She told Eva to go home and have some rest and that she was just going to his office to ask him where his driver had taken his mother and not to fight with him.
Eva knowing the kind of person her friend is, insisted to go with her, but she refused and insisted to go alone.
Eva hugged her friend and told her to be careful. and not to act in a way that might be destructive to her.
Bethany went out of the car and crossed the road to take another cab that was going in the direction of Duke’s company.
Looking at the album he had always kept jealously with him all these years, Carl touched Bethany’s pictures as he had always had them with him even abroad.
Despite the numerous girls, he had dated all these years, his love and admiration for his childhood friend could not be compared.
They were many in the neighborhood growing up as kids and later turning to best buddies but his friendship with Bethany had grown into something stronger over the years.
“Could she be in a relationship with anyone now?”, Carl asked himself alone in his room as he ran his fingers through his hair.
He could not imagine how time had passed by and there he was back to his hometown and was ready to see the girl he has been dreaming of all these years.
” I am sure she has grown into a really pretty lady now as she was the most beautiful girl in the whole street”, he chuckled as he recollected how he often fought with his classmates whenever they said that they were crushing on Bethany.
Thinking about all those things made him realize how long he had spent abroad and now he was back to have her in his life.
Mrs. Marvin was satisfied with her appointment though she did not know why Duke had asked her to go to that hospital and to have the doctor take all her health issues.
“Are we done here Dr., can I go home now?”, she asked waiting for his reply.
” Yes you may Mrs. Marvin, you will be contacted to reschedule a date for your next appointment here at the hospital”, he said taking off his gloves.
She was pleased with the hospitality and warmness the doctor had shown her and she thanked him and walked through the door where the driver was waiting for her.
As Matt saw her coming out of the doctor’s cabinet, he immediately stood up from the chair he was sitting on, making his way to her, to support her to the car.
“How did your appointment with the doctor go ma’am?”, he asked holding her hand while they walked through the corridor.
Mrs. Marvin smiling, replied that it was very gentle and also confessed that she had never seen any doctor who was as easy going as doctor Ramos.
Matt smiled and said that he was happy to know that she was in good hands while in there.
She vouched as she had witnessed someone who has a passion for his job and understands the pains of his patients.
They had arrived at the exterior of the hospital and Matt sat her down and telling her to want for her while he went to bring the far so that they could go home.
Mrs. Marvin stopped him before he could leave to get the car as she told him that she had a favor to ask of him.
Matt who was happy to do whatever she wanted as his boss had instructed him to respond to every command she gives him and said,
” ma’am you can ask me anything. What do you want me to do for you?”.
Mrs. Marvin, breathing out as someone who had been walking for a long distance told him that she will like to go to Duke to thank him for the medical appointment he had set for her.
Matt hesitating to her demand, said that he had to call his boss first to ask if he could bring her to see him at the office.
Mrs. Marvin accepted so Matt agreed to go take the car first at the parking lodge to come to pick her up before placing the call.
Mrs. Marvin sat there waiting for him to return with the car while she felt good about her visit with the doctor.
Georgia had already arrived home mad she was so worried about her friend and her short temper.
“I hope she talked to Sir Duke calmly because I know how hot-tempered Bethany can be especially when it concerns her family”, she spoke out taking off her dresses to get into the kitchen to make something to eat.
She had noticed that her siblings were not home when she had arrived, but she was not bothered as they were to be at the neighbor’s house playing since it was the holidays.
As she was about to put on her crop top and a pair of short skirts, her phone began to ring and at first, she thought that it was her friend calling her to say what was happening, but when she went closer to her phone that was lying on the table, she noticed that the caller was an unknown number.
Hesitating to pick up the call, she looked at it while it rang till it stopped.
” Who could be calling me with an unidentified number?”, she asked herself turning her back while she walked to pick up her clothes that were on the bed.
Her phone rang again and she walked up to it still. seeing a strange number. this time, she decided to pick it up, as she took her phone into her right hand and picked up the call.
“Hello, Eva”, the voice said and it was the voice of a man.
She stood still as she could recognize that voice even in a deep sleep.
