Chapter Three

Naila. 

Toby stormed back into the bedroom, the papers crushed tightly in his fist.

I looked up at him through tear blurred eyes, relief flooding me for the briefest moment.

Maybe he had come back to finish our conversation.

Instead, his expression was colder than I had ever seen it.

"I want you out in thirty minutes," he said flatly.

I stared at him, certain I had misheard him.

"W-what?"

"You have thirty minutes to collect your belongings before I call security to escort you out."

I shot to my feet my heart lurched painfully against my ribs.

How had everything fallen apart so quickly?

I hadn't even told him about the baby yet.

"Toby, what's wrong?" I whispered desperately. "Why are you so angry with me? Is this because of how I reacted when you called me your mistress? It, it just shocked me, I thought" My voice broke.

"I thought I meant more to you than that."

"You now have twenty eight minutes Naila, get out."

His voice was emotionless, cold and detached. He lifted the crumpled papers in his hand.

"How did you think you would get away with it, Naila?"

I frowned, completely bewildered.

"Get away with what, I don't know what you are talking about Toby?"

"You betrayed me." His jaw tightened. "I have no tolerance for liars or thieves, and you, my dear, are both."

Every drop of blood drained from my face.

The room swayed around me.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

My voice barely came out, "What papers?"

His lips curled into a contemptuous sneer.

"You stole from me Naila."

Each word struck like another blow.

"You are fortunate I'm not calling the authorities and If I ever see you again after tonight, I will. Your actions could have destroyed my company."

He threw the papers toward me.

"The joke is on you, though. They are fake. I planted them myself to expose the person stealing confidential information."

"Stole?"

My voice rose in disbelief.

With trembling hands, I snatched the papers from him and the words blurred through my tears.

An internal company email, confidential documents complete with detailed architectural plans and engineering drawings, none of it made sense to me. 

I looked up at him, feeling as though my entire world had just shattered.

"You think" I could barely breathe.

"You think I stole these?"

"They were in your bag Naila."

His expression never softened.

"Don't insult both of us by denying it."

He glanced deliberately at his watch.

"You now have twenty five minutes."

The knot in my throat became so tight I couldn't swallow or breathe 

Every part of me had gone numb.

Without another word, I turned toward the bedroom door, I didn't even think about my clothes, my suitcase, my belongings. I just wanted to get away from him, maybe we can talk when he was calm, I had never seen him like that before. .

I reached the doorway and placed one trembling hand against the frame to steady myself.

Slowly, I looked back and Toby hadn't moved a step, his face was hard and unforgiving as though the man who had held me in his arms only minutes ago no longer existed.

"How could you believe I would do something like this?" I whispered but he didn't answer.

I turned away before he could see my heart breaking and the tears I was holding back. Somehow, I made it into the elevator and the doors slid shut.

The moment they did, the sob I had been holding back tore free from my chest.

I cried quietly all the way down to the lobby.

The doorman looked at me with concern.

"Miss Jameson, should I call you a taxi?"

I couldn't speak, I simply shook my head and walked out into the warm summer night.

The evening breeze brushed against my tear stained cheeks, cooling the tracks my tears had left behind , I barely noticed my brain was not thinking at all. 

This couldn't be the end, once he had calmed down, I would explain everything.

He had to believe me.

This was all a terrible misunderstanding.

There had to be a way to make him see the truth.

Lost in my thoughts, I wandered aimlessly down the sidewalk. I never noticed the footsteps behind me and I had just stepped off the curb when someone grabbed my arm.

Before I could scream, a rough cloth sack was yanked over my head, smothering my cry, panic exploded through me.

I fought wildly, kicking and twisting with every ounce of strength I had.

It wasn't enough.

Strong hands lifted me effortlessly and a car door flew open.

Seconds later, I was thrown into the back seat and the door slammed shut.

Muffled voices reached my ears through the thick fabric covering my head.

Then the engine roared to life and the vehicle sped away into the night.