Ezekiel's heart pounded as he watched the woman in the pink skirt disappear around the corner. His gaze was fixed on her hand—the ring. Harris's ring. He swallowed hard, his mind racing. How did she get it? A rush of adrenaline coursed through him. He had to tell Harris.
Without another thought, Ezekiel sprinted towards the underground parking lot. The tires of his car screeched as he sped out, heading straight to Harris's house. His mind replayed the image of the woman over and over again, trying to connect the dots. That ring... it has to be her.
As he neared the estate, Ezekiel could already feel the tension gnawing at him. He slammed the car door shut and ran towards the entrance, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Harris! Harris, open up!"
The house was eerily quiet, the only sound being Ezekiel's pounding on the door. He barged in, the door creaking as it opened. The living room was dim, a heavy gloom hanging in the air. Harris was slouched on the couch, flipping through a magazine with half-lidded eyes. His normally sharp, godly and confident demeanor was gone, replaced by a man worn down by life's blows.
"Whoa, whoa, bro, what is all this? Why are you looking like a mess?" Ezekiel rushed over, his voice laced with concern. The house was dark and silent, a far cry from its usual state of luxury and vibrancy.
Harris groaned and waved him off. "Can you just mind your business? Leave me alone."
Ezekiel, undeterred, walked over to the tall windows and flung them open. A gust of fresh air rushed in, stirring the stagnant atmosphere. "Look, you're not going to fix anything sitting on this couch looking like a wreck, he said firmly. You need to get up, do something."
Harris ignored him, his gaze still on the pages of the magazine, which he wasn't really reading. Frustrated, Ezekiel paced around the room, watching Harris with increasing concern. Then, he stopped in his tracks, a new fire in his eyes.
"I have news for you, Ezekiel said, walking over to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water. He took a long gulp, then turned to face his brother. Your ring. The family ring you've been searching for… I found it. And I know who's wearing it."
Harris's magazine slipped from his hands, landing on the floor with a dull thud. He slowly sat up, eyes narrowing as he looked at Ezekiel. "Don't mess with me, Zeke."
"I'm not, Ezekiel said, voice steady. I swear on everything. I saw a girl—no, a beautiful woman—wearing it. And the amazing fact is she works at Lancaster Enterprises."
Harris stood abruptly, grabbing Ezekiel by the shoulders. "Are you serious? Don't play games with me, man."
"I'm dead serious, bro. Ezekiel met his gaze, unwavering. I saw her with my own eyes."
Harris released him, pacing back and forth, his mind racing. He stopped for a moment, staring out the window. "I need to see her, he muttered, more to himself than to Ezekiel. I need to know how she got the ring."
Without warning, Harris bolted up the stairs. Ezekiel heard drawers opening and closing, the sound of rustling clothes. Before Ezekiel could react, Harris came flying back down, keys in hand.
But before Harris could run out the door, Ezekiel grabbed him by the arm. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. You can't go looking like this, he said, eyeing Harris's disheveled appearance. You look like a train wreck."
"I don't have time for this." Harris scowled rolling his eyes at him
"You want to go confront this lady looking like you've been living under a bridge? She won't even give your attention for a second. Now, Go take a shower, clean up, and then we'll go. You're not thinking straight."
With a frustrated groan, Harris conceded. "Fine. Give me five minutes."
As Harris disappeared upstairs, Ezekiel sank into the couch, flipping through the discarded magazine to pass the time. His mind, however, was buzzing. Who is this woman? The pieces didn't add up, and yet… it all made a twisted kind of sense. He just hoped they weren't walking into a trap.
Minutes later, Harris returned, now looking more like himself. He was dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt, the sleeves neatly rolled up to his elbows, paired with black trousers. He slid on a pair of Crocs and grabbed his keys.
"Better?" he asked, his voice still tinged with impatience.
"Much better,.Ezekiel replied, standing up. But don't go charging in like a bull. Remember, Uncle Gregory fired both of us and banned us from coming near the company. We have to be smart about this."
Harris paused, nodding slowly. "So what's the plan?"
"We wait for her break, Ezekiel said, glancing at his watch. She'll be out around noon. I'll have someone call her out, and we'll meet her for lunch. You need to approach this calmly, bro. Not just to get the ring back, but to find out what's really going on."
"I don't care about anything else. I just need my ring back, it's our heirloom" Harris muttered.
Ezekiel gave him a look. "Bro, if you gave her that ring, there's more to this than you remember. You need to think clearly. And... I think you'll need to marry her."
Harris's head snapped up. "What?! Marry her?"
Ezekiel nodded, dead serious. "Think about it. Uncle Gregory is on your heels. That ring is a key piece to everything. You marry her, and we can take back what's ours, everything you've worked for. Even if the marriage stays temporarily."
Harris looked conflicted. "I don't even know this woman."
"Then get to know her. But we need to move fast. The two-month deadline is almost up. If you want to keep everything, you're going to have to do this."
Silence hung between them. Finally, Harris sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. Let's go."
`•`•`•`•`•`•`•`•``•`•`•`•
They left the house and drove to a small restaurant opposite Lancaster Enterprises, parking the car and waiting. Time crawled by as they sat, watching the entrance, tension thick in the air.
After what felt like an eternity, Harris broke the silence. "Are you sure she'll come out?"
Ezekiel shot him a glance. "Be patient, bro. She'll come."
And then, just as Ezekiel had predicted, a security guard pointed in their direction, and there she was—Annabelle. Dressed in a pink skirt, her long hair flowing behind her, she walked towards them with a confident stride.
Ezekiel got out of the car, waving to her. They exchanged a few words before entering the restaurant nearby.
Inside....
.
.
The tension between Harris and Annabelle was palpable. Harris cleared his throat as they sat down. "Hi, I'm Harris."
Annabelle smiled faintly. "I remember. But I'm guessing you don't remember my name. It's Annabelle."
Harris blinked, his confusion evident. "Annabelle... He looked down at the ring on her finger. That ring... where did you get it?"
Annabelle tilted her head, her fingers gently caressing the ring. "You gave it to me," she said softly.
Ezekiel leaned forward skeptically. "But why? Why would Harris give you something so important?"
Annabelle's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Well, she shrugged, That's something only he can answer."