She did not utter words but her breath was hard as the caller could feel the panic in her breathing.
The caller asked why she was not talking and whether she had missed him all these months, but Eva could not say anything as tears ran down her cheeks.
She hung up the phone in fear, as she ran to a corner in her room and sat there, crying profusely.
” My past is her to hunt me”, she said shivering as though she had seen a ghost.
The caller called again, but Eva could not pick up the call as fear had taken all over her being and she had no control of her actions.
As she was devastated thinking of what to do, a message came into her phone while she was sitting in that corner.
With shaky hands and upset thoughts, she reached out to her phone that she had thrown away after the caller called again and the message said,
“You cannot run away from me my little Eva because you are mine. I can see you and your little sisters”, the messenger attached vicious stickers to it.
After reading this, Eva was frightened to the core and she got up from there running outside shouting her sister’s names so that she could bring them back inside.
Not being able to find them, she almost ran mad as she entered the streets calling out for them with no clue of where they could be.
Holding her head in the middle of the road, she lost focus on the cars that were driving as one almost knocked her down.
The driver scared that he had almost whacked someone down, came out of his automobile asking her if she was okay and whether she was hurt.
Eva barely listening to what the man was saying, just kept on weeping out for her sister’s as she could not find them. anywhere around.
While the man was trying to ask her what their names are and how they looked like, her little sister, the smallest one called out her name as they saw her on the streets.
Eva hearing Glen’s voice, ran off to her carrying her up asking where they had been and why they were not around as usual.
Little Glen explained that, while she and Rachel were playing a man walked to them and offered to buy them ice cream and said that he was your friend.
Eva had understood from that moment the gravity of what was going on, and she told them never to follow anyone they do not know and not to open the door for anyone when she is at work.
” Rachel you are older than Glen and you have to protect her and look out for her when I am not around okay?”, she instructed her junior sister.
Rachel nodded in agreement to what Eva had just said and they all walked into the house.
While entering the house, Eva felt like someone was across the street watching them and when she turned, she saw a man putting on a pair of black jeans and a pullover covering his head with dark shades.
Her heart skipped in her chest as she closed the door faster taking out her phone to dial her friend’s number but Bethany was not picking her phone calls.
Bethany was already at Duke’s office and the can driver had left her in front of his building.
She went down of the taxi and paid the hack driver looking at how big and luxurious he commonly is.
It was twice as massive as Henry’s but Bethany suddenly remembered why she was there and she had to have answers.
Walking into the company with her bag being checked thoroughly at the entrance by the security agents and is given an access badge, she moved past that stance as she was a little bit intimidated by the stares that were on her as she walked through the people seated down to the reception desk to ask for directions as to how she could meet with Duke.
“Good day Ms. and welcome to Dukes Aluminium group of companies, how may I help you?”, she asked with a smile on her face that could buy away any form of despair a person was feeling inside.
Bethany answered back with the same optimistic vigor the lady had received her with as she told her that she was there to meet Mr. Duke Smith.
” Do you have an appointment with him Ms.?”, the host raised a question as she looked at her desktop waiting for her to give a confirmatory answer to her question.
Bethany responded with a no as she had no appointment with Duke that day but it was essential for her to meet with him.
“I am sorry Ms. but I cannot let you in without an appointment because it is the company’s, policy”, she added waiting to attend to other clients that had queues behind Bethany.
Bethany begged her to please let her see him or better still call him to say that a lady was at the reception waiting to see him.
The lady insisted on the company’s policies and Bethany had no idea what to do anymore.
She thanked her and went to have a harness with the others at the foyer while waiting for a recourse to present itself so that she could slide into the inner parts of the corporation to get into Duke’s office.
Mrs. Marvin and Matt were on their way as he had called Duke to table Mrs. Marvin’s request and Duke had accepted for him to bring her to his office.
While still at his office, Sylvia was not looking like she was ready to leave anytime soon as she kept on asking that they go for lunch.
” Sorry Sylvia, I am really happy to see you again but I have someone that will be coming here to see me and I will be going for lunch with her”, he said as he picked up his phone and called the restaurant where he enjoys eating at as they had unattainable services.
