MasukDerek’s PovI sat behind my desk my thoughts still burning from the heated clash with Peterson, my office felt heavy at the moment,the silence pressing down on me..I had loosened my tie as I ran through my temples,trying to regain composure.my chest still rusing and falling from the adrenaline if the confrontation,the words Peterson spat at me echoed like poison in my mind.I could feel the battle lines drawn deeper than ever before,and right there and then I knew my rival wouldn't stop until he tore me apart.A light knock sounded on the door,I straightened myself on the chair my voice curt. “Come in.”My secretary stepped inside cautiously, clutching a medium sized package in her hands. “Sir, this just arrived. It was delivered at the front desk, addressed directly to you. The receptionist thought it best to bring it to me immediately.”I had frowned up seeing that, eyeing the plain brown wrapping. There was no return address, no name. Just my name written across the surface in bold,
Derek's povThe ringing of my phone cut through the quiet hum of the morning.i was in the sitting in the living room my arm draped loosely around my wife, who was nestled against me on the sofa.the glow if sunlight streamed through the large windows warming the room and making it feel far away from the cutthroat world of mine that's full of corporate politics that I had been consumed in for years.but the shrill sound of my phone brought me back to realityI sighed and reached for the phone that lay on the coffee table.the screen lit up with my assistant’s name a sinking feeling settled right into my chest before I even thought of answering.“Good morning sir”she said her voice clipped but tensed “the board has called for an emergency meeting.they’re gathering in the conference hall in less than an hour so your presence is neededWith a frown registered on my face I sat upright”emergency meeting? what happened”“It's about the Orion deal you signed last week”she replied cautiously as t
Derek’s PovMy pulse hammered against my ribs as I sat on the edge of our bed,my head buried onto my palms. The empty house was suffocating,every tick of the click driving a sharper blade if fear into my chest.my phone lay beside me,the screen still glowing with the unanswered calls I had made to Kora’s number.Each call going to voicemail had chipped away at my sanity.i had sent text after text,my words sure enough sounded desperate,my heart pleading through the screen…..Kora where are you? please pick up…answer me.. please…but there had been no reply.My imagination tormented me with cruel images of Kora being hurt,Kora being dragged away by faceless faces, Kora's blood staining the floor as the letter had promised.my breath at this point grew shallow,and I clenched my fist untill my knuckles whitened Never had I felt so helpless,so stripped of control.the thought of losing her …my anchor….my reason….was unbearable.The sound of the front door opening jolted me like an electric shock
Kora’s POVThe lid came off and the first time in forever, I breathed fresh air through my lungs. The hours I had spent in the drum was an agonizing one and I was still curled up like a sardine. I gasped, blinking against the dim warehouse light.My eyes moved up and there he was. Derek. As expected, he was looking down at me as if he wanted to cry. For a moment, the noise around me faded. All I could hear was the sound of my heart beating and the sigh of relief that escaped my lips.“Hands in the air!” Derek disappeared. I couldn't see what was going on, but I knew he was talking to Ella, and he wasn't happy at all.The man who had put me in the drum bent down, grabbing my arm and pulling me up. My legs ached badly from being cramped for so long, but I managed to stand on my feet .Ella, who was Lydia's best friend was standing there with her hands in the air, a smirk in her face as she looked at me. I felt like rushing towards her, and slapping her the exact same way she had done
Derek’s POVThe officers walked away, back to their car, their boots crunching on gravel. Lydia’s wicked smile stayed burned in my mind long after she turned and disappeared back into the warehouse.The police had asked me to leave her alone because she had nothing to do with it. That was what she wanted. She wanted me to give up, and go home.But I wasn’t going anywhere. If I had to sleep on the cold street just to find Kora, I was ready to do it.I got into my car and drove a short distance down the road, just far enough to be out of sight. Then I Then I parked behind an abandoned shop, where I could see the roof of the warehouse.Every minute felt like an hour as I sat there, my eyes fixed intently on the building. Even if a fly flew past there, I'd notice it. The night had grown cold, and I pulled my jacket tighter around me.We had missed something, I was very sure. There was no way Lydia would randomly go to a Warehouse because that was where she sought solace from her abusive
Derek’s POVLydia had vehemently denied having any knowledge about Kora's whereabouts but I knew. She could fool the police but she wasn't fooling me at all.I had stayed outside her house, until the next morning when she finally came out. It had been a long hour, driving carefully behind her until she finally came to this old and abandoned warehouse.The police made their way inside and I followed them inside, my pulse pounding in my ears. This had to be where she was keeping my Kora.The warehouse smelled of rotten food that were stacked up in a corner. Rats ran past as we looked into each and every corner. Light seeped in through the numerous holes in the high, cracked windows. smelled of damp concrete and rust. . The officers moved out, methodical, checking every room, every dark corner, but no Kora in sight.I looked around. Behind every crates, old tooks that weren't in use wnd machinery but there was no sight of her. My mind told me she was here. But where could she be?"Office







