OLIVIA
We finally arrived at Adrian’s mansion after a twenty-minute ride. The distance between my office and his house was pretty far, but I wasn’t bothered a bit. That was the least of my worries.
My greatest relief would be seeing Adrian alive and unhurt. I would forever cherish that moment for as long as I live.
“We have arrived at our final destination. Let’s go quickly and find out if Adrian is inside,” Kate urged me.
She was about to leave the car when she noticed I wasn’t making any move to step outside. Instead, I was focused on my phone as though my life depended on it.
I was still making an effort to reach out to Adrian. I was optimistic that he was going to answer the phone.
“I do hope you are not about to call Adrian right now? Because I won’t condone such an act from you. For crying out loud, can’t you see that he is not going to answer the phone even if you call a thousand times? Come on, Ma’am. Let it go. I hate to say this, but you are slowing us down,” Kate questioned my attitude. She spoke to me the same way I would have done to her.
I covered my face in shame, knowing I was making a wrong move.
Kate wasn’t far from the truth. I was indeed trying to call Adrian over the phone, even when it was crystal clear that he wasn’t going to answer. Kate had studied me to the point where she now knew my next move.
“You know what? I think you’re right. I shouldn’t be doing this. Let’s go meet Adrian inside,” I concurred without mincing words.
“Now that’s what I am talking about. Let’s get this done with,” Kate winked at me. The relationship between us has gone beyond boss and personal assistant. I now see her as the sister I never had.
As we walked towards Adrian’s doorstep, I narrowed my eyes around, hoping that Adrian would show up and give me a sensible reason why he refused to take my calls. Perhaps he would also confess that it was a prank. I wouldn’t hate him for that, knowing that he was safe.
I also took my time to peep through the windows with the hope that he would be seated in the living room. Despite my effort, I still wasn’t able to find anyone sharing the same resemblance with Adrian.
So, Kate and I both decided to knock on the door until our knuckles almost got peeled off.
After several minutes of knocking without a response, I decided to take matters into my own hands by forcing the door open. I had a feeling that something bad might have happened to Adrian inside. It was quite unusual of Adrian not to answer my calls, let alone return the missed calls.
It turned out that the door was locked from the inside. Our hopes of ever seeing Adrian again were dashed. The situation had become messier than we both thought.
“Have you called Dante, Adrian’s uncle? I am pretty sure he might have news of Adrian’s whereabouts,” Kate came through yet again with another brilliant suggestion.
It was an idea I couldn’t dispute, considering the fact that her previous opinions had played vital roles in my situation.
I called Dante immediately. To my surprise, he answered the phone. It was something I never expected. I thought he was going to behave like Adrian.
“Olivia, what a pleasant surprise. How are you doing? It’s been a while since I heard from Cyril, your husband. I want to believe he’s doing great, right?” Uncle Dante asked me with all sincerity. The tone of his voice explained how shocked he was to hear from me.
Despite the contract that binds us together, I haven’t spoken to him over the phone for a while. I completely neglected him while I pledged my allegiance to Adrian. Now I am calling to ask him about the same Adrian. How ironic could that be?
“Sir, everyone is doing great. I really do appreciate you for asking. Apparently, that wasn’t the reason I called. I just want to ask if you’ve heard anything from Adrian lately,” I tossed the question.
I looked next to me and saw how supportive Kate was as she signaled me to keep going.
There was a halt from Dante’s end. I could understand that my question might have stunned him.
“Sir, are you there? You haven’t answered my question,” I called his attention.
“”Of course, I’m here. I was just a bit surprised by your question. You and I haven’t spoken in a while. If there’s anyone who should know Adrian’s whereabouts, it should be you. I mean, you two are business partners,” Uncle Dante explained.
His explanation weakened my heart and seized my breath.
I didn’t even know what to say anymore. I just had to end the call immediately.
I already saw how uncomfortable I was making Dante feel over the phone. It would be foolish of me to continue the conversation, knowing it wouldn’t lead to something positive.
“What did he say? Does he have an idea where Adrian is?” Kate asked a moment after I ended the call.
I looked her in the face and said, “At this point, I am left with no option but to call Officer Matthew. Don’t even dare to stop me because I won’t listen to you.”
“I am not going to stop you. Just do whatever you want. I just want you to know that I will support your every decision,” Kate assured me.
I was about to call Officer Matthew when I heard the sound of a car approaching Adrian’s garage.
“You might want to end the call right now. I think we’ve got an issue,” Kate called my attention to her observation.
Slowly, I took the phone off my ear to focus on the vehicle that just drove in.
Inside of me, I was wishing for the person to be Adrian. It would definitely be the best thing that had ever happened to me in a while.