Bethany who had seen an opening as the lady in the reception desk was caught up in a stressful situation with a client that came in, used it as a chance to make her way into the interior part of the company as she had been keen to notice where the personnel have been entering.
through the corridor and rushing into the lifter with the other staff, she greeted them and dawdle just like the others for the lifter to stop at each individual’s destination.
The lifter stopped at the different floors and different persons went out so she had to ask the person standing by how to get to Mr. Duke’s office as she was directed but it seems like she has lost her way.
The lady told her not to worry as his office was on the 4th floor and that was where she was going.
Bethany appreciated her help and waited to meet Duke so that he could tell her where her mother was.
Matt had just arrived at Duke’s company so he stationed the vehicle well and went down to open Mrs. Marvin’s door so that’s he could come down as well.
Mrs. Marvin stunned at the sight of Duke’s company, asked Matt whether Duke was the owner of the institution she was seeing standing in front of her.
Matt responded with a smile and ask that they go inside.
They walked in passing through the same protocol and reaching the receptionist behind her desk.
“Hey Matt, how are you doing today, it is good to see you once again amongst us”, the lady said as she greeted Mrs. Marvin who was standing close to Matt.
She responded calmly as she looked around with her mouth opened on how large and grand the structure was.
Matt told the lady that everything was fine with him and that he had fully recovered from his accident so he was back to work.
” I am glad to hear that. So what can I do for you ma’am?”, she asked politely.
Matt answered back telling her that Mr. Duke was waiting for her as he had asked him to bring her over to his office.
The lady asked them for a second as she had to call Mr. Duke to verify the information.
Matt took Mrs. Marvin to sit down while waiting for the receptionist to get a confirmation for Mr. Duke.
Bethany was already out of the lifter and had followed the lady’s instruction as it was to lead her to Duke’s office.
Arriving at the entrance to his office, the secretary there was not on the seat so that was the ideal opportunity for Bethany to walk into his office hoping that he was there.
Sylvia had gotten up from her seat and was making advances at Duke which he was observing like a movie as he had no iota of feelings for her.
“I want to have you in my life Duke and I wish that we could have an understanding”, she said sitting on his table touching his beards.
Bethany, who was in front of the door, knocked and entered immediately stumbling of Duke and Sylvia in the funny position that they were in.
Seeing what she did not have to see, she stood there looking at them as though she had never seen two people in a romantic posture before.
” I am so sorry I came in at the wrong time”, Bethany said turning to leave the office.
Duke was shocked seeing Bethany in his office but he was also so happy that she had deliberately come to visit him.
“No you are not offending anyone as Ms. Sylvia was about to leave right?”, he asked looking at Sylvia in her eyes.
Sylvia could not understand what was happening so she asked,
“Duke who is she?.
Duke could not reply to that question as he was caught up with the answer that was about to come out of his mouth but was suppressed in his throat.
Bethany raised her head, looking at Duke in the eyes waiting for him to respond as her heart skipped a thousand times.
He wanted to scream to the world that Bethany was his woman but he has not even dared to ask her out properly so that feeling was just a mere thought for the moment.
He finally found the appropriate word to answer Sylvia and he said,
” She is one of my staff and I asked her to come and see me, so if you may excuse us”.
Hearing those words fall out of Dukes’ mouth was like a Gift in disguise that he was offering to her as a smile slipped out of her lips.
Sylvia looking at Bethany with so much despise as though he had met her before, said goodbye to Duke as she walked slowly towards Bethany with her eyes threatening her life.
Sylvia was finally out of Duke’s office and he asked her to take a seat with a smile like that of a child that had seen his crush.
Bethany refused to sit down and apologized bitterly for disturbing the moment he was having with his girlfriend.
Duke laughing out loud answered back to her misconception telling her that Sylvia was not his girlfriend.
Bethany with a sad face said,
“It is not my concern with whom you decide to spend your time with or not”.
Duke looking at her face, saw that she was lying through her teeth as there was something that was not going on right with her behavior.
” Are you sure it is none of your concern because the expression on your face says otherwise”, he said rising to his feet and walking from behind his table to where Bethany was seated.