The week is almost coming to an endâthe longest week of my life, working with Gina and with Grey gone. The names starting with G must be a curse in my life.
"So, you had it in you all along?" I say.
She rolls her eyes.
Gina does her final touches, arranging the room. She seems so balanced, calm, and content while doing so.
I look around the room and smile, satisfied that she has done a good job. She knew how to before; she just didn't want to.
"Tomorrow, I don't plan on coming," she states.
"If you have a good reason, there is a proper channel to communicate thatâand it's not me," I reply.
"Why don't you tell them? You know..." She shrugs her shoulders.
I ignore her and take a final look at the room. Then it hits me how she arranges her things, throwing my mind back to the body and room 350.
"You have a unique way of arranging things," I comment cautiously.
She raises an eyebrow at me. "I like colors, so?"
Why is she so easily irritated?
She prefers to arrange based on colors. On the other hand, I prefer organizing things by size; I have a penchant for order and structure.
I clear my throat, keeping my eyes on her.
"That night, when that man died in room 350, were you around?" I decide to ask, my tone measured and calm, concealing the gravity of the question.
She pauses in her magazine-arranging, her fingers trembling slightly. Her eyes dart away from my penetrating gaze. Her voice, when it comes, is slightly higher-pitched than usual. "Of course I was around. This is my family business. What kind of moronic question is that?"
My detective instincts kick in as I watch her. "I'm the one who found his body," I whisper like it's our secret.
"So I heard," she replies with little enthusiasm, but the barely noticeable twitch in her face tells me I might be asking the right questions. If I deliver the final one, I'll get what I need.
"I think it was murder," I mutter, and what I was looking for, I see. Her hands pause mid-motion, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as they hover over a magazine.
She glances up at me with wide eyes, and for a fleeting moment, there's a flicker of panic in her gaze before she quickly composes herself.
"Do you believe that, or has Oliver said anything?" My prying is relentless.
She stands up and wipes her hands on her short uniform. "Maybe I didn't say this out loud: just because we had a deal to work together doesn't mean I like you or want to engage in small talk about things you maids witness or stupid, cheap rumors."
I wear a nonchalant expression. "Is it so bad if we get along and talk?"
Honestly, I have no interest in getting familiar with herâI'm just playing the good cop.
"Yes," she says curtly.
"I'm sure Oliver would like it if we got along."
"Stop calling him Oliver; he's your boss. Gosh, can you be more obvious?" she states.
"Fine," I answer.
She walks toward me and looks around the room. "I think we're done for today." She walks out.
There's something she's hiding, and I won't stop until I find out.
I find myself at Alpha Inc. I believe a week is enough space to think, and I want to see Grey. Maybe he can ease my thoughts on where everything stands.
I use my phone to check my face, hoping he can't tell I haven't slept in a while.
"Maybe I should leave him alone," I mutter to myself.
He hasn't reached out or returned any of my calls or messages.
Today, I find a familiar face at the information desk, and she is happy to let me visit his office. It's on the top floor of the building, and I'm sure that makes Grey feel like he's on top of the world.
It's easy to find his office since it's the first door in the hall and has a nameplate on it.
I stare at the plate, and a warm swell of pride fills my chest.
"You made it," I say.
"He did," I hear. I turn to see Talia. She's wearing a smile, while I feel dangerously murderous at her presence.
There's a stretch of silence. Her smile never fades.
"What are you doing here?" she asks.
I just stare at her, my mind conspiring on ways I could torture her. I was a criminology studentâI've seen it all, all the ways I can do it. It was scary then, but now it seems doable, especially with this snake before me.
"To see Grey," I answer after calming down and regaining my senses.
"I thought you two broke up," she says, feigning sadness.
I shake my head and start knocking on the door. Then I see Talia step forward and open it. "He's not here," she says, revealing the empty room.
I step in, and my mouth drops in awe. It's a big office, very big. Much larger than Oliver Cooper's, with a small section resembling a mini conference room for meetings. There are expansive windows, walls adorned with charts, and several monitors on the desk, along with a huge one on the wall displaying real-time financial market data.
"You can wait for him," Talia says, her false politeness making me want to choke.
"Where is he?" I ask.
"He's in a meeting, but it's about to end," she answers.
She walks to his desk, and as she pulls a drawer, something falls. "Oops," she says, and I see her collect a white material. As she attempts to hide it, I realize it's a panty. What is a panty doing in Grey's office? In his drawer?
"Where did that come from?" I ask her.
She gazes at me with the concern of a mother delivering bad news. "I..." she starts before being interrupted.
"Jessie?" I hear my name, and we both turn to the source. It's Grey. He seems confused by the scene before him.
"I should tell her," Talia says.
"Get out. Please," Grey orders her.
She seems shocked and hurt by his tone.
"Last night..." she trails off.
"Leave, Talia," he demands. Her jaw clenches as her eyes meet mine, and I watch her storm out.
Grey locks the door, and my heart beats faster as he walks past me. I catch a whiff of the scent I've missed so much. He settles in his big chair, which makes him look like a ruler.
"Why are you here?" he asks.
And everything I had planned to say disappears from my mind.
"What do you want?" he repeats.
I keep my gaze on my fingers, avoiding his. "Are we done or not?" I say the first thing that comes to mind.
"What kind of question is that? You always operate on the negative end," he says.
"Are you with Talia now?" I ask, and that seems to aggravate him more.
"After the life we've had together and the promises I've made to you and honored until the end, you still can't trust me?" he asks, and somehow, I find myself feeling guilty.
"Why was her panty in your office? Is that what she wanted to tell me?" I ask.
He sighs, frustrated. "What panty?" He looks so stressed and tired. "She wanted to tell you about your surprise birthday party I was planning."
"Why? When you packed your things and simply left?" I'm confused as to why he even cares about my birthday after everything.
"I was going to come home tomorrow, but I don't see that happening ever." He leans closer. "To answer your question, we are over. You can't trust me, and I can't put up with your attitude and accusations anymore."
I'm speechless as I get the answer I came for.
"Please leave," he says, and I stand, no fight left in me. "I'll get the lawyer to handle the house and the investments I made for you and us," he says, looking as defeated as I feel.
I don't know how I manage to walk, but I find myself outside the building. When I look up, I see the face of a man I haven't seen in a year.
He halts in front of me. "They want to see you," says Nick, my parents' bodyguard and chauffeur.
After everything, I can't think of a reason why my parents, whom I haven't seen in nearly ten years, would want to see me.
Follow me. Like, share and leave a review.â¤