Chapter 11″ Seeing her again
“Any news?” Aaron asked the same question he’s been asking ever since they returned from Whitpalm City two weeks ago.
Enock pushed his glasses up, gulping as he braced himself to answer. He knew the boss was about to be moody after telling him the words he didn’t want to hear.
“There’s nothing, Sir.” Enock answered gingerly.
“Have you called the search team already?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Have you checked with the media houses? No one called to have seen her?”
“Yes, Sir. I started checking with the media houses first.”
The temperature in the office dropped to a negative. Aaron’s eyebrows wrinkled tightly and his jaws clenched.
“Have you checked her old house in the Countryside? Maybe she went back there.”
“Sir, I’ve meticulously checked everything that could help us find Tessa.”
At the way he casually called her name, Aaron arched an eyebrow at Enock, his eyes narrowed dangerously at him, compelling him to change his words.
“I – I mean, Miss Hilton.”
Aaron only retracted his icy gaze after Enock addressed her properly. He had told him she was the future lady boss so he should practice addressing her accordingly.
“Have the guys manning the airports and the harbor contacted you?”
Enock wanted to yell in frustration. His boss was going crazy trying to look for a woman who had disappeared for five years! Nevertheless, he still preferred the mystery woman to Serena Winston who was a pretentious vixen.
“Sir, there’s been no positive news about Miss Hilton’s location so far.”
Aaron felt like a hand was squeezing his heart. He took in a sharp breath, feeling like someone was pricking needles into his heart. If he knew losing Tessa would make him feel like he was dying, he wouldn’t have taken her for granted.
He glanced at his phone, his eyes looking rather expectant as if he was waiting for a call. A smile crossed his lips when he recalled the new little friend he made last time…
Unfortunately, she hadn’t called as promised. Aaron was surprised about why he would wait for her call too.
Perhaps he craved to have a family of his own with Tessa. So he felt a deep connection with the little girl. whose eyes reminded him of her.
Just then, the phone on his desk suddenly rang and his smile curved downward, his eyebrows creasing. His mood suddenly dropped seeing that Serena was calling and a chilling aura emanated from his body.
‘How dare she call me after what she did?!”
Aaron had never blocked anyone on his phone before because he thought it was childish. But after what
Serena tried to pull when she blackmailed him to go out for dinner with her over the weekend, it was better to cut her off.
“Flashback to the previous weekend”
Aaron was having some drinks with his friends at the club but his phone kept on ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and when he saw who was calling, his gaze darkened and he left it to ring without picking up.
When It rang again, his friends couldn’t take it anymore. Tony was the first one to speak out. “Just answer the damn phone. It seems urgent.”
However, Aaron just narrowed his eyes and sat back in his leather seat, taking a sip of his bourbon.
“No.”
His tone was cold and lifeless as he responded flatly. He had no time to entertain Serena.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again and a wave of anger rushed through him.
“Why don’t you just tell her off? Tell her to leave you the fuck alone. How hard can it be?” It was Graham who remarked this time.
He was playing cards with Victor while Tony and Aaron watched. Normally, he would have been at the military base but he took some time off to relax with his friends.
He had also had it up to here with Aaron being hesitant about completely cutting Serena off when he clearly didn’t want her.
Aaron did not respond to that. His friends didn’t know how persistent Serena could be. He had already made it clear to her but she didn’t want to give up. Aaron now visited his father less because she was always there, trying to get a glimpse of him and stalking him like a creep.
He had moved into the apartment he had given to Tessa, wanting to feel like she was close.
Perhaps the mistake he made was to suggest they remain as friends even if the plan to get married fell through.
In the end, he picked up the call because the noise was irritating him.
“I’m busy-”
“Aaron! I’m going to kill myself if you don’t have dinner with me. I’ve already bought the rat poison. I will leave
a note and send it to the reporters! By tomorrow, your name will be all over the papers.”
Aaron narrowed his eyes dangerously. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth harshly.
He wasn’t afraid of Serena’s threat but a part of him that still valued the friendship between their families couldn’t just sit and let Serena kill herself.
“Where are you?” He asked flatly, chugging down his drink until he finished it. He then looked at his friends. before saying. “See you later.”
Chapter 11 Seeing her again
Aaron was forced to have dinner with Serena that night. His face was devoid of any emotions while Serenal had a huge smile on her face. She had dressed up in a short revealing dress for this date but Aaron didn’t spare her a glance. In fact, he couldn’t wait to get out of there.
It was some good twenty minutes later when Aaron began to feel a little strange. His throat felt parched and his body’s temperature began to increase rapidly.
His manhood which had been dormant for a long time suddenly stood to attention and the desire to lay with someone soon consumed him.
“What did you give me?” He questioned, his eyes dilating and his breathing becoming laboured.
“What do you mean? Aaron, are you ok?”
Seeing that the drug had taken effect, Serena got up from her seat and approached Aaron. “Do you feel hot and uncomfortable? I can help you with that” She purred and bent down to caress his chest.
