When they reached at the airport, they found Max and Gab waiting for them. Liam gave Anna her now two phones and a credit card she had left on the counter in the mall. Anna didn't ask how he had gotten them when they hadn't gotten in the shop on their way out again.
Max and Gab came closer to them. Gab was wearing similarly like the other four bodyguards holding a black suitcase which meant that he was going with Liam.
"All set" Max said.
"I leave Anna in your care!" Liam said and Max nodded. The two brothers left the couple to say their goodbyes after informing him everything needed. Liam turned to Anna, she had been quite all this while observing her surroundings. He stood in front of her and cupped her cute face.
"It's time" He said looking in her kinda reddish eyes. "Don't stress yourself, buy whatever you want on that card and eat in time, okay? I will be back before you know it."
Anna nodded, "Give me your jacket"
"Sure" Liam accepted, he took off his black leather jacket and placed it on her shoulders living it hanging without wearing the sleeves.
Anna sniffed on the collar and exhaled in satisfaction, she threw her hands around his neck and held him tight. Liam kissed her temple and jawline then tilted her head and kissed her on the lips.
"I got to go, bye" Liam said, he stepped back and started walking way after one final kiss.
Anna fought the lump in her throat suffocating her. Her entire face felt hot like it was on hell fire. The feeling of seeing her love leaving her hurt so much. She wiped her nose with the tissue that Liam had given her.
Liam too felt his heart ache, he turned around then went back to her. "I hate it when you cry because of me. I prefer you crying for me in pleasure not in pain"
Anna chuckled and lovingly slapped his arm, "Pervert"
"I prefer that too" He said, he put his shades on her eyes, winked at her with a smirk, kissed her forehead and left.
Anna was left giggling, "This magician!" She said shaking her head as she stared at his retreating figure. She after went back to where the cars were, where Max opened the car for her to get in. She sat in the front passenger seat holding the jacket near her nose staring out on the street.
Anna noticed two men sitting in the front seats of the car besides theirs gazing at her lustfully and frowned. Before she could look away angrily, the black tinted window rolled up. She chuckled and looked at Max.
"That was rude" She said still chuckling.
"They were likely to cause an accident ahead." He said without averting his eyes from the road.
Anna shook her head internally. She didn't buy his excuse at all. 'Are you doing the role they ordered you to do already?' she thought.
"How long have you known eachother?" Anna asked after several minutes of silence.
"Two decades" Max replied understanding that she was asking about Liam.
'That's quite long' She thought, she was so curious to know what the sad story was between them but she buried her curiosity inside her. She didn't want to look or sound like an investigator to Max so she kept silent till they reached at the café.
"Can I go grab my hand bag so that you drop me home?" Anna politely asked.
Max just nodded.
"Okay, be right back!" She said and hurried in the café. She saw Christine beckoning at her, she was sitting next to Mr Edmond. Anna was hesitant at first but dragged her legs anyway. The fear of meeting Mr Edmond doubled when she knew her job status.
"How are you daughter?"
"I'm fine, thank you sir!" She answered.
"I heard that you've been sick for days"
"Yes sir, but I'm fine now"
" Thank God. So, how's Liam's case holding up? I can't find him"
Anna felt blood rush to her face, 'How did he know about us' "H-he...he has left for it. Uh! They are now flying and that's why he's phone is off now."
"Okay!!!" He said nodding, "What exactly caused that young girl to take her life?"
"I have no idea, sir." Anna said, "Maybe Max knows better"
"Alright then, you can leave now"
"Thank you, sir!" Anna thanked and got up holding Christine's hand. "How in the hell could you tell him about me and Liam" She asked her when they got at the back of the parlor.
"I didn't" Christine said, "The old guy new already. Maybe Lewis did"
"Arrgh!" Anna groaned in displeasure. She fetched her bag, packed her belongings in it. She wasn't in good mood for chattering with anybody so she sat down scrolling through her phone waiting for Max to finish talking to Mr Edmond.
There were two missed calls from Nathaniel but she wasn't feeling like calling him back so she just ignored it. The new phone buzzed after sometime, she was somehow hoping for Liam's call but it was a mere text from an unknown number.
*Ready, Max*
Without saying good bye to anybody, she left the café. When they reached at her place, she went straight to bed not caring about anything else. Given that she hadn't slept well at night combining it with Liam's departure sorrow, she drove to sleep.
.
.
.
.
