"Ma'am, here's your tea." The woman placed a freshly brewed cup of tea on the table in front of her. Once her task was done, she promptly left her alone.
The woman, who had been sitting and reading her morning magazine, shifted her attention. She picked up the magazine, reached for the tea cup, and took a sip. "Indeed, the perfect morning involves enjoying tea with snacks and a morning magazine. It's truly a perfect day," she murmured softly, smiling.
Bellatrix's attention suddenly shifted when she accidentally noticed a notification on her phone. She glanced at her phone lying on the table in front of her. On the illuminated screen, she saw her set reminder appear on the lock screen. Quickly, Bellatrix placed her cup on the table and reached for her phone. As she unlocked the screen, the reminder she had set appeared. The woman's expression changed instantly upon seeing the content of the newly surfaced reminder.
"Hmm, so it's time for him to return to Pandora, huh? I've been so caught up enjoying life that I forgot the leadership change is just around the corner," the woman mumbled softly. Her phone suddenly rang, and the screen lit up with an incoming call from a familiar number. Bellatrix could only smile broadly when she saw the number displayed there. Swiftly, her slender fingers slid the green button, instantly connecting her call with the caller.
"Hello?"
"You didn't forget our plan for this afternoon, did you? I want us to meet at the restaurant for lunch together, how about it?" a woman on the other end spoke.
"Okay, let's meet. How about Conti Restaurant? It's been quite popular lately."
"Oh, sure. That's a great idea! Just don't forget to come. I've missed you so much. It's been a while since we last met, right?"
"Yeah, alright, see you later then." Bellatrix ended the call unilaterally. Shortly after receiving the call, she got up and left her place. There was something she needed to do.
*
Rhys fell silent, staring blankly at the cityscape before him. He let out a heavy sigh. Just like yesterday, he couldn't concentrate on work today, especially after dreaming about Serena last night. "How can I focus when I keep thinking about Serena? I still don't understand the whole situation I'm facing. There are so many questions in my mind about her. I really want to ask her, so I can find clarity about what actually happened in the past. I want to know why she left me, and who's the guy with her? No matter how many times I think about it, it still doesn't make sense. How could Serena leave me? She even left without saying anything."
Rhys ruffled his hair, feeling truly frustrated with everything he was facing. Back then, he was frustrated because he couldn't meet Serena, and now, after meeting her, Rhys still feels the same way. Rhys just couldn't accept all of this. It was still very difficult for him to believe that Serena left him and went away with another man.
The man fell silent, lost in thought. Somehow, his mind suddenly recalled the events of five years ago, when, for the first time, he woke up and lost the woman he loved the most.
Five years ago...
Rhys opened his eyes as his hand accidentally felt the bed beside him, and found absolutely no one lying there. Rhys, who initially still felt tired and sleepy, then opened his eyes and turned his head towards the side where Serena should be lying while closing her eyes. But his face immediately turned confused as his vision cleared, and he did not find her there at all.
"Is she awake yet?" Rhys muttered softly while trying to gather all his consciousness. He got up and sat on the bed, still trying to open his eyes. "Serena?" Rhys called out to her while staring towards the bathroom. Supposedly, if the woman was awake, then she was now busy cleaning her body, which was covered in sweat from last night's lovemaking.
Rhys was silent. He heard no answer at all. Everything was quiet, as if there was no one but him in there.
Feeling that something was amiss, Rhys then got up from his bed. His hand moved to grab the robe hanging to cover his naked body. Once the garment was in place, Rhys promptly headed towards the bathroom to check. "Serena?" Rhys called out again, standing in front of the bathroom door.
"Serena? Are you in there?" Rhys shouted. But once again, only silence prevailed. Rhys started to feel increasingly uneasy with no response at all. The man knocked on the door several times while continuously calling her, until he pushed the door, which turned out to be unlocked. Rhys was surprised to find no one in the bathroom. "She's not here? Then where is she?"
