*Sarah*
The party was going well. I smiled as I chatted with others. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t like I want to be here. This is just something that I must do-a smile I must wear. I clenched my teeth as I listened to the French woman as she spoke. If I hadn’t needed to get this file, there would have been no need for me to be here.
And this stupid red hair I have to wear keeps getting to my mouth, and I keep tucking it away. I tried to be patient. This is important. I kept reminding myself. All that was left was to climb on that stage and speak like I knew what I was doing. If this mission weren’t important, I would not have cared. But I didn’t trust Steve enough to handle this.
My eyes searched for him among the crows, and I finally found him in a corner with a brunette woman. I twitched my eyes when his eyes met mine. He was getting distracted. He gave me a small smile to remind me that he knew what he was doing, but I doubted that. He was too invested in the girl who kept throwing herself at him.
“Miss Valerie, you’ve been called… miss Valerie,” I heard and turned when someone tapped me. “Miss Valerie, what are you thinking?” The French woman asked. My eyes widened, but I quickly replaced it with a smile. I had forgotten my fake name. “Oh… I didn’t realize it was time already. I spaced out for a moment,” I said and covered it with an awkward laugh.
I stood up and walked to the stage, earning applause from the audience. I took my position behind the mic. “It’s a pleasure to be here,” I said, trying to smile. At this point, I felt my lips were going to tear apart from the amount of smile I held on my face, which started to tremble.
“As we all know…” Well, what is a party without speech? I have been playing Valerie since I came back to the City. I ate and drank with men of a higher caliber. I hated this role and have tried to stay away from it for over three months, but here I was again.
My eyes moved around. Just as always, I managed to capture most people in the hall. It felt good to see them stare at me. Most men ogled at me, but I didn’t mind as long as I had their attention.
I felt someone’s eyes on me. Moved my eyes to the side to see a figure looking at me. I couldn’t make out her face, but she felt oddly familiar. Too familiar. I turned to concentrate on what I was saying. When I turned to her direction again, she had left. I got down from the stage after speaking. My eyes moved around the hall, searching for the lady I had seen. She should be here somewhere.
I felt someone hold me from behind and turned to see Steve. “That was amazing, just like always,” he said. I eyed him.
“What were you doing flirting with her?” I whispered yelled. I moved my eyes up to the girl who stood by the side. She smiled at me, and I didn’t bother to return the smile. I looked at Steve, hoping to get some explanation.
“You told me to get intel,” he says. He turned to greet a man who passed him; I smiled at the man, too. “I was doing just that.” He said.
“That didn’t include flirting,” I said through gritted teeth. Everyone knew he was my brother. What happens to the reputation I have built if he goes around flirting?
“You didn’t specify that. And what can I do when a beauty keeps throwing herself at me? It’s not like I took her to bed, though it would have been nice if we could get a room,” I inhaled a scent of breath, trying to control my emotions. “She did have a lot to tell. Those lips spoke throughout that I wanted to cover them with my lips,” he said, sipping from the glass he held.
“I see you’ve drunk enough,” I said. I stepped closer to him. “Come with me,” he dropped his glass on a waiter’s tray who walked past us.
We walked out to stand in the parking lot. “what did she say?” I asked. “I like it when you sound like that, curious and desperate,” he says.
“Don’t mess with me, Steve,” I warned.
“Fine, fine. You are no fun. Always stiff and boring,” he says. “As you know, Jane’s father is the secretary to the general of welfare. So she knows a lot. She is close to her dad. The closest of all his children, and it’s no secret that Mr. Olive has a big mouth,” he scoffs,” now I see where Jane gets her mouth from.” He says.
“Well, she helped her dad one day just like she always does, cleaning his office, and she also arranged his fi…”
“Stop,” I cut him shut. If I wanted to hear about all this I’d as well stay in the hall, “go straight to the point,” I said. I wondered how much he had drunk. I made a mental note to send him home after our discussion. “Fine, fine,” he raised his hand in defeat.
“Well, you won’t believe what she said,” he began, only to pause and stare around. I looked around, too, trying to search for any listening ear; my eyes caught sight of a man and a woman walking hand in hand. They were out of earshot.
“So?” I asked him while still focused on the lady. She looked familiar. The man opened the door for her; I had never seen the man so I reached my brain trying to think about where I had met the woman. As she stepped into the car, she looked in our direction.
I saw her face and tilted my neck as I watched the car drive off. I knew the woman, but where?
“So, Jane said,” Steve began, but I couldn’t hear him after that, and suddenly it clicked.
