Enjoy ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
...
There in her fancy bedroom, in the dark, wearing her silky light pink pyjama, she sat in her comfy chair, tapping on the keyboard of her laptop, checking every single file about her job as the owner of a successful fashion house. When she was done, she powered down her computer and took off her fluffy tie, letting her hazel-colored hair fall all over her shoulders.
She was about to turn off the lamp on her desk when her phone screen suddenly lit up. She took it to check a message from Catherine, her adorable and hard-working trainee.
Good afternoon, Madame Garcia. I apologize for the late hour, but I am excited to inform you that I have completed the mission and found another ideal face for your next autumn collection. Please check your email for the details. This was a professional spy mission, carried out without causing any harm.
I am awaiting your response. If you accept, please inform me at your earliest convenience so that I can initiate the necessary procedures.
Her heart-shaped lips curled up into a little smile. She stood up with her phone and headed towards her king-size bed in the middle of the room and tapped a reply.
I will verify this tomorrow. I have full confidence in you and your ability to get the task done. I really appreciate your hard work. Have a good evening.
...
The next morning, she was sleeping soundly until her phone on the bedside table rang. To freak her out, she rolled over and grabbed the phone. When she saw her brother's name on the screen, she frowned and answered, trying to move the fluffy, brown strands out of her eyes. "Why are you calling me this early? I barely slept."
"Is Celine with you?" His voice was shaky, easily noticeable to Ashley.
"No, maybe she went to work at the restaurant or college. I'm not sure. Why don't you give her a call and see if the two of you can get back together? Your tragic story became boring!" She raised her voice at the end of the speech, and when she was about to end the call, he said, stopping her from doing so,
"I tried calling her a bunch of times, but her phone is always off. I went to the restaurant, but she wasn't there. I knocked on her apartment door, but she didn't answer.I'm starting to think she's in trouble.You and she are close friends, so I thought you might have an idea."
She furrowed her eyebrows and started to worry about her friend. She remained silent for a few seconds before replying, while laughing, "I'm sure she got fed up with you following her everywhere, so she decided to go away and take a rest from your annoying acts, so stop making horror stories and let me finish my sleep."
"He's back! Eric Turner's here, between us!" he said, sounding scared. His sister's face was blank for a few seconds before she got out of bed, rubbing the back of her neck. She was finding it hard to speak, and her mouth was dry from the shock. "What?"
"I mean," she quickly moved her head to both sides, "how did you know? Did you meet him? Did that jerk threaten you?"
She could hear him breathing heavily on the phone, so she asked, "Where are you?"
"I'm just standing in the middle of the street, not sure where to go or what to do. I'm really scared, Ashley."
"Don't tell Dad, okay? I don't want him to worry," he added.
"Let's meet at our usual coffee shop, The Sun," she said and then ended the call even before hearing his reply.
...
They were facing each other. Aiden took the phone out of his jacket pocket and gave it to his sister, who started reading the message that had been sent to him the day before.
"Hey, retired baseball player. It's been a while. I hope you and your fiancée are enjoying life together. I'd love to be able to give you a gift for the wedding, but I'm not sure if you'll invite me."
"Oh my god; what made him decide to contact you after all this time? Didn't he learn anything from his stay in prison?" She said, confused, starting to think that Eric might have something to do with Celine's sudden disappearance, but she tried her best to reassure her brother, smiling lightly, "Maybe he's just messing with you. Also, what makes you believe it's Eric? And where'd he even get your number? I'm pretty sure he's just one of his old friends who's still loyal to him."
He let out a sigh, then put his elbows on the table and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. I'm lost."
"Try to call her," he said. She nodded, and when she was about to tap on her phone screen, she got startled when a strange young man suddenly appeared behind Aiden's chair and smacked his head with a magazine.
"What the...!" Aiden yelled, then turned around and was surprised to see Taylor standing there smiling widely. "Hey, it's been a while, cute redhead."
"Yeah, you long-haired rocker."
Taylor narrowed his eyes, preferring to not say anything and just chuckle a little. He took a seat and joined them. "How are you?"
Aiden put on a phony smile, answering, "If you hadn't changed your phone number and ignored me, I would've told you about me, you hypocrite."
"I didn't mean to ignore you. I lost my old phone, so I lost your number."
Aiden didn't mention a word, then nodded as if he got it. Taylor, who just gave a shrug, looked over at the girl sitting across from him. She was staring at him, but with a blank expression.
"What's up?" Taylor said, smiling at her, but he soon frowned when she didn't respond. She got up from her chair and stood behind him, ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying the feel of it.
He turned his head towards her, and as soon as he did so, she quickly moved her hand away, hiding it behind her back, "what are you doing?"
"You flirt with men? What's wrong with you?" Her brother scolded her.
"No, I'm not!"
She shook her head and waved her hands around, trying to deny the charges against her. Aiden stroked his forehead, embarrassed by her careless behavior.
She bit her lower lip awkwardly and said in a faint but clear enough voice as she lowered her head to stare silently at her sneakers.
"I like your hairstyle," she added.
"Idiot," Aiden said, then looked at Taylor, who smiled a little and said nothing until Ashley sat next to him, smiling like nothing had happened. "I'm Ashely. I'm Aiden's half-sister."
"Half-sister?" Taylor said, listening to the girl as she raised her two index fingers in front of his face. "Yeah, my mom divorced and married Aiden's dad. Aiden was an adorable teenage boy when they got married, and then my mom gave birth to me after three years of marriage."
"He's like my rock." She smiled warmly at Aiden, whose features softened. He smiled back at her.
"Interesting relationship. You guys seem like a harmonious family." Taylor answered, looking from one to the other, until Aiden's phone ringtone cut in. He picked up the phone from the table and raised his eyebrows because he didn't recognize the number. He answered, and a very familiar voice came from the phone.
"You are paying for your sin; Aiden."
He went quiet, his eyes widening, wishing deep down that what he was thinking wasn't true. "What do you mean?"
"I miss Celine. She was also my high school classmate."
Taylor and Ashley were both shocked by Aiden's sudden behavior. They stared at him, wide-eyed, as he abruptly got up from his chair and yelled into the phone, his eyes darting around the restaurant, causing the other customers to panic.
"I'll rip your guts out if you touch a hair of hers, you dirty bastard!"
"Tell the cops, and you won't see her again."
He disconnected the line, leaving him to wallow in his own thoughts. He exhaled heavily and ran his fingers through his soft locks before rushing to the exit door, ignoring his sister's calling.
He snapped back to reality when a similarly sized body got in his way, and then he felt fingers squeezing his shoulders to stop him from moving. Right after that, he heard a manly voice in his ears. "Aiden, stop and tell me what's going on. Who were you talking to?"
"It's Celine. Eric kidnapped her."
...