CHAPTER FIVE!

JACOB

I held the picture in my hands and stared at it for a while.

That's been the theme of my days for the past five years. Looking at the picture of an empty police van with no Aurora in it.

I picked up another picture, a snapshot of her taken at the station.

I can't believe she's gone. I can't believe I didn't believe her or let her know how much I loved her.

But because of my pride and arrogance, I may have lost her.

Her voice rang in my head. Her words never seemed to stop tormenting me, day and night.

Most nights I wake up to her voice, screaming at me to believe that she was innocent.

I didn't spare her a glance as they took her away, and I haven't seen her since.

The police believed she was kidnapped, but why?

Who would kidnap Aurora, and why?

They didn't seem to have answers to this question, and neither do I. Even after years of searching for her and answers to my questions, and employing private investigators to help.

Nobody seems to know where Aurora is and what happened to her.

“Arrrrg!” I threw all the paperwork on my table to the floor.

I let my hatred for how my father made me marry her cloud my judgment.

Sending her to prison for stealing a piece of jewelry which she did not.

The truth was finally revealed, and the woman who framed her was sentenced to more time in prison because she didn't reveal who put her up to it.

I heard the door of my office open, and it was some of the maids in the house.

Aurora left, and Mother decided to get maids. What a joke.

“Hurry up and put everything in order,” I ordered arrogantly.

I took my tuxedo suit and left the office, hurrying toward the entrance of the house to avoid my mother.

“You can't avoid me forever, Jacob,” I heard my mother's voice behind me.

I turned around and stared at her. I love my mom, but somehow evidence showed she was complicit in Aurora's framing.

“I have apologized so many times. I thought she was not good for you, for the company,” she said.

“I'm glad you see that now, because right now I'm about to lose a billion-dollar deal, but if Aurora were here, I would have gotten it a long time ago.”

“That doesn't mean you should avoid your mother!” she said sharply.

“Watch me,” I said to myself and left her presence. One thing I will never do is disrespect my mother.

I drove straight to my office first to get some documents for the deal.

This deal was to be finalized last week, but somehow I was told it had to wait a bit longer because a new CEO was coming in.

I knew it was bullshit. Just a way to take me out, but I know better. Aurora told me better, even though I never appreciated it until now.

I got to my office to see feminine legs with heels on my table.

“What are you doing here, Katherine?” I asked her.

“I came to see you. It seems like you have been avoiding me lately,” she stood up from my office chair, and I sat down.

“Not true,” I shrugged my shoulders, “just been busy,” I said to her.

“Yeah, busy tearing up your home office,” I took a deep breath so she wouldn't see my reaction.

Whoever is feeding her information will be fired immediately once I find out about them.

“What do you want, Katherine?” I asked her.

“I want you, Jacob,” she bent over, exposing her cleavage and whispered in my ear.

There was a time that I would have wanted to make her bend over on this table, but today isn't one of those days.

“And I have work to do,” I said, gently pushing her away.

“You do this every time,” she walked.

I rolled my eyes and banged the table, “I do not have time for this. I have a deal that needs to be settled today. Do you mind?!” I yelled.

“I'm sorry,” she said, “I thought you had rounded up the deal. I thought you were in a celebratory mode,” she pouted.

“I'm not, and I need to get to the company now,” I said to her, heading toward the door.

“I'm coming with you,” she followed me out of my office.

“No, you are not, Katherine. This is too important for you to ruin. You are not coming with me,” I said and walked away.

“But what if there is a way for me to help? I will follow behind you,” she said.

I turned around immediately, “you will do nothing. Go back to wherever you came from,” I mocked her and walked away.

I can't believe I let that woman make certain decisions, and I can't believe I let her into my life.

She wants to come with me to the company. I scoffed, what will she add apart from being a distraction?

I got into my car and with my security in front I drove straight toward my deal.

I need this deal, not badly, but enough to shut the mouth of my Uncle, Evans. Who is trying to steal my company from underneath me.

“Welcome to Clinton's Empire, Sir. How can I help you?” The receptionist said to me as I walked into one of the biggest buildings I have ever seen.

“I'm here to see the CEO,” I said to her.

“Just a moment, Sir,” she looks through her computer and then looked at me.

“You don't seem to have an appointment until recently,” she said.

“My business with your CEO is of utmost importance,”

She picked up her telephone. After some word exchange she said to me, “the fifth floor, the elevator is to the left.”

I nodded, “two of you with me. The rest of you stay here,” I said to my security.

“Yes sir,” they acknowledged and we walked toward the elevator.

The elevator opened to the fifth floor and the smell of lavender filled my nostrils.

Lavender was Aurora's favorite, one of the many things I pretended I despised.

“This way, sir. The CEO is waiting for you,”

“Thanks,” I said as I was shown into an office and met a face that has been in my thoughts for the past five years.

What is she doing here?

How is she here? In this office? In that chair.

“Aurora,”

“Jacob,”