Deric Eliazar is the longtime best friend of Hans Robinson, who is the CEO of the Mariano Robinson Group. It is currently the largest architectural and engineering firm in the country, all thanks to Hans, who is currently missing.
Deric doesn't know where to find him because, the last time they talked, Hans told him that he was on indefinite leave. At first, Deric thought that Hans just wanted to be alone, but it's been a month since they last talked, and now it's concerning. Deric has been looking for him for weeks now, yet he can't find his whereabouts. As much as possible, he needs to search for Hans discreetly, which is why he contacted Elton to do the job.
Elton is their closest friend, and Deric knew he could trust him. But Elton still can't find Hans. Today, Deric is expecting an update from Elton, so after his meeting, he immediately headed to his office.
When he entered the office, he found out that Elton was already there, waiting.
"Elton," he uttered upon seeing him. He was the person Deric had been waiting for. Deric didn't want to hope he'd get good news, so he braced himself for whatever Elton was going to say.
Elton nodded his head and replied, "You look terrible, Deric." He's right, although it is subtle, Deric looked more stressed than usual. Anyone who had no idea what was happening would not notice this.
Deric walked towards his desk and said, "Did you find him or what?"
Elton heaved a deep sigh and replied, "I didn't find in the records that he flew out of the country."
Deric sat on his swivel chair and clasped his hands together. "So, do you think he is still in the country somewhere?" he inquired with a serious expression, trying to think where Hans would go.
"I'm not saying that. We both know Hans; he used to leave the country when he didn't want to be found. He could hide his identity and use a different name. You know how he has a lot of connections. He can easily do that. There is no way he'd stay in the country," Elton stated and rested his back on the sofa.
Deric nodded his head and said, "You are right. He never liked to stay in the country. What do you suggest we do?"
Elton yawned and said, "We will have to narrow down the country he might have gone to, and then you will have to give me men that would help me find him. I cannot do this alone, you know. He does not appear to be as concerned as Dennis is because he is confident that Hans is safe somewhere. Elton reasoned that because of Hans's track record of surviving mishaps, he would be convinced that he was still alive until they discovered a dead body.
"Alright. Do everything you can to find him as soon as possible, Elton," Deric responded and sighed as he closed his eyes tightly out of frustration.
"Got it. I'd update you once I find a lead," Elton answered and left.
—
Meanwhile, it's been a month since Henry was found on the shore. Currently, he has a job with Rachel's help. Rachel, who couldn't leave him alone, extended her vacation to help him. She was too worried to go back to the city. Her family was surprised by her decision, but they still supported her. Because she was ashamed to mention a man, Rachel refrained from telling them about Henry. She knows that her mom and brother will make a big deal out of it.
"Rachel?"
Rachel was taken aback when she heard Henry's voice outside her door.
Rachel muttered, brushing her wavy hair, "He is already here?" before shouting, "Wait! I am not ready yet!"
"Oh, okay." He paused and chuckled. "Take your time."
Rachel smiled and looked at the mirror on her vanity table. She took her lipstick and was about to paint her lips when she suddenly paused out of realization. She instinctively covered her face with her hands as her cheeks began to slowly turn red.
"My gosh, Rachel. What are you doing?" she muttered to herself out of embarrassment. "But hey, I always fix myself whenever I go out. This is just a normal thing!" she reasoned out and looked herself in the mirror. She believed that all she was doing was giving things context when there shouldn't be any.
"This is all because of the others," she uttered and sighed. Most people who saw them together every day kept thinking they were a couple. She was trying her best to explain to them that they were just friends, but Henry would just laugh, thinking that the situation was funny. Rachel finds it disturbing that he does not seem to be taking anything seriously.
To at least add moisture to her dry lips, she picked up her pink lipgloss and applied it. "This would do," she thought to herself as she stood up.
Rachel and Henry decided to go to the Honesty coffee shop that she's been planning to go to because it has often been postponed since she has been helping him settle on the island.
She headed to the door, opened it, and saw Henry leaning on the wall in front of her door. The moment he saw her, he stood up properly and grinned, causing his dimple to show up.
"You looked good today," Henry told her as he looked at her from head to toe.
Rachel raised an eyebrow and said, "Just today?" Of course, she was just joking, but Henry seemed to have taken that seriously.
"No, no. That's not what I mean. What I am trying to say is that you look more beautiful today, especially in that dress because it complements your beauty so well," he explained himself, causing Rachel to chuckle. The dress he meant was the pink dress he brought her yesterday as a gift. It was his way of thanking her for helping him out this whole time. He would have had a hard time if it weren't for her.
"I was just kidding!" Rachel responded and laughed. She looked at her dress and said, "You shouldn't have brought me this dress with your first income. I feel bad because you could've used that for your own expenses."
Henry smiled at her and replied, "Rachel, you know that; that's my way of showing you how grateful I am, right? That's just a little compared to everything you've done for me. Thanks to you, I have a job now, and you've been helping me quite a lot when you shouldn't have. You've been a really great friend, and you deserve that."
Rachel paused after hearing what he said. "Friend," she thought to herself. For some reason, she felt something strange inside her, and it wasn't good. But then she instantly beams so he won't notice her disappointment and replies, "Let's end this drama because I'm really excited to see the Honesty Store, so let's go!"
She immediately turned around and walked in front of him so he wouldn't see her face. Rachel bit her lips as she realized that she was slowly becoming fond of him. She must stop whatever feelings are starting to grow inside her because it's wrong. Henry thought of her as a friend, and if she keeps seeing him in a romantic way, that would mean she was betraying their friendship. If Henry found out, he might be uncomfortable around her. Aside from that, Henry has no memories, so taking advantage of his feelings while he doesn't know anything is the last thing she'd do.
"So this is what happens when you've never been in a romantic relationship in a long time, huh?" she mumbled to herself and chuckled because of how easily she becomes attached to someone.
"Did you say something?" Henry asked as he walked beside her. He easily caught up because of his long legs.
"Huh? It's nothing," she replied.
"Eh? But I heard you saying something though," Henry insisted, causing her to laugh and just shake her head in response.
—
End of Chapter 8