CHAPTER 10: DARING

Ixora came downstairs already dressed for work. She met her parents in the dining room, having breakfast.

"Baby, come join us," Georgia smiled.

"No, Mom, I'm already running late," Ixora replied.

"Okay, Love," Georgia said.

Ixora rolled her eyes...her mum was at it again.

"Be sure to be back by seven. An important visitor is coming today," Smith's eyes were on her as he spoke.

Ixora's head sparked as she furrowed her brows.

"Who, Dad?" she asked.

"Have a nice day at work," Smith dismissed her question.

Ixora's gaze went to Georgia, who was smiling while eating—a smile she found weird.

"What are they planning?" she thought, taking out her phone from her bag.

She clicked it on and the first thing she saw was the message from the unknown person, "DARING".

That was when it dawned on her that she hadn't even removed the message when she viewed it last night.

She didn't want to believe it, but her mind was telling her that it was Drexton.

Her steps were slow as she walked to the door.

How did he get her number—no, how was he able to come into her room despite the tight security—and then the 'seek me' he wrote on my mirror, he's...

"Why the slow steps?" Her mother's voice drifted her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head and walked out.

"What's with your daughter?" Smith asked, but a call came to his phone, interrupting him.

He swiped green, and his eyes turned dark.

He immediately wiped his lips with the wipes, stood up and left without saying a thing to Georgia, who didn't even mind.

****

M. J HOSPITAL (JAXON'S OFFICE)

The door opened, and Jaxon walked in with Maddox behind him. They both threw themselves on the couch, with Jaxon sighing tiredly.

"The operation was a hard one," Jaxon muttered to Maddox.

"Still wondering how we became doctors," Maddox said in a low voice.

Jaxon wanted to reply when his phone rang.

He looked at the caller's ID and saw 'old man'.

He answered the call.

Old Man: Come home, right now.

Jaxon hung up and faced Maddox, who already had a pipe between his lips.

"Old man called, got to go," Jaxon said and stood.

"That bastard," Maddox cursed, putting off the pipe as he stood.

Jaxon's face turned serious. "Do not interfere."

"Only when he doesn't try any shit," Maddox said and walked out.

"That mad man," Jaxon muttered, and exited the office too.

****

[CAIUS MANSION, 12:30 P.M]

Caius was in the living room with Lorraine, both having their lunch, when all of a sudden he dropped his fork and glanced at his wife, who was scrolling through her phone while eating.

"Your daughter has been gone for more than six days now," he said, calmly trying to keep his voice steady. 

Lorraine placed her phone on the table, her eyes going towards him. "So?" Lorraine shrugged, giving him a look that said 'I don't care'.

"You are her mother, and you don't even care about her whereabouts," he said again, his annoyance becoming visible.

"She's at Stacy's house. What else do you want to know? And besides, she's all grown up now, so you can't keep controlling her movements," Lorraine said, taking a bite of the steak.

"You expect me to believe that she spent more than five days in Stacy's house doing nothing!" Caius yelled, but Lorraine ignored him.

"She is a model, of course, she'd be busy at the agency," Lorraine snapped.

"This must be because she is obsessed with Drexton. It's getting out of hand."

"And are you going to blame her for that? Drexton is hot, he's sexy, so she's bound to get obsessed with him. Every normal woman would die to have him, so it's not her fault if she's like that," Lorraine replied, a smile forming on her lips.

Caius wrinkled his brow as he stared at Lorraine, who still had a smile on her face. It was at that same moment that the door opened and Bonnie walked in.

"Where have you been?" Caius asked her when she wanted to take the stairs.

She stopped and turned to him with her face squeezed up in annoyance.

"Dad, I am not in the mood to answer your questions," Bonnie replied.

"Ignore him, go and freshen up, okay," Lorraine said.

Bonnie smiled at her before going upstairs.

Caius stared at both his wife and daughter but kept shut.

