CHAPTER 107

MY HEART SKIPPED A BEAT BEFORE JUMPING BACK INTO THE PERICARDIAL SAC. The words apologetic and Natalia did not mix well. Did she just say sorry?

"Pardon...???" I asked and she faked a cough. Of all this was genuine, something must've happened.

"I said am sorry Eleanor....I've treated you badly....am sorry ...how about we make amends...." she suggested and I scratched my chin.

I've worked with this company for fifteen years and I knew enough to believe it wasn't of Natalia to often apologize.

That was a habit she did when she wanted something from someone and I didn't know what she wanted from me at this particular time.

Was it to do with the agency from Drake's company?

I myself was beginning to rethink it. I wasn't sure if I'd love to even work with his company anymore. After meeting him last at the laundry, I felt the need to keep my distance from him.

With my contract soon expiring with Star Records, I had the think of what to do next as I was certain, I wasn't interested in working with them anymore.

"Miss...Eleanor...are you there???" the very rare voice asked on the other end of the line.

It was Elroy's, the co-CEO of the company. As rumours had it, he was more of office work unlike Natalia who was busy on the ground pestering us all day.

"Uh....sure..." I replied and cleared my throat. "How are you sir?"

"Am very good thanks. How are you???" he asked in a rather very polite tone. Why couldn't that woman be more gentle with us like he was. After all, he was a man and she was a woman. She had to understand better.

"Likewise, thanks..." I replied. "Well...don't mind me asking but is everything alright? Why are you calling me???"

"My my...." he laughed and his deep voice echoed all over my eardrums. To this far, I never knew he had such a humour.

Elroy was famously known as the business oriented man. He was cocky, fiery and his sole belief in making money made him forget all the namely distractions in life among which love was. He had no wife nor kids and the only family he had was from the comfort of his sisters and workmates. Crazy old man.

"Are you free tonight???" his question blocked all my thoughts and had me focused only on his voice. Was I free tonight? what did that even mean? And wasn't he the boss, didn't he already know my entire schedule until the next two years? Why was he asking for my time now?

"Uh ...wh-why?" I bit my tongue.

"I'd love to have dinner with you....if that's okay....we have matters...we have to talk about ....." he stressed the last part after I grew silent thinking of turning down his invitation.

"Um...." I groaned and coiled my ponytail around my finger. All this seemed....off!

Dinner with my boss? Frightening.

After being with Lane, I made a decision to stay absolutely away from all men. And then, along comes my boss asking to discuss business matters over dinner. Really?

"So....???" he asked and I coughed it out.

"Uh...sure....no problem....I think I'll be free....." I faked a grin although I knew he wouldn't see it.

"Crème Petit...I'll wait for you there...." he said before we exchanged goodbyes and he hang up.

"Who was that???" Adam asked and I almost forgot he was here.

I rested my hand on his shoulder and sighed.

"Elroy....he said he has something to talk to me about....over dinner at Crème Petit....." I explained in a very nervous tone.

The thought of me being alone with him is what was frightening. I couldn't trust any other man anymore.

"That's great. Maybe they've all come to their senses and want to finally apologize to you for how terrible they've treated you....." Adam smiled and caressed my cheek.

"It'll be fine...." his words assured me and I felt more than safe.

Having Adam with me was like walking around with my guardian angel. There are times he wasn't available but I knew and trusted that there was absolutely nothing I was to worry about because he'd always come through to me. Looking at him right now, I realized:

There are pieces of me that have been broken off and left to drift in the wind. Some blush straight across the window to the world.

Others that I lost a long time ago and don't even remember having.

But Adam.....Adam was the part of me if always remember. No matter how many times I forget him.

*********

We arrived at my apartment and Aaron was with the two girls along with Lauren. When did she even arrive?

"Anything else you girls want to tell us about Angela???" Aaron asked and the two exchanged looks before shaking their heads in denial.

"We've told you all we know. She wasn't a person who told her friends anything about her life.....we didn't even know her boyfriend's face let alone his name....." Ozzy's defensive self came through and I shook my head in misbelief.

I thought we were over this chapter but to the look of things, she still had some of her tricks up her sleeve.

"What've you got so far??" I asked Lauren and she flipped her notepad. Was she writing notes?

"After her father's death, Angela grew remote for some time while she dealt with the grief. That's when her mother moved them to Buenos and on a low salary, she managed to get food for them on the table....."

"Okay....but how did she find herself in college??"

"She's a brilliant girl who attracted various scholarships which took turns in making it work for her. Since high school, she's registered in an Effort-For-Girls campaign and they covered all her expenses...."

"Right.....right....." I scratched my mind not knowing what to say next.

It all just didn't make sense. Angela was a poor girl, then how did her corpse end up in my bathtub in Peru??

"So....did you say she had a boyfriend???" I asked.

"A very rich boyfriend.....he always showered her with whatever she would ask for. Designer dresses, denim jeans, stylish shoes and very expensive perfumes among others. Angela had a life most of us dreamt of and she got it on a silver platter...." The brunette vomited it all out and I couldn't help but give it much thought. A poor girl with a very rich boyfriend.

It sounded like those billionaire stories I read on wattpad. Sizzling enough to cause me a runny nose, wet eyes and of course a drooling mouth.

"Where on earth did a girl like her meet a guy like him???" Adam asked and I turned to look at him, wondering the same thing. From her background, she wasn't the kind that would go partying or clubbing. She was likely to be the type that had her nose stuck in a book all day, everyday.

"That's a secret she took to her grave...." Ozzy sighed in despair. "Along with the face of her boyfriend and his name. She never showed us even a single picture of who he was. We don't know his family and she didn't even have his pictures anywhere in her walls...."

"Not even her screensaver....." The brunette added before locking her fingers with Ozzy and leaning her head on her shoulder. I could tell these girls had an iconic bond and they got eachother like sisters.

Knowing the news about Angela's death must've come as a shock to them. They had no idea such would happen as they thought she was ....uh....she was??? We didn't ask that....

"Where was she when you last talked to her?? What was your last day with her like???" I asked expecting something good. How could I not know this. Details of the last day hold so many clues to the disappearance of a person.

"We last saw her a month ago when she was going on a dinner date with him. She was in a red tulle dress and beautiful shoes. As usual, she didn't allow us to escort her to the carpark where he was waiting for her....." Ozzy replied.

"...but...I peeped through the window and was alarmed by the convoy I saw. It was as though she was the president's daughter or something..." the brunette gasped.

"Convoy???" Adam asked.

"Yes....a whole convoy. There was a man waiting for her too and he even opened the door for her....." She convinced us and went on.

"Did you ...perhaps ....manage to.....by any chance....uh...see the number plate of the car???" Aaron asked and in that moment my heart stopped.

I knew with all my heart that I knew the answer to his question.

"DALE 1!"