaking with emotion.

Simon confessed that he and his friends had made a bet that he could never get me to fall in love with him.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Get out!" I yelled. "Get out and never come back!"

Emily rushed over to comfort me as I collapsed onto the floor, crying and trying to make sense of it all. My life felt like it was falling apart as I realized that everything I thought I knew about Simon was a lie.

As I sobbed uncontrollably, the sound of persistent knocking echoed through the house. Emily cautiously approached the door, her hand trembling as she reached for the handle. What could possibly be on the other side?

To her utter amazement, a glowing flower was thrust into her face, a mysterious letter attached. My heart raced as I watched her slowly make her way back to me, the letter taunting me with its bold, unmistakable message: Madam Miranda James Owens.

My mind raced with possibilities. Who could have sent this? Was it from Simon, or was it someone else entirely? My hands shook as I tore open the letter, my eyes scanning the words with bated breath.

And then I saw it. The words that would change everything.

"Call this number if you want to know your real identity."

My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to make sense of what was happening. "Who was I really?"

" And why was this information being kept from me? "