Liam leaned back in the plane seat his eyes shut. He wondered what the girl had done to him, his life now clocked around her making him forget about anything else in the world. He hadn't even told any of his family members about his journey or what had happened but he had told Anna; more like asked for permission of going.
'Is this what love does? Making one irresponsibly careless?' He asked himself internally. He opened his eyes and stared at her photo on his phone's screen saver. Just seeing her jovial smile made him smile as well.
He was thinking about closing his eyes again to take a nap when a profitable idea clicked in his mind. He went straight on Netflix and clicked on search bar for 'Shaoline soccer' movie. A small smile plastered on his lips even before watching it. As he rewatched it, all their unforgettable memories flooded in his head at each scene. A big grin marred his lips. He felt so close to her right now regardless of thousands and thousands of miles he was apart from her.
Gab looked at his silly reactions and shook his head, "I can't believe our cold young business tycoon is getting humbled by a mere girl with no status." He said under his breath but the security guard besides him heard everything. Gab glared at his curious gaze and the guy looked away.
The plane finally landed at Los Angeles international airport (LAX) after flying for 26hrs. Liam and his crew disembarked the plane finding another convoy waiting for them with other more security guards. He walked with hurried firm strides to one of the cars and the chauffeurs drove with full speed to his villa.
Liam first got a good refreshing shower before doing anything else. After that, he sat in the parlor where he found all his men gathered. Gab served him a freshly brewed coffee and he got a mug for himself then sat as well.
"Did you find a culprit?" Liam asked after taking a few sips of coffee.
"No sir but we at least found the guy who murdered a student. He hasn't spilled who sent him, sir, regardless of all the torture." A white guy said.
"Where is he?"
"In hell's kitchen"
Liam glanced at his watch then said, "Give me all written information about the deceased."
A white security guard gave him the files and the school's CCTV footage showing how the murder had taken place. He texted Anna first before going through all files. The police report stated that the girl had jumped from the fourth floor which took her life and that there was a written note in her pockets claiming that her reason for suicide was that their male teachers were sexually assaulting her.
But in the video from the CCTV camera, a blonde haired girl had been pushed by a masked guy.
"What's the current situation at the compus.?" Liam asked the guy who had given him the report.
"Horrible" The guy said, "Thousands of students accompanied by their friends and families gathered around the school rioting. They say they want justice for their fellow student. They said that they won't stop till you show up. All teachers are arrested."
Liam heaved a tired sigh, "Where did you find the culprit?"
"On US and Mexico boarder" The guy said.
"Let's first go in the hell's kitchen before meeting anybody else." Liam said. He sat with Gab in the car this time. Though he was quiet and collected at the outside, his insides were boiling. He knew very well that anybody behind the murder was after him personally but he couldn't figure out who exactly it was.
They parked at a certain warehouse in the outskirts of the town. The whole crew entered into it's basement which looked more like a dungeon. Where they found two more guards standing on either sides of a redheaded long bearded man his hands chained up on the ceiling. Judging by his tattoos all-over his body, he was undoubtedly a drug dealer. His expression was void and his eyes were hallow and lifeless.
"Sir, he refused to say a thing. Even when..."
"Don't worry about that, he will come around." Liam said to the dungeon guard with a relaxed tone. "Who sent you?"
"You're asshole" The chained guy replied to Liam then spat in his face.
Liam stood frozen, the guy's spit who hadn't eaten or brushed his teeth for two days stunk like sewage or a rotten dead rat. All his guards together with Gab were about to hit the guy but Liam stopped them.
"Acting brazen, huh!" Liam said wiping his face. "Okay, let's try another method till you tell me whatever I want to know."
The guy devilishly chuckled, "Make me, kid. Even death it's self is afraid of me, how about you nothing but a useless rich kid"
"Well, we shall see who the man is!" He said lazily and then turned to Gab, "Y'all wait for me here, I will be right back. And don't you tap on him."
Gab glared at Liam's retreating back, 'Are you fucking out of your mind?' He asked himself then looked the culprit. "I will kill you myself, dumbass."
He punched him severally on the stomach.
The guy coughed blood then said with a smirk, "Like master like dogs"
Gab wanted to shoot him dead but Liam had denied him, anyway. Liam came back after a few minutes with a big oval shaped black bag. All his men frowned when they saw him unpack kitchen stuffs.
"Seems like the boy is hungry?" The chained guy said mockingly, his snickers filling the quiet dungeon
"Yes sir, I am. Laugh as much as you can before I silence you forever." Liam said wearing gloves and a long cooking apron.