A few days ago, Liam Blackwood sat behind his office table, ruffling through the papers and looking for important documents and putting signatures on files that needed them when a knock came on the door and his deep voice echoed, "Come in,"
"Boss, guess what? I found leading information on where we can find her," His private investigator said immediately after he stepped in.
The pen flew its way out of Liam's hand and the papers were jammed aside as Liam removed his glasses and fired an eager look at his private investigator.
"What information did you get?" He responded, his voice tinged with a mix of optimism and desperation.
Even though he had received this kind of news before, his heart still skipped whenever his investigator came with such news, his eyes still held that hope and eagerness after all these years of endless searching for her.
Liam's eyes narrowed as his investigator, Jaden, leaned in, his voice low and urgent. "I found a post, Boss. It was her picture I saw, I'm sure of it."
"A...a post?"
"Yes. She was asking for help. Blood march and financial assistance. But here's the thing - the post was taken down just minutes later."
Liam's grip on the armchair tightened as his mind raced. "The...the post was taken down?"
Jaden nodded and hesitated before he said, "I checked the profile of the poster and then I found another face."
Liam's eyes snapped to Jaden's. "Another face?"
Jaden nodded, his expression grim. "Yeah. A different person altogether. And that's when I wondered... do you know this face?"
Jaden handed him his tablet, the screen lit with a hauntingly familiar image. Liam's heart raced as he stared at the face he knew he had seen somewhere, his mind reeling with questions. Who was this person? And what did she have to do with her?
"I think I have seen this face before but don't know where exactly. I guess it's also someone from the past. I think she is close to her," The familiar surge of excitement and anticipation coursed through his veins, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of possibility.
"I'm not entirely sure. But I believe we're getting close to finding her this time." Jaden nodded.
"Jaden, I need to chat with this account." Liam was desperate.
"No, let me do it, boss. What if it's her and she sees your profile, she might not want to respond again." Jaden suggested.
"Then do it immediately. Chat up the account and know what her response would be." Liam ordered swallowing hard as his eyes shot close and his mind rendered a prayer. Jaden did as ordered.
However, two days passed with no response from the owner of the account and Liam was losing hope again.
That morning, on this fateful second day his, thoughts drifted as he gazed at her photo in his hand and all he could see was the haunting image of her, drunk and vulnerable, confessing her love for him that fateful night.
He knew he had also fallen in love with that vulnerable girl. He yearned to confess his love, to claim her as his own, but fear held him back, afraid of the consequences that might unfold. So, he also drank, enough to make him feel free from the anger of his own shame that had engulfed his heart.
But then, he was stupid. He never knew he would only end up getting himself intoxicated and longing for her.
A knock at the door took him out of his trance as a slender, beautiful lady walked determinedly in.
"I've been calling you but you're not picking. You look troubled again. Is there a problem I can help you solve?"
Liam glanced at his phone and saw 6 missed calls; from Sophia. He had been indeed lost again. Sighing he said, "I'm fine."
"So you say, but you don't look fine to me. Be honest, what's with that long face?" She dropped her Louis Vuitton purse on the table and moved over to take a look at what his eyes were so fixed on.
Her fist clenched. "Thinking about Olivia Montes again? It's been six good years already."
"Yet, I can't seem to forget about her. I can't seem to forget about that night." He told her and stood up.
"Liam, what happened then between you two was not your fault,"
"Yet, I feel so ashamed of myself for not protecting her."
"When are you going to stop hurting yourself?" And my feelings? She added in her mind, her clenched fist now quivering.
"It will be until I find her," His own hands were tightening. He felt so worked up, so bitter. All his efforts were nothing but shattered dreams.
"You need to stop doing this to yourself, please." She hugged him from behind. "I'm here for you, Liam." But then, someone broke her moment.
"Boss, I finally got a response," Jaden burst the door open and announced however, shrunk backward when he saw the beautiful lady trying to comfort his boss.
"Tell me, what... what did she say?" Liam had unwrapped Sophia's arms around him rushing towards Jaden not realizing the lady had staggered before she kept her stance but Jaden saw that and suppressed a chuckling handing his tablet to Liam.
"The owner of the account agreed she knows your Mate. She said she had made the post for her friend but deleted it for a reason. She called herself Georgina. Do you know this Georgina before, boss?"
Georgina. Yes, that name. Was she not her high school friend then?
"That's her friend back then, I can recall now she..." The words caught in his throat, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile thread of possibility. "She's Olivia's friend." He pointed gingerly at the photo.
"She also sent me a picture of Olivia Montes for proof." Jaden scrolled through their chat to show him. His investigator's words were the oxygen he'd been starving for, and he breathed them in, his chest swelling with a mix of trepidation and joy.
"She is in dire need boss, you need to act quickly. How will you meet her?"
"Ask her to meet you here?" Sophia cut in as if she was part of the conversation. Yes, she was whenever it was time to comfort and make her boss forget who he...
"You think it's better that way?" Liam cut in on her thought.
"Yes, I think so. She will definitely come since she's in desperate need. Going to meet her somewhere else would only make the two of you not get the chance to talk to each other as much as you want. She might want to run off again and you know how embarrassing it could be in public." She suggested but the truth was she wanted her to be here so she could see the face of that woman that was hindering her chance with her boss.
"That's a good idea. Set a meeting for us. Send them the address." Liam agreed instantly and ordered him and Jaden did as told.
"In one hour boss, I'm sure she will be here. As long as she had not seen your face, I believe she would come." Jade assured.
Liam nodded, feeling anxiety wash over him. He felt pressed and needed an emergency at the white house but had a second thought, he might miss her when she comes if he sits in that place releasing himself.
Sophia on the other hand didn't look okay and Jaden noticed the took so he decided to taste the lady's patience by asking Liam. "Um...boss, if she comes, what...are your plans? I...mean?" He fumbled, "What do you plan to do now?" Imposing such a question he knew would tear Sophia's heart and he wanted just that so the young lady could give his boss a rest already.
"I won't wait. I will offer her what she wants and ask her to marry me."
As Liam responded to the question, Sophia's eyes cast downward in detestation. Jaden seized the opportunity to sneak behind her and whisper into her ears, "You're getting more beautiful each day with that look on your face. Why don't we step outside, don't you think it's getting hot in here?"