For a moment, Serena’s face overlapped with the face in his memories so Aaron didn’t stop her. He grabbed
her hand, his eyes turning wistful. “Tessa, are you back?”
Anger surged within Serena when he called another woman’s name and she lost her cool. “I’m not that bitch!
I’m Serena!”
That seemed to snap Aaron back to his senses. His blood boiled when he realised what Serena was up to. He wanted to teach her a lesson but he knew he had to leave that place at once before he did something he would regret. He got the glass of cold water on the table and poured it over his head before he left and drove
off.
It was a dangerous situation as he was driving while feeling dizzy and he could have easily been involved in an accident. Luckily, his friend Victor who was a doctor was always prepared.
While he was giving Aaron an injection in the private room at the club, he joked.
“How did you manage to resist such a powerful drug? My friend, are you sure you’re ok down there? Are you functioning well?”
The other men laughed while Aaron wore a scowl on his face. He didn’t want to tell his friends that Tessa was the first and last girl he’s been with. And the only one he wants to be with.
“End of flashback.”
Aaron immediately cut Serena’s call and blocked her line. Her number was then sent to the blocked contact
list.
Something caught Aaron’s eye and he frowned. “Why is Tessa’s old line in the blocked contact list? I never
blocked her.’
He clicked on the details and realised she had called him several times five years ago. There was also a message of her asking for help and he soon felt like shit when it dawned on him.
So she didn’t ignore him. It was he who apparently ignored her when she needed him the most. But who could have blocked her number?
And then it hit him. He had left his phone with Serena on several occasions five years ago. It’s obvious she was the culprit behind all this. She made him a bad guy in Tessa’s eyes.
Fury wrapped around his chest, almost suffocating him. Aaron hated those who schemed and played tricks. He was even feeling guilty that he didn’t marry Serena as per promise. Who knew she was such a viper?
He raised his head and glanced at his assistant.
“Send out the order. Serena is banned from being the company’s brand ambassador. If I ever see her in this Company again, I’ll fire you.”
Enock was stunned but he was happy to accept the order. That woman was vicious and acted as if she owned the place.
Aaron felt like someone had cut through his heart the way a knife cuts through butter. No wonder Tessa ran away from him. She thought he refused to help her.
But it was also his fault for not realising she meant so much to him and chased her away.
‘Can she forgive me for what I did? How I treated her?”
His sins were far too huge but he couldn’t live without her. Life had been hell for him for the past few years. He felt like the walking dead and Aaron didn’t want to go on like that anymore. He just had to find her.
He suddenly got up and told his assistant. “Let’s go to the mall.”
Enock was stunned. “Um, Sir. We don’t have that visit lined up on your schedule-”
“Now we do,” Aaron replied coldly as he approached the door.
For some reason, something had been compelling him to go check on his recently purchased mall. Perhaps he
hoped to bump into his play daughter to brighten his day.
Meanwhile, with the help of Michelle’s family’s connections, Tessa was able to get a few contracts from new clients. Her children had successfully been enrolled into school so she was able to concentrate on her work
fully.
One of her clients was a boutique owner who was renting a shop at the same mall on the first floor. Tessal was on her way to the shop to examine it and take measurements so that she could begin to draw up
something for the interior designs of the shop.
She strode confidently along the wide open space in the mall. Tessa looked professional in a navy blue suit- smart pants and a slim-fit jacket with a white shirt underneath. Her long silky black wavy hair was left open as it cascaded down her shoulders beautifully. She had put light makeup on her face and wore nude stiletto- pointed heels.
Above all, she smelled good. She had sprayed a mouthwatering perfume that would turn heads.
At the same time, Aaron’s car had parked at the entrance. When he stepped out, he looked at Enock and said, ”
I just want to take a look around. There’s no need to follow me.”
After all, there’s nothing really that he wanted to do here. He didn’t want his assistant to know he was just
strolling around to relieve stress.
He had just walked into the mall and moved a few steps forward when he stopped in his tracks. His hands at his sides trembled slightly as he looked at the dazzling beauty that was coming his way.
His heart leaped with joy when he recognised who she was. ‘Tessa! She’s back! I’ve found her!”
Aaron couldn’t deny that Tessa was a beautiful woman. She was incomparable. He wondered why he couldn’t
see it earlier.
‘I must have been blind. She’s breathtaking.’ He mused.
Watching her saunter over gracefully, Aaron gulped. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. She was glowing like the sun shining brightly in June.
As if she could sense someone staring at her, Tessa’s gaze shifted and their eyes finally met.
Time stood still.
Tessa looked like a deer caught in headlights. But she soon recovered and her eyes turned icy cold.
She continued to walk as if she hadn’t seen the man who was looking at her with a longing gaze.
Seeing that he was being ignored, Aaron felt a lump in his throat and he panicked.
Just as Tessa was about to bypass him, he grabbed her arm anxiously and desperately asked, “Tessa, can’t
you see me?”