A few minutes later, Bonnie came downstairs all dressed up.

"You just got back," Caius said.

"Dad, if you don't trust me, you can go ahead and plant a spy to report my every move, besides my photo shoot just got released—you should know the first person who always gets to see it," she said and walked out.

Lorraine had her gaze fixed on the door, digging her manicured nails into her skin. She only stopped when she felt a sting. 

"I will be in my room," she said.

****

[BLACKTHORN AUTOMOBILE]

Today has been a lucky day for Ixora. Drexton hadn't said anything to her, and since she got this job, this would be the first time she was doing the job she came here for.

Though she got drowned by the workload on her desk, that didn't stop her from thinking about the 'SEEK ME' message.

She only got to see Drexton when she arrived, and, since then, it's almost two, and he hasn't come out of his office.

"He must be quite busy."

She thought, and suddenly her ear caught the commotion happening outside.

The silent whispers and giggles among the employees reached her ears as well.

She looked around and saw so many people gathered outside—her curiosity kicked in, but she was the type who always minded her business.

It got worse when the person walked into the company—she shook her head, focusing on the work, when suddenly she felt someone's presence.

She looked up and for a second she was stunned. The person standing in front of her was none other than Bonnie Creed— the No.1 international model in New York. She's got everything—the beauty, the body and the sassiness as well...at least that's what she heard. She now understood what the noise was all about.

Ixora quickly composed herself as she cleared her throat.

"Welcome to Blackthorn Automobile. How may I help you?" Ixora said, flashing a welcoming smile.

Bonnie traced her gaze slowly, from Ixora's head down to her toes and back to her head, her face contorting into a squeeze.

She faced another worker ignoring Ixora. "Where is Tasha?" 

"Heard she lied to the boss and he fired her. Ixora is his new secretary."

Bonnie returned her gaze to Ixora, whose face looked serious and professional. 

"I am going to see Drexton," she said, and began heading straight to Drexton's office before Ixora could even stop her.

Ixora immediately went after her.

---

Bonnie got to the door and pushed it open to see Drexton so engrossed in whatever he was typing to the point where he didn't even notice her presence, or he did but chose to ignore her.

For a second, Bonnie's breath hitched; her heart began beating erratically. How could someone be this handsome?

She cleared her throat to announce her presence, but Drexton's position remained the same.

Ixora ran into the office, and that was when he closed the MacBook and looked up.

He stared at her with his usual pair of eyes, deep and soulless.

Ixora gulped hard, feeling goosebumps all over her body. She tightened her palm against the pen she was holding.

Bonnie watched—not only because he was staring—he ignored her...for her.

"You are new to this company. Do not permit anyone into my office without my permission," Drexton finally spoke up, his words sharp like a blade crawling deep into Ixora's skin.

"Drexton, you are not—"

"It won't repeat itself, boss," Ixora said.

Drexton finally shifted his gaze to Bonnie, who couldn't digest the fact that Drexton had warned the new secretary about her.

Seeing Drexton's attention to her, she smiled and wanted to go closer when she glanced at Ixora.

Ixora, knowing they needed privacy, left.

"Drexton, you didn't have to tell her that. I am close to you, remember," she said in a soft tone as she sat down.

Drexton didn't reply, nor was he listening to her.

"Maddox and Jaxon come here freely, and father too... but I—" she continued, but stopped when she saw he wasn't going to respond. She got to the exact reason why she came to see him.

She took out her phone from her glass purse and clicked on a picture of her.

In that picture, she was wearing a red bikini, with a long jacket and a summer hat.

"My photo got released today and, as always, you will be the first person to see it," she said, turning her phone screen to Drexton.

Drexton had never once paid attention to the picture, and he had never complimented her, yet she always showed him her first release shoot.

"Pretty right," Bonnie smiled, taking the phone off his face.

Drexton remained quiet as he opened his MacBook to continue his work.

"Won't you talk to me?" she asked.

"Leave."