Freda sat in her office, going over the activities that were drafted by the company’s human relations team to boost efficiency and productivity among the staff. Against her wishes, they had printed it on hard paper and had it submitted to her desk, and she realised their decision was the best way, although it required defying her direct orders.Her mind drifted to the impending issue at hand, and she reached for her phone, putting a call through to the legal team to know about the latest updates.As usual, they kept her going with the news that we’re doing something about it, and she hung up the phone, a little disappointed, not knowing what to expect. Looking around the office and even standing up to close the office door to be sure she wasn’t being snooped on, she picked up the phone and called the person she had sent on a private assignment.“How is it? Are you done with it?”“Not yet, though the first phase is currently in development. Just calm down and use your seatbelt; you’re
Sally, unsure of who she had a case with that could go this far, drove straight to the police precinct, not even daring to use her brakes for a moment. The police precinct stood proudly in the centre of the city, its gate lit with a statue of the police badge. Sally drove in, nodding her head at the security man, and could only breathe when she was inside the protective confines of the station. Once inside the station, she rolled down her protective window, coughing at the impact of the fresh breeze hitting her face. She looked around for the detective who had called, and she saw him on the far side of the station, walking towards her car. “Good evening, Miss Sally,” he greeted, hands resting on his hips. “There is nothing good about the evening, detective,” she responded shakily. “Talk to me; what did you see?” “Someone after my life.” “I am going to need you to calm down and tell me what happened.” “Okay, I just got back from work and I went to my residence. I have no staff
The knock became louder and more frequent, and whoever was on the other side of the door didn’t seem ready to stop knocking until someone answered. With instincts kicking in instantly, the detective removed his gun and ordered Sally to stay back, going for the door knob with trained caution.“Hello, who’s there?”“We heard a loud noise from here; is everything alright?”“Yes, we are alright.”“We need to make sure; please open the door.”“Can I choose not to?”"No, sir, the company's policy demands that you open this door for a full security sweep. You have five minutes to open up, or we’re coming in either way.”“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” the detective answered, and he moved towards the door, his gun still in front of him as he turned the knob.The door opened to reveal the hotel’s security staff, heavily armed with different artillery and tools. They greeted Sally and the detective,“Why do you have a weapon? Are you licensed to carry that?”“I’m a detective with the police departmen
Lana picked up the call and placed the phone on her car’s docking panel, switching to her wireless earphones. It was Sally again. “Do you think I should tell mom about this?” “No, don’t tell her. It could cause damage to her and make her unsettled.” “Oh okay. When are you coming to see me, though?” “I am already on my way. I should be there in forty minutes; just hang on a little more.” "Okay, I will be expecting you.” “Have you called the detective this morning?” “He had a very late night because of me; I wouldn’t want to disturb him this early in the morning. “No problem. What would you like me to pick up for you at the supermarket?” “Hygiene products; I left in a rush, and I’m too scared to even go out of the hotel room.” “Noted, hang in there,” and she ended the call, focusing on the traffic-laden road ahead of her. Lana stopped at the next convenience store she noticed and picked up the hygiene products just as her friend had ordered them alongside some other products.
Lana’s POV We had lunch by ourselves at a simple yet elegant restaurant across the hotel where Sally had taken up temporary residence. She was still agitated by the whole thing that happened—that much was evident—but thankfully, we were beginning to get it in the back of our minds. Sally had hinted that she suspected someone, and I wanted to ask who it was. If she was thinking about the same person as I was, it could not be a coincidence, right? But then, I also did not want to reopen wounds when they were still just newly bandaged. We said nothing as we ate. While I tried to think of the best way to brush through the topic with Sally without agitating her further, I knew Sally had a lot on her plate, and I wondered if I should disturb her. Thankfully, a call came in, ripping me out of my dilemma. I said a silent prayer to whoever the caller was before glancing at the caller ID on the screen to see that it was none other than Cameron himself. Unconsciously, my face gave way t
The drive back home was short. As expected, I met Cameron with the children. He gleamed at me from the counter, where he was, and waved his soapy hand at me. “You just missed lunch.” He announced. “What’s up?” I threw my bag on one of the bar stools and went over, embracing him from behind and drinking in his scent. “A lot.” I answered. “But I already had lunch; thank you. I had to; Sally was too distraught.” He turned around, carefully plucking me away from him. “What happened? Is she alright?” I shrugged and moved to the fridge, scowling at its contents before finally settling for a bottle of water, which I downed in three gulps. “I hope so. She is trying to hold up well, but I can tell she’s breaking apart.” I shuddered as the image of the bird flashed through my mind again. “Okay, skip the suspense. Tell me what happened.” “She called during the wee hours of the morning, and I went to see her today. She sounded so disordered, frantic, and scared, so unlike herself, and it
The sun peered through the windows, causing me to close my eyes as soon as I opened them. I blinked, then tried again, turning to the side of the bed where the light was not so bright. I touched the bed, wondering if Cameron had spent the night over yesterday or if he had gone home without even bothering to wake me up. Oh, shit! I jumped from the bed, panicking. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table, checked the time, and cursed out loud again. I was supposed to be with Sally yesterday; why had Cameron not even bothered to wake me? And I had obviously missed the children’s school time. I catapulted to their room, cursing all the way. They were not there. Not a good sign. I checked the kitchen, then the garden, then the small arthouse we had gifted them, then all the other rooms. There was no sign of them anywhere. Shit! I cursed again, wondering why Cameron had not bothered to wake me. I rushed back to my room, grabbing my phone from the nightstand where I had left it. I wa
Cameron’s POV The restaurant I had asked for us to meet at was quite secluded—more to her own advantage than mine—and she had yet to say a word to me, although I have caught her glances several times. I paused on the lobster rolls, which I had ordered, and set down the cutlery. “Let us get down to business now, shall we?” She smiled. For a woman her age, I had to say that she had quite a beautiful smile and looked younger. It was too bad that her heart was not as sweet as her smile. “I thought you would never ask.” She replied, following my lead and setting down her utensils as well. She dabbed at her mouth, then smiled again. “I never knew such a place existed in this city. Thank you for bringing me here.” “Pleasure.” When I had invited her here, I had a half-mind that she was going to actually take on my request and see me. But seeing as she was here, I guess she needed this meeting just as much as I did. I cleared my throat. “This is not a business meeting, ma’am. And