The Puppeteer

Over the next couple weeks it was uneventful and peaceful except that I was swamped with work seeing as it was the week before Christmas we had to hasten things up to get as much needed work done.

If I had my way my employees wouldn't get to skip work because of some stupid holiday but alas it was a national holiday so there was nothing I could do.

I was hunched over on my desk, finishing up with the last paperwork. After signing the last document, I slammed it shut placing it above the pile of documents sitting beside my computer.

I sighed deeply, stretching like a cat as I leaned back against the headrest of my office chair. It was quiet, the only noise being the sharp inhale of my breath as I stared at the golden hues of the setting sun streaming in through the glass of my floor to ceiling windows overlooking the whole city.

It was a tranquil moment that broke off at the sound of a knock on the door. I sighed begrudgingly at the impromptu distance before inviting the person in. The door opened a crack and Parker peeked through, meeting my pointed stair briefly he quickly walked in and shut the door behind him.

“What is it Parker?,” I drawled mildly annoyed by his intrusion, my eyes flickering back to the beautiful sunset refracting against the glass and bursting into a kaleidoscope of golden colors that I almost couldn't tear my eyes away from it.

He closed the distance with a few strides and leaned down to place a manila envelope on my desk in front of me. I looked down at the envelope with a raised brow, my gaze drifting back to his.

“This arrived this afternoon,” he responded and I picked up the envelope, flipping the thing back and forth to see if there was a name but there was nothing.

“It doesn't include the sender's name,” I murmured thoughtfully.

“It was dropped off at the reception this morning via dispatch,” he explained and I nodded, waving him off. He turned to leave but hesitated, turning back to me.

“I just wanted to remind you that the meeting with Mr Hossein is in half an hour,” he said and I responded with a stiff nod.

He turned and walked out of my office, shutting the mahogany door softly behind him. I sighed, my gaze flitting down to the brown manila envelope before reaching for it.

I opened the flap slowly, my brows pinching together in curiosity at what it's content might be. I fished my hand into the envelope, pulling out a bunch of pictures, looking closely I felt my breath hitch iny throat, rage quickly replacing the mixture of fear and shock I'd initially felt as I flipped through each picture of my children.

Some where of them in school, on the playground, hell there was one of us in the mall and that was just a few days ago, but what caused dread to crawl through my veins was the last picture. It was of the twins with my mom on the porch of our home. I'd dropped the kid's off at my parent's just yesterday and now this.

'Oh God no', I whispered continuously under my breath as I searched through the envelope with frantic urgency for anything else be it a goddamn letter or note other than the pictures, but there was nothing.

Quickly I snatched my phone off my desk beside me, dialing mom's number immediately. I couldn't sit still, rising to my feet as I paced the length of my office waiting for her to pick up the phone.

When she finally answered, my back went rigid as I started firing questions after questions at her.

“Where are the kids?,”

“Are they with you right now?”

“Can I talk to them,” I rushed out, my heart squeezing painfully in anxiety.

“Slow down Julia,” mom admonished, her voice a mixture of worry and surprise and I sighed, running my fingers through my hair in frustration.

“Mom, please answer my questions,” I enunciated slowly.

“My grandbabies are okay, they're in the living room with your father as we speak,” she explained, her tone edgy but I ignored that.

“Okay I need you to go to the living room and check for yourself right now,”

“But I–

“I need you to check mom, I'm begging you,” I cut her off quickly and I heard her sigh in the background. It was quiet for a moment as I waited with bated breath, my fingers clutching my phone tightly over my ear it was a miracle it didn't shatter.

“Lucien, Olivia darling come here,” I heard her call softly.

“Now talk to them,” she said to me. “Mommy?,” came Lucien's sweet little voice.

“Baby, how are you, how's your sister,” I rushed out, feeling my thundering heart beat slowing down.

“We're okay mommy, granny's taking good care of us we even had cake and ice cream for breakfast!,” he chattered excitedly before I heard a gasp in the background.