How could I forget that face? ‘Lucia,’ I gritted my teeth. ‘but how? She is supposed to be dead. There was no way she should be alive,’ I pushed Steve to the side and quickly got into the car. “Hey, I’m still speaking? Where are you going to?” Steve yelled after me, but I just drove off without listening to him.
I sped past every car, trying to catch up with Lucia. ‘how was she alive?’ When the car took a bend, I was convinced they knew I was after them.
Anger burnt through me. Seeing a person who should be dead didn’t quite sit well with me. Well, if she didn’t die then, she could as well die now.
I shot at the car. Whoever was driving the car must be very skilled. He drove through the tiny road filled with potholes. It was a bumpy ride, and I wanted to stop, but I had come too far. When he shot at my car, the car stopped.
I cursed my luck. She had gotten away. I gritted my teeth as I opened my car. I wished the car she entered wasn’t bulletproof. I wonder who the man who drove the car was. Was he her new boyfriend? Lucia must have found a rich man cause there was no way she would be able to afford such a car.
I was furious when I got home. I flung my wig to the side. “Where did you go in such a hurry?” Steve asked. I glared at him. He told me the house burned to the ground.
“Did you confirm Lucia’s death yourself?” I asked him. He looked confused. “Why are you suddenly bringing her up?” He asked.
“Answer the fucking question,” I yelled at him.
“The house was burned to the ground,” he said.
“And the men?” I asked, raising a brow, “Did you get in touch with them? Did they say Lucia was dead?” I asked. I wanted to know. I wanted to be sure it was Lucia I saw and not some lookalike. “Well, I didn’t get back at them. There was no way Lucia would have been able to get out of the house. Her gate was sealed already. She was destined to die that day,” he said.
He sounded sure that I wanted to believe him. I would have if I hadn’t seen Lucia. I suddenly regretted not making sure she died before I left. “You fool. And you told me you confirmed it,” I said, holding myself from running a knife over his stupid chest.
“What’s wrong? Lucia is dead,” he looked at me, but his gaze flattered as if he wasn’t sure she was dead. “Right?” He asked.
“You fool, why are you asking me such questions!” I asked him, “If she was, would I be asking you questions?” I yelled, unable to hold my anger. “She is alive. That bitch is alive. She has been alive and living in this fucking city without our knowledge,” I said.
He shook his head.
“That’s impossible. There was no way she would have been able to withstand two men. She isn’t skilled; how is it possible?” He asked. He looked equally surprised.
“If I knew the answer to your question, do you think I’d have asked you?” I couldn’t begin to imagine how stupid he was. First, he had been foolish enough not to have known that one of his men had betrayed him, and now this?
“If only you had brought her straight to me that day!” I said. I closed my eyes, trying to contain my anger but couldn’t. “We would have been off her topic,” I said.
“I have no excuse,” he said, bowing his head.
My chest heaved up and down. I looked around the room, trying to find something I could break. There was a vase at the side. I walk to it, ready to throw it on the floor. My phone rang before I could get there. I stopped on my track and closed my eyes.
I opened my eyes and answered the call. It was Jason. “I have been trying to reach you for hours now; what’s wrong?” He asked.
I took a deep breath. He must not find out I was angry. “Oh… I didn’t hear my phone ring. I have been sleeping. I felt a little sick,” I lied.
“Okay. Have you been able to find Lucia?” He asked.
Lucia! Lucia! Lucia!
That was all he cared about. I just told him I felt sick, and there was no concern whatsoever in his voice. All he cared about was Lucia. I had told him she got lost and we’d not been able to find her. “My men are still searching,” I said.
“How incompetent are those men of yours? It has been over six months, and you are filled with excuses,” he yelled. “I’m sorry we haven’t found her. I’m worried about her, too. I’ll try harder and bring good news to you,” I said.
“I will be coming to find her myself. I don’t think I can wait anymore.” He said.
“You don’t have to. We’ll find her soon,” I said, hoping to discourage him.
“No, Sarah. You’ve done so much, and I’m grateful. I’ll call you when I get to your city,” he said, and before I could say any more words, he hung up.
Shit.
I walked to the vase and blew it. The case shattered, and my hands were stained with blood. “Sarah, are you alright?” Steve came running towards me.
“Why can’t Jason love me? Why is he still bent on Lucia? Why?” I yelled, breathing heavily.
“Lucia… we must find her and kill her before Jason comes back,” I said.
“Jason is coming?” Steve asked, but I was too angry to answer.
Lucia must die.