Rhys tried to remain calm, though for some reason, his heart began to feel restless. The man returned to his room, and upon his return, Rhys only then noticed that Serena's clothes were gone. Only his clothes remained scattered on the floor in a disorganized manner. "Could she possibly be outside?"
Rhys stepped out of his room, continuously calling for Serena, hoping the woman would be there to answer his calls. Once outside the room and after checking the entire space, Rhys couldn't find her at all. The woman had truly disappeared without a trace. Rhys even searched in the living room, the kitchen, and even his office and apartment balcony. But he still couldn't find her. "Why is she nowhere to be found? Did she leave? But why didn't she wake me up? She usually wakes me up before leaving."
Rhys tried to process the situation, but the anxiety he felt was truly unsettling. He quickly returned to his room to grab his phone. He promptly called Serena, but each time, all he could hear was the robotic voice of the operator stating that Serena's number was inactive. This clearly heightened his anxiety. "Why is her number inactive? She even left just like that. Why is she acting so unlike herself? It's making me really anxious."
Rhys tried to think of other ways. The only possibility that crossed his mind was that Serena had left and vacated the apartment while he was still sound asleep. But Rhys couldn't comprehend why Serena would leave like that, without waiting for him to wake up and with her phone completely inactive.
After struggling to come up with ideas, Rhys finally decided to contact the receptionist on duty in the lobby of his apartment building. He needed to inquire whether any of them had seen Serena leaving his apartment.
Upon calling and asking about it, the receptionist's response only made Rhys feel more anxious. They said they had no idea about the woman Rhys described because there were so many people coming out that morning.
"I need to stay calm because maybe Serena went home, or perhaps she went straight to work. She might not have woken me up to avoid disturbing me, and her phone may be inactive because the battery is dead. Now, I better get ready and go find her," Rhys said to himself. He hurriedly went to the bathroom to prepare. After showering and getting ready, he quickly grabbed his car keys and left.
Throughout the journey, Rhys didn't stop contacting people who knew Serena. He kept asking them one by one because maybe Serena went to their places. However, once again, Rhys heard unwanted answers. None of them knew where Serena was. Even when Rhys arrived at Serena's workplace, he couldn't find her. Instead, one of his colleagues asked Rhys about Serena, who unexpectedly didn't show up for work this morning.
Hearing that Serena didn't show up for work, Rhys began to realize that something was indeed amiss. He rushed to every one of Serena's workplaces, hoping she would be at one of them. Unfortunately, Rhys became even more anxious as Serena had truly disappeared, just as he feared. Throughout the day, Rhys spent his time relentlessly searching for Serena's whereabouts.
In the evening, he visited the last possible place Serena could be. He went to J-Club and inquired with Jeremiah about Serena's whereabouts. Once again, he received the same answer. Rhys started to feel frustrated. His fear had truly become a harsh reality—Serena, the one he loved, had vanished into thin air.
That night, Rhys cried in his car while whispering Serena's name, hoping that she would appear and meet him. However, as time passed, Rhys became increasingly aware that he had truly lost her.
"Where did you go, Serena? Why did you disappear? What happened to you? I can't live without you, Serena." Rhys continued to sob. He even screamed and occasionally pulled at his hair, unable to accept the situation. Amidst it all, Rhys quickly reached for his phone to contact someone. He should have done it earlier, but he had been too busy trying to think positively, even though his worst fear had already come true.
"Hello, sir—"
"Serena is missing! I need your help. Instruct all my subordinates to go look for her, and in any way possible, you have to find her!"
"Okay, sir. I will get right on it," Romeo responded on the other end. In times like these, Romeo was indeed the most reliable. The man he trusted most always managed to solve every problem and help him overcome any unwanted situation.
Rhys quickly hung up his phone and threw it onto the dashboard of his car. The man resumed sobbing, continuously calling for Serena. His chest felt tight, considering the woman had truly disappeared without a trace.
"Where are you, Serena?"
***