“That was supposed to be our little secret remember,” mom whispered to him in the background and I couldn't help but chuckle softly at their interaction.

“Oopsie,” Lucien mumbled.

“That's great honey, now can you give the phone back to Granny?” I asked softly, “Okay mommy,” he responded, proceeding to return the phone back to mom.

“Is everything alright Julia?,” she asked softly as I heard her walking away from the two little chatterboxes.

“Of course mom, why wouldn't it be?,” I lied through my teeth. There was no way I could tell her exactly what was happening, not when she had a weak heart.

“It's just the manner in which you spoke made it seem as though something had gone wrong?,” she explained softly.

“Oh that?,” I decided to play dumb. “I had the weirdest dream that scared me a bit, that's why I sounded that way,” she hummed in response.

“Are you sure?,” she prodded further and I nodded quickly, realizing a second later that she couldn't see me.

“Yes mom,” she sighed after that, conceding.

“Now take care of yourself and don't you worry about my grandbabies, they're safe here,” she assured me and that seemed to sate my worry but only a tiny bit.

“Okay mom, I won't,” I responded before bidding her goodbye and ending the call.

I stared at my phone in hand with gritted teeth debating whether or not to call my father and narrate the whole thing to him. Without thinking twice I called him and he picked on the second ring.

“Hey dad,” I started in a soft tone, walking towards the floor to ceiling glass windows and staring out at the sunset that was quickly fading.

“Hey honey, how are you?,”

“Didn't you just call a minute ago to speak with your mother?” he asked.

“Uhm yes I did,” I murmured in response, pausing briefly before continuing “About that, there's something I'd like to discuss with you and mom can't know about it because I'm afraid she's going to freak out,” I explained quickly and he hummed.

“Tell me,” he urged softly and I told him everything.

“I'm afraid that they'll try to make a move while my babies aren't with me,” I felt a headache coming on at the thought of something bad happening to my children.

“You have nothing to be worried about, I have security patrolling the estate 24/7,”

“Do you know what that means my dear,” he asked and when I answered with a no he continued.

“It means the estate is impregnable, no one comes in or goes out without my notice,”

“But the pictures..” I trailed off and he chuckled, his deep baritone vibrating through my phone speaker.

“They're trying to scare you, don't be,”

“I have everything under control,” he assured me.

I opened my mouth to respond when I heard a knock at the door, I sighed.

“Dad, I have to go now but I'll call you as soon as I can ok?,” he responded affirmatively and I turned to face the door before inviting the person in.

Parker rushed in, his eyes meeting mine briefly before looking away. “What is it this time Parker,” I drawled in a bored tone, walking back towards my desk and proceeding to shove the pictures that was strewn all over my desk back into the envelope quickly.

“It's about the meeting with Mr Hossein,” he said slowly and my eyes widened a fraction as I cussed under my breath in quick successions.

Flipping my wrist I checked the time to see that I had just fifteen minutes to get to the restaurant. I could make it, but that meant there would be no time for me to change.

Grabbing my handbag I shoved the envelope into it and then my phone, before grabbing the files I'd need for the meeting, placing it gently into my bag and speed walking out of my office, towards the elevator with Parker hot on my heels.

As much as I wanted to drive down to my parents estate and be with the twins I couldn't cancel the meeting with Mr Hossein, not again. No matter if he was a shameless flirt, he was still an important investor.

I couldn't say I had no enemies, that would be foolish because in the world of business, you gain enemies just from existing alone. But the question was who would dare target my children?.

I would die protecting them but before that I'd find whoever thought it hilarious to send me pictures of my kids. It was baffling in the sense that there was no threat note attached to it because the motive behind the act was for me to know that they were always watching.

I scoffed at the thought, putting my car into gear and speeding out of the underground parking as my car's tire skidded loudly across the flooring.

Since the games had already begun then I'd aim to become the puppet master even if it was the last thing I'd do.